Chapter Six

His eyes then began to expand and glow, like a crystal growing in the cold of winter.

"Look AWAY!" DeMartino cried with desperation. His words were greeted with silence, so unheeded that they might as well have not been uttered.

"Forget it, old man. I have what I need." One of Phelps's eyes turned sideways to face DeMartino. His other remained firmly fixed on its targets, but the disruption was enough to stir Daria and Quinn from their stupor.

"DARIA, take off your glasses!"

Daria shook her head vigorously and stared at DeMartino, confused.

"Quinn, you wearing contacts? TAKE THEM OFF!"

"You thought I didn't recognize you, Gob?" said Phelps calmly, deliberately. "You've been a thorn in my side long enough."

With that, his other eye swerved in DeMartino's direction, and light exploded out of both eyes simultaneously, enveloping DeMartino in a fiery wave that quickly ate away at his clothing and skin.

Daria and Quinn looked on helplessly. By then, both had removed their eyewear, though strangely, neither had any trouble with her vision. Daria reached over and pulled at Quinn's arm, feeling the strong urge to run -- but Quinn couldn't leave the man who had offered himself as their protector. She sensed that if they didn't leave with him, they would never reach their parents alive.

"Leave him alone!" she shrieked. She lunged forward, the blanket falling away from her body, and grabbed at Phelps's chin. Phelps's eyes stopped glowing. He looked at the blood-covered form of his favorite math student and, as residual feelings of affection took hold, seemed unsure of what to do. Then he reached over, grasped Quinn by the neck, and threw her to the floor.

"Ms. Morgendorffer," he said, his eyes boring down, "allow me to express my regret one last time."

Quinn cowered behind the blanket. Daria thrust her own body in front of her for protection. Neither was aware when her own eyes began to glow.

At first the rumbling that followed felt like a rare, but mild earthquake. As it grew in noise and strength, however, it was clear that this was no natural event and, by his startled reaction, that it was not Phelps's doing. Phelps spun his head about wildly, trying to find the source, as he crouched down to avoid toppling over. He then turned to see two pairs of green glowing eyes set in tight, worried faces. Daria and Quinn remained on the floor, fighting nausea, looking for the right moment to pounce on Phelps when he was down. Quinn felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck. It filled her entire body, and as rage overtook her, she looked at Phelps and felt something give way.

Phelps shot up quickly - in a way that was not self-propelled. He flew backward through the cafeteria doors, slammed against the floor, and skidded all of the way to the back wall. The few students with fifth period lunch watched as, groggily, he tried to stand up. No sooner had he done so than he found that he could not move - anything. His legs, arms, shoulders, neck were all frozen in place.

The rumbling floor in the hallway became still. Quinn stood up shakily and watched Phelps through the swinging doors. "Got any sarcasm you'd like to dispense?" asked Daria behind her. "Because for once, I'm tapped out."

They turned their attention to DeMartino, who lay huddled against the wall. He turned over, painfully, on his back, revealing spotty grey flesh down his arm where pink skin once was. Half of the human skin on his face had been eaten away, revealing more tight, grey flesh surrounding one eyeball, making the eye seem to bulge even more. Quinn gasped, and fell to her knees. Daria approached him with her brow knit in scientific examination. "I'm... okay," he whispered. "This will... HEAL... ooph."

"Can you get up?" asked Daria.

"Yes..." he said, grasping the hand she gave him. He stood up and examined his shreds of clothing. The side of his face that still had human skin flushed with embarrassment. "Guess I'm not exactly FIT for the faculty photos," he muttered.

DeMartino then turned and looked at Phelps through the cafeteria door window. Phelps remained frozen in place. "That should HOLD him for a while."

"Was he going to kill us?" asked Quinn, her wide frightened eyes only able to see DeMartino's inhuman flesh. Oh God, that could be what Dad...

"No, just STUN you the way you stunned HIM, then take you back to Xulfanex. Since you and Daria EACH carry half of Norlek, when you TOUCHED, he saw your full power."

"What do you mean 'the way you' stunned him?" whispered Quinn. "Are you telling me I... did... that?"

"With help from DARIA. Now come on: I need to take you to your parents."

DeMartino grabbed Quinn's hand; it took all of her willpower to keep from screaming at the nearness of his grey alien flesh. He then held out a hand to Daria, who looked strangely calm.

"Oh God, Daria, this must come as such a shock to you!" cried Quinn. "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way!"

Daria regarded her calmly. "Let's see: in the course of fifteen minutes, I thought you were dead, hid out in a cramped heating vent, got momentarily possessed by your math teacher, felt a localized earthquake, learned that Mr. DeMartino isn't human, and that you and I have super powers. Now I'm just waiting for the talking holidays to arrive, and this dream should be complete."