The Legend Of Tangen

Porcupine

It was a scream of rage. I quickly ran down the rest of the stairs without thinking and into a punching bag. I immediately fell back and landed on my hands.

"Who is that?"

The cry came from a girl that looked slightly older than me. I stared at her and she stared back.

"Daniel, who is that?"

She sounded angry.

The words escaped my mouth and I turned around to walk away, "Sorry, I-I was just...leaving. Yeah, leaving."

"You come back here, Missy."

I whipped around and marched towards her.

"Nobody calls me Missy, Missy!"

"Girls! Calm down!" Yelled Daniel.

The other girl and I were staring at each other, face to face. Glaring.

The other girl then turned to Daniel warily. "Who is she?"

"This is Carti."

I began to speak, "I'm training here - upstairs. Who are you?"

"There's another one?" She said, still looking at Daniel.

He sighed and then answered. "Yeah. I rescued her a week ago. She's a mutant, Jacquelyn. Just like you and me. I couldn't leave her..."

Jacquelyn gave him a death look and then turned back to face me. She held out her hand.

"Jacquelyn."

I shook her hand.

"Carti."

I heard Daniel let out a sigh, that I can only guess was from relief that we didn't just kill each other.

"What's your power?" I found myself saying.

"I best keep it a secret."

I kind of liked her accent. Australian by the sound of it, but not too thick. Her blonde and brown hair was twisted into a complex braid down her back and her hazel eyes were boring into my soul with her steely glare.

I tried to start up a conversation with her, but she turned away. I decided to leave her alone so I went back upstairs to my new bedroom.

I layed down on my bed and ran my fingers over the pattern of bones. I looked over at the glass case in the corner holding my suit and want to put it on. But I knew I wasn't supposed to.

I turned back to tracing my bed covers when Daniel knocked and entered.

"Hi," I said absentmindedly.

"Hey. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before..."

"It's alright."

"You're both just really sensitive and I didn't want you two to light each other on fire. You know what I mean?"

I nodded. "When do I begin?"

He did a double take and then sighed. He walked over to my suit and pulled it out of the case; holding it out to me. My expression changed instantly. I took it from him and rushed into the bathroom to change.

The material was smooth and tight. It absorbed the sweat that I produced out of my excitement. I practically skipped back to the room to show Daniel.

The cape flowed behind me and the tight-fitting suit was just the right size. Daniel marveled at it and beamed at his magnificefnt work. I gave him a smile.

"You know - I think you're ready."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He turned and left and then peeked back through the doorway.

"The Porcupine is coming too."

What was that about? I was so confused. Who was The Porcupine?

I found out soon enough when Jacqelyn came through the door with Daniel, just who the porcupine really was.

Her arms were folded and her lips formed a tight scowl. I could tell that she had been practically dragged up the steps. She was carrying a suit made from the same material as mine.

She strutted into the bathroom to change and came our a minute later wearing the suit. It was beautiful, a light brown color with swirled patterns on the legs and slightly lifted shoulders. Tight fitting sleeves ran until just below her elbow and her boots smoothly blended into it.

Her hair was now more cleanly braided with three quills sitting in the top in a pattern.

"Wow," I breathed.

Her face finally softened and I saw a shadow of a smile before the darkness of her scowl took over again.

"Thankyou."

"Why are you called porcupine?"

"Oh. Well, I can't show you...but I can tell you."

"Ok. Go ahead."

She took a deep breath. "I have porcupine quills. Each one with a powerful poison, if embedded into skin it can instantly kill anyone."

"That's amazing Jacq-"

"Call me Jac."

"Jac."

Daniel left and came back in his suit; a blood red suit with a hidden pocket on the left leg. A silver A glowing in the center.

After we all got geared up, we headed out to the vehicles. A black car for me, brown toned camaro style for Jac, and a slim red sports car with a silver A on the top for Daniel.

We all buckled in and Jac was joined by a little porcupine. I opened my garage and stepped on the gas so that the new engine roared loudly. Before I knew it, the three of us were racing down the street with Daniel in the lead.

We stopped in an alley, parking the cars and camoflaging them. I smoothed my cape behind me and watched as Jac placed the porcupine in a large pocket at the back of her suit that I hadn't noticed before.

"What's with the porcupine?"

"Oh, Torque? He's my sidekick."

"Like your pet?"

"Sure. But he's a kind of mutant too."

"Oh."

The three of us walked down the alley and into the city. The tall silver skyscrapers reflected the sun so that they looked like shimmering mirrors. I just stared. I'd never seen something so beautiful in my life, even when I lived in a city.

Daniel smiled at me and continued to walk down the street.

"Tangen, do you want that building?" He pointed to the tallest one in our sight.

I nodded enthusiastically. Jac grinned.

"How will you get it?"

"You just watch."

Amelon raced across the street and burst into the building with Jac and I fast at his heel.