Chapter 1: 7 Months Passed (Part 2)

He got home and for some reason he closed the door this time when he got. He looked back at it. Watching it closely while noticing all the little details. The chipping white paint, the loose door handle, the rusty deadbolt. It all looked so “unsafe” for a brief moment. He kept staring at it when there was a sudden knock on the door. Ben actually jumped out of his seat. He then took a moment to calm down as the knocking persisted. Strangely enough, Ben couldn’t remember why he was worried. Like he gained something. A fragment of a memory had come and left just as easily. He was in an amnesiac state.

Ben got up as he looked around a bit. He realized he was in the ‘Brea’ apartment and not the ‘Ben’ apartment. His mind was that fuzzy that he didn’t have the focus to find his way home. Well the right home at least. He smothered himself in blue flames as he walked to the door. When he opened the knocking door as Brea she got pounded in the face by Gail all of a sudden. Gail paused, but it was with his hand still buried in Brea’s face. The sight was actually rather comical. A man with black hair and red highlights with a denim vest and dress pants accidently struck a girl with white hair and pigtails as the two just stood there for a second.

“Whaf du you waant?” Brea asked awkwardly and muffled from Gail’s hand still in her face.

“Good you’re at this apartment, I came here to warn you man… err eh woman. Can I come in?” Gail asked as Brea stepped aside, making way.

“I told you not to talk to Cromwell or to act suspicious in his presence. Didn’t I? On page 10 maybe?” Gail asked.

“What!?” Brea asked. “Yeah you said something like that but I wasn’t thinking straight. Thus why I needed help.” Brea replied while looking away.

“It’s not that you weren’t thinking straight. You weren’t thinking like a Heart Breaker, I know this. Cromwell just called me to tell me that you may become a liability soon. He wants me to keep an eye on you. I want to lie to him but I’m very well being watched too.” Gail informed Ben/Brea.

“What?!” Brea said as she put her face into her palms. “I’m on the watch list already?”

“Don’t ask yourself that. Tell yourself that. Because you can bet your ass that you’re already on the watch list.” Gail said as he sensed for nearby Heart Breakers. “Here’s the plan man. You continue your duties as a Heart Breaker without a hitch. I’ll make it seem like you DO have issues but I’ll sugar coat them. That way he’ll think you are handling it.” Gail told him.

Brea sat on the couch with eyes wide open. Her grim and bleak apartment room. Wallpaper tears and distorted drywall areas were the perfect embodiment of what she was feeling. “What’s happening to me?” was a question she/he kept asking herself/himself. Another she didn’t understand why Gail was looking out for her/him so much. Gail has always done that it seems.

“Why are you helping me so much?” Brea asked.

Gail didn’t really have a response. There was a brief silence. Though it was silent, the moment had not turned awkward. Gail seemed like he had an answer. He just didn’t have a way to present it properly. He took a deep breath and shook his head, all the while his ridiculous red highlights would bounce back and forth.

“I see myse… I see myself in you.” Gail said somewhat stutterishly. “I feel like I know you, and I’ve always felt that way. And while this is being said… I may have gone through your exact same situation.”

“Really?! So you can help me!” Brea said with her higher pitched voice due to her current form.

Gail gives a look of regret. As if he regrets telling Brea/Ben about his situation. Brea loses that faint smile that she had held for a moment. She was confused with what Gail was telling her. How could he know her/him? She/he has only been around for a little over twenty years. And if Gail went through the same situation then why can’t he help.

“I can’t help you. I just wanted you to keep a low profile. You botched that the moment you alerted Cromwell to that “condition” of yours.” Gail told her/him.

“Then how’d you fix it? Why can’t I do the same?!” Brea squealed.

“Calm down! You are failing as you talk! Every word that comes out of your mouth is a hand grenade of emotion! Anger, Sadness, Desperation! That is the problem here!” Gail said angrily.

Brea looked at him baffled. “Oh my god!?” He/she said. “You’re angry right now. Illogical, you are telling me not to be angry, yet you are angry.” Brea told him.

“Exactly.” Gail told Brea. “I am angry right now. Because I’ve never fixed it. There is nothing to fix. I just keep hiding it. Haven’t noticed my playful attitude over the years? It is a part of me that I just can’t keep locked in. So I utilized it, weaponized it. Using it is how I lure women to gain access to Heart Swallows.” Gail tells her/him.

