Trials and Titillations

by Dazydukes

Summary:

A villain’s rise to glory is thwarted by some dick. An unusual imprisonment follows, the path to freedom strewn with perversion and peril.

Chapter 1: A low blow

Inside a grand cavern, smoke billows lazily from the ruined remains of an underground laboratory. A man sways gently in the air, staring out at nothing in particular with a look of serene calm on his face. Outside a storm unlike any this island has ever seen rages on, the howling of the wind just barely audible through the rock and earth.

The third team of heroes he’s faced this day has just fled before him. He hopes they realize how gracious he is to have let them. Now he patiently waits for the next group to come and grow his power. They cannot deny him this, the storm makes sure of that.

His gaze sweeps over his former boss’ lair, a classy little number dug inside a long dormant volcano. She fled once a team of heroes arrived, ordering him to hold them off as she made her escape. The strongest of them followed her while he entertained the rest. It should have been a quick fight, considering what his powers officially were. But here he still is, patiently waiting for a proper challenge even after the heroes who apprehended his old employer returned only to flounder before his might. They thought they knew who he was, but this evening has been a rude awakening.

For years he acted as a mook for various villains, serving as a punching bag for a vast number of heroes. The power he showed up till now was a mediocre level of superhuman strength, making him capable of taking enough of a punishment to be a useful henchman, but posing no real threat to the heroes that purportedly keep this world safe.

His real power is imitation. Nearly every power used on him becomes his, bit by bit, hit by hit. Each trouncing he endured was in fact a power-up. And today he is unleashed. The heroes who used to slap him around while cracking infantile jokes have now fled before him, shocked to silence by the lazy ease with which he beat them. But they cannot truly leave. His storm threatens the lives of all who call this island home. And the storm only relents while they fight him. They must feed him ever more power while they continue scrambling to evacuate the civilians. By the light of dawn, if he survives the eventual encounter with the world’s greatest hero, he expects to be the most powerful entity on the planet.

The storm relents as his next offering arrives. A lone woman in a sleeveless tank-top and baggy pants. A casual sort of hero, or one deliberately kept out of the public eye. For her opener she opts to throw a rock at him, leaving him to furrow his brow as he glides out of the way. He feels like maybe he should have an inkling who this is, but he cannot place her. He throws an arc of crackling lightning her way, which she evades with a greater jump than is strictly necessary. She possesses enhanced strength and agility at the least, along with a healthy wariness of his power.

He dashes forward with a burst of speed, halving the distance between them in the blink of an eye. There is no surprise evident on her features, but she does jump back a bit. It does not fool him. She wants him closer. He throws a quick succession of shadowy blades at her as he floats back again. The way she dodges is more controlled now, her body just barely evading the projectiles. Either she is familiar enough with them to know exactly how dangerous they are, or she is trying to intimidate him by making his attacks seem feeble.

Any potential intimidation factor is somewhat lessened by the fact that her preferred angle of attack is still just flinging rocks at him. The environment offers her an annoying arsenal of them. The whole idea of her attacks is to annoy him, he supposes. Could she be a telepath masquerading as a brawler until he presents a weakness for her actual power? Or is she meant to unbalance him to create an opening for a telepath hiding somewhere just within range to strike him? Mind-affecting powers are among the few things he still fears, but he should be strong enough to withstand them long enough to dispatch the enemy. Though his experience with such powers thus far has not been with the most powerful practitioners, every time someone tried poking around in his head there was a slight sense of disturbance that alerted him to it.

He dodges the next stage of her attacks: Three rocks thrown in quick succession. He answers by changing from shadow back to lightning, sending more chaotic arcs her way, catching her with the first of them. She grimaces in pain but the damage seems minimal, though she does start to expend more effort evading. Maybe her tactic is to lull him into a false sense of security rather than provoke his anger. After all, if she truly wanted to annoy him she’d be prattling away like so many of her ilk do. Maybe they sent a single combatant to keep him busy without giving him the opportunity to absorb too much power. Or is that what they are hoping he’ll think? Is she a secret weapon that can strike him down if he underestimates her? Or are they hoping she will serve as a perfect stalling tactic because they bank on him being cautious?

He stares at her athletic form flitting around, nimbly evading his flicks of lightning. Yes, he has seen her before, a picture at the very least. A C-lister of seemingly little consequence, if he recalls correctly. She might very well be someone like him, carefully cultivating a reputation of insignificance. He doesn’t remember her name. She has started sweating quite a bit, meaning her endurance may be finite. Her now wet top clings to her, showing off a serious set of abs. Effort spent on maintaining her body in peak condition might suggest the strength is indeed not her main power.

Cautiously adding pressure is the way. He strengthens the storm outside, so either more will have to come feed him their power or she will have to show her cards. A sneering villainous monologue might be just what she needs to be pushed into attacking in earnest.

“Have you nothing more to offer? I am here to fight the greatest powers of this world and show them their insignificance. It seems a waste to show you, seeing how you must already be keenly aware.”

No reaction apart from another barrage of three rocks. Onto theatrics, then. He dives into the ground and sends out a shock-wave before bringing the earth churning up around him as he rises into the air once more. She fights to maintain balance as he throws three rocks of his own at her, each the size of a car. Her dodging is distinctly less elegant as she contends with the still quaking earth. Not capable of flight then, unless she considers hiding that ability more important than evading his strikes. He sends the rest of his floating arsenal at her, manipulating its shape into an enormous wall just before impact. She does not evade this time, but breaks the wall with a grunt.

“I spent years providing entertainment to your boorish peers, patiently suffering their blows and blather. It hardly seems fair that they should scamper away after mere moments of me returning the favor. I believe I will find them again before long, to toy with them further. Every last one of them will get to experience what they themselves inflicted on me. Should I prepare some quips, to make it a truly authentic experience?”

She remains unfazed. He dives into the earth once more and repeats his earlier performance, though this time he forms all his projectiles into walls that bear down on her as she struggles to stay on her feet. She breaks each and every one, but not without a grunting effort each time.

“How loud you are. If you’re not going to amuse me, the least you could do is spare me your beastly noises.”

No reaction. This is a professional, no matter what her power level may be. She throws rocks with both hands now, a daunting seven of them surging towards him and forcing him to float slightly to the side. There has to be more to her. What is she holding back and why?

“Besides, if you kept it down you might hear how strong the storm has grown. Or do you simply not care?”

She jerks her head up at that, taking her eyes off him for the first time since she arrived. Not in possession of heightened senses then, unless that was an act.

“I have made my desires quite apparent, at least to those with two brain-cells to rub together. You are an unworthy offering. The storm will rage until I am appeased.”

“You need to stop! Hundreds could die!”

He belts out his best villainous laugh. Just seven words in and he already misses her mute act. Maybe she has handlers who advise her to keep quiet on account of her being an imbecile?

“I do not need to do anything. It is you and your ilk who must give me what I want. I am powerful. I make the demands here.”

She clenches her jaw but only resorts to throwing more rocks than ever before. He hurls lightning, shadow and earth back at her. This is starting to get annoying. How can she be so committed to holding back whatever her true power is? She should care enough about the inhabitants of the island to go all out. Unless she fully trusts in her compatriots to save them all, no matter what. Could the inhabitants already have been evacuated? No, a cursory count of the psychic trackers he placed on random islanders tells him at least half of them are still at his mercy. Her words and actions imply she is a stoic simpleton, which is honestly not the worst look for a hero. Perhaps this whole encounter is a bluff and she has no devastating power up her sleeve, so she actually cannot do anything to stop him endangering the islanders? Yes, it could be this whole drawn-out affair is a heroic self-sacrifice in her eyes, risking her life in an attempt to stall him for as long as possible. No harm in hamming it up a little, then.

“It’s simple, really: Your friends cannot save everyone, so give me what I want or people will die.” He sneers down at her and spreads his arms. “Though I suppose it is to be expected that a few lives be lost on a night such as this. You may just be witnessing the ascension of a god.”

“You look more like a bitch to me.”

He ceases to function for an instant. “What?” is the word he manages before one of her rocks hits him straight in the face. The pain is minimal but the annoyance that has been nagging at him blooms into a red hot fury. He unleashes a barrage and as she starts dodging he charges at her, visions of her torn to shreds by his claws and teeth flashing before his eyes, beastly rage pounding in his veins unlike anything he has experienced since his first and last experiment with the shapeshifting power he has always regretted taking.

He shoots through his own projectiles without flinching and pounces on her. His now razor-sharp teeth sink into her neck and he feels her hot blood on his tongue, a groan traveling up her throat and her hand gripping his hair. The weakness of rage floods from him and he immediately pulls away, wrenching himself free of her grip at the cost of a few strands of hair.

“Pardon. That was foul.”

He takes to the air but she holds on, the hand that slipped from his hair finding purchase on his calf as he rises.

“Don’t sweat it, I kinda liked it.”

He unleashes lightning down at her, but she somehow dodges while starting to climb up his body. No, it is more like his attacks are going wide. He starts flying as fast and erratically as he can around the cavern but to no avail.

“What... is this?” he grunts through clenched teeth as he tries to push and kick her off.

Her hands tear his shirt apart on their way up and soon she’s face to face with him and what should be hefty blows from his fists seem not to affect her in the slightest.

“Hopefully the best night of your life so far. Alright, take us down.”

She punctuates her words by slapping a hand on his behind and squeezing. His shocked gasp invites her lips on his and her tongue forces its way inside him and suddenly they’re falling, his mind desperately trying to make sense of what is happening. Her power is mind-affecting somehow, but delivered through blood and spit or some such. Was there sweat on the rock that hit him? Being bested due to freezing up after some unexpected rude words might just be even more embarrassing than getting felt up by this lout. Mid-air she stops kissing him and twists her body to take the brunt of the fall. He gets smushed into her breasts and rock hard abs. Maybe she is a rare specimen possessing both superhuman physicality and mind-affecting powers?

She flips him onto the ground and gets on top of him, placing his legs over her shoulders and pressing down onto him, putting her arms on either side of his head and rasping breathlessly as she stares down at him with an uncomfortable intensity. He feels infuriatingly small in this moment.

“Are you manipulating my emotions? Is that your power?”

She slips a finger into his mouth before he can close it again. “No,” she moans as he bites down on her to seemingly little effect, “that was actually my friend. I’m more, like, manipulating your body.”

He decides to test her claim by indulging in the foul power once more. If she has power over this body, what if he changes into a different one? He focuses on his arm, slowly rearranging until he suddenly pops it into a snake that lunges for her neck. She grabs it by the head and scratches its head with two fingers.

“That is super weird. But I want you to stay in your original shape for me. It’s what you’ve been teasing me with this whole time so it’s the one I’m gonna fuck.”

A shiver passes through him and his body retreats into its original shape. For the second time this evening his only retort is “What?”

“Sorry, that was kinda blunt. But so is my power.” She tears his pants to shreds and he stares up at her in shock. “It’s gonna be weird, but you are really dangerous and no-one else could stop you so this has to happen. I’m sorry.”

She stands up, bodily hefting him up with her with just one hand on his back, his feet still over her shoulders. He wonders if fear is keeping him stuck in this humiliating position or whether it is on account of her mysterious power.

“Alright. I’m gonna hold you like this, keep you in my arms, I’m hoping it’ll be kinda comforting. This is going to change you in a pretty big way, but it’ll all work out. You’ll have a lot of questions in the future, but I’ll answer your earlier question right now.”

She drops her pants.

“This right here is my power. Well, technically I think my whole body holds the power, but this part leaves the biggest impression.”

He stares uncomprehending.

“It’s ... tiny.”

She slaps it on his thigh and he wonders if this is actually all just an absurd hallucination caused by a telepath.

“It’s the perfect size for you.”

His pondering on whether that is an insult of some sort is cut short by her effortlessly slipping the little thing inside him. He snarls and immediately tries to push himself off of it, reaching a surprisingly short way before he gets stuck for no discernible reason. A moment passes before she pulls him back against her with the hand supporting his lower back.

“Filthy little animal,” he hisses and pulls himself back up only to get gently pulled back down her length, such as it is.

They repeat this one more time before she strokes a finger over his cheek. “You should just chill, no need to move by yourself. This position isn’t really good for it, and at this size it isn’t very fun watching you take me on your own.”

She starts pumping into him with short, stupid looking thrusts. The feeling is strange, only slightly uncomfortable but absolutely infuriating.

“Oh man, you’re tight. I’m your first, right?”

He spits on her.

“Yep, I get it. Do whatever you need to let your feelings out, I know this sucks.”

He growls before letting himself go completely slack as he focuses with every ounce of his being on the storm that has started to wane outside, bringing it back up to its full tempestuous fury.

“Listen to me. You will put me down and release whatever hold you have on me, or I will raise the storm and tear everything off the face of this island and fling it into the sea. Those deaths will be on you and you alone, you disgusting little-”

She shakes her head. “No time to be gentle, then. Fuck, why do you sound so hot even while saying something like that?”

Her next few thrusts get progressively more difficult to bear and his next words die in his throat, replaced by a peculiar “Hrgh” sound.

“Yeah, you like that? Dunno why I was trying to be nice. You’re a dangerous man and I’m here on a mission. But it feels so wrong to just start ramming you right away, y’know?”

It does indeed feel wrong. The sensation is nothing like earlier, the discomfort and strangeness have grown exponentially, leaving no room for his earlier fury.

“I am disgusting though, I know. It’s probably the world’s creepiest power. But I’m saving lives. It’s not my fault that my only way of doing so in this instance is to fuck the brains out of an evil beauty who wanted to become a god or something. If gods existed they totally should look like you though, you’re drop dead gorgeous, kinda got an unearthly beauty you know, like fuck, I can’t believe I’m tapping that.”

The rambling is disconcerting. He refocuses his eyes to stare down at her, possibly in defiance, but mostly to focus on something other than the feeling of her inside him. She blushes, which makes everything even more difficult to comprehend.

“Sorry, I start babbling and saying stupid shit when I get carried away.”

She even looks away in seeming embarrassment, but does not relent at all in her assault on his backside, her hips slapping loudly and rhythmically against him. He hazards a look down at where their bodies meet and his eyes go wide. The thing plowing into him has grown monstrous in size, impossibly sliding in and out of his body that suddenly looks petite in contrast to its invader. He searches the sensations for the pain that should be there but finds nothing but a rising tremor starting to go through his entire body. His own limp member suddenly spews forth a small glob of white onto his stomach.

“Heheh. It’s pretty hot, right?”

He tears his eyes off the monster and locks eyes with her instead, having no idea what to do next. He vaguely notes that his mouth is hanging open, lips quivering as if trying to form words. "Imbecile," he hazards. "C-cur. You will... ruh-rue... this day." He clamps his mouth shut. The words themselves are fine, but unfortunately his strained voice makes them sound slightly salacious.

“God, what was I saying about unearthly beauty? You already look like a mess. It’s like I’ve fucked an angel into a wanton, needy slut.”

Time to abandon the eye contact. He looks off into the cavern around them and immediately his thoughts go to possible witnesses. Other heroes must be nearby, and they’ll know what’s happening. His eyes scan frantically but find no-one peeping. There is no telling how far the echoes of this sordid act travel though, so even if they can’t see they’ll surely hear, especially those with keen senses. Another tremor goes through him and she moans as his stomach gets slicker still. He closes his eyes trying to wake from this nightmare but quickly opens them again, needing the distraction of his visual sense to maintain some composure.

“Hey, it’s ok. No-one’s gonna hurt you. You’re gonna be fine. You’re just gonna cum a lot for me, then I’ll cum, then we’ll skedaddle, then tomorrow we’ll have a calm and collected talk about the future.”

No-one is going to hurt him? What does that even mean? Though he is hardly worth hurting now, reduced to nothing but a toy in the hands of this bastard of a hero. He may have temporarily wiped the smirks off their faces when he wiped the floor with them, but they’re probably already snickering at him again now that this has happened. Another of those damnable tremors goes through him and he just barely manages to hold onto the hateful thought of them laughing. They’ll joke among themselves about how much he liked it, that he sure went through a lot of effort just to get “dicked down,” as the dolts would put it. Another tremor.

“That’s it, just relax and ride the wave. We’re so close now. Thanks for letting the storm die down.”

His whole body seizes up as he realizes he forgot the storm, then starts trembling once more as that ridiculous member coaxes yet another powerful reaction from his treacherous body. His mind reels at the loss of his single trump card, grasping desperately at possible ways out of this bizarre trap. That body manipulation, or whatever her power actually is, has made it so his powers seemingly cannot hurt her. He isn’t gaining her power, meaning he either still hasn’t grasped its nature or it cannot be imitated. Or possibly his powers simply cannot affect her as long as she is in contact with him.

He wonders if having allies would have helped in this situation. He’d never bothered truly bonding with others, since most people he’d ever known in his line of work seemed unreliable and dim-witted at the best of times. Irene, who often worked with the various villains he henched for, was probably the only friend of sorts he had ever made. Maybe for a price she could have popped out of the shadows and saved him once the situation got this bad. Though the thought of her seeing him like this makes the idea lose its appeal. Another tremor. Sadly, she had eventually become uncomfortably interested in every facet of his life, so he’d subtly distanced himself from her to keep his secret safe. She was a decent comrade if a little unnerving at times. Still, even her frozen, doll-like face and lifeless eyes would be a welcome reprieve from this damned mumbling, foul-mouthed, monstrously endowed beefcake of a woman. The next tremor hits and he grits his teeth through it. He wonders just how many of them his body will make him suffer.

“God, you’re so beautiful. I wish I could knock you up and start a beautiful little family with you. Sorry.”

He is alone, helpless in the grasp of this lustful monster. A lesser villain might concede defeat, but he did not get to the pinnacle of power by being lesser. He has suffered humiliation and defeat many times, only to draw strength from each experience, slowly acquiring every power that beat him. This will be no different. Disgusting as it may be, this power too will be his, and this pathetic woman will cower before him just like the other heroes.

“Heh, what was it you said earlier? "How loud you are". I like it though.”

He pointedly ignores her inane muttering. Years of careful planning cannot, will not, culminate in a rough ride on a big dick. He has endured blows from some of the world’s greatest heroes and come back stronger every time, so there is no way in hell he will be brought low by this cretin.

His thoughts are cut short as his whole body is wracked with yet more tremors, which coincidentally seem to also be coming back stronger every time. Her lips find his and despite the slaps of her hips against him it suddenly feels strangely quiet, as the background noise of a drawn-out, breathless moan disappears. Embarrassment burns through him as he realizes where it must have been coming from.

Next his attention wanders from that feeling to the way her tongue is absolutely bullying him. How can a mere sloppy kiss make him feel so dominated? He hazily wonders whether this should be approached like any other fight with supers. Yes, his keen mind should be analyzing the situation, the pattern of her attacks, her movements inside of him. Should he be fighting back or is an aloof approach better, to show her how unaffected he is by her thuggish attempts? He doesn’t really make a decision, but his tongue takes it upon itself to twitch upwards only to be immediately wrestled back down. Her next thrust causes him to refresh the slick coating on his stomach.

She pulls away from the kiss and he files that particular battle away as a defeat. But the war, oh it rages on. With proper planning the next time will be different. An awful diet perhaps, to leave a lingering taste on his tongue foul enough to traumatize any fool who braves his lips.

She looks down on him with a wild look in her eyes and a low growl in her throat. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard you forget your own name. It’s fine though, it’s about time you start screaming mine instead anyway.”

Fool. He doesn’t actually know her name. He would smirk if he wasn’t so exhausted and focused on gritting his teeth to keep his voice at bay as she pounds him harder and harder.

“This cock’s gonna tame you, fuck you till you’re a good boy and then fuck you some more.” She bites her lip. “Sorry, I don’t mean half the shit I say. You’re just so hot, I’m losing myself a little.”

Her continued apologies make it so much worse. And the fact she can speak so easily while he’s holding on for dear life. He scowls at her, or attempts to, and lunges at her throat with his hands. The grip feels incredibly weak and he immediately regrets it as it somehow turns into him clasping onto the back of her neck. Suddenly his legs have wrapped around her torso, leaving him in an unfortunately intimate embrace with this creature.

“That’s right baby, hold onto me, I got you.” She starts planting kisses on his neck and his trembling goes up a notch that he didn’t realize was available. “You and me babe, we’re gonna save a fuck-ton of lives in the future. And also just fuck a ton.”

She bites him then and his jaw unclenches to let out a weird little cry. Surprising new info on his vocal range is filed away for later review.

“I’m gonna cum soon. Your life’s never gonna be the same again. You’ve got so many powers I think you’ll pass out. But that’s good. It means we can stop and I can get you outta here with no fuss. Sorry about ripping your clothes apart, I’ll wrap you up in something on the way out, no-one’s gonna see." She pauses her strange, hissing monologue to mash her lips against his and growl at him. "When you wake up everything will be really weird and probably scary. But everything is gonna be okay. All rainbows from here, just with a lot of white in them. Sorry, that’s dumb.”

His head feels so hazy he isn’t sure whether he’s catching everything she’s saying. The fact she’s put both hands on his ass and started bodily slamming him down on her upward thrusts doesn’t help his concentration.

“Now just one more time: cum for me, you slutty little bitch.”

She punctuates her words with a stinging spank and his treacherous body obeys. Her groans join his and he feels a gush of warmth inside him as he trembles in her grasp. He feels his consciousness slipping, a would-be god reduced to nothing but a dumb body spasming in base physical ecstasy. At least this should answer the question of how many of these infernal tremors his body is capable of in one sitting. Or it would have, he realizes with some consternation, if he hadn’t lost count.

Chapter 2: Belly of the beast

Somewhere between ten and twenty, he thinks for some reason as his eyes shoot open. Body unmoving, his gaze roams over his surroundings. He is in a bed, on a mattress of more softness than he is accustomed to, his body partially sunk into it. There is a closed door seemingly made of white-painted wood on the left side of the wall facing the bed, 10 paces or so away. The room itself is rather spacious, with a small sofa in front of a television mounted on the wall to his right, 20 paces away. There is a bookshelf to the left of the television, probably 10 paces. On his left, 8 paces away, there is another door standing ajar, the tiles visible through the crack hinting at a bathroom. Tilting his head back he sees a faint white light is coming in from two rather small windows, which should just barely allow his body passage were they to be broken. The strangest part of the room is a chair up against the wall, facing the bed.

He spreads himself flat on his back before slowly raising his body up to a sitting position, letting his arms dangle lifeless by his sides as he does. It feels more strenuous than usual, his abs straining with effort. His powers lie dormant, but he feels something like an echo of them, certain they are not gone. Is he drugged, is there something on his body locking them away, is the room itself nullifying him or is this part of her power? He cracks his neck as he ponders this, careful not to show any hint of concern on his features. He has not spotted any surveillance yet but someone is bound to be watching.

He swings his legs out from the covers and starts to verify his estimation of paces. There is a faint, hopefully imperceptible falter to his steps when he notices that he is wearing a pair of bright blue panties. He considers taking them off but quickly rejects the idea. If he showed that this little tactic affected him, he would simply be subjected to more of it. Unless they actually play a part in nullifying his power? Unlikely. Someone took the effort to put them on him, though, while he was unconscious. And apparently cleaned him of ... of the remnants of the... fight. There is a strange absence of bodily discomfort considering the nature of his defeat, come to think of it.

He clenches his jaw and gets to work. After confirming his pace estimations, he starts pacing along the walls to establish the full breadth of the room. A knock on the door stops him in his tracks. Soon it cracks ever so slightly open and he can hear labored breathing.

“Could you get under the covers before we talk?”

Her voice is strangely rasping. Is this scenario meant to make him feel self-conscious and embarrassed, instill a meekness in him? Insulting. Still, there is a strange tension in the air. Is it fear he feels? He does as she bids but makes sure to move slowly, nonchalantly. The door opens slightly further and she peeks her head partway through, keeping her body hidden from view. Perhaps she is ashamed of herself, as she should be.

“Thanks. So... first things first, my name is Anessa.”

He can’t help himself. “A rather bland name for a hero.”

“Yeah, it’s actually just my real name, I never really got around to coming up with a hero name before my career took an unexpected turn and now I don’t really think I ever will, I mean what would you even call someone with a power like mine? Oh, technically I’m Anessa Ahn if you want the middle name, but I never use it. My parents were originally thinking Vanessa but they wanted something more unique, so they removed the V. I got off easy, they named my little sister Poe-Lisa Cademy, she changed that shit soon as she could, it’s just Lisa now. My folks are good people mostly, but assholes when it comes to names.”

Silence reigns after this strange little monologue. He mulls over all this seemingly useless information in genuine confusion. Is this meant to be endearing, establish a rapport? Simply inane. Her breathing has gotten even heavier and there is a strange intensity in her gaze, lending her an ominous air incongruous with her words.

She clears her throat. “But that’s not what I came here to say at all. As you may have noticed, your powers are gone. I can return them to you eventually, if I feel like you’ve had a change of heart and are ready to help people. And man, you’re practically made for it: you’ve got speed, flight, strength and you can basically swim through earth. With the help of a telepath locating survivors you could be the greatest disaster response in history. That’s what my team is all about, most of the time, so you wouldn’t ever need to fight any of your old friends or anything like that. But you’re stuck with me anyway so your villain career is over no matter what. I’m obviously not expecting you to jump on board immediately. Just think about it.”

He stares at her without blinking. If she truly believes she can recruit him to her side he could display resistance for an appropriate amount of time, then feign repentance to get his powers back and escape, then lie low and try to research this monster to find a solution to her existence. A simple plan, but better than nothing.

“So yeah, we’re at my place, not that I actually own it mind you,” the horrid hero starts rambling again as she slowly pulls her panting head back from the doorway, “and you’re pretty much under house arrest. This little wing of the house is yours for now, it has a small kitchen and then you’ve got this bedroom and that little bathroom over there.”

He blinks once, suddenly having to fight hard to still every muscle in his body which for some reason seems intent on squirming under the covers. He doesn’t quite understand it, but her physical presence seems to be having an intimidating effect on him. Only one of her eyes remains visible, but he sees it glazing over as it transfixes on the slightly trembling covers shielding his body.

“Ah, anyhow I, uh, gotta leave for a bit to... to help one of my other bi... business... associates. He needs it, my help. So I’m gonna go give it to him. But you have to stay here.”

Does she want him to think she’s gone, see if he tries to escape and then pounce on him if he does, to plunge him into despair? Or would she truly be so daft as to leave him be? It is possible she might view him as completely incapable without his powers. Or perhaps this house is more secure than it looks. Maybe he would break out only to find that it is in the middle of some secret prison complex.

She turns her head so she isn’t looking directly at him anymore, one hand clasping the door frame as she lets out a shaky breath. “Oh and sorry about the panties, I couldn’t find anything better; my uh, one of my flatmates’ clothes tend to get torn up all the time and the other fucker just said no when I asked. But I didn’t wanna leave you completely naked, so I put you in one of my old panties for decency, not just because I rightly thought you’d look cute in them. Sorry. But you really are cute in them, like seriously cute, though you’d probably be cute in anything, even a skirt and stuff, like, you got some real shapely legs y’know and last night after we got here I tried to read up on you a bit and I saw one of your mugshots when you had long hair and just, oh my god....” She takes a deep breath and slumps her head against the door frame. “Sorry, ignore that. And sorry for everything being so haphazard, this wasn’t really planned, you came outta nowhere and you were just real powerful and endangering a lot of people so I just had to do it to ya. Not a single person died, thankfully. We were real lucky.”

She seems fond of vomiting words in great quantities at a time, maybe to leave her victims with limited time to think them over. Is he meant to be embarrassed by her crass words? Is he meant to be flattered by her calling him powerful? Is the fact no-one died meant to test whether he would show relief or be intimidated by the possible insinuation things could have been a lot worse for him if someone had perished? He shows no response, just keeps staring. She may have seen him in a very unflattering state, but she will learn to be unsettled yet.

“Anyway. You’ll be on your own for a bit, but you can’t really get out, at least I think not. If you can, we’re on an island so you can’t go too far. And my friend Madeleine is in the house keeping watch, anyway. She’ll leave you alone, though, you won’t see her at all.”

She won’t be keeping watch but her invisible friend will. Is this a childish attempt at deception? Or a truth disguised as a clumsy lie, meant to make him start doubting himself when it is proven to be truth? This house being on an island is interesting, at least. Is it small enough that hiding is impossible if he were to break free from the building? Is there no way off the island without powers? He could maybe figure out where in the world they are if he could see the flora and... he suddenly finds himself drawing a deep breath. There is a strange scent in the room now, not entirely unpleasant even though he vaguely feels like it should be. Her rasping voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Not unless you’re a bad boy and make her come after you, of course. She’s chill, though. But very scary. Don’t make her mad, never know what she’d do. She might... might even bend you over her knee and... ” She exhales deeply, shakily, as if her rambling is the equivalent of running a marathon. “Sorry. She wouldn’t do that, she’s nice. I’ll be back tomorrow but you should be fine without me till then, since I, uh, I think I satisfied you pretty good.” She lets out another exhale at her crassness. “Okay, fuck, I gotta get going. Stay safe, be good, love you, sorry, bye!”

She slams the door and from the sound of it is running down the corridor. Eventually the noise dies down and he sits up in the bed and scoffs inwardly at her amateurish efforts to unsettle him. There was definitely something physically intimidating about her presence, but her mind games seem lacking. Unless the clumsiness is an act and her methods are actually too subtle for him to understand. He discards the thought quickly. The only thing more dangerous than underestimating someone is overestimating them. He will not defeat himself.

He emerges out from the covers once more and looks down at himself with acute displeasure. Despite her crass claim, he seems to be sporting an erection that strains the panties in a most unseemly way. He ignores it and passes the rest of the day exploring his surroundings. His jail consists of the room he awoke in, an adjoining bathroom, a little kitchen at the end of the hallway and a sturdy door seemingly devoid of a handle standing opposite the door to the kitchen. There is no change of clothes to be found. Eventually he decides to remove the panties and walk about in the nude.

A few knocks on the windows tell him they are not mere glass, further testing reveals even his most forceful blows has no effect on the material. They cannot be opened, meaning the small ventilation grates in the ceiling of each room are the only source of fresh air. The television in the bedroom does not actually work, seemingly connected to electricity but not the web. The books on the bookshelf are an eclectic mix, consisting of some classics, a few murder mysteries, a trashy romance novel and a hefty tome on the world war.

He employs the kitchen to sustain himself, consuming naught without thoroughly boiling or cooking it. The food may all contain some form of drug that might play a part in the nullification of his powers, or be designed to pacify him in some other way. Overcooking everything might at least reduce the likelihood of them functioning properly.

Darkness falls quickly once evening arrives, after what feels like only a few hours have passed, meaning he was either unconscious for nearly a full day or he has been moved to a different time zone. Sleep seems a distant possibility, for a number of reasons: He is powerless for the first time in years, a hero had her way with his body in the name of justice, he’s been imprisoned in an unknown location that worries him like no containment cell he’s been in before. And he’s still sporting an erection that refuses to go down.

This is new to him. Sexuality has never been much of a part of his life. The body has its needs, but normally they need only rarely be addressed. Erections come and usually go without his interference. This one must be the longest lasting he has ever experienced. Unfortunate. Probably he could fall asleep despite it, but for some reason its persistence bothers him greatly. He hides himself under the covers but keeps his hands clearly visible. He will not touch himself, and he will not give any watcher even the possibility of imagining him doing so.

He sits up so his erection doesn’t tent the covers or touch the bed. Her power really is frightening. Lust may be the most common human flaw, but it has never before been a weakness of his. He has experienced sex a few times in the past, but it was always a disappointing affair. Rutting away at someone only ever served as an unwelcome reminder that despite everything he was still a mere animal. He had eventually deemed it a demeaning waste of time and been happy ever since.

It is her power that is forcing him to feel lust. Much like it had been her power that made him feel those agonizingly powerful tremors that he surmises may have been orgasms, unlike any he has ever experienced. There had been no stumbling attempts at seduction, no roles to play, no thoughts to think. She had just taken him, rendered him helpless and made his body obey her every whim. He had not been reduced to an animal there; no, he had been reduced to a helpless slut, a shivering mess clinging onto that beast of a woman as she fucked him into submission. His erection aches now and he pushes these idiotic thoughts back, forcing himself to focus his mind elsewhere.

He chooses the strange chair against the wall as the focus of his attention. Why on earth would there be a chair there? A cuck chair, his mind informs him as his knowledge of memes rises from the depths of his mind. Is it an intimidation tactic? Would she actually... fuck him in front of someone sitting right there? Show them what should have been the most dangerous man on the planet completely losing control as her powerful hips slam her monstrous cock into his pliant, wanton body?

He jumps out of the bed. This must be dealt with. Hopefully the bathroom is not under direct surveillance. He walks swiftly towards it, his traitorous member bobbing stupidly with each step. But then in an instant he freezes, as his mind quickly takes in unexpected new information: There is a wet spot on the cuck chair.

In the next instant his foot flies out, catching someone in the shoulder. Suddenly she is visible: a slender, short woman in a black suit and tie, pant zipper down and her hand swiftly escaping out from dark red panties. The grunt she makes and the way her body receives the glancing blow tells him this is not a physically strong opponent. Must be the telepath. A knock-out blow is the only way to defend against such a foe, whatever he will do once she is downed will have to be decided afterward. He throws a quick punch aimed at her jaw but receives a knock-out blow of his own when the monster cock that ruined his life suddenly slaps full force against his cheek, sending him to his knees with a groan that has no place in a battle. Just as quickly as it appeared it is gone once more, leaving him naked and stiff on his knees, looking up at this perverted little weirdo as she scrambles up on the chair trying to pull her pants up.

“Stay down! I know this looks bad, but stop hitting me.”

This must be Madeleine. Her voice holds no confidence, a meek little squeak befitting a scurrying pest such as this.

“That’s a bit harsh.”

She has been sitting here, cloaked from his view, touching herself as she places unwanted thoughts in his head to torment him. Vile.

“I did not! Well, I was sitting here and my hand did stray, but I did not place any thoughts in your head. I was just standing guard, as I was asked to.”

Her skill at deception is minimal. The apparent stupidity of heroes may all be due to the excessive amount of brainpower devoted to pure perversion.

“I’m not a pervert. Well, maybe a little bit. But I’m a mind-reader, I’ve seen things that can’t be unseen. It’s a wonder I’m not more messed up than I am. Surely I can be forgiven some slightly weird tastes and questionable decisions made in pursuit of them.”

She is the cuckold in the chair. It was made for her. Was she watching last night?

“I am not! I was expecting you to start hatching some dangerous plan so I was watching you closely, but then things started getting steamy and I lost my composure. I happen to have developed a taste for seeing bad, bad boys turning into horny sluts and feeling conflicted about it. My friend happens to have the power to make that happen, while sometimes needing a little help from me to make sure she can control herself. On occasion I like to watch said friend fuck said sluts and lightly tap into the minds of both participants to make myself cum harder than I ever have through actual sex in my own body. Is that so bad? Does that make me a cuckold?”

She breathes heavily after that little speech, her mousy brown hair in its meticulously kept bob cut swaying slightly. A blush is rising in her cheeks.

“She may be fucking my husband but he’s an ex really, I just haven’t officially divorced him yet. It doesn’t count.”

This is absurd. Idly, he wonders why the husband is getting fucked. Was this pervert with mind-reading powers somehow married to a villain without knowing it? She blushes even harder.

“He’s also a telepath and we stayed out of each other’s heads, alright? He was a hero for years, I had no way of knowing he would turn to evil. When I stumbled onto what he was doing he tried to overwhelm my mind, but I managed to hold on while I sent a distress call to Anessa. She arrived just in the nick of time and saved me. By fucking my bitch of a husband into submission while he and I duked it out psychically. It was a unique experience.”

It is interesting that even a telepath could not stop the monster, though this seemingly weak person may have kept him fully at bay. This person who is very much a cuckold, unless there is another word for a female variant. Her brow furrows but she bites her lip rather than saying anything. He wonders how she feels about regularly seeing someone who betrayed her and tried to overwhelm her mind.

“We’re fine now. In retrospect I just married him because I could feel normal around him, not out of any real feelings. It was sort of the same with him, though he had some deep seated issues that were even worse than mine. He just needed to lose all the control he was so obsessed with and get a fat cock in him to put him straight. He truly helps people now. And he’s always up for letting me into his mind when things are getting good. Sometimes we even hold hands while she’s inside him, I feel it’s more intimate than anything we ever did when we were a couple.”

A long moment passes as he processes that. He keeps receiving information that he does not know what to do with. This might all be some sort of weird joke.

“Not at all! I love my best friend and I love watching her in bed, there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s simply perfect, why shouldn’t she have a harem of hot guys? I’d support her through anything. Why, if her inhuman virility somehow knocked her men up I would gladly be a nanny to the kids.”

He shudders at both the nature of her foul desires and the memory of Anessa’s muttered fantasy of impregnating him. He stills the trembling in his weak body by sinking a nail into the back of his hand with all the force he can muster. This is more than a joke, it must be an attempt to unsettle him so she can more easily manipulate his mind. Why else would she divulge such intensely personal information?

Or is she just a weak-willed mind reader incapable of keeping her mouth shut due to her lowly, perverted nature? She blushes and her hand is suddenly resting just above her crotch, pressed hard against her body. Ah. Her actions may have more than one purpose, but above all, this little freak divulged all that because she is getting off on his judgement.

“That’s not true at all!”

She says that while suffering a full body shiver, her fingers crawling under the hem of her panties before she stops herself. Is she affected by Anessa’s power too, or just naturally perverted? This whole situation feels like a bizarre trap. The only way to get this filthy little creature off his case is by not looking at her like the roach she is, which is difficult. She’s gently gyrating her hips now, but her hand dips no further.

He stares at her in silence, trying to still his mind. Empty and calm, moment stretching into moment. Her breath slowly evens out, the slight curves of her breasts rising and falling with dwindling force, her eyes blinking slowly as if to bring herself out of a haze, her lower lip hanging loose as she exhales deeply. He has never been a good judge of such things, but she strikes him as conventionally attractive. It must merely be her meager mind that relegates her to this pathetic sexual role.

Damn it. She bucks up against her hand with a creepy moan. Damn it, damn it, damn it. He should treat this like a fight, but this worthless little bottom-feeder makes it impossible. She bites down on a finger and presses her legs together and he’s had enough. He jumps to his feet and throws a punch once more.

Then he’s under the warm glow of the sun, birds chirping all around as the gentle lapping of the waves of a nearby lake soothes him. A strong hand is in his hair, gently scratching at his scalp. His face is resting on rock hard abs. He cranes his head upward to see the hero that ended his dream. He shakes his head against the abs, almost like he’s trying to nuzzle into them.

No, she did not end his dream. It has simply been delayed. He cannot be caged. He cannot be controlled. This is not real. As if in response her monstrous member suddenly enters the picture, jerking straight into the air before being guided by gravity onto her stomach with a heavy slap, right beside his face. The smell is intoxicating.

But he is no fool. This silly little vision vanishes as he exerts his will. He stands at the top of a dormant volcano, watching a storm of mythic proportions tearing asunder an island as he watches impassively. The rain and wind batter at his body but he is unaffected, for they are extensions of him.

Then he’s back in the ruined lair, trying to hold back his moans as he dribbles like a faucet from the overwhelming pleasure of being speared on Anessa’s outrageous organ, her occasional demeaning words turning him on more and more as he tries in vain to hold back the repeated orgasms.

No. He stands amid a legion of wacky, inflatable tube men, each of them screaming their own version of the world’s truth in tongues long forgotten as they flail unceasingly. This is where religions are born and where they die, under the watchful gaze of eyes unseeing.

“What in the world?”

He stays here a while in peace, perhaps having confounded his foe. As soon as this thought crosses his mind the tube men all start sprouting a familiar appendage. The fact it is so familiar despite him only having encountered and... experienced ... it once infuriates him.

So now he stands as a child, breathing shallow as he begins his trek through a foreboding forest. In the distance sounds the howling of false wolves; men bred through generations to become as much a mockery of humanity as dogs are of wolves. From each tree hangs a body swaying gently in the wind, his arms occasionally brushing against their icy skin as he runs as fast as he can through this hunting ground.

“Time-out, time-out.”

He is back on his knees in front of her, only his stubborn erection spoiling his icy demeanor as he stares into her eyes. He could show her much better things if she would only dive back in.

“That would not stop me if I truly wanted to go further, but all I need is for you stop hitting me." She sighs. "That was pretty disgusting. Do you just like awful things? Is that why you became a villain in the first place? Is that the kind of thing you would have done if you had managed to become the most powerful person in the world?”

All her earlier perversion is gone, replaced by a cold disdain tinged with a hint of anger. He can’t help but relax at this return to normalcy. There is danger still, but he can barely bring himself to care. This feels so right.

“Oh.”

Oh. Of course she read that. Showing nothing physically is easy, but thinking nothing is a tall order. Her comforting icy demeanor slowly dissipates, though she thankfully stays somewhat rigid and stern.

“I guess if you were asexual or something before this must all be way too much. I didn’t think you’d notice me, but that is not much of an excuse. You’re an evil jerk, but I still should not have acted this way. I apologize.”

A second strange pervert with a fetish for empty apologies offered from positions of insurmountable power. The honesty of villainy is superior in every way. Power shapes lives and land, words just paint a pretty picture after the fact, to justify and rationalize.

“You’re a very dour individual. I don’t know what happened to make you the way you are, and I’m not going to pry. I don’t know if it helps, but I want you to know you’re safe around me, I won’t mess with your mind. Your life may be changing, but it will be gradual and not due to brainwashing.”

She puts a hand on top of his head and ruffles his hair. This may be meant to be affectionate or reassuring in some way, but her countenance remains stern, her true colors still on display in spite of her attempts at currying his favor with this pretense of kindness. The suit that looked so odd on her before fits her true demeanor rather well, he realizes.

“You really prefer a firm hand, don’t you? I guess I can give you that. I offer you two choices: An orgasm or sleep.”

He blinks slowly at her. She offers an orgasm? The world is going wrong again. She blushes.

“Not like... I’d never touch one of Anessa’s bitches without her explicit permission!”

Damn it. Damn it all, it’s happening again. She clears her throat.

“Simmer down... boy. I mean I could help you reach orgasm by tricking your mind into thinking she’s touching you. Or I could help you ignore that need and fall asleep. Though I don’t know what it will be like in the morning.”

“I choose sleep,” he tells her with the first words he has spoken aloud to her.

“Then get back in bed.”

He does, slowly. The available power plays aren’t very clear to him, but eagerness is out of the question. She stays true to her word, the lingering awareness of his erection immediately leaving him upon lying down. She herself leans back in her stupid cuck hair, smiling slightly as he thinks that, damn it.

His consciousness eventually starts easing into sleep despite the bizarre tension of this whole situation. Sadly, the dullard also seems to be falling asleep in her chair, and the waves of calm emanating from her are interspersed with snippets of her voice sliding straight into his mind.

“Just naturally submissive?”

Trying to implant ideas in his head, he thinks hazily.

“Can you dominantly make someone humiliate you?”

Simply her perverse tendencies.

“Would he sleep better if I spooned him?”

An attempt to see if he is susceptible to physical shows of affection. He most decidedly is not.

“His hair’s so nice. Maybe I can play with it to comfort him while she bullies him with her huge cock. Yes, surely he’d love that. I’ll be so nice and comforting.”

He does have nice hair, he has heard this before.

“False wolves, wonder what they look like?”

His consciousness fades.

Chapter 3: Crass company

His eyes open and he peers around curiously. The room seems empty now, though obviously last night has shown he cannot rely on his eyes alone. Whatever her perversions, the telepath does seem to have given him the most restful sleep of his life. He first wonders how she did that, then what else she may have done to his mind as he slept. He can recall no dreams. Thinking about his jailers does not come with any sudden lack of loathing for them. She may well have done something subtler.

His brooding thoughts are rudely disturbed as he gets out of the bed. The offensive sight of his erection brings unwanted lust back to the forefront of his mind with a worrying intensity, causing his breath to hitch. He lets himself fall back on the bed and sits there stupidly with his member in the air as he tries to calm himself.

He clenches his fists before rising once more and striding into the bathroom, stepping into the shower and unleashing a deluge of frigid water over his rebellious body. Soon he is shivering, but he sets to work cleaning himself as if nothing were out of the ordinary, although he decides to forgo the shampoo bottle in case they put something in it. Alas, after many minutes of shivering under the cold spray of water the only part of his body that stands defiant is his stubborn rod.

Fine. If it must be done. He turns the water to hot and takes hold of himself with a resigned dignity. Time passes agonizingly slowly as he awkwardly attempts to excise his weakness, staring daggers into the wall while trying his hardest to ignore the frantic movements of his hand. Sadly, the usual solution does not seem to be working. He looks down at himself with a detached air as his fingers glide up and down to fulfill their unfortunate duty. Perhaps the shower is distracting him.

He turns it off and dries himself before resuming his task, yet it is to no avail. It is a curious matter. The need is there, as is the normal amount of contact, but the nerve endings do not seem to be sufficiently stimulated. Is this a mental block placed by the psychic pervert? Or has that monster changed his body in some way?

Memories of that fateful copulation assail his mind and the burning shame is tinged with a detestable pleasure that causes a twitching in his whole body. His hand recoils from him in disgust. Is this what the pervert did? Place some mental trigger in him as he slept to make him revel in his own humiliation?

He places his hand back where it was and probes at his own thoughts. Thinking of Anessa does seem rewarding: her toned body, her horrid member, her hazel eyes, her plush lips, her... smell? All these seem to have an effect on him. He turns his mind to the pervert, but feels nothing. Next he thinks of her watching him being taken by Anessa and this has a definite effect. Yes, he cannot claim to really know her yet, but this very much does seem to bear the foul mind-meddler’s hallmark. Next he tries thinking of Irene and her impassive face watching him from the darkness and... sort of feels something. Curious. He imagines her with her fingers entwined in his hair, kissing him. Yes, this too has an effect. But why would that be? Did the pervert delve deep and discover his memories of Irene? If so, why make her awaken sordid feelings within him? Maybe the mental suggestion is something vague, not focused on Anessa specifically?

He imagines himself having sex with some traditionally attractive woman, to little effect. Next he thinks of rutting with Radiance, the most powerful hero in the world and widely considered the most beautiful, to similarly little effect. Hmm. His mind turns to Titania and her bounteous assets. She beat him once, early in his career, when he would not have stood any chance even if he did use all the powers then available to him. She’d broken through the front of his then boss’ mansion and his given task had been to keep her occupied for as long as he could. It had been a remarkably gentle affair, considering he wound up beaten unconscious. She fought him on all fours but still loomed over him like a mountain and while he threw furniture and broken walls at her she responded by batting him around like a cat would a toy. She started softly, seemingly unsure of how much he could take, then slowly increased the power. He kept her occupied for quite a while due to her woeful underestimation of his capabilities. By the end of it she was biting her lip in consternation at his stubborn refusal to stay down, his unnerving ability to keep fighting despite his battered body, heaving breaths and torn outfit that just barely held onto his frame. Through it all he kept his stoic demeanor, staring up at her not in defiance but disinterest. He knows for a fact that some heroes are unnerved by his inhuman calm during battle, despite his relatively low power level.

He shakes his head and tries to get back on track. What if the fight had not ended with him fading to unconsciousness in her palm as she moved to drop him into her pocket? What if instead she had torn his damaged clothing fully off, bent him over one gigantic finger and then explored just how much he could take by spanking him with her pinky until he finally relented and cried out? Yes. Yes, a definite response there. The telepath did this. He is meant to enjoy being overpowered.

Irene being the least distasteful option, he turns his thoughts back to her. He imagines her reclining mostly clothed in a chair as shadows dance around her, with him kneeling in front, going down on her. Hmm, yes, and maybe she could be smoking a cigarette while idly stroking his hair and looking down at him with faint approval in her eyes. He doesn’t quite know how she would convey approval with those black pools of hers or whether she actually smokes, but this scenario seems to be quite arousing, causing his body to shudder in response. Well, it does make some sense. Villains are just inherently sexier, as the trashy tabloids regularly inform the equally trashy masses.

If he can find no escape from this mental compulsion and has to submit to someone, it should definitely be a villain. He had some suspicions in the past that Irene’s strange queries might not have been because she suspected him of hiding something but because of some possible romantic interest. Perhaps those suspicions were correct and perhaps that interest could be rekindled. If she saved him from this dreadful place he would happily give her whatever she desired, stunted as his attempts at affection would no doubt be. She always did seem a bit intense, so her desires might just line up with the suggestions placed by the telepath.

He spends a frustratingly long time imagining himself in all sorts of embarrassing situations with Irene, feeling a steady physical pleasure that stubbornly refuses to reach its natural end. His hand is starting to get tired when there is a knock on the door. He peers out from the bathroom just in time to see the bedroom door open and a hand reach in to throw a bathrobe onto the bed.

“Good morning. Please put this on. I have made breakfast.”

A man’s voice. One of Anessa’s other victims? He hurries into the bathrobe, a welcome chance at dignity. No doubt this man is supposed to be his confidant, the good cop of the scenario.

“Excellent. Now...” The man sticks his head inside and stares coldly through black-rimmed glasses at a slight bulge in the bathrobe. “Ah. I can help with that. Just a moment.”

In a short while, his awareness of the damned need dissipates and finally the firmness flags. If these telepaths can both deal with it so easily there must be some way for him to tame it through his own willpower. He turns his eyes to the man. This telepath has slicked back dark hair and a clean-shaven face and is oddly well dressed for the occasion, in a grey buttoned up vest over a white shirt and tie. He looks rather like an early 20th century gangster. Those clothes are definitely not torn, so this must be the so-called other fucker.

“I prefer to go by Nathaniel, if you don’t mind. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now follow me.”

It is unfortunate that he cannot even think in peace around here.

“Well, I’m afraid you will have to excuse me, but it takes effort to block surface thoughts out and as I am in currently in the comfort of my own home I refuse to be anything but perfectly relaxed. Rest assured, I shall not pry deeper, no matter how dangerous you may be. I will tell you right now that I care not one whit for your strengths or your sins. I shall pass no judgement on your actions. I am no angel myself.”

This fellow puts far too much effort into his words to be truly eloquent. Too much effort has likewise been spent on this breakfast. Toast, jam and butter, crackers and a few different cheeses, omelettes, crispy bacon, croissants, muffins, a coffee press, a pitcher each of water and what is possibly orange juice. There is nary an empty spot on the table. Either this man has a voracious appetite or he is a wastrel.

“Have no fear. I intend to take the leftovers to a retirement home here on the island. The residents enjoy my visits immensely. And it just so happens that they appreciate my verbosity. It helps, of course, that I am the one person they can still hear perfectly, what with my ability to bypass their failing ears and place my words directly into their minds. They enjoy socialization unhindered by the ravages of age while I bask in their appreciation of my character. A perfect exchange for all involved.”

He puts an omelette on a plate, then some bacon. Pours himself a coffee. Sits down and starts eating, hunched over his plate that just barely fits on the cluttered table. Nathaniel does not seem perturbed by the silence, prattling on about the retirement home as he piles a little bit of everything onto his own plate. Is this man meant to be offering him companionship or trying to wear him down?

“There were no specific instructions. Anessa bade me keep you company for a spell, so I shall. She will return later in the day to lay whatever ground rules she deems appropriate for you. We will share this breakfast with and then I will leave you to your own devices. Oh, and you may consider the bathrobe a gift. I do not expect it returned.”

He sips his coffee in silence. There is undeniably a slight dignity to the way this man carries himself. But is he truly as devoted in his servitude as he wants to appear? Is he playing a role for the prisoner in front of him or is it for himself, a desperate attempt to convince himself his current situation is anything other than horror?

Now Nathaniel does seem perturbed, his breathing a bit huffed. “My change of heart may not have come about in the most dignified of ways, but I am happy with who I have become, far happier than I ever was before. There is dignity in serving the lady of this house, as well as for the betterment of mankind.”

Ridiculous. As if the betterment of mankind is anything but meaningless drivel. If someone were to claim they strove for the betterment of ant-kind he would be more interested. Has she made mush of this poor fool’s mind?

“Her power might be slightly off-putting to the mundane mind, but your fate is not the nightmare you imagine. Anessa is a good person, a fine hero and a fantastic lover. It is thanks to her that I learned how to truly care for people, including myself. It is through her gracious, admittedly somewhat odd, guidance that I have grown as a person.”

