Rylar and I drove for most of the day, all through the night and well into the next morning. We stopped for breakfast at a Dunken Doughnuts about ten minutes after hitting Mertyle Beach, as much to recharge as it was to let the Civic cool off after having run for nearly 20 hours without stopping. The morning sky was dim and gray, still too early in the morning for the sun to disperse the cloud cover. The only sign that it was morning were a few rays of sunshine to the east of us. There weren't too many people in line at the Dunken store either, which was a good sign, meant that Rylar and I could get our stuff quickly.

"So who exactly are we after here?", Rylar asked.

"A friend of mine named Wolf, okay, that's not her real name, but still, the premise is the same", I said, "Morningstar was going to approach her for the project, but when they found out her DNA wasn't compatible with the serum, he backed off. Now that green's on board, they think they can work around that."

"I hope so", Rylar said, "otherwise we made this trip for nothing."

"Not really", I said, "my buddy Calen is compatible with it, the problem with him will be convincing his parents to allow him to join, I know I can convince him, it's his parents that worry me."

"What about her's?", Rylar asked.

"I have a feeling her parents will listen to her", I said, "I just don't know if I can get them together."

"Why?", Rylar asked.

"I'm not going to say", I told him, "I don't know how she'd react."

"Fair enough", Rylar answered, "But do you even have any idea where to find her?"

"If I've learned anything about that girl it's that when in doubt, check the soccer field."

"Interesting", Rylar said taking a huge bite out of his doughnut.

"Slow down there", I said taking a sip of my coffee, something I hadn't had in a long time, "I don't need you to choke and we both know what happens when a dragon get's a sugar high."

"Don't care", Rylar said with his mouth full, "I'd eat it even if I knew sugar was lethal to dragons."

I looked around, "thank god no one heard that."

"Why?", Rylar asked swallowing his bite.

"Well I heard those Baptist people were around here", I said taking another drink of coffee, "they don't exactly like people who like to pretend they are dragons."

"But we actually are", Rylar said, "were just wearing cammo. And do they only hate people who like to be dragons?

"Yes but we can't exactly drop our cloak here", I said, "and no. They hate gays and trans people too."

"Because that's not racist", Rylar said.

"Gay and trans aren't a race", I said, "I don't understand why people think it is."

'Either way", Rylar said, "let's get back to it, the sooner we get done, the sooner we can sleep."

"Amen to that", I said grabbing my coffee and doughnut. Rylar and I walked out the front of the coffee shop. The first thing I noticed was a funeral going by that looked to be military with a long line of cars behind it. Accompanying the cars and hearse was a mass of people holding up signs that read stupid shit like "God Hates America" or, "all soldiers burn in hell."

"Fuck me", I sighed as I unlocked the Civic.

"Watch out for the retards across the street", Rylar said as we both slid into the car. I took it out of neutral and pushed the clutch down, starting the car. Normally I revved it to get the heat flowing, but it was already warm so I simply put it in reverse. The front wheels pushed the car back and turned it around before I shifted into first and Idled to the edge of the parking lot, the Civic's lumpy exhaust note, FWD badges and Military sticker eventually attracted the attention of the fucktard baptists, half of who turned their attention on me, surrounding the Civic and yelling bullshit like, "your going to burn in hell!" or , "your a child killer and a rapist!" I growled at myself and revved the engine up to 9,000 RPM. The side pipes on the Civic blowing hot gases at the ankles of the idiots and causing them to back way off.

"Something to be said for side pipes", Rylar said as I turned the blinker on and slowly idled out into the street behind the final truck in the funeral. I shifted into low gear as I followed the funeral to and past a catholic church. I shifted back into first and got back up to speed. It took me a minute or two to find the soccer field and when I did there was a game in full swing. I parked the Civic next to a Ford F-150, killed the engine and stepped out. Upon removing the Civic's sound deadener, my ears were besieged by a cluster of screams and sounds as well as cheering. Rylar and I quietly slipped into the field and took seats in the stands. I took care to keep the folder I was going to show my friend out of sight of anyone else to avoid any kind of curiosity, but I suspect that one or two people may have seen me stuff it into my coat, as well as having seen my Desert Eagle, which was a lot harder to hide than a folder.

Rylar and I sat in the top of the stands away from everyone else. I handed Rylar a picture of Citrus so he knew who to look for and then began watching the game. It was only the first goal before I spotted her.

"There", I said, "the goalie on the left side of the field."

"That was quick", Rylar said, "what now?"

"We wait", I said.

Rylar and I watched the entire game play out. Citrus managed to save her team from each and every goal the other team made, while her team ended up winning 27 to nothing.

"That was damn impressive", Rylar said as we cleared out and went to the Civic.

"No shit", I said putting my DE under the seat, "now we just wait for her to come out."

We watched the crowd clear out and disperse. For a while, I thought she'd gotten out in the crowd and was ready to go check both her Mom and Dad's house, when she came out by herself, keys in one hand and phone in the other.

"Go time", I said to myself as I approached her.

"Curtis", I said

She looked up from her phone, seeming surprised when she saw me.

"Josh?", she asked, "the hell are you doing out here."

