Catalyst (A Grace Murphy Novella) (2 page)

I opened my eyes, searching for whatever wanted to come out and play with me. I shouldn't have bothered. The water was inky black and the lingering human in me wanted to panic. I struggled for a moment and pushed on hoping that I was coming up for air rather than kicking toward the floor.

My head broke free of the water and I sucked in as much air as my lungs could take. Dylan was working toward calming everyone down on the boat. We made eye contact and I nodded at him. So far, I was thinking that the chowder really was to blame and we were going to get booted out of the park for my little stunt.

He tilted his head at me, asking if there was anything. I was about to shake my head negative when I was pulled abruptly under the water.

A band of muscle wrapped around both of my legs – smart – so I couldn't kick out to free myself. My brain went into overdrive. What did I have at my disposal? Dylan hadn't been the only person my mother had been training these last months. She'd been teaching me to analyze the situation before I reacted.

Go
Go Surprise Tactical Grace!

My hands were free. That meant if I could call in my weapons, this thing was toast. I was getting stronger every day so my legs may have been bound, but they wouldn't stay that way. Because I wasn't struggling yet, whoever had me didn't realize that I was going to kick a hole through them any minute.  Yep – any minute.

I could feel the handle of my kukri starting to materialize in my grip when my arms were pulled behind my back and locked in an excruciatingly painful twist.  Well all right, then. Plan A had failed but that was okay. I had a backup plan. I just had to remember what it was.

It hadn't been more than a minute but I needed to breathe.  Since Hypnos had messed with my genetics last year, things hadn't been working quite right. I could call in weapons, teleport, and Rift, but I was slower to heal when injured - and nobody wanted to test the death theory - so it was possible that I'd drown.

Teleportation was an option, but I didn't know what Dylan's status with the passengers of the boat was so I couldn't just grab the kid and ditch.  Having Poseidon around would have been handy. He had this awesome trick of separating the oxygen from the water molecules and creating a bubble of breathable air around himself.  I needed to learn that trick – sooner rather than later.

I struggled against the bonds around my legs and jerked my body forward bending it in half, surprising whoever was behind me enough that they released me.

I would thank Heph and Drew for the forced crunches later. Now I had some oxygen to replenish.

I kicked upward and called in my kukri – faster this time.

As I broke free, I could hear screams. Damn. I kicked and turned toward the sound. Glistening serpentine figures swarmed around the boat and the toddler was screaming his bloody little head off. If it hadn't been so frightening I would have laughed. The creatures didn't quite know what to do against that racket. They tensed and tried to strike out but every time they came close to the edge, they would recoil in pain.

"Dylan! Get them out of here!"

A tentacle like appendage wrapped around my ankle and tried to pull me back under. Not this time. If they wanted to fight, they could meet me on my own terms.  I vanished and rematerialized between two animatronic pirates bellowing orders to their mechanical minions.

The lights flashed and beamed against bolts of fluttering cloth, creating an effect to simulate fire. Shadows passed behind the flickering illusion and I braced myself for a fight. I'd always hated this stupid ride – fat chance of me ever coming back now.

Sibilant hissing sounded from around the corner and I stopped dead when the body followed.

"Oh Medusa's tits!"

Her body slithered sinuously across the fake planks as she darted toward my location.  What could I remember about Medusa? You couldn't look into her eyes or she'd turn you to stone. I averted my eyes and teleported again to the shore next to the now sinking boat.

Everyone was gone except the asshole in the front.  It looked like he was stubbornly staying on the boat.

"What is wrong with you? Get off the damn boat, you moron!"  I pointed to a nearby walkway and hoped that he'd get the point. He was moments away from getting eaten and not in a good way.

He shook his head and crossed his arms.

Time slowed down to a crawl and I realized that my life must have been too easy for me to be left here alone with a stubborn jackass and the reason I couldn't watch
Clash of the Titans
without covering my eyes.  I spared her a quick glance and tried not to gag as the snakes slithered around her scalp and across her shoulders. Gods, I hated snakes.

She simply stood across the water from me, head tilted, hands on her hips – just waiting. "Buddy, listen. You don't want a piece of this. Just give me your hand and we'll get out of here."