Yes, nothing left but mush. He bites down on the last piece of bacon from his plate, wondering how long he himself has before he starts losing his mind. How long does it take her to do this, how many mountings? Is it incurable once it has happened, or does she need to exert herself regularly to maintain it? If he is the third, might she have limited time to break him if she needs to spend time on the other two?

Nathaniel completely regains his composure and a smug little smile finds its way onto his lips. “I know it may seem difficult to share a single woman with two other men but rest assured, she is woman enough to satisfy a legion. Wait, that sounds terrible, I retract that statement.”

Is that... pride? Is he pleased she is not monogamous? Does that mean he subconsciously wishes for her to leave him alone? Or does he share some of his wife’s... interests?

“Oh, you met my wife already? Such a sweetheart she is, awkward and shy though she may be. The sleaziest saint you ever will meet. Our love, in all its byzantine glory, truly bloomed once Anessa took the reins in our sex life.”

If he were to gain access to the entire building, could he avoid Anessa’s ministrations by getting this fool to fall on the sword, as it were? Is he addicted enough to do so, or is he too obedient to her will to be anything but another enemy?

Nathaniel chuckles. “I am neither friend nor foe, though I hope we will lean toward the former in time. I find myself craving a nice game of Go these days, but no-one in this house has the patience or mental acuity for it. I do not expect you to be up for the challenge just yet, of course, unacquainted as you still are to life here. And I am well aware how difficult it can be for the average man to trust a telepath. But, well, who knows what will happen in time? There is a strange sort of camaraderie in lining up for the lady of the house and receiving her affections side by side. When the right mood takes her she can go for so long you will be thankful the load is shared. Yes, you truly get the measure of a man when you take turns sheathing that mighty blade from dusk till dawn.”

The notion of this man’s dignity evaporates like dew under the sun’s cruel gaze. He swallows the last of his food and stands with a slight scowl.

“Thank you for the meal and the robe. I could have done without your words.”

Nathaniel smiles. “You are most welcome.”

He returns to the bedroom, closes the door behind him and starts pacing along the walls. It is of course possible that Nathaniel was lying about that last part just to upset him, but he feels no confidence in making such an assumption in this damned den of deviants.

 

Hours later there is a knock on the door. He does not reply, but ceases his pacing to take a seat on the bed and crosses his legs in his new bathrobe. Anessa eventually opens the door and steps inside, taking a seat in the cuck chair and running her gaze over him before clearing her throat.

“I should have thought of the bathrobe myself, sorry about that. Could easily have given you my own if I’d just thought of it, would have had my smell in it which would have been nice. I’m impressed with Nate though, it was real sweet of him to give you that, usually he likes to be an ass when he meets new people. Puppy probably wouldn’t mind lending you clothes either if he was here right now, but his are always kinda torn. Uh, Jamal, I mean. That’s his name. Please don’t let on I called him that, he hates it most of the time.”

The unflattering nickname leads him to believe this Jamal will be about as devoid of potential as an ally as Nathaniel.

She looks away from him to stare off to the side. “He’s been with me the longest. He nearly killed me, you know.”

He blinks slowly, offering nothing.

“Back then I had just started using my power, wasn’t even a registered hero or anything, just tried running around being helpful. Thought I just had a low-end kind of superhuman strength, enough to do some good in the world but nothing crazy. My family was supportive, the neighbors loved my little heroics, felt like the world was on my side. I stopped small-time crooks, broke up bar brawls, rescued kittens from trees, generally just tried to make my neighborhood a little bit safer. One night that meant running into a fight in a halfway house after seeing someone getting thrown out the window. People were screaming and running all around me as I tried to ooze confidence that oozed right on down the drain soon as I saw Jamal. He stood there staring me down all bloody and frothing at the mouth, bite marks on his arms like he’d torn into himself with his own teeth. Well, next he tore into me.”

He is not the most adept at social cues but this is surely an abnormal conversational flow. The jump from the bathrobe to what sounds like an origin story is just too far. This reminds him of his father, oddly enough, specifically the time he dropped by his room to mention he had fixed the dripping faucet before announcing he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The similarities in their conversational techniques are uncanny.

She nods her head in seeming remembrance with a glazed over stare. “I kept him busy. Everyone escaped. Except for me. He tossed me around, kicked me so hard I went through two different rooms and my head poked through the wall of the third, which I threw up in before he dragged me back to beat me some more. My nose broke at some point, an ankle twisted, kinda felt like a rib broke though I’m not completely sure on that one. He was like a rabid animal. I was so scared. I was going to die.”

Is she showing a vulnerable side in an attempt to garner sympathy? He supposes that might be it.

She shrugs and her shoulders stay up a moment. “And then he licked the blood off my face and something changed. The fear disappeared and I was just.... horny. So horny it felt like I was going to die if I didn’t... do something about it. Suddenly he wasn’t so overwhelming anymore. I hit him back and he just flew off me. We exchanged some blows, then we were wrestling on the floor and there was a goddamn pillar between my legs. He bit me and I bit him back and then.... I was inside him. He was laughing, like a hyena or something, and we kept on hitting and biting each other. Then he started making different sounds, once I had him against the wall. He came when we broke through it, but I was still far off. The whole night was mindless, brutal, disgusting, amazing.”

Well, if sympathy was the goal she has failed utterly. It seems most of her meager brainpower is eternally devoted to sex.

Her fingers trace mindless patterns on one knee. “It wasn’t his fault. He’d been sickly all his life so his mother bought some miracle cure that technically worked but left him addicted. He spent every penny he had to keep getting it, then he gave more. Wound up as a human experiment for the mad scientist responsible, in a secret lair under that halfway house, and at the end of it he gained inhuman strength and went berserk in the process. Then he collided with me and I ... pretty much just replaced his addiction. Afterward he was back in control of himself, and we... became a couple, I guess. I could restrain his power when he needed me to and there was an undeniable physical attraction. So it seemed okay. I still sought out a pair of telepaths to give our minds a quick check. They said everything looked hunky-dory.”

Perhaps the goal of this story is to make her seem like a reasonable person doing the best she can in a difficult position. If so, her time is wasted.

She leans forward in the chair, hunching over. “Nate was tough in a different way. I kept seeing those telepaths, making them look for changes every now and then, just in case. They became my best friends and then my only friends, because I didn’t feel comfortable hanging out with normal people anymore, didn’t know how to explain just what me and Jamal were. They were so reassuring, helping me try to understand what was going on with me and how to live my weird new life. Then one day that all came crashing down. Suddenly hearing Maddie’s frantic call for help in my head, rushing over there as she kept screaming in my mind, it was horrifying. I kicked in their door and found him just before he could crush her. He focused on her for too long, so I managed to slam screaming into him before he could react. I’d never been so angry in my life. And then... I got horny.”

Her knee starts bouncing. “He was in my mind, turning my world upside down. Didn’t matter. Maddie was in his head but way more importantly my fat cock was inside him, and my body didn’t need me to be fully present to pound that evil bitch. Before long this cruel, awful, stupidly sexy person was a mewling slut beneath me. Maddie was staring at me slack-jawed, tears running down her face. She was safe, but a mess. A sane person would have checked on her, comforted her, said something. But no. I just could not stop fucking her husband. I kept going all night long, and she kept watching. My great heroic rescue turned into something fucked up.”

Maybe her goal is intimidation. But he’s starting to suspect there might be no goal. Perhaps once her mouth starts it will not stop until whatever is floating around in her mind has been emptied out.

“It was his fault. He was a liar and a monster, even if Maddie says he was just a victim of his own self-loathing who gave in to his insecurities and had some incredible epiphany that night. Shouldn’t matter. He betrayed her, almost destroyed her over some stupid scheme that was supposed to make him more powerful, basically just so everyone would like him more if what he and Maddie say is true. So damn stupid. But now I live with him and think he’s sweet and cute and dick him down on the regular. Maddie’s forgiven him too, still likes to watch for some reason. Nate himself seems to have become the man I thought he was before he showed his true colors. How did this happen? I don’t know. Is my dick game that strong? I mean I know it’s good, I’ve got eyes and ears, don’t need Maddie to tell me, but how the hell would it cause someone to have a complete change of heart? There’s no way, right? So much of what I do makes no sense to me.”

Lo and behold, some common ground.

“You were the first time I used this power without feeling completely out of my mind. I was in control, mostly. Not to say I was in control of the fight the whole time, but my head was clear. Lives were at stake and no-one who could stop you was available. I had to do it. I made the conscious decision to do it. I took you but it wasn’t too rough, I think. I want your experience to be as slow and gentle as possible. I really don’t think my power is a good thing, you know. Hopefully you can be the last one I use it on. You’re so powerful. If you were a hero you could save the world all by yourself. I’d never have to do whatever the hell this actually is to anyone ever again.”

He stares her down coldly, batting away the errant, indignant thought that he wasn’t dangerous enough for her and that she had actually been going easy on him. “This world does not need saving. There can be no life without strife. Safety is naught but a fleeting illusion, an ideal that would stifle and suffocate humanity were it ever made reality. Civilizations are meant to rise and fall like waves on the ocean. Their end, be it by calamity or hubris, is necessary for the beginning of something new. No matter what power I may come to hold, I will never deny the world this.”

She stares back, dumb-struck. Then she laughs once, breathlessly. “You’re so weird. What a response. And what a relief, honestly. Thank you. Knowing you’re still you and not remaking yourself to please me out of some overpowering need created by my power makes me happier than you can imagine.”

He has no reply to that. A subdued little smile appears on her lips. “Let’s have a normal day tomorrow, or something close to it. I’ll get Maddie and Nate to stop their constant mind-reading. They’re suspicious of you and doubting of me and also just lazy jackasses, because apparently it takes oh so much effort not to let other people’s thoughts seep in. But I mean it, I will have them treat you with respect, at least a little. We’re pretty bad at it, but I swear we’ll try.”

She stands from the chair, inching toward the door. “The whole team should be gathered tomorrow, so we’ll take a little walk outside, all of us together. You must be starving for some fresh air.”

Most of his life has been spent in cities so the absence of fresh air is natural to him. But any glimpse that affords him a better understanding of his surroundings is welcome.

She stops in her tracks. “Oh, wait, I almost forgot why I came here in the first place: Do you want a handjob?”

It takes considerable effort not to let his face drop. “What?”

She clears her throat. “Sorry, could have been smoother about that probably but I’m about as much a smooth-talker as a drunk walrus is a ballerina. Anyway, ah, it’s... like, I can sort of sense your need, you know, and smell it on top of that. And I think it’s riling me up, so I’d love for you to get it out of your system so we can be more chill around each other. I’d let you do it yourself but one of the things about my power is that, um, you can’t really, you know, fully get your rocks off unless you can smell me or feel me. Sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better I can’t do it without you guys either, I always need... you know, some sugar.”

That does not make him feel better. Some of this is valuable information if true, but he is having trouble responding. “I... don’t...”

“I mean, just look at us: Here we are trying to have a serious conversation but the whole time we’re pointing boners at each other. It’s ridiculous.”

At no point did he indicate he wanted a serious conversation. Looking down at his crossed legs he sees his annoying bulge isn’t pointing her way at all either. He had mostly managed to ignore her own prodigious pelvic protrusion until now.

“I mean, Maddie and Nate tell me they’ve been helping you ignore your body but I don’t think it’s gonna work out in the long run and I’d love to give you a hand and there’s absolutely no pressure for you to do anything for me in return, I mean watching you feel good for me is gonna be its own reward. Sorry.”

He stares at her, pointedly keeping his eyes on her face. She controlled its size on that fateful night, so if she were truly bothered about it sticking out why would she not shrink it down? Those shorts she’s wearing have a surprising amount of give, possibly the same material so many heroes use for their silly skin-tight costumes.

At his lack of response she strides over to his paralyzed form and swiftly pushes a single finger onto his member, eliciting an unnecessarily dramatic gasp from him. She winks down at him. “So whaddaya say?”

His mind reels, which it seems frustratingly fond of doing these days. He’s completely out of his element, dumbstruck and paralyzed by the pressure exerted with a single finger. Wait. Nathaniel said she would lay some ground rules. Is that what this is, putting him in his place with just one finger, making him cower like some blushing virgin? She’s wagging her eyebrows now, the bastard, as she runs her finger teasingly back and forth. Yes, something is definitely afoot. Those suggestions placed by that perverted woman, too, it all lead to this. Of course. They want him to feel meek and overpowered, completely dominated by the slightest hint of sexual pressure. This is a fight and he cannot afford to back down.

He jumps to his feet. “Fine. Just make it quick.”

“Great!”

With preternatural speed she has opened his bathrobe and with one yank on his arm he is spun around, the precious robe falling off him. Before he can even ask himself why the robe has been removed she has clutched him from behind, raised him off the ground and started trudging to the bathroom. With the pressure removed from his member and a great, throbbing organ pressed against his back he realizes just what trap he has fallen into: They made him ask for it.

“Wait, I may not have thought this thr-oooh.”

Her hand has found his member with a firm grip that embarrassingly makes his whole body lean into the touch, though perhaps it could be construed as him trying to escape her. She carries him a few more steps and they stop in front of the toilet.

“Now, I’m not going to say this isn’t sexual, because it obviously is, but we’ll keep it minimally sexual. Just two people in a bathroom, one of them about to cum into the toilet bowl where it will be flushed down right away, leaving no trace of what happened here and no chance for anything to land on your smooth skin where someone might be tempted to lick it off you like a total creep.”

Then she starts cranking it in earnest while holding him so closely from behind that he can feel both her breasts and her toned abdomen pressed against him. His eyes dart around in bewilderment, trying not to look down. This ranks highly among the most embarrassing experiences of his life.

“Just tell me what feels good and what doesn’t and I’ll be out of your hair in a jiffy.”

He scoffs. “No part of... of this... f-feels good.”

Damnation. That did not sound aloof or accusing or anything he would want to sound like.

She leans her forehead on his shoulder. “Why does everything you say sound so cute?”

He sputters a bit but there is a hint of a moan in the sound, so he bites down on his lip and holds his tongue. She continues her ministrations mostly in silence, but her breath is getting heavier and before long he feels a powerful throbbing against his back. A part of him clenches in response and he feels a peculiar sense of emptiness. There is absolutely no reason for her to stand pressed up against him like this.

“Are you... getting close? Am I bad at this?” He gives no answer and she sighs. “I’m sorry, I should have known this wouldn’t be that easy. This is just weird. What is my life?”

Eventually she slides her other hand over his stomach before pushing upwards, tracing over his pecs and then placing a single finger on top of his nipple that starts to lazily run back and forth over it. It feels peculiarly uncomfortable, forcing him to bite down harder to stay his reaction.

“You’ve got a sweet bod. Gotta take care to keep it in shape while you’re here without your powers. Should I get you some workout equipment? We’ve got a little gym in the building, but the weights are made for super-strength, so they’re kinda comically large. There is a treadmill, but you’d want to run when I’m not there, my eyes would 100% lock in on that booty, like sorry but I could never not look. Of course it’d be fine if you were up for me interrupting your run to give you a proper workout, if you know what I mean. Sorry.”

It’s infuriating. His body is feeling all sorts of ways but at the same time he is so incensed at the embarrassment of it all that the pleasure can’t seem to reach the necessary heights for release. He steels himself so that he can tell her to just stop this nonsense without his voice wavering. He is disturbed by her nose diving into his hair and taking a deep sniff.

“Mmm, you smell real nice.”

What is that supposed to mean? Why is she smelling his hair? He didn’t use the shampoo. Is this reverse psychology, meant to ensure he uses it next time? He seems unduly unnerved by this possibility, his whole body trembling. Oh. She has stopped stroking, leaving him only with the sensation of her finger toying with his nipple and her nose still rummaging around in his hair. So this is her game. It takes considerable effort not to hump away at the hand that still holds him. He bites his lip, adamant to withstand this strange torture. He will not give in. She will not make him feel small and needy and dependent on her.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Oh!” She bends down to place a kiss on his neck as she picks up the pace once more, causing his useless knees to buckle, giving her an excuse to make him lean back into her. “How could I forget this little darling?”

He feels her breath on top of his head. Wait, why is her head so much higher than his? Just how far back is he leaning? He tries to picture her height in relation to his, but it is currently hard to concentrate.

“Look, babe, my guy, I can’t keep this up forever,” she says as she leans down and suddenly the monster appears between his legs. “I think I’m gonna lose my mind if you don’t cum soon.”

When and how did she pull that thing free? Did it grow enough to pop free even from those impressively elastic shorts? He can’t tear his eyes away from it, looming there beneath his own modest specimen. This new perspective is bewildering. Obviously he knew it’s big, but that thing starts at her groin behind him and still reaches further than his own member. This was inside him. It’s impossible. He eventually manages to close his eyes, but not without an unfortunate accompanying whimper at the last sight of the monster twitching upwards.

“Oh? You like that?” Her knees poke forward and then clamp around his legs as she presses them together, sandwiching her mighty member between his thighs. “Is your little guy happy to see his big friend again?”

Annoyingly his guy chooses this moment to ooze out a single white drop, granting her stupid teasing a wholly undeserved veneer of veracity. She gives a short huff and suddenly she’s humping him in tandem with her strokes along his length, using his legs as a masturbatory aid. He doesn’t know how to react. This is mortifying, but his body is telling him it’s a big fan of whatever the hell is going on right now. He opens his eyes again and his breath hitches at the sight of that enormous cock plowing back and forth through his legs. Some idiotic instinct tells him to try to bend over, but he knows that would offer no escape, no, it would prompt her to spread his legs and put that thing where it belongs. He pushes this ridiculous thought away with a grunt.

“Yeah? Almost there?” The seconds keep ticking and his breathing is getting ever heavier as he tries to keep his mind blank and his mouth quiet. Then she leans in close and her voice is tickling his ear. “Or are you deliberately holding back cause you need me inside you so bad? Is that why you’re pushing that perky little ass at me? Are you trying to seduce me, you little tease?”

He shakes his head to avoid the risk of letting his voice out.

“Then come the fuck on, you horny little slut, just cum already!”

The absolute disrespect! But oh, here comes that orgasm finally. His whole body trembles and then goes limp, held up only by her firm hand and rock hard dick as she starts peppering his neck with pointless little kisses.

“There we go, that’s it, cum for me, let it all out, such a good boy.”

He clenches his teeth hard as she wrings him out, trying to blot out the feelings that accompany the opening of this flood dam. He looks down and sees the nipple she spent all that time flicking has become much pointier than the one she left alone. This is simply inhumane, she’s rendered his nipples asymmetrical, why not just alternate between them rather than stick to one? Slowly the sensations subside and some strength starts returning to him. She finally lets go, leaving him leaning against the wall, both of them panting.

“So, listen, one of these days I’m gonna cuddle you real good, real hard, all night long. But right now I don’t think I could take it cause I am wanting you real bad right about now and I said you didn’t need to do nothing for me tonight. Hey, would it make sense for me to send Maddie in to cuddle with you?”

Making him contend with this level of nonsense while feeling so completely drained is just cruel. He manages to shake his head with a bit of effort.

“Oh, and sorry for the dirty talk, y’know, calling it small and all that was a heat of the moment kinda thing, body positivity is a huge deal to me, really. I’m sorry. You’re perfect just the way you are. Don’t let anyone tell you any different, especially not me.”

He turns his head vaguely in her direction. “Enough.”

She’s already out the bathroom door but seems to be dawdling there, vaguely swaying, obscene phallus bobbing in place. “I mean it, your body is beautiful, perfect. You gotta love that body, you hear? Love yourself. So what if it’s small? I think it’s gorgeous and cute and I think I wanna see it every day just so I can tell it exactly how pretty it is. Sorry.” She takes a few shaky breaths. “Hey, would you mind if I wait till it goes soft? I kinda wanna try blowing on it a little, like super gentle, to see if I can make it sway with just my breath. Also I wanna kiss it goodnight and maybe tuck it int-”

“Get out! Get out already!”

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Good night.”

He watches her struggle to tuck that absurd thing back into her shorts and walk awkwardly out the door to the hallway. She can shrink it, right? Why would the idiot not just shrink it?

“Good night,” she says again before gently closing the door behind her and presumably waddling down the hallway.

He remains leaning against the wall a while longer before eventually allowing himself to slide down onto his knees, still breathing hard after this incredible release of tension that somehow built up in such a short time. He clenches his eyes shut. This isn’t how any of this was supposed to go. He should be in a secret prison facility somewhere, deep in the ocean or out in planetary orbit, strapped down with layers of chains and bindings, with a creepy mask over his mouth, getting experimented on by shady scientists. Not sitting on the bathroom floor in some lunatic’s house, helpless and confused after having been outplayed in a game he does not understand.

He has been in the business for years, but no prior experience can offer any insight into what exactly is happening here. He is hopelessly out of his element. But that does not make surrender an option. He flexes the muscles in his legs and tries to stand but quickly falls back down to his knees. He is not used to his body having so much power over him. This is definitely another notch in the defeat column. Ugh, his thighs are slick where she slid against him. He eyes the shower longingly, trying his best to convince his legs that standing upright is what they were made for.

Chapter 4: Darkness falls

Around noon the next day the promised fresh air is delivered. Anessa drags him down the corridor, somehow opening the door at its end despite its lack of a handle. Is there a scanner he can’t see that opens it for authorized individuals or did the telepaths somehow tamper with his ability to perceive this door? He cannot think long on it, trying to take in as much information as possible as she keeps pulling him along through a dining room, then a spacious foyer with steps leading up to another floor, then into an antechamber where she has him put on sandals before finally stepping outside of the building.

“Hey,” what must be Jamal offers in way of greeting before turning his attention elsewhere.

A man of few words is a welcome change, but the state of his clothing is suspicious: t-shirt and jeans with great big tears in them, looking like they might fall off in the not so distant future. Whether this is some sort of punk aesthetic, a notion possibly reinforced by a leather choker with grimy metal studs, or a form of exhibitionism to show off his sculpted muscles is hard to tell. Not that he can easily criticize the clothing choices of others at the moment.

“Well, let’s stroll out, I guess,” Anessa says.

They do. Jamal and Nathaniel gravitate toward her as they walk, soon flanking her on either side, falling just short of hanging off her arms. Nathaniel seems to be shorter than he realized, Anessa looming half a head taller. Jamal matches her... no, he doesn’t quite reach the same height as her. They might both be a bit on the short side, though he did not notice Nathaniel being so short upon first meeting the man. He stares hard at the two. Both of them would be considered attractive despite their stature, he thinks. There is a possibility that they just happened to be so, but it could well be that Anessa’s power has changed their outward appearance on top of its other effects. He will have to inspect himself in the mirror carefully during his imprisonment, to see if any changes start occurring.

Madeleine walks fairly close beside him and from the way she is staring at him he can tell she has been reading him. The way she now suddenly looks away upon being caught confirms it. And here comes an embarrassed look on her face. What an utter fool. Of course Anessa’s promise last night was meaningless. Madeleine faces him again and looks like she intends to say something but he looks away in disinterest.

The five of them walk in awkward silence down the street, which is dotted with the occasional building. All the houses are rather large, including the one they came from, though most of them are just shy of being something he would call a mansion. There are no cars in sight, or any sign of other inhabitants. It is like a gated community turned suddenly into a ghost town, everything in good condition but completely devoid of life.

Anessa seems to be fighting a natural urge to stride forward at speed, regularly having to slow herself down to stay at the speed of their slowest member. Her two consorts mimic her near perfectly, causing him to think they might actually have decent teamwork. Nathaniel flits his eyes at her with an amused look every time they suddenly slow down while Jamal occasionally fights back a yawn. Madeleine now stares disinterestedly into the distance as she walks at a more relaxed pace, only slightly ahead of the rearguard. That would be he himself, focused on taking in all of his surroundings and more than ready to make the rest of the group uncomfortable.

The weather is bland. Only a few clouds drift lazily in the sky and not a single leaf on the plentiful trees of this neighborhood is disturbed by wind. The sun shines down on them unimpeded but the temperature is just right for it not to be uncomfortable, though he keeps his eyes peeled for perspiration on the overdressed telepaths. It is in fact so comfortable that he can’t help but wonder whether this is actually real. His mind might be being tampered with yet again, or it might even be a simulation.

“It’s real,” Madeleine says. “Not that I can easily prove it to you.”

Anessa looks back at them with a look of surprise on her face, which is then replaced by a little frown. “I thought I asked you to stop reading his mind. This is supposed to be... I dunno, relaxing might be pushing it, but something close to that. I’m not worried he’s gonna run or do anything dangerous, we know for sure now that all his powers are staying locked away so there’s no possible danger. He’s just a sweet lil guy now who wants to be a villain but can’t because big sis won’t let him. Sorry, that is not an appropriate thing call myself at all. Anyway, knock it off, Maddie.”

“I apologize,” Madeleine answers, raising her hands. “Force of habit. I’ll stop.”

He eyes her warily. Do they truly think him stupid enough to fall for a little show of good cop, bad cop? Of course she will not actually stop, but at least she might stop interrupting him. He keeps his eyes trained on her, unrelenting even when she occasionally flits her gaze back at him before looking pointedly away again. It seems an odd choice of attire for a walk, her suit. She must really like looking formal, if she won’t even forego the tie for a little trip like this. Nathaniel also seems overly fashionable for the occasion, though he is wearing a different ensemble than yesterday. He adds vanity to his assessment of them both, seeing how they choose form over function even under such mundane circumstances. They strike a stark contrast to Anessa and her purple tank top and black shorts. To say nothing of him, clad in the exact same, though both hang loosely on him due to his lack of mammaries and sizable posterior. And the thing in front, he supposes. The effect is probably meant to make him embarrassed, as he might look like a little kid trying to emulate an older sibling or some such. A feeble attempt. Looking silly in public would only strengthen his resolve. Still, after last night he has to entertain the notion that she may simply find this titillating for some reason.

“Not to worry,” Nathaniel pipes up, “there is no public around to show you off to. And there is likewise nothing wrong with looking a bit silly every now and then. Though I’d hazard to say you look outright adorable right now.”

“Right?!” Anessa’s head whips back to look at him. “I’m thinking if we get it to shrink in the wash or something it could fit him perfectly and it would just look super cute!”

Nathaniel grins somewhat awkwardly. “Ah, yes, undoubtedly. But I could also just get his measurements and then head into town and buy something stylish that fits. Or something casual and boring, whatever he’d prefer, I suppose.”

The strange excitement vanishes from her face. “Yes, of course. That’s right, good thinking. Wait a minute, were you reading his mind too?”

“I’m sorry, daddy.”

“It’s okay, just don’t do it again sweet- wait, don’t call me that! Please. We were doing so well.”

Another low, defeated “sorry, daddy,” comes from Nathaniel’s lips as he lowers his head.

Anessa clenches her fists and walks faster. They continue on in silence for a while, before cresting the top of a hill. They stop and gaze at the ocean spreading clear blue out to the horizon, as well as a woman lying on the beach at the bottom of the hill. She is either an optical illusion or enormous. Anessa scratches the back of her head and scrunches up her face.

“Damn. Titania’s sunbathing. She’s cool but she knows what my deal is and I think I kinda creep her out so I don’t really wanna go say hello. It would look like I was showing you off or something, I don’t wanna look creepy... I mean, I am creepy but I still don’t wanna be creepier than I have to be. Let’s just go to the park.”

They change direction and make their way to a little park, which they lazily stroll through. It seems too small to occupy anyone for long, but it offers a decent view of the surroundings, being on top of the hill. He counts a few dozen houses total in this neighborhood. A single road leads off into a forested area in the distance and beyond that looms a mountain, likewise forested. The ocean view is nice, though the presence of Titania lying on the beach rather distracts from it, as the brain struggles to adjust to the reality of her size. He wonders why she would be at this size for something so pointless as sunbathing. Do her clothes grow with her or did someone go through the effort of making the world’s largest bikini?

“She’s the only neighbor we have right now,” Anessa pipes up beside him. “Not that she lives in the neighborhood, way too big for that obviously, but at her size the whole island is small enough that I think we count as neighbors.” She looks over at him, then back at Titania. “Oh, yeah, that’s not really public knowledge, is it? Her power made that her new normal, it takes effort for her to go any smaller. Pretty rough.”

That is news to him and somewhat interesting. He narrows his eyes at the prone giant. Someone did make that bikini. But how? It would surely require highly specialized equipment. The expenses must be enormous.

“This whole place is like a hide-away for heroes, where they can recover from injuries in peace, or just leave the spotlight for a bit. Something like close to a hundred houses around here but nobody’s been using them much lately, now it’s just us keeping our whole weird thing out of the public eye. There’s a small town on the other side of the island, but the League kind of owns this entire island. The townsfolk all work for the League in one way or another.”

He considers the information and commits it to memory, but it may well complete fabrication. It is also quite possible that Titania is not actually there and his mind is simply being manipulated. Her scantily clad presence could be due to her appearing in his... thought experiment yesterday. Anessa’s little show of telling the telepaths not to use their powers on him may not just have been a laughable attempt to play good cop. Maybe it was meant to bring his focus to the small scale, make him think about how they would still be reading his every thought even if they shut up about it, keeping him from realizing larger scale tampering like the hallucination of a giant woman sunbathing. Though the point of such an hallucination eludes him. Dissuade him from trying an escape, knowing she’s among his jailers? Arouse him by displaying the largest breasts in the world to him? Though his body seems quite easily aroused already. Are the mind readers trying to make him subservient to them by forcing him to rely on them to subdue his physical urges?

Nathaniel makes a show of removing some articles of clothing due to the heat. No-one pays him much heed. Some awkward small talk is had, but this silly little outing seems to have come to its conclusion. Endless questions swirl around in his head as they walk silently back to the house. He returns wordlessly to his wing of the building and closes the door to his little room behind him. He looks down on his ridiculous clothing and scoffs, moving to slip the shorts off.

In that same instant the door opens and Anessa pokes her head in.

“Hey there, handsome, I shoulda knocked I guess, sorry. I just wanted to tell you Nate’s gonna be cooking something up and we’re gonna have a little early dinner. You can wear the bathrobe if you want, no dress code obviously, you could come naked if you wanted. No, wait, that’s a bad idea. Damn, I gotta go clear my head. See you later.”

 

They do see each other later, as they all reconvene for an early dinner in the dining room adjacent to the hallway that leads to his room. Nathaniel seems quite happy to play house, prattling on about the appetizers he serves as well as the effort he’s spent on the main dish and the dessert and what a lovely vintage of wine he picked. Anessa is the only one who responds to him, though she is clearly too uncultured to truly understand what he’s saying. Madeleine just watches the two of them interact with a small smile on her lips.

“So I guess you were in the kitchen all this time, huh? I was looking for you. The kitchen sure looked empty when I poked my head in.”

“Sorry, but we couldn’t let you disturb the chef,” Madeleine says, still smiling. “Nate needs full focus when he’s in his kingdom.”

Anessa looks down at her plate. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.“ She looks to Jamal. “And where have you been?”

“Running in the forest.”

“Ah, okay.”

Nathaniel leans his head over her shoulder. “Oh, were you lonely? Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you soon.”

He stops watching them and focuses on the next target for his fork. These people are exhausting in a way unlike anything he’s ever faced. At least the food is decent.

“Anyway,” Anessa starts, “this is what our team looks like. You got Jamal over here, he’s got a great sense of smell, is super strong and can move pretty damn fast, especially when he’s running on all fours like the most vicious pupper.” Jamal frowns over his plate and her face suddenly adopts a serious expression. “Like a wolf, I mean. His chompers are serious business too, sometimes he hunts things out in the forest with just his teeth, it’s wild.”

He looks Jamal over. The tears in his clothes are too neat, there is no way they came about due to hunts in the wild. The man seems almost embarrassed being the subject of conversation, staring straight down at his plate and fidgeting with his fork.

“Me and him teamed up together can dig through rubble at some serious speed, carry people to safety with one hand, jump across cracks in the earth or over rooftops, all sorts of things.”

He flicks his eyes over her as he lazily chews his food. If this is a sales pitch it is not a very good one.

“Then you got the two telepaths who can sense the rough location of survivors, help co-ordinate rescue teams by showing them glimpses of what other people are seeing and keep trapped people calm, like if someone is having a panic attack they can just WHAM,” she claps her hands together, “shut that shit down. I don’t know why I did that. It’s not like a violent thing, they just calm people down. Sorry.”

Their efforts do not sound particularly important. It may be that the League is letting her and her pathetic excuse for a team play at being heroes to placate her anxiety over her true nature. He does not bother sparing her even a glance, but from the corner of his eyes he sees Nathaniel watching her with rapt attention as if he were hanging on each idiotic word.

“But yeah, I know we must seem pretty goofy, but we’re a real team, we can get shit done when we’re serious.” She swallows a hefty chunk of her food in an instant. “We don’t really fight much though. If it’s minor problems with non-powered people it’s fine, but we try to stay outta trouble. The telepaths are powerful but squishy, Jamal is damn strong but not like top tier or anything, and while I’m technically pretty good I’m more of a one-on-one specialist. Like, I’ve been in three legit fights now and they all ended in a horizontal tango. What would I do if was up against a group? Call time-out while I railed one of them? Wear someone like a fanny-pack and keep fighting? Probably I’d just go nuts on someone and get killed on top of them.”

The notion that he might have easily won with just a single ally is irksome.

“Yeah, best to just stick to rescues. I’ve got a bit of a deal with the League anyway, my creepy ass is tolerated cause I’m not malicious and I’m not using my power willy-nilly. I’m like a secret weapon that’s not really socially acceptable. I’ve sparred with Radiance a few times and never gotten the hots for her, so I might be able to fight women without boning them, but I’m not confident enough to test that. Rady’s kinda scary, so that might just be why nothing happened.”

He has a hard time imagining anyone sparring with Radiance. She is known for showing great restraint with her powers, but she’s capable of turning into pure energy and flying around at the speed of light, so surely cannot simply be punched.

“So! The weather was pretty nice today, huh?”

How trite. There is a moment of silence before Nathaniel follows up on her words, saying something about getting hot and sweaty. Hardly a surprise, considering how overdressed the fop was. His words are ignored, much like his show of undressing was during the walk.

“I’m thinking tomorrow we could maybe go all the way to the forest, hike a bit or something.”

The thought of going hiking wearing her oversized tank top and shorts is not an appealing one. This time Nathaniel does not come to her rescue and the silence drags on.

“Or maybe we could watch a... a mm-movie?”

That last word did not sound right. She’s blushing and moving her mouth like she’s going to say something else but is unable to think of anything. Madeleine is smiling at her. Jamal is wolfing down everything on his plate with alarming speed. Where is Nathaniel? As soon as he thinks it he starts hearing a disturbing, wet slurping sound.

“I think,” Anessa starts, her jaw making all sorts of uneconomical movements, “I better go to the restroom real quick.”

She moves to stand before falling back in her chair, staring wide-eyed under the table. “Nate? What the hell?”

No-one shows much of a response to the situation. He wonders why they would want him to watch this, but decides he can figure it out later and decides to ignore them completely. Yesterday’s conclusion was that the telepaths really can shut down the effects of her power on his body, so that should mean it is not entirely physical, or that the mind can still overcome the body.

She makes an even dumber face than her usual fare. “Saved up a big load for you? Well, yeah, but this isn’t the time!”

But is it possible the telepaths are actually responsible for the arousal, and the whole thing is meant to make him think he is too mentally weak to overcome his body on his own? Now Anessa stares at him, panting, blushing hard with what might be a mixture of mortification and pleasure plastered on her features.

“I d-... it’s not what it looks like! I didn’t plan this! This isn’t what I’m all about, at least I don’t think so. I mean this does really, really turn me on, but I didn’t make him do it, Nate’s just a horny jackass, I swear!”

He looks despondently over at Madeleine, who is biting her lip and staring enraptured at her friend and husband. These damned people.

Anessa pants and puts her hands on the table like she’s going to stand up, but freezes there. “I’m so sorry, but I need more, can you look away or maybe just leave for a bit if you’re uncomfortable?” She lets out a low growl. “You’re totally, totally welcome to watch though. And hey, I think it’s soon time for your next dose anyway, so maybe you two should make out after he’s done and share my load. Wait, no, sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He gets up from the table, leaving his nearly finished plate on the table and entering the hallway to his room. As soon as he has broken line of sight there comes a loud pop from the dining room. He does not know how to close the door between the dining room and the hallway to his room. The door to his room will be the only barrier to their sounds. This was all planned, whatever this is.

“Oh, now you stop?! God fucking damn it!”

Nathaniel laughs, sounding strangely arrogant for someone in his position. “I apologize, daddy, but the look on your face is just priceless.”

“You little slut! Why couldn’t you act normal like I asked you to?”

“I’m so sorry, daddy! The wine got to my head. I just could not resist you, try as I might.”

“Oh, you’ve been such a bad boy, Nate.”

“I simply cannot help myself, Maddie.”

“You’re not sorry at all! This is exactly what you wanted!”

“Yes, daddy, you’re right. I’m sorry. Please punish me.”

“You’re lucky you’re so fucking hot. One of these days I’m gonna punish you for real and not give you the D. Yeah, absolutely, some day...”

“Oh, how frightening! Hold my hand, Maddie?”

“Of course, sweetie.”

“Wait, Jamal, could you take over to help me punish him? Pretty please?”

“Nah, I’m still eating. Maybe later.”

“Fuck. Fine, you win. Now spread your legs, slut.”

He closes the door to his room, burying his head under the pillow to try and blot out the sounds that evolve into a loud thumping that he guesses must be Nathaniel getting thrust against a wall. Being a powerless prisoner would be bad enough in and of itself. But these have to be the people holding him captive? The sounds of a thunderous clap and a mix between a moan and a shout break their way through the insulation of his pillow.

 

Hours later, well into the evening, there is a knock on the door. Anessa’s annoyingly expressive face appears in the doorway with a look he surmises is supposed to be apologetic.

“Hey, man. I’m sorry about earlier. I really meant for it to be just a normal dinner with sorta normal people. But I guess I failed to keep Nate satisfied enough to agree with me and I failed to resist my urges and I failed to keep my mouth shut. Hope we didn’t ruin your appetite. I could bring some of it to your own little kitchen if you want.”

“Unnecessary.”

“Cool, cool. Also, I realize that I should have just bought you some normal-ish clothes immediately and not dressed you up in mine just because my stupid brain decides its weird fantasies are actually unavoidable and make a lot of sense. I’ll go out tomorrow and do it myself, or maybe take Nate up on his offer, he’s a snappy dresser.”

“Your clothing choice did not rattle me.”

“Great. Anyway, I’m also sorry for what has to happen now. See, one of the things I said earlier was true, I didn’t expect it to be so soon but it might be because you have so many powers: it’s getting to be time for your um, dose I think you might call it to make it not sound so bad. It’s my cum, though. I need you to slurp it... I mean you’re gonna have to swallow it. Like, you know, pretty much straight from the tap.”

Who carries on talking for so long while sticking just their head in? She’s completely naked, isn’t she, just waiting to waltz on in with that obscene thing pointed straight at him? He tries to inject some venom into his stare and ignore the twitching in his nether region.

“It’s not just me being a perv! I am one, obviously, but this is necessary because of my power, I swear. Eventually you’ll be able to get what you need just from like, smoothies and stuff with my cream in them and just not deal with my dick at all, but it’s way weaker that way and in the first few weeks while your body’s getting used to its new needs you’re gonna want to get it fresh. So it’s either one helping now and you’ll be good for a few days, or I have to make a fuckton of my special milkshakes and feed them to you pretty much constantly.”

She seems immune to his glare. She’s justifying things to herself, completely absorbed in her own nonsense, he’s just an afterthought. “Neither option sounds particularly good.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I guess a third option could be to bring Jamal in here and have him coax it out of me and then just baby-bird it to you, wouldn’t have to be a make-out session.”

“No.”

“Alright, just had to throw it out there. But one of these things is gonna have to happen, cause if you don’t get it in time you’ll end up feeling pretty bad and then you might come on to me in a pretty embarrassing way. You’d slobber all over me or bounce on it like a bunny on steroids and then afterwards we would all feel awful about it, all the good vibes would be gone forever.”

He wonders whether she truly considers the current vibes good. “And if you were unavailable to relieve these symptoms?”

“Your powers would eventually start going crazy. Tried it once with Jamal and it was real scary. I don’t wanna imagine what would happen with you.”

This could be interesting if true. Perhaps he could slip out of the house and find some hiding spot on the island to await the onset of withdrawal. He wonders what exactly powers going crazy entails.

“Good news is this shouldn’t take too long, I’m primed and ready to blow, hopefully on a hair trigger. So if you just get on your knees and open your mouth, I’ll jack off right in front of it with absolutely minimal contact. Strictly business, just weird business. I’ll bust my load right on in there and watch you swallow it, then we can call it a night.”

She steps inside and she isn’t quite naked, wearing a hefty towel around her waist; hefty breasts and washboard abs proudly on display and slightly wet as if she’s just jumped out of the shower even though her hair seems mostly dry. Ah, but now she’s naked, as she drops the towel on the floor.

“So I figure you just kneel right there so we don’t make too much of a mess if I miss.”

He doesn’t respond. This is all so strange. He’s so tired. She steps closer to the bed and his body feels uncomfortably warm as he watches the strangely graceful movements of her toned body. She reaches his side and takes one of his hands that is holding the covers in hers. Then she throws them back, revealing his own modest erection straining his silly little panties. It is a red pair today. He wonders how many of these old things she has lying around. There is no way she could fit in these anymore.

“Alrighty then. Let’s uh, hop to it. Get on your knees. Please?”

It is such a confounding situation. This is his jailer, who acts oblivious and perpetually embarrassed while her body oozes a bizarre and imposing sense of dominance. And that tower jutting out from her groin does things to him. His body is enamored with it. There is no escape. This is going to happen. The best he can do is refuse to give her the satisfaction of seeing him run from her in fear. She may defile his body, but he will retain his dignity.

“Ah, I was thinking you’d be on the towel over there, so it’s less of a hassle to clean afterward. But, um, if you want your sheets to smell like me that’s cool too.”

He blinks up at her before returning his gaze to the monster. He leans into the slight tugging at his hand and gets out of the bed to kneel on the floor before her. He looks off to the side with an impassive look on his face. It would send more of a message if his useless body wasn’t visibly aroused.

“Okay, let’s go. I’ll let you know when I’m about to blow.”

With that, the slick sound of her hand running up and down her shaft begins. He can see the frantic movement out of the corner of his eye. He sees slightly more of it when she pulls his hand to her thigh.

“Sorry, I’m gonna use both hands, always makes me feel big and sexy. Please keep your hand there, I can’t cum without the contact.”

He does keep his hand on her thigh, which tenses every now and then. Every part of her body feels physically powerful. That makes him feel something he does not care to dissect.

“Damn, this is pretty weird, huh?”

He keeps looking away and she keeps pumping away. Her hips lean slightly forward every now and then, as if she wants to bring her already looming appendage even closer to him.

“Is there like a book you’d want me to buy for you? Or maybe I could get you some movies to watch? Sorry, you can answer that later. I’m just feeling awkward, I guess.”

They return to near silence, the only sounds in the room the slick sounds near his face and her quickening breathing. Moments pass in this odd state of tension before he turns to face her in surprise as she leans over to run her fingers through his hair.

“You’ve got such nice hair. If you’ve got like a routine and want some specific shampoo or conditioner or something, just let me know.”

He zones her prattling out but doesn’t look away. There is a single white bead forming on the head of her massive member as she tirelessly works away at it.

“I’m a ways off still, I think, you don’t have to watch if you don’t want to. I’ll let you know when you need to be a good boy and open your mouth. Sorry.”

It becomes a full drop, somehow still clinging on, spiting gravity.

“But your face is really pretty, so I probably will be faster if I can see it.”

It is unreasonably annoying. That fat drop hangs stubbornly in there, against all odds, as if mocking his own deteriorating mental state. Perhaps he should take inspiration from its tenacity. At that very thought it suddenly loses its long struggle with gravity. Unthinking, he leans forward and sticks out his tongue to catch this fallen warrior. A pleased shiver runs through his entire body at the strange, enticing taste of it.

“U-uh, nice catch. You don’t need to do that though, I’ll clean the floor if anything misses your pretty face or the towel.”

Immediately another drop springs up as if ready to avenge its fallen comrade. How irritating. His gaze focuses on it as it too threatens to jump.

“But I guess I should have brought a bigger towel, or two of them or something? That would have been sensible, so of course I didn’t think of-”

Before it can fling itself free he leans in and licks the drop straight from the head of her cock. The taste is again much to his body’s liking, and the lick had the pleasant side effect of shutting her up. He keeps running his tongue along the slit, reaping more of these oddly pleasant little things before they can even get in position. She heaves a shuddering breath.

“Oh. Fuck.”

So much for shutting her up. He opens his lips and shuts hers by taking part of the massive head inside and giving a firm suck. The taste is getting stronger and it feels like he can’t get enough of it. Degrading as this may be, it is still probably the lesser evil. Finishing her off quickly with his mouth will grant him more time to think of escape plans than sitting there and meekly waiting for her to finish would.

“Thank you, oh my god, fuck it feels so good, thank you, I-”

He takes her deeper to shut her off again and she relinquishes her hold on her member. Her hands loom over his head a moment, her fingers trembling in the air before she pulls back and clasps her hands behind her back, her chest heaving. At the same time he notices both of his hands are now resting on her legs as he suckles away at her. The fact that his body has moved without him realizing it is disturbing. So is the damned taste of this thing. Defeat should not taste so sweet.

“Fuck, you’re a natural, I think I’m getting close. Oh, and this way we don’t need to worry about making a mess, great thinking.”

Her constant prattle is so aggravating. He’s humiliating himself by giving his captor a blowjob and she can’t even shut up and enjoy it. Well, she can’t shut up. Obviously she is enjoying it tremendously. And it would be for the best if she didn’t. Though he supposes it would be hard for her to orgasm then. Everything is a bit confusing. He takes her down his throat with an odd ease and her legs quiver. At last she trembles before him, even if the reason isn’t quite right.

“Fuck, baby, please yes, please take me deeper.”

This should be making him gag and retch. His jaw should be aching at opening for something so massive. He should feel the lack of air. Instead it feels strangely pleasurable. That thick rod is stretching him out and the taste of her is all-encompassing.

“It’s like you were born for this, oh my god.”

As if any part of this were possible without the strange effects of her power. He wonders just how ridiculous he must look right now, with this impossible thing stretching his jaw and throat. She manipulates his body to go beyond its limits, strains the very rules of reality, all for her own pleasure. It’s impressive in a way.

“I think I’m close, you’re so good at this, so good.”

He tries to blot out her words. This would all be so much easier if she were a quiet, dignified conqueror, taking her pleasure without constantly cooing and babbling at him. He doesn’t quite know what he’s doing but he wants to shut her up. It feels like he’s accomplishing something as he takes her further and further down his throat, causing her to whimper and whine. His nose wants to touch her abdomen. Her hands fly forth and her fingers grip his hair, trembling slightly as they clench and release in turn. This is all quite odd. But that monster is an eyesore, so making it disappear seems sensible enough. He pushes the rest of the way, lips stretched around her base and nose pressed into her abdomen. The beast is gone from view, impossible as that might seem. She’s quiet. The moment lingers on. He feels no need for air, no particular need to move. He just stays there on his knees in abject servitude, nuzzled against her groin with her thick member lodged deep. There is a slight twitching in his panties, but it quickly subsides. It is hardly appropriate to feel serene in this moment, but he cannot think of another word for what he is currently feeling. He looks up.

“Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”

He averts his gaze again, annoyed with himself for looking. Of course she couldn’t shut up. He feels an urge to start moving back and forth on the thing, just to keep busy.

“It seems I am interrupting something.”

He freezes with her cock down his gullet. For a moment it feels like his body wants to start moving on his own, but it relents as Anessa draws herself back out and then thrusts back in, humping lazily away at his face.

“Uh, yeah, kinda. Can I, um, help you with something?”

Her response to Irene’s sudden appearance makes no sense. But it is typical for her, he supposes.

“Yes, I believe so,” Irene’s calm voice continues, “I would like a word with my boyfriend.”

“Oh! Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry!” She says, but her cock throbs hard inside him and her hands drive him back and forth so he’s taking her all the way down again and again, his nose hitting her abdomen at the end of every thrust. “I-I, uh, I’m almost done!”

“I have been very worried. This is not what I expected to find.”

“He’s not cheating on you! I mean, it’s-it’s complicated.”

“I can only imagine.”

“He put a lot of people in danger so I had to stop him and now he’s under house arrest here and this is something I have to do because of superpower reasons, not because either one of us really wanted this although I kinda did cause your boyfriend is fucking gorgeous, girl. I know it sounds stupid, and it is, but it’s the truth.”

It’s a bit impressive that she can speak so much even as she’s panting and pounding his throat at this blistering new pace. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. The twitching down below is back with a vengeance.

“I see. And I will be able to speak with him once you are... done?”

“Yes, yes of course! You can spend the whole night together if you want, as long as it’s inside this room. I just need to c-cum and then he’s all yours.”

“How generous. I did not expect to be so welcome here. Neither did I expect my boyfriend could fit such a thing inside him. I suppose there may be many things about him I do not know.”

“It’s my fault! It’s not like he was practicing deepthroating dildos in his spare time or anything, or shyly suckling on the real thing at a gloryhole, or shamelessly servicing, like, a full locker room of hung henchmen or something, fuck!”

“No, I do not believe so either.”

“I’m sorry! I mean he wouldn’t – it’s my fault! He’s a good boy! Such a good... fucking... boy!”

She holds him tight against her groin and her member throbs powerfully inside his throat. His whole body spasms and he tries to dig his nails into her flesh. It feels like he’s holding back a wave that’s trying to flood his body, but still the twitching continues and he feels himself staining the panties. Hopefully Irene is not watching closely.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean... he’s a bad boy, really...”

It just keeps going. What incredible virility. What a monster. And what a strange feeling it is to kneel here and obediently receive all of this. Still, if he pulled himself free he would simply get his face covered in it. That would look even worse.

“But he isn’t being unfaithful.”

She twitches one last time inside him before letting his hair go and pulling herself out of his throat and leaving his lips with an audible pop. She takes a step back, panting as the monster between her legs starts softening. He looks down and dejectedly takes note of the sizable spot of semen staining his underwear. He looks back up at Anessa’s dick swinging as she takes another step back, then up at her reddening face.

“Okay, I am sorry about all that, I really am. You guys uh, have your conversation, take as much time as you need, I’ll be close by. Enjoy your... sorry, that’s stupid.”

She runs out of the room with no further explanation. He stays kneeling on the floor, embarrassed but unable to decide what he should do next. He starts by licking his lips, to make sure there’s no unseemly globs, the only aspect of his wretched appearance he can currently influence.

Then suddenly Irene is standing beside him without having made a sound. She’s not looking at him, but he can tell its her from the deathly pallor and simply her presence. The light of the room almost seems to avoid her as she stands there silently in a long-sleeved black dress. She’s also holding out a hand to him. He takes it awkwardly and gets to his feet. She leads him to the bed before letting his hand go, stepping out of her modest heels and clambering onto the bed. She reclines against the bedpost with the upper half of her body and spreads her legs slightly.

“Come here, darling.” She mutters and motions for him to recline on top of her somehow, slowly guiding his clumsy movements and prompting him to pull the covers over his naked form. “I thought you were in trouble, but it seems you were having a... good time?”

“That’s not it at all. Darling.” He ends up in her arms with his back against her smaller body, his head against her stomach.

“Forgive me for being so wet. My sources were not very exact in regards to the location of this island, so I found myself in the ocean a few times.” She leans over him and dark tendrils play at the edges of his vision, the lights dimming around them. Then she tilts his head up to look at her face looming over him, her pitch black hair now somehow completely blocking out the world, leaving him in darkness with only her pale, expressionless face looking down at him. “Do you want to be saved?”

“Yes.” He hesitates a moment. “I would owe you favors to last a lifetime.”

She looks off to the side, where there would seem to be nothing but her own hair. “That is not necessary. I will save you. At most I would ask a single favor.” She looks back at him. “What exactly is going on here?”

It always feels like her mouth moves less than it should when she speaks and seeing it now he feels goosebumps on his skin. He was fond of her before, but now it’s like he’s truly seeing her for the first time. An odd, overwhelming sense of security washes over him now that he’s under her impassive gaze.

“Her power has modified my body and nullified my powers,” he finally whispers back. “It is an addiction of some sort. There are two telepaths here who seem to be able to delay the effects, they might be doing something else at the same time. That woman acts as if she is in charge, but that is not necessarily the case.” He becomes self-conscious of his blinking as she stares unblinking at him.