“Tell me Brea. Who am I?” Gail asks.

“What do you mean?”

“No tricks! Just answer, honest and simple.” Gail said as he saw the flash of a blue light.

“Gail…”

“Exactly! I am Gail! A Heart Breaker isn’t supposed to be anyone but at the end of the day I am Gail! Not even Gail/Abigail, just Gail! And the only reason you didn’t know the true answer is because you at this moment are Ben and I am Gail!” Gail said as he looked at Ben with eyes of astonishment.

“What are you talking about? I’m Brea right now.” Ben then gasped at the sound of his own voice.

“Are you?” Gail asked as Ben looked at his body to see that his female assets have changed to male ones. She was now he, and for a brief moment, no longer IT.

Ben realized once again that he was Ben standing in the middle of Brea’s apartment. He engulfed himself once again in the flames of blue to become anew. He was once again she. And she never knew that in the blink of an eye that she could ever become he. Especially without noticing. Brea calmed herself down. She envisioned what it was like to be a Heart Breaker. Then she personified it.

“So what do I do now?” Brea asked calmly.

“Your best! Just like you are doing right now. Though I recommend for you that you stay sharp whenever you have to be Brea. Keep focus and never let your guard down. If you do then you may want to get out of there and slip on something more comfortable. Of course I mean your Ben suit. Actually scratch that. Only turn into Brea when you have to.” Gail informed Brea.

“And I know how you like to just leave your door open without a care but don’t do that anymore. You aren’t in danger with your power of course but if you are unconscious and happen to transform then that would be bad. You not only run the risk of your neighbors either thinking you are a crossdresser or somebody else but you also run the risk of them seeing you change in front of their very eyes.” Gail said.

“Yeah… you may be right.” Brea told him.

“So do you have any prey right now? Anyone you are hunting?” Gail asked her.

“I have a date with an Asian lady tomorrow. She has a heart swallow but it seemed kind of fresh so I still have good time.”

“Well that’s good. And I know you were just reasserting focus but when you show up tomorrow you may not want to look like that.” Gail said while pointing at Brea’s breasts.

Brea looked down at herself with a duh reaction. “Thanks for reminding me.” She then said.

“Well I have shared enough. Besides, I need to get back to my area. How about a hug on the way out?” Gail said while now standing in the hallway laughing and performing a squeezing motion with his hands as if he were handling supple breasts while looking in.

Brea had a slight blush but it wasn’t because he or she were embarrassed the usual way. It was more she had an angry scowl with a small splash of embarrassment. She then shut the door on his face hardcore. She sat on the other end almost deciding to switch back to Ben but remembering she needed to be Brea when she left.

“Go away!” Brea then yelled.

“Sorry! I don’t get to joke very often around you so now that you know my secret and I yours I felt I could now! The possibly “real” Gail is quite the ladies’ man I’ve found, haha.” Gail said while laughing.

With her back against the wall she slid down against it until she was sitting on the floor. She felt so strange while she sat Indian style on the floor, laying back against the door. Some much, too much was changing all at once. A hard adjustment for someone just now gaining emotions. She found herself waning to sleep. She was physically exhausted. A strange occurrence amongst Heart Breakers.

In the morning, Brea found herself locking the door. Something she rarely does. She then had to make it to the apartment buildings public bathroom. She had to turn into Ben ASAP. Which shouldn’t be a problem because when she woke up all the weight from her chest had already reverted to his groin. Brea looked at the upcoming room with a dash of dismay.

She started to cringe as she came up on the third room. Room 03, right here, yet completely different. It was the same room in number but Brea quickly realizes that it isn’t the same building. She was expecting something completely different from it as she passed it. She was expecting the opposite of silence. She just kept walking until she was in the apartment buildings public bathroom.

One of the buildings staff sits in a chair propped up against the wall. He is generally disinterested. He glances up to see Brea walk into the bathroom. Despite the unnatural, and beautiful hair color he only raises his eyebrows, showing off a small amount of intrigue. It wasn’t until about sixty seconds later that he was really blown away when Ben walks out. Ben walks passed him as the staff members jaw drops.

