I sensed hope for salvation when I saw the entrance to the subway. Jumping inside, I landed on the wide, smooth surface between two escalators. The momentum I had built gave me the initial sliding speed, and the slope did the rest.
In just a few seconds, I covered quite a distance and almost crashed into a decorative light fixture right in my path. Only my extraordinary agility helped me properly group myself and avoid hitting the obstacle.
After painfully landing on my backside, I looked up but didn't spot the silhouette of the Toad. I didn't think I'd escaped; that would be too fortunate for such a situation. Ignoring the pain, I quickly got to my feet and surveyed the small subway station I had landed in. Damn!
I had hoped to lose myself in the crowd and change my appearance using Raven's main abilities. But there was only one other person here—an unkempt woman sleeping on the benches near the wall. Not good. Wait a minute! How could the Toad know about my mutant abilities? Mystic couldn't have told her, as she still didn't fully understand what I could do. So, I just needed to change my appearance.
I didn't think too much about the form, recalling one of my few acquaintances in this world—an ex-soldier, now a homeless woman, if you don't count her tent in the middle of the city as a permanent residence. Her image was firmly etched in my mind, and I just had to unleash the abilities temporarily gained from Mystic.
The transformation had some difficulties. Mary, in terms of build, resembled me, but she was a head taller. Consequently, my clothes immediately became too tight.
Damn, the clothes! I quickly tossed off my shirt and admired my barely altered chest before hurriedly making my body grow a worn-out green army t-shirt. I didn't have time to do anything with my pants. From the subway entrance, I could hear the sound of someone rushing toward us.
Dashing like a bullet toward the sleeping bum, I buried my backpack and shirt in the pile of smelly clothes next to her and collapsed on top of it. Almost simultaneously, as my backside landed on the rags, a pale woman with unnaturally bulging eyes jumped onto the station. The Toad.
She landed on all fours, suggesting that her mutation affected not just her long tongue but also her overall anatomy. At least she could still integrate into human society to some degree. I remember mutants like Nightcrawler, Beast, Archangel, and realize the Toad got off lucky.
The woman scanned the small area of the subway station, not noticing the one she had been chasing. This made her frown and focus her gaze on the only other people present—me and the nameless, extremely foul-smelling lady.
"A guy ran through here," she said, approaching a little closer. "Where did he go?"
"Huh?" I feigned stupidity, pleased that even my voice sounded different now.
"Don't test my patience, bitch," the Toad hissed. "Where's the guy?"
"Oh, the kid? He… jumped into a train and took off."
Glancing at the sleeping bum, I was relieved to see she wasn't stirred by our conversation. I had to get rid of the Toad quickly. I was so nervous I forgot the stinky woman might wake up at the worst possible moment. I hoped that wouldn't happen...
As if mocking my thoughts, the lady began to stir on her improvised bed. My heart almost stopped. She might spot me, or at least make noise, which I was trying to avoid. The Toad clearly didn't want to believe I could escape so easily, and now she was prowling around the subway station like a caged tiger.
To eliminate the potential threat of the waking bum, I decided to act with certainty. Overcoming the stench, I reached toward the woman, but froze halfway. The green army t-shirt I was wearing began to rapidly disappear, and I shrank in size. Damn!
It seemed the time for which I had borrowed Mystic's abilities had run out! I quickly glanced toward the Toad and sighed with relief—she had her back to me and was kicking an innocent empty soda can.
Was there no choice but to fight?
"Shh… come here…"
Hmm, did I hear someone hissing and speaking? Turning my head, I was surprised to see a partially open door, which, judging by the sign, led to a technical room. I had seen it before and even tried the handle, but it had seemed locked. Now, however, someone had opened it from the other side and was calling me, offering shelter.
Who could it be? I didn't see the face of my mysterious benefactor; they hadn't shown themselves, which didn't help with building trust, but given my situation, I had no choice. I was fairly certain I could beat the Toad, but if I did, she and Mystic would learn about my real abilities. It was easier to avoid that.
I shoved my hand into the pile of rags, found my backpack, and quietly made my way to the door. I didn't bother looking for my shirt—forget it. As soon as I was inside, the door quietly closed behind me. The room I found myself in was so dark that you wouldn't even notice the difference if you poked out your eyes.
Fortunately, as soon as the lock clicked, my unexpected savior turned on a flashlight and illuminated their face. You know, like when someone wants to scare you? Yeah, I was scared! Not fatally, of course, but the woman (who else, of course!) had a rather intimidating appearance!
While the Toad had slightly lighter skin than usual humans, my savior's complexion could have rivaled that of high-quality school chalk. Her small, pale eyes were hidden under large, protruding brow ridges. The picture was completed by her bald head and unhealthy thinness. Add a few corpse-like spots to her skin, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell her apart from a zombie.
As though confirming her good intentions, the frightening woman handed me the flashlight. I took the opportunity and briefly illuminated her figure, trying to memorize the details of her appearance. The only thing that stood out was her unhealthy thinness and sagging breasts.
She wore… well, what was once a purple suit, but now the pants and jacket were heavily worn, with the jacket having completely lost its sleeves.
"Caliban will help," she said, turning away from me and walking into a dark corner. It seemed that the lack of light didn't bother her; she navigated just fine without it. Maybe that's why she had given up the flashlight so easily.
"Caliban? Who is that?" I asked, stunned, and pointed the flashlight at the corner where the pale woman was moving.
"You're talking to Caliban," she replied, beckoning me toward the narrow entrance to a ventilation system. "Come on, Caliban will take you to a safe place."
It was a funny way for her to speak, referring to herself in the third person. However, I quickly pushed aside the oddities of my savior and tried to figure out what to do. The most sensible option was to wait here for half an hour until the Toad left, but that was only if...