LIGHTNOVELONLINE v2 CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE: In which a college campus beset by mysterious transformations plays host to a pair of investigators.
“This is the room… 3K?” Una raised her hands, and Susan sucked in a quick breath as she saw Una’s nails grow out into long black claws, each tipped with a razor edge.
She nodded, tapping the side of the antenna-laden device attached to her phone. “Almost certainly the source of these readings, yes. Someone’s practicing magic in there. But Una—they’re almost certainly college students, not any kind of real threat!”
Una raised an eyebrow. Today, she looked every bit the dark-suited government agent, albeit one who insisted on showing a deep valley of pale, freckled cleavage between lapels and collar. Her features showed few signs of her demonic nature: the claws, and unusually long canines, as well as two small nubs of horn at the edges of her hairline. Her eyes, as ever, glowed yellow with uncanny pupils, and left Susan wondering whether Una had kept her tail.
“Practically anyone can get access to a college campus, Suze.” Una shook her head. “And you told me yourself that you were dabbling in pretty dangerous magic as an undergrad. Anything could be in there. Nezz could be behind these effects—who knows?”
“I never actually summoned a demon,” Susan protested. “Just looked into it! I had a few forbidden tomes for a while. Can we at least knock before you barge in?”
Una fingered her OSA badge and contemplated the dorm room door. “Fine.”
She hammered loudly on the wood surface. “Open up! Government agents. We’d like to ask you a few questions!” Susan cringed; Una’s tone was right out of a cop show. She glanced at her girlfriend and shook her head.
Noises of shuffling and movement penetrated the door from inside, but with no verbal reply. Una pounded again. A high-pitched shriek resounded from the room.
“Fuck this!” Una yelled. “I’m going in.” She raised a foot and aimed it at the door plate.
“Wait!” Susan yelled. “It might not even be—”
Una’s foot slammed into the metal. The flimsy latch burst open immediately, and the door flew inward. Una leaped inside, claws at the ready. Another startled shriek echoed into the hallway.
“—locked?” The scholar shook her head. She knew Una was almost certainly overdoing it; after all, the OSA’s purview didn’t include breaking into private residences and terrorizing college students. But her girlfriend-turned-junior-agent was on a warpath today. Susan suspected it had to do with the nature of this supernatural disturbance: young men on this campus were mysteriously transforming into women against their will. Una’s own experiences, and her conflicts with Maria, left her with rather potent feelings about the topic.
Susan followed Una into the dorm room. It was a small single room with one bed, a desk and a dresser; utilitarian but nicely decorated, with posters of classic films and photos of friends on the wall. The room smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, with a hint of sweat underneath, and two pairs of eyes stared out from under the covers on the bed.
“What... what do you want?” One pair of eyes, green with long lashes, belonged to a young woman whose curl-covered head poked out from under the sheets, clutched tightly under her chin. “Who are you?!” she continued.
The other set of eyes, blue, wide and frightened, peered over her shoulder from beneath the first girl. The face attached to them looked like it belonged on the cover of a magazine, with flawless pale white skin, and high, chiseled cheekbones.
Una let out a sigh. “I’m sorry to bother you ladies in the middle of your... activities, but we’re here investigating a serious disturbance. I’m Agent Micki Belmont, from the Office of Supernatural Affairs.” Susan glanced sidelong at Una. She’d taken to using her old nickname on this case, but Susan wasn’t sure why. She also couldn’t help noticing the way Una eyed the two young women, who still clutched the sheets as if hiding behind them.
“And I’m Agent Susan Miller,” she put in. “We’ll be out of your hair in just a moment. What are your names?” Her voice was gentle, and she smiled encouragingly at the pair in the bed.
Reassured that the pair of strangers weren’t a threat, the young lady with brown hair let go of the sheet and sat up. Susan’s eyes widened slightly as the blanket fell away to reveal the girl’s breasts: full and olive-colored, with dark brown tips standing erect.
“I’m Rachel,” she said, blushing as Susan gawped at her. “And this is my... friend... Tiffany.” The young woman behind her stirred, but remained covered, though the top of one creamy, pale shoulder was visible.
“Again... sorry about this, but we detected signs of magical activity on this floor.” Una’s expression was increasingly sheepish. “I don’t suppose either of you know of any men who’ve... become women recently?”
Tiffany blanched, somehow turning even more pale than before, while Rachel blinked, then scowled, aiming an outraged look at Una. “Hey, that’s totally fucked up! How dare you come in and say something like that?”
Una raised her hands—not exactly a non-threatening gesture given her sharp talons—and took a step back. “Wait, I’m sorry... what’s fucked up, exactly?”