“She was more than unfazed at my appearance in her stronghold. Her actions seemed a provocation, but her words made her out to be pathetic. I find her hard to interpret.”

“She may be controlled by her own power to some extent. But I have also wondered whether she is too mentally feeble to wield her power in a ruthless enough manner for the powers that be. Perhaps what she regards as urges and instinct are really the telepaths puppeteering her.”

“This place does seem filled with suspiciously inept people at first glance. But they, like everything on this island, must be bankrolled by the League, so they must have the trust of some powerful individuals. It is puzzling that my appearance should cause no alarm whatsoever. If I were to kill them all in their sleep, what would happen?”

“I do not know. Being addicted to her, perhaps I would suffer greatly upon separation. She did say that if I went without for too long I would feel ill and my powers might start coming back, out of control in some way.”

“Hmm. Her power is a mystery. Many heroes are aware that she defeated you, but they do not understand how. What limited information I gathered on this woman seemed to indicate she had enhanced physical abilities at a mediocre level. This would not explain her nonchalance at my appearance. How much do you know about her true strength?”

“Her abilities did not feel mediocre when I faced her. Though I did adopt a cautious approach she could still dodge most of my attacks with an uncanny ease. Once her true power was unleashed after her telepath friend enraged me enough to bite her and taste her blood, it was all over. It was as if she could command my body.”

“Disturbing. But it seems difficult to wield without the advantage of surprise, if the victim needs to taste her blood.”

“Blood may be the fastest way during battle but her... bodily fluids may all have the same effect. She says that so far she has only used this power on men. Whether that is a limitation to her power or merely a matter of preference I cannot say.”

“I will not underestimate her. The confidence she displayed hints at great power. But still it seems odd they would not consider the possibility of me being a jilted lover ready to end you if I could not have you. Even if she does not fear for her own life, why leave me alone with you? I have entered and left this building a few times in the last hour or so, yet found no hint of anything that could trap me here or diminish my power. I have never been able to teleport another person with me, but how could they be so sure of my limitations?”

“They do seem strangely relaxed in everything they do. I am imprisoned, but everything about my imprisonment seems like a poor joke.”

“There must be some other, unknown power that gives them this confidence.”

He feels a surge of confidence now, seeing nothing but her and exchanging whispered theories. “The telepaths could be the real jailers, they might have done something to me that will trigger if I leave. One of them seems to be another victim of her power and has probably lost his mind already. Though all three of them might be out of their minds, come to think of it.”

“Perhaps. But telepaths cannot affect me. They should realize this by now, yet there is no response. There has to be something we are missing.”

He stares at her in silence. He’s always known her to be powerful, but what would make her immune to telepaths?

“Verifying her words on the consequences of going without might be worthwhile,” she continues. “If you feel up for facing that possible danger.”

“What use is fear when misfortune has already found you?”

She blinks for what might be the first time during this whole conversation and cold fingers break the curtain of her hair to stroke his cheek. Then she leans back, her hair parting to make room for the world again. The light is still on, but it feels completely subdued now. All color has faded from the room. A thick shadow looms above them, its edges almost seeming to drip from the ceiling and surround them, the very center impossibly dark and deep.

“Please,” she whispers just above him, “Breathe slowly. Relax into me. Sink. See.”

It is an odd request, but he tries to do as she says. Then he does. He feels the breaths of her body and her arms around him and he is sinking, eyes blinking dully at the ever fading light of the room. Then they blink in surprise at a depth of darkness around him so thick it feels like an ocean, the distant horizon littered with faintly glowing, impossible ruins of civilizations that do not fit his recollections of history.

“What just happened? What is this place?”

Her voice comes distorted from behind him. “A shadow of the world, an echo of something ancient, an ode to all that never was, the domain of many like me across untold worlds and times that I know are out there but can never meet. I will never know what this place truly is. No-one ever will. That is what it is. But parts of it are me and my many paths to all the places I could ever be.”

He turns. She looks down at him and it is still she, but only vaguely. She is a mass of swirling shadow in roughly humanoid form, her face almost a constant feature even though it is made solely of different shades of black, imitations of teeth and eyes doing the opposite of gleaming at him. His brain is having trouble understanding. This version of her is smiling.

“I have reached out and merged this spot of the world with mine. You are here and you are not here. I cannot hold you here for long and I cannot release you anywhere but the spot I plucked you from, but you are safe from the telepaths for now. Welcome to my home, of sorts.”

He looks all around, trying to take in the impossibility of it all. It strikes him as strange that he can see at all in this darkness, until he realizes closing his eyes does not deter his sight. Everything here seems inexplicable. He looks up and finds himself looking down at the bed he was in. Irene is still there, body limp and eyes staring blankly at him.

“That is the part of me that can leave. Do not worry for it, there is simply not enough of me in it for it to move at the moment.”

He looks back at her swirling shadow. “So you are stuck here? How did you come to this place?”

The smile widens. “I was a child when it found me. I could not swim. A group of girls who liked to torment me were making a show of threatening to push me off a bridge. In their play they pushed a bit too hard and I actually fell. I surfaced and splashed feebly in the frigid water, watching up at their faces frozen in shock. Then I went numb, their running forms the last thing I saw as the water drew me in. It was so cold there, as I drowned in the dark. And then the darkness changed. I heard it breathing. There was something welcoming in it. I breathed it in, and it breathed me. Then I was here and I no longer felt the cold. I wandered for hours, learning, growing, becoming. I have never truly left since.”

That does not sound like a memory to smile about, but who is he to judge? He goes for words that are probably appropriate. “I am sorry that happened to you.”

“Don’t be. My coming here has brought me untold joy. The looks on their faces when I entered the classroom a few days later are forever etched in my memory. They whispered among themselves, trying to understand. Some of them even dared speak to me, though they got no reply. The day ended with no answers. Every night, each of them would awaken in their darkened rooms to the feeling of water dripping onto them from my drenched hair. I would stare into their eyes and vanish just as they started screaming. Eventually their families all left town. But I found them again. I always find them again. I still visit on occasion.”

He can think of nothing to say. Congratulations would not make sense, but neither would giving a comforting pat on the shoulder of a living shadow.

“I would ask for your story in return, but I must be honest: I already looked into and uncovered your past. I hope that is not... unsettling. I could not help myself. When first we met I liked the way you look in your eyes and your reaction struck me as interesting. It was abnormal. Respectful but unafraid. So I kept working with all those uninteresting people to have a reason to be around you, and your stoic nature and air of mystery intrigued me. I could not get anything out of you verbally so I looked into your identity, which seemed very legitimate but I kept looking and then discovered a flaw and then hunted down the clues to the truth until I found your original identity. And then I saw the picture of that disgusting man and his crocodile tears over your comatose body and I now realize he probably gave you your first imitated power. I am not entirely sure if this was wrong of me to do, but I am sorry if it was.”

He needs a moment to collect himself. A strange shadow dimension where he can see through his eyelids is one thing, but Irene speaking so much about something personal is truly shocking. The meaning of her words is hard to fully align with his previous understanding. He had presumed she looked upon him somewhat favorably and possibly with some interest after having worked together a while, but this sounds a bit more instant and extreme. It is hard to come to grips with it all, but they have been silent a while now so he should probably answer in some way. “I see.”

“I realize now that you decided not to take revenge even if you easily could have. Back then I did not think you very powerful, so I thought I would find him and ruin his life over a prolonged period of time to avenge you. He is no longer a hero. His fiancee found out about his mistress, then both left him. He kept losing his phone but his supply of drugs never ran out, so he was rarely in a state to accept what little help was offered to him even when he could be reached. He became more and more isolated and then the noises in the night started. After a few times of finding pictures of someone standing over him as he slept that he could never find again to show anyone, he went to a mental institution. I hope that is alright.”

He has a hard time discerning how he feels about this. He had no idea Irene could ever do such silly things. She has been haunting someone from his past? And she hopes it is alright? “It should not be a problem.”

“I also ruined his fiancee’s career, since she took that picture. And I found her nurse friend who let them in and got her fired. I would not have gone so far with him if he had admitted what a fraud he was, torn down his own unwarranted reputation. But not once did he think of you, even with the pictures. He could not make the connection. Now that I tell you all this my actions sound a bit extreme.”

How oddly endearing this lanky shadow-monster version of Irene is. He wonders if this is just a fever dream, or the telepaths meddling with him. He pushes the notion away. He has to believe in something. “No, it was very kind of you.”

“Thank you. I thought it might be, but I worried it might be too much.”

“It is fine. But he does not matter to me.”

“Should I kill him?”

“If you want to.”

“If I do, I want it to be because you to want me to.”

“All he did was show me what the world is. I see no reason to blame a dog for barking.”

“I see.”

The shadowy face suddenly looks away from him. “I may also have placed some flowers on your father’s grave."

What a strange and pointless thing to do. His assessment of Irene is changing drastically. He will have to put in considerable effort to be as good a friend as she is. "Thank you."

"I found your mother and her other family too. That man is cheating on her and those children are rude and entirely without talent."

He nods. "Most humans are. But children especially."

They spend a moment in companionable silence, Irene’s shadow form seemingly looking off into the distance though he doubts the way she looks has any true significance in regards to what she is actually doing. Looking down he sees tendrils of shadow squirming over his body. Now that he’s noticed them he can almost feel them tickling him. Looking back up he finds that the jet black pools of her pseudo-eyes are right up against him. Another moment passes in silence.

"I think I hear talking. They are in that kitchen. Shall we listen?”

"Yes, that might be interesting."

A tendril stretches out from her billowing form and into the real world, yanking her limp human body toward them before tossing it out into the darkness. Its limbs start moving mid-air and he thinks he catches its eyes going fully black as it sails past him. He sees it diving face-first into the murky ground, then two echoing voices sound from the darkness.

“Just words please, Maddie. I want them to hear us in the background, so they don’t think we’re plotting anything. I could use a break from all the mind stuff anyway.”

“Is that really a good idea right now?”

“Eh.”

“I usually admire your ability to stay cool under pressure, but this seems reckless. Why aren’t we reporting this right away?”

“I dunno, she caught me with my pants down and my dick in her boyfriend’s throat and still didn’t pop up behind me with a shotgun and take my head off. I get a good vibe from her.”

The shadow looks back to him. “It seems they realize I am listening.”

He nods. “Quite possibly. But they are strongly committed to projecting incompetence at all times.”

“Don’t say something like that. This doesn’t make any sense, Anessa. I’m not even sure she’s still here. I don’t sense anyone but him.”

“She’s still there. You know how I can sort of... feel my guys? Right after I got outta there I could just feel all the tension leave him, it was amazing. I think they’re hugging it out or cuddling right now. That’s his emotional support goth right there. I think they make a cute couple.”

“I had him pegged for an asexual. I was almost sure of it.”

“You wanna peg him?”

“That’s not what I said and you know it. You know I’d never covet your man."

"Why not? Covet away."

"Never mind that, there’s something weird going on in there. He’s not... no, he is there. But I can’t quite pin him down for some reason.”

“Pin him down and peg him?”

“Will you stop? There’s something really off, I just can’t quite put my finger on-”

“You wanna finger hi-”

“Shut! Up! Anessa, what do we do if she teleports him out of here?”

“Says right here in the file that she can’t teleport anyone else. And even if she did I think I’d be able to track him down anywhere on earth, I’ve got such a boner for the guy. I think my power wants to claim him completely. Holding back feels so good though. I’m so fucking hot all the damn time. Whenever I close my eyes I start having thoughts of that little sweetheart blushing and squirming as he slowly comes to terms with loving my fat cock and my strong arms around him keeping him safe. I think I want him to call me mommy. I want him to feel as safe with me as he does with that super goth, I wanna dress him up in the prettiest clothes and compliment him and I kinda want him to be all embarrassed about it, is that mean of me?”

It is intensely uncomfortable to be spoken about in such a way in front of another villain. This is disgraceful behavior for a hero. He rather wishes he did not have to hear all this, but it would be impolite to try and tell Irene what to do in her own home.

“A bit of teasing is fine, but don’t go overboard. He doesn’t seem very bothered by your clothes, mostly perplexed. But you need to let him choose his own if you want him to warm up to you.”

“He’s so gorgeous though. It’s not just me, right?”

“He is beautiful. A bit too androgynous to be my type, but I could probably stare at him all day long if he didn’t always give me that look.”

“You have a type? But yeah, the looks he gives out are pretty good. Those eyelashes, god. He looked up at me earlier, after taking me to the hilt, and batted those bad boys at me. Almost came right there. That nut was so good, Maddie. Felt like he was sucking my soul out.”

So horribly uncouth. Her voice sounds a bit odd. She is constantly letting out strange little sighs.

“And yet here you are, not fifteen minutes later.”

“Hey, don’t judge me. This is just afterplay, lots of people do it.”

“I’m sure.”

“He’s so fucking cute in those panties though. Maybe if I only teased him when we’re alone it’d be fine, even if I went a bit overboard. Then mommy would just make it all better, also only in private. I don’t know why that turns me on so much. Why do I want to hear him whimpering and calling me mommy? Oooh, slow down puppy, I don’t wanna blow just yet.”

He blanches. It felt like a damned flood, how could that trollop have more in the tank already?

“AH! Je-”

Irene’s body flops upward and the voices stop. Then it dives down elsewhere and they echo in the dark once more.

“I... I craned my neck and I t-thought I saw a... a face in the ceiling. But there was no mind in here but us. Just like there’s no mind in there but him. Oh, fuck. Ghosts aren’t a thing, are they? Anessa?”

“Dunno. Even if she is a bit spooky, she mostly just steals stuff and spies on people or whatever, right? If she’s a ghost she isn’t a bad one. She’s never killed anyone. Says in the file.”

“How would we ever know? Her power might just make her the perfect assassin. Why the hell would she not have a mind? Is she really his girlfriend? I think I’m freaking out a bit, Anessa. What if she’s offering to break him out in exchange for his soul or something?”

“I think she’s chill. She was probably just taking a peek at us, nothing weird about that. Hope she didn’t notice puppy under the table though, that’d leave a pretty bad impression. Let’s all have breakfast together in the morning, have a nice chat. I think I’ll leave them alone for the rest of the night.”

“A nice... chat? How are you so calm? I have such a bad feeling about this.”

"I think watching him blow me all cute and enthusiastic just really set me at ease." She sighs happily. "They really do make a cute kind of couple. I bet they make a little game of seeing who can make the other crack a smile first.”

“And now I feel impending doom. Can you at least pretend to be taking this seriously? Just for me?”

“Just go to bed, Maddie. Snuggle up with Nate. And discipline him tomorrow for me, I don’t want a repeat of tonight’s dinner.”

“There is a possible ghost in the house and you want to split up." Madeleine sighs. "Also, you’re the bull and I’m just a gentle little lady in a snazzy suit. Why would I discipline him?”

“Because he’d probably just cream himself if I tried. It’d do you good to be more assertive, just this once. And it’s not splitting up, I’ll be along soon and we’ll get in a cuddle pile, you’ll all be safe with mama. Might need to blow off some steam first, though. You don’t mind if we fuck in front of Maddie, do you puppy? Since she’s scared? I’ll make her promise not to touch herself.”

“Damn, you make me sound like I’m...okay, I promise. But I am not calling you mama. No matter how safe you make me feel. Still, I have to say, it’s good to see you being your cocky self again. You’re gorgeous tonight.”

“Thanks, Maddie. Guess I just feel invigorated all of a sudden. Maybe I’m just in a great mood now that our bashful beauty’s anxiety is lifted. Like, I’ve been feeling so bad about it all. But now that he’s got a buddy on the inside I feel there’s some danger back in the game, like we’re back to being hero and villain so it’s not just me bullying some babe I’m keeping trapped in my sex dungeon. Yeah, I think I’ll compete with that girl for his affections, should be fun. It’ll be the fight of the century: Big cock versus goth gf. I’m sure there’s some philosopher out there wondering which is greater.”

“Yes, surely. I’ll head off to bed, then. Do you want me to wake Nate?”

“Nah, seeing him passed out from all my loving is hot. Wait, it’s hardly fair to the goth that the sweetheart can’t cum without me. I’ll have to figure out a way to level the playing field. How about we make an experiment be Nate’s punishment: I won’t fuck him for a few days, all he gets is my underwear or sweaty shirts or something to sniff on as you jack him off. If he can cum that’s great, if he can’t it ought to teach him a lesson.”

“Alright. If that’s what you want. But why not just have him touch himself?”

“Because I don’t like the thought of him doing that. I’d much rather leave him in your safe hands. Maybe bust his balls about it. He could use some chastising from you. And you could use a confidence boost.”

“That’s not really how it works with us, but I’ll give it a try.”

“Sweet! Alright puppy, spit it out and mount up, I’ll carry you to bed. Oh shoot, I’m not supposed to call you that in front of people, am I? Eh, it’s only Maddie. And maybe a ghost.”

Irene’s body flops to the side of her shadow version and stands there in silence a moment.

“I am confused. I am unsure what I have learned. Was this meant to enrage me? Or cause me to underestimate them?”

It is a strange relief to hear someone struggle with them as he has. “Perhaps it is a multi-faceted plan of theirs, intentionally confusing but laying the groundwork for many different possibilities dependent upon your reaction.”

Her shadowy face nods back. It is slightly dizzying to look upon. “That sounds plausible. But I cannot hold you here for too much longer. Before we return, may I ask what your plan was that night? If everything had worked in your favor, what would have happened?”

“I would have gained power. The power to attain freedom, absolute.”

Her face draws closer at that, elongating out of the main shadow on a tendril that might be interpreted as a neck. “What does that mean?”

“It means I want the power to surpass this world. I want to stop a war on a whim. I want to sink a yacht into the sky. I want to let pigs speak with human tongues when they’re brought to slaughter. I want to evict a ruler. When a manned spacecraft lands on a new planet I want to be there waiting, sitting on a beach chair with book in hand. I want mankind to know how far beneath me they are, that no matter their earthly achievements they are just scurrying little things in my indifferent shadow. I want to belittle the very existence of humanity.”

“How beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there a power to make animals speak? I find myself curious now.”

“No, not that I have discovered. I got carried away in the moment. I think my years in the business have instilled in me a strong appreciation for the art of the monologue.”

“I see. It was a good one. But I cannot hold our worlds together any longer. You are slipping from my grasp.”

It feels like he’s starting to slide upwards. He looks down at his feet and sees shadows unraveling from his legs as if he were drifting through seaweed. Then he’s looking up at a ceiling, shadows unraveling and shrinking before the growing strength of the room’s light. Craning his head a bit further up he sees Irene’s expressionless face watching him, her eyes pure black.

“I know you never expressed interest before and I hope you do not feel pressured to say yes because of your current predicament, but would you... like to ... go out is not the word in this particular circumstance... would you like to be with me?”

“I apologize if I gave you the cold shoulder in the past. I have a hard time picking up on subtleties.”

“I asked you to watch a movie with me, to have dinner together, and take a walk along the beach before giving up. Should I have been more straightforward?”

“I was mostly worried you might find out my secret before I was ready. But I also thought it was a bad idea to go out in public, what with our line of work. And those all seemed like things friends might do.”

She cocks her head. “I cannot tell if you are serious.”

He is serious, he thinks. “I... don’t know, it’s just... I’m not someone who loves, or is loved. It is not something I can do.”

“If I asked you to, would you be willing to try?”

He hesitates a moment, staring at her perfectly still face. He never realized she was such a romantic. For the life of him he cannot figure out how he feels about this new information.

“Yes.”

Chapter 5: Engaging the enemy

Notes:

Pardon my laziness with the tags. I have now added quite a few of them, so there should be no traumatic surprises. Some of them may not be quite accurate, but better safe than sorry. I may add even more tags as we plod along, this thing is not fully plotted out.

I will put a note at the beginning of the two chapters with body horror in them, just in case. Though I don’t think it will be a big deal I suppose I should err on the side of caution. I might even leave big gaps in the text before and after the body horror portions, so they can be easily skipped.

He awakes to cool fingers running over his face and neck. It looks as if she has not moved at all, her hair hanging around his face and her blank gaze aimed straight at him. It is still dark. They pass a long time lying there in the darkness without a word passing between them, his hand grasped in hers slowly warming her cold fingers. But peace is both unnatural and fleeting. The sun’s rays encroach on their resting place, crawling in through the thick windows.

She is the one to break the silence, which pleases him. She may reside in another dimension, but his air of mystique is still grander. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Thank you.” He ponders a moment. “Do you sleep?”

“No, but I dream.”

He does not ask for clarification. They return to silence for a while, her fingers idly stroking his face in a way that would no doubt annoy him under normal circumstances but currently feels almost soothing, before she is again the one to break it.

“That woman is a pervert.”

He looks up to meet her blank eyes. “She is.”

Her hair falls all around his face again. “It is the only thing I am certain is true about her. It is how we will defeat her.” She hesitates. “You will seduce her.”

He blinks slowly at her. “I do not believe my talents lie in seduction.”

Her doll-like face cocks to one side. “I disagree. I have a plan, but I cannot reveal it for fear the telepaths might pluck it from you. Do you trust me?”

He hesitates for just a moment. “Yes.”

She runs her fingers through his hair. “Good. Could you tell me about the powers you have accrued thus far?”

He lays his head to one side and tells her about his powers, to an extent. Trust, like all things but ambition, is best employed in moderation. After his exposition is done he looks back into her eyes. “Now I have a question for you: What does the door at the end of the hallway look like? Can you see a handle?”

She starts to rise and he extricates himself from her embrace. Then she rolls out of the bed and jerks under it, sinking into the shadow in an instant. Soon after she flows out of the corner and glides back to the bed.

“Yes. It looks unfit to contain you. It can be locked with a key on the outside.”

“What about the windows here?”

“In this room they look sturdy. In the kitchen they seem to be ordinary glass windows.”

He nods. “Then I do not see this place as it truly is. The telepaths have altered my perception of it.”

Her hand cups his cheek. It might be meant to console him. There is some noise outside the room now, like people are making their way to the kitchen, purposefully loud.

“I will take that particular issue up with the telepaths themselves, preferably alone and in the dark. But for now, let us go speak with the enemy.”

She stands back up and he clambers out of bed, hurriedly putting on the stupid panties, shorts and tank top before following her out of the room. They make their way to the little kitchen, where Anessa sits at the table with an awkward smile.

“So. Hi again. I’m Anessa. That there’s Madeleine, then you got Nathaniel and Jamal. Pleasure to meet you, Shadowdancer.”

“Hello,” Irene says without looking at any of the others and taking a seat at the table opposite Anessa.

He sits down next to her, feeling slightly childish. There is some sort of chicken salad on the table. Nathaniel stands close to the fridge, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Jamal sits right next to Anessa, staring at Irene while still managing to look vaguely bored. Madeleine stands stiffly behind her seated friends.

“I will not pretend to like the circumstances, but I can accept that my darling crossed a line. He took a risk and now pays the price. What has happened cannot be changed, but what will can.”

Nathaniel looks to Madeleine, who swallows thickly. Anessa just nods. No-one touches the food.

“You seem drunk on your power. I fear what could happen if you are left unchecked. So I intend to lay some ground rules.”

Madeleine looks like she wants to say something, but stops when Anessa opens her mouth. “Alright, let’s hear them.”

“I will visit often.”

“Okay.”

“Those two will stay out of his mind.”

“Accepted.”

“Unless he and I decide otherwise, the instances where you administer your bodily fluids to him will be kept to a minimum.”

Anessa loses any semblance of a poker face. “Yeah, I agree to... to that too.”

“I want to be present when you do. I want you to keep a record of each time it happens when I am not present and provide me with a valid reason for it.”

“Uh, okay.”

“If any harm befalls him under your care, or if I feel his mind has been twisted further by any of you, there will be consequences. I am a hoarder of secrets, some of which could shake your League to its core.”

Anessa leans in a bit, trying once more to look serious. “No need for threats. I will keep him safe.”

He narrows his eyes at that, but she seems completely focused on Irene as the silence stretches on. Only once he has relaxed back into an expressionless state does she suddenly shoot him a quick wink. She returns her gaze to Irene before she can see his eyes narrow again. His right eye starts twitching.

“Then there is the matter of his clothing.”

Anessa immediately falls flustered back in her seat, one hand rubbing at the back of her head. “Ah, yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’ve kept postponing it but I am seriously gonna buy him something normal, I’ll do it today, soon as-”

“It is low effort.”

Anessa blinks. “What?”

“When my darling dolls himself up, it should be beautiful.”

Anessa blinks again, slower. “Huh?”

“Elegant dresses, occasional cute skirts and blouses, tastefully erotic ensembles, these are the things he should wear when indulging in our little hobby. Not your hand-me-downs.”

A thump comes from the table. “I-I, uh, yeah, I totally agree with you, that was very wrong of me, if he wants to wear that kind of stuff he totally should.”

“He hardly has anything better to do now. This house arrest may be an opportunity for him to improve. He has always had a hard time walking in heels, but now he should have the free time to learn it properly.”

Anessa clasps her hands tightly, looking a bit red in the face as she stares back at Irene. “I see.” She gnaws on her lip. “If that’s something that helps him pass the time, who am I to refuse?”

“And make-up. I always took care of it, but why should he not learn for himself? It would be lovely to come visit and see his own style take form over time.”

“I get you. I really get you.”

The air in the room is oddly tense. This absurd discussion somehow feels like a struggle of some kind. Madeleine keeps side-eyeing Anessa, who seems to have started gritting her teeth, while Nathan has started gnawing on his finger. Jamal remains composed, his stare unbroken. He himself sits still, trying to fight off any outward sign of awkwardness.

“Do not be afraid of picking the wrong size when buying something fashionable for him. With his shapeshifting, he could fill anything out. Petite where desired, anything but elsewhere.”

“Oh.”

“It is a sight to behold when he goes all out. Curves that no man has any right to have; perfect, flowing hair down the back of a tight, revealing black dress, sparkling diamond earrings dangling from dainty ears, a choker around his smooth neck, dark lipstick on his perfect lips that curve ever so slightly upwards if you play your cards right. Breathtaking.”

“I can... I can imagine.”

“I apologize for rambling so. I am passionate about this, at times perhaps unreasonably so. But I am sure you will understand, once you see what I speak of. But it is best I get going, before I talk your ears off. Thank you for the food.”

She jerks back in her seat and falls unnaturally backward, disappearing hands first into shadow. He catches the chair with one leg before it can hit the floor. Silence reigns for a good while.

“Your girlfriend is somewhat frightening,” Nathaniel finally says.

“She seems perfectly lovely,” is Anessa’s reply as she starts in on the salad.

“What the hell do you mean?” Madeleine scowls at her friend. “What was all that? A supervillain pops up in your home, says she accepts you getting it on with her boyfriend, threatens you and then you start bonding over a shared cross-dressing fetish? Does this seem normal to you? We can not trust this woman. I don’t know what she’s up to but just think about it, what are the odds she just happens to share your newest fetish?”

Anessa scowls. “It is not a fetish. It’s cute and fun. I may be a little interested, but more than anything I am just completely supportive of their hobby.”

“Oh, really? Just a little interested? Can you stand up for me real quick?”

“No, Maddie. I’m currently busy eating this delicious food that Nate put a lot of work into. Good job, Nate.”

“I could try on something cute for you, if you wish,” is his reply.

“No, you’re already a snappy dresser, you always look great. It’s not a fetish!”

Madeleine rubs the bridge of her nose. “Fine, whatever. What should we do about all this?”

Anessa swallows. “Do?”

“Yes, do! I’ve already sent an update to the League, but we should take some precautions. Maybe we could keep most of the house perfectly lit to keep the shadows at a minimum, so we limit the places she can appear?”

“Like living under constant floodlights? That sounds like a recipe for some serious headaches.”

“So what, we just accept that this woman we can’t sense because she somehow doesn’t have a mind could be anywhere in the building at any moment without us knowing?”

Then they all flinch. He thinks he manages to mostly still his own reaction as Irene tumbles out of the corner. He knows he is perfectly calm when she leans in and plants a kiss on his cheek.

“Forgive me, my love, I was so flustered I forgot to say goodbye. I will see you soon. And you,” she turns her gaze to Anessa, “come to our room tonight. I want to assess you. We will engage in slight role-play. It should be diverting.”

And then she steps back to sink into shadow once more. He takes great pleasure in the slowly fading looks of fright on Nathaniel and Madeleine’s faces. Jamal has already recovered, but is now watching him warily. Anessa, however, has a goofy little smile on her face. Whether that is good or bad he is unsure, but it is certainly annoying.

 

A few hours later he finds himself looking at an unfamiliar sight in the mirror. Striped stockings that alternate between white and blue adorn his lithe legs, disappearing under a blue skirt that nearly reaches his knees. A loose-fitting white blouse completes the ensemble, with a slightly plunging neckline that reveals more of his smooth chest than can be considered strictly necessary. It is odd how quickly she found something that fits him. But it is readily apparent that she could easily have clothed him properly earlier. She merely dragged her feet due to her own selfish, boorish desires.

“You look really cute,” comes Anessa’s voice from a respectful distance behind him.

“Indeed,” he answers, not taking his eyes off his stone-cold face. The attire greatly diminishes his intimidation factor. “Too cute, perhaps. I am one of the autumn people.”

“Huh? Like warm and earthy stuff? I got some green and gold colors, I think, no browns though.”

“I prefer darker colors.”

“Oh, okay, sorry. I just thought that you’d look good in this style, a bit of a clash with your girlfriend, see, like she’s all dark and mysterious and then you’re like the beautiful light to contrast her, all bright and innocent and sweet, you know?”

No, he does not know. It is irksome how readily this buffoon accepts anything and everything. Though perhaps he should be relieved by her eagerness, since it is in accordance with Irene’s plan. “I see. I disagree with your interpretation.”

“Ah, okay. I only bought a few cute things like that, I’ll uh, head back out before too long and get something... darker, I guess. Suppose it would have made sense to ask you for input before buying, but most of the time I run on instinct only, usually works out. Anything special you’d like? I am on a budget though.”

He wonders what sort of budget it is and what exactly she envisions he might want that would break it. More importantly, he has no idea what he could possibly request. He knows the names of colors and could possibly throw around terms such as turquoise and vermilion, but his vernacular is rather limited when it comes to apparel. “I will think on it.”

“Alright, nice, glad you don’t absolutely hate my picks. And who knows, maybe the light side will grow on you.”

He finally levels his gaze at her in the mirror, inspecting her face as she leans back against the far wall and looks off to the side, trying and failing to look innocent. Is her choice of this apparel’s color part of some imagined moral struggle? That sounds patently ridiculous, so it might just be. “We shall see.”

“Great! Wanna go for another walk?”

He narrows his eyes. Is this a test, to gauge his level of comfort during an outing to discern the veracity of his claimed passion for cross-dressing? “Yes. That would be... delightful.”

“Fantastic! Nate’s packing up some sandwiches and stuff, we’ll have ourselves a little picnic. I can show you the heels I bought for your uh, practice, but you’ll probably wanna just take the flat platforms since we’re gonna be walking for a bit, they’re cute but not gonna make you face-plant. I’m gonna go round up the gang, come out when you’re ready.”

He watches her bound out of the room like a dog in human form. The silliness of it all along with her dim-witted demeanor is most likely meant to lull him into taking her at face value, but he will not fall for it. Beneath that brain-dead facade there no doubt lurks the heart of a schemer, mired in insipid self-righteousness. He steps out of the room and stalks his way through the building and into the foyer. With a grim air he puts on the platform shoes she mentioned, light blue with white laces seemingly in keeping with his current color scheme, and steps out into the sunshine.

They saunter to the same park they visited last time. The weather is again boringly comfortable and Nathaniel and Jamal flank Anessa once more. He himself follows a ways behind them, contemplative. Madeleine keeps pace with the three up front but stays off to the side, lugging a picnic basket along. It is an odd sight and it is certainly strange that the smallest member of the entourage should play pack mule. She flits her eyes over at him every so often, but remains silent. He does not feel any intrusion on his mind, but he knows he might simply not notice it. He can only hope she abides by Irene’s rules.

At the park Madeleine spreads out a blanket and opens the picnic basket. They consume a portion of the contents, the four of them babbling on and on about nothing. Then Anessa and her two hangers-on engage in a game of hacky sack. Her and the punk seem exceedingly athletic, slowly rendering the game absurd by kicking the sack ever higher and further, necessitating great sprints to keep it aloft and leading Nathaniel to quickly bow out, acting embarrassed by his comparative weakness. He is not sure what to make of this display, or just what the sack is made of to survive such handling. Madeleine seems content to watch, humming to herself.

He quickly grows tired of the lot of them and strolls off a ways to stare down at the sea. Titania is part of the view again, sitting out in the ocean with the water almost up to her knees, her hands clasped around them, staring motionless out at the horizon. She looks positively picturesque, still as a boulder against the lapping of the waves. He stares out at the waters beyond her and wonders what the point of this repetition is. Perhaps to establish a routine in an attempt to lull him into complacency?

His question is answered when a bright light suddenly appears high in the sky. It stays for a moment before blinking out of existence and instantly reappearing much closer, then repeats the maneuver and appears high above the park. It is Radiance, hanging above them like a diminutive sun, the light painfully bright. She stares down at his head jailer a moment, then disappears and reappears a ways off on the street, glow quickly dulling until she looks human. Anessa runs over like a lackey to speak with her. So this was the point of this outing, a simple intimidation tactic. If Radiance is backing them they certainly aren’t lacking in firepower or political connections within the League. Still, it was interesting to watch her movements, he does not believe he has ever seen it in video footage of her. Was it meant to intimidate him? Does she actually need to stop after each short burst of speed? Or can she not see while she is moving? Anessa reaches her now and they begin talking, well out of earshot. Radiance is a good deal shorter, but the body language implies she towers over her conversation partner in most other ways. This may be meant to deflect his ire from his jailer onto a higher authority figure. Luckily, he has plenty to spare.

A shrill sound breaks him out of his reverie and he turns his attention to his other unwanted companions, suppressing a scowl. Madeleine has pulled out a harmonica and is lazily blowing into it as Nathaniel reclines his head against her lap. Jamal sits silent, head craned to stare at Anessa and Radiance. He walks closer to the group but stops at a tree and reclines against it, watching all of them. The harmonica continues disturbing the silence. At least it is a somewhat mournful sound.

 

Evening comes and Irene returns, flowing out of the shadows on the wall. She has a little bag in one hand, but makes no move after her arrival other than to look over his new apparel.

“Not as revealing as I had expected. Maybe cuteness does something for her.”

“Her demeanor is lecherous as ever. It is hard to discern whether my new appearance affects her.”

“She was remarkably quick to clothe you once she heard the idea.”

“That could be nothing more than a healthy fear of you.”

“Perhaps. The telepaths certainly seemed skittish. The other has better control of himself, but it is not perfect. The lady of the house seemed completely unfazed, however. I think she truly must be the leader, though we cannot dismiss the possibility that the telepaths have rendered her incapable of fear or surprise.”

“Whether she is immune or not, the level of tension in this house certainly has risen after your arrival. It is a refreshing change. It was nice seeing a hint of fear in someone’s eyes, even if I am not the cause of it. I rather miss being able to frighten people.”

“You like... frightening people?”

He meets her gaze. “Yes.”

“Well, it certainly can feel rewarding. Maybe I could help you become more frightening. Become frightening once more, I should say.”

He keeps inspecting her inscrutable face a moment before answering. “Thank you for the offer.”

“Do not mention it. But let us not dally. My plans have been set in motion.” She pulls a flat cap out of the bag and places it on her head. “Disarming, no?”

He squints his eyes. “Perhaps.”

She takes it off and awkwardly twiddles it in her hands, staring straight ahead with unblinking eyes. “And now?”

He feels his confidence in her waver. “I am unsure.”

“The time flew from me, so I did not research role-play properly, but I think I have come up with a decent scenario. Undress for me.”

He feels an odd little flutter at that, but starts divesting himself of his overabundance of baby blue garments. She drops the bag on the bed and turns away before he has gotten far. Inside it he finds dark red lace panties and a black negligee. He dons them and then does not quite know what to do with himself. She does not turn around. Looking down at himself he wonders whether her choice of respectfully looking away while he stood naked meant much, considering how much of him is on display in this. Not that it should matter, there can surely be no room left for embarrassment after all he has been through lately. He coughs awkwardly.

She finally turns around, eyes full black so he cannot really be sure where she is looking. “Elegant.”

His fingers twitch towards the hem of the negligee as if they want to try and pull it down a bit further, but he stills them. She walks slowly in a circle around him, appraising him, and his breath starts feeling slightly erratic. Upon feeling a stirring in his panties he realizes what is happening. She is clothed and he is somewhat clothed so this is obviously not a sexual circumstance, but his changed body lacks all situational awareness. He tries to de-escalate by picturing her not as the woman but as the shadow entity in another dimension that is looking through those eyes at him. Oh, no. It’s... hot? Perhaps her cold hands on his body would cool him down. He looks down at the floor to get himself under control.

“Radiance made an appearance today,” he offers, hoping this will make his body obey him and focus on the important things.

“I see. I do know a secret of hers, but she could destroy this body in an instant if she caught me. Perhaps that would kill me outright, I have never tried losing it. Still, she should not consider me much of a threat. This was no doubt just a warning. Though I suppose it means I must reconsider my approach toward the telepaths.”

He nods his head. The excitement is leaving his body, he thinks, so he keeps staring at the floor in anticipation of further success.

“Your acting skills are truly impressive. But I do not think a bashful approach will be appropriate. Teasing but indifferent, that is what I envision will defeat her. I will keep her occupied in conversation and pressure her into returning your shapeshifting while you pressure her from below. I hope you will forgive me for the things I may utter. But I have faith she will fall to our combined onslaught.”

He looks up and nods, even as he doubts the wisdom of this plan. “Be careful. I do not know what I would do if she ensnared you as well.”

“I am unsure if her power would work on me. But do not worry, I will keep my wits about me. Now. I will work on your face for a bit, then it is time. Are you ready?”

He hesitates. “Yes. I think so.”

Once she has finished her work she sinks into the ground before reappearing just a few moments later. She ushers him into the bathroom before placing the flat cap on her head. A knock comes at the door and she cracks it open first, before throwing it fully open. “Welcome, miss landlord,” she says in a sultry voice. “Please, come in.”

He pulls back out of sight before Anessa enters. He hears her shuffling on her feet, awkward now that no sycophant is present.

“Uh, thanks, uh, pretty dark in here, hey?”

“Yes, for the ambience. Please, have a seat.”

“Thanks, but ah, I can’t stay too long, you know, I’m just here for the ah, for the rent, yeah.”

A short silence. This must be where she starts twiddling the cap. “Of course. I’m afraid we need to have a discussion about just that, miss landlord. My job search has not been going very well, you see.”

“Oh, I don’t like where this is going! Maybe if you didn’t spend it all on booze you wouldn’t be in constant trouble!”

“Of course you are right, miss landlord. But it hit me hard, being laid off from the factory after all those years I toiled for them.”

“Ah, yeah, um, that’s tough luck. That’s a nice hat though, it’s gotta count for something, right?”

“It was not my fault I fell asleep at the manufacturing line. The work is so tiring and sleep so hard to come by. My frequent visits to the pub had nothing to do with it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you know how my darling is, so beautiful yet so frail. I cannot force him back into modelling, not after what that beast did to him.”

Anessa coughs. Irene is so impressively competent at everything she does, even absurdity such as this.

“I feel bad for you guys, really, but what can I do? You think I can just waive the rent and be fine? In this economy?”

“Oh, damn the economy. How easy life would be if I had only been born with powers. To have a guaranteed job in the army or better yet, be able to marry into some royal family and live like a queen. Alas, life has not been so kind.”

“Um, yep, life is tough, I hear ya.”

“Yes, times truly are hard on all of us, I know. My darling has noticed you looking weary and tense as of late. So we thought that just maybe, in exchange for some leniency on this month’s rent, my darling could.... help you relax.”

“O-oh?”

He stares at himself in the mirror one last time. His reflection has dark red lipstick on, subtle mascara and eye liner. Irene is skilled.

“Darling, come out here.”

“Good evening, miss landlord,” he says as he leans against the door frame a moment. “Thank you for coming.” He stares daggers at Anessa where she sits in the cuck chair.

She does not interpret his gaze correctly. “Oh, holy smokes. I see what you meant about darker colors. Hot damn.”

“Our landlord is under a lot of stress. Shall we lend a hand?”

He flits his eyes downward and sees her shorts are already tenting obscenely. No hint of alarm on her features. Irene is standing right beside her seated form, seemingly having discarded the flat cap on the bed.

“God, you’re a beauty,” his target mutters.

“I’m glad you like it,” Irene says, staring at her. “Come closer, darling, do not be shy. Help our dear landlord relax. I’ve seen you sneaking glances at her ever since we moved in. I give you permission. Suck her off properly.”

He saunters closer, looking down his nose the whole way.

Anessa squirms a bit. “Uh, that’s really not ... not necessary. I really need that money, you know, and I wouldn’t want to coerce you into anything, uh, you don’t feel comfortable with and whatnot.”

“Nonsense. I think we would both very much like to help you find some relief. You’ve been so kind to us, please let us be kind in return. I promise you this will be worth it.”

She’s twitching again. “Uh, well if... if you insist. I have been a bit pent up lately.”

“A woman like you? I do not believe it. I bet the men throw themselves at you. But you have not experienced a man like my darling before.”

He gets down on his knees and makes the rest of his way over to her on all fours, maintaining eye contact. The breath hitches in her throat and the bulge twitches. Utterly ridiculous. He reaches her sitting form and his hands slowly make their way up her toned calves and over her firm thighs to grasp at the hem of her shorts. Her breath now comes in short bursts as she raises herself slightly off the seat so he can pull her shorts down. Perhaps seduction is easier than anticipated. Though more likely this is the only simpleton in the world this would work on.

Anessa bites her lip as he reaches out and frees the monster from its confines. Irene lets out an exaggerated little gasp as the thing flops free, its prodigious size struggling valiantly against gravity. “Miss landlord!”

He lets it loom over his face, staring up at it and her gawking face above it with his mouth slightly ajar. “It’s.... so.... big.”

The tower twitches and she hides her eyes behind one hand. “This is stupid. Sorry, I’m stupid. Why am I like this?”

“Now, now, miss landlord. He dolled himself up just for you. Please don’t look away.”

The fingers of her hand splay outward in obedience, letting her eyes rest on him just in time to see him aid the beast in its fight with gravity by letting it rest on his face. She bites her lip and a tremor goes through her. He lets the thick shaft stay there a moment, feeling its heat against his skin as he struggles to understand just what it smells like, other than oddly alluring.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Uh, y-yeah, he, uh,” she starts before he places a first peck on her thick underside, “he’s the most beautiful man alive! I mean...”

“Oh, I bet you say that to all the boys. But I am glad you agree.”

He lifts the monstrosity with one finger and places lazy kisses all along her trembling length. Irene now stands just behind Anessa, a hand on her shoulder as her eyes flit between the two people below her. Her expression is unreadable as always, but he feels as if he can sense an increasing intensity from her.

“But it is a shame he does not have his long hair right now. I feel it greatly enhances his beauty on occasions like this.”

“He does look pretty nice with long hair, I saw some pictures, I-nf”

Just a kiss on the head shuts that little ramble down. Irene steps away from Anessa’s side to stand next to him, running her hand through his hair. “Come now, darling, enough teasing, it won’t pleasure itself.”

He reaches out with both hands, wrapping his fingers as far around it as they will go before daintily working them up and down. “I do not know if I can take it. I am... a bit scared.”

“Oooh no, please don’t be scared, you took it so well yesterday, it’ll be okay!”

“How kind she is. Though it hurts to hear you have given yourself to her even before we hit these dire straits. Did I drive you to such wanton promiscuity with my excessive drinking? I swear I will never lay a hand on you again, so long as you promise never to give yourself to another woman for free. But for now, show our landlord how grateful you are she’s letting us off the hook.”

Anessa clears her throat. “I’m sorry, I derailed it, didn’t I? I’m not very good at being a bad guy.”

Irene cocks her head. “Nonsense, you’re a natural. Now accept your payment, dear landlord.”

“Don’t people usually do this sort of thing with like a sexy nurse or naughty cop or something?”

“We have been at this so long that such mundane plays bore us.”

“Okay, but this just doesn’t seem like a very sexy rolep-”

The sight of Irene’s hand guiding him onto her shuts her up, then his suckling makes her hiss in ecstacy. He feels the urge to take her deeper but quashes it as he focuses on running his tongue along the fat head before creating a suction around it that makes Anessa squirm before he comes off her with a pop. He clasps both hands around her, his fingers incapable of encompassing her girth, his red fingernails on display as he strokes her.

“Oh my, it really is enormous.”

“Yes,” he agrees. “So very big.”

Irene’s hand finds the back of his head again. "But you never back away from a challenge, do you, darling?"

He feels rather than sees Anessa’s eyes leave him to flit over at Irene. “He can go at his own pa-”

The hand pushes him down once more and his lips travel further along the monster’s side. “Do not worry. His favorite pace is the one I set for him.”

“O-okay, I uh, leave it in your capable hands.”

He lets the thick head of it poke out his cheek. The taste of it is... something. His body is enjoying this. He can already feel himself straining against the panties. A vague irritation rises in the back of his mind, but Irene’s hand on the back of his head holds more immediate sway.

“He’s good, isn’t he, miss landlord?”

“Y-yeah, huh, he’s- ah!”

“But it really is a shame his hair isn’t longer. It feels so nice to wrap it around my hands. To pull it back so you can see his pretty face gaze up at you. To pull him up and down on your length. He could change the length at will with his shapeshifting. Find just the right length to please.”

“Uh, yeah, uh, I’ll, um, fuck, I’m definitely thinking about it.”

“He can do some incredible things when he lengthens his tongue, too.”

“Oh, f-fuck, yeah?”

Deeper it goes, pushing well past the previous rings his lipstick has left, effortlessly sliding down his gullet as Irene’s guiding hand governs his pace up and down the enormous shaft. Anessa’s thighs have started trembling slightly under his hands. It still seems impossible that this thing should fit inside him without issue. But this is just what he is meant for at the moment, he supposes. Her member has molded his body to its needs, reduced him to an instrument of her pleasure. The thought fills him with a twinge of anger. Yet he can’t deny that he’s feeling pleasure too, infuriating pleasure. The feeling of this incredible thing in his throat is... strange. Anessa is panting now.

“Don’t finish yet, miss landlord. My darling likes to watch people teetering on the edge.”

“Uh, okay, okay, yeah, I’m not gonna blow just yet, but maybe slow down a bit.”

“Hmm, I do not know if my darling can slow down now that he has gotten all worked up. Can you, darling?” She turns to look at him and then strokes his face. “Oh my, it really is huge. Your cheeks look so full, darling. No, I think you must simply be too enamored to slow down now.” She kisses his bulging cheek and he feels a twitching in his panties. “But a cock like that deserves even greater fervor.”

“Ah, fuck, I really didn’t expect you to be so kinky. I imagined you’d be into, like, reading poetry in a cemetery at night or something.”

“Well, I do like poetry. And graveyards do possess a certain beauty.”

He bobs his head up and down, slow and shallow now, tongue dragging teasingly along the underside, lips creating a tight suction around her hapless length. He puts on a bored face and looks only straight ahead.

“Fuck. Girl, are you blinking at the exact same time as me, or do you just not? It’s pretty intense, the way you’re looking at me.”

“Of course I blink.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“I am not worried. This is purely physical. You are only so much meat.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Deeper, darling. All the way now.”

Irene puts just a little bit of pressure on the top of his head. All according to plan. With a clean conscience he takes that imposing rod deeper, moaning seductively on purpose as it fills his throat with its outrageous girth, causing his victim to lose all concentration. Irene pushes slowly but relentlessly, Anessa’s muscular, panting body growing ever closer. His eyes flutter as his lips reach her base. This is the perfect place to deposit what remains of his lipstick.

“You are so talented, darling. Now let us go all out to help our dear landlord. She looks so pent up, the poor thing.”

Yes, she truly does. Irene’s hand starts guiding him up and down with fervor now, working that pillar almost all the way out before slamming him back down on it, leaving Anessa panting and moaning as he picks up speed. Yes, this is it. He’s going to drain her of every last drop. He’s going to bring her an orgasm so powerful she won’t be able to think, not that she does much of that to begin with. He’ll wrap her around his finger, enthrall and ensnare her.

“Fuck!”

“Please hold on, miss landlord.” She takes one of Anessa’s hands and places them beside hers in his hair. “Just imagine if he had his long hair. He could be so beautiful, like a fairy tale princess. Yes, a princess sucking on an ogre’s meaty cock. Perhaps that should be our next play. An ogre ravishing the beautiful princess.”

“A-an ogre? Ah, yeah, actually I can totally see that. He’s definitely princess material though, you’re totally right, fuck. The most beautiful princess in the whole fucking world!”

Anessa makes small movements as if she wants to hump upwards but he stills her legs with his hands. She will learn her place yet. Princess? No. He will be queen at the very least, but rather empress, goddess even. He will play these silly games and she will submit to his will, overpowered by her own lustful nature. He will have his unlimited freedom. They will be untouchable at the top of the world. Just him, Irene and, in the worst case where it turns out he is forever bound by it, this idiot and her damnably impressive member. Still, it will be on his terms.

He takes her down his gullet with a renewed fury. She will be brought low, reduced to nothing but a tool to be used at his leisure. Chained and bound, trapped in some hidden lair where no-one will ever find her and none will ever hear the sounds he makes when he is forced to ingest his dose. He will leave her gagged and blindfolded, made into an ugly ornament, a piece of furniture, a human throne for him to recline in. He lets out a low growl around her.

“Fuck, you’re really feeling it tonight, huh? Shadowdancer, this is amazing, thank you so much, it’s pretty weird how you stare at me but I think I’m into it, you’re intense and kinda cool and your boyfriend is incredible, you have fantastic taste in-”

“He certainly does look good. But he can look so much better in lingerie like this when he shrinks down that bulge.”

“Aaaah, whuh? You like him, uh, smaller?”

“Yes. I am enamored with the idea of him looking delicate. Petite, even. He humors me, because he likes pleasing me. Likes it when I want him. Likes it when I look at him. Likes it when I watch him suck a big cock for me.”

“Oh, god, that’s pretty hot. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.”

It is a bit strange listening to them talk on about him while he is right there. Though it would be hard for them to incorporate him into the conversation, with his mouth occupied like this. If only Irene was talking to someone other than this it might not bother him at all.

“Hold on, dear. My man likes to work hard for it.”

“Oh yeah?”

Irene tuts. “If only his hair was long enough for me to wrap it around my hands and use it as a proper handle to guide him. His shapeshifting is such a useful power.”

“Uh, yeah, uh, I’ll, um, fuck, I’m definitely thinking about it.”

“Plusher lips, a more powerful tongue, there are so many ways he could enhance your experience.”

He pulls himself slowly up her entire length, sucking hard as he drags it almost all the way out before effortlessly taking it all back in and starting another slow ascent.

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.”

“Sounds like you’ve almost worked off this month’s rent, darling. “

He wants it. He wants his power back, even if it is only the disturbing shapeshifting. He will make this thing orgasm and he will claw his way back to the top, no matter what it takes. Anessa’s whole body is squirming now, her panting turned into strangled little groans. Irene’s hands join his in holding her legs down. “Now, miss landlord. Please release your load in my darling’s mouth.”

Anessa obeys with a breathless little attempt at a scream as he engulfs her entirely. The monster in his gullet twitches and spasms as it starts unloading into him. In the back of his mind he wishes he could still choke so this would feel more like the struggle it should be. Then he does suddenly feel the lack of air as she pulses inside him and her incredible virility floods his being. The sensation of choking is intense but sadly not in the way he had envisioned. His whole body spasms as Irene holds him tight and presses her cheek against his while Anessa’s cock spurts powerfully inside him. Still, he feels a surge of power flooding into him alongside her release and his own embarrassing physical response. He flexes that power and his hair flows long in their hands. Irene curls her fingers in it and slowly drags him off the beast until he can taste the fruit of his efforts, his throat working overtime to keep his mouth from overflowing. He shrinks his own member down, letting the hem of his panties rest back against his skin rather than being strained by his erection, but the reduced pressure fails to stop his strange pleasure. He keeps trembling. Irene keeps holding him. Anessa keeps flooding him.

