“That’s all you do when you go somewhere new?” Hall asked. “You can just change what you look like at will?”

“Yup,” was all Clarke said. He continued eating, even as Hall leaned in, hinting for a demonstration. She smiled at him in silence, until Clarke turned his attention back to her. “What?”

“Can you show me?”

“Show you a transformation?” Clarke asked, putting his fork down. “That’s not a good idea. I shouldn’t even be talking to you about my powers or who I am. As soon as the media gets word of this, they’ll come here in droves to get an interview and write my biography for me. Those worthless vultures just get in the way.”

There weren’t many people in the cafeteria. Aside from the two of them, there was another doctor who was finishing his meal, and another pair, a nurse spending time with a patient, still wheelchair-bound. Hall got up from the table and walked to the nurse. She whispered something in the nurse’s ear, then walked back to Clarke, sitting back down. They both watched as the nurse led the patient out.

“What did you tell her?” Clarke asked.

“I simply said that it might be good for Mr. Willis to get some air,” she said as the other doctor in the room left on his own accord. “Now why don’t you show me what you’re really supposed to look like? That could be a good start.”

Clarke looked at her blankly for a moment before he responded. “I’m supposed to be long since dead,” he started. “I’ll just do this instead.”

He stood up and waved his hand over his face. He brushed the stubble clear off, leaving a clean, smooth chin and cheeks. His form melted for a moment, becoming blurry only briefly, and reformed. His hair shortened and turned black, slicking itself back like a prim and proper gentleman’s. He slipped his trenchcoat off and left it hanging on the chair. As the trenchcoat fell, it was replaced by an expensive tuxedo, with shiny black jacket lapels, a neatly starched white shirt, a perfectly formed bow tie, glittering gold cuff inks, an expansive pleated cummerbund, and shoes that shone in the fluorescent lights of the cafeteria.

“Are you satisfied?” Clarke asked, acting polite and out of character for a moment.

Doctor Hall couldn’t believe her eyes for a moment. The whole event was over in seconds, yet it was such a dramatic change that she wasn’t sure it had truly happened. She had to take a second look just to absorb it all.

“That was… wow…” was all she could say at first. “And you can do that anytime?”

“Yes,” Clarke said. “Into anything I want, anytime I want.”

“That’s incredible,” Hall said, closely examining his new, more charming exterior.

However, before Hall could enjoy the spectacle before her further, Clarke began transforming back into his original form, putting the trenchcoat back on. Hall frowned for a moment and asked, “Why’d you do that?”