Neutral Territory

Chapter 1 - Undercover Blues

Paulina couldn't figure out how they had been tipped off to her presence, but there she was, stuck in a small room trying to convince them to let her out.

Oh of course with her super strength she could just tear the door off its hinges and leave, but that would defeat her purpose of being here in the first place. The sex trafficking ring had been operating in the city for months and she had been unable to find the brains of the operation. She'd finally tracked down this house of ill repute and managed to separate one of the girls long enough to take her place.

Unlike any other hero in living memory she was a polymorph, able to take on the shape and characteristics of any living thing. It gave her a huge advantage over other's when she needed to do recognisance or undercover work like now. She did have one major limit though, she could only hold a shape for 12 hours. After that the strain on her body was too much and she reverted back to her true appearance.

She was currently in the form of a small Chinese woman, no more than 5' tall and with a thin frame. It felt as normal as her true form which stood almost a foot taller at 5'10" and was a well-muscled caucasian, but that is the way it always was. When she was morphed in to whatever person she had chosen, it was like she had always had that shape.

It had happened a couple of times before, her presence detected by some technology or tipped off by something she didn't know. Then, like now, they had taken her and locked her in a room. Each time she had finally relented and broken free. This time was no different and she was rapidly approaching the 12 hour mark.

She looked up at the camera in the corner again, its red light reminding her she was being watched, turned to the door and let her form revert back to her true self. The clothing she was wearing, well almost rags really, flowed around her body and reformed her costume. The meta clothing wasn't part of her power, but instead a present from a previous boyfriend, a fellow hero and genius.

Now standing proudly in her crimson tights with yellow gloves and boots, her long black hair flowing down her back, a gentle nudge on the door sent it flying through the air in several pieces, taking out one of the guards outside.

A quick punch to the remaining guard crumpled him to the floor as well.

******

Captain Dillion had arrived shortly after the first cruisers, the police had quickly apprehended most of the low level enforcers that were in the place but no one had seen who was in charge and they were not talking either.

"Another great bust Morphina, you've done a great service here today!" The captain said. His square jaw and chiselled features made him look like the very definition of law enforcement. The grey sideburns and trench coat gave him an air of experience and authority no uniform could ever do.

"Not really Jake, they knew I was there and we're still no closer to finding out who's behind this. Just another failure on my part."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, no one could have done more and I'm sure you'll get them eventually."

Paulina didn't like it but had to admit there was nothing else she could do here tonight.

******

Once more Morphina exploded out of the room they had locked her in 10 hours ago. This was the fifth time they had known she was in their midst and separated anyone who was new out in to individual rooms.

'How could they know every time!' She yelled to herself in her mind. She cursed her own limits, she had tried so many times to hold her form beyond the 12 hours but fail each time. Now it was stopping her from apprehending whoever was responsible for this and her failure. She needed to find a way to overcome it.

She moved through the rooms quickly, taking out the bad guys efficiently but not paying much attention to anything but figuring out what was giving her away. A few minutes later she walked calmly out of the front door on to the street. They were downtown and the tall building and the noise of the city were everywhere around her.

Except for across the street.

There stood a large gate and what looked like a forest of trees. It wasn't the city park or other public space, it was the private dwelling of Henry Goalman. He had them in every major city, an entire block dedicated to his own private sanctuary. He was an immortal and known throughout the hero and villain world as a neutral party in the games of good and evil. Stories of those who tried to trespass on his property or involve him in schemes all ended poorly for those involved except Goalman.

He had purchased the property when the city was first being built, knowing it would grow up around him. If the rumors were true he was at least three thousand years old that he knew of things even the gods didn't know about.

No one was sure how he spent his days, nor even which of his sanctuaries he was in at any given time. There were photographs of him entering his London home and then just a few minutes later exiting his New York sanctuary.

The one thing though that everyone agreed on was that he was always curious about things he had not seen before. She was sure immortality had its boring patches and could see how anything new might be a welcome distraction from it.

The sirens of the police cars approaching echoed in her ears as she walked towards the gates. Perhaps he could help her with the limits of her power. If he really did have the kind of knowledge that was rumored, he might have something that could help.

The gate was massive and made of iron, on the pillar to the left was an intercom system so she pressed the button. There was no response, she repeatedly hit the button for several minutes until the police cars screeched to a halt behind her and she gave up. She'd get back to Mr. Goalman later, right now she had work to do.

Chapter 2 - Proper Introductions

Setting up a meeting with Goalman was a challenge for even a well-known hero like Paulina. Those who knew him guarded his privacy with a ferocity she had never seen before. But she had persisted and knew the right people who could get what she needed. She had to call in several markers and even promise several future favours to finally get a meeting setup. In the end, dinner had been arranged at his home.

Now she once again approached the gates of his sanctuary in the city but this time in a limousine he had sent to pick her up. She had prepared herself as if she was going on a date, thinking it best to impress him with her appearance and charm.

Her hair was curled and flowed over her shoulders to rest just above her cleavage, which while not ample by any means was presented in a stylish blue dress she had made from her meta costume. It hugged her curves without revealing anything inappropriately but clearly showed she was a woman of substance.