“That’s it, darling, swallow it all, you’ve done so well.” Irene strokes his nearly naked body under the negligee with both hands as she starts placing gentle kisses on his cheek. The plan worked. It actually worked. “Or perhaps leave a drop or two,” she whispers into his ear between kisses. “Just for me. And some researchers I know.”

He fights hard not to grin around the fat phallus in his mouth that is finally showing signs of stopping now, long after his own member has finished soiling his red lace panties. Soon the world will learn who stands at its apex. Soon.

Chapter 6: Finding one’s footing

He views himself in the mirror with a hint of annoyance. The white sleeveless blouse and pastel green skirt look chaste enough, a healthy contrast to last night’s debauchery. Still he feels the need to pace the room in gloom, white kitten heels falling muted on the carpet and clacking gently on the floor. He pauses.

Was walking in these things not meant to be challenging? He stands on one leg, raising the other to idly inspect the heel. Irene’s claim that he would use his time in captivity to practice this might seem absurd to his captors, considering how effortless it seems to be. But perhaps the ease of his heeled stride is merely yet another sign of his inherent superiority.

Regardless of the nature of heels and the average person’s apparent struggle with them, progress has been made on more important things. One of his powers has been returned, though it is hardly his favorite and he would have felt much better about it if it hadn’t come at the price of such an embarrassing physical response. He had been the one on his knees servicing her so it seems senseless that he should be so affected by it. Perhaps her power was to blame, but the fact he had wished to feel it choking him and once granted that wish had only enjoyed it is truly disturbing. His hunger for power had been perverted by something else entirely. He still can’t quite get it out of his head, the way that tremendous member pulsed powerfully inside him, the way it just kept going, the way he might have mindlessly swallowed down every last drop if Irene had not stopped him.

She had disappeared as soon as Anessa made herself scarce, the both of them managing to keep up the silly role-play act as “the landlord” proclaimed her satisfaction with the payment and bid them adieu. He’d had just enough time to rid himself of his vestments and clean himself up before Irene returned. They lay in each others arms in bed wordlessly for a long time and she had still been there when he woke up. Very reassuring.

He returns to the mirror once more, crossing his arms. Reassuring? His own thoughts are simply not what they used to be. There is definite danger here, no matter how bizarrely relaxed and bumbling everyone may seem. He finds himself wondering whether any of this is actually real, or whether the telepaths are simply having a field day with him. Would Irene actually push his head up and down on someone’s oversized genitalia during an odd sexual role-play scenario? He does not know. If only he had put more effort into their friendship in the past he might have a definitive answer. Could this Irene actually be Madeleine in disguise, fooling him with her powers?

He shelves the idea but does not discard it. It would be crushing if true, but preparing for the possibility might empower him to tackle that reality should it be so. Distrust is the key to success in his line of work. Perhaps he should poke Madeleine in the side when he sees her, establish a sense for the give in her flesh and then compare it to Irene.

He turns his focus back on the man in the mirror, hesitant to use his newly returned power as memories assail him. Memories of the despicable Bun-Bun. A low-level hero seemingly more interested in modelling than heroism, with floppy bunny ears on her head and a fondness for hopping around foolishly. He’d faced her only once, during a big villain team-up where she was tasked with taking down him and some mooks while the big shots took on his employers. While the mooks stood no chance, the bunny antics were not much of a threat to him. But things changed once the fight moved inside and out of sight. Suddenly there were tentacles and there were fangs and stingers and claws and the stench of a skunk. The poisons eventually brought him low, but he understood enough of the disgusting creature’s power to earn it. The more he experimented with it later, the more repulsive he found its original owner. More than once he had wondered whether the human parts of her were actually the shape-shifted ones.

He takes a deep breath and shifts his flesh. A slightly slimmer waist forces itself into being. The skirt shifts as his hips grow a bit wider and his buttocks heavier. Bones swell and crawl as he makes his cheekbones slightly more pronounced. The frightening thing about this power is that it does not hurt. As the face in the mirror swims before his eyes and bones adjust themselves as if nothing were more natural, his mind expects pain but cannot find it. The face looking back at him is vaguely unfamiliar and he finds himself staring at it for a long moment.

But what manner of weakling worries so over the wrapping? The limits of a body do not contain the essence of the likes of him. His brain could be placed into cold, unfeeling machine and he would still remain he. Yes, from the moment he understood the weakness of his flesh, it disgusted him. If souls should happen to exist, his is strong. If not, it is his mind that is extraordinary.

He puts said mind to work. His hair grows further at an unnatural rate, forcing its way out of his scalp as he wonders just where it comes from, since his body seemingly does not have to offer any nutrients for the growth. It reaches well past his shoulder when he stops, a rather unwieldy mass. He moves it all over one shoulder, pondering whether he should braid or style it somehow. He would have to learn how first, so he decides against it for now.

What would tickle Anessa’s perverse fancy while remaining cold and aloof? Presumably anything would be enough for that dog, but there might well be differing levels of success available. He will have to experiment. And learn to style long hair. Maybe Irene can help him. The idea of her sitting on his bed styling his hair sort of tickles him.

The choker around his neck rather diminishes the chasteness of his current outfit, dainty though it may be. He supposes it serves to hide his Adam’s apple slightly, though he could technically shift it out of existence if he wanted. But it would be detrimental to change the voice, he thinks. His gaze flits to the side to catch a glimpse of the chair and memories of last night flood him. He narrows his eyes at his own reflection. One benefit of this shifted form is that he can suffer these constant erections without tenting his skirt, so any bystander would be none the wiser if the insufferable lust were to make itself known at an inopportune moment. He throws his long hair over one shoulder in irritation and walks out of the room.

He spares only a glance at Nathaniel who is sitting at the table of the little kitchen and looking up at him with a hint of surprise. He grabs a cup and places it under the spout of the coffee machine, looking back at the table as the machine whirs to life. There is a book in front of Nathaniel, the currently open pages containing what seem to be nearly finished crosswords. Is this a failed attempt at posing as an intellectual?

Nathaniel breaks the silence. “Is everything alright?”

He reaches for the finished cup behind him without looking, raises it to his nose and takes a sniff, staring at the other man in silence.

“You look... somewhat angry perhaps?”

“What use is anger for one such as I?”

“Ah, well, I... I would not be able to tell you.”

“I will drink this espresso. Then I will go for a walk. Alert the lady of the house.”

“Very well, I shall tell her when she gets back. You need not wait. She said you could go out on your own, if you wish, so long as you do not leave the neighborhood. I take that to mean you have earned a modicum of her trust. I advise you not to betray it.”

“Hmm. I also wish to see Madeleine before I go.”

“Very well, I shall tell her. Done.”

He finishes the espresso and leaves for the foyer. There he waits patiently for his quarry, ignoring Jamal when he walks past and being ignored in return. Finally Madeleine arrives, her face looking vaguely quizzical.

“You wanted to see me?”

He takes a step towards her and quickly pokes her in the side, holding his finger there a moment as he tries to memorize the feeling without thinking too much about it, his eyes locked on hers. She looks flabbergasted. It might not quite be fear, but it is still a somewhat satisfying sight. He withdraws his finger and heads outside.

The skies are somewhat cloudy, but the temperature remains warm as ever. The air feels refreshingly cool on his now completely hairless legs as he walks, though the slight clack of the heels is rather irritatingly loud on the pavement. Anyone could hear his approach from quite a distance. He meanders from one street to the next without a clear destination, attempting to memorize the layout of the place and empty his mind of the constant nagging worries that have plagued him ever since he arrived.

After a while his attempts at meditation are cut short by a sudden loud voice coming from the next street over.

“Heya, neighbor! Been a while.”

He hesitatingly starts moving toward the noise, trying to get eyes on the situation without being spotted himself. Whatever the response to that greeting was is inaudible to him. Eyes darting around for security cameras that might be trained on him as he creeps closer, he starts shifting his flesh once more to enhance his eavesdropping. His ears sink inside his head before rising once more, inhuman in form.

“Yep, cozy as ever,” the booming voice returns. “Actually don’t mind a few clouds, I was getting worried about sunburn.”

He flicks his new ears experimentally. This annoyingly cutesy use of the power is sadly similar to the tasteless style of its original user, but it still serves a purpose.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t notice you there, just felt like going for a bit of a run. What did it look like? Like Baywatch with earthquakes?”

He peers around the corner of a building, pausing momentarily at the sight of his own reflection looking idiotic with cat ears coming out of his new luscious locks before deciding to ignore it.

“Yeah, kinda, I guess. Didn’t bother me much, earthquakes is pushing it. It’s cool.”

Anessa is speaking with Titania, who now stands at a mere triple human size. He pulls his head back before either of them can see him, relying on his enhanced hearing.

“How about you, where are you off to?”

“Well, I was kinda thinking of finding a good spot by the ocean where the waves make a bit of noise and then screaming for a while.”

“Oh. I know a place. Anything you wanna talk about?”

“It’s nothing really, I just don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

“Relatable.”

“I dunno. It’s guy trouble. Like, new guy trouble. Sorry, it’s superpower trouble, really, it’s my messy everything being made even messier by a new guy who’s like, making me question everything about my, you know, my shit.”

“Oh. So, this new guy... I’ve heard some rumors. Is it true that it’s... the silent smoulder? Hot boy hench?”

“Yeah. That code red a few days ago was him Now he’s here with me.”

His mind haltingly tries to make sense of what he just heard.

“Aw, no! It really was him? Say it ain’t so!”

“I’m afraid so. Sorry?”

Hot... boy... hench?

“Damn it. Guess I’ll never face that smouldering gaze again, then. Life really isn’t fair, is it?”

“Sorry.”

That’s not... that’s not what they call him. It can’t be. It isn’t right.

“This world needs more hot villains, not less.”

“Well, hopefully he’ll eventually want to use his powers for good. I’m sure he’ll keep smouldering even if he changes sides.”

This tripe again. Use his powers for good? What a waste. Anessa’s awful plan thankfully returns his focus to the task at hand.

“It’s just not the same. And I don’t like that he’s super powerful. A mysterious hot guy who just had an unstoppable urge to hench was just... it was just so good. Just strong enough to be at that level, not evil or dangerous enough to stop him from being guilt-free eye candy.” She sighs and he hears tree branches bending. “He had a good thing going.”

“Uh, yeah, I... I get you.”

His focus is back to wavering.

“No more mugshots that make you swoon. No more unclear photos of him gazing mysteriously at someone he’s working with making you wonder if there’s something romantic going on there. I hope the fanfic authors don’t forget him. He’s niche, but he inspired some good stuff.”

No... no... What dignity he has managed to maintain on this wretched island feels like it is crumbling away.

“Yeah, well, maybe... he might be willing to do some modeling? It could be a form of community service. And he could be all villainous there, real menacing like?”

“Oooh, that’s not a bad idea. Maybe a torn costume, and he could look a bit tussled up, like he’s been in a fight? Wouldn’t it be cool if, for instance, he posed in my hand? Or he could be almost naked and, you know, only my gigantic finger was protecting his modesty? Maybe he’s a sexy prisoner and my fingers are the jail bars?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll, uh, I’ll ask him sometime.”

Do they know he is here? Is this a concerted effort to crush his spirit? He takes an unintentional step backwards and for the first time he stumbles in his kitten heels, nearly falling. He does not feel like much of a villain at the moment. This will of course not crush his spirit, he is made of stuff far too stern for that, but still... he may need a respite, to gather his thoughts. He starts slinking ever so slowly back toward the safety of his jail, shoulders slumped.

“I kinda wish I could just see that smouldering look again myself. I slept alone tonight, or more like didn’t sleep, and at maybe four in the morning I think I started seeing things how they really are.” He slows his slinking. “Now that I don’t have him in front of me and I don’t have to put all my focus on holding my drool in, reining in the old hug muscles and keeping my lady boner in check I can think back on it with something like a clear head and holy fuck does it all look wrong. I don’t think he’s been smouldering at me. His eyes are kinda sad, actually.”

Now he freezes at her words. It sounds like they had a similar effect on Titania.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, they’re sad eyes. And there’s hate in them. But like a kid’s hate. Like a kid who’s been hurt and closed themselves off to the world, looking out from the bottom of the hole they crawled into for safety, watching the other kids play and feeling only hate, hate, hate.”

“Um. Oh.”

He raises himself back to his full height, steeling his resolve. Childish hate, is it? So this is how much she looks down on him. For the first time on this damned island he feels the cold. It emanates crystal clear from his own heart and suffuses every part of his body. Yes, it is indeed hate he feels. He will show her its extent in the end.

“And I feel so bad, I wanna help but there’s no way I can. I took someone sad and angry who was lashing out and feeling strong enough to finally show the world who he really was, I took that person and humiliated him and made him powerless and it just felt... it felt good to me. I wanna hug him and make him feel safe somehow, but I can’t do that because as soon as I’m near him I’m like a pervert, I can’t stop thinking how gorgeous he is, how good he smells, how soft he feels, how everything drives my stupid body nuts. I dunno what I’m doing. I’m seriously stupid. I was always a goof, but now I think I’m completely brain-dead half the time, which honestly might be necessary just so I can take living this stupid fucking life. I used to like all sorts of things, but now there’s only sex on my brain. Oh, music’s nice, but hey, doesn’t that singer kinda remind you of Jamal when it’s getting good, wonder if he’s got some more sounds in him I still haven’t heard? Yeah, this movie’s kinda fun, but it’d be better if it had sex scenes and I was in them. And it all just feels so good, all the time. Sorry, I’m rambling. I’m ruining your day, aren’t I? It’s just the first time in a while I can see things clearly, and boy does it not look good. I think it’s post-nut clarity or something, you know how it is.”

“Not really, but okay.”

“I love my friends. They’re great, we’ve been through a lot together and we’ve done some pretty cool things, you know, like saving people and stuff. Even with how weird our whole deal is, we are actual friends. I want them to be happy. And chill, free to do whatever they want even though they’re bound to me. But there’s like... some weird part of me. A part that thinks it’s so, so right that they’re bound, that they belong to me, that they fit just right underneath me, making all sorts of cute sounds for me, that the best thing in their life is me and that’s how it should be. I hate it. I hate myself. It’s reared up before but lately it feels like it just won’t go away, like it’s always right there under the surface. My boys are already total bottom bitches, why do I wanna dominate them more? How would I even do that? Did I make them submissive in the first place, with my power? Or did they just accept by themselves that it had to be that way? Which would be worse? There’s always the possibility they always were submissive, but with Nate at least I know for a fact he was not bending over and getting pounded into the mattress while his wife watched. Listened, I mean. Thin walls, you know, at my place. Bad construction, you’d expect better from the League. Anyway, I know I made him into a total sub, is what I’m talking about. Like I rewrote parts of him, if his body was the paper and my dick the pen. Sorry, I’m... this is, you know. I can tell right from wrong and I am so very, very wrong. I’m a dick. Just a total dick.”

“Okay. I can’t promise I’m really following, but just let it all out maybe?”

“Maddie’s always been my breaks, helped keep me in check. But now I’m wondering, is my power affecting her too? Not that I’ve done anything to her, we’re just besties, but like, she’s been around me and my... shenanigans for a long time now. What if that’s enough to be affected by me? Not that there’s anything weird or kinky going on with her, you know. She’s cool and normal. And she’ll still tell me when I’m being an idiot and all, but I’m not sure anymore. It could be that she’s just gotten too used to my bullshit, but she encouraged my bad behavior the other day and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Why did she do that? Was it because at that moment that was what I wanted her to do? Or did my messed up shit just seem completely normal to her?”

“Maybe you could talk it out with her, somewhere away from the others?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking, just need to not be in full ramble mode when I do, she tells me she zones it all out by now. But I can’t stop the ramble right now, I’m seriously freaking out at myself over the new guy. I told him just the other day how I liked he wasn’t changing himself for me. And then I decided to give him one power back because he’s been a good boy, you know, and what is the first thing he does? Grow out his hair and shrink his own dick. How did he know? Well, okay, I might have, uh, hinted that I’m a bit enthusiastic about some things maybe, but still. Did he do it because it’s what I want and my power’s actually making him want what I want? Or did he do it just to tease me and he’s actually having fun? Or did he do it knowing I’d get worried about it, just to torment me? Is he a sweet little angel who needs mama to hug him and make it all better or is he a wicked little demon temptress trying to make daddy lose his shit? Am I making any sense at all?”

He wonders what her relationship with her parents is like. Referring to herself as both mother and father, with one role seemingly a representation of good and the other of evil, might hint at some deep set issues.

“Well, I- no, not to me at least. But I think I can tell that you... really are upset?”

“I am! I really am! I just... I’m just like this.”

“Hey, you wanna get some drinks sometime soon? We could get shitfaced and let it all out and then we can blame the drinks afterwards for whatever comes out. You ever seen a giant cry? Next level ugly sobbing. You won’t be able to look at me the same ever again.”

“Sure, yeah, that could be nice. But before that, would you be up for going on runs around the island with me? Though I guess it’d be more of a walk for you, unless you shrink down.”

“Sure, Anessa.”

“Great. I’m gonna try going cold turkey, let all my energy out in just regular exercise. Yeah, your girl’s going on a dry spell. Fuck yeah, that is such a great idea! Let the whole world know, this bitch ain’t getting laid for like a week or something! Sorry. Don’t let the whole world know, obviously, that was a joke. Or something, I dunno.”

“Yes, well, I’m... happy for you anyway?”

“Oh, but like, if someone needs a dose of my nasty, obviously I gotta give it up then, it’d be real bad not to. Shit, I’ll just be going lukewarm turkey, won’t I? Maybe I’ll just have ’em help me make some shakes, or blow me at most. Yeah, that’s it, yeah. Hear that, world? Blowjobs and handjobs only! Other than that, your girl’s gonna be living that monk life.”

“Okay. Okay, then. Glad you worked that out.”

He walks away as they keep blathering. There is much to ponder.

 

A while later the front door yields to the pull of his hand, the blue nail polish causing his gaze to linger on his fingers before stepping fully inside. His acute hearing picks up the voices of Nathaniel, Madeleine and Jamal somewhere in another room. He takes his heels off and slinks slightly further in without shutting the door.

“Oddly, I found him a bit intimidating this morning. He was wearing a rather cutesy little outfit, seemed to have changed his body more than Anessa mentioned. I had no problem with him before, so why now? I do not recall being intimidated by women, but that is the only difference I can think of; his demeanor has not truly changed even if it is not quite the silent treatment anymore. It is only really the outward presentation that is drastically different.”

“The guy in the skirt looked intimidating to you?”

“Can I see?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Hmm. Unexpected though it was, I suppose the story about him being a seasoned cross-dresser is true. Not a hint of uncertainty or embarrassment. Modest heels, but he’s... graceful.” A sigh. “I’m still confused by everything he does. From his thoughts that first night, I could have sworn he was asexual.”

“So?”

“So what was his and Shadowdancer’s relationship like? And why does all this not seem like a big deal to her? She did make some threats, but... I don’t know. From the way she looks and talks I honestly would have expected her to be asexual too, not... talking dirty and pushing her supposed boyfriend’s head down on Anessa’s cock.”

He grits his teeth. Of course nothing truly happens behind closed doors here.

“But why should your assumptions about her have any merit? There is little to no tangible information available on her. Maybe she has always been adventurous, yet managed to keep it secret.”

“I don’t think it’s surprising either. That spook is 100% the type who likes to watch. No offense, Mad.”

“Oh, none taken. Maybe I should ask her permission to watch alongside her sometime? We could make it a sort of double date, even. Just two gals watching a better woman absolutely rail their men in a way they never could.”

“Okay, I changed my mind, take offense.”

“Sure thing.” There comes a clank like a cup being put down before Madeleine continues. “All nonsense aside, I do find it strange how calm he is about everything. He clearly changed his body to cater to Anessa’s current tastes, but he still seems distant and disdainful. Just what is he doing? Why did he poke me? Is he trying to be non-threatening so we let our guard down completely? Is he trying to appease Anessa so she grants him enough leeway to do...something?”

“Perhaps he is just confused about what he is feeling, incapable of reconciling his wants with his prior view of the world. It is quite the experience, being made love to by Anessa for the first time.”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty big shock. Like, I was never into dudes or anything. My whole world got rocked.”

“Is being into her the same as being into men?”

“It’s a sorta grey area, right? On the one hand, that is a beautiful woman. On the other, that is a big fucking dick.”

Nathaniel hums. “Well, whatever the case, we will simply have to wait and see what happens. One thing is certain though: it will take some effort to keep this new contender and his frankly unfair new hips from hogging her all to himself.”

“Dunno if that’s what he wants. But man’s caked up, for sure.”

Madeleine starts. “Was that a surge of anger?”

“Surely not our fault, he is not close. Wait, how far does the sound travel in here?”

“Could Shadowdancer be eavesdropping on us and telling him?”

“Ah, that is possible. I suppose it would behoove us not to speak out loud in our own home these days.”

He closes the front door, returns his ears to normal and trudges to his room. There he strips himself of all but his panties, kicks his heels off into a corner and crawls into bed. Then he sits upright like a contemplative monk, albeit one with rather bounteous hips. He shrinks his backside down ever so slightly. Come to think of it, there is hardly a rule among monks that they cannot be curvaceous, so the ample size of his hips has no bearing on the matter. These meandering thoughts do little to lift his despondency, so he immerses himself fully in it.

Until he notices the television remote has been moved. He stalks over to it and presses the button. It flares to life. What does this mean? Why was it fixed now? He looks the room over in search for anything else that might have changed. Nothing. He walks along the walls, runs his finger along the windows, inspects the ceiling. He runs his eyes over the spine of every book, looks under the bed and flips the sheets, pats his hand along the cuck chair. Still nothing. He enters the bathroom and immediately finds further proof of the intruder: The towels have been changed.

But that is maybe not very strange, on second thought. Still, someone came in here and touched things without giving prior notice or leaving a written description of who they were and what transpired here. He stands in front of the television and starts fidgeting. He seems locked to a single site, an expansive one with videos on anything and everything that the sludge between the average person’s ears might ever desire.

He slips back into his kitten heels and sets to work. Outwardly it would seem he is completely engrossed in watching videos on make-up and hair styling. Inwardly, however, he is focused on so much more than how to bring out his eyes. He paces back and forth in front of the screen, seemingly practicing maneuvers in heels, but in reality slyly experimenting with the only power currently available to him. As images of foundation, mascara, stylish braids and different eye-liners blare on the screen, new forms sprout and wither on hidden spots on his body. A scorpion tail, a wasp’s stinger, a platypus’ hollow spur, a snake’s fangs. He feels the tug of emotional discomfort that so often follows this power joining with his own maelstrom of malcontent. It flirts with anger and desperation but he pushes it down. Venom may have limited effect on the two physically powerful occupants of the house, but perhaps the telepaths could be made slightly sick without anyone noticing. Perhaps the morning poke could become a daily ritual, which could take a sinister turn once they have become accustomed to its harmlessness.

As night falls, he is sitting back in bed in his contemplative pose. Irene flows from the darkness and takes up a similar position beside him. Her face is unreadable as always, but it feels like she picks up on his mood, or even shares it. He sullenly pokes her in the side, holding his finger there a moment. It has notably less give than Madeleine’s. She looks first at his face, then down at where he poked her. She sits motionless for a while before eventually poking him back, holding her finger in place far longer than he did. Two very different reactions, though if this were Madeleine in disguise she would have had plenty of time to figure out what he was up to.

She takes a deep breath and looks off to the side. “The sperm, it ...once analyzed, it turned out to have the properties of ...sperm, normal sperm. They were laughing. They wondered if I was making a joke. I do not joke. The way they all looked at me, I ...”

Her words peter out. For a long moment they sit in silence, before she eventually speaks once more.

“It does not matter. I will try something else. The seduction works, so let us continue that. My other plan will soon come to fruition.”

“I am ready for whatever that plan may be. The seduction may work, but I... would greatly appreciate another avenue of attack to pursue in conjunction with it.” Some time passes in contemplative silence before he finds himself breaking it once more. “Was I never frightening?”

“Surely to some. Personally I think you are a bit too beautiful for it. Perhaps with enough power you can become frightening. Perhaps I could obscure some of your beauty to help, leave lingering traces of shadow dancing along your features as if they were a veil. That might just increase your allure, come to think of it. And it is not something I am capable of with my power. I do not know why I said it.”

“Let us leave the topic behind. I suppose I misread some situations in the past and spun them into a comforting fantasy. I will adjust my view. It does not matter. Eventually I will force this world to acknowledge my version of it.”

She rests her head on his shoulder. “I would like to make your fantasies come true.” He slightly leans against her in turn. They sit there quietly in the dark.

 

The next day passes uneventfully. He does not leave his room except to eat and spends hours absorbing copious amounts of information on hair styling and make-up. His maneuvering in the heels is more extravagant now, so as not to display a lack of progress that might arouse suspicion among the ranks of any possible surveillance team. He tries replacing his tongue with a scorpion tail, poised to deliver a deadly kiss perhaps. It is incredibly uncomfortable, so he quickly reverts it. Hmm, how about a snake tongue? It could deliver a surprise attack to the inside of Anessa’s throat. It feels even worse than the scorpion tail, so he quickly gives up on it too. The platypus’ hind spur on the front of his toe? Yes, he could accidentally stumble and stab someone with it, then have it vanish before anyone can realize what happened.

Evening eventually falls and he is invited to dine with the lot of them. Irene delivers him a black evening dress with slits in the sides for increased maneuverability of the legs, as well as a silver bracelet in the shape of a serpent swallowing its tail and diamond earrings that he easily slots into his now malleable earlobes. He inspects himself in the mirror, making sure the look in his eyes is that of a stone cold killer.

He stabs his way down the hallway and saunters coolly into the dining room on high gladiator heels. The others are all already there, meaning he has succeeded in being fashionably late. The telepaths and Jamal seem surprised. Anessa’s face is harder to read, but it is certainly doing something.

“Hmuh.”

Success. That is a level below her usual, though perhaps the difference is not that great, really.

Then she suddenly snaps back to attention. “Wait a minute, did you change your face? Why would you do that? You should never be ashamed of the way you look, you’re beautiful just the way you are.”

He freezes in place and feels his face revert. Is he getting scolded? He should not have folded immediately. He starts changing it back.

“Wait, no, it’s your body and your choice, I’m sorry, you can look however you want. You are in charge of you, obviously, I’m just some idiot.”

He hesitantly starts reverting to the original again. Is this some sort of struggle for dominance?

“But your original face is gorgeous, so you should be proud of it.”

Slowly back to the changed one.

“If you want to, I mean. It doesn’t matter at all what I think!”

He stops midway.

“But I think you should love yourself, no matter what, you’re perfect just the way you are. Well, not morally maybe. But physically perfect.”

Since the whole point of this is to seduce her, he supposes it makes sense to stick with the original. Though it could be a powerful blow to her self-esteem to make her realize she likes something she says she does not.

“Will you knock that the fuck off already?”

He looks over at Jamal and does a final little cheekbone wiggle before relenting. It seems to have relatively little effect, as Jamal gives only a little grunt before returning to his meal. He is a fast eater, keeping his face close to the plate as he shovels its contents into his mouth. The food intake seems disproportionate to his size. Somewhat interesting.

He sits down and starts eating. The telepaths and Anessa maintain some semblance of a conversation, though it isn’t much. Then the telepaths flinch as one.

“Good evening.”

“Hey, Shadowdancer. Wanna join us for dinner?”

He looks to the ceiling and sees her face coming out of the shadows in the far corner.

“No, thank you. I am very self conscious of how loudly I chew. But please, call me Irene. This is an informal occasion.”

“Okey-doke, Irene. Want some left-overs when you go?”

“I shall consider it.”

“You wanna come any closer?”

“Perhaps if you kill the light.”

“But can’t you just come down and, you know, sit with us?”

“No, this is fine.”

“If at any point you wanna come down and hang, it’s cool. Plenty of room.”

“Thank you, but I am in the mood to look down on people today.”

“Oh. Okay then.”

“Now then. How goes your practice, darling? Those heels look imposing.”

He dabs at his lips with a napkin. “Progress is slow but steady.”

“Could you show me?”

“Yes. I think that can be arranged.” He rises from his chair and takes a step away from the table, facing nothing but empty floor. “Behold.”

He does a single, fluid cartwheel. The dress flops slightly up his legs during the motion but returns into position upon landing. He looks back at Irene, only glancing quickly at the others. The telepaths look truly lost. Jamal’s eyes are narrowed.

“Impressive, darling.”

Anessa’s teeth are grit and the fork in her hand has become circular. It is impressive that it does not break. Perhaps it is specifically designed to withstand powered people with a lack of self-control.

“I... am going out for a run.”

Madeleine turns to her, confusion still writ large. “Again?”

Anessa stands, breathing heavily. “Yeah. Yeah, fuck, I’m all about that life right now, babes. Monk shit, fuck... yeah.” Then her face goes a bit blank. “The separation of church and state in the British Empire was key to a more nuanced viewing of the new reality humanity found itself faced with, setting aside antiquated views of the demonic and divine and allowing for a more practical approach to superhuman powers that ere long became a template emulated by the majority of independent states all over the globe.”

It is now he who finds himself a victim of confusion. Hearing such long words from her is almost unsettling. Is she quoting a textbook? He looks over the others. Jamal is putting yet more food on his plate, Madeleine is sitting with her eyes closed while Nathaniel holds her hand.

Anessa’s face returns to life. “Hey, that was a great meal, Nate, thanks. Now I’m still gonna go sweat it out, you know, keep in shape and whatnot. See you guys later.”

He watches her make a hasty get-away with some pleasure, despite the odd interjection. Then he turns to the remainder of them.

“For once I find myself in agreement. A great meal, Nathaniel. But now I must bid you all good night.”

He makes his way slowly down the hall toward his room, high heels clacking loudly, almost violently on the floor. Irene flows out of the wall and takes his arm for the last of the journey down the hallway. She, too, seems to be wearing high heels this evening. They make their thunderous way to his door, the hallway echoing with the cacophonous, ominous clacking of their every step. Yes, there is a definite power in these things, the very antithesis of stealth. Perhaps he can train them to associate this sound with his presence, leaving them complacent when he moves in more subtle ways.

Irene closes the door gently behind them, turns off the light, then steps forward to grab both his hands and look up at him. “Impressive does not begin to describe it. I think I will want to see that again before too long. Do you dance?"

"No."

"I would very much like to dance with you one day."

"Very well. I shall learn. It should come easily to me."

"Thank you. I look forward to it." Her movements are more jittery than usual. Her hands climb up his and she leans slightly forward as if to latch onto him somehow. “Would you like to go to my place?”

He nods. “Yes, I would enjoy a change of scenery.”

She takes a few steps forward, driving him uncomfortably back until they clumsily fall onto the bed in a tangled heap. “Sink with me,” her voice whispers in his ear, causing him a slight shiver.

The deep shadows on the ceiling form much faster than last time, flowing down steadily as if they were waves lapping at the shore. The center of it soon becomes blacker than night, sinking down towards him at a steady pace. Then he sees something darker still in there, something emulating a human face and arms that reach out for him but come apart upon contact with the room, their remains flowing out to drown what little light struggles to get into the room from the outside. The arms dig and dig until finally they are upon him and he is back in that impossible world of hers.

The shadow flows all around him, its face right against his own. “May I kiss you?”

“You may.”

She does. It is a peculiar sensation. Shadow flows into him half-corporeal, flickers across him, wraps around him. First it is the coldest he has ever felt in his life, then it feels as if he might be drowning, at the last it just feels nice. Her physical hands wrap around him from behind and he relaxes into the alien feeling of the moment.

Eventually the shadow pulls back, still clinging to him but detaching from his face.

“I must control myself. Tomorrow night my next plan reaches its culmination.”

“I await with eager anticipation.”

She leans back in as if to nuzzle his face, but the shadows mostly part upon contact. “Soon. I am sorry for not being swifter.”

“Do not be. I possess patience in abundance.”

There is a strange sound in the distance, as if something were shuffling around somewhere out there.

Irene ignores it. “I have found her family. Her parents have a photo of her, but it is not stored in the living room with the rest of them. She has three siblings, two of whom have moved out, so I have not yet looked at them.”

“What are their names?”

“The eldest brother is Atlas Shrug Aniki, I am unsure of the pronunciation. The second brother is Aurorus Beau Reeahl. Her younger sister is simply named Lisa.”

So it was true. It might explain parts of her personality if her life has always been a circus.

“Perhaps she is isolated,” the shadow continues. “You might be able to turn yourself into her confidant, fool her into supplying you with her secrets by offering her a shoulder to cry on.”

He nods, but pauses due to another sound. It starts off as a groan but turns into a giggle that morphs into a sob. There is someone stumbling around out there in that ocean of darkness.

“What is that?”

“Someone who is helping me ascertain if I can bring someone with me as I step around the world. No great breakthrough yet, but I have managed to hold him here for a long while now, and am currently managing him and you at once, so I am moderately optimistic about my training.”

“Who is it?”

“He does not matter to you. But he is disturbing us now that he has awoken. I will drop him.”

The sounds stop. He peers out roughly in the direction they originated from. Can she interact with all of this place without her shadow form being in direct contact? Or is the shape before him only a portion of her? Said shape has gotten right up to him when he turns back to her.

“Do you want me to kill her, in the end? I have taken a life before. I would do it a thousand times over if you needed me to. You need only say the word. It won’t be easy, but I will do it for you.”

He stares up into her impossibly dark, beautiful eyes. He would be interested to know which life she took, but this does not feel like the time to pry. “I want to say yes. But I do not truly want her to die. Not yet at least. She may be trapped in her own power.”

Irene doesn’t answer, but strokes his face with the shadowy tendrils that act as her fingers.

“What I want is to sever her from it, remove the instinct that seems to drive and coddle her. Kick that crutch out from underneath her and force her to face who and what she is with unclouded eyes, bereft of the excuse of her own entrapment. I want her to look in the mirror and weep. I want to look down my nose at her and laugh.”

She kisses him again, flowing into and all around him. When she finally pulls away her physical form is pressed as tight against his back as her shadow form is against his front. The physical copy is breathing oddly and moving ever so slightly against him, in a gyrating sort of motion.

“There is something I must do. Go get ready for bed. I will join you momentarily. Fifteen minutes perhaps. I will be as swift as I can.”

She pulls her world back and he finds himself lying alone in his bed, wondering what machinations she is currently working on. When she finally returns she is wearing a negligee much like the one she gave him. She does not seem to care that he is not wearing his to match her. As they curl up conspiratorial he notices the fingertips of her right hand are somewhat wrinkly. Mayhaps there are now weapons hidden along the coast of this island, or in its creeks and lakes if it has them. Devious.

 

The morning finds him still in her arms. He wonders whether she never wants to be held herself. This way does feel correct though, probably because she is the more established villain and therefore automatically the senior partner in this team-up. There are rules to such things, unspoken yet still clear and easy to follow once someone told him about them. Actually, Irene had been the one to tell him. It would perhaps have been a sensible approach to seek a second opinion. But Irene would not lie. And she had used the word “snarky” so she could not have been making the rules up herself.

Hmm. He supposes he is not actually following the rule of snark. But that was more of an accessory to the game, not a necessary component of the constant internal power struggle inherent in villain team-ups. He is not really struggling for power either, come to think of it. But there are extenuating circumstances, such as his imprisonment by a beastly woman with sex powers. Yes, their interactions are within acceptable boundaries. Romantic tension in the workplace is a well documented phenomenon.

A finger scratches at the back of his neck and he involuntarily tilts his head slightly upward at the ticklish sensation. Perhaps this is a form of power struggle? He is unable to decide, as a knock comes at the door.

It opens and Anessa’s form looms in the doorway. “Hey guys, so... I’m not accusing anyone of anything, and I’m not mad or whatever, but apparently my teletubbies...my telep... THE telepaths have noticed their furniture has been moved a little while they weren’t looking.”

Irene’s arms drape themselves over his chest. “This is grave news. But we have noticed nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m not mad at all, okay? I want you to know that. It’s just, no matter who’s doing it or how, it’d be nice if it stopped now, you know? Not all pranks are funny.”

“I am no prankster.”

“Okay. Still, Maddie thinks she knows why this might have happened. It’s all my fault obviously. This whole prison wing of the house wasn’t ever really completed, I didn’t take it seriously enough. So when we actually got a prisoner I kinda panicked a little and asked Maddie to sort of finish the prison, like, in his mind. I’m really sorry. Please blame me and not her.”

Irene’s arms clutch him tighter. “Cruel and unusual.”

“I know, I’m so sorry, it was the wrong move, a dick move, I make a lot of those. I was just scared of being too close to him because of my, uh, urges, and the thought of him breaking out and running around the island was no good. Jamal wasn’t around at the time so the only one who could have chased him down would have been me but that would have ended real poorly, I think. Like I’d find him somewhere in the forest, all feral and muddy and cute and I would have had to tackle him and wrestle him to the ground and I know myself, I would have done something nasty like tie him up and string him from a tree branch and turn it into like a sex swing and then I would have just gone off the rails, completely forgetting to be nice and just taking that ass to pound town. Sorry. That’s way too much, I’m sorry, that’s not what would have happened necessarily, I’m just spitballing, it was just one of the things I was worried about. I’m so sorry, I’ll go now. Really, really sorry. But no more pranks, okay?”

“There were never any pranks.”

“Okay, great. See ya. Sorry again. Love the negligee. Bye.”

She finally leaves and they stay in blessed silence a while.

“I should have realized my methods might not be very subtle if the targets are fully aware of my presence in the house. It usually works. I was complacent. Forgive me. It was... stupid.”

“It is not an issue. Underestimating these people comes naturally.”

“It was not a prank. They were supposed to doubt themselves and be unsettled. I swear it.”

“I believe you,” he says as he rests his head back on her shoulder, contemplative.

It is one thing to notice a change in one’s room. It is another, more suspicious thing that they should so quickly realize he has discovered the tampering with his mind and send Anessa to confess to it in a lascivious manner. Her fantasy was rather uncomfortable to listen to, as he could so easily picture her actually doing it. He feels a strong desire to humiliate her in return.

 

It is late afternoon when Anessa returns to his room, where he sits under the covers wearing only panties and a long shirt that just barely covers them.

“Heya, you wanted to see me?”

“Yes. I want you to sit on the floor here, beside my bed, back turned to me.”

There is a moment’s hesitation. “Okay, sure.”

She sits down and he puts his hands in her hair, looming over her on his knees on the bed. “I want to braid this.”

“Uh, yeah, go for it.”

He drives his fingers deep into her hair and runs them over her scalp. “You look very tense these days. Is there something on your mind?”

“Yeah, sure, lots of things.”

“Such as?”

“Well, you know, just worried, about everything.”

“I see. And how does that make you feel?”

“Uh, worried.”

A different approach is needed. He keeps scratching her scalp. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Dunno, I don’t really think ahead that much. Life’s a roller coaster and you just gotta hold on tight, you know?”

“Interesting. Do you... like roller coasters?”

“Sure, loved ’em when I was a kid.”

Usually she goes on and on. Perhaps she can tell he is on the hunt. But he knows what will loosen her tongue. “Have you ever had sex in a roller coaster?”

“N-no. That sounds like a terrible idea. Hey, so, what you’re doing with your fingers, like, I don’t mind it, feels kinda nice, but I don’t think it’s how you make a braid.”

“I am looking for lice. Minor yet constant blood loss would explain much about you.”

“That’s kinda mean.”

“Kindness is anathema to me.”

“Okay. I don’t really know what that is, but okay. This still feels nice, even if you’re mean.”

“And it just so happens my inspection is complete. No lice. Yet. I will now braid your hair.”

“Great! Braid away, my guy.”

He starts braiding, keeping his face unnecessarily close and breathing down her neck at every opportunity. He cranes his neck and sees a familiar straining in her shorts.

“What part of this seems erotic to you? Can you not contain yourself for even a moment?”

“I’m sorry.”

“That seems to be a hallmark of your personality. At least you know to be ashamed.”

“I do. I am ashamed, I really am. We were having a cute moment and I ruined it. I’m sorry. Please just ignore it, we can just keep being cozy like it’s not even there.”

“Hmm. Perhaps the friction of those shorts is causing you undue stimulation. You should pull them down.”

“But wouldn’t that ruin our cute moment even more?”

“It has already been thoroughly sullied. The light is gone from its eyes and I would not be surprised if substance abuse lay in its future. You can hardly make it worse.”

She makes a strange sound and then follows his advice, the fool. He returns to braiding, but keeps up the breath on her neck. He takes another look at her front and tuts.

“Will you cease that incessant wobbling? Who in their right mind finds such arousal in having their hair braided?”

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. It’s not the braiding that’s turning me on, it’s just, you know, everything. And it just wobbles, I can’t help it.”

“Insufferable. I cannot work in these conditions. Lie down on your back.”

“I... I promised Irene, though. I shouldn’t give you any juice without her being here.”

“I do not intend to partake of your liquids. That thing is distracting me so I will rid myself of it. Lie. Down.”

She obeys, humming with possible worry. “So hey, I’m on kinda... like, diet isn’t the right word, but these days I’m not doing much hanky-panky. Only emergencies. And even then just a handy or a bj.”

“I see. I am afraid you are operating under a grave misconception.” He swings his bare legs forward and steps on it, pinning it to her stomach with the bare sole of his foot. “Your rules do not constrain me.”

“Your toes...” she looks from his blue painted toenails to his face with a look that might be construed as horror in different circumstances, “...even your toes are cute. How? What even are you?”

The last four words could have been nice to hear in a different context. He places his other foot down, running it slowly along her length. “Think of me as the roller coaster. Sometimes it transports you safely through even the most dangerous of loops. Sometimes it runs you over.”

“Guh, that doesn’t really make sense. But I don’t either, most of the time. I don’t know what to think. Is this because I said handy or bj only? Can a footjob be an act of rebellion?”

He lifts her cock up and runs both feet in tandem along it, ever so slowly upward. “Most things in life happen without rhyme or reason. It is an inherent flaw in the human psyche that drives people to seek meaning in every little thing they come across in this world.”

“How? Your dainty little feet are playing with my cock and you’re,” she bucks upward under his ministrations but relents when he pushes firmly down with one foot, “I don’t even know what you’re trying to tell me. How can you keep talking like that?”

“It is easy. I have a great deal of self-control. I suppose it must be a foreign concept to you.”

“Fuck. You’ve got me there.”

He drops the thing back down onto her toned stomach and runs one foot along the tasteful thickness of it, then the other, rubbing it against her own body. “You do not need to understand my words in this moment. Hopefully their trajectory through your head will leave an exit wound in the shape of meaning, ready for your inspection in the mirror some restless night.”

Her hands are now scratching at the floor, her whole body apparently itching to stand. “Huh? What?”

“Do not dare stand up.” He increases the pressure, rubbing the head hard between his sole and her abs. “What I mean is you should merely listen for now. Understanding can come later. Consider me a mentor in this moment. Take what I give you.”

“Please don’t give me a foot fetish, please don’t give me a foot fetish, please don’t-”

“Quiet. I am giving you nothing but wisdom. Physically, I am merely stepping on an eyesore. It is hardly any concern of mine if a rat should fall in love with its exterminator.”

“Holy fuck, how is this hot?” She bucks again and meekly lets herself be pushed into the floor once more. “I’m not thinking of you as a mentor, though, no way dude.”

He leans over to look at her even as his toes relentlessly rub her rod. “And why not, pray tell?”

She hisses and huffs, trembling. “I’ve seen your file, dude, you’re almost two years younger than me, okay, you’ve got no business telling me nothing, you should be learning from me, okay?”

“But mentally I am so far beyond your ken. You really should consider me your elder.”

She puts one arm over her eyes. “Aaagh! Stop being so hot you weird, snooty little bitch! I’m sorry.” She grits her teeth under his ministrations as she lifts the arm once more. “But mentors don’t sit in bed in just their panties and a shirt and jerk off big cocks with their perfect little fucking feet while lecturing people, okay? That’s just not what they do, alright?”

He sighs as he takes her back between both feet. “You are disappointingly mired in your preconceived notions, even as your very existence breaks all conventions.” He lets his eyelids droop and looks down at her with a tired air before redoubling his efforts, her mammoth member now making sickeningly slick sounds as he torments it. “You could be so much better.”

She raises her torso slightly off the ground as if she means to sit up before she hesitantly stops in mid air and suddenly flings her top off, perhaps meaning to throw him off balance by flashing him. It does not work on him. Her breasts and taut abdominal muscles tremble before his unconventional might. She groans deeply. “Urgh, what the fuck, help, I think I’m gonna blow.”

“Stay down. We will let it out right here. Do try to keep it off the floor.”

She falls back down to the floor, breasts heaving with every breath. “But it’s like, a lot, you know? Fuck, fuck, fuck. A whole heck of a lot.”

“You’re a big girl, it should be fine. Now let it out. I am anxious to get back to braiding.”

"You’re a big fat lia- rrfff-fuck!"

With a little hiss through clenched teeth, she starts. The great serpent lurches, spewing forth a thick rope that flies forth, landing mostly between her breasts but its furthest end striking all the way up to the bottom of her chin, causing her to clench her eyes shut as she trembles. The next one hits her squarely on one breast, quickly running down the sides of its slope. She cracks one eye open and tries to clench her arms close to her torso to keep it from sliding down to the floor.

He stares unblinking straight into that unfocused eye, watching patiently as she groans through one of her overly long orgasms, his feet lazily coaxing ever more out of the hapless giant between her legs as it gradually loses power with every spurt. Her stomach, breasts, part of her chin, neck and collarbone all become slick with her release. Eventually her orgasm dies down and she just lies there panting, covered in her own ejaculate, like a hapless clown. No, clowns do not do that, thankfully. Like a hapless fool, rather.

Both her eyes now fully open and wearily gaze up at him. “Ugh. You fucking weirdo. Don’t get me wrong, that was kind of amazing, thank you, but I feel like I’ve hit a new low.”

“Yes, you definitely have. Look. You got my feet dirty.”

“Uh, sorry. Should I get a towel for you?”

“Alas, I fear you cannot move without dirtying the whole floor. But I have an idea.”

He scoots sideways on the bed until his feet dangle above her face. “Go on. Clean me.”

“Uh-huh-huh,” she groans to herself, “why is this hot to me?”

He gives no answer, but dips his foot down toward her lips, which part with an unfortunate eagerness as soon as he comes close. He does not know how to react to the feeling and sight of her sucking his toes clean one by one with a strange gusto that quickly veers into fanatic enthusiasm even as her face looks like it cannot fully decide whether to be irritated or pleased. He should perhaps have expected this. Then he is caught off guard once more as she pops him out of her mouth only to openly lick the entirety of his sole, for far longer than it can possibly take to clean him.

“Uh, all done, I’m ready for the next one.”

He hesitates. This must be somewhat humiliating for her, surely? She is simply trying to out-weird him in an odd display of debauched power, even in such a disadvantageous position. He moves his other foot slowly forward and her head snaps up like an ambush predator as she engulfs his toes and gives them a mighty suckle. She is abnormal. He knew that already, of course, but this goes so far beyond anything he could have imagined. Just what is this? There is a fierceness in her eyes as she stares up into his. Is she asserting dominance even as she sucks his toes clean of her own ejaculate? Is such a thing possible?

This game is rigged and he does not feel confident playing anymore. He averts his eyes from hers for but a moment before steeling his resolve and resuming his glare, but the damage is done. She has narrowed her eyes slightly and he thinks there is a hint of mirth in them. He feels a desire to pull himself free, but her hand is already gently holding his ankle as if in anticipation of this. He toys with the idea of forming something venomous on the toes she is currently slobbering on, but satisfying as such an attack might be it would be very much lacking in subtlety. He sits there in silence, trying not to show any more weakness as she... enjoys his toes at her leisure? Or whatever the hell she’s doing. She eventually pulls them out of her mouth with a little moan that drags on as she runs her tongue along the sole of his foot. Mortifying. Her member is twitching again.

Eventually she stops and lets her head fall back to the floor, closing her eyes with a contented sigh. She keeps a hold of his foot, one finger idly stroking it as she hums to herself. He tries to gather his wits about him as her hefty rod slowly rises, threatening to rise to full mast.

“It seems this may all have been in vain. A pity.”

“Sorry. This is a first for me, I swear.” She opens her eyes to look up at him. “Never done anything like this before, I need you to know that. I’m not into feet. I am not a foot girl.”

He pulls his foot free now that she is back to her rambling self and crosses one leg over the other. He leans forward and places an elbow on his leg before resting his chin on his hand, looking down on her with an air of utter indifference. “If you say so.” Her eyes leave his face and he realizes his panties are showing. He quickly prods her stomach with one toe, coming away sticky. "Look. You missed a spot.”

She cleans him with great speed this time, but he still uses the distraction to subtly lean over and pull his shirt low enough to cover his panties.

“Hey, can you fetch me a towel or something now that I’ve cleaned you? Floor’s gonna be a complete mess if I stand up.”

“I’m afraid not. My feet are exhausted after this ordeal. You will simply have to wait until it all dries.”

“How can someone so cute be so mean? You really are a villain.”

“That is correct.”

He crawls under the covers, laying on his side with his head propped up on one hand, staring down at her prone form that can only wait there, helpless as her torso dries and crusts. She looks back up at him with her lips folded inward, leaving her mouth a thin line of unreadable emotion. Neither of them says a word for a long while.

Eventually she slowly gets to her feet. “Hey, I gotta go shower real quick.”

“No. The braid is incomplete. I must finish my work.”

“No, I’m sorry, but I have to go shower, seriously. I can come back after if you want, or we can do the braid some other time, okay?”

He narrows his eyes. Was this an abject failure? She has proclaimed this was embarrassing and she certainly reached orgasm, but she is neither wrapped around his finger or toe, nor truly cowed despite the humiliating circumstances of her pleasure. Though whether someone so degenerate can actually feel humiliation or only play at doing so is a question to be pondered.

“So... you want me to come back after the shower or no?”

He looks over at her and allows a moment of silence to pass. “Yes. Return to me. I shall finish what I started.”

“Okay, sweetheart, see you in a bit. But, like, I gotta tell you: Braids can’t really ever be creepy, I think. But I appreciate the effort. Wait no, don’t pout, I didn’t mean that, it’s super creepy, you give me goosebumps, I swear!”

She watches him for a second or two before uttering her catchphrase of "sorry," and awkwardly turning and walking away.

Why is she so intent on having the last word, when her words are always so bland? He did not pout. As her footsteps carry on down the hallway he can’t help himself. “Fool.”

The footsteps turn around and soon she is standing in his doorway as if completely unbothered by her unhygienic state. “You say something?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

The footsteps carry down the hall once more. He covers his mouth with his hands and whispers to himself. “A damned fool.”

The footsteps turn around once more and soon she walks back into his room. “Hey, sorry, but I’m making an executive decision to use your shower. Of course I’m not ashamed that you made me feel good, I thank you and respect you for it, but I think it would be unfair to my team to make them watch their leader prancing through the house naked and caked in cum. Sorry.”

He watches in silence as she marches into his bathroom. Soon the hiss of the water sounds through the closed door as he wonders whether to go into the kitchen and wash his poor feet in the sink or not. He would really have liked to use the shower himself. He gets out of bed and starts using the top she left on the floor to clean up what remains of her mess.

Chapter 7: Growing pains

Notes:

So here’s the first body horror chapter. I left extra space before and after the body horror part so it can be easily spotted and skipped. Don’t mean to hype it, I am just vaguely aware it’s maybe not what everyone is looking for in smut. But it has to happen. My artistic vision demands it, you see.

“Wake up, babe! A new problem just dropped!”

He opens his bleary eyes to a glimpse of Anessa looking unduly energetic in the open doorway. She is immediately blotted out by Irene leaning over him and placing a chaste kiss on his lips that soon turns less chaste, her tongue finding its way inside his mouth to wrestle with his. It is a surprisingly pleasant feeling, considering he has just awoken. Less pleasant is yet another erection he feels straining his panties. He is unsure whether he awoke with it or if it has just come to be, but he finds himself uncomfortably aware of it. They are thankfully under covers, but the negligee he is wearing would do little to hide his unwarranted state of arousal if he were to get out of bed.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to barge in on your romance. But, uh, something’s come up, you know.”

Seemingly lost in the kiss, Irene pays her no mind. He loves it. He finds himself reaching his arms out to wrap around her, but only one completes this trek as the other hand is caught in hers, which clasps his tightly.