“Wh… what the hell?!” the staff member says baffled.

“Huh?” Ben says somewhat stoic with a hint of confusion. He then looks down at himself. “Oh! Uh… I am… uh I am?” Ben stutters without anything to say.

“A crossdresser. That is what they call them… I mean, uh us!” Ben then has a halfhearted smile as he walks along waving goodbye.

Ben gave sigh of relief upon exiting the building. The sad part is, yet also luckily Ben knows the gravitation of one of the apartment buildings staff thinking he’s a crossdresser, meaning he may have to find a new shitty apartment complex to move into. Or maybe a nicer one he thought. Then he started shaking his head no.

“A Heart Breaker would think cost efficient!” Ben said while slamming his right hand into his left palm.

He got to El Camp, a Mexican restaurant. He actually let Kelly choose the place. He was surprised by the choice. It wasn’t even one of the more expensive ones. But maybe she was just being considerate. He met her there and was greeted with a smile. They were both early, a sign that they both care usually but to Ben this was a problem. It is basically part of the methodical routine of a Heart Breaker to show up both early and first. Though in this (and most) cases it doesn’t really matter but it makes Ben worry.

“Welcome Benny-bop!!!” Kelly said jokingly with a smile.

Ben smiled back at her exchanging his greeting as well. He told her to go ahead and find a seat, and that he would be right back. He was in the bathroom, splashing water on his face. He looked into the mirror. He didn’t know who he was looking at. He hadn’t seen himself as a somebody until now. He looked hard at it confused.

“Who am I? Who is Ben?” He asked himself.

“I honestly don’t know who I am. How would I handle this situation if I were Gail? This is my first date. How would Ben handle this? How? How? How?” Ben kept asking.

Ben then looked at his own reflection in disgust. The kind of disgust that wrinkles your skin and grits your teeth. The kind that leaves your eyes glaring. Then with minimal effort Ben smashed his hand into the mirror. Cracking it all up. Some of the glass fell into the sink. He then calmed down, and brushed some of the lint sitting on his dress shirt off.

“Bathrooms cause nothing but trouble.” Ben said as he stepped out of the bathroom.

He found where Kelly was sitting. Ben had been in the bathroom for a few minutes. It was only then that Ben realized that he left her waiting that whole time. She was still just smiling at him. Ben wasn’t sure but that seemed like a good sign. He sat down on the wooden chair and found himself to be very uncomfortable. It was the chair. It was odd because he had never had to deal with problems like this. Opinions and discomfort were never really issues in the past.

Especially something within the same realm as discomfort. Because he couldn’t pinpoint a logical explanation for it. He was so frustrated. Filled with angst. Kelly started to lose her smile. It had already been about thirty seconds at the table and Ben was still smitten with his chair. Looking like he was something from a bad dream.

“Are you okay?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah.” Ben said as he fixed his position.

“They came by asking what we wanted to drink. I hope it is okay if I told them we weren’t ready?” Kelly told and also sort of asked.

“It’s fine. I was late getting to the table. That was very inconsiderate on my part.”

“Don’t sweat it. We don’t always know when we may need to go to the little boys and or girls room after all.” Kelly said.

Ben was really in a rut. He was in this situation. And it was during the morning right after he learned the gravity of his situation. Though Ben eventually kept finding comfort in Kelly’s smile. It was odd. He felt that humanity. Though the comfort was soon lost. One of the employees came out arguing with another. They were speaking in Spanish.

Kelly kept her eye on them for a second. She wondered why they were arguing when Ben knew why they were arguing. He knew it was that damn mirror. He looked nervous as Kelly put her hand on his. This was ultimately to calm him down. Not a tactic one would usually use on a first date but Kelly could tell he was in distress even if she didn’t know it was the mirror. Ben smiled at her as she smiled back at him. From that moment onward, Ben knew it was going to be a good night. And it was, because it went well enough that they soon went out on several more dates together.

There several knocks on Ben’s door as he sat up and walked over to it. He opened it and there stood Gail with a bit of a smile on his face. Ben was a little irritated with this situation. Not only because he was expecting somebody else when he opened the door but also because he was now anxious about his current situation. Gail was a reminder of that. On top of Gail, Ben was now worried that Gail wasn’t here alone.