He smirked at me. "Lady, you have no idea what I want."

"I am not above beating the shit out of you in order to get the fuck out of here. Give me your fucking hand."

I glanced sideways at where she stood, trying to gauge what she would do next.  She raised a hand and pointed toward the boat.  The back end capsized, throwing the man into the air.  Crap. I dove for him, trying to grab a hold of any part of him before he could touch the water. If I could just
touch
him, I could teleport us both out of here and wait for the Cavalry.

I missed and he went ass first into the drink.  She didn't even hesitate. Like the snakes wreathing her head, she struck. Her body extended on the long tail and before I could blink she was in, slicing through the water like it was air.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I scrambled over flotsam and thrust my hand into the water trying to grab hold of anything resembling a human. I had a fingertip when he was jerked away from me so suddenly that I was left holding nothing but his finger.

So.
  This was one of those defining moments.  I could go after him and pray that he was still alive or I could save myself.  One decision would make me a hero. The other would keep me alive long enough to grab a churro and some fireworks with my kid.

Listen, it was a struggle. I'd probably get an award for letting this guy die. Every time I got even remotely close to him, my stomach jerked. That was a sign of –

I smacked myself in the forehead at the gaping realization, dropped the finger and jumped back into the water, feet first.

This guy wasn't human at all.  What did Medusa want with him?

In which our intrepid heroine gets her ass kicked….Hard.

The water didn't feel any
more cozy the second time in. It was possible that the man was still alive and trying to persuade Medusa that if she didn't get out of the water, she'd get kicked out of the park.  Heh, I actually kind of wanted to see that happen.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. You'll have to put your snakes away and vacate the premises immediately," said nobody ever, because she'd turn their asses to stone.

They weren't far ahead and I could see the wake of the body being dragged behind her through the shallow water. Medusa was slowing and I didn't know if it was because she knew I was coming up behind her or if she getting ready for a late afternoon snack.

With any luck, Dylan had been able to get ahold of Zeus or Diana and this
wouldn't be – oops, made eye contact. I slammed my eyes shut and turned away, but not before my fingers tightened.  My hand wasn't stone – but it may as well have been. It appeared that she could cause temporary paralysis with just a look.  Well, that was crafty of her. The right hand was useless now but that was okay because I was left handed.

I pulled out my baggie wrapped phone and turned on the front face camera. I tilted the device around and scanned the area behind me. (Hey! Don't judge. It worked in a movie I'd seen.)  She was standing less than three feet to the left with her hands on her hips and an incredulous expression pasted to her face. "Are you serious? You're coming at me with a camera phone?"

"What? You want me to turn around and look you in the eye? Do I look like I want or need to gain any more weight? I've seen your work, lady.  Being immortalized in a gruesome pose doesn't pander to my vanity."

She snorted and shook her head. "You humans have become so untrusting."

"I like to think that they've become less gullible. So what are we gonna do here? I propose that you give up the douche you have floating in the water, there, and go about your merry business."

"Hmm. No."
Her voice held a trace of humor and instead of causing me to relax, my fight or flight instinct kicked into overdrive.

"That's it?
Just a no? I thought you'd at least negotiate with me a little. Jeez.  Listen, I'm here on vacation with my kid and I'm pretty sure I promised him that it would be disaster free. Plus, I'd hate to beat you up. My therapist says I've got aggressive tendencies and I'm working on being more personable."

She threw back her head and guffawed. It wasn't attractive. The snakes startled and shot out from her head, writhing with frantic energy. I shuddered.

"Really? That's it? That's your heroic speech?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "It's been a while since I've had to monologue. I'm out of practice."

"So let me see if I understand this situation correctly. You," she waved a finger in my direction. "are going to defeat me with neither weapons nor extraordinary power."

I nodded. "I know that this doesn't look like much but I think that it's important not to stand on appearances." I
let go of the glamour I'd maintained to keep the norms from staring and stood up a little straighter. "Sure, I could go on and on about who I've fought and defeated but then it would just be bragging."

Was I stalling? Yeah I was. I wasn't even sure if this was the original Medusa, but I wasn't going to take any chances.  I was strong, but she was stronger and I had a feeling I'd used up all of my Get
Out of Jail Free passes.