She had put on some low heeled shoes, her natural height sometimes worked against her when in the presence of shorter men and she definitely didn't want to get Goalman on the defensive. Her makeup highlighted her naturally angular features but didn't overwhelm her face and over her shoulders was a white shall that completed her outfit.

The sound of a car horn blaring brought her out of her thoughts as they turned in to the sanctuary, as they crossed the threshold the noise from the city was replaced by the chirping of birds and other wildlife.

'Of course he as a privacy spell on the whole place, I bet you could set off a bomb on his door step and he'd never hear it.' she thought to herself.

A short drive to the house, no mansion, at the center of his property seemed to transport her outside the city entirely. The building was impressive and looked like an 18th century English mansion. At the front door stood a young man, no more than 24 years old waiting for the car to come to a halt.

He opened the door for her and she took his hand as she stepped out from the car.

"Welcome to my humble abode Morphina, I don't often have visitors."

Paulina hadn't known what to expect, but he was not it. His sandy blonde hair and delicate features, coupled with his thin body that stood several inches shorter than her. It almost made her feel like she was in the presence of a teenager, but it was they eyes that gave it away when she finally looked at them. His eyes were much older than the rest of his body and clearly hungered for something.

"My apologies, I know I don't look like what you were expecting I'm sure. Immortality doesn't mean old and wrinkled after all." He said with a grin followed by a warm smile.

"Oh, no, I'm the one that's sorry Mr. Goalman. I just was taken off guard for a moment. Please call me Paulina."

"I suspect I'm the first person to get you off your guard in quite a while!" He replied with a chuckle.

"Please call me Henry."

"Of course Henry, thank you for agreeing to see me."

They continued to talk as they walked in the front doors, the main hallway was impressive, a grand stair case led to the second floor and the ceiling was at least 20 feet high.

"I don't think I really had much choice in that matter, you were very persistent. Polite, but persistent."

Paulina looked around, there was art on all the walls, some of it she recognized as famous lost works, others she didn't recognize at all.

"I am sorry about that but I hope you will be able to help me with a problem I'm having."

"Yes, well, we can talk about that after dinner. For now, let us talk of what is happening in the world, I do enjoy hearing about it from someone who has such an interesting job as yourself."

Dinner was an extravagant affair, he had prepared the entire meal himself and severed it personally. There were four courses, each delicious and unique. They had talked about things she didn't think would interest him, small things about her day to day life. What she thought of the city and its people. Nothing about her crime fighting or the other hero's she worked with.

When she inquired about his past he always seemed to deflect it back on to her. She wouldn't call him slippery, he was charming and seemed very open, but in the end she always seemed to be the one answering the questions, never him.

"So, now down to business Paulina?"

"Of course Henry, well I need your help..."

"In holding your shape longer?" he interrupted her and finished her thought for her.

"Well, yes, how did you know?"

"I make it my business to know what's happening in the world. You have already met some of my friends, they keep me informed of what's happening. In your case it wasn't really that hard to figure out. Your recent string of failures in infiltrating the sex gang, while treated as victories by the press and public, are clearly not what you had in mind when going undercover."

Anger rose in her as she remembered her failures over the last several weeks. He had laid it out for her without needing her to tell him, he could see right through her.

"And don't get me wrong Paulina, I appreciate the work you put in to your appearance tonight, but it won't change my answer. I promise you that I will not *help* you."

"Will not? So you could help me hold my shape longer if you *wanted* to?"

"Yes, you would not be the first polymorph who has come to me for help. The last one was over 100 years ago now, he too had trouble holding his shape. It was not a pleasant experience for him, but it did intrigue me at the time. In the end I believe the cure was worse than the disease, though he didn't seem to think so."

She had never heard of another polymorph, she had suspected they existed, but to have confirmation was another matter altogether.

"I don't get involved in these games of good and evil. I don't play hero or villain, I don't need to."

"But you don't have to get involved, just help me and no one else will have to know. Surely you can use someone in my line of work to help keep you informed of the world?"

His predatory eyes were fixed on her, a shiver of fear ran up and down her spine. She hadn't been afraid of any of the villains she had face in the past, not like this at least.

"It is true, you do possess a unique ability and I do enjoy uniqueness.

If I was to do this, you would have to commit fully to it. The process takes time, eight weeks or more and when it is complete, I can't guarantee you will be the same, happy, person you are now."

She hesitated a moment, what did he mean by not the same person?

"And it will not be pleasant. Once it starts there will be no stopping it. But I promise you that holding your form will no longer be limited by time."

She perked up at his last statement, she'd be able to infiltrate any organization if she could hold her form. Even if they through her in a room for 12 hours she'd come out the door smiling back at them instead of smashing it to pieces.

Henry smiled, knowing she had made her choice.

"Alright let's do it, when can we start?"

"Tonight if you like. I know you don't have anyone waiting for you at home or a job to go to. I've arranged for someone to look after your apartment and I can have a hand written message delivered to your good captain if you like."

His foreknowledge of tonight's events startled her, he had known all along what she wanted. And to top it off, known she would agree to his terms.