“Guys, I’m serious, someone sprung Psy-Ocs, it’s a real problem.”

He hears Anessa trudge closer to the bed, but he keeps his eyes firmly closed, as they are meant to be during kisses like this. Irene’s leg wraps over him, thoughtfully shielding his erection from the world.

“Okay, like, I’m sorry but I need you to stop making kissy face.”

Anessa pulls off the covers and gasps.

“Matching negligees! Okay, maybe you can keep kissing for a bit. Could even be a little more passionate, when you look that good.”

Irene puts her other hand in his hair, slowly scratching at his scalp before finding her way to the back of his head and lifting slightly as if to somehow bring him closer. He feels her breasts rest gently on his chest and a shiver runs through him at her romantic prowess.

“Wow.”

He himself is caught up in Irene’s performance so it is little wonder Anessa is dumbstruck. As Irene finally relents he lets his eyes flutter open to see her looking down at him with her pitch black eyes. She leans down again to peck him one last time on the lips, accidentally letting her leg press into his erection momentarily, causing him to inhale sharply in surprise.

Then she takes her eyes off him to look vaguely in Anessa’s direction, shielding much of his body with her own. “Pardon. Were you saying something?”

He keeps his own eyes lidded as he, too, looks disinterestedly at Anessa. He is slightly out of breath and his aloofness is not aided by a light gasp as Irene starts idly running her fingers along his throat and under his chin. He has no recollection of being ticklish before.

Anessa swallows thickly. “Um, yeah. Bad news. Some trouble. Uh. Could you come out for a team meeting maybe? It’ll be quick, but it’s necessary.”

“Very well,” Irene drawls, fingers now adventuring further to run over his bottom lip. “We will be out soon.”

“Ah, great, thanks. I’ll stop staring like a creep, then, and, and see you in a bit, yeah?”

“Yes. That sounds like a plan.”

“Alright, cool, catch you in a bit,” Anessa answers as she backs out of the room, her shorts strained.

As the door closes he looks up at Irene and wonders whether he should say something. She slowly takes her fingers from his lip and finds the hand he put on her side, clasping it to hold both his hands in hers and then push them into the bed on either side of his head. She leans back down to kiss him deeply, leg again pushing into his erection by accident but not bothering to pull away this time. This hardly seems necessary, but he can see no downside either. It takes some willpower not to grind against her leg and just relax into the kiss.

It is quite a few minutes later when they finally emerge from the room. Irene is back in one of her black dresses while he himself has donned one of the overly cutesy things Anessa brought him: a pink tank top that does not reach down to his navel and a black skirt that doesn’t reach his knees, along with arm sleeves and stockings, striped black and pink. He’s showing quite a bit of skin, but Irene picked this outfit out of his little collection so he has faith in it. They walk hand in hand to the foyer, where the others are seemingly waiting for them.

Anessa watches them in silence for an unnecessary amount of time before finally clearing her throat and getting on with it. “So, alright, last night someone messed with Psy-Ocs’ food. He got served a hefty portion of calamari, but hidden inside of it was a living octopus. Before the guards who brought it to him knew what hit them they were letting their prisoner out and then wriggling off to disrupt prison security. Turns out octopuses were hidden all over the prison facility and before long Psy-Ocs had an army with him, tons of prisoners were loose and all the guards were helpless, even the ones with powers. It’s all hands on deck to deal with this, and that includes us. Or well, the telepaths and probably me.”

Psy-Ocs is a strange sort, but he’s now finding a new appreciation for the fellow. Irene seems bored by the exposition, letting go of his hand to wrap one arm around his waist and running the fingers of her other hand slowly over his exposed stomach, lazily teasing at the bottom of the tank top as if she wants go higher.

Anessa stares. “Handsy today, huh?”

“My apologies. But can you blame me?”

“No. No, I can not. Anyway, the guards are gonna need a lot of work to get their heads back in order, but it’s not the priority, they’re being kept safe in a kiddie pool, I can show you a video, it’s kinda crazy. Wait, no, I should not do that. But it’s super weird, like it’s cute and creepy as hell at the same time, all these people flopping at each other. Our telepaths will help with that later, but the top priority is tracking down Psy-Ocs before he can create a new Octal Intelligence Agency and start sending his infiltrators into society. I’m sure you remember the panic last time, you could never know whether that weird person on the street was just being regular weird or “I’m carrying a mind-fucking octopus” weird.”

He did not really pay it much mind last time. Humans are easily pushed to violence so a slight paranoia over molluscs with mind powers was probably just a handy excuse for people to gang up on and savage others. Irene places a kiss on his shoulder, pulls slightly on his arm as if to get him to bend down, then starts kissing his neck once he does. It feels better than it has any right to, making his focus waver as he focuses on not letting out any strange sounds. The team of hapless heroes all side-eyes them wordlessly apart from Anessa, who simply stares.

“A-anyway, all available telepaths must now start canvassing the ocean looking for him and his army of spoocs. We’ve got all his old haunts on file, as well as the most likely spots he might choose for a new capital for his Octoman empire. The three of us go do that in a cute little submarine, then once we find him we call in Mariana and she drops on down there in her trench coat and does whatever the hell it is she does to retrieve him. I’m not really sure how the power to make things go black and white and smoke a cigarette underwater beats an army of psychic octopuses but apparently it does. Yeah, so, when that’s started I can pretty much bounce and hurry on back here while my two psy-cuties go repair some minds.”

Irene moves behind him now, standing flush against him and wrapping her arms around his bare stomach, stretching up to take his earlobe between her teeth for just an instant that catches him thoroughly off guard. It is becoming increasingly hard to concentrate under her ministrations. Perhaps this could be thought of as training. His focus will be incredible if he can learn to shrug even this off.

Anessa throws her arms around the telepaths and pulls them bodily against her. “I’ll be the muscle while these babes scan the seas. Some of those critters can get awfully large when Psy-Ocs is juicing them and I am not about to let my friends get wrapped up in any big, mean, slimy tentacles, no way. Not on my watch!” She huffs and gestures down at the telepaths without releasing them from her grip. “See this? This right here is an exclusive Anessa slime only zone, top to bottom.” She sucks a breath in through her lips. “Wait, sorry, I don’t mean that. My friends can go for any slime they want, whenever they want. And I don’t slime Maddie, obviously, we’re besties, not uh, slime buddies. That there’s Nate slime territory, probably. Sometimes.”

Madeleine sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. “Okay, let’s reel it in, now.”

“Been a while, hasn’t it? Maybe I could fuck him with you underneath, so it drips down onto you and you can watch his face as I make him cum? That’d be fun, right?” Madeleine gawks at her, color rising in her cheeks. Anessa powers on. “Then I could put him inside you and pound away, maybe being, like, all nasty about it and telling you the only reason he can get hard for you is cause I’m inside him.”

Madeleine goes scarlet. “A-A-Anessa, stop!”

“Sorry. I think I made myself mad thinking about tentacles grabbing you and then I went somewhere else. I’m sorry.”

“We can discuss it later. Right now we need to go do our job.”

“Right. Game face on....now.”

Her face does not change.

“Just keep it in check, okay? Nate can jot another success down on his Mile High club card later if need be.”

“Blowjob only, okay? I’m working on myself.”

“Fine, fine, just shut up. I’ve got enough cash to pay double the fare, so this should go fast.”

“But not too fast, don’t wanna put too much strain on your hubby.”

“Anessa, lives are at stake. Focus.”

“Yeah, you’re right, sorry. I just hate making Taxi-man have to listen to me going hard.”

Who the hell is Taxi-man?

“He was a regular taxi driver for twenty years, he’s seen so much worse.”

Surely no-one has taxi related superpowers.

“I’ll still feel bad.”

“Whatever. Let’s wait for him outside, this is getting ridiculous.”

“Yeah, okay. So hey, I’m trusting you to hang out with Jamal. He’s in charge while I’m out. There’s plenty of milkshakes in the fridge in case this takes long and you boys start getting thirsty. And you gotta drink it if you start feeling weird, or things can get nasty. I mean it. I’m trusting you to do that. If you’re bad, I’m gonna be real disappointed and I’ll have to take the power away again, okay? We don’t want that, do we?”

Irene finally lets go and steps forth to stand beside him. “I give you my word that if my man misbehaves I will discipline him myself.” She punctuates her words with a slap on his butt that startles him into making a silly sound. Still, he vaguely feels it could have been harder or she could have just left her hand there, to better sell the performance.

Anessa stares hard, biting her lip for a moment. “Fuck. Now I almost want you to be bad just so I can see that. No, just kidding, of course I don’t want that.”

Madeleine tugs on her arm. “Okay, Anessa, let’s go. Let’s go, already.”

“Yeah, okay, just gotta complete the debriefing, you know.” She turns to him. “So I thought about bringing you along in like a baby bjorn or something, but obviously that’s a bad idea. Dangerous and everyone would see, which is not what we want, obviously. Maybe for next time, if they manage to finish my first ask, I’ll have the science guys here on the island prepare a special suitcase for you. Something comfy I could keep you hidden in and just run around with, but with a handy hole that could open so I could pop inside you when you need it while being sorta subtle about it, you know. Unless you’re claustrophobic, then it’s off the table obviously.”

This awful lout. The mere thought of such ignominious treatment fills him with indignation. They all stare at her. Even Irene’s focus on him has faltered.

“Anessa!” Madeleine now makes a show of pushing her friend, a futile display considering her smaller form. “Anessa, get out that door right now!”

“Okay. See ya, guys. Be good. And yeah, the teletubbies will have to help fix the prison guards, but they don’t need mama for that so I’ll be back soon as I can, don’t you worry.There’s plenty of milkshakes in the fridge if you boys get thirsty right away, you can probably chug one down every day if you want. If you go for walkies, stay around here, no further than the forest at most, okay? Bye now. Bye.”

Jamal makes a low sound in his throat. The trio leave, Madeleine shutting the door behind them with some force. Jamal stalks off into the house without a word, leaving him and Irene alone to plot their next move. Her first move is to run her hand up the back of his neck and into his hair to scratch lightly at the back of his head. It soothes him somehow, freeing him of his indignation.

“It is abominably bright outside. Perhaps you can eavesdrop on them from a distance. I will keep Jamal busy if he shows any sign of curiosity as to your whereabouts.”

He nods and moves to open the door, but finds himself suddenly pulled back into her. She presses against him and gives him yet another kiss. Caught completely off guard he melts into her embrace, pressing unnecessarily flush with her and rudely pushing his stubborn erection against her. Unfortunate, but she seems to pay it no mind, eventually letting him go without a word of complaint.

He turns back to his task with grim determination, carefully opening the door without making a sound as his ears once more morph into those of a cat. He sees the trio further down the street, waiting for whatever their ride is. He sneaks close enough to catch their conversation with his enhanced hearing.

“I’m fine, but I want to have my own thoughts right now. Keep out please.”

“Alright. But you’re going to have to blow off some steam, then.”

“I am, as always, at your service, Anessa.”

“Thanks, Nate. Could you maybe wait over there by that shed for a bit? I wanna be less horny for a bit. Got something to talk to Maddie about.”

Nathaniel hums as he starts shuffling away. “Your wish is my command... daddy.”

Anessa grumbles. “Stupid, sexy, smarmy little jackass. After this quickie I’ll go right back to not fucking him, his punishment for the dinner is not over, mark my words. He’ll call me daddy with respect some day, damn it. Does he say it to annoy me or turn me on?”

Madeleine sighs. “Both. But you know we can’t ignore the possibility Shadowdancer did this, right? I admit I have a hard time imagining her throwing live octopi around, but still. Plenty of shadows in that prison. Even though the cameras were wiped, someone did an awful lot in there without anyone noticing. Could have been an inside job, but we’ve got a teleporting ghost lady who doesn’t like us, inside our damn house.”

Madeleine may be the one to watch out for. He realizes now that Irene kept him off balance so he would not think things through and alert the telepaths. Most prudent.

“I dunno. I kinda like her. I want to trust them. Not to, like, be good people necessarily, but to not fuck this up and just.... make the best of things, I guess. They honestly don’t seem that bad. Just a little bad.”

“I think you’re being stupid, but what do I know? Everything is so ridiculous all the time, maybe I shouldn’t be trying so hard to think. But I’m not sure leaving them alone with Jamal is a good idea. Titania’s strong, but Shadowdancer is a pain to deal with. Shouldn’t we ask Radiance to be ready to swoop in, just in case?”

“I can’t ask Rady to be back-up. If something goes wrong, I’m so afraid she’s just gonna kill him. She’d have done it on that island if she hadn’t been busy with her obsession. If I used my power on him only for him to still wind up dead at her hands I don’t know what I’d do. It’d be beyond fucked. I can sort of feel them sometimes, you know. Don’t wanna know what it’d feel like if they died. Don’t ever wanna know. I want them to be happy. But I know that doesn’t mean anything. I’m just like a kid mashing dolls together. I think I’m just not right in the head. Maybe never was.”

It is a bit strange to picture Radiance as an executioner. He never believed in the public persona, but having been bombarded with it for years has made it hard to shake.

“Hey, now. Your head is weird, but I like it. We all like it. It’s a good head.”

There is a short silence. “Thanks, I guess. Hey, so, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask: What are the odds my power is doing things to you?”

“Next to none. I suppose you never really were a part of our community before your power awakened, but most people have heard rumors of me and Nate. We were always a bit... adventurous.”

“Like how?”

“Like bringing other women into our bedroom. Like me mostly keeping my clothes on and getting off just by myself. Like me getting off hard if they degraded me while I did it.”

“Uh...”

“I was a freak long before I met you, Anessa. You want to know what the best orgasm I’ve ever had was? It was when an absolutely gorgeous woman fucked Nate in my bed, then made me eat her out, then spanked me so hard I cried, then fingered me so good I cried even more.”

“Oh, uh, wow, challenge accepted, I guess.”

“What?”

“Nothing, please go on.”

“Only thing that could have made it better would have been her domming Nate too, but he was obsessed with being a manly man back then. That goddess would have given it to us so good if only he hadn’t been so boring. I found out later he actually told her that she went too far with me, so we never hooked up with her again. My clueless little sweetheart. We were so used to reading everyone like an open book, but our own relationship was just an endless series of misunderstandings.”

“Huh.”

“Anyway, what I mean is: Don’t worry about me. What you should be worrying about is Shadowdancer.”

“I dunno, I think she’s pretty cool. I think Shadowdancer fucks. I think she’s got an 8-pack. That perfect, unmoving face watching me as she pushed her boyfriend down on my dick, hot damn. Oh god, why do I love having their girlfriends watch? I’m such a horrible person.”

“Don’t be like that. I can’t speak for her, but you know I love watching you fuck. I would absolutely be your fluffer or clean you after a session if I wasn’t worried about your power affecting me.”

“Uh. I, ah, wow Maddie, I’m gonna need some time to process that.”

“Of course. But you obviously need some relief. Nate’s good for a quickie. In need, even. Just look at that slut.”

“He’s just standing there. Maddie, I feel like... you’re sure my power’s not doing stuff to you?”

“Don’t take me as a reason to mope. I’m telling you I’ve always been a freak.”

“Okay. But like... why? If it wasn’t my power, how did you get so... I dunno.”

“Let’s just say hearing the thoughts people had about my body got me all sorts of insecure and uncomfortable in the past.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you. I tried hard to block it out, but my power kicked in when I was in high school so I heard a lot of horrible things. Some of the mean girls were even meaner on the inside. Messed me up a bit. I always had a hard time with my power when getting frisky, too. Hard to keep the wall up, hard not to feel disgust at some of the thoughts that hit me. Jealousy and lack of self-esteem were my hallmarks for a long while. I made my first boyfriend unable to get hard without thinking of me. Not a good idea. Took a lot of work to fix him after we broke up. With the next one I tried to fulfill his fantasies of what I should be, be more like all the girls who caught his eye and he really wanted to be with, make him see me as if I was like them. Not a good idea either.”

“Oh, man, I never imagined.”

“Sometimes I could get off on their degrading thoughts of me, but never for long. With Nate I could finally be happy. He could keep me out of his mind. Whatever was going on in there was private, no matter what. I could relax with him and believe he found me beautiful. I could indulge in other people as a passenger in his mind and I could make love to him without hearing anything but the noises he willingly let out. It was perfect. Until I stumbled upon his secrets and he tried to take over my mind to keep his stupid little villainous side project secret.”

“That whole thing still makes no sense to me.”

Madeleine huffs. “He was so much like me but instead of confiding in me, trusting me like I trusted him, telling me that every little negative thought about him he picked up from anyone stuck like a tiny shard of glass in his skin, he decided to go fucking mad and try to gain the power to twist people into admiring him soon as they met him. He tried to destroy me for this idiocy and as he did it I still felt like I couldn’t decide if I hated him for doing it or envied him for being crazy enough to do it. Then you came and I stayed in his mind to fight him and protect you but eventually it all opened up to me and I finally saw him for real. My pathetic sweetheart, broken in so many ways because he never felt loved, taking every little reproach he picked up from the minds of everyone he knew as proof that he was lacking, unworthy, not enough for his friends or his family or his lovers or himself. He went through so many emotions as you took him. And then he understood. His pride shattered and it was a relief. There was no burden to bear anymore, no need to be perfect for anyone, no way to put on a stoic face and tough it out. In your arms he felt defeat, then safety and even love. Like he never felt with me. It was the first time I ever saw him cry. It felt incredible, my catharsis overlapped with his. I started loving him just as I realized I never had before. I know it’s strange. I know I’m strange.”

“Hey, Maddie. Can I hug you?”

“Of course. Only lean your upper body in though, you’re tenting.” Her next words sound like she is being squeezed. “However rough the past may have been, I love what we have now. Two minds I am intimately familiar with letting me partake in their incredible sex without any of my old issues being anywhere in sight. And you would not believe the intensity of the pleasure he feels when you fuck him, it’s incredible. All this is much better than what I had.”

“I’m... glad. You’re my best friend, Maddie. I’m so happy you enjoy being with me, weird as I am.”

“I’m trying to tell you that I’m even weirder. I love you, girl. Now please fuck my little slut of a husband silly already.”

“I...I will, bestie!”

He finally makes himself scarce as he hears Anessa bounding off. Soon a jet soars in, changing its flight to a hover as it carefully lowers itself down, filling the street completely. As the noise of its engines grows more subtle he starts hearing a terrible slapping sound, along with muffled whimpers, as if someone were being tormented but a hand was clasped over their mouth.

He enters the foyer once more and gently closes the door behind him. Irene steps away from the wall and takes his hand.

“I apologize for slapping your behind.”

“I was not bothered.”

“Good. Still, I am sorry.”

“Do not be. It was perfectly fine.”

“I see. Excellent. Yes.”

She leans in for another kiss, then slowly maneuvers him up against the wall for some reason. Her previous attentions were to keep him from thinking anything a snooping telepath should not know, but the meaning of this prolonged kiss is harder to parse. For a moment he thinks it might be celebratory, but it might also be designed to deter Jamal from watching them too closely. Yes, everyone but Anessa would avert their eyes when people are locking lips. Soon they will no doubt turn to nefarious scheming.

Wrong. It turns out Irene has considerable stamina when it comes to kissing. A great portion of the day is spent with her tongue in his mouth, in various places in the house. She sinks out of the ceiling to kiss him upside down in a hallway that judging from the loud music contains the door to Jamal’s room. She emerges from a wall in the building’s main kitchen to grab him from behind and lean her head over his shoulder to kiss him from the side. She pushes him against a door to press into him with a kiss, possibly checking whether it is unlocked as his body pressures the door handle. This drawn-out process no doubt serves as a scouting mission of the house. Why her nimble fingers constantly run all over his torso and arms and why he occasionally lets out strange little sounds in response he isn’t quite sure.

In the evening she dances with him, showing him some of her favored maneuvers. It seems Irene is partial to the tango, at least on this eve. He is quick to pick up the technique, as with most things that matter. She seems particularly enthused to discover they can both somewhat competently lead and even dip one another with a similar amount of grace. When they eventually retire to bed she kisses him yet more, holding his arms above his head as she mashes her lips against his, perched atop his body like some petite gargoyle. He has spent an egregious portion of this day erect.

The next day is spent in a similar vein, though Irene leaves for a while to find a matching dress to the one he performed the cartwheel in. Once evening falls they embark upon a continuation of their earlier scouting effort, veiled as a dance littered with kisses. He makes his way around the house, turning off the lights as she lunges to and from the shadows, necessitating a constant awareness of his surroundings so he can competently continue the dance whenever she flies into him. He quickly learns to spot her pale skin in the darkness the very instant it appears at the edges of his vision, eliminating all stumbles within the first hour. He also learns that being kissed during a prolonged dip is a strange feeling.

Jamal seems to care little for their antics until they disturb him in the kitchen, turning off the light and swirling along in their dresses in the darkness. He removes an earbud screaming with noise and looks up from the open fridge with an angry glare, both hands covering his mouth as he aggressively finishes eating whatever it is that so preoccupies him in there.

“Man, fuck you guys. Stop turning off all the lights. Shit’s annoying.”

He seems moderately perturbed but returns to ignoring them as they do the same to him, putting the earbud back in and endangering his hearing once more. They dance well into the night, Irene seeming to grow physically stronger as true darkness falls, shadows moving to aid her physical body. This increased strength she uses mostly to enhance herself as a lead, lifting him completely off the ground for some acrobatic displays. He was always aware she was something of a dancer, but he had never known the extent of her enthusiasm. There is something infectious about it. It is rather endearing.

The evening ends much as the last one, with the two of them lip-locked in bed. One of her hands plays with his hair while the other goes on one of her journeys all along his upper body. He is not quite sure what to do with his own, but settles for wrapping his arms around her, gently holding on. Having his chest gently scratched at during a deep kiss while wearing a dress is a novel experience, but not an unpleasant one. Irene has an odd charm to her. He even finds himself liking the feeling of her pitch black hair tickling his bare skin.

On the third day the good times are over. As soon as he awakens he is aware of a slight twitching and a shiver that sporadically runs through him. Irene spends hours clasped tight onto him as if trying in vain to still his trembling body.

“It pains me to see you this way. If at any point it becomes too much, I will think no lesser of you even if you take the dose.”

“Have no fear. Pain marks the path to glory. I will persevere.”

She strokes his brow. “Alright.”

“What news of Psy-Ocs? How long do we have?”

She hesitates a while, but eventually stands up to sink into the shadows. He spends nearly half an hour shivering by himself before she returns.

“They are close. Anessa may well return before the day is done. I could try to call in some favors to stall them.”

“Yes. Please. I feel as if something will happen soon, but it would be prudent not to give her a chance to get in the way at the last moment.”

She leans over the bed, stroking his cheek. “I feel uncomfortable leaving you.”

He feels odd at that. Thankfully he does not blush easily. “It is better this way. In case something goes wrong I would rather you have plausible deniability. I should be able to avoid Jamal long enough on my own.”

“Very well. I will go. I... wish you the very best of luck.”

“Thank you.”

She goes in for a last, drawn-out kiss. He returns it with some passion, riled up by the excitement of whatever trial may lie ahead. She moves hesitantly once they break their kiss, sinking slower into the shadow than he has ever seen before, the top of her head leaning forward to keep her eyes on him as long as decorum allows. Such a lovable scamp she can be.

It is late afternoon when something other than his own trembling bothers him. The door slowly creaks open and Jamal peers inside.

“You’re not dancing today.”

Either the tremors are distracting him more than he realizes, or this man can move more quietly than expected. He heard no footsteps coming down the hall. He does not answer.

“Ah. Guess it’s started.”

Jamal steps slowly inside, idly scratching at his chest, neatly threading his fingers through one of the tears in his clothing.

“You need a drink.”

He stares him down. “I do not. I will wait for Anessa to return.”

Jamal stops by the side of his bed, staring dead-eyed down at him. “Yeah, you do. And no, you won’t. Get up.”

They continue staring at each other. “No.”

A hand flies out and grips around his throat, but he does not flinch. Jamal lifts him bodily out of the bed, eyes running over his body as it emerges from under the covers. “Damn, man. Wish you’d worn something else.”

The camisole and panties do not cause as much discomfort as he had hoped. Jamal walks out into the hallway, holding him like a lifeless doll. The grip around his throat is not very tight, but it makes speaking feel odd. “Do you like your life here?”

Jamal trudges down the hallway and into the dining room. “This ain’t the time.”

As they pass through the next doorway he reaches out an arm to clutch at the door frame. “I think this very much is the time.”

Jamal looks back at him without expression, then reaches out his other hand to easily pry his fingers loose. “Trust me, man. You don’t want any of what you got coming.”

He will not be dissuaded. He will walk through fire if he has to. Jamal carries him into the kitchen, where he opens the fridge and retrieves an ominous canister from a compartment containing a few of them.

“I don’t wanna feed you this. Will if I have to. What’s it gonna be?”

It is going to be a head and neck temporarily shrunk, allowing him to slide out of the man’s grip and reform standing on his own feet.

Jamal looks disgusted more than shocked. “Ugh.”

“Pardon. I did not intend to offend your sensibilities.”

Jamal grips his shoulders. “Course you didn’t.”

He looks disdainfully down at this new grip. “I must admit, I prefer it when people keep their hands to themselves.”

“I can believe that. Don’t change much. Drink it.”

“No.”

One arm swiftly wraps around his body while another grabs the canister, then suddenly he is getting forced onto the ground. “Oh, Jamal can do it no problem. Just gotta force-feed a man in panties some cum, ain’t nothing easier. Fuck, man.”

The canister creeps closer only to find that he no longer has lips to open. Jamal looks disheartened. “Damn, you can do that, huh. Fuck she give you that power back for?”

Next his arms are pinned under his assailant’s legs as Jamal ponders his next move. “Do I pour it in your nose or something?”

He narrows his eyes at his assailant. Jamal scowls back. “Just drink it, man. Don’t make me turn it into a suppository.”

A third hand sprouts from his chest to slap him.

 

 

 

 

 

Jamal growls in his face, revealing two rows of teeth in his jaws, jagged and sharp. Oddly, the first thing that comes to mind is the question of how Anessa could enjoy fellatio from someone like this. That penis must be sturdier than he realized.

“Fuck you looking at?”

He forms enough of a mouth to let out an answer. “In my youth I had dreams of a career in dentistry. You would have been an interesting patient.”

“Funny.”

“Yes. I am hilarious.” Hands upon hands upon hands sprout from his body as if he were the world’s most horrible tree and Jamal recoils in disgust, letting him rise inhuman, countless fingers scrabbling against the countertop to pull him up. “Why aren’t you laughing?”

“Fuck, man. You losing it?”

"My patience? Oh, most certainly." His camisole hangs shredded on him now, even more torn than Jamal’s outfit. “I will not be drinking refrigerated sperm. Let that be the end of this discussion.”

“I warned you, man. Shit’s gonna get rough.”

Jamal is annoyingly calm still, even as he backs away from the countertop. More disturbingly, it is proving troublesome to retract the extra hands.

“You want your girlfriend to see you like this? Keep it together. Just drink it. Think of her, man. Unless she put you up to this.”

“I am one who stands alone.”

He knows it a lie as soon as it’s spoken. His vision goes off kilter as he suddenly finds himself sliding apart and standing there manifold, copies of him that still are him sprouting out of his front and side to accompany the extra hands, his body pulled outward like an accordion, the remnants of his clothes falling to the ground like ripped tissue.

“Man, what in the fuck? You gotta listen to me, just drink the damn jizz, man, this ain’t right.”

Heavy. He sees the room from so many viewpoints his brain cannot keep up, but he knows it is heavy. The meat hangs heavy on his bones spread like branches, as if each instance of him were a ripe fruit just about to fall free.

It is hard to think. He sees himself from all angles, but it does not feel like he is himself. Some of those faces are watching Jamal still, but so many of them are starting to let their gaze wander, like senseless beasts. He now knows that he has never known true hunger before. It is a yawning abyss splitting him apart and nothing in this world could ever sate it, not even if he ate them slow enough to swallow only one generation at a time, devouring them and then their children and then the children of the children and so on into infinity, no, even this everlasting feast could not come close to being enough. He sees every corner of the room and it feels like his mind might rip. He wants to throw up, but instead his mouths open and speak in discordant chorus, some wheezing, some growling, some giggling.

“Why reach for the stars when you can suffer right here?”
“In a tumor you may see the face of god in its ever-dreaming horror, eating itself for aeons untold, bottomless hatred feeding the unbroken cycles of its pain.”
“Ghh-kh!”
“Take my hand and hate me, feel my teeth and sate me.”
“Death is a lie.”
“Let my smile split the world that all its creatures may settle screaming in my maw.”

As he tries to make sense of the sounds that are bubbling from his mouths he feels himself starting to break. He does not believe any of those words are his. Their breathing is heavy and some of them are drooling.

“Fuck,” says a voice that is definitely not his.

Myriad eyes lock onto its source and he feels parts of him smiling. At least the prey feels fear. It is holding something in its hand, pushing its finger against it. He draws deep breaths and savors the smell as they slither closer. Yes, that is fear. Delicious fear.

The prey takes hurried steps back but they are faster, spreading out like generations, coiling around and around the space in just a few breaths, blotting out the light from the not-hole in the wall. Mouths turned toward the prey crack open wide and wider still, gently blooming, offering eternal refuge.

It is refused. The prey rips a jaw off, sending ripples of hateful ecstasy through the ranks. Too long without a fight. Struggling prey can taste so good. And former predators have a sweetness all their own. Hunger can never end, but this morsel should soothe it. Their coiled flesh strikes, an undulating wave of meat and mouths and fumbling claws reaching out, wrapping around the screaming prey. Blood flows from all and they savor the taste with lapping tongues.

“You fuck! That bruise was mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! I earned it!”

The prey springs loose, making bones bend outward from its trajectory before they snap back into place and resume pursuit. Hands claw at it, wearing it down as it struggles and cackles and break the bones and rip the flesh. Their mouths bray and hiss as it flies free, gets dragged down, bites back, scrambles in the steady flow of blood, screams at the feeling of tongues savoring its wounds. And then there is a cracking sound and a new scent fills their senses.

“What the hell is going on in there? Should I break in?”

The booming voice is nothing. The scent of the forest, teeming with unsuspecting prey, is everything. Flesh sloughs off the root, running off to freedom as wolf, bear, fox, each branch choosing its own desire, bound only to the core by umbilical cords soon to break. Until they see what waits beyond the new hole to outside. A gigantic woman looms, with wide hips and enormous breasts. The animals return as liquid, flowing back to their root. In the shape of man they start walking.

“What the hell was that? Jamal? I’m coming in!”

The prey looks wounded, but the shape of man does not care, mumbling as it goes. “What is flesh to do but breed and kill?”

“He’s coming out! Fuck him up!”

 

 

 

 

 

The giant woman looks surprised as he walks before her and reaches out. Flesh and bone grow to let him greet her, but she grows too, staying far above.

“Wha- you can do that?”

The man reaches just up to her waist when they both stop growing.

“Oh. I guess that’s still kind of impressive.”

He grasps her legs. Disappointed but determined. Their offspring will be stronger than he.

“Are we fighting?”

He starts climbing.

“Is that a yes?”

The woman picks him up by his neck and holds his naked body in front of her. Appraising?

“Well, let’s get out in the open before we start swinging. I feel like it might be an unfair fight, so feel free to give up at any time.”

The woman starts walking. The body flexes to impress her, but she pretends not to notice. It turns to aggression, digging nails into her arm.

“Stop that! And here I was going to give you something like an honorable duel. You asked for this, mister.”

The woman sits and puts him over a leg. Pain blooms in his backside, repeatedly. Mating ritual? Display virility.

“Oh, wow. Am I a natural at this or are you really pent up? That is... a lot.”

The pain is replaced by stroking. Approval? Then the pain returns.

“I’m not sure about much right now, but I know you have been naughty and I can tell you’ve been needing something like this.”

The woman wants to be further impressed. Another display of potent virility.

“Oh my god, again? Right away? Incredible. Is this what Anessa’s power does?”

The pain keeps coming. The body is getting tired.

“Oh, you’re shrinking. Am I winning?”

He finds reason crawling back to him, his body trembling in Titania’s lap. They seem to be out in the open, away from the buildings. The trees look unusually small off to the side. His rear end is stinging and his member is letting out the last drops of what feels like an orgasm. He feels uneasy in his body. Whatever she did, it seems to have woken him from a nightmare. He still finds himself unable to look up at her. She seems to think on her situation for a moment, then resumes spanking him. The pain feels grounding, though the situation is embarrassing. The powerful slaps keep coming.

“Are you all out? Had enough?”

She flips him over and sees his still raging erection. He looks off to the side, trying not to dwell on the embarrassment.

“Guess not. But you look a bit calmer. Would you like to talk now?”

He shields himself a moment with his hands, almost trying to curl up on her lap before stopping himself. “I do not know what to say. Whatever you did helped. I am straining to remain in control of myself. If you could... keep helping me I would... be grateful. Please.”

She places a finger on his member, pushing it against him. “Help, he says. Well. If that’s the heroic thing to do, I should definitely do that. Make sure to tell me what helps the most.”

With two fingers she starts massaging his length and he immediately starts trembling.

“Yeah, I suppose you can show me too.”

She gets to her feet and aims him downward just in time for this orgasm to spill out onto the ground, into a suspiciously large white puddle that is already there.

“Okay, so this shrinks you. If this is what we’re doing I better take you to my place. Wouldn’t want any wandering soul to catch sight of this.”

She hefts him up with ease and sticks him into her cleavage, leaving only his arms and head outside of the impromptu prison.

“The journey’s a couple of minutes. Hump away, little man.”

He can not bring himself to do that. It feels like he might splinter into pieces, but he simply can not hump Titania’s cleavage.

“What a shy little guy. Maybe I can inconspicuously fix my bra the whole way.”

With both hands she jostles her breasts around as she strides along the beach, putting immense pressure on him. Oddly quick he has another orgasm, his height shrinking further, leaving his face just barely free of the heat between her breasts.

“Okay, hold your breath for a bit. My front door is kind of underwater.”

She pushes him fully down, leaving him blind and sweating, fully imprisoned by her body. Soon he hears a great splash and warm ocean water floods into his prison. Almost a minute passes before he is let out, her fingers fishing him out of her cleavage to hold him aloft. He finds himself in a tremendous cave lit by enormous lights. The surface of the water is vast and there is a paved pool deck ahead of them, with a gigantic lounge chair seemingly waiting for her.

“Welcome to my place,” she murmurs relatively close by. Her voice sounds booming to him at his current size, which he still thinks is larger than normal, though it is hard to tell when nothing is to scale. “Wait, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try, stay still.”

She lowers him into the water and leaves him there, submerging herself fully. He looks down to see her face looming enormous beneath him, as if she were some marine monstrosity emerging from the depths. It is a strangely disconcerting view. She slowly breaks the water and he has to crouch and hold onto her nose to stay on his feet, which scramble not to trample on her lips. She lets out a little huff of amusement through her nose, the force of it enough to make him lose his footing and wind up on his knees clutching her nose even harder which makes her let out a little giggle that rumbles in his bones. Before her exhalations can send him flying she stabilizes him by pinning him against her with her gigantic tongue.

He looks up to take in the rest of her face. She has one eye closed and the other trained on him, likely to not go cross-eyed. Her mirth seems to subside and she retreats her tongue to leave him kneeling and clutching at her for support. Her face sticking horizontal out of the water is like an island, the paved bank looking far out of reach.

“No escape, little man,” she whispers, so loud and strange. “Oh, you’re shaking. Did I scare you?”

“No. I feel like I am about to lose control.”

“Hmm. And only I can help. Tell me how. Use the word please.”

He stares down into her giant eye. What is she talking about? Did she not already discover what worked? “I may not necessarily need further assistance at this point, possibly I can keep going by myself.”

“You are not masturbating on my face, little man.”

“Well... no, I would move elsewhere first.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight. So you need me to make you cum, right?”

“I... suppose so?”

“What is it you need me to do?”

This situation is absurd. He is leaning naked and bodily aroused on the nose of a giant woman who has made an island of her face and is being willfully obtuse. “I need your help to reach orgasm.”

“Too big a word for such a small man. Stand up straight, hold on tight, spread your legs wide and then just say it for me. I need to hear you say the words: please, make, me and cum.”

He clears his throat and looks away from her giant eye. “Please... make me...cum.”

She hums in approval and darts her tongue up, sliding its underside up along the front of his body, its size spreading his legs further and wrenching loose his grip on her nose to tap him on the face. The length of it is quite impressive, even if it is annoying. He finds himself forced to grab onto it so as not to fall, only for it to start wiggling against him with unusual flexibility. Holding onto it feels akin to what he imagines a rodeo must be like. Except his embarrassingly needy body makes occasional humps that have nothing to do with holding on.

Eventually she raises him straight in the air, almost flicking him off with the motion, succeeding in flipping him over so her tongue can slam his back against her cheek. She rubs him in place there and he feels an instinctive need to put his hands up against his odd assailant, but it does not slow her in the slightest. It is a peculiar feeling, being physically overpowered by a tongue.

It is a powerful orgasm when it eventually comes. She doesn’t let up, grinding him hard into her supple cheek, his hands weakly holding onto the tip of her tongue as it forces his member to give up all it has. He feels a bit limp when it’s over, nearly sliding free when he shrinks further, momentarily lessening the pressure of her tongue before she catches him once more. She clumsily pushes him onto her nose again before withdrawing her tongue.

“Let’s go dry off.”

She lets the rest of her body float upward, her breasts rising like mountains out of the water and her hair looking like a forest of kelp as she starts lazily kicking her legs to float backwards toward the pool deck.

“Hmm, you’ll fall if I stand up, won’t you? Better keep you somewhere safe.”

Her tongue rises to prod at him, forcing him to rise from his repose before wrapping around him with odd agility and pulling him into her mouth. He feels a strong surge of unease at this turn of events, but she stops while his torso is still outside of her lips.

It is a dizzying sight when she climbs onto the pool deck. He feels he may be at his original size now and the floor is a very long way down. Titania bends down a little and soon he sees her bikini bottom land beside the lounge chair. Next she sets her breasts free. They truly are prodigious. She flutters her tongue against him as she reaches for an enormous towel and starts lazily drying herself off, spending an odd amount of time on the underside of her breasts. He orgasms again when she sucks on him as if he were a lollipop.

She spends a good while drying herself off, lazily running her tongue along his helpless body as she does. Eventually she stops and sits down in the lounge chair, leaning it back a little and getting comfortable, showing no sign of removing him from her mouth. She moves her hands to her breasts, cupping them gently before toying with her pert nipples. Then one hand moves down her body, past a patch of pubic hair to presumably touch herself. He cannot quite see her entrance, but soon there is a wet sound echoing in the cavern that tells him exactly what she is doing. For a moment he wonders whether it would be polite to look away, but decides modesty is probably not on her mind. His breath is getting heavier. Before long she is letting out little moans that reverberate through his whole body. Everything about this feels overwhelming, but perhaps his body is nearing satiation, as it does not orgasm even at this.

Then she stops her efforts to raise her hand up and before he can lean too far back in surprise she is rubbing her slick finger against his face. The smell is strange but he orgasms, garnering a pleased sound from her that shakes his whole body and somehow increases the intensity of his release. He leans his forehead against her finger and can’t help a groan escaping him. She presses it further against him and he tastes the slickness and his whole body quivers as it keeps releasing his seemingly endless seed.

His torso hangs limp from her mouth when it is over. Titania goes back to fingering herself, the sounds in the cavern somehow even wetter than before. Soon her breath is coming in huffs that blow his hair this way and that. Then she bucks her hips and groans long and hard around him. He orgasms again, writhing weakly in her lips, a breathless moan forced from him by the relentless stimulation.

She finally plucks him free now, halting her play with her breast but still working her fingers inside herself. She plops him down on her erect nipple, larger than his head. “Kiss me, little man.”

He stares at it dumbly before looking up at her, then averting his eyes from her lidded gaze to stare back at it. He finds himself embarrassed.

“You’re awful shy for someone who’s cum so many times I’ve lost count.”

She has a point. And she is helping him, bizarre though the situation may be. He leans in and gives it a peck.

“I want more than that, little guy. Make out with it. Bite it, even.”

He opts for a nibble. She makes a little pleased sound. He keeps going. Her fingers pick up the pace.

“Now lick it. Don’t leave a dry spot.”

Embarrassing, but he complies, running his tongue this way and that on this gigantic nipple and holding on for dear life as her increased pace and returning moans make her soft body jiggle. He has just finished his strange task and bit her once more for a better grip when her body starts bucking again. Her heaving breast rubs against his erection and he spurts out another load, groaning in a mix of irritation and pleasure around his mouthful. Will none of these leave him satisfied? Beneath all the physical pleasure is an undercurrent of something abnormal, like his body wants to flow into a new shape. He growls and a strange surge goes through him.

“Ouch! What was that? Did you just zap me, little man?”

He trembles in renewed, confused orgasm against her breast. He did indeed just zap her. Are his powers returning? He tries to feel the power again but nothing happens. Her finger pries him off her breast and puts him in her palm, quickly putting her other hand on top and forming a makeshift prison with her fingers.

“I guess you want to be disciplined again. I can do that.”

She struts into another room and shrinks rapidly, opening his prison to hold him in merely large hands as she goes down to something like triple his size. She walks over to a table that fits her at this size and picks up an outrageously long elastic-looking rope, binding his wrists behind his back with an alarming speed, then picking another long rope and tying it around his ankles. Then she puts him on the ground and gets on her knees, shifting back to her earlier size, curling the rope that ties his wrists around one finger before raising it in the air, forcing his hand upwards. Then she pulls it to the side while holding his hips with the fingers of the other hand, causing him to bend over. She ponders his position a moment before going fully prone, her face as close as it can be, her enormous breasts pressing against the floor.

“I think that little stunt calls for at least twenty. I want you to stand still and take it.”

The fingers on his hips let go, then one of them falls down with great force. The slap rings loud even in this enormous room and he can feel the flesh of his buttocks ripple. The second strike comes and he lets out a deep breath. This is tremendously embarrassing, but the pain feels alright, like it is helping him focus, even. The third nearly knocks him over. He turns his head to glare at her. She just grins at him like some great big Cheshire cat. The fourth is softer, but not by much. The next three leave him trembling. He looks back down at the ground. The eighth makes his knees buckle and he falls to the floor.

“Hmm. Seems like my little man couldn’t take it. Alright, you don’t have to stand to take it.”

She lifts him up off the ground by the rope around his ankles. The ninth strike leaves him swinging wildly, giving him ample time to anticipate the next. By the fourteenth he is questioning his choices in life. By the seventeenth he is trembling, unsure whether it is the pain or the shapeshifting power wanting to tear him apart. At the eighteenth, somehow, he orgasms with a hoarse scream. The nineteenth follows swiftly, causing some of his ejaculate to be flung an impressive distance. The twentieth is so soft it forces a groan of surprise out of him as he hangs upside down. This is so embarrassing he may need to take drastic actions once he regains all his powers, just to fix this woman’s now undoubtedly skewed view of him.

He notices he has been hit by his own fire and ponders the possibility of this being karmic retribution for his treatment of his jailer last time. Titania’s enormous tongue licks the entirety of his body before he can come to a conclusion. She trusses him up further without him being able to pay much attention until he finds himself with his arms and legs hogtied behind him and the rest of the rope crisscrossing his body. This latter part holds the weight, leaving him hanging helpless but not too uncomfortable on display over her breasts like a necklace, his unstoppable erection pointing bravely outward.

Titania saunters into another room, fetching an absurdly large dildo and fastening it to some sort of mount to keep it in place on the floor in front of an immense mirror. He watches his own reflection in it and finds himself wondering once more whether all that happens to him on this island is actually real.

“One day I want to find someone indestructible who doesn’t have to breathe and tie them to the tip, here,” she says pointing at said tip. "Not even sure what about that idea drives me so wild. Leaving them helpless to be squeezed tight by me as I cum, maybe.

He finds his eyes wandering downward in the mirror, watching her take it. Maybe it isn’t so absurdly large, really, considering its user. He wonders who made it.

“Maybe that was something I should have kept to myself. This whole evening is a bit like my wet dreams coming true, so I might be going a bit far.”

She rises up on her enormous toy before slamming back down with a sigh. Her hands find her breasts, then one of them climbs higher so she can rub his helpless form with a finger.

“Our fight back in the day was a bit of a sexual awakening for me. When I was younger I only saw the downsides of being big. I always tried to shrink down as far as I could, get with the biggest guys around, only to lose control when it got good and leaving them suddenly lost in a cave.”

She bounces up and down, her breathing getting heavier, the entirety of her voluptuous body shaking with her efforts.

“Then I somehow wound up bullying the mysterious sex-bomb that is you and it was like my eyes were finally opened.”

She lets out a long breath, grinding on it.

“Sure, there are a lot of normal things I can never experience. But good god are there a lot of things only I can do. Being huge and powerful and toying with people is fucking hot.”

She pants, gyrating as she haltingly rises halfway up before sliding back down, then repeating the motion and forgetting to rub at him, necessitating ineffectual humps from his bound form to seek the release that feels so close.

“I started reading fan fiction after our fight. Smut specifically. About myself, most of the time. So many perverts, so many ideas. Me and this bad boy have spent many a night together with a good fic. My favorite is one where I get sent to another world.”

She stops to moan and tremble. Must be quite the story.

“It’s like a medieval, war-torn world, where at first I try to be a hero but slowly realize I can only bring peace to it by becoming the strongest warlord. But I don’t kill, you see. I just take my enemies, who all happen to be hot, and string them from my body much like I’ve strung you up. Then I make them feel oh so good and they become my sexy little servants who help me run things when they’re not busy submitting to me. It’s so good. In one scene I have two people dangling who are actually in love with each other and they fuck while they’re hanging in bondage, my fingers helping them along. Oh, and there’s spanking. So much spanking. I think that fic alone is the reason I’m so into it.”

She slams down hard on it now, again and again, breath coming heavier and heavier.

“Ah, but nothing... beats... you. I wasn’t sure about the new look when I first saw it, but you are seriously cute right now. It’s different, but still good.”

She goes even harder.

“That fic though. It changed my life. Just imagine if the public could see this. My wholesome reputation would be ruined. But picture it: All the prettiest villains in the world literally draped over my body. Just hanging helplessly on display, at the mercy of an unstoppable giant. Oooh, yeah. If anyone got uppity I’d spank them with a finger, then make them hump that finger as an apology, then make them cry from how hard I make them cum with my tongue. It’s always been long, but I’ve put real effort into training it, just so I can toy better with tiny bodies. I made a list of the villains I’d like to do all that to. And some heroes actually. You’re on that list, of course.”

She’s panting and moaning with wild abandon now.

“I had so many weird dreams after our fight. Now I’m living them. It’s so good. All my horny fantasies made manifest. You’re so good at this. It’s like you were made for this, made to be dominated. So incredibly good.”

He looks away in annoyance and forcefully stills his body’s stupid motions against her finger. What the hell is she talking about?

“Watch me cum.”

Her finger turns his head back to the mirror, another taking its place to rub his erection. Her orgasm starts immediately, as if forcefully making him watch were the catalyst. She moans loudly, her incredible body trembling powerfully as she takes her toy to the hilt, grinding her hips on it as if she wanted to bury it into the ground. He orgasms again, marveling at the mixture of exhaustion and unending excitement that his body seems to be feeling.

Five orgasms later he simultaneously feels like he could pass out and keep going for eternity, becoming nothing but a dumb body that pursues its base pleasures at any cost after having leaked its brains out. Titania hums to herself in consternation where she sits naked in what must be the world’s largest beanie chair.

“This... just won’t end, will it? The way you shake when I stop doesn’t look good, but I can’t keep doing this forever.”

“Eheghh,” he concurs, still dangling from her rope.

“Do I just have to keep going until Anessa returns? Is there something we can do?”

“Mmm....ilk... shake...”

“What?”

She is clothed once more when the house comes back into sight, but he remains hanging like a necklace, albeit an unwieldy one after she has shrunk down to her triple human size. If her fingers ever lets go of his penis again, he is sure it will feel sore. He has orgasmed twice on the way back. It is a good thing the neighborhood is deserted.

She crawls on all fours through the broken back door, leaving him to dangle beneath her as she crawls through that room and into the ruined kitchen. His weary eyes see the back of Anessa’s head. She seems to be redoing bandages on Jamal, who stares him down. Anessa turns around to follow his gaze. The look on her face is unlike anything he has seen before. Fear. Anguish. A tear or two has run. Perhaps he can enjoy the memory of it some time later.

“Keep that fucker away from me.”

Anessa opens her mouth as if to speak, but does not. Her eyes gaze up at Titania, bypassing his embarrassingly posed naked form in a rare show of decorum.

“We had a bit of a scare but I took care of it, I think. Everyone’s mostly safe and sound.”

Jamal chuckles. “Yeah, mostly. Things got real rough, but I gave better than I got. But that cutesy little femboy is an actual fucking monster.”

He dangles gently from her necklace, body exhausted and face expressionless. They’re talking too much, like always. Then he smells it. Then sees it. The spilled milkshake on the floor. It disgusts him. But he needs it. It promises safety. His form needs to stabilize. They’re still talking but he doesn’t hear anymore. The bones in his body liquefy to let him slip loose from his bonds, reforming as he hits the floor to scrabble toward that stain on the floor.

“Fuck no, man! Stop him!”

“What on earth?”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!”

An immense hand pulls him back. Jamal leaps at the fridge. Anessa seems frozen.

“Give him this one. No licking the damn floor.”

Another immense hand places something at his lips and he starts guzzling it down. Titania is holding him somewhat like a baby as he drinks this foul concoction. But there is no room for shame. It tastes sweet. So damnably sweet.

Titania bounces him softly in her arm. Perhaps it is meant to be reassuring. “I got you, little guy. I’m sorry. It seems like I misunderstood the situation. This is easily the weirdest night of my life, and my life hasn’t been normal for a long time. But I don’t look down on you for anything that happened.”

He can’t look her in the eye once he’s finished, exhaustion and shame warring within him as he finally feels his flesh stop roiling. “Thank you. For your... help.”

“You’re welcome, little man. I’m sorry I wasn’t nicer. I didn’t have the right idea. About what was happening, or how serious it was. I’m sorry.”

“I... hate that word.”

Jamal is at Anessa’s side, grumbling. “You gotta take that power away. Of all the things to give him back, why the fuck that one?”

“Dumb. I’m just dumb. I didn’t know. It didn’t feel that powerful. I was just dumb.”

“Alright, alright, keep it together. Just take it away.”

“Tomorrow. I need to... to fiddle with the lock I have to put in the key, okay? No way am I doing that right now. I can’t be more of a monster. This is enough. So much more than enough.”

“Fine. Keep it together, though, okay? Feel sad later.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll call Rady. I’ll put him in her crazy light bunker first. Gotta figure out if Irene busted Psy-Ocs out. Figure everything out. Stop pretending to be nice. Stop trying.”

“That don’t sound like keeping it together. Put him in the bunker. Then call her. Then think and feel sad. Sound like a plan?”

Anessa nods slowly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Sure, it’s nothing. Gonna need to hunt soon, though.”

“Tomorrow night. I’ll fix what I can fix, then we’ll go.”

“Alright. I’ll get the stupid goggles.”

Jamal runs off. Titania’s holding him with both arms now as she sits on the floor, her size looking absurd in the room. He notices now that there’s blood on the floor, quite a lot of it. Most of it is presumably his, though it means nothing since the power seems capable of producing bodily fluids at incredible speed.

“God, what do I actually tell Rady?”

Titania hums. “The truth, probably.”

“It’s all my fuck-up so she wouldn’t kill him or anything. But maybe she’d want him locked up tighter. Maybe she’ll want me locked up tighter. No more playing hero. I deserve that. I should have just found someone else to go with Nate and Maddie. I’m so dumb. Why didn’t I ask you to go?”

“I don’t fit in a submarine.”

“Right. I’m stupid.”

Jamal returns. “Okay, time to shut up and move.”

She does. She reaches out her hands and takes him from Titania uncharacteristically gingerly, then starts jogging down the street without a word. In a matter of minutes they reach one of the smallest houses, though its windows have all been boarded up. She puts strange goggles on his head after putting him down in front of the door. Then she opens it and even through the shielding of the goggles he can feel the oppressive brightness. She picks him back up and carries him inside, placing him down on a mattress on the floor in the middle of a room with no windows. The set-up is somewhat similar to his earlier room, with a small, adjoining bathroom, except this one has no door. Everything in here is so brightly lit he wonders if he might go blind if he took the goggles off.