She tilted her head and took in my new appearance.  Understanding flashed in her eyes before she drawled, "I reject your proposal.  I’m keeping the annoying gentleman for an evening snack. Actually, I'm strongly considering doing the same to you. I never could resist dessert."

"Have you ever considered Weight Watchers? I hear that they help you curb your cravings." That was just cheesy but I couldn't help myself. I'd been slowly sliding backward while we chatted and was finally within range.  I twisted, leaped and slashed from left to right across her midsection.   The blade slid across her scales in sparks and stutters instead of cutting through flesh and bone. I growled in frustration.

"Huh.  And I thought that this was just going to be the standard boring dinner party.  Shall we?"

A snake from her head struck without warning, sinking its fangs into the dude's neck and she tossed him unceremoniously to a patch of dry land next to her. He flopped limply and stayed down. Then she lunged at me.

I sidestepped and avoided falling back into the water. I had no misconception that I'd survive there. She was faster and stronger than me on land. She'd be deadly in the water.

I wasn't quite fast enough and one of her striking serpents caught me in the arm. "Score one for you," I panted and twisted. The snake had sunk its fangs deeper into the muscle and my quick jerk caught her off guard. Her head swept forward with my movement and a flash of annoyance lit her features.

Good. I grabbed the head of the snake and squeezed before running and leaping over a permanent crate. Her body crashed into the boundary and I was rewarded with a grunt of pain. It only took her seconds to recover - not enough time for me to cause more damage.

She reached up and released the creature attached to me from the rest. I looked down at my bleeding arm to find that I was now holding a hunk of blonde hair. "Huh?" I asked, confused.

Her mass hit me like a ton of bricks and I went tumbling down catching my side on a sharp protrusion of rocks.  The crash knocked the wind out of me and I struggled for breath as I assessed the damage. No broken ribs but I now had a small bleeding gash to contend with.

She bounced back and kicked me in the side. A rib cracked and I wondered how in the hell that had happened. Where did she get legs? Leaning over me, she smiled. "Is this where I ask 'Who's your Daddy'?"

"Oh that's so cliché," I groaned with pain before arching my back to flip up onto my feet.
Oh gods don't do that with a cracked rib.
  I swung my kukri around, loosening my wrists. "You're playing with me." I deduced with a shrewd look.

She shrugged.
"Maybe. Okay, probably." A brilliant smile lit her features and I thought,
if not for the snakes she'd be gorgeous.

I lunged forward with my kukri pointed outward to stab. She flicked the blade away with a look that plainly said she
was embarrassed for me.  "Hasn't your mother been training you Grace? I can't tell if I'm disappointed in her skills as a teacher or your lack as a student. You should have already figured out that your sword isn't going to pierce through my scales." She cocked a hip. "You're starting to bore me."

"It's been awhile since I've had to fight," I breathed. "Give me a few minutes to catch my breath and we can get back to it."

She laughed a throaty sound. "I think not. I have more important things to do today than play at teaching you how to survive."

Another set of fangs pierced my collar bone and I hissed with the pain.  It was infinitely more painful than the last had been. I raised my fingertips to the wound and probed. It was already swelling. I hoped that the nanites would deal with the poison before it was too late, then leapt over debris and slashed again, aiming for her neck above the line of scales.

That caught her off guard and a thin line of crimson appeared across her exposed collarbone. The snakes rattled at her displeasure.

"How do you pull that off?" I asked, waving my sword at her naked chest.

"Pull what off?" she replied as she sucker punched me in the face.  I saw stars and stumbled back, trying to avoid her flying fists.

"That boob thing. How do you get away with not wearing a bra?"  Yeah, I knew this was a stupid line of questioning. I was trying to buy myself a little more time and throwing her off balance with my sarcasm was all I had in my arsenal at the moment.

I couldn't run for it. I couldn't risk that she'd follow me into the park. There was still the guy to consider and if the Fates were watching out for me in any sense, the cavalry would show up at any moment. All I had to do was stall.

"I had a good surgeon," she grinned and punched me in the face again. 

