“Advanced life-forms, my seweet patootie. Jerks. Both of them.”

“You are avake, yah?" said a voice in a horribly recognizable accent."Yah," I muttered, rubbing my head. "And you are still a jerk, yah?”

“Veins practically popping out of his neck, the jerk leaned out his window and yelled a bunch of swear words, including a new one I tucked away in my brain for future use, if necessary.”

“Now, Max, I think we both know your parents aren't missionaries."I opened my eyes wide. "No? Well, for God's sake, don't tell them. They'd be crushed. Thinking they're doing the Lord's work and all.”

“Well, I don’t know. Mostly I just suck up what life throws my way, stomp on it, and then keep going. I don’t dwell much on what I am or how I got this way. It just is. I just am. I’m Max, and whatever form I take, it’s good enough for me.”

“Yes. I owed my life, Angel's life, and my mother's life to a mutant's ability to create industrial-strength snot.”

“I remembered something my first partner had told me. Never wrestle with a pig, Lindsay. You both get dirty. The pig likes it.”