“Trans women are women, okay?” Rachel’s brow furrowed. “Just because someone like Tiffany was assigned male at birth doesn’t mean she’s a man who became a woman.” Tiffany looked increasingly uncomfortable, as if she was trying to disappear into the bedclothes.
“No, of course not. I mean, of course!” Una waved her clawed hands. “I’m transgender myself. I used to be—I mean, I wasn’t always like this.” The two girls stared at her in silent confusion, and she cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Rachel...” Tiffany said quietly, her tone imploring. She tugged at her friend’s arm. “They’re obviously here because of our... you know.” Her gaze darted pointedly downwards at the sheets.
Susan’s eyes followed. A long, slightly curved shape, unmistakably phallic, bulged in the sheets between Rachel’s legs. “Aha,” the scholar said, “I think I understand now.”
Rachel huffed indignantly. “I might as well just get this out of the way,” she said, throwing the blankets off and exposing herself to her visitors. Her body was athletic despite ample curves, her skin smooth and tan. The dark triangle of her pubic hair framed the long, slender cock that rested against her thigh.
“Wait,” said Una, her brow furrowing. “Are you telling me you’re a trans woman too? Or are you trying to become a man?”
“No!” said Rachel. “Neither of us are men—how many times do I have to tell you? A penis doesn’t automatically make a person a man. I just happen to have one. Right now.”
Susan stepped forward, raising a hand towards Una in a gesture that suggested “Babe... let me handle this.” She nodded appreciatively at the girl’s member. “Notice anything, Agent Belmont? The complexion, maybe?”
Una craned her neck, trying not to stare too obviously, and her face reddened beneath her freckles. “Ah... it’s rather pale?” Indeed, the girl’s shaft contrasted starkly with the rich tones of her skin, its color more reminiscent of Tiffany’s fair, unadorned flesh.
“That means it probably belongs to Tiffany,” Susan said matter-of-factly. Tiffany put a hand on her forehead, looking embarrassed. “You two got hold of what they’re calling a ‘fuckswitch’ charm. Am I right? It lets you swap sex organs with a sexual partner.”
Tiffany nodded. She was still hiding under the sheets, but her face was now visible over them. “Yeah. I’m not very comfortable with... what I was born with, but Rachel was curious, and...” She trailed off, her eyes darting between Susan and Una. “Are we in trouble? Is this kind of magic... illegal, or something? I just wanted to try having a... a pussy. And Rachel was willing to swap. It just seemed fun.”
“It isn’t exactly legal,” Susan said. “Mostly because unlicensed magic is dangerous. But these kinds of charms are temporary, right?” Both girls nodded. “I don’t see any reason to report it, as long as you two promise to come into the city and get things checked out if you don’t go back to normal.”
Rachel started, her eyes widening slightly. “Could that happen? I might get stuck like this?” She stared down at her penis, which twitched and bobbed slightly, then stiffened in arousal. Susan couldn’t repress a giggle at the sight, but put one hand delicately over her mouth.
“At least part of you might find that... exciting, it looks like? But most likely you’ll wake up in a day or two, with your parts swapped back.” It might be my imagination, thought Susan, but does she look a little disappointed? “But just in case... here’s my information.” She reached into a pocket and flicked out a business card.
Una sighed and rested her arms on the back of the room’s only chair. “Listen, girls. I see now why my partner’s little gizmo led us here, but we’re on the trail of a real problem. Someone or something is turning men into women. Two of your classmates already, at least, with rumors of more. Do you know anything about that?”
Rachel and Tiffany looked at each other in puzzlement. “That’s awful,” said Rachel. “But we didn’t know anything about that until now... wait!” She snapped a finger. “Could that be caused by a wish? On the main quad yesterday, we heard a girl yelling at this guy about how she wished he could walk a mile in her shoes.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Wishes never come true,” she muttered. “If they did, I’d be a cis girl, or at least have the type of body I want.”
“Tiffany’s not exactly wrong,” Susan said. “Wish-granting entities exist, but they’re extremely rare and dangerous. If reality-altering magic like that was in this area, I’d sense it.” She tapped the device on her phone and frowned. “Still, it could be related. Can you tell us anything else about the argument?”
Tiffany sat up fully, letting the sheet fall away to reveal her upper torso. She was a slender young woman, with prominent collarbones and small, perky breasts, which she quickly covered with her hands. Her long, pale hair spilled across her shoulders. “Well... the girl was, like... a goth chick? Or at least she had dyed black hair and some piercings.”
