I'm not sure what I was expecting. Something flashy? Bright lights? Ribbons? A talking cat perhaps?

None of the above for me. But I did get a shiny new pair of goggles...and pain radiating from my head. I winced, reaching up to rub the spot only to find two inwardly twisted horns hiding amongst my hair.

"What the hell...why do I have horns?"

As I'm fondling myself in public, the shift in the weight of my hips catches me off guard. I wiggle my butt, only to realize it's not my actual butt that's moving.

I have a tail. Long, pink, scaly up top and white down bottom. Its tip had soft feathers that brushed against my face.

"Ah! Don't do that! Tails don't move on their own. Why do I have a tail?" the tail straightened and extended up, then the tip pointed at my face. I move to the left, testing something. Of course it moves with me.

My tail points towards the snake, still stuck in mid-air.

"Okay, Wyatt you're gonna have to explain–" I look back to where he was standing, not surprised to see him gone. Dax, face fully restored, sat in the cafe seat again. Like nothing had changed...except for me.

The smile on my lips reaches my ears as I look up at the sky and whisper.

"Goodbye."

I sigh. I'm not sure if this is all a dream but if it is? It's not that bad. For the first time in 12 years, I feel like I've finally gotten somewhere–like the fog is starting to lift.

My heart rate spiked as time started to resume. The snake moved first,but my tail was faster. It grabbed Dax and tossed him onto the cafe's building.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!" I called up to him. Hey, at least he's still alive.

"Ha! Take that ya dumb reptile–oh no." Just as I was gloating, finger-pointing and everything-the universe decided to balance my karma. The snake hissed in my direction, snapping its jaws twice. It was gunning for me now?!

"Any chance we could talk this out like reasonable scaled-folk?"I gulped, stepping back slowly.

It hissed once then lunged at me. I had just enough time to grab the cafe table and shove it into the thing's mouth.

"I'll take that as a no!" I grunt, watching it crush the table in two.

Considering how slow I normally am–I never thought I'd get far away from it but I was hoping the class promotion gave me something to work with!

Its jaws opened wide, it rammed towards me–intending to swallow me whole. Its eyes widened as I grabbed the upper jaw and held it at bay with my strength. My tail tapped me on the shoulder just as the strain started.

"What?! I could use a little help here. Wanna tag in?!" I wheeze out, feeling my knees about to buckle. No wonder Guy was having such a problem containing this thing.

Color me shocked when my tail "nodded" and twisted itself like a drill.

"Huh?" Was all I could get out before it began spinning so fast I couldn't keep up. Hurling itself upwards, my tail jammed itself through the snake's mouth and out its eyeball. A mouthful of goop spilled out of the creature and onto my face as my tail withdrew.

"Oh gross! I'm glad my mouth wasn't open at least."

The snake's jaw went slack and I dropped it to the side, stepping away from its corpse.

Another tap on my shoulder. My tail was eye level, and it had split itself into three tips. Of all the weird things today, I'm willing to look past a new appendage doing weird shit like that...but I draw the line at it making emoji faces at me-particularly the angry emoji.

"Don't make that face at me. I didn't do anything wrong here!"

I snickered as it flicked me off to the best of its ability.

"Oh...wait. Sorry, thank you. I quite literally couldn't have done it without you. Happy?"

A smiley face says yes.

"Cleanup girl! How did you do that?" Guy said, coming in for a fast landing next to me. He eyed me closely, looking me over twice.

"No, I have not always had a tail or horns or these adorable goggles...nor have I always had this class." I squeezed in that last part, enjoying the smile on his face. Guy went in for a hug but my tail gently pushed him back.

This was becoming a thing...not sure how I feel about it yet.

"Ouch, okay so no hugs, got it. Did you change to a superhero?"

Shaking my head, I sigh. "Nah. Still a janitor technically but now I've got a fancy title: Master Custodian."

He blinks a few times, scratching his head. "Why would Rupert let you pick that class?"

"He didn't. It was a promotion." Feeling pressure near my hand, I glanced at my tail and smiled, scratching its scales softly. It was odd, being attached to a sentient body part. Odd but not bad, I guess.