“May I come in?” Gail said with a smirk.

Ben motioned him in with his hand. Regardless of the fact that Gail’s presence makes Ben worrisome and nervous, Ben still wanted an update on his current status. As Gail walked in, Ben stuck his head out into the hallway. He looked back and forth but both times he just kept seeing the same crappy, stained walls with no people in sight.

“Why don’t you just use your senses?” Gail asked as he leaned back in one of Ben’s chairs.

“My… senses, right.” Ben said.

“There isn’t anyone out there. I can’t feel another Heart Breakers presence. You know…. I have always found it kind of strange but we Heart Breakers are so secluded. Why is that?” Ben stopped looking outside as he focused in on what Gail was saying, closing the door behind him.

“I mean we are given almost nothing to live for when you think about it. What are our purpose Ben? Besides the obvious I mean.” Gail asked.

“Well. I guess there really isn’t anything else. It really is kind of sad when you think about it. We are given a life for a purpose. But are not rewarded when that purpose is fulfilled and there isn’t anything along the lines of retirement for us. We just keep on fighting and we don’t care?”

“I don’t think we are supposed to care, we just know what our duty is and we do it.”

“Yeah but that is the sad part. We are given a duty but no personality so we will have the ability to do it, but then we may be stuck doing something we don’t want to do. We are given as little social interaction with our kind as possible. The only sympathizers we have.”

“Yeah but we are intended not to need sympathizers.” Ben reminds him. “Isn’t that the whole point? None of that is supposed to matter.”

“Yeah but it does matter! Look at yourself and I. We care, we need people now no matter how hard you deny that fact.” Now we crave social interaction! I saw that look on your face when you opened the door! You were disappointed with who showed up!” Gail pointed out, leaving Ben a little bit embarrassed.

“I fail to see your point!” Ben said while somewhat lashing out.

“What I am saying is you and me are becoming more and more like the prey we were designed, chosen, or hell even born maybe to kill! You see the problem here don’t you?! I have been coasting through this job ever since my, my, my problem arose. I found it torture! And the dreams!” Gail said.

That word in particular set in on Ben’s thoughts. The moment that that word was said Ben felt this blast of Déjà vu. He envisioned himself maybe? Somebody like him who was relaxing poolside. All that with a really nice house in the background. The light reflecting off the water was a sight to behold. The breeze was nice and soft. Only cooling down his skin that had been baking in the hot summer sun. Ben right there in that moment held this brief comfortability. He quickly snapped back to reality.

“What dreams!?” Ben asked as he grabbed Gail’s denim vest.

“Come down there John-boy! I can’t really explain them very well. I honestly don’t remember them. I just sort of know that they happened if that makes any sense?” Gail asked.

“Yeah it does.” Ben said as he calmed down.

It was in that split second that Ben felt a sharp pain in his forehead. His veins popped as he realized that Gail’s was popping too. He was getting light headed, and he was very confused. It was a familiar feeling but Ben didn’t remember it. Then Gail started talking but it wasn’t directed towards Ben. Telepathic communication Ben thought?”

“What was that again?!” Gail asked.

“A Heart Swallow two, a premature is on the loose!” A mysterious voice asked. “We are going to need backup right away.”

“Alright! Ben and I are on our way Revy.” Gail said back.

“Revy? It’s her!” Ben said.

“What’s the deal with Ben by the way? He want pick up.” Revy asked Gail.

“I see him. He’s out in public right now so it isn’t like he can just start talking out loud. I will grab him okay?” Gail asked.

“Okay.” Revy replied as she signed off.

All of sudden Ben’s veins stopped popping along with Gail’s. Naturally Heart Breakers were very resistant to physical pain but given the lack of emotion they wouldn’t really notice anyway. The same would go for a Heart Breakers’ ability to telecommunicate. It would be painful if there was a care or receptor for that sort of thing. So experiencing it for the first time was rather shocking for Ben.

“That was telepathic communication! That was a massive headache!” Ben said still holding his forehead.

“Hurts doesn’t it? Don’t answer, we don’t have time. A Heart Swallow has become a stage two.” Gail explained.

“A premature exit! We have to go.”

“Damn right. We should get going.”

