The portal rippled into place without a sound, and the team emerged, in equal silence.
Brenner was the last one out, he took to the air without a word and floated up above the churchyard.
It wasn't a particularly rich or opulent church. A simple redbrick building with a mear hint of a tower topped with a wooden cross at one end. Beside it an equally plain church hall, and a cottage.
The advanced sensors in his helmet supplemented the amber-lit visuals with overlays. One occupant in the cottage, and another in the small hall beside the church, both betrayed by body heat. But his own team was invisible, only the devisor transponders they wore marked his team.
"we have a potential witness," he subvocalized, "let's make this clean people. rookie, take point, and don't fuck this up."
one telltale moved from its position on the street and through the parking lot. Brenner watched with a frown, it wasn't an ideal approach vector. "You're exposed you, idiot."
A grunt was the only response. The dark clad figure, clearly visible now, moved faster then disappeared into the shrubbery beside the cottage.
~~~
Ken Mills, stood in first position in the darkened church hall. His feet turned out, as far as he could manage and his arms relaxed. Before him a laptop was set up on a lecturne, an image rotating slowly on the screen. A perfect ballerina, long graceful neck, slim arms and legs, not too much in the way of curves.
In contrast to the image on the screen, Ken was short and stocky, though not fat, years of soccer have seen to that. He frowned, staring at the image on the screen without blinking, fixing it in his mind. Then he reached for the feeling, that had first come to him about a month ago, a feeling of hot summer days, but not quite.
In moments a viscous liquid just a shade darker then his normal skin tone started oozing out of his hands and feet. It formed large beads, then flowed together into one continuous sheet. It flowed up his arms and legs and under his loose clothes. In moments it formed a membrane which covered him from the tips of his toes all the way up to the hairline. Only a few necessary holes were left about his eyes, nose, mouth and ear canals.
The liquid dried and tightened pulling his flesh inwards, making everything thinner, more graceful. His limbs stretched until the joints creaked.
Absently he tightened the drawstring on his shorts before they peeled away. Then he focused for an instant on the membrane about his groin, to tuck in what was their, and hint at what was not.
Transformation complete, he switched the music on and glided away from the lectern. There where mirrors, with a barret, along one side of the hall, he stood before one watching the dim silhouette in the mirror. More light would have been good, but it would make people suspicious, he didn't want Father McKenzie coming to find out what was going on.
His reflection was doll-like, to be honest. Despite being the right colour the skin looked plastic, and somewhat lacked features like eyebrows or lashes. he could do those, but it took a lot more concentration than he had time for tonight, not if he wanted to dance.
Still, it was a lot more then he could have managed a month ago. The changes took four inches off his waistline and added two to his height.
"Nice to see you again Kendra," he said to his reflection, pitching the voice higher than his norm. The voice chance was also getting easier whenever he wore his skin. Indeed he had almost slipped into his Kendra voice even without it several times.
Satisfied, she assumed first position again, her feet turned out perfectly and proceeding into a warmup routine. A few minutes later she rolled rose, balancing on pointe. For a normal girl dancing on pointe barefoot was a recipe for a fractured toe. But Kendra was not a normal girl, her plastic skin already held her foot compressed down a shoe size and it easily adapted to the new position, giving all the support she could wish for.
She pirouetted, spinning almost like a figure skater.
A man screamed a deep below of pain which cut off abruptly. The sound came from the direction of the Minister's cottage.
Kendra didn't think, she ran. the membrane on her feet thickening into pads like a running shoe. In a moment she was outside.
Father McKenzie was sprawled out at the door of the cottage, with some kind of wannabe ninja looming above him, a weapon in his hand. "Where you hiding it priest?" he hissed, his voice revealed him to be young, probably not much older then Kendra.
Still running, she raised her left arm, flinging three globs of molten plastic out before her.
The first, a lime green concoction, thudded into the ninja's body, making him stagger back. The second hit his weapon hand, cocooning it in a rapidly solidifying glob of neon blue. The third struck the cottage door, shattering the leaded glass window with a loud crack.
He turned, to face the new threat, his eyes glowing unnaturally through his mask. "This don't concern you girl, best run along now."
Heart pounding in her chest, Kendra circled to the left, letting more plastic pool in the palm of her left hand. "I've got dibs, " she said, "I haven't been paid for cleaning the hall yet."
She flicked her wrist and sent more plastic towards the ninja. This time part of it stayed in her hand, making a low sticky strand. The other end hit her opponent and caught.
She whipped the strand, looping it over his head.
The ninja jerked away and flailed with his hand, only getting himself more tangled. He staggered to the side, then caught his balance and rushed towards her. "Stupid muttie."
Kendra sent more strands into his path, tangling his legs as he closed the distance, and grabbed at her t-shirt. She dodged left, evading his fingertips. "Hay I'm not It, you are."
"You little bitch," he said as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Another strand of plastic cut off whatever he was going to say next, though Kendra was careful to avoid his nose.
"Hang tight, I'm sure the cops will be along shortly," she said, as she danced away towards the cottage. She took leaping steps, going on pointe again. "Are you Ok father?"
Something hit her between the shoulder blades, first it stung then it burned. and then it was like every muscle in her body was on fire.
Her vision wavered, everything vibrating so fast it became a blur. She collapsed, still spinning from her pirouette, and came to rest on her back looking up.
Another dark shape detached itself from the dark sky and dropped towards her. Whoever it was, landed at the edge of her vision. "we'll bring them both," he said, nudging Kendra with his toe, "will someone free the rookie, and get that damn priest."
Kendra tried to get up, but her muscles didn't respond, she couldn't even call for help. She closed her eyes and focused on the membrane that made up her skin. It was still there, she could feel it, change it.
The membrane stiffened, flowing from subtle to ridged like an insect's caprice. Moving this way was surreal. Somehow she twisted her torso andgor her arms under her, leavering herself up into a crouch.
The Ninja just watched as she got back to her feet, and lurched towards him, her motions jerky like a marionette. "Won't, let you." she managed her voice sounding deep and slurred.
Still, he didn't move as she swung an arm up and threw a glob of plastic at him
It exploded in mid-air, and then he moved, weaving past every last drop of plastic and under her arm. his hand darted up, slapping against her forehead, and leaving something cold behind.
Kendra's vision wavered, nothing but her skin holding her up as everything spun around her. I must keep my skin, she thought through the lethargy, can't let them see me transform. She held the image of the spinning ballerina in her head even as consciousness fled.
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