It had been a few days since Sara had found out that Sam was still alive. She’d cooled off since, but to say that she was completely ok with the way that things had come down between Cold Steal and herself…. That would certainly be an understatement. She didn’t feel like following orders yet whether he was her team leader or not, but she still owed him a TV. Not just any TV. A new TV.

So she found herself standing at the electronics section at the mall. Her arms crossed and her hips slanted as she stared at this wall of TVs that was supposed to make picking out a TV easier. Witch having a wall of TVs to look at might make picking on out easier if one knew anything about TVs. All Sara knew was how to turn them on, how to change channels, and how to turn the volume down when her ears started to ring. She was much more computer savvy.

Meanwhile, as Sara was trying to make her decision, the sales reps seemed to be avoiding her. The tip of her tail twitched every time she heard one of them ask the infamous question ‘May I help you find anything?’ but it was always to someone else. Not her.

“Excuse me.” Sara raised her hand to try to stop a busy salesmen. He rushed past her clearly not overly busy, but not wonting to help her either. Oh come on. Hadn’t the norms of New York been around mutants enough at this point that they could help just one obvious one find a TV? Obviously Sara should have chosen something else to break. The hot tub maybe. At least those showrooms only had one room and no isles. Harder for salesmen to hide from her. Ok. So note to self. Next time break something that was easier to buy without help.

Another salesperson passed Sara and she moved to follow them down another isle. “Hey. I’m ready to make a decision.” At this point just grabbing one of the big flat screens and walking out the door would be so much easier. Lets face it. They probably wouldn’t even try to stop her but Nnnoooo. Sara was now and up and coming x-men member. AKA Stealing was bad.

This isle was pink and there was nothing in here that she’d thought would be for Sam. Just lots of little girls electronics and novelties. Nothing was really catching Sara’s attention till she finally caught up to the latest Salesperson at the end of the isle. It was so perfect that Sara wondered how she’d missed it before, when she had first walked in.

“Can I help you find anything?” Finally Sara had managed to get someone’s attention. Sara turned to find a woman with a clipboard and a nametag that read Fred, standing behind her.

Sara grinned. Forgetting to keep her lips closed to hide her pointed feline teeth. “Do you have anything like this, but bigger?” Sara asked motioning to one of the TVs on a shelf.

Fred nodded. Making a note on her clipboard. Her lips pressed together a little. “I think that I have exactly what you’re looking for in the back.”

………….. . ……………. . ……………… . …………

Sara knew that she was supposed to call Sam when she was bringing his new TV but weren’t surprises so much more fun? Especially when those surprises were big, flat screen TVs with a giant plastic Hello Kitty head peaking over the top. Sara didn’t need to leave a note. Just like Sara didn’t need to leave the TV on Sam’s desk facing his man cave door. Nor did it need a big pink ribbon wrapped around the screen. No. None of those were needed, but she took a great deal of joy in doing them anyways.

What Sara also left was a six pack of muffins from a local bakery. Two were missing. What could Sara say? She’d gotten hungry. The note left on top of the muffins was simple. “Hello Kitty seemed like a good reminder. WC”

Bruno notified of Sam of her before he saw her on the camera feed. Sara walked in with some kind of television and a box. He didn’t open the door but rather waited till she left. He might have had a beer or two already and he didn’t really feel like having another fight. He’d thank her in person later. So after the coast was clear Sam walked out to look at the T.V.

Sam stared at it for another minute before he realized what Sara had done. She broke his sweet T.V. and bought…. This to replace it. He blinked and shook his head before throwing out a curse or two and lifting the television that was currently mocking him by hitting him in the chin. ”Stupid cat.” he looked to the box and then slid it in before closing himself back in his coffin till they could figure out who tried to kill him. Seriously, it had been too long already and with this television he had a feeling it was about to be longer.

Sitting on his couch drinking a beer and looking at a note and a box of muffins Sam shook his head some more. ”Just a reminder to put you on missions involving tons of water.” Sam said shaking his head and laughing some more. Picking up the remote and turning the T.V. on he bit into the muffin trying his best to ignore the mocking cat. ”Lucky I’m dead…” Sam muttered more into the muffin.

Seriously. Did Sam really under estimate Sara’s nose that much. She walked down the hall way with a muffin in either hand. Finishing the first one quickly, before she’d even reached her van that she’d left running outside. Sara’s senses were as sharp as anyone could handle and still be able to function. She’d put her own nose up against any blood hound’s nose. There was alcohol in the air around Sam’s office. She could smell it, but right now, telling him off for it wasn’t worth it. And it wouldn’t be as fun.