“I’m sorry,” she says as she makes to leave. “I have to call Rady and figure some things out. I’ll be back, I won’t leave you alone here all night, I promise. I know you want Irene, but I can’t let you see her just yet, I’m sorry. I know you hate that word, but I’m really sorry. I’ll be back.”

She leaves him. He sits there on that mattress, under the blaring lights, exhausted and despondent, but sleep is the farthest thing from his mind.

Notes:

For those who skipped the body horror: It went poorly, so trying to go cold turkey to get out of Anessa’s power may not seem like a good idea anymore.

Plenty of mood whiplash in this one, apologies if it’s too much. If the downer ending is very grating I can make the next chapter short and try to get it out quick so we can get back to happier times. It will definitely start on a downer, though, some angst and whatnot, you know how it is. But that tone won’t linger long, should be all dried up after next chapter.

I thought Titania would be a bit cutesy, what with being some nerd who reads fan fiction about herself, but then she turned out like this. Hopefully Irene can carry the burden of cuteness by her lonesome.

Chapter 8: Holding back the tide

Notes:

Second body horror chapter, it starts right off the bat in this one but is more chill than last chapter, I think. To allay any fears in advance: the character appearing in this chapter will not get a sex scene.

He sits there in the oppressive light for hours, running through his fragmented memories of the evening. He had some sort of fight with Jamal, but the details are missing. He was very powerful and felt no fear of losing, but he was not in control of himself. It was probably not a very dignified fight.

His seeming defeat was not dignified either, being brought back to his senses via spanking which in some inexplicable way brought his body to an orgasm that lifted the fog. He wonders if Irene saw any of what happened to him. Hopefully not. Maye he could ask her for help in learning just what embarrassing things make his body react in such absurd ways. Though that sounds embarrassing in and of itself.

Anessa’s face there at the end was certainly a nice change from her usual impervious idiocy. But her mutterings do not bode well for his continued bid for freedom. This may just have been his last chance, spent on losing control of every aspect of his body and then orgasming repeatedly in the clutches of a giant. Thankfully his shape-shifting power started obeying him again after his drink so he could replace the flesh of his buttocks and rid himself of the immense stinging sensation she had left him with.

He must now prepare himself for the possibility of a meeting with Radiance. Perhaps a tearful apology would lessen the severity of her anger. If he could somehow subtly blame Anessa for everything he might just be able to come out of this relatively unscathed. Yes, that idea holds some merit. Perhaps act the role of a hapless victim who finds himself so unbearably aroused when around Anessa but too mortified to follow her command to drink her seed in her absence. He could act scared, submissive and vaguely aroused while she is present, then break down crying if Radiance speaks with him alone. Yes, a devious plan. Though this might presume a bit much of his acting skills. Crying is not really something he does. Perhaps he should train it right now? Even if there are cameras in here, tears in this moment should fit this new narrative just fine, embarrassing though it might be to shed them.

His thoughts are interrupted by a strange sound emanating from the bathroom. A sort of light thumping which continues for about half a minute before being joined by some slight splashing. It does not match any prior experience, but he wonders if something is wrong with the pipes. Then the toilet seat rises, a human hand slowly pushing up from the inside to place it into the upright position before retreating back down. The first thought that comes to mind is that he wants no part of this.

Next, bunny ears rise ever so slowly from the toilet bowl atop a drenched snake’s head that slowly morphs into a human one to grin maniacally at the ceiling.

“Iiiiiiit’s Bun-Bun!”

The head turns to look straight at him.

“Ya ready for some fun-fun?”

It cracks an angler-fish smile as it clambers out of the toilet with a lizard’s body that swiftly grows to the size of a Komodo dragon.

“Lemme eat yer eyes, hun!”

It pops into the shape of a slender yet shapely woman, sauntering towards him.

“Sheesh, what’s up with the lights in here?”

Shielding its eyes, it walks into the wall.

“Owie! Dang it.”

It gives the wall a petulant kick before leaning against the door frame, looking like a model posing for a calendar that might hang in some mechanic’s workshop.

“No, like, serious, ya workin’ on a tan or sumthin’? Those goofy goggles are gonna leave awful silly tan lines, ya know.”

It sighs deeply.

“Sure, just ignore Bun-Bun, she won’t mind, not hurtful at all, no biggie, no sirree.”

It makes its lips wobble as it looks at him. He does not dignify its antics with a response.

“Fine, be that way.” It takes a step closer. “Guess Bun-Bun’s just gotta keep the schmoozin’ goin’.”

It stops, smelling its arm and wrinkling its nose.

“Ooof, ’scuse me, gimme a sec.”

It steps back into the bedroom, morphs into a snake with a human head and bunny ears, and starts shedding.

“Hnngh! Hnnnnnghh!” It stops halfway through the process. “Don’t mind me, just get back ta whatever ya were doin’ before, I’ll be wit’ ya in a moment. HHNNNNNNGGHHH!” It ejects itself from the rest of the skin, morphing into a different form altogether as it pops through the bathroom door, sniffing itself. "Phew, that’s better."

Before him stands some sort of spider centaur. It has a lean human torso with perky breasts and beneath that a gigantic, hairy, eight-legged body. It tries in vain to shield its eight eyes with a grimace. “Yowza, that is so bright, like seriously, what ya up to in here, kiddo?”

It trundles around the room noisily, peering this way and that. “Oh, Bun-Bun gets it. This ain’t some fortress or whatevs, some big ole meanie stuck ya in here.”

It turns back to him, spider legs making its whole body bounce up and down in what might be meant as excitement. “So... trapped in here with Bun-Bun, huh? No escape?”

He maintains eye contact with the biggest of her eyes, but says nothing.

It pouts. “C’moooon, it’s me, Bun-Bun! Sweet tits ’n ass ’n everythin’! Peeps pay for my bathwater!" It pouts more heavily at him. "Stop ignoring me! Say sumthin’!”

“You bore me. If you have a point, get to it.”

Its jaw drops, then drops to the floor. It grows a new one with disturbing speed. “Huh? Bun-Bun... bores ya? Yer kiddin’, right? Right?”

He does not deign to answer that, but prepares himself to spring into action. He may only have its own disgusting power and possibly electricity, but he will not fall to this monstrosity ever again.

“Sheesh, some people. Fine. Guess the point is this: Bun-Bun heard a voice she ain’t heard in a looooong-ish time. Not a nice one. But wait, Bun-Bun wasn’t talking with it. Weird, right? So she headed right on down here, where it was comin’ from. And as she swam-a-lam over here, things were rattling in the old noggin’. Some blah blah about some schmuck stealin’ powers or somethin’. Eyes nearly popped out when it clicked. Not that it really clicks, ya know, even as she’s looking at ya. Some little twink stole Bun-Bun’s curse? Huh? Like, how?”

His jaw clenches. “Do not call me a twink.”

It smirks. “Oh yeah? Then whuzzat smell every time ya open that mouth hole? What’s a girl supposed to call a lil dude like you who’s sittin’ there all comfy with a belly full of spunk, huh?”

He grinds his teeth now.

“Oh, shoot. All them lights! You’re not filmin’ a porno in here, are ya? Bun-Bun don’t like hidden cameras. All her home videos are consentin’ affairs, ’kay?”

He does not want it veering off in this direction. “There is no pornographic material being filmed here. Tell me about the curse.”

It paces back and forth on its spider legs, drumming fingers on its lips. “No porno, he says. But someone’s been givin’ it to ya? That why yer stayin’ here, just ta get yer box stuffed? Phooey! If that wuz all ya wanted ya coulda just rung me up. Need a dick in ya? Bun-Bun’s got it, all shapes ’n sizes.”

It shifts into a normal centaur now, with a dangling, disgusting erection between its legs. It is nauseating. He thinks of attacking but decides that might risk him touching it. If the creature realizes just how much this disturbs him it might get even more revolting.

“Wanna get swallowed whole and live to tell about it?" Now it is an enormous frog with bunny ears, the face an unholy mix of human and frog. "Lather on some mustard and Bun-Bun’s on it.”

“Wanna get some eggs laid in ya?” Now it’s a wasp with a human head, bunny ears twitching happily as its wings buzz. “Hahaha, come to mama!”

It drops down with a tiger’s body. “Bun-Bun’s an alpha, ya know, if yer in ta all that jazz. All the hunks who wanna fuck the pretty bunny girl learn it. She starts out all nice ’n cute and then goes all wacky in the middle of it, haha.” Large octopus tentacles swing wildly for emphasis.

“Most of ’em start the waterworks but Bun-Bun’s got the magic touch, see, so in the middle of freakin’ out they also cum harder than ever in their little lives and they make the absolute best faces, it’s hilarious, got pictures at home, remind Bun-Bun to show ya some day; it’s fine cuz they love it, most of ’em come back for more, more, more, beggin’ Bun-Bun to show ’em sumthin’ new every time and Bun-Bun does, yes, oh yes she does.”

It switches to a dog’s body, panting like one as it paces back and forth even though the head remains human. Unhinged aberration. Perhaps he should attack next time it enters a non-aroused form.

“Hey. What am I talkin’ about, again?”

He would be hard pressed to answer even if he wanted to.

“Oh, yeah! It’s a teachin’ moment! See what I’m doin’? It’s funky fresh, yeah, but what else?”

The speed at which it shifts during its constant pacing is bewildering. One moment it’s a giraffe looking very cramped in the room, then an oversized iguana, then a gigantic scorpion. But always those damned bunny ears stay on.

“It’s all reused material, boyo! Ya can mix and match!” A walrus mermaid is a truly bewildering sight. “But don’t go creatin’ nothin’ new.” A reverse mermaid version of it is even worse, and he feels bile rising in his throat.

“And if ya go off script, it can only be fer a super duper short time. But Bun-Bun gets it.” It shifts into a chimera. “The look on people’s faces when they realize they’re in bed with this right here is worth any risk, abso-heckin’-lutely. But only for a couple minutes, tops! We don’t wanna get hungry, no sirree! Heh heh heh, no, not hungry like that.”

It shifts into a gorilla, tongue dangling from its human mouth as it scratches its crotch.

“So what am I talkin’ about now? Oh, right, about how ya stole a curse just ta get yer twinky holes stuffed by some rando. What’s up with that? We coulda been two peas in a pod, if one pea was boss and the other was you. Instead you’re here, gearin’ up to shoot a porno! Even got some goofy ass goggles to keep the cum outta yer eyes! Redonkulous!”

It shifts into a donkey’s body for emphasis. He averts his eyes from yet another bestial organ. Is Anessa watching this horror and doing nothing? Is this a punishment?

"It’s no fair!" The donkey starts jumping in place. “Totally no fair! A copycat takes her powers and what does he give in return? Nuthin’! He don’t care to share Bun-Bun’s burden or make her laugh or anythin’. Boo! Boo on you, sir!”

Before he can even realize what’s happening she’s morphed into an enormous spider and sprayed him with thick webs.

“But before she forgets: did ya see god, boyo? Just try and nod or shake that pretty little head. Heheh, like how ya used the gift to look cuter, we got so much in common. Or did ya always look cute? Bun-Bun don’t got the best memory, really. Now shake that thing! Or nod it!”

He does not. Instead he shifts himself into a rhino, easily tearing free of the webs. It responds by changing into a minotaur with pendulous breasts and enormous horns, bending its head down and snorting, kicking its hooves at the floor as if raring to go. He shifts back into human form and crosses his arms.

It shifts back into a human too, albeit with overgrown, fuzzy rabbit legs. “Yer a real tease, ya know that?”

“As are you, creature. Are you here to play mentor or are you here to kill me?”

It puts a praying mantis claw up against its lips in contemplation. “Dunno yet, really. If ya can learn maybe it’s fine. But the world prolly shouldn’t have ta deal with two of me. Buuuut it could be fun not bein’ the only one. Ya think ya can learn the ropes and not go nuts, kiddo?”

“I can learn anything, but I want you to always consider yourself alone. Though you may feel free to ask my assistance if this curse of yours ever becomes too much of a burden. I would be delighted to help you die.”

“Haha! Pretty feisty there, cum-breath! But not a bad deal, really. Bun-Bun’s not really sure she can die, could be fun tryin’ again with some extra help.”

He narrows his eyes at it. Is it trying to garner sympathy? Radiance’s power might do nicely, to burn it off the face of the earth. This infuriating thing should die screaming.

“So, rule number one: No creatin’ nothin’ brand new, stick to the templates, no extra arms or heads or whatever. Unless yer gettin’ it on and wanna get fancy, but then you gotta make it quick. Getting real big takes eating a whole lot. And I mean a whole hecking lot. Bun-Bun’s partial to hooverin’ up seagulls, personally, an acquired taste but hoo boy, what a taste. Roadkill’s nice too. And she’s got a boy-toy works in a slaughterhouse, def recommend.”

It morphs its lower body into a large snake and starts slithering around. “Rule two: Keep human as the main form. Which might be easy for ya, what with bein’ born that way. Bun-Bun don’t honestly remember if she was. Anyhoo, the human form is pretty freaking sweet: It’s got the brains, it’s got the touch, it’s got the power, wait, no. It’s safest, is what. Keep the human stuff going strong, ya know? Plenty of twink sex is good for ya, obvi, but there’s more to it. Like hobbies and stuff, yeah, but there’s somethin’ even bigger. The key is...." It starts drumming against the walls with gorilla hands. "Wait for it...." Its eyes go uncomfortably wide as they bore into his. "Looooooove.”

“Love?” He gives her a mirthless smile and finally deigns to step off the mattress. “You, whatever you even are, want to talk about love? I am not in the mood for laughter, creature.”

“Well, duh, there’s all them songs and movies and stories about it, it’s only like the biggest deal ever. It’s what makes us human, ya know?”

“Do not call me that. Or yourself. Neither one of us is truly human.”

Its face balloons outward, eyes growing disgustingly large. “Whaddaya mean? I got eyeballs, mistah, ’n they’re peepin’ right at a lil human boy. Ya can’t see it? Then ya jus’ need sum luv, boyo. Bun-Bun’s got plenty, ya want some?”

“Shut your mouth. The only thing I currently find myself wanting is the sight of the light leaving your eyes.”

“Heheh, bring it on, boyo, Bun-Bun’ll teach ya a thing or two.” It morphs its hands into large crab pincers. “Yarr," it says, "a fine booty spotted cap’n, ripe fer the pinchin’!”

He has had enough. A scorpion tail lunges out at it, its pincers managing to keep it from sinking in but the force of the blow ramming it into the wall. It grins up at him. “Alrighty! Now don’t come cryin’ ta Bun-Bun if ya get all scared!”

“Why would you ever think I could fear you? Disgust is all I feel at the sight of you.”

“Ouch, right in the fee-fees! Hey, what kinda disgust? Any bit a horny in there? I got some lovers describe it like that before.”

“Quiet!”

“Make me.” It morphs into a lion but just watches him, as if waiting for the next strike. “Or don’t, I guess. If yer gonna be a chicken, we can keep talkin’. Yeah, sure, let’s talk it out. C’mon, twinky, look inside yer heart, find that love. If it’s just for dick, that’s fine too, I guess.”

He turns into a bear and strikes it a blow that he feels breaking bone, but it slinks away from his next strike, turning into a hippo.

“Hahaha! So much fun! Keep goin’, lil twink, slay that monster! Give it to me!”

He growls, tearing into its ever-shifting body, blood gushing from the wounds that close up moments after appearing. Its regenerative capabilities are incredible. It only occasionally strikes back at him, seemingly content to writhe and bleed and laugh at him. He knows giving in to anger is unwise, but he can’t help it. This day was taxing already and this thing is pushing him over the edge. He hates it more than he has ever hated anything.

It turns to him where he hangs onto a gaping wound in its body, smiling at him. “Haha, geez, this is a whole lotta fun. Bun-Bun likes ya. Are ya havin’ fun? Maybe even fallin’ in looooove? It ain’t weird! Bun-Bun’s a real monstah, but ya don’t gotta be scared.”

“You think yourself a monster? You are nothing. I am the monster here.”

It guffaws. “Sure, a real monster cocksucker, I’ll bet. Joke’s on you, Bun-Bun’s got no cock right now, go ahead and check. I ain’t scared of no twink! This form has no weakness!”

He digs his claws deep inside its wounds, tearing into what must be organs, snarling. “From the moment I could speak every word from my lips was wrong, every intuition false, every expression wrong, every memorized fact about those around me oh, so unbearably creepy.”

“Heheheh.”

He drags some entrails out and keeps digging. “Humans are social creatures. I am not. Humans love. I do not! The things I feel and want are inhuman." The flesh falls free at his tearing as if he were pulling out confetti. His eyes cloud with hate as he mutilates this thing. "Friends are not for me. Love is not for me! I tried intoxicants of all kinds, anything I could to feel a hint of a connection with these creatures that are supposedly the same species as me! I felt nothing! Whatever I tried! Nothing!”

“Yes-yes! Keep screaming!”

“I was with a dealer when I was attacked and beaten into a coma by a hero far more drugged than I ever was. And who did people vilify? Me! Of course me!”

The blood flows in rivers and he feels like he could see an ocean of it and still not be satisfied. He keeps ripping more and more chunks out of its body.

“Because he... was... a heeeero." There is a strange, sarcastic tone to his voice now, snarling even as he feels a dead smile split his face. "And I? I AM NOT HUMAN!" Its warm, crimson insides become outsides and he basks in their glow, ripping and tearing with hateful glee. "I realized it! Soon as I woke up! Soon as I felt it! The power! My incredible power!" Cold laughter shakes his burning body and he keeps tearing it apart, the sounds awful and satisfying. "There was a reason for it! ALL OF IT! I was destined to be different! To be better! To be unnatural! Wrong! In every! Conceivable! Way! You are not a monster! Do you understand? Do you understand?!" He tears its lower half clean off. "I AM THE MONSTER! ME! I AM SOMETHING NOT EVEN A MOTHER COULD LOVE!”

It sloughs free from him to turn its head back with a wide smile.“Uh-oh! Bun-Bun done goofed?”

He leaps forth with a scream, frothing at the mouth as he rips the head clean off. He keeps shouting at it even as it falls onto the bloody floor, his voice deep and rasping and raw like it has never sounded before. The upper body falls with a heavy thud, the head with a softer one, all three parts of the creature twitching on the floor. There is a loud boom and the whole building rattles, but he is beyond thinking at the moment.

“My father kept me alive out of duty alone, simply because I was his flesh and blood! I stand alone! I am not like you! I am not like them! I am unlike anything, I am something other, something greater! I will tower above every last one of you disgusting, scurrying little sacks of flesh and your empty little smiles and your pathetic little carnal needs and your filthy, idiotic, wretched fantasies of love! DO YOU HEAR ME?! STAND UP SO I CAN RIP YOU APART AGAIN! I AM BETTER THAN YOU AND I AM GOING TO SMEAR YOUR ENTRAILS ALL OVER THESE WALLS BEFORE I FEED THEM TO YOU!”

The head lays still, its tongue hanging limply out of its mouth. He gulps in heaving breaths and hopes there is no surveillance in here. Anger is weakness, he distantly knows, but he finds himself utterly consumed by it. He raises a foot to stomp the foul head into the ground.

“Psych, hahaha!” The head skitters forth on crab legs, reconnecting wetly with the upper body which lurches over onto the lower body before swinging back into action, ballooning in size as it starts turning into a mammoth before changing course and settling into an ankylosaurus. The building rattles again, and the wall starts cracking. He lays into the creature’s hind leg, unleashing a torrent of electricity into it that makes its flesh roil, its body turning into a downsized tyrannosaurus rex that still strains against the ceiling.

“Oooh, stop that, a girl-thing can only get so aroused!” It rears its oversized human head around, tongue rolling out of its panting mouth. Its eyes look crazed and empty, as if not seeing him anymore. “AHAHAHAAAAH! Just goofin’! Gimme more, more, more, boyo! Bite me, taste me, FEED ME!”

The third boom hits and the wall breaks apart, scattering chunks of concrete over both of them. He turns his frenzied eyes on the new hole, realizing what is happening just in time to wipe the emotion off his face. The creature takes the chance to fling him off itself but he maintains his composure even as he thuds against the wall. Irene pokes her head in, cocks the shotgun in her hands, and shoots out one of the lights. The door slams open and Anessa barges in, freezing as her eyes run over the red floor and the miniature dinosaur in the room.

“What in the fuck?” She looks at him, then the monster. “What the hell is that?”

They all stand still a moment, apart from Irene who blows out another of the infernal lights. The dinosaur opens its mouth wide and Anessa seemingly takes it as a challenge, lunging at it with a scream. She blows a hole straight through its torso, coming out of it looking bewildered, absolutely covered in gore. The dinosaur makes a sound that might be laughter as its flesh grows back into place. Then Irene drops from the ceiling with a roaring chainsaw, slicing a great gash into the creature’s side before sinking into the shadows on the floor.

He only half-heartedly lays into it himself, focusing more on getting his breathing under control and keeping his face stone cold, occasionally striking it with an overgrown scorpion tail as Anessa and Irene keep tearing it up. Is this what it feels like to be on the side of just and sanctified violence? A three-on-one beat-down with overwhelming force? It feels cowardly and dirty, even if this is a monstrosity that he would love to see eradicated. Still, it is certainly interesting to see Irene fight, he doesn’t think he ever has before. A chainsaw is definitely not what he would have expected.

Bun-Bun shrinks down into its human form, covered in blood, one leg seemingly broken, both arms missing, the face mysteriously in pristine condition. Anessa and Irene both freeze in seeming confusion as this bizarre creature takes shuddering steps backwards, oozing blood and coughing. “Agh! Guh! I’m hit! Tell... tell my wife... hello!” It rears its head back and starts writhing in place, letting out an inhuman, ear-splitting screech before exploding into a bloody mist that coats the ceiling.

Anessa looks stunned, her jaw hanging open despite the danger posed by the fresh gore looming above. Irene turns off her chainsaw, sinking down to her neck into shadow, looking around skeptically. He watches the ceiling, where the blood seems to be changing into mold. This thing can do fungus too?

The mold rustles, a whistle going through it as if there were a wind blowing inside it. A little ball grows out of it, getting steadily larger and morphing into an unfortunately familiar face capped with bunny ears. “Ha. Ha. Ha. That’s... right.... boyo,” it rasps in a voice that doesn’t sound like anything vocal chords should create, then starts flowing slowly downward in an ever more human form, that overly perfect body seemingly growing out of the shrinking moss, “I... can be...”

It lands on its hands and stands on them for a second, before slowly leaning backward, legs craning to find purchase on the floor. It raises its torso smoothly behind them, standing up straight and giving a double peace sign, “....a heckin’ fun-gi if I wanna!”

The blood on the floor seems to be flowing toward the creature, seeping soundlessly into its feet. Anessa looks even more stunned than before. Irene floats up from the shadow and starts revving the chainsaw.

“Well phooey, guys, be that way, I’ll go.” The creature starts sauntering toward the broken wall, blood lazily flowing after it, dripping free even from their clothing to follow after its master, though Anessa has already taken off most of hers. “Narc to Ray-Ray, it’s fine, Bun-Bun’s been bad, she gets it. She can go lick the boot, whatever.”

Its butt sways unnecessarily on the way. Once it has reached the hole in the wall it turns around dramatically, then leans on the broken wall as if practicing a pose. “But hey, even if ya did hear it, forget about god, boy. It ain’t exactly real, or it ain’t exactly right, or it ain’t what you or it thinks it is. It wasn’t made for words, or understandin’. Don’t ever try ta speak with it again. Never. Never ever. It’s just hungry and angry, and it uses your words to say things that don’t mean nuthin’. Don’t give it a way in. Don’t make it real.”

It runs its hands down its body and winks at its gathered audience. Irene revs the chainsaw once more.

“Fine! Bun-Bun can see she’s not wanted here! Guess she’s just gonna go frolic in the forest all night. Mmm, frolic. See ya!”

It starts slowly running away, daintily swinging its hands side to side. Then its head turns around and swings back inside, perched atop a snake’s body. “Oh, one last thing. If ya find yerself still here when all yer lil friends are just dirt in the ground, give Bun-Bun a call. Dunno if we’d do anythin’ really, but she’d understand ya like no-one else.”

He stares at the bizarre creature, his hatred having lost its burning fire, cooled to a cold indifference. “No. I think I would rather fling myself into the sun at that point.”

“Oooh, take me with ya! But if not, hey, maybe we could pass the time bringin’ back some extinct species, for the lulz. Bun-Bun knows how, she could probably teach ya enough to put some babies in ya. Think on it! Be the perfect brood mother and bring all sorts of fun beasties back. Dinosaurs! Giant sloths! Biggest sharks ever! Nostalgia overload! Yeah, I’m prolly heckin’ oooooooooold, son. Or maybe that was all a fever dream and I just forgot who I was. Don’t actually know! Hahaha! Bun-Bun out!” The snake body snaps back to the rest of the human one, the head settling on shoulders once more as the creature starts cartwheeling away. “Let my smile split the world! Ahahahaah!”

Irene steps up next to him, watching it disappear into the night. “What a disturbing creature.”

“Extremely. Perhaps it might be prudent to wipe it from the face of this earth once I am whole again.”

Anessa stumbles closer. “Whuh, huh, what in the fuck is even happening, I don’t know anymore, what just, was that the pin-up girl, I mean just, what? Oh. Hey. Are you okay? Um, were you crying?”

He looks at her from the corner of his eye. “No. I pushed the shape-shifting power to its limits, so there were some complications. Much of what should be inside my body found its way outside during the struggle.”

“Okay. But if you want to cry, that’s fine. This has all been a lot.”

“I do not need to cry. Now stop looking at me.”

She does. “Uh, hey, Irene? How are those noodle arms holding a chainsaw?”

Irene drops it nonchalantly, resulting in a great clatter. “Pure adrenaline.”

“Okay. Okay. Now I just gotta figure out what to do next. Maybe send Rady another rambling voice-mail and then hyperventilate a bit.”

Irene moves over to the mattress, which remains surprisingly clean. She sits down on it, then raises her arms toward him. He awkwardly shuffles over to her and lets her maneuver him into a sort of hug, his face pressed into her chest. Somewhat comfortable. No-one can peer at any imaginary tears this way, certainly.

“I think we shall rest.”

“Uh. Okay.”

“Perhaps you could stand guard? We are scared, you see.”

“Um, sure. That makes sense, I ought to keep an eye on things anyway.”

“Please turn off the rest of these awful lights. I am already here, so their purpose is lost.”

“Yeah, I suppose. We could just go to some other house, though.”

“No. My darling is exhausted. Now turn them off.”

“Okay. Have it your way.” She trundles off to a control panel, fidgeting with it for a minute, snickering to herself just before the last lights turn off.

He turns his head. “What are you laughing about?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing, just something stupid.”

He has no doubt of that, but it is suspicious. Has something gone according to plan for her? He must pressure her. “Now I am worried you are laughing at me.”

“Oh, no, no, no! It’s just.... I was picking away at the thing, and I looked down at myself and you know, the light from above, there’s this song, it got into my head, you know, but with the lyrics kinda wrong: Bright lights, big titty. And it’s not funny at all, I know, maybe I’m just kinda loopy right now, we just fought an eldritch horror or something.”

He blinks in the darkness. Musical taste is of course not something you can judge by looks or demeanor, but he would never have imagined her listening to blues. Perhaps the real eldritch horror was the friends we made along the way. He shakes his head to clear it of memes. “That is indeed stupid. If you aren’t simply lying to me.” He returns his face to Irene’s chest. Sleep would be nice now.

“I’m just stupid, honest!” She clears her throat. “Should I, like, get some blankets or something? The wall’s a bit gone, so it might get a bit cold once the excitement wears off.”

Irene hums dismissively. “If you feel cold you can try to huddle up to us, if you wish.”

Anessa lets out some sort of gasp. “You....wanna cuddle....with me?”

“No. I am inviting you closer, but not to.... cuddle.”

The oaf lumbers closer, slowly, until a hand finds its way onto his back. “Sorry. Can’t actually see that well yet, eyes are still adjusting.” Then she leans down onto the mattress beside them. “Jeez, you’re freezing, Irene. Want me to be closer? I’m a bit of a furnace, I’m told.”

“No, I like the cold. More importantly, please do not leave my darling somewhere out of reach again. The lesson is learned. He will obey your rules in the future.”

“Yeah, okay.” There is a short silence. “Hey, so, your booty boosting power can... actually do all that? Like, explode into fucking fungus and... come back from that?”

He turns his head sideways to answer. “Theoretically.”

“Man, I really fucked up giving you that one back. You guys totally tricked me.”

“We did not know its extent,” he murmurs.

“Hmm. Well, I’m gonna have to take it back first thing in the morning. Breakfast, shower, then bam, uh, business time. Damn, sorry. One day I’ll learn to think before the words come out.”

“I feel that is going too far. But I will not push you.”

“Good. That’s good, Irene. We need to be on the same page.”

“I am truly impressed you stood up to such a thing for so long,” Irene says to him, ignoring the oaf. “Your shapeshifting prowess must have reached new heights this eve.”

“Yes, I do believe I have grown from this ordeal.”

“I hope you will show me some day. I like watching you, even if you shift everything about the way you look. I would only ask that you leave your eyes unchanged. I find them especially breathtaking.”

“They are nice eyes,” Anessa concurs.

“This may sound a bit morbid, but if you should pass before me, would it be alright if I took them?”

“Wha?”

“I suppose that should be fine,” he replies. An odd request, but it seems harmless.

“Excellent. I would be honored if you would do the same to me. It would ease my soul to know you would still gaze into my eyes each night.”

“Very well, I shall. If you wish, I could probably grow a second pair of my eyes right now and give them to you.”

“Hmm. I had not thought of that. The idea loses some of its romance if they are duplicates. Though I suppose I could place them in a doll and carry it with me, so your eyes would be ever on me. I will have to think on this.”

“Guys, please, I... I guess you’re having a moment, but just... what the fuck?”

“Hush, girl. Let us be quiet now. Keep an eye out for bunny ears lurking in the dark.”

Anessa sighs. "Okay. Wonder if that thing could have hurt us. It felt like we were in control, but I guess we didn’t really hurt it at all. Maybe it was a draw? What do you think?"

Irene presses him into her bosom. "He is asleep now. Ask in the morning, if you must.”

They’re good breasts. He wonders what their category is. C-cup perhaps? Would it be rude to ask at some point? Whatever the case, he likes them. Apart from that, the main thing he has learned from this evening is that with this power he may be much harder to kill than he ever imagined. He relaxes happily into Irene and lets exhaustion take him.

 

Upon waking he finds Anessa has thrown her big arm over them and lies sleeping with her mouth hanging open and drool leaking out. So much for staying on guard. What an oaf. Irene scratches his head, seemingly realizing he is awake. Looking up he sees her lean her head in slightly and part her lips slightly, so he shuffles awkwardly up her body to reach her kiss. Anessa’s arm stays heavy on his back, but she shows no sign of waking as Irene keeps kissing him, the chirping of birds coming in from the brightness outside the ruined wall. After minutes of this they return to merely embracing one another.

“Mnnnrgh,” is the eventual sound of Anessa’s awakening, as her big arm scoops them both further into her embrace, her oafish face coming into contact with Irene’s cold hand trying to keep her at bay. Her eyes blink stupidly as she stretches her legs and her whole body trembles, like a great big cat waking from its slumber. “Oh, shoot, sorry,” is the more coherent follow-up as she lets go of them and sits up straight, wiping the drool from her mouth with a dissatisfied grumble. Then she lets herself fall back onto the mattress with a thud, rubbing her eyes and opening her maw wide in a great yawn. “Bluhugh,” is her third exclamation before she raises herself up on her side to look down at them. “So how’d you guys sleep?”

“Like the dead,” Irene answers.

“Right. Nice. Okay, so. Let’s go to some other house and eat something. Then it’s, ah, time to lock that power away again.”

They walk on down the street a ways, Irene leaving and returning with a parasol for herself and some yoga pants for him to not be completely naked before they hazard a step outside. After a few minutes Anessa chooses a house and is seemingly granted access just by pressing a few of her fingers into a panel by the door. There she offers them a hearty meal of toast, which she consumes an absurd amount of. Then she washes her face and hands, moves a low table away from a window, places a full-body mirror against the wall in front of the table and then turns to him expectantly. “All right, it’s time. Strip and bend over here, please.”

This is it. Now he must resist her onslaught. It would be best if she did not even realize he was resisting, but that seems a tall order. Best to play it by ear. He takes off the strange, clinging yoga pants and bends over, ending at a nearly ninety degree angle, catching his own reflection in the mirror as well as Anessa’s as she steps into position behind him.

“Ahem. So... here we go. Could you... spread your legs a tiny bit? I’ll be super gentle.”

He does, silently. Irene moves to stand close by. “Surely there will be some sort of... lubrication?”

“Um, well, you see, it’s kinda weird, but where my cock wants to go, it just.... goes. Don’t worry, he’s gonna be totally fine. Here we go.”

He feels the fat head slide slowly inside him, his body offering no resistance whatsoever, even though a jolt goes through it at the intrusion.

“And now we just slowly slide in.”

Slowly is an understatement. It moves deeper inside him at a snail’s pace, his body feeling constant shock at the sheer size of the thing and the strange, inexorable but easy movement of it inside him. It is like he is being pushed to his limits without there being any discomfort, no matter how much he expects it. The massive girth of it presses hard against every contour of its receptacle, an intense sensation somehow made even more intense by the agonizingly slow pace. It feels like he should be being split open, but his frightened body seems to be deciding this is not an intruder but an old friend come knocking. Damn this body. Perhaps he could somehow shapeshift his insides to feel less of this? But she might well notice that and take it as rebellion, turning his imprisonment into something even worse than it is now.

His train of thought is interrupted by her hips softly pressing into his, her entire massive length now buried inside him. Her hands grab onto his waist, heat emanating from her palms. In the mirror he catches a solitary drop of white form at the head of his own penis. Damn it.

Then she starts pulling ever so slowly out again, and it feels like his body is desperately clinging onto her, as if begging her not to leave, clenching and fluttering wildly around her member as it slowly departs. The first drop of white falls onto the floor, quickly followed by a second. How can a single, slow thrust in and out do so much to him? It is the sheer size of it, no doubt. It’s cheating, really.

She leaves him fully, then enters once more, making her overly leisurely way all the way back in, squeezing more drops from him. Her hips again press flush against him, then she grinds it slightly around inside. Another handful of drops. If this is a competition between the number of thrusts and number of drops, he is losing decisively. This is a completely different experience from the night he fell into her clutches, but it is intense in an entirely new way. When she pulls out this time he sucks air through his lips, hopefully not so loud that anyone noticed. The drops cascade from him now, tiny little things pattering onto the floor, so very unlike Anessa’s offerings.

This time when she leaves him she stays outside a moment and he can feel his entrance close and open in turn, as if disbelieving that this huge visitor has left so easily, desperately trying to beckon it back in. Disturbing as it is, he finds he cannot stop it. Only when she enters a third time does the muscle relax, though it still occasionally tries to massage her length, mustering little power simply due to being stretched so wide. He is very thankful Irene is not standing behind him to witness his body’s shameful display. Anessa’s hips tap against him slightly harder this time, with enough force to make a very soft slapping sound.

Wait, since when is she so quiet? He bites his lip in consternation as she begins another trek outward, his body trying to squeeze her tight every step of the way. Is this her being serious for once? The cold demeanor of an executioner carrying out their grim duty? She pops out and his legs tremble slightly as she drags out the moment of emptiness, placing her fat head against his entrance but not pushing inside yet. His body shifts slightly in place. It would be humiliating to push back himself, so he does not. But his body felt close to doing it. Eventually she slides in and his legs tremble some more, his member leaking a single, gooey strand that reaches all the way to the floor before it finally disconnects from him to fall when she does that little grinding motion again, as if she were stirring a small pot with a baseball bat.

She starts pulling out and he feels sweat starting to run down his forehead. This is so utterly ridiculous. He has just learned that one of his myriad powers is absurdly strong, so strong he might be able to fight with reckless abandon without ever paying the price. Yet here he is, fighting tooth and nail not to orgasm fully from what must be the gentlest mode of copulation Anessa is capable of. She pushes back in and his legs tremble yet again. It feels like he might buckle for a moment, but a slight pressure against his waist makes him realize her hands would hold him aloft even if he did. It is an odd and uncomfortable realization. His breathing is becoming labored.

She pulls out again, ever so slowly, completely silent. This is really not going well. He is almost tempted to try and get away from her just to escape this overwhelming sensation, but those hands on his waist feel awfully strong. Not only might they keep him aloft, they would most likely pull him back onto her if he tries anything, making him look helpless and weak. It would be beyond embarrassing if her pulling him back caused an increased flow from him, let alone some awkward vocal response. He looks away from the mirror, staring at the rays of the sun a moment as they pierce the window off to the side, lighting up the wooden floorboards. He keeps his hopeless gaze there for two full thrusts of Anessa’s lazy copulation, listening to the drops fall steady from him to the floor.

He likes silence. But this time it somehow feels like it is not on his side. It is as if Anessa has revealed a new, dangerous side to her, one that does not focus on her own pleasure, deriving it solely from tormenting him with that outrageous organ. What is he supposed to do in a situation like this? He turns his gaze back to the mirror, but before it he sees a deathly pale hand close to his on the table he is leaning down on. Irene is kneeling, looking up at him with her expressionless face, hand offered to him. He takes it in his and feels a surge of determination.

He is the most dangerous man alive. His last act in power on this earth is not going to be bending over for a monstrous cock and dribbling his seed onto the floor from its lazy prodding of his insides. This will not be the end. This odd oaf will not cow him into submission with her newfound intensity or her considerable sexual prowess.

Said prowess is really pushing him to the edge, though, no matter how determined he may be. His breath comes out shuddering. This scene might almost be construed as peaceful, immeasurable pleasure being slowly dealt unto him as the sun streams through the windows. His penis drools and drools, his insides clench and spasm, clench and spasm, her hands on his waist apply fluctuating, trace amounts of pressure, constantly reminding him of their presence. He is going to orgasm any moment now. He stares into Irene’s pitch black eyes. He imagines that beautiful darkness enveloping him and his mind focuses. Orgasm? What does that matter? Another agonizingly slow push forces more out of him, but he does not try to hold back. What is this odd battle about? Power. Embarrassing amounts of pleasure have nothing to do with it. He will retain his power. Nothing else matters.

He breathes out, squeezes Irene’s hand and centers himself. She squeezes back and he lets orgasm take him. His whole body trembles, certain parts of him clenching tight over and over against a certain part of Anessa as she gently prods on, one hand going around his waist to keep him standing on his shaking legs while the other strokes his lower back. She must be pleased with herself.

He watches his own bent over form trembling in satisfaction in the mirror, penis leaking white like a faucet now, his breath still heaving. But there is a satisfying calm on his features, the face cool and unfeeling, looking bored if anything at this turn of events. He focuses on his breathing, working on calming it as he lets his body indulge in its pleasures. Anessa stops for a moment inside him to let his body clench around her to its heart’s content.

As it finally slows he raises one hand off the table to inspect his nails. There is a slight huff behind him and he feels her finally picking up speed, the tapping of her hips against his when she bottoms out now a bit louder. He finishes the inspection of his nails and places his hand back on the table.

“Irene,” he says with a fairly steady voice, “what is your favorite poem currently?”

“Dolores,” she replies, “Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs.”

“Could you recite some lines of it, perhaps?”

More than that, she recites the entire thing from memory. It proves quite long even though she reads it quickly, like a breathless prayer from a supplicant very aware of the absurdity of carefully enunciating idle prattle for an omnipotent being. The work sounds interesting enough. He decides to read it some other time while he is not so busy. He orgasms three more times during the reading, but maintains his focus on Irene even as Anessa’s hips slap into his with increasing noise.

“I like it,” he says once Irene is finished reading, starting to idly play with her hair. Anessa, huffing and puffing behind him, puts even more force into her thrusts, her strong hands pulling his waist back to meet her now shallow, quick jabs into him. That’s right, fool, plunge blindly into the abyss. No matter how good that magnificent monster feels inside him, he will not bend. This power is his, flawed though it may be. She can make him orgasm as many times as she wants, it will not stop him. He accepts the feeling of her increasingly forceful slaps against his hips that feel like they send mighty ripples through his cheeks. He watches with an idle curiosity as the constant drip from his member is sent flying this way and that with her every slam as those short, fast thrusts keep pummeling him.

He stops playing with Irene’s hair and stretches his torso forward slightly, like a cat stretching after a nap. Anessa’s breath is shuddering now, far more than his even though it has started to feel like he is suffering one drawn out orgasm rather than a multitude of them. This is it. He is in control. His power will remain under his command. He raises his upper body slightly, looks lazily over his shoulder at her, bites his lip, spreads his legs ever so slightly wider. Then he slams back against her thrusts once, twice, thrice, accompanying each thrust with a curt, exaggerated little moan. Anessa gives a surprised gasp and immediately loses control, unloading inside him with a heavy groan, pressing her hips as tight against his as she can, nearly pushing him over. Her member pulses as it deposits rope after thick rope in him. Hapless fool. Yes. This, too, is power.

He leans further down, placing his elbows on the table and resting his jaw on his clasped hands as he patiently waits for her to finish, even as his own body keeps drooling its own release. None of it matters. He clawed this power back and he will hang onto it. Nothing and no-one will ever take it away again.

“Huh?” Is the first thing she utters after she has stopped her unseemly groaning.

He stands there, legs trembling, breath slightly shuddering, flaccid penis still dripping onto the sizable puddle left on the floor, her incredible member inside him possibly a major contributor to his ability to remain standing, a veritable lake of her ejaculate warming his depths.

“It didn’t take? How... what did you just do?”

Their eyes meet in the mirror. He stands there triumphant.

“Don’t make the snooty face! Stop that!”

She pants, looking frazzled. Neither he nor Irene say a word. Anessa leans over him, her heavy breasts resting against his back, mouth panting above his ear. “What did you do, you cute little weirdo?”

He remains quiet as the grave, aside from his slightly labored breath. She puts a hand under his legs and lifts them up, carrying him with her as she back up to slide down a wall to sit on the floor with him in her lap. She leans him back into her embrace, kissing his shoulder blade, then neck, then just behind the ear, staying rock hard inside him, though she certainly sounds tired. “What was it, huh? Why did it feel like two powers for a second there? What on earth did you do, you bad, bad, bad boy?”

She groans against him at the lack of response, her hips vaguely pressing into him as if chasing a last helping of stimulation. Her fingers find his testicles and raise them gently.

“These have to be completely empty now, huh? I’m going to need to call in some serious help cleaning up the floor.” She strokes them with her thumb, seemingly trying to embarrass him with her words and actions. It will not work. “Maybe we should weigh them next time, before and after, figure out just how much you cum for me.”

She makes a low grumbling sound. “Fuck, next time. Is that what happened? Did I subconsciously decide not to lock your power away so I could have an excuse to fuck you again? God, I’m a douche.”

Perfect. His eyes flit to Irene, but they both seem to be on the same page. Best to stay silent and let her be her own undoing.

“You’re just so weirdly hot,” she continues, “it’s not fair!”

He snakes an arm around her neck, then leans to the side and back to have his mouth as close to her ear as he can. “Nothing in this life is.”

“Urgh,” she says and he feels a twitching inside him, “that’s not dirty talk, why is it hot? I just... I just can’t not fuck you. We’re going again, pretty boy, gimme like five minutes and I’ll make you paint this whole damn room white.”

“No.”

Anessa looks at Irene as if she had forgotten she was there. “What?”

“You will not go again. Not now. My darling is tired and I still have not disciplined him.”

“Huh? Discipline?”

“Yes. I told you I would, if he broke your rules.”

“Oh. I guess you did. But...”

“Come here, darling.”

He moves to free his legs from his captor and she releases him, letting him rise from his seat atop her, the feeling of getting off that massive pole truly bizarre. Even more bizarre is that none of her seed flows out of him. Nothing comes out as he walks over to where Irene sits on a sofa in the shade, beckoning him.

“Lay across my lap, darling.”

He does. Anessa gets to her feet, staring dazed at them as her member bobs stupidly in the air. “Wait, is that my hairbrush? When did you get that?”

The hairbrush meets his buttock at great speed. The slap reverberates through the room, followed by a sharp intake of breath from him as the pain blooms and his hips grind into Irene’s legs, his member staining her beautiful dress.

“Uh...”

Another blow comes, then another and another. It feels intense. His respect for Irene’s competence reaches new heights at the swiftness and strength. She somehow makes even this feel good. Three more blows come and he finds himself shivering on her lap.

“W-woah, there, Irene, isn’t that a bit much?”

Another blow. “My darling is stronger than you can fathom.”

“Oh....kay, but, like, still?”

“I gave my word I would discipline him. My words hold meaning.”

The blows keep coming and the pain is transforming into an ever more complex sensation. “Still don’t have to go that hard, you know?”

He turns his head to look at her, cold and collected. “She gave you her villainous word. There is no going back on that.”

“Um, okay, I’m not sure I really buy that, but I don’t know enough about villainy to dispute it.”

He turns his head back and basks in Anessa’s discomfort as the blows keep landing on his cheeks, his hips seeming to want to sink into Irene’s legs to escape, his legs rising up into the air but thankfully not daring to obstruct the blows. It feels incredibly odd, but not entirely unpleasant. Even at these great impacts, no seed seems to leave his used behind. Has it been absorbed by his body somehow? Perhaps that is why it seemed nothing more than normal sperm at the laboratory Irene tried, it may only trigger inside the target’s body. Though he certainly seems to have withstood it this time. He focuses on keeping his breathing steady, as Irene’s ministrations with the hairbrush seem to be coaxing out the last few drops his penis somehow still clung to. It seems a bit silly for this to be pleasurable, but he sticks to his new philosophy of such things not mattering. It is hardly an orgasm, intense though it may be.

At the fiftieth blow Irene relents, placing the hairbrush down on the sofa close to his face. He lays mostly still across her lap, hips slightly gyrating. He hazards a look over at Anessa, who is staring at them slack-jawed, her member rock hard, bravely fighting gravity.

“Fuck, that looks like it hurts. It’s so red. I can’t pound that in good conscience.”

“Good,” Irene answers, “you can try again tomorrow.”

“Wait, was this a villainous plan to blue-ball me?”

“Don’t be silly, girl. It is not our fault you failed in your duty.”

“Yeah, alright, okay, I guess we try again later. Maybe I made a mistake, maybe I’m just tired or something, it can happen to anyone. You can keep that damn power for now, then. You guys just chill here today, I’ll be back later, we’ll hash things out. Don’t use that power, nothing much at least. Just... no funny business, okay?”

“I accept your terms.”

Inwardly, he gloats. No part of this business was ever funny to him. The meaning of this verbal agreement is completely up to interpretation. What a dunce. As soon as she retreats from the house Irene strokes his sore cheeks with her cold fingers. It feels beyond soothing.

“I am sorry for going so far.”

“No reason to apologize. It worked perfectly.”

“Still, it truly does look like it hurts.”

“It does, but I could easily shapeshift it away.”

“I see. But you won’t?”

“The pain feels grounding.”

“I understand. Are my fingers a hindrance to this grounding?”

“No. No, they feel fine.”

“Good.”

“I am sorry for soiling your dress.”

“No reason to apologize. It is just a dress.”

They rest there a while in silence, his hips slowly ceasing their grinding but her hands keeping up their gentle, soothing strokes.

“Those tears were ingenious. She could not bring herself to take the power from you after that. Your presence of mind even in the most trying of circumstances is inspiring.”

“Yes. Indeed.”

“Though if they were real I apologize. You can show me any face you want, I will treasure each one.”

“They were not real. I do not cry.”

“If you ever feel like crying, let me know. I think I would like to hold you as you did.”

“Very well. But I doubt I will.”

“Of course, it is just an idea. I think I might like to kiss them too, your tears, if that is not too forward. If they should ever flow, that is.”

“I shall keep it in mind.”

"Would it be strange if I bottled them?"

"Yes. But strange is fine."

“Good. Very good. Thank you. Would you like to stand up? You are free to, of course, the stroking of my hands is not meant as a constrictive gesture.”

“No, not just yet. This feels fine.”

“It truly does.”

“Perhaps you could recite another poem?”

“Yes. I shall even recite two, since I cannot decide between them at the moment.” One hand finds his hair to stroke it, the other lightly squeezes one of his still upturned feet before returning to cool his stinging skin. “An Invite to Eternity and The Fairy Child.”

Notes:

Irene has an incredible memory when it comes to poetry, it seems. Yes, so it is written. Poems by Swinburne, Clare and Dunsany.

Not much body horror from here on out, I think. Is a man crawling through air vents as some sort of octopus mermaid body horror? Quite possibly. Still, I’m not sure I will actually use that idea and even if I do there won’t need to be any detailed descriptions so it should hardly warrant a warning. Any body horror after this will be of that kind, short and sweet.

Chapter 9: In shade’s shelter

He wakes to find the sun dipping lower in the sky, its last few rays squirming weakly through the windows. He is lying on the sofa, his head on Irene’s lap. Hopefully he has not sullied her change of clothes with drool or some such. He wonders just how many different black skirts and dresses she owns and where she stores them. Maybe when he finally gets out of here she can show him. Possibly she has duplicates, so they could dress up in matching outfits again, something more regal than sleepwear.

She seems to realize he has awoken, as her hand on his waist starts tracing its way up his body to scratch at his neck. This whole scenario feels... strange. But not unpleasant. He looks up at her and sees she is reading the same thick book she was when he fell asleep, a collection of ghost stories according to the cover. It cannot be comfortable to hold such a hefty tome in one hand. Oh, and she seems to be nearing the end. He has wasted her whole day, reducing her to a pillow. He raises his head and then stands from the sofa, awkwardly playing at the hem of the yoga pants, wondering whether to raise them higher or drop them lower to reduce their tight clinging to his form.

“I apologize for taking up so much of your time. Please feel free to carry on with any schemes you might have going when all I am doing is sleeping. I do not want to chain you to me in my imprisonment.”

“It is quite alright.” She sets aside the book and stands as well. “More than alright. I have never done anything like this before, but I think I like it. I feel like a knight in onyx armor.”

He looks into her eyes, feeling his lips turning slightly upward. “Yes, that does sound right. Exactly right. A pale knight in armor blacker than night, astride a similarly armored skeletal horse, a great and terrible cataphract scattering her enemies before her.”

She grasps his hands and leans into him, standing on her toes so their foreheads touch. “Yes. A dark knight who rides without rest through the night eternal, thundering ever onwards in her great quest: To make humanity kneel before the beautiful and sublime grand prince of all demons.”

His lips remained turned upward, even while he wonders why his station should be no higher than prince. “The dark knight, greatest general and right hand to the demon prince and future king.”

She takes a step forward and he gives way, as if they are beginning a dance. “His bloodiest blade, prepared to sacrifice the entire world on his altar, ready to tear apart the temple walls that hold him and every acolyte within to set him free.”

He moves along with her in another ponderous step, as they sort of dance in the growing shadows of the room, avoiding the spots he soiled earlier in the day, foreheads still pressed together. “His great knight who shall possess the world entire once he rises above it, her name whispered in fear and awe by unwashed peasant and perfumed king alike.”

She slowly presses him into a dip, her forehead letting go of his but her face still looming near as her stance deepens, her pitch black eyes boring into his even though he can’t tell exactly where she is looking. “The dark knight who would refuse ownership of all between heaven and earth, for the only thing she desires in this world or any other is her prince.”

He feels a little shiver run through him. Even in playful nonsense she has such an intensity to her. “I wonder if dark knight is a suitable nickname. It might seem suspicious if I never called you by a proper nickname or if all I were to do was parrot your habit of calling me darling.”

She raises him slowly again, then sends him into a twirl to conquer a new length of shadow left behind by the retreating sun. “I feel like I might prefer that one stay only between us. Though perhaps we can come up with something suitable for your purposes right here and now. What is the first thing that comes to your mind?”

“Turtle dove.”

“Turtle dove?”

How stupid. What was that? “I... I don’t know. I think I am very bad at this, I cannot explain why that was the first thing that came to mind.”

“Hmm. If it came from the heart I will accept it.”

“I do not think it came from the heart, it felt more akin to panic than anything. Though of course it was not panic, that would be ridiculous. I will think of something else.”

