Interlude - Jaeger

“Hello,” says Adelina Baehr as she opens the door to the science lab.

“You’re back,” says her teacher, Miss Floretta Grunewald, “I’ll be off to the toilet then.”

Adelina holds the door open for her teacher. It’s Miss Grunewald’s first year as their chemistry teacher, but she’s doing well.

Dieter is at his work space again, performing another experiment. Dieter Kaiser doesn’t look like much with a slim body, short black hair and soft brown eyes. His lab coat and protective goggles does fit in him though.

Dieter Kaiser is an interesting person. He’s one of the smartest if not the smartest person that Adelina knows and is split between his ambition and his passion. Dieter’s ambition is to be an important and famous politician while his passion is chemistry.

Adelina on the other hand doesn’t aspire to much and aims to become an officer in the military as it is traditional to do so in the family. Adelina’s father is a general in the army while two of her three older brothers are also in the army. Unlike Dieter, Adelina is quite the sight with an athletic body, nice blonde hair and pleasant blue eyes.

But they get along great. The two of them have been best friends since they met as little kids. In fact, Adelina has been meaning to asks Dieter out as her boyfriend, but always loses her nerve.

“Hi Adelina,” says Dieter without looking up from his experiment.

“Hey Dieter,” replies Adelina as she sits down at the table behind Dieter, “How’s your experiment going?”

“Quite well,” answers Dieter, “I got something to show you later. Something I would like to keep private.”

Okay, now Adelina is intrigued. If Dieter has a secret, he’ll either tell Adelina or his family first.

Adelina looks around as she takes her coat off. She often gets bored waiting for Dieter while he’s engrossed in an experiment, especially since he likes to spent time afterschool doing them.

Adelina spots a bottle of cola on the table that’s she sitting at. Miss Grunewald doesn’t drink cola or if she does, she doesn’t do so in school. That means it has to long to Dieter and Dieter won’t mind too much if she drinks it as she waits.

She picks up and starts drinking. Adelina gags as it hits her stomach. It feels like her body is on fire. She looks at the cola and blinks. Cola isn’t supposed to be green, thinks Adelina as she puts the cola bottle back down.

“Dieter,” says Adelina quietly as she tries to ignore the pain, “About the cola on the table.”

“Oh yeah,” says Dieter quite loudly, “Do not drink that. Trust me, you really don’t want to.”

“Yeah,” groans Adelina as she slumps against the table, “It’s a bit late for that.”

“Oh no,” whispers Dieter in alarmed tone as he spins around to face Adelina, “You weren’t supposed to drink that.”

Adelina doesn’t speak as the pain starts to die down. She feels odd and different. Her hair feels longer and her body feels stronger. As she stares up at Dieter, the world seems, clear and more focused. Adelina see far more detail and can even faintly hear a couple of teachers in a classroom a few doors down the corridor. Her clothes also feel extremely tight on her body.

“I’m so sorry,” apologises Dieter as he helps Adelina up, “I really am.”

He seems small to her. In fact, everything seems smaller to Adelina for some reason.

“I wanted to show you one of my potions later,” continues Dieter, “One of the temporary ones of course. I didn’t expect you to drink this one. I guess I shouldn’t have left it out where anyone could find it.”

“What did I drink?” demands Adelina as she looks down at Dieter.

Everything is weird for Adelina. For starters, she used to be smaller than Dieter, but now Adelina is the taller one. Her voice also has a bit of a growl to it.

Wait. What was it that Dieter. He wanted to show her one of the temporary ones. But that would mean that...

“It’s permanent isn’t it,” whispers Adelina.

To his credit, Dieter does look extremely guilty and sorry. He can barely look Adelina in the eye as he replies.

“Yeah, it is,” answers Dieter, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s my fault,” disagrees Adelina, “I drank it without asking and I’ve paid the price. Just tell what has happened.”

“You know how people have suddenly started developing powers?” says Dieter and Adelina nods, 

“Well, I got the ability to make these impossible potions that do impossible things. Some are permanent like the one you drank and others are temporary. I was going to get you to drink one of the temporary ones, but it’s too late for that.”

“So this potion of yours has changed me how?” inquires Adelina.

“It’s supposed to make the drinker better,” explains Dieter, “Stronger, faster and tougher with faster healing and better senses. I sort of just know what my potions will do in the same way I just sort of know how to make them. Physically, it has made you taller, your hair has grown down to your shoulders, your eyes are now animalistic, maybe cat and your ears and teeth seem to be more pointy now. You also seem a bit more muscular than before though I can’t be sure as might just be your body getting bigger. Oh and you’re clothes look pretty tight.”

Dieter pauses as Adelina takes all this in.

“If anyone asks,” says Dieter, “Just tell them you suddenly became like this. I would much rather keep my powers secret.”

“Don’t worry Dieter,” Adelina reassures him, “I won’t rat you out.”