Her tail twitched with mild anxiety when she reached her van. She had halfway expected her cell phone to ring with a call from Sam, but it never did. So her drive home, to her apartment, was disappointingly, uneventful. Perhaps Sam had been sleeping. Oh well. Not important. She was sure she’d hear about the TV eventually. For now. She was actually feeling tired and her bed looked better than ever.

Sleep came fast.
… . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . …

In the morning, Something was missing, but Sara couldn’t put her finger on it. No really. She couldn’t put her finger on it because it was missing. IT just happened to be Sara’s feline tail. And when she’d pulled the covers away from her skin, she’d realized her fur was missing too. Sara through the covers away off and only the floor. Sitting up in bed with a jerk. Her hands shaking as they flexed in front of her face and then slid across either side of her smooth face. What was left in her fur’s place was lightly tanned skin, callous free hands, and short, flat fingernails. You know. Normal parts. Not cat like parts.

Unlike the last time that she’d woken up out of her fur, and in someone else’s body, she was not in a strange, unfamiliar place, but rather was in her own bed in her own apartment. Roxy was startled and stared at her and Sara couldn’t help but feel hurt a little.

After the indicial shock of waking up in a human body, dressing was interesting. Her cloths didn’t exactly fit right. She now stood a couple of inches shorter so her pants were too long. Then there was the problem that she no longer had a tail, so the hole that had been carefully cut into all of her cloths was now positioned in the most awkward place. The only things that would still work for her in her wardrobe were a mini skirt that Ayesac had bought her as a joke, and leggings because it seemed that even without fur, her legs could use a shave. Shoes? Well those were still overrated.

He didn’t know how long he was sleeping or rather passed out all he remembered was finishing one of the muffins before doing so. Maybe a few more beer cans were involved as well but it was kind of fuzzy. Speaking of fuzzy. ”Get off you big lummox!” Sam groaned as he put his hands on something furry that was on his chest. It wasn’t Bruno. Sam opened one eye and looked towards Bruno who was staring at him and almost grinning at him. ”Easy boy.” Bruno looked like he was going to jump.

Sam reached out a hand to get him to stop but let out a loud catcall when he saw his hand. Or rather paw. ”The hell did I drink last night?” black fur surrounded his arms and hands and where his fingertips were there were some claws. Sam stared at them for a second then his ears perked to Bruno letting out a bark and moving quickly towards him. Before Bruno could jump him however Sam moved faster than he had ever moved. A brief second later and Sam was on top of the couch perched on the corner. Looking down he realized the rest of his body was covered in thick black fur.

A whiff of wet fur and dog breath brought him back as Bruno tried to jump him again. At this point Sam couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not because in his dreams Bruno always listened now though…. ”Heel.” Sam didn’t get to issue another order because Bruno who was now up on the couch was wagging his tail trying to catch Sam.

Another jump here and another jump there until Sam realized that this wasn’t a dream. He was like Sara. Furry. A quick biting sensation caused him to let out a loud hiss followed by a small roar as his tail was now in Bruno’s mouth. He had a tail…. ”What did I drink!” Sam yelled as he grabbed his tail and tried to pry it free from a Bruno who thought this was a fun game of tug-of-war. ”Down boy!” Sam yelled.


Some time passed and after staring at every inch of his body in the mirror he decided two things. Not to call and inform his girlfriend of his new fuzzy look and to call Sara. Because she had experience in this field.

”Sara… It’s Sam… we need to meet up somewhere… Ideally private. You aren’t gonna believe what happened.”

Ok. This was fun. And no matter how much Roxy just seemed to want to sit and stare at Sara with her head tilted to the side, Sara was starting to enjoy herself. Walking through a door way was so much easier when the one doing the walking didn’t have a tail to worry about getting slammed in said doorway. Step in and close door. Step out and close door. Step in and close door. Step out and close door.

She was so easily amused with her current situation, that it took Sara a minute to realize that her phone had vibrated off of her coffee table. Sam’s ringtone, Stevie Wonder’s Superstition audible, even with Sara’s normal ears hearing it from across the room. She slid her finger across the screen for the first time in her life, not having to be careful with her claws. “Yo.” She said into the receiver. For a moment forgetting that she needed to hold the phone to her ear and not in front of her face like she normally did. God it was nice not having her ears ring around electronics. Maybe this was a mutation growth, she thought to herself. Maybe she’d be able to turn her powers off and on just like everyone else after all, and on that note, she felt her right foot jiggle against the carpet of her apartment with a bit of anticipation.