"A promotion? Classes don't get promotions. Are you sure Rupert hasn't just–"

I hold up a hand, pausing him.

"I'm sure. In any event, let's go back to the president for a follow-up. I'm sure if anyone has any answers on what to do, he'd be the one to have them."

Guy nodded and held out his arms. I shook my head and wrapped my tail around his waist.

"This is...different. Are you sure you want me to carry you like this?"

"Less talking, more flying please."

"Heh, yes ma'am."

The ride was short but it gave me what I wanted; a reminder of flying once more. The feeling wasn't foreign,the sky was my home and it had been calling for me for years now. How had I missed it?

I quickly wiped my tears as we landed.

"You're back so soon? And with progress worth reporting I see." Rupert smiled, showing off his black gums. His guards were gone. It was just us and him.

"Mr. President, where is your security?"

"I don't believe I need them anymore. Isn't that right, Sapphyra?"

Guy turned to me, confusion in his eyes. "Sapph, what's he talking about?"

"End it all my dear. It's gone on long enough."

Dammit. I hate that he's right.

I'm done crying today.

"Guy. Come here." I held my arms out for him.

"Sapph...you're scaring me a bit but alright."

I leaned into him, confirming my heartbreak. He smelled like nothing. His body was barely there, a shadow of bones and meat. In fact if I pressed too far I'm sure I'd go right through him.

Just like with Wyatt.

"For what it's worth, Guy..." I whispered in his ear, "you were my favorite part of this whole thing."

"Thing? What thing?"

Steeling myself, I squared my shoulders and uttered two words that had always been in the back of my mind. They just didn't want to come out until today.

"End Sanctuary."

The world crumbled into ones and zeroes, then into nothing.

I was all alone.

Again.

"Run Admin Controls."

I call out, feeling my way around the darkness. My hands are stretched out before me as I press them against the walls and hope for the best. My tail also slithers around the room, poking here and there until it finally comes across an opening. A slight seam in the wall, indicating sliding doors.

It's all coming back to me, in microdoses but coming back none the less.

"Hello? Run Admin Controls. Beacon Member Senior, Sapphyra."

Nothing. No lights, no A.I assistant voices. And worst of all? No wyatt.

"Wyatt, this isn't funny. Open the damn door!" I pound my fists against the doors. They refused to budge and I refused to give up.

"Fuck it. I don't have time for this." My tail jiggled and slid itself into the seam of the doors. Between it and me pulling like my life depended on it, we forced the doors open and stepped out into what was once my home.

Beacon Headquarters.

Cyran City, the home I've always known, had superheroes long before me and my friends. They called themselves Beacon. It wasn't until Wyatt and I started our own home for superheroes that needed a second chance that we uncovered the history behind Beacon.

"As I recall, we were in the midst of a name change before he put me in there. Come on Wyatt, Liam, Vega? Anybody?" I called out, walking amongst the cobwebs and blinking red lights of my home.

Red lights? Those were emergency power lights. Why would we need emergency power?

"Alright, who didn't pay the light bill!"

I glance at my tail, eyes having finally adjusted to the dark. "You're awfully silent. What's up?"

But it refused to look at me, opting instead to wrap around my waist–a gorgeous pink and white accessory.

"Why do I get the feeling something bad's gonna happen if I go outside?" I gulped, whispering to myself.

One of the functions that stays around with emergency power would be the calendar and time system. It sits on the wall of the white and gold squared seating area.

The strength left my body when I read the date and time.

Tuesday, March 1st, 2126. 9 p.m.

"That...there's no way that's right. When did I last see everyone–"

Blood and screams echoed around the compound but they weren't coming from the walls, they were coming from me. My head felt like it was splitting in two. More memories, more heartache.

I couldn't stop the memory. I had to relive that day all over again.

"Sapph."

"Wyatt, I can do this. I'm going back out there."

"The hell you are! Its a suicide mission!"

Behind us, a massive figure reached down, swiping one hand across Cyran city. An entire block was destroyed in less than 30 seconds. My tail and wings flared, the fire within me roared to life and demanded vengeance.

"Boss lady, that's not a good idea. We need to take who we can and leave the planet." Vega tried to reason with me.

