Kylie was carried to the coat room while one of the other student MCs changed the subject and got the
celebration going again. As she was placed on a pile of coats, Laura and Tony slipped into the room. The both
offered to watch her while the principal and secretary alerted her parents and possibly called for paramedics.
Relieved, the adults agreed and left to take care of things.
Once they were alone, Tony placed his hand on Kylie's forehead. He called forth his powers as Dr. Mage and
sent a wave of positive energy into the prone girl to encourage her to wake up. It seemed to work, Kylie's
eyes fluttered. Tony withdrew his hand and waited. With a groan, Kylie opened her eyes fully and tried to sit
up.
"Woah, girl," said Laura, gently pushing her back down on the coats. "You fainted. How do you feel?"
Kylie reached up to touch her head. "Um, I don't know. A little light-headed I guess." She carefully checked
herself out, feeling the places that ached from her fall and reassuring herself that nothing was broken or
bleeding. "It was weird," she said softly, once again trying to sit up. This time Laura helped her.
"What was?" asked Tony.
"Well, I was giving my speech, right, and then I felt a little dizzy. It was like my vision was split, like I
was seeing double, and then I felt cold and..." Kylie trailed off.
"And?" prompted Laura.
Kylie shook her head. "It'll sound funny."
"Go on."
She sighed. "Well, for a moment I thought I was a boy. A mad one at that, trapped in a girl's body. Then I
blacked out." She looked at her hands, uncomfortable.
Tony and Laura exchanged a glance. "And how do you feel now?" Tony asked. "Do you still feel like a boy
trapped in a girl's body?"
Kylie shook her head. "No, no I feel fine. Well, except for the fainting stuff. Really, I feel like I always
do except for embarrassed that this happened." She finally looked up and Tony met her eyes. He was silent for
a moment, thoughtful.
"I believe you," he said.
Laura frowned. "I wonder what this means?" she thought aloud.
Tony forced a cheerful smile and tone of voice. "I think it means Kylie here has been working too hard as
valedictorian and needs something to eat. Come on," he said and offered a hand to Kylie. "Let's get you to
your boyfriend so he can feed you from his plate, all romantic-like."
Kylie giggled and took his hand.
---
Science Master laughed nervously to himself, not because he was nervous but because that was just how he
laughed. He was bent over a workbench covered in bits and pieces of technology and gadgetry. His home had been
transformed into a lair, his bedroom now his private laboratory where he worked on his projects and
concoctions of evil. The former teenager never questioned what happened to Barney's parents, Jean and Fred,
who had been transformed into a foul-tempered guard dog and a high-powered acetylene torch respectively,
merely went to work immediately on what his master had asked of him.
"You must use science," the shadow had hissed. "Use science to destroy the heroes."
"Yes!" whined Science Master, rubbing his hands together. "Science!" Already his mind was working, turning
over all sorts of ideas of what he could do. "How shall I destroy them Master... um... what shall I call you?"
The shadow had seemed smaller then, for a moment. "Animus," it finally breathed. "For now you may call me
Animus." It skulked toward the door to his lab, shrinking. "I want the heroes taken care of. Distracted,
neutralized, converted, it doesn't matter. Just do it." Animus was only a foot tall now and then, in a blink,
it was gone.
Science Master didn't question this, though he did think it was a little strange. Still, he felt compelled to
follow its directives and so turned to the task he had been set with enthusiasm. He spent the rest of the
night cobbling bits and pieces together, writing programs, blending isotopes, and all the while giggling to
himself in pure delight. Come the morning he would have something great, something bold, something made of
SCIENCE! that would give Wonder Gal and Dr. Mage, the city's superheroes, a run for their money.
"All hail Animus!" he cackled as sparks flew from the device in front of him, the spirals in his goggles
flashing eerily.