”Sara… It’s Sam… we need to meet up somewhere… Ideally private. You aren’t gonna believe what happened.”

The tone of Sam’s voice made Sara’s good mood sober. Her happiness now wary, and as a few seconds went by, Sara watched the breath coming out of Roxy look more solid. The temperature in the room was dropping and the silence made the funny feeling in Sara’s stomach tighten. “Try me. I’m normal… At least on the outside…”

Sara was suddenly in motion. Roxy on her heals as she left her apartment. The phone pressed to her ear still and the keys to her van heavy in the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt. She’d get directions while on the move. “Just tell me where to find you.”

He told her where to meet him, somewhere in the warehouse district. It was pretty much abandoned he made sure the place they were meeting had little to no foot traffic. He didn’t know what was going on but when he ran into Sara he wanted to make sure that no one else was around. Even if he got a furry new wardrobe change he was still supposed to be dead. He could tell who he was in the mirror even with the black fur but there was no way to tell if anyone else could recognize him. Eye patches weren’t exactly common and in Sam’s eye he didn’t look too different. Nope, not at all.

Denial aside he was ready to head there which surprisingly didn’t take him long at all. Once he realized how light on his feet he was he managed to slip out of the mansion pretty much unnoticed. Once he exited the mansion he went into the woods near the wall on the end of the grounds and raised his hand trying to focus on the cold so he could will an ice slide that would take him to his destination. Much to his dismay he found out that a part of himself was missing it seemed with the new wardrobe change the abilty to control ice was no longer with him. Sam didn’t like that one bit. Ever since he was five his ability to control the air around him and create ice was always a possibility a possibility he liked.

Sad that he couldn’t control the ice he however thought about Sara’s abilities and her speed. Ice for speed…. Sam shrugged and tried not to think much of it and hopped the wall with ease then attempted a light jog. That was when everything started to change. Laughter could be heard as a black blur and a flailing tail he could be seen as he ran quickly through the city. He was essentially a massive cat hopping from an overhanging lamppost to a fire escape then from rooftop to rooftop. ”Why doesn’t she normally move like this?” Sam asked himself allowed through his laughter. He was so fast and light on his feet. It was amazing!

Once at the abandoned warehouse Sam managed to chase all the bums away by flashing his teeth and out stretching his claws all he had to do was stalk around the top of the roof and be seen or heard. He looked like a massive panther (at least in his opinion) a tiger would have been cooler but he couldn’t complain. What he could complain about though was the heat. His black fur absorbed the sunlight and he could feel his body heat up. This was something he didn’t like about the lack of ice powers.

Slinking around Sam waited until Sara entered the warehouse. Until then he decided to hide in some shadows in the rafters and wait his laughter could hardly be contained.

The warehouse district. Sara was doing her best not to have a lead foot on the gas pedal. It was bad enough that she didn’t have a license and that she hadn’t told Sam yet. If she were pulled over, she doubled that she would have the head about her to talk her way out. Or the ability to break out of custody easily should she get herself arrested…. Yeah… cops still weren’t her favorite people in the world to deal with.

Mean while, Roxy was enjoying the ride much more than Sara. The dog sat with her tong hanging out in the passenger seat and her nose pressed against the open part of Sara’s cracked window. Dogs were strange. and Sara was just sitting there drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

The tops of the warehouses were coming into view, and the main part of the city had been left behind a few minutes ago. That’s when Sara saw her first sign that she wasn’t alone. Her hands gripped tighter on the wheel of the van as two homeless men ran past her van. Screaming something about a Chupacabra, Bigfoot, and the Phantom Cat.. “Great.” Sara rubber necked as she twisted to watch them run away. She was suddenly feeling naked without her fur and claws. “Slick, that better have been you.” She mumbled to herself as her grip tightened on the wheel. A glance at Roxy and the dog’s head was tilted looking just as confused as Sara felt. “You’ll tell me if it’s not. Right girl?” Sara asked reaching over and giving the dog a pat, and in return Roxy just resumed to enjoying the ride and sticking her nose to the cracked window. Her tail thumping against the side of the bucket seat as a show of doggy confidence and Sara’s grip tightened again on the wheel.

It took Sara a moment to realize that frost had made an icy crust around her white knuckles. And when Sara finally brought the van to a stop just behind the first warehouse in the row, She took a moment to examine her hands. They didn’t hurt. Just covered in frost and ice that easily brushed off of her skin. “Odd.”

