One-Rogue Army

Both my parents and my brother had brunette hair, but I was born blonde. However my dad's sister was blonde (I don't have any color photos of when my paternal grandparents were young, so can't trace any further back. And her son came out platinum blond.

As for me, my blonde hair matched my maternal cousin's. Her mother was strawberry blonde - which my own hair darkened to as a teenager. But my hair also had brown mixed in, and even a few brunette strands. And now I'm ash blonde.

“Bananas had to be used up fast when they reach the bread stage, so no harm done. I think.”

Tony rubs his chin. “But what’s got you so stressed?”

“Maybe.” And the loaves aren’t even that large.

She hesitates before answering the question. “Well it is about my flame problem. It isn’t really that uncommon for someone to find me while I am at work and use an airhorn to trigger it. I am kind of used to it.”

She blushes in embarrassment. “I guess they must have followed me when I was walking home at some point. I didn’t have work yesterday. But when I left my apartment to take a walk they were there with the airhorn again. In front of my apartment.”

“I take it you’re out of freezer space…” Tony shrugs. “I’ve got room to hold them.”

“But what do you want to do long-term?”

“I’m not sure.” She twists one of the stings of her hoodie.

“I did.”

“Hold your fire, now. Checking the target.” Once she’s stopped firing, Replicant steps closer to study the burn marks on the fence post. “Have to check on downloading some digital binoculars… if that will work?” he says to himself.

Then he turns back to Ariel with a smile. “You’re doing great already!”

Ariel has no idea what he is talking about with the binoculars. But based on his next comment she is assuming it is good.

He shrugs. "I've thought of checking if I could add more powers to the Humanifold, like enhancing my sight. But things come up that are more immediate."

“Yes! Just like that,” he cheers her on. “Lower levels of power are easier to control. Once you’ve got accuracy handled, then you can add power to the shots.”

“It’s the way I was taught…” His voice trails off a bit, as he remembers the Rogues training him.

She smiles without looking at him. “Sounds like you had a good teacher.”

“Hold your fire, now. Checking the target.” Once she’s stopped firing, Replicant steps closer to study the burn marks on the fence post. “Have to check on downloading some digital binoculars... if that will work?” he says to himself.

“You’re welcome.” Replicant leads the way to a long row of wooden fenceposts. The ground around them is blackened, as a firebreak.

“There’s a bunch more in storage, so don’t worry if any of these break down,” he reassures her. “And there’s nothing really past these to damage, if you miss.”

“So you can warm up with straightforward shooting the posts, then start with firing at an angle for warning shots.”

“I think I get it.”

She lets the reassuring feeling of lightning build up in her hand before flinging it at one of the targets.

“It’s easy enough to do target practice, but is there something you want to work on first?” Replicant asks.

“You’ve got a better idea of your power than I do.” He manages a closed-mouth smile, despite not having full facial features.

“Target practice sounds good to me.” She rarely tried to hit anything at all. So it was something she needed to work on.

"There's a bunch more in storage, so don't worry if any of these break down," he reassures her. "And there's nothing really past these to damage, if you miss."

“That’s good,” Tony smiles in relief. “Just want to make sure you’re safe.”

With that, he opens the door and gets out of the car. Then he stretches, skin silvering as his body expands outward into combat mode. Once he’s transformed, the storm-cloud pattern flows over his body while flames still burn in his eyes.

“Thanks.” She leaves the car and looks around the area more as he changes forms.

Tony unbuckles the seat belt and starts opening the door, then pauses. “Oh, that reminds me…” He glances at the sparks. “If you get too much water on you, is that going to hurt you? Like short-circuit your powers or something?”

“Cause if it does, then I don’t dare take you flying. And I’ll have to be careful with how to extinguish any flames, if something goes wrong.”

“Water is fine. It won’t make my powers do anything.” She knows from personal experience with people trying to extinguish her.

Tony parks by the barn, pulling into the shade offered by the building. The paint is faded, but otherwise it looks like it’s in decent shape. “Just leave the cooler in here for now?”

He blinks and Ariel can see fire swirling inside his eyes, as if contained within the two small orbs. The other template would have to wait until he fully transformed, but at least now he’s even more fire-resistant than usual.

Finally, they pulled off the main road and onto a side road. A small house, a barn, and a silo were visible nearby… all of them looking dusty and worn.

“Going to park by the barn; the car won’t be visible from this road,” Tony explained. “Field past this is where I’d set up the posts for target practice.”

This far away from town almost feels like home.

“Makes sense. It was a bit tough to figure out where I could train, without anyone finding out. So far it’s working.”

By now the last parts of Keystone are only reflections in the rear view mirror. Around and ahead on the road are fields of grasses; yellowed stems mixed with some newer growth.

“No-one’s been using the farm,” he notes. “Not totally specialized in the organic chemistry needed… but the soil doesn’t feel like it’s in good shape.”

Fields are always interesting to Ariel as she watches them go by. Growing up in a pretty heavily forested area with the ocean on one side she did not see much of them growing up.

It makes a good distraction.

Is there an equivalent term to fridging when a man's the victim? Cause the summary of the "Earth 2" series made the point that Alan kept being reminded of, and even manipulated by, the memory of his dead lover.

“You okay?” Tony spots Ariel’s picking at her sleeve, out of the corner of his eye. “It’s not like we’re going to fight each other; I was thinking target practice and maybe some flight training.”

“Not like you’d burn me… and if anything does get set on fire, I can handle it,” he reassures her.

By now the last parts of Keystone are only reflections in the rear view mirror. Around and ahead on the road are fields of grasses; yellowed stems mixed with some newer growth.

“Just making sure.”

“Yeah, I finally had to get a car… not that I use it much. But the cab driver was giving me grief about transporting my cats, even with them being in carriers. And the bus definitely doesn’t allow them.”

With things agreed upon, it is not too long until they are on their way after stopping to pick up groceries.