The Center-Meet The Enhancer-6 by: Stanman63 Thanks To JennaFL For Proofing And Nora Adrienne for editing! Synopsis: A Center Fan Fiction where a new student's dream comes true and the Center gains a most valuable ally.

"You bet. I'm as hungry as a horse!"

"Get ready to eat a lot, then. We Emerged tend to eat more than others in order to fuel our enhanced metabolisms," added Luce.

"WHAT? You don't look as if you eat that much."

"Most of the time, I don't. But after the latest encounter, I find that I need to consume more calories."

"Well, once you've partaken of the new menu, you just might decide to put it away," I quipped.

We headed into the diner where I saw that lunch was in full swing with the dining area divided between students and faculty with the faculty area nearest the kitchen. The student area was divided into a boy's and girl's section for some reason.

"Why the division?"

"Even after our change, we still have the same old clicks and attitudes from before."

"But surely there aren't any gay bashers or homophobes."

"So far, none in the Center. But there are some in the Syndicate according to their attitudes whenever we encounter them."

"Luce, where's your beau?"

"Beau?"

"Boyfriend, girl."

"Oh, he's not eating, this period, or has already eaten," she wistfully sighed.

"He must be something special."

"He is, Sunny. He tends to find a hiding place and have fun while looking at picture."

"DANI!" exclaimed an embarrassed Luce.

"Sorry Luce. Me and my big mouth," blushed Dani.

I held Luce by the shoulders, "I understand. I wouldn't mind looking at pics of gorgeous men."

She smiled at me, "Were you ever a guy?"

"In body, yes. In spirit, no."

"Well, before I changed, I was a guy, and when I became a girl, finding that I preferred guys was confusing to me."

"I guess that you decided that having a boyfriend ain't all that bad."

"Yes, accepting being a girl really helped."

"Sunny, with me, it was because I was best friends with Kris that I was able to accept being a girl."

I looked over at Dani, "OH?"

"We were best friends. When I changed, my gifts actually helped me to accept my girlhood and help Kris accept being a girl."

"Then why aren't you two together more?"

"We still see each other, but ever since the change, we've changed so that now our personalities are different," she sighed.

"But you miss the old friendship, right?"

"Yes."

"Then let's be friends. OK?"

She hugged me and wept, "OK."

It feels good to help Dani. I would try to help Luce, but since she had a boyfriend, she doesn't need me as a friend, But I do like her. "Luce, how about it?"

"It'd be silly for us NOT to be friends since we look like sisters"

"OK, sister."

"I didn't say that, but I have no objection to being your sister."

We went through the line and loaded our trays. I could tell that Daddy had taken over here from the delicious smells of his recipes. Daddy had gone to college to learn about nutrition so that his food would be fresh, healthy and nutritious.

There were dished that are infamous for their high fat, or sugar content that Daddy had made healthy, although there were a few who could actually taste fat and sugar.

Just as we got to the end of the line, I saw Daddy. He looked at me, smiled and mouthed LATER to me. So I went with Luce and Dani to a corner booth.

"You sure did load up."

"I'm starving, Dani!"

"All Emerged are starving after their transition," stated Luce who's tray was as loaded as mine.

"Then why is your try loaded?"

"I've just returned from retrieving you and was involved in the Zombie Incident. Such a use of my power drains as if I've run a marathon."

"You know, it's too bad that you don't choose to eat like this all of the time," I giggled.

"Why?"

"If you did, then you could use your power to lose weight."

"Except that I don't have that fine of a control. I might cause my organs or bones to go away."

"Couldn't you specify belly fat or see yourself without the weight gain?"

"Morphing your body is very dangerous. You could do irreparable harm."

"OK. Guess that you've thought about it, huh?"

"Yes, I can alter my clothing, but not my body," she sighed.

"Well, personally I think that your hair is great! Have you ever thought about using like that hero Medusa?"

"My hair isn't that strong. It's just handy to have around," Luce laughed.

"But you do kinda wish that it was, huh?"

"At times," she admitted with a blush.

"Luce is going to be in charge of Beta Site whenever it gets ready. As a Site Commander, she cannot indulge in whimsical fantasy or dreams without endangering herself and others," offered Dani s she comforted Luce with a touch of her hand."