Ben and Gail bolt out the door of his room and then out of his apartment building. They ignore their cars since what they are about to do would be much faster, run. They run into an alley as they both squat, then jump. They fly up to the rooftops as Gail stands there for a moment for focusing. He feels around in the air with his eyes closed, trying to sense the direction of the Heart Swallow two.

The ‘two’ portion of its name indicates that it is in fact a Heart Swallow and not a Heart Fiend. But it has evolved prematurely out of suspicion of danger, being the Heart Breakers. Every Heart Swallow operates alone, unlike Heart Breakers who despite limited contact still knows of each other’s existence and has that mutual partnership going on. Heart Swallows however know not of other Heart Swallows.

This means it is up to each Heart Swallow as an “individual” to make judgement calls whether or not to evolve premature. Most don’t and when I say most I do not just mean maybe something along the lines of 60 or 70 percent. I mean more along the lines of 90-99 percent of the time. In all reality if the Heart Swallows did have the intercommunication between one another then they would actually be too much for the Heart Breakers to handle.

“Follow me!” Gail says as he starts running and jumping.

Ben follows while also running and jumping along rooftops. Their fast pace toppled with their physical stature leaves small dents on the usually concrete rooftops as they run and leap from building to building. It was just then while running late at night across buildings that Ben notices this newfound beauty about the whole process. He could see the moon (though crescent and not full) without any interruption from tall buildings or distractions from the surroundings on the ground. The way the city skyline is lit up at night. As Ben ran he could hear Gail yell at him.

“Jump Ben!”

Ben then looked forward as he saw how he was tipping of the edge of the four story building he was on. He saw traffic buzzing in slow motion as he hovered. Instead of trying to catch his balance he jumped instead, not having full momentum. He flew slowly towards the building Gail was at. He grabbed the ledge as Gail then grabbed his hand.

“I know this must be a whole new experience for you now but you have to get your head in the game. This is serious business. Are you ready for this?”

“Yeah, I can do this.”

“Good. Let’s go then.”

Ben pulled himself up using Gail’s hand. He pushed all the thoughts of aw the he had started to build up out of his head. He had to focus on the task at hand. He stood up and the two of them started racing to get to Revy and the Heart Swallow. They got to the point where they could feel its presence without even looking for it.

As they got close they saw shadows being spewed towards a woman in all black with tight leather pants, and a black tank top. She had a nose ring on and it was even wiggling around on her nose from the wind as she hid behind cover. The cover was soon consumed by the shadow-like fire as Revy would jump to new cover. Another Heart Breaker was there too, Kyle/Kayla. He was slowly, and stealthily flanking the Heart Swallow.

“Well, let us jump right in then.”

“Let’s do this Abigail!” Ben said jokingly, Abigail being Gail’s alternate female name.

The two of them jumped from the building down into the parking lot that the other two Heart Breakers were at. As they both hit the ground they lit their blue flames in their hands. The light emanating off their faces drew attention to them as the beast started shooting dark, shadowy flames from its mouth. At the same time, Gail, and Ben blasted their blue flames towards the beasts’ flames like two blue Kamehameha waves from Dragon Ball Z.

There was a massive blast struggle between Ben, and Gail’s blue flames and the beasts’ shadowy ones. Both Revy and Kyle noticed Ben and Gail’s bold nature. Though working it was very rash. They have come to assume for Gail it was just his eccentric nature but now even Ben is being so bold. They paid no mind to it though since it was working. They both began flanking on their respective sides. For Revy this was the beasts’ left and her right, and of course the opposite for Kyle.

Revy gained some stealth from Ben and Gail’s diversion. She kept dashing between cover. A car to a lamp post to a shopping cart (keep in mind they are in a parking lot) in hopes of a getting the jump on the creature. Kyle did the same, then got into telecommunications with Revy to work out the attack.

“How are we going about this?” Kyle asked.

“However you see fit.” Revy replied.

“Then let us attack with flames as well. If we use melee there is a chance we would get struck by those twos flames.” Kyle said as Revy agreed.

Though the flames of a Heart Breaker cannot physically harm another Heart Breaker, they can still get temporarily blinded by the flames. This causing brief confusion for said Heart Breaker which has a (small) chance of being fatal. The both of them started to charge their flames. They charged up until they were full. The two then unleashed the attack from each side, burning the beast.

