The Mutated

Story by WotanAnubis

TITLE: The Mutated

AUTHOR: WotanAnubis

FANDOM: Advance Wars: Dark Conflict

DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters and am not making a profit.

RATING: NC-17

PAIRING: Lin/Zadia

NOTE: As you are most likely already aware, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict is named Advance Wars: Days of Ruin in America. While the basic storyline remains the same in all versions of the game, the names of COs and units are often different as well as bits and pieces of the dialogue. In any case, for this fic I'm using the European names for everybody simply because that's the version I played.

* * * * *

Zadia sat under a dead tree at the edge of the village and watched the sunset. It had become something of a ritual ever since the dustclouds had cleared. She and Trak would go to whichever place gave the best view that evening and watch. She didn't really know why she did it. Maybe it was because she never really appreciated the sun before. Maybe it was because she kind of feared the sun wouldn't rise again tomorrow and didn't want to miss seeing it one last time. Maybe it was something else entirely. She didn't really care either way.

It was pretty nice sunset today. Of course, the fact that it was pleasantly warm evening probably helped. Yet Zadia found herself distracted. Her eye kept slipping away from the horizon to a nearby house. The house itself wasn't anything special, but it was so far away from anything else in the village that it seemed kind of lonely.

"Why do you think she lives there?" Zadia asked.

"What?" Trak said. "Oh. Don't know."

"I mean, even Lili lives closer to the centre of the village," Zadia continued. "Why'd she choose to set up shop there?"

"Maybe she likes the solitude," said Trak.

"Yeah, maybe," Zadia said more to herself than to her friend.

"Where are you going?" Trak asked when Zadia suddenly stood up.

"Ask her if she wants to watch the sunset with us. You can stay here if you like."

Trak shrugged in response.

Zadia walked to the house and confidently pushed open the door. Nobody locked their doors here and it was nice to see this place was no exception. It was only once she had entered the sparsely decorated living room that Zadia remembered it would have been polite to knock first.

Zadia eventually found Lin in what could only be called her office on the second floor. There was a small window, a table covered in paper and a chair for Lin to sit in. There was absolutely nothing to indicate that this was actually someone's room in someone's house.

"Hey there," said Zadia.

Lin looked up from whatever she had been working on. "Zadia," she greeted.

"Mind if I sit down here?" Zadia asked as she sat down on Lin's desk.

Lin gave her a pointed look for a few moments. "Sure," she said finally.

"Nice sunset out today," the redhead said.

"That's nice to hear," Lin said calmly.

"So, uhm... I was wondering."

"Yes?" said Lin.

Zadia scratched the back of her neck. "Why'd you decide to live out on the outskirts anyway?"

"I need a reason?" Lin asked.

"No, I guess not, but... Well, OK, look, I think I know what's going on."

"Do you?"

Zadia bit down a frustrated sigh. Lin was almost as difficult to talk to as Trak. Maybe even more so.

"Thing is... I got infected too, you know," she said. "With the Floral Virus, I mean. It did a real number on my body. Moritz said... something I totally couldn't understand but basically my body reacted to the infection by... changing."

Lin suddenly looked her straight in the eyes. "Changing how?"

"I mean... I mean I'm not the woman I was. I mean I've got a dick. And I think you do too."

"Are you saying I choose solitude because I suffered some kind of mutation and I feel ashamed of it?"

"Yeah," said Zadia.

"You're wrong," said Lin. "I simply don't like being around too many people. That's all."

"Oh," said Zadia. "Well, that's... I... Wow, is my face red, huh?"

"But if it makes you feel better, I underwent the same mutation," Lin said. "I have a penis as well."

"You do?" Zadia said. "That's..." She paused and snickered uncomfortably. "I was about to say that's good to know, but it's not really, is it?"

"Why would you say that?" Lin asked.

"Well, let's face it, we're both still... you know... different."

"I disagree," said Lin "I don't think our becoming hermaphrodites has made us different. Not in a way that matters."

"Now you sound like Ed," Zadia said. "Still, I guess you're right. But don't you find it difficult?"

Lin put her paperwork away and turned in her chair. "Zadia, I'm comfortable with who I am. But you're not, are you?"

Zadia looked away. "No. I guess not."

"How can I help?"

Zadia looked back. "What?"

"I can't say I know what you're going through," said Lin. "I accepted my new body with ease. But I think you can open to me as a fellow hermaphrodite."

"Woman," said Zadia. "I'm a woman."

"If you insist," said Lin. "It's just a word anyway."

"Anyway, I don't know if you can help me," said Zadia. "It just feels...

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