"I have something to ask you", I said handing her the folder.

"What's this?", she asked.

"That", I said, "is your ticket to something we both slave over keyboards for."

Citrus gave me a "your fucking crazy", look and opened the folder. She flipped through it one page at a time and then closed it, looking at me for a minute, then held it out.

"There's no way that's real", she said.

I sighed, "why would I drive out here from Texas with a busted arm, just to lie to you?"

"I don't know", Citrus said, "but I think you were stupid for doing it."

She turned and began walking away. She walked to her car and opened the door and just as she was about to get in, I shut off my cloaker and shouted after her.

"Vortex!"

I saw Citrus pause. The foot that was in her car met the grass again and the door shut.

"Why do I have the feeling that if I turn around?", she asked aloud before slowly turning around.

"Still think I'm faking it?", I asked.

"Either I'm seeing shit", Citrus said, "or this is real."

"It's the latter", I said flaring my wings.

"How'd you do that?", she asked, "you a shape shifter or some shit?"

"Not quite", I said tossing her the cloaker, "that's how I did it. It's a stupidly advanced box of circuits and mirrors that renders me human again. It's got a 48 hour battery life and when it's on, it's like my wings, horns and tail aren't even there. Press the power button, and you'll look just like I did a few minutes ago."

Citrus' curiosity got the best of her and she pressed the button, the hologram of myself quickly encased her, taking her by surprise.

"Holy shit", she said quickly turning it off, "okay, you've got my attention."

She tossed it back and I quickly reactivated it.

"So tell me", Citrus said walking over to the Civic, "what's in it for me?"

"Quite a bit", I said, "you could become the Southern Version of Vortex, LN and all."

"You can spit LN?", Citrus asked.

"Yep", I said.

Citrus whistled, "holy fuck. You the only one whose got it?"

"Nope", I said, "everyone's got it. Everyone's Anthro's too. It's not like in SIW where the mutation varies from person to person. According to Sam, the brainiac behind the serum, it's pushing it just to grow the wings and tail."

Citrus sighed, "well that sucks."

"Yeah, sure did, at least at first. Life without my Civic would have been pointless.", I smiled.

"True true", Citrus said.

"So are you in?", I asked.

"On one condition", Citrus said, "my parents have to know."

"Done deal", I said, "I'll follow you in your car."

"Sweet", Citrus said walking back to her ride. It was a matte black 1967 Chevy Impala SS sitting in BBS RS GT wheels, was sporting a custom interior with Sparaco seats, Recaro Steering wheel, Six point harnesses on all four seats, a Carbon Creations rear wing and twin exhaust pipes with twin turbos hanging like a pair of nuts off the back of the car. When she started it, I heard the unmistakable sound of a V8 gurgling to life. I started the Civic and the lumpy V8 was soon joined by V6 that thought it was a V8. Citrus idled the hunk of American Iron to the parking lot exit where I spied the sticker that every Tuner in Texas knew and feared "Hennessy 7.0 Liter Turbocharged." Underneath the car, I could see a beefy live axle set up and a massive rear diff.



"Holy crap", I sighed, "that's what 1244 horsepower worth of rear end looks like. That monster is gonna walk away from my little Civic."

"How do you know that Impala has 1200 horsepower?", Rylar asked.

"Look at the sticker", I said, "it says Hennessy 7 liter turbocharged."

"So?", Rylar asked.

"Hennessy only makes one 7 liter engine", I said, "for the Venom GT."

"Your fucked", Rylar said.

"We'll see", I said.

Citrus turned her Impala out onto the road and pulled away from the corner and either she was a real quick shift, or she was running an Automatic transmission, further proof that this rear wheel drive pavement pounding monster would walk right away from my front wheel drive tuner car. Guess some days American Muscle really is king of the roads. I follow Citrus' growling Impala all the way across town to a really nice looking brown brick house that was sitting with a few other houses on a roundabout. Citrus turned into the driveway and parked her beast next to a little Mercedes 300. She killed the Impala and stepped out while I parked the Civic behind it.

"Come on", Citrus said.

I followed her inside. Citrus searched the house for her mother, eventually finding her in the living room. She introduced me and then I began explaining what was going on. Like with Citrus, there was skepticism at first, but when I proved what I was saying, it looked like she might pass out. Thankfully that didn't happen and eventually, Citrus convinced her mother to sign the papers.

Once I had her Mother's blessing, Citrus and I went to her Dad's house. He turned out to be a hard nut to crack, being ex air force and all, but again, flashing my dragon form was more than enough to convince him, weather it was just from shock value or out right fear. When that was done, Citrus and her dad hugged it out. He promised to come and watch her train and I shook his hand and promised I'd take care of her, even though I knew that Citrus could take care of herself. As we exited the house, she spoke up.

"That actually went a lot easier than I expected it to."

"I'll take your word for it", I said, "now the only thing left to do is get to Kentucky."

"Why for?", Citrus asked.

"To get another buddy of mine", I said, "goes by Calen."

"Speaking of going by", Citrus smiled, "I already know what I'm changing my name to."

"Do you now?", I asked.

She grinned, "Vortex Elise Winterheart."

I smiled, "how did I surmise it?"