The beast struggled a bit. It then ditched the current strategy of facing them head on and took a more defensive approach. The monster was running towards the super market which the parking lot belonged to. It was a big creature. It was somewhat transparent with a purple tint. It was big and was lumpy to the point that it was almost like warts on a toad. It could be seen only by the Heart Breakers.

To the surrounding people watching, all they could see was four people covered in blue flames fighting the air. The beast was running and as the group of Heart Breakers stopped spritzing flames to ketch up to it a man stood in between the beast and the store in shock. As the beast trampled over him there was no physical harm brought to him, but as his body collapsed to the concrete ground, the Heart Breakers knew that his soul had been consumed instantly.

The beast climbed his way up on top of the super market. The four Heart Breakers paused upon reaching the bottom of the store. Deciding to exercise caution before going up to face the Heart Swallow. Especially since they couldn’t detect exactly where it was up there since it wasn’t stirring about. The group then entered the process of who will go face the beast first to draw its attention away from the rest of the group.

“I volunteer.” Revy announced.

“Don’t you want to switch over to Rock first to gain a small boost physical strength and endurance?” Kyle added as Revy shook her head no.

“I prefer this form. Besides, I will have an advancement in speed from my female form. I will just use my speed to stir him away from me.” Revy said as she jumped up there.

Revy got to the top as she started looking back and forth. Not seeing a thing she started to worry. She could still feel its presence but it wasn’t in direct line of sight. She noticed the exhaust pipes sitting on the top generating smoke. The smoke wasn’t usually as thick as the smoke that was being produced. It was definitely a smart tactic for a creature like that to use but Heart Breakers weren’t that dumb.

Revy started to edge her way towards the smoke cloud. Her plan was to get the beast to jump out, and she would turn tail and use her speed to get away. She got closer to the cloud, and then even closer. So close that she was sure the creature would have pounced her by now. She shot a small ember of blue fire into the smoke with no results. A blob like head then passed right through the ceiling of the building and popped out from the floor behind her.

As she turned around the beasts’ entire body came hurdling toward her. She tried jumping back due to panic due to her weird angle she tripped. She certainly wasn’t expecting such an attack from the Heart Swallow. Since the Heart Swallows only technically retain a physical form, they have the ability to faze through walls among other solid surfaces. They just aren’t usually that smart.

The Heart Swallow grabbed Revy by the neck. The rowdy noises definitely alerted the others. As they jumped to go help her they were surprised to that Revy had been caught. They edged their way around it as it kept turning between them to meet their movements. They couldn’t seem to find a suitable opening for attack. Revy was punching at the beast to little effect. Still hurting it but not loosening its grip.

“Hurry up and change to Rock!” Kyle yelled.

“No!” Revy said as the group started blasting tiny embers when possible.

“Hurry up and switch!” Kyle said again with Gail now agreeing.

Ben however wasn’t even concerned with that. He started looking at the flames is hand. He started thinking. It thought that he may be able to condense the flames. Since they aren’t literal flames and they are only taking that form then maybe he could change that. He started by having the flames sit in the palm of his hand as he then squeezed his fingers together real hard. He then looked at Gail who was also trying to convince Revy to change.

“Do you want to die!?” Gail then asked as Revy kind of smiled as she let go and let the beast strangle her.

“Gail! Kyle! Go that way, both of you!” Ben yelled with his hand shaking while a blue orb was being formed.

“Why even?!” Kyle asked.

“Just listen to him!” Gail yelled taking the lead, trusting Ben’s newly formed judgement. Kyle soon followed as they still blasted tiny embers.

“Got you.” Ben whispered with confidence and pride.

Kyle wasn’t sure what Ben was doing and was very worried. The only reason they didn’t plan a flanking maneuver was because they didn’t want to startle the beast, and kill Revy as a result. But Ben had something totally different in mind. “Get ready for trouble. Because when I’m done, you’ll need a hand!” Ben yelled with a smile. The orb of blue energy blasted forth from his fingertips, forming a beam of energy. The beam was so fast, slick, and sharp that it severed the beasts’ arm from the rest of its body.