“Very well. Do not feel pressured. They need not make sense or hold great meaning. Nor are nicknames truly necessary to adopt for the sake of others. Though if you come up with something from the heart I would be delighted to hear it. If an example helps, I sometimes think of you as my little moon. Yes, the bright moon shining upon my endless night.”

Another shiver goes through his body. That is... incredibly romantic. He is not sure at all how to react. What she just said is absurd, of course, but mirth is far from him now. Not that he could ever laugh at Irene. His hands both reach towards her seemingly of their own accord and he leans ever so slightly at her before faltering. Just what are bodies supposed to do in such circumstances? She leans slightly closer in response, stopping tantalizingly near. He stares a moment and then his thoughts turn off for once, as he leans the rest of the way to hesitantly place his foolish lips upon hers. Was this an appropriate action?

Thankfully she reciprocates and then swiftly takes charge, putting her arms around him and pulling him flush to her. He relaxes into her kiss, a tension leaving his body in favor of something else. It always feels good when Irene holds him, her competence in all things leaving him feeling a great security despite his inexperience. Yes, it feels like Irene certainly knows her way around a romantic entanglement. Is she his dark cloud that blots out the sun? No, that doesn’t sound romantic at all. Her prowess must stem from those poems. He should ask her to bring him some of this literature, so he can devour it and become her equal. Is she his cool shade? His refuge from the sun? This is hard. Why does he keep thinking such silly thoughts?

The door opens noisily and lets in an even noisier presence. “Hey guys, uh, sorry for interrupting. Hope you had a nice day, I brought you some food, not very good, mind you, edible is the best you get when Nate’s not around. So uh, everything alright with you guys?”

Irene breaks their kiss but remains pressed against him, one hand finding its way to the back of his head. “Yes, we are fine.”

“Great, glad to hear it.” She starts walking in with a plate covered with tinfoil. “I’m, ah, gonna run out to the forest, probably gonna be there all night, just doing some stuff, running an errand sort of.” She enters the kitchen and then comes back out empty handed. “So yeah, I’d appreciate it if you just hang out over here until tomorrow. Rady’s gonna drop by so I’m gonna have to explain to her how we had a little scare but that it’s totally cool now except for the part where I failed to lock the power back up. Maybe I won’t tell her that bit right away, kinda depends on her mood, it’d be great if I could lock it away sometime soon and she just never found out about it. Maybe I’ll just tell her though, we’ll see. Just... don’t do anything, okay? Just sit tight.”

He keeps holding on to Irene but does deign to look over at Anessa. “Very well.”

Anessa nods. “Alright, sweet. I’ll, uh, see you guys tomorrow. Hope the food’s not too bad.”

“Yes,” Irene says, turning her head so they present a united front of disinterested stares. “We will see you tomorrow. Good night and good luck, with whatever it is you do out in the forest.”

Anessa strolls toward the door, giving them a thumbs up on her way. “Yep, sweet, thanks.”

They wait a good while in silence before Irene whispers in his ear, sure that Anessa is long gone. “This may be a trap, but it would be interesting to find out what they are doing in the forest. Does something lie hidden there? Are they preparing another shadow-proofed cell?”

“Perhaps they intend to search for signs of the creature. It did say it was headed for the forest.”

“Perhaps. It would be good to know for certain. I feel like they may have become more alert and guarded against my presence, since they noticed my moving of their furniture so quickly. It might do you good to engage in surveillance, to train yourself with your power. Can you turn into a bird and observe them unseen?”

“I believe so. An owl might be best.”

“A wise choice. Do not get too close, however. They might get suspicious if they notice you staying in their vicinity.”

“I will not be caught.”

“Good. If this indeed is a trap and Radiance or some other hero should suddenly appear in this house, I can claim that you are suffering intense stomachache from the food. I will lock the bathroom from the inside, perhaps I could even find a recording of some believable noises, to increase the likelihood of their falling victim to my subterfuge.”

“Most devious. I will engorge myself on whatever it is she made, lest our lie be exposed upon the simplest of inspections.”

“Very diligent of you. But I dare not join you in this.”

He enters the kitchen and inspects the food. It turns out to be hot dogs. Somehow it feels like Anessa could have said so much as she brought them. Saying you have brought food surely implies it is something that has taken a modicum of effort. Still, he isn’t sure. Whatever the case, he eats some of them.

 

Less than half an hour later he soars through the darkened skies in the silent form of an owl, as if nothing were more natural to him than flying on feathered wings. He is quicker than he expected to spot his quarry, catching sight of them just as they are entering the forest. He cannot quite make out their words as he approaches, but he can see them clearly. Jamal walks somewhat hunched over, both hands scratching madly at his body. They move only a short way into the forest before he suddenly starts undressing, handing his clothes over to Anessa who accepts them in silence, neither of them noticing the owl that takes its perch on a nearby branch.

Then suddenly Jamal drops to all fours and sets off on a run into the dark woods, Anessa jogging after him with his clothes in her hands. The owl waits a moment before following after them. The man moves at impressive speed, with a seemingly singular sense of purpose. Anessa moves faster than any human should to almost keep up, looking tremendously silly with the bundle of clothes bouncing in her hands. This is an odd ritual. He floats above her, not trying to keep up with the strange naked man.

The panicked bray of an animal heralds an end to their running. He perches atop a branch to watch whatever this is from a bit of a distance. Jamal has felled a stag, seemingly with just his teeth around its throat. Anessa jogs up to him and deposits his clothes on the ground before petting his back.

“There’s a good boy. As painless as possible. Such a good boy.”

Bizarre. Jamal is grunting now, seemingly feasting on this creature with his bare teeth, his body quickly getting covered in blood. At the same time there seems to be blood disappearing from his back and sides, the scratch marks swiftly disappearing. Does he need to kill to heal his wounds? An unfortunate circumstance for a hero, to be sure.

Anessa takes off her clothes now, too, before returning to petting him. A camera would be nice right now, a photo of this would make for some excellent blackmail material. Just what would the average civilian make of this sight? Though he supposes the average civilian has no idea who these people are, so maybe the shock would not be so great.

It continues for a while. The squelching sounds are somewhat disturbing, as is the sight of Jamal sticking his whole head inside the thing to get at the meat. Whether Anessa’s constant petting of the man during this procedure makes it more or less disturbing he cannot decide. Eventually the feast seems to be drawing to a close, Jamal making grunts of seeming exhaustion even though he keeps going back for more.

“Okay, buddy, I think that’s enough.”

Anessa scoops him up and his blood soaked face looks up at her in bewilderment as he vaguely tries to push himself away from her with his hands.

“No, it’s okay, we’re just chilling, just going on a little walk. Your belly’s super full, right? Just relax, I’m gonna carry you for a bit. Super chill.”

Jamal eventually relaxes and lets himself be carried, though the bewildered look on his face remains. Once they get close to the noise of a creek his struggles resume.

“It’s okay. It’s just water. This water is nice, okay? Being clean is nice.”

It is an odd sight, seeing her wrestle with a grown man in her arms as he tries frantically to escape the water she is carrying him into. When she sits down and the water hits them his struggles hit a fever pitch, his whole body splashing in the water.

“Stop it. You think you can fight me in the middle of a food coma? Think again, mister.”

He quickly does give up, but there is little thought to be seen on his face. His mouth and eyes are wide open, tongue absentmindedly licking the blood off his face as he stares down at where Anessa’s submerged crotch must be.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you rub yourself all over me. Your body definitely remembers this bad boy, no thinking needed. Yeah, it’s me, the jerkwad supreme, you know me. I’m the one who makes you cum super hard. I’m top dog, okay? And top dog says to take a fucking bath.”

She starts scrubbing at his body and then his displeased face with one hand, the other remaining firmly around his torso, pressing him into her own body as he halfheartedly struggles against her.

“Get cleaned, loser. Get fucking cleaned.”

Is this worth spying on? The owl turns its head in all directions, pondering whether to make itself scarce. Then the bathers rise once more, Anessa clambering back onto dry land.

“Shit, did I remember to bring a towel? Dumbass. We’ll just use my shirt or whatever. Wait, which way was it? Did I forget the flashlight? God fucking damn it.”

The owl slow blinks at the odd pair. Is she actually lost in the woods?

“Whatever, we just cuddle right here then, it’s fine. I’ll just rub you all over non-sexually for warmth.”

She sits down against a tree, then lies on her side, dragging Jamal down with her. She does indeed start rubbing him with her free hand, humming to herself as she does. Jamal squirms a bit in place, causing Anessa to take a hissing breath.

“Stop grinding on it. Just ignore it, okay? Let’s just take it easy, you and me. Nowhere to be, nothing to do. Relax for me. We’ll cuddle through this.”

Jamal’s crazed eyes suddenly alight on the owl in the medium distance, sniffing loudly at the air before growling low. Anessa’s hand finds his chin, scratching it gently and apparently soothing him. There is a strange sound in the air following this action. It sounds almost like a purr.

“You’ve had enough, puppy. No more hunting.”

Jamal turns his head slightly in her direction at that, slowly turning his upper body around.

“You back?”

His reply is to open his jaws wide and snap at her nearest body part, which happens to be her breast.

“Fuck, you little bitch! Let go...ohhh. Um, okay, that’s actually... you gotta do that again later, but let go for now, okay?”

She pushes gently on his head with one hand, but he growls and hangs on tight.

“I said let go, jackass.”

She pushes harder to no avail, grunting in annoyance.

“Fine, have it your way.” She pushes his head into her now, resulting in a confused whine. “Oh, now you don’t like it? Choke on it, doofus.”

As soon as she lets up the pressure he relents, the look of bewilderment returning to his face. Then he opens his jaws wide and snaps up at her face, being only barely kept at bay by her hand.

“You goddamn gremlin! Knock it off!”

With quite a bit of struggling she turns him back over so his head is faced away, her arm locked around his neck to keep him in place. The owl shuffles in place as time drags on, deciding it may be time to give up on spying. Then Jamal’s demeanor changes, the man suddenly looking exhausted as he finally speaks.

“Chokehold makes sense, but why am I wet and cold? And why is there a boner poking my back? What part of this shit turning you on, girl?”

“Oh, he’s back and already it sassing it up. I bathed you in the creek but I forgot to bring a towel, okay? I tried rubbing you for warmth, but you were being annoying. And I am not turned on, it’s just a physical reaction, dude, happens all the time in wrestling.”

“Where’s our clothes?”

“Somewhere. It’s so dark I can’t really see.”

“I can. We can go look.”

“Nah, let’s just take a nap. Huddle closer, babe, I’ll warm you right up.”

“Nude dudes shivering in the forest isn’t a fetish, is it?”

“Don’t think so. But maybe it should be.”

Anessa’s hands roam up and down his torso, supposedly for warmth but seeming to spend a suspiciously long time on his chest.

“What are you doing?”

“Warming you up, puppy.”

“Don’t think it works like that.”

Her hands now hone in on his chest, never leaving it. “I think you’ll find I’m the expert on pretty boys around here. This warms them up just fine, trust me.”

“Fucking weirdo.”

She changes her method in some way and his breath hitches. “Oh, I’m the weirdo? According to mister wolf man?”

“Yeah. Yeah, you heard me.”

“All I’m hearing is cute little sounds from someone having his tits... his pecs played with. You like getting played with, pup?”

“No, it just don’t bother me. I’m humoring you. Of course you wanna feel me up, I’m fucking ripped.”

“Oh, yeah, totally. You can tell a lot about a man’s muscles by fondling his nipples.”

“This your fetish? Being weird in the woods?”

“No, you’re my fetish. Hey, is it okay if I slip my dick between your thighs? Feels so safe there, you know, between your fucking jacked legs.”

“Oh, there it is. Knock yourself out, freak.”

“Ah, thanks, that’s cozy. I’m not gonna like jack off with them or anything. This is just for extra warmth, really. I might slide a bit back and forth, but that’s just cause I’m cold.”

“You tell yourself whatever you need to.”

“Think what I need is your whimpers more than anything.”

She seemingly starts flicking her fingers, which for some reason does coax a whimper out of him. It seems odd that something like that should elicit such a response.

“Hey. You’re not gonna cum from this, are you?”

“Course not.”

“Good. It’d be so cute I’d never let you live it down.”

“Not gonna happen!”

“Alright, alright, I believe you. I’m totally satisfied with just your little whimpers. It’s so damn hot to hear you moaning for me just from this.”

“I’m not moaning!”

“Oh, okay. So you just felt like making a lot of cute little sounds for some other, unrelated reason. You practicing for a little erotic audio session to upload somewhere? I think you could make a lot of girls happy if you did, your whimpers are so damn good.”

“Fuck you.”

“Mmm, tomorrow morning, yeah, when you’re feeling strong again. It’ll be nice.”

“This foreplay gonna last all night long or what?”

“This isn’t foreplay. Just play, I guess. I really love your tits.”

“I don’t got tits.”

“Okay, puppy. Hey, when I’m tired of playing with your tits would you mind, um, sucking on mine for a bit? And nibbling a bit with your chompers?”

“Say what?”

“It’s just... I thought you were waking up earlier so I got a bit sloppy and you latched onto me and, um, I wanna feel it again.”

“Wait, what? Fuck, that’s lame.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I’m a wolf-man-thing in a frenzy and all I do is suck on some titty? Not cool. Not cool at all.”

“Hey now, you were ferocious, okay? I was fearing for my life, that suck game was so strong.”

“You fucking dick.”

“You know you love it, babe.”

“Asshole.”

He sort of turns towards the ground, seemingly trying to escape her attentions. She follows right behind, glued to him, pressing on top of him as her fingers relentlessly tease him.

“What’s this shaking? Are you cold, puppy?”

“Gnrgh, yeah. Yeah, I’m cold, real cold.”

“Hmm, it might be smart to snuggle closer then, not try and get away.”

“S-shut up.”

“So cute. If you want it to stop, you gotta say it out loud, puppy.”

“Who you calling cute?”

“I am calling you, the cutest wolf in the forest, cute.”

“I killed something with my teeth and ate it raw. That ain’t cute.”

She leans down harder on him, his chest only barely off the ground. She seems to be alternating her movements, pulling, massaging, then flicking with her fingers. “Don’t play coy with me, I know you’re the cute wolf of the forest. I’ve got witnesses on record saying they’ve seen you being the absolute cutest, cuter than anything they’ve ever seen and they’ve seen some cute shit, believe me.”

“Aaagh, ah... ahah, there... there were no witnesses tonight, right? No one saw nothing?”

“You accusing me of fabricating evidence? Fine, you’re right, guilty as charged. But I got ways of making you talk. Them titties are never gonna be the same after I’m done with you.”

A strange noise comes from him, but no words.

“Admit it. You’re the cutest wolf boy in the forest, probably the whole world. Say it! Say you’re a cute puppy!”

The owl makes itself scarce before he can learn whether Jamal cracks under this pressure or not. How utterly bizarre these people are. Jamal no longer seems like the clear-headed one. There probably just isn’t one of those in their group. He frowns inwardly at the results of this expedition. All he has really learned is that his nipples are among Jamal’s weaknesses. That is information he did not need to possess.

 

Irene looks as excited as an expressionless person can at his return. “All quiet on this front. What did you see?”

“Strange things. Jamal killed a stag with his teeth and ate great portions of it. His wounds seemed to heal as he did. Then they started talking of taking a nap. There might have been more information to be gleaned, but I felt awkward watching them. Tremendously awkward.”

“That is not what I expected.”

“What I witnessed does make me wonder just how much my body may have changed under Anessa’s pressure.”

“Changed in what way?”

“Well. Jamal was acting strange, suffice to say. And while I was having that strange episode where I lost control, Titania... well, she saved me, but her methods were... odd. To say the least. I do not know why those... those methods functioned at all. My body never behaved in such a way. Not that I have ever experienced anything similar before.”

“Hmm. So Titania... did something to you.”

“Yes. She did something to me... quite a few times. It helped but it was rather humiliating.”

“I shall add her to the list. In the meantime we must ensure you never miss another dose until you are free from that strange woman. But you are worried you do not know your own body anymore?”

“Yes. That captures it succinctly.”

“Should we... study it now?”

“Y-yes, that would be... helpful, I believe.”

She breathes in through her teeth. “Excellent. I shall fetch some rope.”

“Right.”

He blinks after answering, perplexed as he watches her sink into shadow. Why would they need rope?

“Is it comfortable?”

“Ah, yes, I suppose it is alright.”

“Good. Very good.”

They are in another room now, with only one window. He stands there naked, his wrists tied together above his head, the rope rising up into another world, where the shadow version of Irene seems to be holding onto it somehow. The darkness in the room deepens and deepens, until his eyes are blind to all but her pale skin when she stands right before him. Then she steps back and he might as well be alone in the room.

He feels her finger trace down between his shoulder blades and jerks forward at the unexpected sensation before he regains his composure and stills his body. A few moments pass before the finger traces down his side. He shivers a little, but thankfully he is not very ticklish. The next touch is at his ankle, many fingers running over his skin before clasping onto his ankle for a moment.

He cannot even hear her moving. She must be using her power to catch him fully off guard. This is very helpful to prepare him for what his reactions might be when touched in these places by the lout if he is unable to steel himself beforehand. Yes, he realizes as a finger traces from the back of his neck up into his hair. Irene is nothing if not diligent.

A finger travels his collarbone before exploring down the front of his chest and he wonders at just how sensitive his body has become. Her breath on his ear gives him goosebumps that nearly make him squeeze his eyes shut at the strange intensity of the sensation. Then his calf is stroked, then his upraised arm, then an arm traces over his waist. Once her lips press into his shoulder he’s shivering. It is starting to feel like his whole body may be overly sensitive. This does not bode well for his plans.

Irene continues. Slowly, patiently touching the entirety of his body, one spot at a time. A finger runs over his stomach and in his shivers he inadvertently flexes his abdominal muscles only for her to trace paths along their grooves. His breathing is getting heavier for some reason. He understands the point of the rope now. He would be fidgeting much harder and perhaps even trying to shield his absurdly sensitive body if it were not for the strong grip of the ropes around his wrists.

He does not have much of a concept of the passage of time. In here all he knows is darkness, pale hands working him over with infernal patience and strange shivers running up and down his body. The first time she grazes a finger over his nipple the sensation reminds him of a tickle. On the eventual second pass the sensation feels stronger and stranger. Her third assault entails patiently moving across it, ever so gently back and forth, and he finds himself better appreciating Jamal’s earlier predicament.

When she presses what feels like her naked body up against his back to place her mouth on his neck and nibble at it his breath hitches. His whole body tries to press back into her and she lets him and for some reason that is a huge relief. Then she sucks on his neck and he lets out some sort of sound he is thankful no-one else is around to hear. Then she steps away from him and he is alone in the darkness once more, fighting to bring his breathing under control.

Then he feels her naked breasts press into him again to start tracing patterns against his back, her mouth resuming its work on his neck and her hands crawling up his chest to start grazing his nipples. It feels like he is losing himself in these overwhelming sensations, incapable of deciding what to feel or how to act, reduced to nothing but twitching and gasping for air, some strange sound rising from the back of his throat.

It is only when Irene runs a single finger along the entire length of its underside that he notices his erection. The realization causes a heavy shiver to run through him, that persists even after her finger has left him and her body has pushed off of his, leaving him to dangle awkwardly. His body seems incapable of staying still now, fidgeting endlessly, hips swaying, toes curling and uncurling. He thinks it wants Irene to hold him.

She does hold part of him, fingers gripping his ankle again as she places a kiss on the bridge of his foot. Next her lips strike his shin, then slowly work their way up. As she finds herself at his inner thighs her hands steady themselves on his buttocks and he knows with a certainty now that his body wants her to hold him, hold him tight and never let go. He has the restraint not to push his hips into her. Next she pushes his erection up with a finger to kiss his testicles and he loses that restraint, trembling terribly in place and nearly clenching his legs shut.

Her finger lets go and she withdraws, only to place her lips on his lower abdomen and continue her path of kisses up his body. Slowly, inexorably those lips traverse his smooth skin, passing long moments pressed against him. She even places a little kiss on his nipple, which feels odd. Then she takes it in her mouth and gently worries it with her teeth and he clenches his jaw to hold in whatever his body seemingly wants to express. Then she lightly suckles on it and he makes his strangest sound this eve.

It is thankfully joined by some agonized groan from somewhere above. Irene pulls her mouth free of him and rests her forehead on his shoulder.

“Why is that worthless creature awake so soon? Perhaps some fool nurse noticed my changes to his dosage and undid them. Vexing. He is polluting your sounds. I shall drop him. Why did I not do so as soon as we started? Most vexing.”

The sound stops. Only at its absence does he notice how very loud he himself has become, his breath strangely gasping, an occasional low, embarrassing moan-adjacent sound accompanying some of his exhales. Irene’s face comes into view as she presses her nose against his, one hand stroking through his hair.

“Now, where were we?”

She keeps going. Time crawls on as do her fingers over his shivering body in the darkness, then gently grazing him with her fingernails, her lips slowly traveling up and down his entire body, teeth nibbling here and there, mouth sucking on the skin of his neck, the side of his thigh, on his shoulder blade. His world shrinks down to nothing but his sensitive body, the darkness, her digits and lips, that perfect pale face occasionally appearing before him.

He feels her breasts against his back only a moment before his body is pressed into her and he can’t tell if she stepped forward or he back but she throws her arms over his shoulders and the full body contact feels very rewarding somehow. One hand moves across his shoulders in a kind of hug, the other travels onto his face to place a finger inside his mouth which seems to be open. He is not sure what to do with this finger, if anything. Her body pushes slowly, rhythmically against his, causing them to sway gently in place.

“Have you discovered any changes in how your body functions?”

“H-hu-hugnuh.”

“I see.”

What does she see? That was an oracular malfunction. No, wait, an oratory one. Verbal. No, a mental malfunction is obviously what is happening.

“It is...”

He has no idea what to say. Definitely a mental malfunction.

“I feel we have discovered a great deal about your body. It is an artwork of the highest quality, worthy of the grand prince of demons.”

Her hand lowers to start lightly running across one of his nipples again and a hiss escapes him. Jamal’s earlier reactions don’t seem absurd anymore.

“Though perhaps my conduct ill befits a knight.”

She suddenly lets go and steps away and he can feel his body craving her return. This is an important lesson. With enough effort from an adversary, his body can be made to rebel against his mind. Still, he does not feel like resisting currently. “Dark... dark knights...”

“Are held to a different standard, yes? That is most fortunate.”

She comes from the front now, putting both arms around him, latching one leg around his lower back and nuzzling her face against his neck, planting lazy kisses along it in between her words.

“So very... very... fortunate.”

His hips buck against her but she remains unperturbed, softly gyrating against him, pressuring his erection between their bodies.

“Should we... should we explore further, my prince? Or have I gone too far?”

“L-let us... leave no s-stone... unturned.”

“Yes. I shall leave the farms untilled and send scores of serfs onto the shoreline to uproot every stone and pebble, such is my madness for you.”

“We will let dinner be served... on a plate called hunger... and cut it... with a knife called famine.”

Her gyration turns into more of a slap as she presses her entire body into his, her breath tickling his ear as she embraces him tightly.

“Your knight begs a boon of you, my lord, and forgiveness for her incessant breaches of decorum. Would you... would you make love to me?”

He nods weakly, even though he realizes such an act cannot be construed as research into the functions of his body. Irene seems to want him so it is probably fine, even if he is only leading her on in the end, incapable of emotion as he is. His body is overpowering him. He can regret it later. “I think... after everything that has happened to me on this island... I would like that.”

She puts an arm around the back of his neck and climbs his body, throwing her other leg around him and clasping on tight. With one hand she grabs and steers him into an incredible wetness, a hitherto unknown part of her body that does not feel cold at all. He loses control of himself, hips lurching forward with wild abandon at this incredible new sensation. A few hectic thrusts pass before he comes back to his senses, her pale body starting to bounce against his bound form as he stills himself, shivering and panting. She kisses him, briefly stilling his noise.

Then she breaks the kiss and rises up and away, almost dislodging him, before sliding all the way back down, a little slapping sound and a muffled noise from him filling the room. She repeats the motion, again and again, ever so gently. Soon he finds himself unable to keep from trying to meet her on the way down with clumsy thrusts upward of his own. He must look unbearably silly.

She pulls him into her with her legs around his waist, grinding on him, and he wishes his hands were free so he could wrap them around her. Not that he can think of a reason for it, but his body seems to want to get even closer to her somehow. Then she rises and falls with such force that he rocks back on his feet, only to find them lifted off the floor as he feels a strain on his wrists as the rope starts lifting upward. She slams into him once more and he lets out a sound that can scarce be called anything other than a whimper. They swing like a pendulum in the air, her hips grinding on his length and her teeth latching onto his neck. Her next thrusts are short and fast, inhumanly strong, strengthened by her shadows, the slamming of her hips rocking his body as it swings from the rope.

Then he can see without seeing, finding himself back in her strange world. She keeps rising and falling on his hardness without missing a beat, even as they no longer hang vertical but suddenly rest horizontal. Beside him appears her shadowy face, staring at him as her smoke-like body envelops him from below. Above him her pale, expressionless face looks down with doll-like eyes as her elegant body rides him relentlessly. It feels incredible, even as he marvels at the sensation of his body being pushed into ground that is not ground but more like liquid that is not wet or fog that has turned halfway solid, pitch black and bottomless. It feels like they might be falling every time she lands on his hips.

“This counts as a third date, I believe, and is therefore fully appropriate behavior, surely, knight or no.”

He does not know what she means and the barely whirring cogs in his head do not want to enlighten him. She leans that beautiful pale body over him, breasts swaying with a strange grace as her hips come down on him with unreasonable power. He thinks he would like to reach his hands out to feel them, but his hands remain bound and when he opens his mouth to speak he can find no words as nothing but vaguely moaning sounds spill forth. It seems his body currently has no patience for the whims of his mind.

Her slender form sways above him and he cannot help but wonder at it. Why is he the moon when it is her body that rivals it? She is pale as bone, flawless as a sculpture. He has always thought her looks were regal, but everything feels different in this moment. Her shadow self flows around and then leans into him to deliver its bizarre kiss, flowing refreshingly cold into him. Then her physical face leans in through her shadow form to join the kiss and make it even stranger as she kisses him twofold. He raises up his bound hands and shadowy tendrils set him free so he can wrap his hands around her and hold her, pull her closer, feel her. He is making strange sounds even as they kiss, the sensations of everything about this overwhelming him. What is he doing? He is having sex with Irene. Why is he doing it? Because he wanted to. This has nothing to do with his imprisonment or his powers. This is unlike him. Yes, very unlike him. But he... likes it. Does he like her? Quite possibly. But it is best to keep one’s cards close to the chest. Yes, if you must play the game, play coy. He doesn’t know where that nonsense comes from. His body feels like it is constantly on the cusp of reaching a crescendo, a hill that should long have been crested but somehow still stymies him. Irene breaks the kiss to loom over him as he groans his strange sounds.

“I have imagined this moment for so long. Your beautiful mask, your ethereal demeanor, your coldness, all cracking before me as you pant and whimper. For me, the only one who can truly see you. Cease your staring through the world for but a moment. Stop and see me too.”

Her frozen face and blank eyes now remain eerily still right above him even as she alternates between grinding and slamming her hips onto him.

“Show me vulnerability that I may contrast it with your strength. Show me faces you would never deign to show anyone else. I shall cherish each one like a work of art.”

She lets out a shuddering breath even as her face remains aloof, her shadow self whirling around her pale form but its features too fluid to read.

“I am getting stronger, for the both of us. I will save you. And once we are free of this place I will learn to drape you in shadows so that none may see you in all your glory again. It shall be only for me.”

He knows his own face is anything but composed. This feels incredible. There is no way he can do anything but leave his hands glued to her body. And weakly thrust up to meet her, he now notices. He is helpless, really. But is that a problem currently? Yes. He should analyze her words, pleasure and confused feelings be damned. Trust is folly. Listen.

“Yes, I think I should. A veil of shadow over that beautiful face, showing only those haunting eyes. A cloak of shadow so they cannot see your lithe figure in full. A cloud of shadow around your feet so none may see your graceful steps. All of it only for me.”

What does she truly want? To own him? He can hear another one of those whimpers she mentioned earlier coming from himself. He can’t fully hold her gaze but he can’t look away. She’s so intense. It feels so good.

“I want to dance with you, somewhere impossible under the moonlight. On the rooftops of London, Paris, Rome, all within the breadth of mere moments, each step a new location. Yes, I will take my power to new heights for you. The world will be yours. And you’ll be mine.”

His whole body convulses in what must be an attempt to orgasm, but Anessa’s devilish power restrains him. Of course. That is why he has not already crested that hill. He is extremely inexperienced, so he should long have fallen to the prowess of the love machine that Irene seems to be. An odd way to phrase that, he immediately realizes. Her face drops even closer, her breathing becoming ragged.

“Mine. Mine. Mine.”

His whole body trembles and then so does hers as she frantically grinds on him in tandem with her hissing, but still that perfect face doesn’t budge. What a villain. She is beautiful, body and soul. He thinks he wants her words to be true, somewhere amidst the deep unease and shallow ecstasy. He wants it. To be truly wanted, to have someone care so much, it all feels so... so... it isn’t real.

“Mine. Mine. Mine, all mine.”

It feels so good to hear her say that. And that is why it cannot be true. There is simply no way. That is not how the world works. She is planting kisses all over his face, her ragged breath buffeting him as he tries to close his own mouth and clench his jaw shut. And it’s not true. She would want him even after seeing everything that has happened to him? Preposterous.

“My graceful, callous, wonderful prince.”

What does he even have to offer in a romantic sense? Nothing. He lives for himself and cares for nothing and no-one else. That is his way of life. Safe and fulfilling enough for him. Still, the way she caresses and holds him, the seemingly endless patience, it’s all so... nice. Which is only further proof this isn’t real. He is falling for the simplest of tricks, having something he seemingly wants dangled in front of him, robbing him of his senses. He doesn’t know why Irene would want to trick him, exactly. Maybe this isn’t her and he really has been having his mind tortured for days. Are they trying to reshape his mind into something docile and friendly and have discovered Irene’s face is the one he trusts most? Or is this really Irene and she’s working with these people? Though what she would gain from that is hard to tell.

“My moon. My jewel. Mine. Mine. Mine and mine alone.”

Her whispered voice just above him sends soothing shivers along his whole body. Yes. Hopefully those words are true. Maybe... maybe she wants to possess him, as if he were an object. Maybe she wants to wrap him around her finger and wield his power for her own benefit? Yes, that could be. That would be a selfish desire and could therefore be true. Then this might all be real. It would be fine if it were real. Some people take good care of their possessions. He can be her possession and it will be fine. He can be fooled, just this once. And he’s not even truly being fooled if he knows it is happening, just foolish in general. But he wants it. To be hers, to be held in the palm of her hand and do her bidding, whatever it be, if only she will keep holding him and keep caring and... and just let him in indulge in this absurdity, this childish, pathetic folly.

“What is happening behind those beautiful eyes?”

He draws a shuddering breath. “Everything... nothing.... laughing... at the silly hopes and dreams... of the weak and foolish.”

“I will crush them. I will take their dreams, break them to pieces and scatter them as broken glass before you. Then we shall dance atop them and feel at every step the pleasant crinkling underfoot of the broken dreams of another.”

This... this unbearably romantic... fool. Darkness incarnate, dream made real, doll pulling at his strings. He wants so terribly to believe.

“Join with me, be with me, become a black hole with me, let our gravity pull the entire world out of shape, show them a glimpse of divinity, the unfathomable, the sublime, let me be your dark prophet, the whispered word in the darkness heralding your arrival. Be mine, mine, mine...”

What is this? What is she even saying? Where did she get that glass vial? Wait. Is he crying? Is she actually going to bottle his tears? He can’t help but curl his quivering lips into a semblance of a smile at the thought. She’s so... so, so strange. Maybe this is real. Maybe she truly does want him. Simply because she’s not quite right. Just like him.

“And let... me... be yours.”

Her body slams down a final time and she presses hard against him, letting out a strange strangled sound as she leans her entire body into his, vaguely grinding her hips.

“Why can I not... satisfy you?”

He draws another shuddering breath. “It is her fault.”

Her hands clasp his face as she rests her forehead against his chest. “Of course. She did say as much. How unfathomably stupid I must be to have forgotten. And now I must fetch her. It is unbearably cruel. But I will do it. Wait for me.”

She rises off of him and his hips try to follow, his body missing her presence immediately. She disappears into the darkness, her shadow form running over his body in consolation but managing only to cause him tingling sensations. It feels like a hellishly long time before she returns, planting a kiss on his lips and taking his erection in hand, pulling gently upward.

“She is close. Let us... let us go to the bedroom. I will lead her in. She cannot see you like this.”

Her shadowy world twists around them until they are returned to mundane darkness and she pulls him hurriedly along, into another room and onto an opulent bed, fit for the pampered heroes that no doubt frequented this place before it became a ghost town. Irene disappears again and his erection feels painful. Then he hears voices inside the house.

“Why can’t I put on the blindfold after I get in there? This feels silly.”

“Because you are not allowed to look at my darling right now.”

“Why not? Did something happen?”

Now they appear in the room, naked Irene leading a blindfolded Anessa along.

“Nothing nefarious, I assure you. He is simply too beautiful for you right now. He is making an expression that you are not allowed to see. I hope you understand.”

“I don’t, but okay. I suppose he doesn’t make a lot of expressions normally, so I guess I can see this being a big deal. Is it like a happy expression? Is he smiling?”

“That is not for you to know. Now kneel here by his face. That should be enough, correct?”

“Mmm, maybe. I think a bit of touch helps, so maybe if he holds my hand or something we should be good.”

“No. That is not acceptable. There will be no hand-holding. Think of something else.”

“Uh, okay, I... I could whip out my dick, I guess? Just having my little lady up close and personal might be enough. If that doesn’t, you know, ruin the mood.”

“It is the less objectionable option. Proceed.”

“Um, yeah, uh, proceeding, ma’am.”

“Refrain from calling me that.”

“Sorry, Irene.”

This is truly absurd, he thinks to himself as Anessa pulls down her shorts right by his face. But once Irene mounts him again he pushes it all aside. He lifts her slightly with a slow push upward, body entranced by the sensations but seemingly hesitant to believe there is any relief to be found. Irene slams her hips down and the bed gives a mighty creak that hopefully distracted from the sound he just made. She does it again and again and he feels so incredibly close.

“Oh, wow, you’re really going at it. Fuck, am I beginning to understand how Maddie works? Uh, sorry, guess I’m ruining the mood. I’m sorry, ignore me.”

That hefty member is twitching beside his face, rapidly growing in size. Moans are being knocked out of him with Irene’s increasingly frantic pace, the slapping of her hips against his body competing with his incessant noises.

“Cover your ears as well, please.”

“Aw, come on, what?”

“I am very shy. Please do it.”

“Alright, fine. You got nothing to be shy about, though, okay?”

She does place her hands over her ears, he notes, even though his vision is somewhat obscured by her obscene member now looming over his face. Irene leans in closer as she rides him harder and harder and they gaze at one another, separated only by that phallus. He draws painful, gasping breaths. Almost, almost there. Irene gets even closer and Anessa flinches.

“Oh, y-you’re breathing on me. Just thought you should know.”

She flinches again and the thing hits his face for a second.

“Ooop, sorry, sorry.”

It rises off him again and he can’t even feel anger. The sensations are reaching a peak and he is fighting back his groans. Then Irene pushes the thing out of the way, ignoring the resulting gasp and leaning down to kiss him as he breathlessly screams into her mouth and his hands grasp onto her derriere with great force as his mind stops working and the world goes white.

His mind returns to an exhausted body lying deathly still beneath Irene as she breaks the kiss and rises off him, letting go of Anessa’s erection and pulling at the hands covering her ears.

“It is done. Thank you for your assistance. Do not remove the blindfold.”

“What, I still can’t look? Then you gotta lead me out, girl, me walking into walls would seriously ruin the romance.”

“Very well. Follow me.”

Irene starts leading Anessa away, his eyes weakly following their progress.

“Man, you guys are so seriously freaky. You turn me on in the weirdest ways. I’ll see ya around, yeah? I gotta, uh, run back to my errand. Just remember: No funny business! Just cuddle here until tomorrow, okay?”

“It shall be done. Good night.”

“G’night. Or morning maybe?”

A door slams shut. Irene flows out of the shadows to land on the bed beside him and wrap him in her arms. His own arms encircle her in return and they press their naked bodies into one another as if they were two snakes, each mistaking the other for the staff of Asclepius. Which is an odd thing to think. But it does not matter.

He buries his face into the nook of her neck. This might be real. If she wants to possess him he will let her. If she actually likes him for who he is, well, then that is fine too. This is all fine. He currently wants to be held, he thinks, and she is delivering that. What an odd maelstrom of emotions he finds himself in. How ridiculous that is. But it does not matter. He is going to be the most powerful creature in the world so he can desire anything he wants, even embarrassing things.

Her hand scratches the back of his head. This is fine. This is very foolish. And that is fine.

Chapter 10: Justice is blinding

The next morning is strange. The atmosphere is somehow tense and relaxed at the same time, as Irene helps him put on war paint in preparation for Radiance’s arrival. Bright pink lips, flushed cheeks, winged blue eyeliner. The face in the mirror is truly the most non-threatening he has ever been. His clothing is similarly unassuming. A pink choker with a black heart at its center. A short pink jacket, too small to be closed. A pink crop top so short it reveals most of his stomach and chest. A pink skirt that doesn’t reach his knees. White stockings with pink bows at the top. Black Mary Janes on his feet. It is a look, certainly.

“None could hope to bring their anger to bear on you,” Irene whispers behind him as they stare into the mirror together.

“I am inclined to agree.”

At the very least they would feel a little silly while doing so. He looks oppressively harmless.

“I think I shall make myself scarce before she arrives. My presence would no doubt provoke her. But before I go, a gift.”

She hands him a humanoid plushie, which he accepts with slight bewilderment. It has pale skin and large black eyes and is clad in a black dress. He supposes it is a representation of her.

“What does it do?”

“It will make you look even more harmless, when they decide to move you to a different holding cell and you demand to retrieve your belongings and come out holding this. They will feel bad about their actions. I am sure of it.”

He nods. “Ingenious.”

“It may also serve as a watchful guardian that makes you feel at ease, if my visitations should diminish after Radiance’s visit.”

“I see. Did you... make this?”

“No, I had them specifically made.”

“Them?”

“Yes, I have one other in this style. And a vast number in different styles. More traditional dolls, mostly. I collect them. It is a hobby.”

“I see. Where do you keep them?”

“In a dilapidated mansion I own in Romania. They wait there in the dark, watching over my grandest arsenal.”

“A mansion? Do you... spend much time there?”

“I stalk its halls fairly regularly, though I rarely stay long.”

He wonders why he never asked anything about her home life during their friendship. How dilapidated is this mansion? Does anyone take care of it? He finds himself assailed by curiosity now.

“Is there a groundskeeper or some such?”

“No. A dark armada of roombas takes care of the cleaning. Occasionally I will order repairs if it seems necessary.”

“Interesting. I would like to see it one day.”

“Yes. I will take you. It is dark and beautiful.”

“I look forward to it.”

She wraps her arms around him and they stand in companionable silence a moment in front of the mirror. Then she pushes his hair out of the way to place a kiss on the back of his neck.

“I best get going. Good luck, my prince.”

“Thank you, my knight.”

She steps away, fingers trailing along his skin before eventually letting go, and sinks into darkness.

He heads out into the garden and takes a deep breath, centering himself. Then he sees Anessa’s figure come plodding up the street and lowers himself to the ground. He might be able to overhear something and if caught he can simply claim to have been admiring the garden. She does not seem to notice him, starting to pace back and forth on the other side of the little fence without saying anything. A few minutes pass this way, before suddenly someone else is there.

“Hello, Anessa.”

“Oh, hey Rady. How’s it going?”

“Just great. People need saving, slimy politicians need soothing, a stupid bunny girl’s agent keeps pestering me, an unkillable asshole keeps popping up and now some asshole who can steal powers is causing issues again. How about you?”

The smell of cigarette smoke wafts over the fence.

“Um, I’m fine, same old, same old. Apart from the, you know, issues. But it’s okay now. Sorry for all those voicemails.”

“Sorry for not answering. I listened to them eventually. Mostly.”

“It’s fine, I was rambling a lot, even for me. Kinda panicked, looking back it wasn’t so bad.”

“Your prisoner went on a rampage resulting in two damaged buildings and an injured team member and it wasn’t so bad?”

“Yeah. No one was badly hurt, so it’s all good. And the buildings weren’t his fault, really. Titania and Shadowdancer did it, though I’d kinda blame Bun-Bun for the second one.”

“What do you mean, you’d blame Bun-Bun?”

“Hmm? It was in my last voicemail. She popped up outta nowhere and was, um, sort of attacking him maybe? Gotta admit I was freaking out a little so maybe I missed something.”

“God fucking damn it." Radiance sigh. "Why does she have to be involved with this mess? I fucking hate Bun-Bun, did I ever tell you that? My predecessor was adamant that she be left alone and given a lot of leeway, but this is far too much. Entering this island unauthorized and attacking a prisoner will have consequences, I’ll make sure of that. How did she even get here?”

“Um, she shapeshifted into some pretty wild things, so maybe she just flew or something. She was, like, mold for a bit.”

“What?” There is a deep inhale. “That little shit. So she could actually be putting in a lot of work? I’ll tear the bitch a new one.”

“It wouldn’t even hurt her, I think. She was really freaky.”

“Damn. Guess all those rumors of a sex cult might need some proper looking into. I hired investigators to look into it once, but if she’s actually powerful they might not have been good enough. Fuck, I hope Bun-Bun’s sex cult isn’t real. I don’t wanna deal with that.”

“Yeah, I get you. Dealing with me has got to be headache enough for one person.”

“Don’t start a pity party. Have your parents been bringing you down?”

“No, I do that all on my own. Why, did you go see them?”

A foot grinds into the ground. “Few days ago. More whining about a cure. Don’t know how many ways I can say there isn’t one. Maybe I just gotta scream it at them? Or just tell them we’re still working real hard on finding a method to let you go fuck yourself and nullify your own power?”

“Please don’t. And maybe slow down on the smoking?”

“Get off my case. And get your parents to accept what’s happened to you so they stop fucking bothering me already. We were neighbors and I dated your brother for what, two months or something as a teenager? Now suddenly I’m a family friend and their only hope of saving their daughter. I move at the speed of light and shoot lasers and occasionally knock a bitch out. What the hell do they want me to do?”

“They just see you on TV a lot, I guess. And you’re, you know, president of the League.”

“On account of my power level and my ability to smile at idiot reporters asking idiot questions. The public has repeatedly been made aware that the League has no access to power nullification outside of the rare instances of people with nullifying powers and even those never permanently nullify. So... what? Am I supposed to pull a miracle out of my ass? Find another nullifier and strap them to your back so you can lead a normal life? Your parents need to face reality.”

“The reality that their daughter is a super rap-”

“Shut the fuck up. As president, I veto your whining. You’re a part of the League and you’re doing your best, such as it is. This scenario is exactly what I envisioned for you: a powerful enemy popping up while I’m busy elsewhere that requires a quick and decisive response. You’re one of the strongest members we have in a one-on-one. That’s worth something. Even if the way it goes down is uncomfortable. And we don’t use it lightly. If we’re lucky, you’ll never have to do it again." An audible drag on a cigarette. "You can speak now. As long as it isn’t self-loathing bullshit.”

“Thanks, Rady. You’ve got a real way with words.”

“Yeah, yeah, forgive me if I’m not as perfect as my public persona. All that posturing and smiling drives me fucking nuts. I could use a sparring session with you soon. I’ll stay physical. Need to feel some pain again.”

“Sure, we can do that. Later today?'”

“No, I’ve got too much on my plate. But that’s enough time spent on banter. Let’s go to the house and have a little talk with our villain.”

“Oh, uh, he’s actually, uh, he’s in there.”

“What? So you weren’t way out here to make sure nobody could listen in?”

“Um, no.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

One moment he thinks he sees a flicker in the sky, then there is a flicker in front of him. It takes his mind a moment to accept that the empty space before him is now filled by Radiance, looking down on him with a slight glow behind her eyes. He looks up at her and they hold each other’s gaze in silence for a moment, the light in her eyes dulling to normal.

“And here he is now, eavesdropping.”

Anessa jumps effortlessly over the fence. “Aw, c’mon, he was just admiring the garden probably, and then got embarrassed when we arrived.”

“Indeed,” he says, returning his gaze to the flower in front of him. “What a tulip.”

“That’s not a tulip.”

He looks back up at her. “Oh, how silly of me. I think flowers are pretty, but do not really know much about them. Please forgive my ineptitude. I am simply not very intelligent, I fear.”

Radiance flits her eyes at Anessa. “The hell is he saying? Is he making a joke or something?”

“Uh, yeah, probably.”

“Cute outfit. Does that mean progress, despite the setback? Still doesn’t look as relaxed as those other two." She takes another drag on her cigarette. "So maybe your power isn’t as bad as you thought. Maybe the first two just... I don’t know. Maybe it’s better not to think out loud.”

“Uh, yeah, there’s progress, definitely. I think it’s taking longer because he has so many powers, maybe?”

Radiance narrows her eyes. “Why is his hair so long? Those aren’t extensions, are they?”

“Well, you see, it turns out that, uh, shapeshifting can be used to try out new looks real easy.”

“Did you return this power just to make him... fulfill some fantasy?”

“No! We’re both into it, I swear! Like the cross dressing and stuff, him and Shadowdancer are into it already, like for real! Haven’t you been reading my reports?”

“Parts of them. I skip over some bits sometimes. I thought it was a sex thing, all that stuff about how good he looks in a dress. Maybe in the future you can put disclaimers on each paragraph, so I know what’s porn and what’s something I actually need to read.”

“I don’t write porn! Except when it’s, you know, relevant.”

“Fine. I guess it eases my conscience, this being consensual. That is... a lot of pink.”

She doesn’t lean down, she’s just suddenly there, right in his face. It is strange to see this face he has seen so often smiling on television right in front of him. It’s the same face, but it looks completely different. Tired, irritated, dangerous. The eyes trained on him make her look dead inside. Unexpected. He rather likes the look of her.

“I don’t feel good about any of this, but it’s the best you could get. Live out the rest of your life in Anessa’s care. Eventually she can return some of your powers and you can repay the world for your misdeeds. Or don’t, and just stay on this island forever. Those are your options. Accept that you did wrong and these are the consequences. Get your girlfriend to accept it too.”

“Oh, she’s totally okay with our current arrangement, just the other day she pushed his head down on my cock as we did a kind of role-play together.”

Without seeming to move Radiance is now standing upright again, a slight glow back in her eyes as she glares at Anessa. “How many times do I have to tell you to spare me the details?” A moment passes as the cogs turn in her head. “Shadowdancer did what?”

“Sorry. I just wanted to convince you that Irene’s cool with it.”

“You’re on a first name basis now?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“You’re too lax. Maybe I need to set up surveillance in the mansion and make some poor souls watch over you.”

“That’d be a real invasion of privacy, so I’d prefer you didn’t. Though if everyone was cool with it, I guess I’d be game, having an audience isn’t so terrible. The thought of some steamy videos getting leaked and the whole world seeing me and my smoking hot babes going at it is actually kinda hot now that I think of it. Mmm, yeah, just loads of confused guys jacking it, wondering why they want...”

“Shut the hell up. I’m worried for your safety, but that doesn’t mean I want to listen to your bullshit. You.” He can’t help but shrink back a bit as she’s suddenly right in his face again, speaking low. “You have the potential to become the most dangerous person in the world. If I ever fear that’s about to happen, I will kill you. If you harm Anessa or her friends, I will kill you. And your girlfriend. Pass that along to her too.”

“Come on, Irene’s cool, she’s cool!”

She’s standing next to Anessa again. “Who knows, you might even be right about that. But this isn’t something to take lightly. Your power is disturbing, but you are kind. Don’t let them take advantage of that kindness. I honestly don’t care if he never turns to the side of good. As long as he’s not threatening the world, he can live his life out in peace.”

“I’m honestly taking it seriously, really. I’m just not a natural at being a jailer.”

“Then practice. You’re a good person. I like that about you. But I need you to do better here. No more fucking around. Damn. Poor choice of words.” She looks down at him once more. “I don’t think what’s happening to you is exactly just. But it was the only thing short of death that could stop you in the moment. I probably would have had to kill you if Anessa hadn’t taken you down. It’s always on the table, buddy, but I don’t think you quite deserve death just yet, piece of work though you may be. You’ll be altered by this, but you won’t lose yourself. I’ve seen that before. This isn’t that.”

He maintains eye contact, unblinking. “What a relief.”

She stares right back, also unblinking. “You have to accept it. Don’t break free. I don’t like killing. But I will if I have to.”

“Hey now, come on, Rady, chill.”

“Fuck off, Anessa. I came here to lay down the law. This little shit’s trying to look all innocent or something in this get-up, like I’m dumb enough to fall for that. And he’s giving me sass. Pisses me right off. Fucker’s lucky to be alive but isn’t smart enough to appreciate it.”

“Whoa, Rady, whoa, maybe cool it with the language?”

Radiance stares at her dumbfounded for a moment. “Shit, fuck, fiddlesticks. What’s wrong with you? I won’t tell you not to get attached, but he’s not a child, Anessa.”

“I know, but like, your public persona is so nice, this must be shocking.”

Radiance takes a final deep drag from her cigarette, staring straight ahead with lifeless eyes. Then she throws the stub over the fence and onto the street. Then she pulls out another, lights it with her finger and takes another deep drag.

“I feel like maybe we’re not on the same page here, Anessa. That right there is your prisoner. He fucked up. I’m here to make it clear to him that it can not happen again. You follow?”

“Yeah, Rady, of course, it’s just... it wasn’t that bad. All this talk about killing isn’t necessary. Bun-Bun scared him enough.”

Radiance scowls at the mention of the name. “He doesn’t look like he’s been scared enough. Hopefully you have, though. Giving him a power back was stupid and reckless. Never do that again without running it by me first.”

“Sure thing, Rady.”

“Have you locked it away again?”

“Uh, no, not just yet. Didn’t really feel like entering the bone zone after all the weirdness that went down.”

“Don’t say bone zone, for fuck’s sake. Saying you will would have sufficed. Just get it done, sooner rather than later.”

“I will! Real soon!”

“Giving him shapeshifting back, of all possible powers. Is long hair that exciting for you?”

“N-no. It just seemed like a harmless one.”

“How? What if he’d turned into a bird and just flown off? Had his little episode somewhere out in the ocean?”

“Well... we’ve got a bit of a rapport, you see. He’s not gonna run, he’s just sulky. It was an accident and it won’t happen again because we’re pretty cool with each other. Look.”

Anessa reaches a hand down to him. He grasps it a moment later and is pulled to his feet, then pulled into a one handed embrace that leaves him pressed tight against her side. He slowly puts one hand around her back in a display of camaraderie, unsure of what to do exactly but settling on trying to look shy and maybe vaguely intimidated.

“See? Best of pals.”

“Indeed,” he offers in support.

Radiance closes her left eye as she rubs it with her fingers, then runs her hand down her face, pulling slightly at her lips before she drops it by her side.

“I don’t even know what you’re trying to convince me of. I know you’ve been reckless, I know you’ve been stupid, I know he’s messing with you. It doesn’t matter that he’s not coming at you with a knife.”

“He wouldn’t do that. He’s a gentleman and a lady, both at the same time. All his messing is done in a cute way, it’s totally fine. We just had a little setback, but now we’re getting back on track.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word for it. I think I’ll need to drop by regularly just to make sure this clown car stays on the road.”

“That’s not a saying, Rady. But maybe call before you get here, just so you don’t accidentally walk in on something you don’t wanna see.”

“It is now. And I will.” She finishes her cigarette and starts on yet another one. “Why the fuck wouldn’t you give him that earth swimming thing you were so excited about if you absolutely had to give him something?”

“Well, you know, I didn’t like the idea of him walking through walls.”

“Fair. If you really want it for your disaster relief missions, why don’t we just find out who originally had it?" She appears right in front of his face again. "Whose power is that, buddy?”

She has a great gift for making the word buddy sound like a threat. She really is rather intimidating, but at the same time he can’t help but be amused by her antics. “He may no longer be among the living.”

