The room expected her to talk. She could feel it not only in the dull white walls standing behind the silence of the security camera, but also in the intimidating metal table and its two office chairs. There was no question what would happen here - she had already given up making sense of her monstrous self - surely they could give it a shot. Best case scenario, the poor bastards would shit themselves and kill her quickly. That would be nice.

"Feeling broody this morning, Miss Gale?"

"Name's Chaineling."

"Chaineling as in «enchained creature»?"

"Chaineling as in «a creature of change put in chains». How's your fairy lore, doctor?"

"Miss Gale, in this facility we encourage the so-called «super-heroes» to get in touch with their humanity."

"Don't make me barf, doc. What the hell do you want to know?"

For a criminal psychiatrist, this white coat was surprisingly young and probably the only woman in the department. Her badge said Helen Fairground, clearance code red.

"I do want to get to know you, as I'm sure you do too. What would you like to share?"

Dr. Fairground faced a very strange girl. Dressed in a white t-shirt and pants, her badge said Catherine Gale, clearance code red. She looked still younger than eighteen, but her hair was bright like a silver moon. Presently, the color of her skin was icy blue and pearly metal swirls seemed to have crystallized on her knuckles and forearms.

"You don't need to fear me, Helen. Take back this geeky uniform, give my chains and no one will get hurt."

"Why do you dress in chains?"

"Oh doc, get your head out of the shrink book. You should already know that I suffer from some kind of curse or something. My body changes and I can't control it. I've tried everything from meditation to beauty cream and only the chains seem to help."

"How does your body change?"

"Different shades of blue, horns, scales, crystals, smaller, taller, thinner, bloated, hot, cold,..."

"I see."

"...sightless, lip-less, nose-less, breast-less, hairless,..."

"Yes, I see."

"...invisible, intangible, indigestible, it's an ongoing list."

"Have you tried to hide these mutations?"

"Who wouldn't? Besides, daddy doesn't like freaks."

"Is that why you ran away from home?"

"I don't have a home."

"From your father's residence?"

"Don't go there, Helen. Sure it happened - that's what it says on the file, right? - but I don't care, that's not why I left."

"We shall talk about your father later. How exactly do the chains help?"

"I don't know, it started with a bracelet, wore it for a few days, noticed that I could stop my arm from changing, tried another bracelet, found out that it had to be metal - real metal - I tried a necklace and it worked very well, so I've been scavenging for chains ever since."

"Not so fast, Miss Gale. How did you come by the first bracelet, the one that worked?"

Catherine looked down and started rubbing the metal table with her open hand. Arriving late, her silence was having trouble finding a place to site in such a small room.

"I would like to have my chains now, please. At least, put me in handcuffs."

"Why? What are you feeling?"

"I miss him a lot."

"Who?"

"Charlie. He gave it to me."

"Charlie Oakland."

"Before daddy killed him."

Dr. Fairground cleared her throat, showing her first unofficial sign of emotion. Catherine's eyes were experimenting with the novelty of vaporous tears, but there was no doubt she was crying.

"When did this happen?"

"Charlie wasn't afraid of me, you see. We ran away together, but daddy is very protective."

"Was very protective?"

"Yes. He had a friend in the police and somebody must have seen me. Also, Charlie had rented a trailer. It was our first night together, my first night. Daddy went berserk."

"Why do you think he was so mad?"

"It's in the file, isn't it? I was always his little precious Snow White."

"How did he reacted when your body started to change?"

"He took me out of school and we moved south. He told me that I had to work for him."

"Doing what?"

"Internet videos. We had a cage in the basement."

"Miss Gale, I must say: he treated you like a piece of unwanted property and yet I still see you shrugging your shoulders! How can you tell me you don't care?"

Catherine slammed her hand on the heavy table. Her arms had gone from shiny flesh to shiny stone.

"Handcuffs, bitch."

"No, Miss Gale, and I'll tell you why: believe it or not, I am going to treat you like a human being even if it means the death of me. I can bring you a cup of coffee or even a pillow, but I'm not putting you in chains. Furthermore, if you feel the need to grow a beard or turn into a beach ball, go right ahead. People change all the time, Miss Gale, they just don't get to physically feel it like you do."

Their eyes connected for the first time. Catherine's hair started to fill her shoulders with art nouveaux curls and her nose retreated like an Egyptian sphinx. Staring at each other, they smiled.

"I can't trust you, doctor."

"I get that a lot."

"Why don't you tell me something for a change?"

"I've come from a very interesting meeting with our medical staff. Good news all around. The initial reports say that you are in perfect health."

"Yei."

"And so is your baby."

"What? I really am pregnant?"

"Congratulations. The doctors believe that the baby is unaffected by your mutations."

"Glad someone is, but why am I here anyway? I was going to jail."

"The government understands why you have murdered your father and I feel that your potential cannot be ignored."

"How nice: the government wants to be my chains, now."

"Touché. You are a lot more intelligent that what you appear to be, Catherine. Working with you will be a most unexpected pleasure."