“It would recommend drinking the rest of the potion,” says Dieter, “You already started drinking so might as well get the full benefits of it and we don’t want anyone else to find it.”

As Dieter recommends, Adelina drinks the rest of the potion in the cola bottle before handing back to Dieter, who stuffs it in her back.

Adelina feels herself changing even further almost straight away. It still burns and hurts, but nowhere near as much as the first time. Adelina can feel her body becoming strong as she grows even bigger. Her clothes tear as her body gets bigger, but her modesty is still maintained. Her senses have definitely improved.

Adelina has never seen the world in such details or smelled the world around her in this manner before. It is glorious.

“Wow,” says Dieter as he gazes at Adelina, “You’re at least two meters tall down and your hair reaches your butt. Ears are definitely pointy and those teeth are fangs. Your eyes look more like cats than those of a human. Those muscles are huge. Most people have to take steroids to get them that big.”

“What about my clothes?” asks Adelina as she sniffs Dieter.

He smells real nice. A particularly attractive smell, but not in a he’s hot manner. More like magnet or a cute baby. The sound of his voice also particularly nice as well now.

“Take my coat is you want,” offers Dieter, “Maybe get a fire blanket or two.”

Adelina takes Dieter’s advice and ties his coat around her waist, covering her rear. After moment’s thought, she also ties her own coat around her waist as well, this time covering the front.

Adelina pauses as she hears Miss Grunewald coming back down the corridor. She can smell her too and Adelina still finds it to be a little weird to be able to do that.

“Miss Grunewald is coming back,” Adelina warns Dieter.

“Damn it,” curses Dieter, “I guess it had to happen soon or later. You wait it hear and I’ll try and explain things to her.”

Dieter goes and leaves the lab as Adelina finds a fire blanket to wrap around her upper body. She can easily hear Dieter trying to explain things to Miss Grunewald with her new senses.

“Adelina changed Miss,” says Dieter.

“How so?” asks Miss Grunewald.

“You know how people have suddenly got peoples,” explains Dieter, “Well Adelina just suddenly got peoples. She about two metres tall, long hair, big muscles, fangs, cat eyes and pointy elf ears.”

“I see,” replies their teacher in a confused tone as she and Dieter reach the lab door.

Miss Grunewald opens the door and steps into the room. She freezes at the sight of Adelina before screaming.

***

Adelina gets annoyed as she has to explain her and Dieter’s version what happened to police again.

First she and Dieter had to explain their version of events to Miss Grunewald, which was that her transformation was sudden and unexpected and they had no idea of what caused it. Then they had to explain what happened to all the other teachers that kept showing up. And once the police arrived, the two of them had to explain what happened to them except the police had a lot more questions than the teachers.

Fortunately for Adelina, no one is treating her like the monster she looks like since it’s clear she’s still the same person on the inside.

But now this Inspector Hartmann is extremely interested in what Adelina has to say.

“So it just happened?” inquires Hartmann, “No idea what caused it?”

“No,” says Adelina somewhat annoyed.

Her voice comes out as growl, but her voice always has a bit of a growl to it now so Hartmann doesn’t seem to notice as he writes something down in his notepad.

“What about your mental state?” asks Hartmann, “Any changes to that?”

“None,” answers Adelina, “I can smell, hear and see things better and my mind can compensate for that, but otherwise no.”

“So not a danger?” asks Hartmann.

“No,” says Adelina, “I supposed I’m bigger and stronger now, but that can’t be helped.”

“That’s true,” agrees Hartmann, “Don’t worry kid, none of us are blaming you for this. None of this seems to be your fault. If anything, you’re the victim.”

“Yeah,” mutters Adelina.

“We called your family and informed them what happened by the way,” Hartmann tells her, “The media has also been alarmed to your transformation so there’s several reporters outside the school with their cameramen. They’re quite eager to meet a person who has powers, especially someone who just got their powers.”

“I don’t to speak with them,” whispers Adelina, “I just want to see my family.”

“I understand,” says Hartmann softly, “We’ll be finished here soon.”

***

Adelina stares out the window of the police van as it takes her home. They tried to take her back in one of the police cars, but Adelina couldn’t comfortably fit in the back of one now so they got a van to take her back instead.

They also provided her with some better clothing to wear, in particular a trench coat that she is wearing as

Dieter is also in the back of van. He asked to be able to stay with Adelina to provide comfort for her. With Adelina’s agreement with the idea, Inspector Hartmann conceded.

“So how do think your mum is going to take it?” asks Dieter.

“I have no idea,” replies Adelina.

With her father and two of her brothers in the military and the third at work, only Adelina’s mother is at home.

Adelina sighs. Her life has been turned upside down. She has no idea whether school is going let her back in or what is going to happen with the authorities as things like these are too new for there to be any hard and fast laws about supers yet.

The only thing Adelina is certain of is that she’ll get some of those anti-super hate groups coming after her. They recently formed and with Adelina being a super with no hope of hiding her identity.