"Sorry, Luce. I have a tendency to tease my friends. I NEVER meant to cause you pain," I wept.

She smiled at me, "Don't worry. Your teasing helped me to know myself better. I DO need to have some time to just be a girl to relieve my pent up stresses. Unfortunately, that won't be happening any time soon."

"Well, I hope that your staff for Beta Site can help you to have some girl time."

"Me too."

After lunch, they went about their duties while I stayed behind to meet Daddy. Luce was scheduled to meet with Kris to discuss her upcoming assignment while Dani would be awaiting me as I went to meet Daddy.

"Hi, Princess," he said as he hugged me.

"Thanks, Daddy. I see that they've given you a nice office," I replied as I scanned the room.

It had wooden light brown paneling with darker wood trim. The solid oak, pecan and walnut wood furniture was from Daddy's office at the old diner along with his favorite wood furniture from our old home.

"Well, when Colonel Harris drafted me into being the Center's chef, I got him to bring our stuff from home," he chuckled.

"DADDY! YOU KNOW GOOD AND WELL THAT YOU WEREN'T DRAFTED!" I exclaimed.

"I know that I volunteered my services, but with you changing, I simply had to do what I could to stay with you," he sighed.

I kissed him on the cheek, "Then you found that they take care of their own. And that when I accepted their invitation, I joined their Family."

"Yes, but I was scared that I'd lose you. But when I got the chance to help them with their personnel problem, I learned that I needn't have worried."

"I'm glad, Daddy. I've made quite a few friends, here," I sighed.

I know, Pumpkin. That's why I almost went after those zombies when they went berserk."

"Kinda hard to see me getting hurt, huh Daddy?"

"Yes. It's what any parent feels whenever their child is in combat."

"Daddy, you know that I've received combat training and will see more combat, right?"

"I know that and can handle it, but there's something about the zombies that you should know that I've already told Harris."

"What's that?"

"There's a mole here in the Center who let them out in order to destroy everything. That's why they were so damned coordinated and resistant to attack."

"Any idea on who it was?"

"No, all that I could fathom was that they had different people act in a way that the zombies release would look accidental."

"So, the mole can very easily have it happen again. But the bodies have been stripped of the nanites that animated them."

"Yes, but another supply of those nanites have gone missing."

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THE CENTER ACTUALLY MADE THEM DAMNED THINGS?"

Yes."

"WHY?"

"As a way to help deal with combat injuries where a healer or access to medical help is unavailable."

"You mean that they want to inject us with that shit?"

"Not until they've worked out all of the bugs in them. Right now, if introduced into a living body, they turn it into a zombie. Poor mouse," he sighed.

"EWWWW!"

"My feelings, exactly," he chuckled.

"Then if the buggers aren't ready, what else do they have?"

"Instead of injected nanites, they're working on combat and stealth armor in the form of a bodysuit like Catwoman's or Batgirl's."

"I can see us girls wearing them, but what about the girls and boys reluctant to wear them?"

"Well, I hope that since the guys used to be girls, that it won't be a problem. But such issues are why we have empaths like Dani."

"My, oh my! Daddy, you sure are sounding like one of the faculty," I giggled.

"Go ahead and giggle, Smarty! But I bet that you'll thank the Center for the armor," he smugly replied.

"Why is that?"

"The body armor will be layered like Batman's costume in the movies that provide protection from attacks."

"Cool! Will we be able to use the nifty gadgets that he gets to play with?"

"Hardly, Sunny. the armor will have a limited power supply."

"Oh! So it's a powered armor like Iron Man's but like Batman's when depowered."

"Exactly!"

"What'll be the difference?"

"A personal shield like Green Lantern's as well as loss of gas and chemical attack. But the armor will have a gas mask back up, too."

"Way cool, Daddy."

Then a buzzer sounded, SUNNY, REPORT TO TARGET RANGE AT ONCE. orderd Kris over the intercom.

"ON MY WAY," I called out.

Daddy hugged me, "See ya later, Princess."

I kissed him back, "Same here, Daddy."