Roxy barked at something outside the window. It was probably a squirrel but Sara opened the door anyways. Roxy ran out the van barking her head off and chassed one of the said critters up the closest tree. Sara sighed.

“Slick…” Sara called out. As her fearless watch dog was currently still protecting her from a squirrel. With her arms crossed, she started walking into the closest Warehouse. OK. Better directions on where to meet would have been helpful. Sara didn’t want to have to search every single warehouse, just to find Sam.

His tail flicked behind him with mild irritation he was waiting as long as he did normally Sara was one of the first people anywhere and now he knew why. If her mutation was anything like the one he was now experiencing it doesn’t take much time nor energy to get anywhere. Looking from his tail towards the entrance to the warehouse he smelled someone amid the dust and stagnant metallic that coated the inside of the building. Slick, that was what Sara called him however the woman that was walking in the building wasn’t Sara.

Sam smirked and let out a low rumbling in his throat. Did he just purr? Sam cleared his throat silently and then jumped from the rafters and landed silently on some crates where he jumped towards the ground as quietly as possible. A quick few steps and he was behind the woman. ”Meooooow!” Sam said as he started to purr again his tail flicking behind him as if he was gong to pounce.

”My friend calls me slick, but I don’t think I have met you before.” he stood taller than her thanks to his new abilities and his voice was slightly deeper. ”What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” Sam was about to scratch his face then looked at the paw with the outstretched claws and decided he didn’t need to scratch his face. He had to be careful, the claw marks near his fly on his pants was a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

”Meooooow!”

For a second, Sara forgot that she was wearing skin, not fur. The Meow caught her off guard and when she turned around, her right hand was in a fist. What stood behind her was a mutant whom looked very much like herself.... Normally. Only he was covered in black fur and sporting an eye patch.

Sara's eyes narrowed on the tall feline. First on the eye patch. then on his working eye. She decided for now to take him as a joke, but the fact that Sam wasn't answering her back was nagging at the back of her mind and the pit of her stomach.

"Well on a normal day, I'm unforgettable." The statement could be taken a couple of different ways and Sara shrugged. "On a normal day, I look a lot like you." A panther man with an eye patch who responded to the name slick? Those were a lot of coincidences. However another thought crossed Sara's mind and if this mutant did anything to her friend... Well... Sara wasn't sure what she'd do and that thought made the air temperature drop around the two of them.

Sam smirked slightly, ”Normal days? Hmmmmm…. I could see that.” Sam said folding his arms watching the woman it was clear that he took her off guard (which was what he wanted to do). ”Do you?” Sam asked as a familiar tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach brought his attention to the sudden temperature drop. His tail flicked behind him as he turned away from her.

Sniffing the air he tried to see if there was any newer smells than the woman in front of him. Other than the mold, and metallic smells there was nothing. Turning back towards her Sam smirked more revealing some teeth. ”Funny, I used to be able to do that.” Sam said making a comment on the chill now running down his spine suddenly glad he was covered in fur.

Leaning forward Sam got in the woman’s face and took a large sniff in his feline nostrils flaring before he cocked his head back and tilted it to the side. ”Sara?” Sam smirked slightly, ”New look?”

This was getting annoying. Her fearless watchdog was still outside with a treed squirl, though that may be for the best right now. Roxy wasn't listening perfectly to Sara right now. Would the outcome really be that terrible if she were to punch panther man in the nose and be done with him. She needed to find Sam.

The large feline mutant turned from her, briefly, to sniff the air. Was she really that annoying when she was in her own fur? And more importantly... Did she really purr like he had? She couldn't so denial aside, She crossed her arms and her hips slanted. Looking feline and predatory... for a human.

"Yeah well I used to have a tail." Sara said back without thinking. Probably the best thing about her current predicament was not having a tail. Stupid appendage plotted against her...

”Sara? New look?”

beat

"Slick..." Sara's head tilted and without realizing it the air temperature stopped falling. Her lips pressed together in thought and her head tilted to the side a little. "Admit it. I make a cute human." She sighed and closed her eyes going from the annoyed look, to disappointed. For a long time, she'd wished for the ability to change back and forth between human and feline, but that obviously wasn't what had happened after all.

Sam flashed his teeth in a smile, ”Cute…” Sam scratched the back of his head trying to remember he had nails, ”Not the word I would have used but lets just say I would have bought you a drink if I didn’t know it was you.” Sam nodded his head and circled her looking her up and down. ”Interesting choice of a wardrobe. Though you are missing some shoes.” Sam stopped walking around her and checking her out to raise another question.