"The ships still busted from the last time a Monolith attacked us! We have to go underground." Liam argued.

I wheeled on them, forehead vein throbbing. My mouth curled up in disgust.

"This is our city! We've protected it time and time again! We're Beacons, Pillars of Cyran. Without us it falls and you all want to run? Those are your families down there, your friends!"

"Sapphyra, baby. I love you but even you can't take on a Monolith. They're forces of nature. There is no fighting that." Wyatt stood in front of me, taking my hands in his.

I ripped them away, refusing to give in.

"Stop. I don't want to see anymore. Please..." I begged my brain to stop, felt my tail give my shoulders a rub but ultimately there was no fighting what came next.

In the end, they were right. We couldn't touch a Monolith. Not only was it too big to reasonably harm, it was a waste of time and resources to try and hold it at bay.

Wyatt was right. Monoliths were forces of nature, man in their purest form. They were so tall you couldn't see their heads on a cloudy day. One stomp might shake a continent loose if you weren't careful.

I said I wouldn't cry anymore today...but there's no fighting this.

"Did you all get your loved ones? Good. Get out." My dumbass wanted to stay and buy them some time.

"This is insanity! You think I'm just going to roll over and let my wife become a martyr? Live to fight another day, I'm begging you Sapph." Wyatt tugged on my arms but I moved past him.

"I'm not human, Wyatt. I'll be able to do something. I swear. Sometimes it takes a monster to beat a monster, right!" My goofy grin did little to temper his justified anger.

"It's not a monster. It's human!" He shouted. I turned to him, confused as I watched our teammates and their loved ones evacuate through portals and tunnels.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's human, Sapph."

"Wyatt, you've never been able to get a sample from a Monolith. How would you know?"

His silence spoke volumes. I didn't like a damn thing they were saying.

"Wyatt!"

"You're right. I never could get their DNA but I had yours, love." My tail split into three and wrapped around his neck.

"You promised me you would never try to–"

"I know." He wheezed out. "But after the baby...you needed a distraction. You needed hope."

A scream ripped from me. The words wouldn't come but my fire sure did.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"I leaked your DNA into the water system. Changed it so it would tap into the weaker genetics of humans and add Dragon DNA to them."

My nostrils flared as my emotions rushed to keep up with the betrayal.

"How long?"

"I had your DNA before Barnaby...but I didn't release it until after."

The air left my lungs, gravity crushed my heart.

"Wyatt that was three fucking years ago! The tappers–all the people who got superpowers because of drinking tap water–all the lives ruined, that was your fault?!"

I released his neck just enough so he could swallow his bullshit and give me the truth.

"Yes. I did it for you."

"No you didn't-not for me you didn't! 2 million people died, Wyatt. Didn't you feel anything at all? Did their deaths mean nothing to you?"

He adjusted his glasses.

I closed my eyes, knowing whatever he said next could never make up for this.

"I always told you I would let the world burn for you." Was his only response.

I wanted to kill him. Smack some sense into him, make him face justice for all the people he had a hand in murdering. All the families he destabilized, the lives ruined.

"No one is that special."

"Sapph–"

"I don't wanna hear it. Also, the fact that you would use our son's death as an excuse for your war crimes...I can't deal with you right now. Don't be here when I get back." I flew off without thinking. My mind was still intent on facing the monster in front of me–the Monolith–that I ignored the monster behind me.

Screaming in agony, I felt something cold and metallic grab me by the wings and yank me back. It was Wyatt, wielding some sort of contraption bathed in green light.

"I'm sorry. I know I hurt you–"

"FUCK YOU! Let me GO!" No matter what I did, nothing was freeing me. My back arched as something sharp pierced me.

Nothing pierces me. He really has betrayed me, hasn't he?

"I'm working on something, Sapph. A new way to do with the Monoliths and tappers. It all stems from your DNA but I've devised a way we can help people and give them powers safely."

"Go to tell, Wyatt." I remarked bitterly, watching the Monolith tear apart the other half of the city.

"It's called the Class System. It won't make sense now, but it will." He paused, watching my eyelids droop.

"Maybe by the time you wake up, you'll forgive me."

The world went dark for me after that.