With Revy no longer constrained, she quickly returned to her senses. She then dashed to the beasts’ right, where its arm was removed. Using her superior speed as a female Heart Breaker to get in and out quickly. She gripped her fist and pulled her arm back. Then with a grunt she jabbed sharply into the beasts’ side. As it screamed in pain, Revy retreated to join Kyle, and Gail.

“Alright! Blue flames everyone!” Kyle ordered.

The three of them started blasting flames forth from their fingertips. Ben quickly raced to get with the group as he too started spewing flames from his hands. The beast then did the same with his shadowy flames. Putting all its breath into a last ditch effort. The blasts met as they struggled with each other. Then a little girl walked right in between Kyle and Ben. The little girl put her hands forward, palms facing the wretched beast.

“I saw what you did Ben. It was impressive.” The girl said.

“Thank you Tina.” Ben replied.

Suddenly a blue flame that dwarfed the rest emerged from the little girls hands. Despite her hair blasting and flying all over the place due to blowback the little girl remained expressionless. The blue flame struck the beasts’ dark, shadowlike flame and immediately started pushing back. Though the beast struggled it was no match. It wasn’t long until the beast lost all of its momentum. The blue flames pushed through the dark ones as the beast started to blow up like a balloon. It got bigger, and bigger. Eventually the beast exploded into thousands of pieces. The pieces then began to evaporate.

“You sure took your sweet time Tina.” Kyle said.

“I was merely observing your guys’ performance without me. One common misconception amongst Heart Breakers is that due to the mostly solo nature of our job that there are no leaders and there is nothing to learn. I may not always be around, and as a child Heart Breaker who goes through the school systems I cannot stay in one place for too long. I am the oldest and most experienced Heart Breaker in this section and your behaviors are bothering me. Borderline immature at times.” Tina said while looking at Revy.

“It is called gender swapping. Your male identity will have attributes you will need and vice versa. Physical changes are made not only so you can seduce either a man or a woman this time, but also so you can punch harder when you need to. Or maybe run faster when you need to. Remember that Revy.” Tina said as she switched very skillfully to Timmy. “And Ben. I was very impressed with that stunt you pulled off. You really did save Revy’s life with that. Where’d you learn that?” Timmy then asked as Ben looked away.

As for Revy, she just snarled as she looked the other way. Timmy then tilted his head, doing this to hear a bit more clearly. He heard all the chatter between people down at ground level. They were given these grand speeches of these blue flamed super humans. Timmy then directed his attention away from the group as he sighed at the humans down below.

“It couldn’t help you guys to be a bit more discreet? I know it’s hard but you may just have to let a few humans go without giving yourselves away. I know there are internet groups out there about us but we don’t want to increase their popularity. Well, let us get on with the Biel Chant shall we?” Timmy said.

The group then made their way into view of the confused public down below. They both put their right hands forward. “Biel, oh Biel. Remove myself as you once did thyself.” The five of them chanted. Poof, just like that they were forgotten.

The group then said their goodbyes as Revy went in her own direction, Kyle in his and lastly Gail and Ben started to leave together. They were quickly stopped. Gail then looked back as did Ben. Gail saw Timmy motioning him over with his hand. As Gail started walking so did Ben. Ben was then stopped as Timmy told him his presence was not necessary, it would be a hindrance in fact.

“Go home Ben.”

“Uh… Okay then. I will.”

“Good.” Timmy said as he motioned Gail onward.

Timmy just started walking as Gail followed suit. Timmy was walking to the back of the supermarket rooftop. They then stopped as Timmy looked back for Ben. He then tried to sense his presence and felt that he was now far away. Too far away in fact for Ben (or even Gail at that range) to sense Timmy’s presence. Timmy then jumped off the back of the supermarket down into an empty alleyway. Gail jumped down along with him.

“I am guessing you want to talk to me?” Gail said to Timmy.

“You guessed correct.”

“About Ben I am assuming?”

“Also correct.”

There was then a small drought of silence. The two didn’t talk for several seconds to a minute after that. Mostly because Gail was now waiting for Timmy to say something. And also Timmy was thinking of something to say. Or more appropriately how he wanted to say something in particular.

“I know that you were selected to observe Ben/Brea.” Timmy told him.

“And let me guess, you are here to observe me observing Ben. Aren’t you?” Gail asked.