I was slowing down and the nanites weren't keeping the poison from running through my system fast enough.  Okay, only one thing left to do. If I could reach the unconscious man, I would just teleport us back to Olympus. The crew there could figure out what he was and why Medusa wanted him enough to camp out a kiddie ride.

I pushed off the balls of my feet and if I were to be generous maybe cleared three
inches of air before crashing down onto the nets and cables at Medusa's feet.

She picked me up as though I were weightless and tossed me unceremoniously into the water. My face submerged before I could take a breath and the air whooshed out of my lungs. I flailed and kicked, trying to escape to no avail. She picked me back up and held me arm's length in front of her, a smug grin on her face.

"Well this wasn't diverting at all. Actually, it's quite possibly the most boring fight I've ever encountered. I expected more."

She had me. Pricks of pain pierced my skin and my body went limp with paralysis. The bitch bit me again.

"Didn't," I gasped. "Your momma ever teach you that biting is bad?"

One thing was clear here. I was in no way ready for the big leagues. How had this gone so wrong so quickly? All I had to do was teleport out? The guy was a huge jerk. His wife or girlfriend probably would have thanked me at the end of it all. So why did I seem to think that I was some kind of Hero?

When they buried me, I was sure that my tombstone wasn't going to read Grace Murphy – Hero of Humanity.  It would read – Idiot Who Didn't Know When To Run.

Her other hand lifted my chin so that I was looking straight into her face. She really was lovely. Her skin was like fine porcelain surrounding a rosebud mouth and luminous sea green eyes. I imagined what she would look like as a human and I wondered if the legends were true and she'd started out as one.

"This wasn't how I thought I would go," I whispered.

"It never is," she replied.

"Are you really going to eat me?" my voice was small and fading.

"No. I'm teaching you a lesson, Grace Murphy."

My eyes widened.

"One, you need to reign in your mouth.  It was entertaining listening to you but when you're speaking, you aren't thinking. Two, don't attack people without ascertaining the threat level.
Really? Going up against ME?" Her voice had taken on a British accent and if I hadn't been on the verge of utter destruction I would have asked questions.  "And three…" her hand slid from my chin to my neck and squeezed. I could feel the muscles in my throat turning to mush, "never rush into a fight with someone of my reputation without backup. It's stupid and knowing your mother, you should know better. Oh and finally," she said as an afterthought, "cute kid. Don't be a Hero when you've got a cute kid at home."

She released me and I plopped into the water creating minimal splash. "Now, I'm going to take care of my business here." She looked back, scrutinizing. "This mercy isn't permanent, Grace. If you interfere in my business again, I WILL kill you."

I drifted away in the current, my body limp. I wasn't breathing – she'd crushed my windpipe, and I could only stare in horror at her retreating form. She bent over the unconscious man and her snakes went into a feeding frenzy. If I could have thrown up right then, I would have. This was one of my worst nightmares come to life and I was helpless to stop her.

Closing my eyes, I let the water pull me onward. I'd spent most of my life hating my chest for one reason or another as most women do.  One day they're too big, the next they're too small.  But today—today I thought, 'Thank you boobs. Thank you for keeping me buoyant.' 

It's a Pirate's Life,
played over and over as the water pulled me back to the start of the ride.  Near the end of the loop, there is an inclined track that attaches to the boats and pulls them back up to the starting elevation. My body stuck at that incline, too small to catch on to the track and too heavy to simply flow up. I bounced against the rubber and wondered how long it would take for another boat to come along and squash me against the conveyer belt but it seemed like the Fates were both snickering at and watching over me.

What do you do when you're paralyzed and enjoying a relaxing float? You think. You think about what you could have done differently and you pay close attention to the lessons there.

Would I have done anything differently? Yes.  Yes, I would have. I still would have gone after the man, but I wouldn’t have engaged Medusa as quickly.  I'd grown cocky over the last year since I'd put Hypnos under.  Unsure of whether it was lack of practice or she was just that powerful, I analyzed the fight and determined it was a combination of both.

In my panic, I'd forgotten the tactics I'd been taught and had gone running wild, hoping for the best instead of letting my training take over.

I still wouldn't have done much damage to her. The scales were impenetrable as far as I could tell.  There was also the bit with the hair. How did that work? Were the snakes an illusion? I didn't think so.