Chapter 3 - The Assignments Begin

He led her down the stairs in to the depths of the basement. She felt claustrophobic, even though the staircase was wide and well lit. Her apprehension had jumped leaps and bounds since she had agreed to his term. Paulina didn't like being two steps behind, either figuratively or literally, both of which were true at the moment.

The stairs ended in a long hallway, doors where along both sides, but he walked confidently ahead of her towards the one at the very end. Opening it revealed a small room, well-appointed with a desk on one side and a large comfortable looking lounge chair on the other. These were not the prominent feature of the room though, that was the large glass window the covered almost the entire back wall. There was just enough room left to host a large, open metallic door which seemed out of place with the easily breakable window right beside it.

The room behind the glass was clinical, white walls, a basic bed, a single table with a chair and a nook that must have been the bathroom. The only colour was what appeared to be a large rectangular black "painting" that hung on one wall.

"Welcome to your new home for the next while at least.

A few things you should know about the room, what you're looking 'through' right now is not glass, it's a scrying glass."

Paulina was amazed, she'd see Master Magic cast a scrying glass spell once, it had been no larger than a bowling ball and was fuzzy and ill formed. This was easily a hundred times that size and looked perfect. The magician who cast this spell was well beyond any skill level she knew of.

"The room is also warded against physical attacks, you'll find your super strength useless once inside.

Once you enter the room, you will not leave until you have overcome your limitation.

This is your last chance to back out. You may freely walk out of my home now and I will not hold it against you."

His youthful face had a dead calm certainty about it. She knew her moment of truth was at hand, without saying a word she settled her nerves, she needed to exceed her own limits and as unsettling as Henry's ability to predict her was, he clearly could help. Taking a step forward, she cross the threshold of the open door and immediately felt her strength leave her. She turned around just in time to see the door close.

Unlike the room she had just left, the wall on this side was identical to the others in the room, plain white with no distinguishable features, other than the door.

Henry's voice suddenly came out of no ware and everywhere, it was calm and reassuring.

"Now then Paulina, the root of your problem is actually not a physical limitation at all. It's a psychological limit imposed by your subconscious. I spend several years working with the last polymorph I knew trying to figure it out and in the end it came down to self-image. Your subconscious mind holds on to your natural self-image even though you feel completely at ease in whatever form you take. Eventually, the friction between your conscious mind and subconscious mind undermine your ability to hold your shape and you revert back to your natural self."

Paulina listened, it made sense, whenever she shifted back after holding her shape for a long period of time she always felt relieved.

"It turns out what you need is the proper incentive to unify your mind in to a single purpose."

She walked over to the table and sat down on the chair. The clinical tone of his speech almost reminded her of some of the monologues she had heard from villains in the past.

"To this end, the room has two additional features. The first is the black painting on the wall. This is a Computing Scryn, it will be providing you assignments, with images and instructions, on what shape you should take and how long you must hold it for. It also monitors your shape and identifies when you shift back to your normal self.

The second is a Nerv-O-Tron."

Paulina came to full attention, the Nerv-O-Tron had been developed by the super villain Doctor Density. A brilliant scientist, the device could affect the nerves in a person's body and stimulate either pleasure or pain.

"I found that for polymorphs, pain is an extremely effective incentive and that's what we'll be using for you."

Paulina jumped out of her chair and ran to the door, hitting it with her shoulder to break it down. Instead she crumpled to the floor after making contact. Henry continued talking as she made her way back on to her feet, rubbing her shoulder.

"The Computing Scryn will be monitoring you all the time, if you fail to hold your shape it will activate the Nerv-O-Tron generating intense pain.

This process will repeat until your conscious and subconscious minds are unified in their fight to avoid another blast from the Nerv-O-Tron."

She grabbed the chair and through it at the Computing Scryn, it bounced off without a scratch.

"Now then, I want you to fully understand the gravity of your situation, so I'm going to activate the Nerv-O-Tron for a short blast. When you regain consciousness, there will be an assignment on the Scryn. I suggest you follow it."

A moment later Paulina felt the pain start. It was all over her body, intense and excruciating. It was unlike anything she had endured before and after just a few seconds, she fell unconscious.

******

When she awoke, the room was empty and quiet. The chair was still at the base of the Scryn where she had tossed it, the only change was the Scryn itself.

Instead of being solid black, it had a picture of a woman on it. The Scryn itself was taller than she was and reached from the floor to above her head. The woman was portrayed as a life size image for her to match. Paulina recognized the woman, she was a local news reporter she had seen on the nightly news. She was tall, almost as tall as she was and her features matched Paulina's in many ways. She was dressed in a business suit jacket with a long skirt on.

Above the image were two clocks. The topmost one was counting down to zero, it had a little under 10 minutes left on it. The second one was under a simple message and had 13 hours on it, "Hold this shape for:"

Paulina knew what would happen if the countdown clock reached zero without her taking the form presented. She winced remembering the pain from the Nerv-O-Tron.

Taking a few minutes to get cleaned up and use the bathroom, she returned to the Scryn with just under three minutes remaining. She shifted her form and the top clock zeroed out while the bottom clock started counting down.