“Precisely. And honestly from what I have observed so far, which admittedly isn’t much, things are not looking to be in your favor. You were just about to walk with Ben not observe him from afar.”

“Well what is wrong with me observing him closely as opposed to far away?”

“I guess there wouldn’t be much wrong with it if it weren’t for two reasons. One, I know it isn’t what Cromwell wants.” Timmy said. “And you have the exact same ailment as Ben.” Timmy then said.

“What? That is preposterous.” Gail said as calmly as he could.

“Really?” Timmy said as he then turned into Tina in the blink of an eye for no apparent reason. The moment the little Mr. became a little miss she starting unbuttoning her blouse.

“What are you doing!?” Ben said as he covered his face with his hands.

Tina then smirked at Gail. Gail pulled his hands away from his face to see that Tina had already buttoned her shirt back up. Gail quickly gained an expression of disappointment within himself. He blew his cover so easily, despite the two decades he had been keeping it. But it wasn’t just that, he looked at Tina and he then saw how smart Timmy/Tina was. She knew just the right strings to pull to enable a reaction.

“How long have you known?” Gail asked with a sigh.

“Only about twenty-one years or so.”

“Twenty-one years!? That is almost the whole time! Why haven’t you said something to me or hell even Cromwell earlier?” Gail asked.

“I never felt it was a big deal. Cromwell as I am now recently discovering does however. The very reason he asked me to watch you as you watched Ben. I have always known but you had been a good Heart Breaker despite your newly found emotions so I never cared. Ben however may not be. Who knows?” Tina asked no one in particular.

“Why bring this to my attention now? That you know about me I mean?”

“Because it has now become an issue. I feel you may be a setting a bad example for Ben, and or maybe Ben is a bad example for you. Since you’ve managed to keep clean and all. All I am saying is to be careful. I would like both you and Ben to be around in the future.”

“I’ll try.” Gail said.

“I know you’ve grown used to this lifestyle but this is serious. Ben may lose his life, just because of this new change in lifestyle. Do you really want to lose him again?” Tina says.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean this. There are still things about us Heart Breakers that you and most other Heart Breakers don’t know. Because you were not intended to know. Keep that in mind. Ben for all I know is pretty much human now with a new code of Heart Breaker paint. He has emotions now and that is a big deal. What I am telling you is to keep an eye on him. Not for Cromwell but for him personally.” Tina informed.

“I can’t believe this. You are helping us. Helping us despite our conditions.”

“Listen. Despite the fact that there are things only Cromwell knows about Heart Breakers, I feel that there are many things he does not know about us. For example, we are seen as these hyper unsocial creatures by him who are mindless drones who grind to do our job. That is only true in formula but not entirely. Revy is a prime example of the “perfect” Heart Breaker yet for some reason in the event of her gender that is the only time she refuses to listen to reason. That is because she is just like you and Ben in a way. But she hasn’t actually gone through any change in mental state like you guys have. What I am saying is we are not just mindless drones. We have feelings and those feelings can be hurt and also the opposite. Just be careful with Ben. The smallest things even to humans can probably have a profound effect on him. I don’t want to rat you guys out.”

“Don’t worry Tina. I will do my best to keep him on a good path.” Gail said as Tina shook her head.

Back at Ben’s apartment building he walked in then made his way to his room. It was then he could hear some banging and yelling. It was coming from room 03 again. He just gritted his teeth and kept walking. As he got closer to the room however he found it harder to ignore. He just couldn’t. He walked up to the room with a scowl on his face. And for the first time, despite all the discomfort, he stood right in front of that room.

“Don’t you talk back to me you stupid whore! I’ll fucking kill you!” A man said angrily as the woman yelled back.

“Why does this have to be every single day?! You are just like the rest!” The woman said as the argument persisted.

Ben grew angry and the scowl on his face more menacing. His face was wrinkled and he clutched his fingers together in his left hand while he put the fingernails of his right hand directly on the door. After hearing a few more seconds of abuse, Ben started scratching his fingers against the door. Leaving massive claw marks on the door to room 03. Ben was then shocked by his own handy work. Scared even. But what scared him the most is that for the first time as a Heart Breaker, Ben wanted to kill somebody