Lynx: A Callie Torres Story

9

"Okay try it on."

Callie picked up the prototype suit she had been working on for Jada. She handed it to her girlfriend who stepped inside of it and pulled it up like a dress. The suit fit snug and perfectly as it should.

"How do I look?" Jada asked as she spun around in a circle and modeled for Callie.

"I like it," Callie answered, flipping the one strand of hair that didn't make it into her ponytail behind her ear. "Now you need to try on the mask."

Jada picked up the mask and pulled it over her head. "How the hell do you see out of this thing?" she asked.

"You get used to it."

"The inside of this reminds me of Iron Man."

Callie smiled. "It's modeled after that. He helped me with the design and also a prototype Iron Lynx suit I want to start putting together soon."

"I'm going to have no idea how to work this," Jada admitted as she turned around to look in the mirror.

"And it will be on autopilot mode until you are fully trained in how to use it." Callie continued. "Come here." Jada did as told. "The suit is much more advanced than what you think it is. You don't have to tell the suit what to do. Pat the top of your head. Notice how it doesn't feel any thicker than any other parts of the suit? On the top of the mask is actually the main computer behind the suit. The inside of the mask is lined with little microbes in the fabric that touch your head when you're wearing it. And that's how you tell it what to do. You just think it. The same system is actually in place above the heart on your chest in case the mask gets ripped off."

Callie had on the real suit as well. "Watch this," she explained. "It's equipped with metal claws that I use for fighting, climbing, and a whole lot of other things." She held up her hand. "I want the claws to come out." In the blink of an eye 10 inch long metal claws extended outward from the top of her hand above her fingers. The claws quickly retracted. "I want you to think about doing it." The claws on Jada's suit shot out of her hand. Just as she had thought of them coming out, she quickly changed her thought and the scary metal claws were gone.

Jada hadn't realized Callie was touching her shoulder. "I'm going to take my hand off you and it's not going to work. Try again."

Nothing happened. "The suit is now on autopilot. While I teach you how to use it, you won't be able to do anything I can. And we're going to finish up the final version now. I'm going to make it into a necklace for you and if you're ever in danger and I'm not around it will protect you."

"Thank you," Jada said quickly. "You care about me like no one else has before."

"Hey, I'm you're girlfriend. It's my job to keep you safe."

Jada took off the suit and handed it to Callie who put it in her machine for it to be finally made. Callie took Jada's hands in hers. "I love you," Jada told her as she wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

"I love you too."

"How are you going to teach me how to use it?" Jada asked.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight. And you need to learn how to shoot a gun before you even get in the suit."

"I don't want to fight you!"

Callie laughed. "Oh you're going to fight me."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Jada, you're not going to hurt me."

Callie looked like she was going to say something else, but didn't. She froze.

"Callie?"

She did not move out of the frozen-like state. "Callie?"

The only part of her that was moving were her eyes. Jada couldn't tell what she was doing. "Callie?"

"Calliope!"

Callie covered Jada's mouth. "We're in danger."

"What?"

Callie pulled Jada to the ground behind a table. She quickly put the necklace around Jada's neck. "There's people outside, I can hear them," Callie said quietly.

"Can you hear what they're saying?"

"Yeah they're talking about robbing the neighborhood. And we're the first stop."

Jada could feel her heart racing. Callie pressed the necklace and in a flash Jada was wearing her Lynx suit. "Jada stay here. No matter what stay here."

"What are you going to do?"

"Get them the fuck off my property."

Callie reached up on the table and grabbed her belt. "Do they have guns?" Jada asked.

"I don't know," Callie whispered as she buckled another Lynx belt.

"Callie they might shoot you!"

"I'll be fine," she answered as they heard a bang against the front door from upstairs. "You stay right here, no matter what," she instructed. "Do you hear me?"

Jada nodded. "Please be careful."

"I will. I'll be right back," Callie said before giving her a kiss and standing up to head upstairs.

Jada was so scared sitting in the basement hiding while her girlfriend went to go deal with some not so nice visitors like a boss. Her heart was pounding and she was shaking. Jada could hear her heart pound with how quiet she was being.

She heard Callie say something upstairs followed by a heap of footsteps towards the direction of her voice. Jada heard a bang and a bunch of noise from upstairs. They had to be fighting now. Jada had no idea how many of them there were. She could hear a few cries of pain, but none of them were female cries.

The fighting continued for what seemed like eternity to Jada. There was another loud thud followed by the men shouting at someone to get down. And then it hit Jada.

They beat Callie.