But Dieter will be there for her. Especially since he blames himself for what happened to Adelina. But Adelina doesn’t care as Dieter didn’t mean to turn her into this and he smells, sounds and looks nice. Really nice.

Adelina wonders if that is part of her transformation, that Dieter seems great to her. She’ll have to ask him. Perhaps it’s just unexpected side effect of the potion that Dieter didn’t know about.

Adelina looks over at Dieter before pulling him close. He grunts in surprise as Adelina wraps an arm around him and squeezes him closer to her.

“Any reason for the sudden affection?” asks Dieter.

“Just comfort,” answers Adelina as she holds him against her.

Dieter doesn’t resist and just rests again Adelina’s side for the rest of the journey.

When they arrive at Adelina’s house, in the same village as Dieter’s, there are several reporters waiting in her house in addition to those that followed the police van in their own vehicles.

Adelina quickly marches up to the front door of her home, ignoring the reporters as they ask her questions. Dieter and Inspector Hartmann are following her and while also ask them questions, the reporters don’t seem eager to get in the way of the policeman.

Adelina’s mother opens the door for her and embraces Adelina. Adelina hugs her back before stepping into the house. Dieter comes in after her while Inspector Hartmann waits at the door.

Adelina heads further into the house, away from prying eyes as Dieter continues to follow her. With her enhanced hearing, Adelina can hear Hartmann speaking with her mother.

“Mrs Baehr,” says Inspector Hartmann as he steps into the house and closes the door behind him, “We need to talk about your daughter’s future.”

“Adelina,” says Dieter from behind him, “Can we talk in your attic?”

“Yes,” replies Adelina and she leads him up to the attic of her house.

Adelina can hear Hartmann telling her mother how she might not be allowed back in school or some of the higher up authorities might take Adelina away or try and recruit.

Adelina snarls. If anyone tries to take her away from her family, they’ll need superpowers of their own if they even want to hope they survive in one piece.

“You can hear anyone coming?” says Dieter as they enter the attic, “I don’t want this conversation being overheard.”

“I can,” replies Adelina, “Can I ask you something first?”

“Of course,” says Dieter.

“Ever since I drink the potion,” says Adelina, “You’ve seem great to me. You smell and sound really nice and I got this attraction to you that I can’t describe.”

Adelina blushes and looks away. To her surprise, Dieter is also blushing.

“I kind of forget about that,” replies Dieter, “In all my potions, I made it so everyone who drank my potion would have an unspecified attraction to me. To make sure they would stay loyal and so to stop people using my potions against me. I wasn’t planning to have happened to you. At least not on a permanent potions. In honesty, I was going to have you drink a temporary potion, use the attraction to get you do something stupid and then tease you about it afterward. I’ll try and whip up something later to counter it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Adelina reassures him, “I don’t mind it.”

“That’s just the attraction talking,” disagrees Dieter, “If I make the counter and you take, you’ll be able to properly decide if you want to continue taking it. But can I talk about my plans? The ones I was making before all of this happened.”

“Okay,” answers Adelina, “I’m curious.”

“Well, since I had my powers and I could use them to give other people powers,” says Dieter, “You know me, I want to become a leader and make the world a better place on a large scale. But I wouldn’t have truly made a different. I wasn’t born into the right place of life. But I was thinking that I can actually make a different now. I can use my personality and charisma to gain followers and use my powers to make them powerful.”

“So what are you planning exactly?” inquire Adelina, “Planning to become a supervillain who wants to take over the country? Maybe the world?”

“Not this country,” replies Dieter, “It doesn’t need saving. I was thinking some war torn, third world country in Africa. Where it would less of a big deal if somebody tried to take over. I mean, we got plenty of groups trying to do that now and nobody big and important is making a serious effort to stop them. And I would be a good guy even if I was a dictator or something. I would care about the people.”

“You would still me a tyrant,” points out Adelina, “And plenty of people would treat you as one.”

“I suppose I would be a tyrant,” admits Dieter, “But the originally, the word just referred to someone who just ruled absolutely, not referring to their character at all.”

“So where do I fit into this?” asks Adelina.

“Originally I was could do persuade you to come along,” answers Dieter, “But now I would like you to be my second in command. I would be the leader and you would be my general.”

He pauses to give Adelina a chance to reply, but she stays silent.

“Well, I been doing some research,” continues Dieter, “And I think that-”

Adelina interrupts Dieter as she pulls him up to her. She’s been meaning to do this for a while now. Funny how all it took was being turned into a monster for it to happen.

Adelina kisses Dieter, a full blown on the lips kiss. They stay like that for a moment before Dieter pulls away.

“Is that the attract-” Dieter starts to asks as he looks up at Adelina, but she cuts him off.

“Maybe,” says Adelina, “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.”

“So is that a yes?” asks Dieter eagerly.

“Of course,” replies Adelina, baring some of her new fangs.

“That’s great,” says Dieter, “Because I think Nigeria is a pretty good place to start our adventure...”