”So… If I have your powers… and you have mine…” he could feel the temperature change if she wasn’t sure if she could control ice or freeze people or things she’d soon figure it out. ”What do we do now and how do we get back to normal?” Sam looked up and down at himself, ”I don’t want to explain this to my girlfriend. She is still mad at me for not telling her I was still alive.” rightly so but he didn’t want to get much further into that for now.

Sam was about to say something else till he got a strong whiff of something as if he just introduced to a new sent. He leaned forward and flared his nostrils in Sara’s direction as he sniffed her. ”You smell like dog.” Sam chuckled, ”Thought you were part cat.”

"Drink. Right." Sara could have said something to that but instead she stood quietly with an odd smirk on her face while Sam circled her. "I would have grabbed my jeans but every set that I own has a big hole in the backside. As for the shoes, I don't own any." Most shoes and boots didn't allow for claw room, and it was amazing how much Sara actually used her toes for balance when she moved around.


”What do we do now and how do we get back to normal?”

"Who says that we have to get right back to normal." Sara shrugged. Especially when Sam mentioned his girl friend. Sara couldn't say that she blamed the woman one bit. Sara had certainly found her own way to deal with things. "Think about it. I can walk around like this, and you can walk around in public and get out. No one is going to expect you to be a giant cat." Normally Sara would have been thinking more than she was. She would have suspected fowl play, but right now, she was in awe of living through something that she had only dreamed of up until now. Not about having Cold Steel's mutation, but about not having her own.

”Thought you were part cat."

"I live with Roxy. Actually she's chasing squirrels outside." Sara turned for a moment to call her dog. "Rooooxy..." She readdressed Sam. "I'm surprised you didn't notice her smell earlier. Mine picks up all kinds of things. Mold. OB, The smells of mold a BO from people whom have just passed them, opened alcoholic beverages through closed doors..." Sara breathed in deep and exhaled. "Actually not having that is kind of nice."

Behind Sara, Roxy trotted to the entrance of the warehouse with a stick in her mouth. Her tail swaying behind her till she caught sight of Sam. "Rrrrrrrr...."

Sara had a point but it wasn’t one that really altered his thoughts, ”I’m faster and have your senses but I’m lacking the control. It’s like learning how to fly a helicopter when you only know how to fly a bi-plane.” Sam shook his head, ”I don’t have the time to learn how to fly again. I need my powers back.” Sam said shifting his weight to one side.

Sam heard Roxy before she appeared and once the dog was in reach he swatted her head playfully as he grabbed the stick that was in her mouth. ”Hey pup.” he continued to pull and push the stick till he looked back at Sara. She looked normal and he new even though she liked how she looked before to not be stared at and judged all the time must have been nice.

”Look, Sara I’m not gonna pretend to understand what’s it like to walk anywhere and have people stare but…” Sam hesitated, ”I can’t stop the ones who attacked me without my powers. I know it sounds selfish but if they targeted me and put me down without much of an issue what do you think they could do to anyone else?”

Trying to sound as understanding as he could he stood up, ”Sides, not sure I could get used to the new Sara, I like the old one better. That and my powers are extremely dangerous if you can’t control them. If I have your skill sets you have mine. Meaning any moisture, any liquid the very air could hurt someone.” Sam said, ”Sides, you really want to spend more money on clothes and shoes?” he knew this was he chance to be normal but Sara without the fur in his opinion wasn’t.

Sara's lips pressed together. Her throat tightened, and her eyes tilted towards the ground. Roxy broke the silence continuing to make growly sounds around the stick that she still chomped as if she were part of the conversation too. Sara breathed her response. "I know." Clearly disappointed, but determined that she'd enjoy this as long as it lasted. "Hehh... Shoes... Never understood how you crazy people wear those things anyways." And it wasn't like Sara had a cool new Code name picked out either. Frostbite sounded so dull... Right?

Ok. So down to business. "I've only had something like this happen once before, but Instead of switching powers, I'd woken up in another Mutant's body and she'd woken up in mine..." Sara's eye's flicked up at Sam's. "That was only a few years ago and here in New York. The change wasn't permanent, but it was certainly freaky."

Sara wiggled her toes in the dirt around her feet. Staring at them again as she talked and frost formed around them. Turning to tiny clumps of ice. "If we're lucky, it might just be like that. We could be back to normal when ever this switch is done running it's course." Sara shrugged glancing back at Sam.