“I recognized the guy—he’s the TA for my Women’s Studies recitation.” Rachel tilted her head, letting her curls fall over her shoulders. “I think his name is Alan? Or Ryan? A boring guy name like that.”
“Got it... boring guy name.” Susan smiled, looking up from her notebook. “I’d like to get your class schedule in case we need to follow up on that lead. But then we can let you... get back to your extra-curricular activities? Far be it from me to stand in the way of a little experimentation!”
Tiffany sniffed slightly. “So sorry about this, everyone. I never meant to get you in trouble, Rachel, or waste your time, ma’am. I just... wanted to try...”
Rachel took her friend by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Babe! No, no, no, no. You have nothing to apologize for. Your desires are totally 100% valid, okay?” Tiffany nodded. “And I’ve got your back, Tiff... from here to the Resurgence.”
The two girls extended their pinkies to each other and locked them, looking deeply into each other’s eyes. “You’re the best, Rachel Lee,” Tiffany said in a soft voice.
Una cleared her throat. “You two are incredibly sweet.” She glanced sidelong at Susan, who grinned broadly back. “But, uh... did you say ‘Resurgence?’ Where’d you hear that word?”
Rachel shrugged. “It’s just something people started saying a while back? I can’t remember where I first heard it. Online, maybe? I thought it meant, like... until the end of time, or something like that.”
Una’s brow furrowed, but a buzz from her breast pocket interrupted her next words. “Sorry, but I should check on this. See you outside, Suze—I mean, Agent Miller?” Susan nodded back, still writing.
Una turned back to the girls on the bed. “Apologies again for barging in. It was nice to meet such a lovely couple. And, ah... Tiffany?” Una’s smile was hesitant but earnest, and Tiffany stared back at her shyly.
“If you decide you want to make any permanent... changes—and only if you decide it’s right for you—don’t mess around with black market magic. Get in touch with Agent Miller, all right?” The trans girl nodded, and Una stepped out of the room.
Susan took down information about Rachel’s schedule before joining Una outside the building. The afternoon sun dappled through leaves around the small, tree-lined courtyard. Her succubus partner leaned against the wall by the entrance, staring in confusion at her phone.
“Did John text you back yet?” Susan sidled up next to Una, leaning into her shoulder.
“No, unfortunately... it’s another creepy message from Kyber. I’d block him, but I’d prefer he stay bound by some terms of our last agreement.” Una showed the screen to Susan; the text was nothing but a long string of random letters. “Is he trying to annoy me, get me to call him, or intimidate me?”
“My money would be on ‘none of the above,’ dear.” Susan adjusted her glasses. “That could be some kind of code. Nothing simple enough for me to identify it on the spot, but can you send it to me? And you said there were others?”
Una nodded. “The last two were a photo of Father Michael Belmont and a link to a porn video. The title was ‘hot MILF gets double penetrated.’ That can’t possibly be a code, can it?”
Susan snorted. “You’d be surprised. Information can be encoded in the most unexpected ways. You’d better send me all of it.”
“Yes, ma’am, Agent Miller!” Una saluted sharply, then pocketed the phone. “Thanks for intervening in my awkward little fuck-up there.” Susan smiled up at the succubus—she liked it when Una was only a little taller than her, but today her human form had an advantage of a few inches. She went up on tiptoe to plant a kiss on Una’s lips.
“No worries, partner! But... are you recruiting college coeds for Maria’s transformation club now?” Susan gave Una an impish grin. “I thought you were in favor of being conservative!”
Una scratched the back of her head, pouting prettily. “They’re so cute and sweet, and of course I feel for the kid. I just want to help her out, if it makes sense. It’s not exactly virtuous to withhold aid, if you can provide it.”
Susan nodded with a knowing smile. “As for the case, it seems like these two have nothing to do with what happened to Sandeep Bakshi or Jason Christiansen. I’ll follow up with Rachel later, but what do you think... could this Alan-Ryan guy arguing with a goth girl be a new lead? Or another red herring?”
Una shrugged. “Goth girl could be practicing witchcraft? Or have I seen too many TV shows?”
Susan tapped her lip. “It’s definitely a possibility. Hmm, Sandeep said something about arguments in one of his classes, didn’t he? It’s not really a pattern, given that we’re on a college campus, but it might be all we’ve got.”
“Should we go back to Werner Hall and ask him?”
The scholarly agent shook her head. “No... I have his phone number, and he promised to answer if I called. The poor kid’s been through enough. Hmm.” She tapped her pen against her lower lip. “Let’s go for a walk and take in the sights. I saw something earlier I want to check out.” She strode away towards the center of campus, her demonic junior partner hurrying after her.