Radiance narrows her eyes at him, a glow flaring up behind those eyes and under her skin. “Meaning?”

“He was a very old man I fought in the Aladagh mountain range. It would not surprise me if he had passed on since then.”

She appears by the fence and leans on it. “Okay. I’ll bite. Why were you fighting an old man in the mountains?”

“I was working as hired muscle for the Kitsch Clique, as they searched for a legendary treasure supposedly hidden in the mountains during the reign of Bahram the fifth.”

“What even... I’m guessing that was a king?”

“A king of kings, yes.”

“Are we talking ancient Persia here?”

“Late antiquity. Sasanid, not Achaemenid.”

“Right. And they decided this ancient treasure was kitsch?”

“No. It is their actions that are kitsch. The art director for each session sets forth a preferred target and the collective then votes on it and the individual artists decide if they want to collaborate or not.”

Radiance’s eyes are losing what little luster they had. Anessa looks down at him with a perplexed look.

“You sure know a lot about the Kitsch Clique.”

“They are their own biggest fans and they rarely stay quiet. Seven Heavens, the director for that session, spent a great deal of her time regaling me with gripping tales of their exploits.”

Anessa blinks slowly. “I thought it was Lucky Number Seven.”

“That is another member. He was not part of this particular outing.”

“Huh. So they rotate members and numbers?”

“Yes. There can only be five members on each outing, so there are only five numbers available.”

“But they go up to nine.”

“All members and their numbers must be odd.”

Radiance pinches the bridge of her nose, a quick pulse of light passing through her body. “Okay, enough about the fucking Kitsch Clique. Thank god I don’t have to sweat the small stuff. Never met them, but I think I hate them." Disconcertingly without seeming to move, she is now staring right at him. "Wait. Did you pick up another power during that trip?”

He nods. She is capable of thought, it seems. She might be a worthy adversary in the future. “Yes, I learned Seven Heaven’s power there.”

“So that storm you conjured up was with her power? I’ve never heard of the Clique using anything like it.”

“She mostly uses it to herald their arrival with a peal of thunder or to rain on parades. The Clique is averse to collateral damage and wanton violence. They consider their actions art.”

“Okay then. Tell me how beating up an old man is art.”

“He was not beaten up. He just pestered us incessantly, delaying our progress and playing pranks on us. It fell to me to fight him off, but it wasn’t much of a fight. The old man favored popping just his face out of the ground, grabbing ankles and then pulling his victim down under the earth in what I suppose was an attempt to bury them alive. The Clique learned quickly to stay off the ground, while I was strong enough to extricate myself easily. Our fight was somewhat like a reverse game of whack-a-mole. It was a comedic affair, really.”

Radiance tosses another cigarette onto the street, popping another into her mouth but not lighting it. “Your idea of comedy disturbs me.”

Anessa cocks her head at him. “Keep going, I wanna know how the story ends. What happened to the old man?”

“Nothing, really. The Honey Badger showed up, there were some further inconsequential skirmishes and a lot of confusion, then he and the old man came to some sort of agreement and clasped hands dramatically. The Clique caught it on camera and decided that moment of understanding between two religions was kitsch enough to call off the expedition. I think they sell T-shirts with that photo on it. They were all quite bored of the whole adventure by then, so it was a handy excuse to leave.”

Radiance looks like she doesn’t want to hear anymore, but she can’t help herself. “What religions? What was the Honey Badger doing there?”

“He was on a pilgrimage to some Buddhist site quite a lot further east. The old man was apparently a Zoroastrian and the treasure held some religious significance to him. I didn’t seek out any further details.”

Anessa raises her eyebrow. “The Honey Badger is a Buddhist?”

Radiance finally lights her cigarette before crossing her arms. “It was just a phase.”

Anessa shrugs, rattling his whole body with the motion. “So the old man, if he’s still alive, has more experience dragging people under the earth than digging them out. Maybe not the best candidate for my team. But you didn’t do anything like that, you made those walls and threw them at me back when we fought, right?”

“Yes, but that was by pairing it with telekinesis.”

“Huh. Pretty neat.”

Radiance lets out a little growl. “What the hell am I even doing? I don’t have time for this. My nemesis is out there somewhere while I’m listening to worthless bullshit. He’s up to something, I can feel it. Scheming and giggling like the psychopath he is.”

“Come on, Rady, it’s probably fine. He’s not gonna do anything terrible just because you’re a couple minutes late. Why don’t you try letting someone else face him for once? He’s not that dangerous, is he?”

Radiance glares at Anessa. “He cuts himself open and uses his outstretched blood like a weapon. Like the branches of a tree one moment, a dozen whips the next, then a spear that can stab through walls. If you sever an arm it can float in the air, try and stab you in the back. I’ve blown his head off and watched the body go berserk for three minutes before dissolving. And then he just reforms somewhere else and starts his wicked games all over again. Yes, Anessa, he’s dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”

“Sure, but like... he’s never even killed anyone, has he?”

“No, he hasn’t. Because I’m always there to stop him. Can you imagine me arriving at the scene too late and telling the victim’s families: Sorry, I didn’t actually think he’d do it, so I was slacking off for a bit, my bad?”

“Sorry, Rady. You’re right. If you ever change your mind about me taking him down, I’ll do it.”

A quick series of pulsing lights pass through her. “I’m not making you fuck that freak. He’s too dangerous, on top of being disgusting. There’s just something I’m missing. I’ll find it, no matter how long it takes. He’s going behind bars or in the ground for good.”

“Okay, Rady. But if at any point you need help, I’m here for you.”

He never realized she took The Undying that seriously. He is often called in to make some grand threat and keep Radiance busy when other villains want to do something big without her interference, but this sounds like she considers him a true threat for some reason. He is regularly voted the creepiest villain in polls, so maybe that counts for more than might be expected.

“Whatever. Let’s get this over with. Take your prisoner back to the house, keep him under surveillance. Tell Shadowdancer to back off. It’d be hard to keep her out completely, but set some boundaries. If she crosses the line I’ll have another holding cell with floodlights built. An even smaller one, underground, where she’ll never get to see him again. Tell her that.”

“Okay, sure. I was going to take him back home anyway, I just didn’t wanna do it right away, you know, in case Jamal got upset at seeing him.”

Radiance’s leg starts bouncing. “Anessa. No one here is new to this business. Stop acting like they’re children.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to, I’m just worried about how they feel, you know?”

“Before we go,” he interjects, “there is something I must fetch from the house.”

Anessa looks down at him and blinks slowly, but lets him go when he pulls away from her. Moments later he returns out to the garden with the plushie in his hands. The looks on their faces differ greatly.

“What in the fuck is that?”

“God, Rady, sometimes they’re just... soooooo cute.”

“They are not cute. She’s not your friend. Listen to me. Shadowdancer is dangerous, alright? She’s not some violent psychopath, but you cannot let your guard down.”

“Alright, Rady, I hear ya.”

They walk in relative silence back to the house. Radiance tries her hand at intimidating him a few more times. He responds to her threats by shyly looking at the ground and brushing his hair back with one hand, which seems to successfully confuse her. She leaves as soon as he has been placed back in his little wing of the house. He places the plushie on his nightstand, where it keeps a vigil over the room. Then he seats himself on his bed in quiet contemplation.

 

He is still sitting in the same position when he hears the roaring of a jet nearby. No doubt the psychics are returning. He waits until the roar of the engines has disappeared once more, then takes off all his clothes. He skulks to the locked door at the end of the hallway and kneels. And now he is a centipede, squeezing under the frame. Then he is a cat, treading silently through the rooms, finding a decent hiding place under a table and waiting for the footsteps outside to draw closer. The front door opens and the psychics march in, followed by Anessa. Nathaniel heads straight for the kitchen while the other two stay behind in the foyer.

“Nate doing okay?”

“I think so. He just needs some space. Let him cook.”

“So... rough?”

“Pretty rough,” Madeleine replies. “Putting people back together involves seeing things you have no business seeing. If I were to guess, Nate had a mean thought about someone he was helping and is kicking himself over it.”

“No business seeing, huh? How bad we talking?”

“Just sad stuff, for me at least. There was one guy whose first thought after coming back to was that he wished I hadn’t fixed him. He’s in a loveless marriage and lives only for his daughter, even though she’s much closer to her mother. He feels like he’s nothing but the money he makes, that he’s basically a walking wallet. Thinking he was a mollusc and splashing with his friends in the pool was the happiest he’s been in years. It was just... so depressing. Everyone’s got problems, but that one hurt. So mundane but awful. As I fixed him and he came to he knew that I knew and he just looked so sad. What do you even do?”

“I dunno.”

Madeleine gives a little mirthless laugh. “I said “hang in there,” like some idiot. But I think I’d feel worse if I’d said nothing. I really hoped to come back to some uplifting nonsense here. But since shit has hit the fan, I’m here for you. Lay it on me.”

“I’m sorry, Maddie. So. Basically withdrawal hit hard, there was a little scuffle in the kitchen and Jamal got a bit hurt, then Titania kept things under wraps for a bit somehow. So I put our prisoner in the brightest jail cell on earth, but then Bun-Bun attacked? For some reason? Irene blew a hole in the wall with a rocket launcher or something and in the end Bun-Bun just sorta left. Then we cuddled up and slept through the night, but then in the morning when I tried to seal that power away again it just didn’t work for some reason. Then today Rady dropped by and was all mean to him and I brought him back to his room. And she said we should be careful around Irene and that we should tell her Rady will mess her up if she crosses the line. That’s it, pretty much.”

“Right. Okay. A scuffle?”

“Yeah, there was tons of blood but they’re both totally fine now.”

“Alright. That’s good. I do agree with Radiance regarding Shadowdancer. She’s a problem that is not so easily dealt with. Was she there when you failed to lock the power away?”

“Um, yeah. I don’t know what happened, it was super weird. She read us poetry while I fucked him.”

“What?”

“Yeah, after he asked. He was having a real good time under me so he wanted... poetry, I guess. And it was actually kinda nice? And a bit hot? It was... like, I dunno. I’m weird, right? I’m used to weird, everything in my life is weird, I live and breathe weird. But it’s like they’re on another level.”

“Do you think the poetry knocked you off kilter? Was it the reason you couldn’t lock the power away?”

“I don’t know. He also like... made fun of me, I think? By looking back at me and doing some sexy little moans that just absolutely threw me over the edge. And he looked so damn smug as I came inside him, it was odd. Like maybe he did something at that moment, somehow.”

“Did something like what? Did it feel like anything?”

“N-no, just good. I’d been real gentle and had just been having a good time feeling him cum over and over, you know how it is. And watching it in this mirror I’d set up so I could tell if I wasn’t being gentle enough and possibly also to see any sexy faces he might make as I made him melt for me. And then wham, he hit me with that moaning and that was it, the nut was busted.”

“Okay. It sounds like maybe you just lost your concentration. I feel like Shadowdancer is the problem, even if they worked together to knock you off balance. She seems to boost his confidence. I would not be surprised at all if she urged him to brave the withdrawal symptoms.”

“I dunno, maybe. She kinda confuses me. Okay, actually, they both do. Like just what the fuck is their dynamic? She’s the assertive one, obviously, but beyond that I’m just not sure. They like to dress nice and dance and look super cute but she also goes to fucking town on his ass?”

“Come again?”

“Oh, right. Come in here and check it out.”

“Huh? Oh, wow. That is... she went hard.”

“Yeah. Real hard.”

“God, that’s going to live in my head forever now, isn’t it? Should we... report this?”

“Nah, Rady doesn’t like getting the deets. If I suggest Shadowdancer’s profile be updated so everyone knows she’s got some serious dommy vibes going on, I don’t know what Rady would do to me.”

“Alright. It feels like a bit of a revelation though. That’s one hell of a swing she’s got. She must have done this so many times.”

“Right? She’s a total domme. Can’t you just imagine her leaning all up in your face, telling you what a worthless worm you are, calling you a dirty girl?”

“G-god, Anessa, don’t put that in my head, fuck.”

“Sorry. Just, that paddling. It cannot be unseen. Wait. Wait a second. Was she establishing dominance over me by spanking him like that so I ended up running away with my boner because I didn’t wanna hurt him?”

“I suppose it’s possible. Maybe they were afraid you might succeed if you attempted to lock the power away again.”

“Could be. Hey, uh, I’m going to make that second attempt later and I was wondering if you’d, you know, provide backup. See to it that my head’s in the game.”

“Of course. It is my solemn duty. How could I refuse?”

“Great. Thanks, Maddie.”

“Don’t mention it. But maybe I could ask you to give it to Nate too, as a reward for my help?”

“Man, my vow of celibacy apart from blowjobs is just not holding up. And I was still kinda trying to punish him for that stunt he pulled at dinner, you know?”

“Putting people’s minds together is harrowing, Anessa. Please. He needs it.”

“Fine, Maddie, fine. I’ll fuck your husband later.”

“And if you would be so kind, maybe call him a little slut every now and then, when the two of you are alone.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what he is and he’d absolutely melt at hearing it. He’ll get all flustered and then hot and bothered and even more flustered. It’ll be great, trust me.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Please do. I’ve got more things for you to call him, if you like his reaction to that one.”

“Where is this coming from? I said I’ll think about it.”

“He put in a lot of hard work on our assignment, so I think he deserves a bit of a reward. He’ll love it, all of it, I’m serious. I’ve seen the inner workings of that slutty mind. You might even get some actual honesty about his emotions out of him if you hit him with that.”

“I don’t know if demeaning him until he’s emotional is a very nice thing to do.”

“That’s not... just try calling him some names. You’ll see what I mean.”

“Alright, alright.”

He starts plodding back to his cell as their conversation dies down. Sadly, Jamal seems to have snuck up on him somehow. He seats himself nonchalantly before the man, ignoring him as a cat might.

“Fuck you think you’re doing?”

Now he is a man, sitting naked on the floor. Jamal looks somewhat annoyed by this development.

“I have been looking for you. To apologize.”

“Great. Nothing better than a naked dude telling me he’s sorry.”

“An unfortunate side effect of shapeshifting. But is it not appropriate that I humble myself so in my apology?”

“Yeah, you sure look humbled. Do you actually think you’re smooth, man?”

“No, I am all sharp edges.”

“Whatever. I’m snitching.”

“Do as you will. I have not left the house. No specific rules were given and thus none were broken. I am the epitome of innocence.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

They start to disengage, eyeing each other warily. “Still, I sincerely apologize. It was not my intention to hurt you.”

“It was nothing. I would have won, man. You were lucky to be rescued.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

They keep putting distance between one another without turning their backs.

“Yeah, you better be sure. Next time, I won’t go so easy on you.”

“I look forward to it. Or I would. But of course there won’t be a next time. I was so terribly frightened by the experience, you see. No semblance of resistance left in me.”

“Sure, man. Whatever you say.”

His back meets the door and he shifts back into a centipede to scurry under the door frame, then walks the rest of the way back into his room.

 

He is seated naked atop his bed in a contemplative pose when footsteps approach down the hall. Dinner has come and gone and they find themselves well into the evening. Irene stuck her head in earlier, so they have strategized. He is ready. The door opens and Anessa comes in, freezing just inside as she meets his eyes.

“We meet again.”

“Um, yeah?”

Madeleine steps up behind her, looking up at Anessa and expecting her to step in further, but quickly giving up and giving him a strange little nod and salute.

“I see you do not possess the confidence to face me alone.”

“Uh, yeah, sorry, I’m gonna have to get Maddie to help me out a bit so I don’t do anything weird while I, uh, face you.”

“Very well, I shall tolerate her presence. I have a demand of my own in return.”

“Okay?”

“I demand to be on top.”

“Huh?”

“Disrobe and lie down on the bed. I shall climb your mountain.”

“Uh, yeah, okay!” She divests herself swiftly, walking with a mighty wobble as she hurries to the bed. “I mean... I’ll tolerate your demand.”

He spares Madeleine one last glance as she makes herself comfortable in the cuck chair. Then he turns his full attention on the enemy before him as she lies prone on the bed. He stands over her prodigious member, then nonchalantly grabs it and goes onto his knees, guiding it inside himself with a bored air. He slowly sits all the way down with a steady look of disinterest on his face, though he can feel the delight of his body has somewhat diminished his cold affect. There is almost certainly a drop of white trying to leave him and relocate onto her toned abdomen. It is unfair that her ridiculous member should have such an effect on him with so little effort. But no matter. He rises once more, slowly, before falling all the way back down.

“You’re not gonna stare straight into my eyes the whole time, are you?”

“I think I shall. Your discomfort delights me.”

Her hands find their way onto his legs as he keeps slowly rising and falling, but he does not divert his eyes. Let her feel the full fury of his gaze as he rides her oversized member. The size really is a nuisance, it’s an annoyingly long distance he must travel to leave only the head inside him, rising awkwardly high each time.

“Want some help?”

“No.”

“Can I thrust a bit?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay.”

He leans forward, resting his hands against her stomach and breast, settling on shorter trips up and down.

“It is a bit difficult, I will admit. Such is your size. It would be so much easier with telekinesis.”

“What? Telekinesis for dick riding?”

“I could grip my own hair with it,” he says and demonstrates by gathering it in one hand and pulling upward, “as well as grip around my hips. And then easily glide my body up and down on your length, at a snail’s pace or at breakneck speed. Just imagine it, my body slamming down onto you with far greater force than gravity could ever hope to achieve.”

Her lips have parted, but now her brow furrows. “You sneaky little succubus, I’m not falling for that again! Maddie’s here, so my mind is laser sharp right now.”

“Of course. It was merely a suggestion for what we could do in the future. When you trust me. What delights await us.”

“Stop it with the weirdness. This is serious business, okay? Maybe in the future we can fuck like rabbits and you can show me how you’ve somehow thought of a naughty use for every single power you have, you little minx. But right now, I’m gonna lock your power away. And you can’t stop me.”

He slams down onto her length and gives a little sound that is a mixture of a sigh and a moan. “Of course not. I am completely at your mercy, great hero. You defeated me so now I warm your bed. That is all I do.”

“Nnngh. This is your bed, technically.”

She thrusts the tiniest bit in frustration so he slows his movements nearly to a standstill, reaching over to run his thumb down her jawline.

“I know this does not feel as good as it could for you. It is deliberate. You are being teased. Accept your fate, as I have mine.”

“Um, okay, yeah, that’s cool. I don’t believe you’ve accepted anything, though, just so you know. But fuck, tease away, babe, you’re really good at it.”

Irreverent, nonchalant, lustful. As expected. He will put on a show for her, lull her into complacency and then take what he wants from her once she has completely forgotten her original purpose in coming here.

She stays obediently still as he rides her gently, his hips gyrating in what might be a hypnotic fashion as he finds her eyes frequently escaping his to watch the maneuverings of his lower body. He bends lower, moving one hand onto her collarbone, as if threatening to rise just a little further and choke her if she lets her guard down. In response she raises one hand onto his behind, adding a little bit of force to his own movements, as if threatening to move his body herself if he should let his guard down.

The air is tense as he keeps going. Anessa occasionally mutters some nonsense, but it is mostly short and quiet and seems almost like silent reverence compared to her usual fare. His own breathing is getting a bit louder as his body delights in the sensation of being repeatedly speared by her, occasional drops dropping from his member onto her. He hopes they tickle. Behind him Madeleine occasionally lets out a little sigh. He keeps ignoring her presence.

“You may add your own movements now.”

“Fuck,” is all she says as she gives her first slow thrust up into him.

“Yes,” he replies. “As hard as you want.”

“God, fuck,” is her next utterance, as both her hands now grasp onto his buttocks, bringing his hips down with great force to meet her next upward thrust.

“Yes, whenever you want. My legs are always open to you.”

“H-huh? That sounds way weird. What are you talking about?”

He slams down onto her. “Radiance frightened me terribly. I will do anything to please you, give anything you might ask of me. If only you will protect me.”

“Rrgh, you know I will, babe, I’ll always protect you, you just gotta be a good boy for me, but not in like a pervy way, I’ll keep you safe, just trust me, just let me lock that power away again, you can get it back some day, trust mama, she knows best, I... wait. Wait, wait. You’re fucking with me, obviously.”

“Yes, we are indeed copulating.”

“You damn tease. I knew you were messing with me the whole time, okay?” She slams into him now, the drops from his member getting flung off somewhere, “I just got carried away by the sexy, I started getting into character, you know, I’ve really gotten into role-play after meeting you, it’s goofy and fun and weirdly hot.”

“Of course, master. I could never dream of fooling you.”

“God damn it!” Her hips rise far from the bed to slam into him. “What are you on about now?”

“Well,” he starts, savoring his amusement at her irritation and the feeling of the tremors that have started wracking his body now that she’s laying into him, “you own me for all intents and purposes, do you not? Master does not sound far fetched.”

“I don’t own you! You’re a prisoner, okay? You’re not free but there are, like, all sorts of rules about this sort of stuff.”

“Hmm. I don’t recall the rules regarding the appropriate amount of sex for a warden to have with their prisoner.”

“I...well...touché. But don’t call me master.”

“As you command.”

“I command you to stop being weird, damn it! Just ride my dick and have a good time, okay?”

He gives no response but keeps staring into her eyes, even as she keeps squeezing hers shut while slamming his body down on her erection. He is feeling considerable bodily pleasure himself, but it seems he has far greater control over his expression thereof than she. Good. Madeleine may be doing her best, but it will not be enough, as long as she stays out of his mind. He will not be relinquishing one iota of his power. No, instead he will be clawing back more. Telekinesis will be his again.

She is breathing most heavily now, though the sounds are mostly drowned out by the heavy slaps of her hips pounding up into him. He vaguely hears Madeleine sounding strained in the background. His own breathing is heavy, but under control, even as he keeps oozing white and spasming in her grasp.

“Fuck,” she groans, “Let’s lock that power away, babe. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I’m gonna cum.”

“Please, Anessa.” She meets his eyes for the first time in a while. “Please give it to me. Fill me up. I want it.”

Poor fool. She goes off like a geyser inside him, her hands on his behind pulling down even as her hips rise. Her jaw clenches but a heavy groan escapes through her teeth as her toned body shakes with the effort of this monstrous orgasm. He raises his upper body vertical, putting both hands behind his head and staring imperiously down at her as he grinds gently on her length, as much as her iron grip will allow. The power is his. They are all his. Long moments pass in relative silence, only Anessa’s groans and some slick sounds and sighs from Madeleine breaking the peace. He takes a quick glance at the puddle he has left on Anessa’s abdomen. It is not that big, so his little orgasms haven’t been anything too noticeable. The difference in volume between his unorthodox ejaculations and her ongoing flood inside him is mind-boggling.

“Hmm,” he says as Anessa’s eyes start to regain focus, spreading his arms out and shifting them into large swan wings. “It seems something has gone awry.”

“No...”

He shifts them into cat paws and starts kneading her stomach. “Yes, I am almost sure of it. This is not what my arms usually look like, if you remember.”

She grimaces, as much as someone coming down from an orgasm can. “Maddie, what happened?”

There is a little cough from behind him. “It all looked good from here.”

“What do you mean, it looks good? I failed!” She cranes her neck to be able to see clearly past him. “Damn it, Maddie, stop flicking the bean! I need you on top of your game right now. Hands where I can see them!”

He cranes his head to look at her too. “Yes, Madeleine, please take this seriously.”

Madeleine raises both hands in the air. “Sorry, sorry.”

Anessa sighs. “We’re going to have to go again.”

“I was hoping you would say that.”

“Huh?”

He turns his gaze back on Anessa’s surprised face, locking eyes with her.

“I want to go again. You will not leave this room until I have wrung you dry.”

“Who are you? Where is my bashful beauty?”

He leans down and puts a thumb on her lower lip, pulling it slightly down. The telekinesis was not returned, so escalation will be needed. He will reduce this woman to putty.

“You destroyed him.”

“Oh. I... I guess I did. That makes sense.”

“Yes, wallow. Wallow in misery for me.” He grinds on her still erect penis, another little bead of white leaving him at the action.

“Dude, you are riding my dick right now, how can you say something like that with a straight face? Maybe it’s another superpower...”

“You do not need to understand. Consider me spoils of war. Enjoy what I give you and stop trying to think. It ill becomes you.”

“Your dirty talk is too weird, okay? Maybe later when we’re just having sex for fun you can hit me with that weirdness, but please tone it down for now.”

“Very well. I was only trying to get you hard once more.”

“I’m already hard, dude.” She twitches powerfully inside him, making his body sway slightly with the motion. A truly odd display of strength.

“Well, then. What are we waiting for?”

“Nothing, we’ll go right now, okay, hold your horses you little slut. Wait, sorry, that was uncalled for, you’re beautiful and elegant and your desire for more sex is not something to be demeaned in anyway and I am very sorry.” She sighs. “I also feel kinda bad about doing this without Irene here. But Rady says we can’t be too buddy-buddy so that’s how it’s gotta be. I’ll explain our deal’s off sometime later. My gift for her will have to be a consolation.”

“What are you talking about? She’s here.”

Madeleine screams behind them. Anessa cranes her head to the side again and he looks over his shoulder. Irene’s face has come out of the wall, looming just far enough to enter the trembling Madeleine’s field of vision, fingers gently finding purchase on the shocked woman’s shoulders as those black eyes bore into her.

“What is it? What is there to be scared of?”

“U-u-uh...”

“You are not meddling with my darling’s mind, are you?”

“N-no! Just Anessa’s.”

“Hey, Irene,” Anessa starts, “don’t be mean to Maddie, now.”

He grinds harder on her and lets one hand inch its way up her body to fondle her breast as a distraction, resulting in a sharp intake of breath. Irene ignores her.

“But you have been sneaking glances. Haven’t you, girl?”

Madeleine looks like a deer caught in headlights. “U-uh...”

“Do not lie to me. I expressly forbade it, but you disobeyed. Admit it, girl.”

The woman shrinks slightly in her seat. “O-okay, but it was only a tiny bit, I swear, I was just scared.”

“With good reason. My darling is very frightening.”

“Yes, god, so very frightening.”

She’s making a jab at him by agreeing to eagerly. Somewhat irksome.

“Exactly,” Irene answers. “Still. You have been a very bad girl.”

“Uhh, um, yes, I... I guess I have.”

“Get out of that chair.”

Madeleine obeys without a second of hesitation and Irene flows fully out of the wall. There is a hairbrush in her hand now.

“Kneel on the floor.”

Now there is a second of hesitation. “Um...”

But only a second. Irene takes just a half step closer and Madeleine folds and kneels.

“There must be consequences. Otherwise you will never learn.”

“Um, I, um...”

Irene puts a hand on the back of her head and she goes quiet. “Turn this way and bend over. I want your face on the floor and your bottom held high.”

Anessa grumbles once more. “Hey now, I need Maddie to stay focused, okay? It may not look like it, but we’re doing important work right now, Irene.”

He focuses on the hand on her breast and with a slight effort releases a jolt of electricity straight into the nipple he is fondling.

“Yowch!”

She lets out a confused moan and twitches powerfully inside him again. Of course this woman confuses pleasure and pain. “I am your opponent, hero.”

“Where the hell did that come from? You do have two powers free! I didn’t give you that one back. What’s going on here?”

He starts riding her once more, that incredible member immediately coaxing more drops out of him as he moves. “I am not sure myself. But it is a harmless power. Perfect for a little extra spice in the bedroom.”

“It is not harmless, dude, I’m just super strong.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Irene says behind him, “to have loosened your pants in advance. They slide right off.”

“What the hell is going on back there?”

He leans down, hovering just over Anessa’s face. “Am I not exciting enough for you? How hurtful.”

She furrows her brow. “You’re being a weird and bad boy again, aren’t you? Well, mama’s no fool, mister.”

Suddenly he is airborne and empty, then just a moment later he is pressed face down into the mattress as she re-enters him and pins him below her with the weight of her entire body, an arm snaking around his neck and lifting his head slightly. A powerful tremor goes through his body at this strange maneuver and he feels himself soiling his sheets with his constantly dripping member.

“Now,” Anessa’s voice says right above him as she grinds down and coaxes more tremors out of him, “what have we got here?”

What they have there, he sees, is Irene sitting in the chair, with Madeleine’s naked behind in striking distance. And strike Irene does, just as she presumably meets Anessa’s eyes. Madeleine lets out a little yelp that drags on a bit, changing timbre as it does.

“Irene, what the hell?”

“This is a very light punishment for breaking our agreement. But it is all in good fun, I assure you.”

Another meeting of the brush and Madeleine’s behind draws another yelp. As if in response, Anessa lifts her hips slowly before driving her length all the way in with a fierce thrust that draws a choked little sound from him as he stains his sheets further. Irene’s arm rises ponderously, then falls, the brush impacting thunderously. Anessa replies with another powerful thrust. This is battle.

And it rages on. As Madeleine obediently takes her punishment one blow at a time, he is assailed in a similar rhythm by Anessa. He can only writhe under her, completely crushed into the mattress as he is by her body. She has made him feel helpless before, but this is a step above. Only one hand is free and it is presently busy clutching the sheets tight. He uses what little freedom her arm around his neck affords him to turn his head up in her direction.

“H-hardly..”

“Harder? Fuck yeah, you got it, babe.”

Her thrusts become something else and his next orgasm hits with such sudden ferocity he can’t hold back the strained groan that is forced from him as his entire body spasms under her relentless assault. He can’t keep talking. He gnashes his teeth and it feels like drool is escaping him. He thinks his eyes are trying to roll up into his head. This is the most intense Anessa has ever been with him. He thought she had gone hard on him before, but that was nothing in comparison. His whole body is spasming, trapped by her larger and stronger frame. It feels incredible. It’s getting hard to think.

Thankfully, Irene is laying into Madeleine with similarly increasing power right in front of them, so he does not lose heart. Let his body orgasm as it wishes, his mind will never falter.

“Tell me why this is happening to you, girl.”

Madeleine gasps in between blows. “Because I... am a very... bad... girl!”

“Yes, that is exactly what you are. You gave in to the temptation of fear. Because my darling has such a frightful presence.”

“Mmhmm! Frightening! So frightening!”

She’s ruining it. He knew she would enjoy this, but he could have immersed himself in fantasy and mostly ignored the inappropriate tone of her whining if not for this cheekiness. Anessa relentlessly driving herself into him does somewhat distract from his disappointment, at least. He cranes his head up once more.

“Hardly motherly behavior you are displaying, is what I meant to say.”

“Oh, shoot, you’re right, hon. I’m being a bit mean, aren’t I?”

She lets go of his neck, finds both his hands with hers and clasps her fingers over them, not missing a beat in her constant thrusting, driving what must surely be among the last drops left out of him and onto his poor sheets.

“I was criticizing your choice of nickname for yourself. I did not say you should relinquish your hold.”

“Oooh, of course you like it, you kinky little bitch. I’ll give you what you need, mama’s not gonna hold out on you.”

She obeys his order and curls her arm around his throat once more but keeps on referring to herself as a maternal figure. This counts as a draw, he supposes.

Irene halts her spanking for a moment to rub the brush over Madeleine’s red cheeks, which wobble a bit as Madeleine gyrates her hips, pushing up against the brush. A true glutton for punishment, it seems.

“I understand your fear. But it is no excuse to disobey my direct order.”

“No! It really isn’t! I deserve this! I’m sorry!”

“Good.” She punctuates her words with another strike. “Let this be a lesson to you.”

“Yes, mistress!”

“Do not call me that.”

“I’m sorry, it slipped out, I’m sorry!”

The spanking grows in intensity once more and Madeleine’s yelps have become clear moans. Anessa grunts above him.

“Maddie, I’m gonna need you to stop having fun for a second and focus for me. I’m close, we need to make sure we lock it away.”

“Ah, ah, I-”

“Keep your hands down, girl. You are not allowed to touch yourself.”

“Yes! But it’s fine, Anessa, I can do it! I’m with you!”

“Be quiet, girl.”

“Yes, mistress!”

“I told you not call me that.”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. Be quiet.”

Madeleine goes quiet, trembling slightly.

“That is more like it. Good girl.”

The trembling goes up a notch. Anessa grunts again, driving even harder into his helpless body. His whole body flexes and relaxes in turn as he finds himself completely powerless to control any part of himself but his mind. But that is all he needs. The pleasure does not matter to him as it does to her. He will retain his shapeshifting and reclaim his telekinesis. He wants it, wants it in a way someone like her could never understand.

Then it starts. She buries her mouth in his hair in a vain attempt to stifle her moan as she floods him with another of her powerful orgasms, the sudden influx of ejaculate seemingly convincing his body to relinquish what must surely be the last of his onto the sheets.

He locks eyes with Irene, who seems to have gotten Madeleine onto all fours and is now using her as a seat. With one hand she strokes the woman’s red backside, while with the other she strokes the back of her head. Madeleine is still moaning and trembling.

He follows Irene’s lead, reaching a hand up to stroke Anessa’s hair as she battles through her prolonged, orgasmic defeat.

“That’s it. Give it to me. Give it all to mother.”

She makes an unintelligible sound into his hair before lifting herself free of it. “Gwah, don’t call yourself that!”

“Now you know how it feels.”

“That’s just not...” she grunts, still unloading inside him, “I’m a girl so I can say weird things and have them be kinda cute, but you’re a guy so you can’t, okay? That sounds really unfair actually, now that I say it out loud. You can call yourself something cute and I won’t judge. But mama and mother are two completely different words and only one is okay. And I’m mama slash mommy, okay? Not you. I’m sorry but that’s how it is. I’m also daddy, so that’s taken too.”

Poor, helpless creature. He has been orgasming relentlessly, but you don’t see him losing his concentration so utterly. He tugs on her hair until she lowers her head once more so he can keep petting her as her release continues inside him.

“Irene,” he says as it starts dying down. “Perhaps this is a good time to go looking for that gift she was talking about. I am very curious. It feels like she will need a few more moments before we’re done here.”

“Very well. Give me but a moment.”

It really is just a moment. She returns with a long box in her hands, taking her seat once more on Madeleine, who made not a single move to rise in her absence. They all rest there silently for a while. The trembling in Irene’s seat slowly diminishes, even though Irene frees one hand to continue scratching the back of her head. He feels Anessa slowly starting to soften inside him, even as she keeps her weight resting firmly on top of him, her nose in his hair and a thumb stroking his cheek.

Eventually she rises, slipping out of him but resting her monster on top of him. Irene stops stroking Madeleine but stays seated.

“Okay,” Anessa says. “Things got weird. Kinda amazing, guys, I’m not gonna lie. But this was not what we needed right now.”

“Are you implying your friend needed something more?”

Madeleine shivers at Irene’s words, but makes no comment.

“No, that’s not what I’m implying. Fuck.” Her hands grab the sides of his cheeks and absentmindedly start jiggling them, making her semi-erect member bounce on top. “I dunno. We’re going to have to talk things out before next time, I think. But maybe we should call it quits for now.”

“Very well. Then perhaps this is the right time to open your gift, before you depart.”

“Uh. Yeah, I suppose it’s as good as any.”

Irene opens box and stares into it. Then she tilts it slightly forward so he can see. The contents are of a familiar shape.

“So, uh, yeah, it’s a strap-on shaped after my dick. It, um, it’s got some funky technology in it, so, like, those balls at the base are actually filled with my cum, but it’s like cold as hell until you press a button there that warms it right up in just a few minutes and then you’re good to go and you can make your man cum without me technically being there, just a drop of my jizz should be enough to let him start spurting all he needs.”

Irene looks up from the box to meet her gaze. Thankfully that perfect face is incapable of showing confusion or surprise. “Thank you. What a very kind gift.”

Anessa clears her throat. “Thinking about it now I realize there was no reason to shape it after myself, it could have been any fat dick as long as my cum was inside it. I’m sorry. I guess the thought of you fucking him with my cock was just so hot I forgot to think about what you might want. I really should have asked for a super pale one, so it would be more like an extension of you, I’m sorry, that was thoughtless of me.”

“That is... quite alright.”

“Anyway, yeah, sorry and enjoy, I think it’s time we get going. You hear that, Maddie? Let’s go.”

Irene stands up and Madeleine awkwardly follows suit, pulling her pants up and keeping her eyes trained on the ground, her face scarlet. He lies completely still as Anessa gets off of the bed. Three of them are still breathing rather heavily. Only Irene has managed to stay cool. Another victory.

“Alright. See ya tomorrow. And Irene, we gotta talk later, Rady says you can’t stay as often as you’d like.”

“Very well. Let us discuss it at length tomorrow.”

“Great. Super great. Good night, guys.”

“Yes. A good night to you both.”

He and Madeleine both mumble something unintelligible. Not the most elegant, but it hardly matters. Soon the door closes and he is left alone with Irene, who kneels down before the bed to look him in the eye.

“Did we... win?”

He decides not to make another effort at speaking clearly. Instead an invisible force grabs his long hair and lifts it gently upwards a few times, nodding his head.

“Excellent. Your tenacity is otherworldly. I will do my part, however strange it may be. I would spank a legion for you.”

He keeps his head telekinetically raised and gives her the hint of a smile at that statement.

“Should we try to eavesdrop on what they might be saying now?”

He gives a lazy nod once more. Impressively quickly, darkness falls over him and she raises him from the absolute mess he has made of his bed. Changing the sheets will probably not be enough. He relaxes into the strange darkness of Irene’s world, her shadow self flowing all around him as her physical copy searches for the right spot to eavesdrop. Then she finds it, and the voices of their foes echo through the dark.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the hell just happened? We just got schooled, I think. I’ll need to tell Rady I’m failing. No clue what we can even do now. Fuck. How were you the most out of it? Why did you act like that with Irene?”

“I’m sorry, okay? She just... she’s a villain, so she’s got an innate advantage at being dominant and scary. I couldn’t help myself.”

“But you told me to take things more seriously. You said that to me!”

“I know, I’m really sorry, I underestimated her. I didn’t mean to, it was just instinctual.”

“Maddie. No one, and I mean no one, has instincts telling them to bend over for a spanking.”

“Well, I do, alright? I can’t sense her like literally every other human being. She scares me and now she turns me on. I’m sorry. God, I kinda wanna see her spank Nate now. He’d be scared of her too, but he’s such a sweetheart he’d do whatever the imposing lady said. Mmm, yeah, I can just imagine the look on his face, that hint of fear and that obvious arousal as she’d rain those blows down on him, god.”

“Stop that right now, Maddie! You’re rambling and that’s my thing. Get it together.”

“Alright, alright. Hey, can we talk this out later? I really need... I’m not allowed to touch myself, so could you come with me and tell Nate to eat me out?”

“Huh? Just ask him yourself.”

“No, I need... I need a bit of domme energy around me, alright? And I’m not having you dominate me, not properly at least, so I need you to do it to Nate.”

“Weirdo.”

“I know, I know. Please?”

“Okay, Maddie, fine. I’ll go order your husband to eat you out.”

“Thank you. Maybe you could push his head down on me and say some demeaning things to us. Don’t call him a little slut yet, though, he’ll be on guard if I’m with you. Just keep it simple, tell him he was made for licking carpet and tell me that’s the closest to sex with my husband I’ll ever get. Also, it would be best if I could be sort of in your lap and you had one arm around my torso and the other in his hair or maybe you could even have him on a leash, if we happen to own one of those, that could be pretty good.”

“Fine, whatever! Stop adding details! Hearing you say all that is kinda disturbing and annoyingly hot, so stop it.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

“Also, I’m totally gonna pop a boner if we do it like that. You don’t mind feeling it up against your back?”

“It’s fine. You can fuck Nate after. Oooh, maybe you could even start on him while he’s still going down on me. Gently screw him into me and every time he makes me moan you make him moan right back.”

“God.”

“Why are you hugging me?”

“I don’t know. I’m feeling weird. Everything’s off somehow. I failed again. And seeing my sweet little Maddie get her ass turned red, even if she loved it, it... it felt really weird.”

“I’m sorry. It just... it really hit the spot. In the moment I thought I could stay focused but that was a ridiculous notion.”

“Yeah, your horniness really fucked us, Maddie.”

“I... well... you’re one to talk.”

“Yeah, I’m talking. I think we’re going to have to make sure you follow a strict cumming schedule in the future, so you’re never too pent up and horny to function.”

“W-wha- That is not, not, not a normal thing to say, Anessa!”

“Sorry. Your response felt normal though. Anyway, I’m team leader so if I still feel like what I just said makes sense tomorrow I’m sticking with it and I’ll finger you myself if I have to. Sorry. I dunno. I’m feeling really weird. You’re being weird too. Maybe those villains did something to us.”

“Ah, maybe. I don’t know what that would have been though.”

“They’re fiendishly sexy, Maddie, that’s the problem. They somehow turned us on in a villainous way. Destroyed our cohesion, our teamwork. I don’t get it at all. I was topping him hard, absolutely railing him, he was cumming his brains out, I was sure of it. But that little succubus still sucked another power out of me. And it just makes me wanna fuck him harder, show him who’s boss. He’s a little demon temptress and I need to put him in his place!”

“Okay, you will, we’ll get through this, but can we go now? Why are we still talking?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, you’re right. Let’s go fuck your husband.”

“Whu- Why are you carrying me?”

“I don’t know. Just roll with it.”

The distant sound of footsteps echoes faintly in the darkness, then Irene’s physical self stops poking her head into the regular world and comes to lie down beside him.

“What strange, strange people.”

He merely nods. She puts one arm under him and makes him lean his head onto her shoulder. They float together in that strange, cool darkness; her shadow self flowing all around them as the moments drag on in comfortable silence. This all feels rather nice. Yes, it has been a great day, all things considered. He closes his eyes, resting in her cold embrace as the strange sensations of the murky blackness beneath lap at him. They are like two villainous otters, floating menacingly in dark waters.

Chapter 11: Knowledge and power

When he awakes he is still there, in the darkness, floating strangely. And she is still there too, a pale rock supporting his weight. He does not move immediately, allowing himself to rest a while longer in her comfortable embrace. He is vaguely cold, but not enough to bother him. Still, the feeling prompts his body to nuzzle against her shoulder as if seeking warmth.

She reacts to this by petting his hair. Then her finger strokes along his cheek. He looks up at her to see both her doll like eyes and the smoky darkness of her shadow self looking back at him.

“Welcome back to the waking world. Are you cold?”

“No. I like this temperature.”

“Good. If you are sufficiently awake, I would like your advice.”

“I will offer it freely.”

She keeps stroking his face even as they talk. He does not mind it.

“The man who does not matter to you has been assisting me in my training. I feel I have grown my power quite a bit already. I have held you here for many hours now and I believe I could you here for many more. But I have not yet succeeded at moving him with me.”

He takes her pause as a cue to speak. “If you wish to experiment with me, I am ready.”

She clasps his head in both hands now, her thumbs running gentle circles over his cheekbones. “I do not know that I am. When I have tried it with him, it sounds as if he is drowning.”

“I see. Do you think it is simply not possible?”

“I feel as if I am close to a breakthrough. But I also feel that perhaps he might not come out alive on the other side. This would not be a problem under normal circumstances, but the reason my tampering with his medicine was discovered is that his ex-fiancee has returned to his life. I cannot understand why, but it seems she is determined to help him recover. It seems she, unlike the asylum staff, is taking note of his ramblings about the shadows. If he should perish during my training, she will undoubtedly bring attention to his passing, which might reach Radiance ere long. I have a feeling she would not require evidence to be convinced of my guilt if she sees the fiancee’s notes of his nightmares. Death seems a step too far in her case, but I could perhaps kidnap her and keep her out of the way for a few months. Though she seems to have many people in her life who would notice. It all seems unfortunately risky.”

He tries to nod a little even though his face remains firmly in her grasp. “A true dilemma. I am not afraid of the feeling of drowning. I might even try giving myself gills to lessen the danger.”

“This place does not contain water. I fear gills would be of limited help.”

Now he feels a bit stupid. Obviously it’s not actual water. “Still, the shapeshifting power makes me sturdy. I do not fear death.”

“But I fear your death a great deal. Perhaps I shall make one last attempt with my training doll. You can watch the process, and make an informed decision afterward. He should still be sleeping, I could fetch him right now.”

“Very well.”

Her physical body leaves him then, hurtling through the darkness at unfathomable speed. Then out there in the distance, far off yet somehow strangely visible, as if he were looking through a telescope, he sees her dive into the dark depths and disappear. Soon she reappears, holding the unconscious form of a man he has not seen in the flesh in a long time. He used to see him in his unpleasantly dreams fairly frequently, but it has been years since it last happened. He got over it, though he always had intended to take his revenge eventually.

He watches as Irene wraps some cloth around the man’s eyes. Then she pushes him head first into the murky depths of darkness and the leaden body twitches to life. The sounds of sputtering, occasional gasps for air and something akin to splashing echo through the impossible darkness. Seeing the man who beat him into a coma suffering helplessly at Irene’s hands is odd. Most peculiar. He feels the need to say or do something.

“I think...”

That is a lie. He does not think at all. His heart is drumming strange beats, his stomach is fluttering and a warmth suffuses his entire being. There is no thought, only strange and powerful feelings, something utterly alien. He’s drowning, though in a completely different way than his old tormentor. Drowning in emotion? A preposterous notion. Beautiful beyond compare. Something entirely new and alien is moving inside him.

“Is this...”

His breath comes quick and halting. Watching her torment this worthless idiot who is so thoroughly drugged he can’t muster more resistance than an awkward flailing is causing him extreme sensations. She’s drowning a drugged man and she’s the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen.

“You... you mean the world to me, Irene.”

Her shadowy form flows all around him, the smoky face attempting to rub itself against his cheek. Why is he holding back, even now? This is beyond affection. His insides are twisting themselves apart in elation. He shakes his head, eyes not leaving the bizarre scene for even a moment.

“No, those words are... not enough. Nowhere near enough. This is love, isn’t it?”

All at once the shadows around him lose cohesion and encircle him like a whirlwind and the face of her physical body in the distance snaps up to look at him with a speed that would undoubtedly have broken a lesser being’s neck.

Her voice comes from all around, a hiss from the liquid darkness itself. “Yesssssssssssssss.”

Then there comes a slight splash and the man is submerged and then he is gone. A moment passes. She sticks her head through the darkness where he was. And then her body is hurtling back through the darkness, to catapult itself onto him and send him rolling with the impact. It hurts but he cannot bring himself to feel anything but good as she clutches at him and locks lips with him, grinding her body hard into him, her legs entwining under his as she takes occasional breaks in her kissing to whisper breathlessly to him.

“I have done it. I moved him. To a forest... by the asylum. His arms are broken... but I moved him. I can do anything.... for I.... love you. I love you. I love you. I would set the world aflame... and dance in its ashen ruins with you... for the rest of my life... and I would want for nothing. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

His hands are scrambling all over her in a vain attempt to... get closer, perhaps? He can’t stop shivering and it has nothing to do with cold. It is her voice, her lips, her everything. It’s ridiculous, but he is overcome with emotion. He joins her whispering with his own.

“I... love... you.”

It feels good to say that, childish as it is. It feels even better when her fingers grasp him even more tightly and her kiss becomes somehow more intense as she presses her entire body harder against him. He finds himself moaning into her as she clings to him like ivy. He wants more of her, wants her closer still. He wants to be devoured out here in the dark.

 

A few hours later he is back in the house, prowling as a cat while Irene is off trying to get the idiot out of the woods and back inside the asylum without leaving any trace of herself. It is late morning yet none of the inhabitants of this strange house seem to be up and about apart from Nathaniel, who is brewing coffee. He keeps his distance, watching the man pour himself a cup and sip at it while staring vacantly ahead.

Soon Anessa plods into the room, spotting Nathaniel in the middle of a sip. “Oh hey, there’s my little slut.”

Nathaniel chokes on his coffee, putting the cup away to indulge in a slight coughing fit. “I-I beg your pardon?”

“Hmm? Did daddy say something weird, princess?”

Nathaniel gawks at her, turning slightly red as he makes a few practice runs with his lips before speaking. “Ah, no, no, of course not. Good, ah, good morning. Daddy.”

Anessa walks into him, pressing his back against the kitchen counter and putting her arms on both sides of him, completely hemming him in. She leans her face imposingly over his, resulting in a slight gasp from him. “You are seriously cute when you blush. Why am I only finding out about that now? Anything else important you’ve been keeping secret, you hot little slut?”

“I, ah, I... m-must confess I... I am not entirely s-sure, daddy. I was not aware my blushing would be pleasing to the eye, but I apologize all the same. What else might constitute a secret?”

“Stuff like not telling me you want me to call you exactly what you are. You love it, don’t you?”

“W-well, I, I am a connoisseur of strangeness, so I suppose this does suit my palate in a way.”

“Sure, you little slut, sure. Connoisseur, yep. You really don’t need to try and impress daddy with big words. Daddy knows what you are and what you like. Being honest helps you get what you want.”

“Oh, I realize this, of course. But I am simply not accustomed to honesty. Not towards others and not towards myself. I do not... trust myself. I do not believe myself.”

Anessa pulls back, raising one hand to cup his cheek. “Hey. Did something happen when you were helping those people Psi-Ocs messed up?”

“No, no, nothing. Well, there was something, but nothing that effects me in the long term.”

“Spill, baby girl. Maddie already told me it was rough. You can tell me.”

Nathaniel gets a bit redder. “Well, it was an ordeal for Madeleine, strange saint that she is. I was... mostly unsatisfied with myself. I saw worries and woes and the mundane tragedies that fill people’s lives and I... I thought they... I simply found them... utterly pathetic.”

“Hmm.”

“I said nothing. No encouragement or pity or insult. I kept it to myself. But it gnaws at me. Madeleine felt compassion when she saw their pain laid bare. All I felt was disdain. I think there is a hole in me, a missing piece that people like her have. I am a bad person at heart. I am evil.”

Anessa hugs him. “You are not evil. Okay? Having a bad thought does not make you evil.”

“Madeleine does not have these thoughts. Never has. She responds to the weakness of others in a completely different way, as if she was simply born with the instinct to be good. She is a good person. My opposite. If I am not evil it is merely because I am not real. I am but the shadow of an expectation, the echo of a dream, an attempted fantasy. My words are carefully shaped because they contain nothing. My every thought rings hollow. I am nothing more than a hole in the shape of a man, hungering to be made real and not caring one whit who is hurt by my actions.”

“Stop it. Please. And don’t compare yourself to her. We’re not in a goodness competition. Thinking mean things is human. You don’t do bad things. Not anymore. So you’re not evil and you’re not a hole and you are real. Okay? You don’t need to be a saint. You don’t need to think only beautiful things. Just be decent. That’s enough.”

“I do not know if I am decent. I try to be better, but is that not simply because that is what is expected of me? All my life I have been trying to fulfill expectations. I was twelve when my ability manifested. I could finally tell exactly what my parents wanted from me, what everyone wanted. I was thrilled to be able to rise to their challenge, to become perfect. But I never did. I was always a step short, there was always something new they wanted, some flaw that kept me from perfection. I eventually revealed my power a few years later, as if it had just manifested. I received some training and therapy sessions from the League to deal with my powers. I excelled at it, what with my experience being measured in years and not weeks. My parents were more careful of their thoughts after that, but they could hide nothing from me. They and so many around me expected me to become a hero, had great hopes my powers could benefit the world. And so I became a hero. Simply because it was expected, because someone who mattered wanted me to. I did finally get some of the respect I felt I was owed once I started acting as a hero. Even if I never did anything out of kindness.”

“I’m so sorry, Nate. Telepathy sounds just awful. I’m so sorry, for you and Maddie.”

“We are very similar in some ways. But at heart I am truly nothing like her. She is a good person. An honest to god hero. I am nothing of the sort.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself, Nate.”

“I do not think so. Everything I have ever done is about control. I stole into my parents’ minds to find out how to become everything they wanted. I became a hero simply so people would respect me. I implanted thoughts in everyone I ever saved, downplaying any of my mistakes and making them sing my praises, because I did not in truth care for their lives except as to how they reflected upon me. I am evil.”

“Okay, you’ve done some messed up stuff. But evil isn’t in your nature or anything. You can be good.”

“I do not know that I can. I changed people’s minds forcefully in the past when they simply would not accept my greatness unaided. As a teenager I erased all my embarrassing moments from people’s minds. Once I reached adulthood, men constantly infuriated me with their aggravating little thoughts about me. Those unwashed, greasy little cretins looking down on me angers me still. Every time someone sneeringly thought to themselves that I look the type to bite the pillow I placed a little suggestion meant to bloom into a dream. Yes, a nice little adventure involving the scum-sucking pond-dweller who irked me finding dizzying heights of pleasure with the burliest, hairiest man they could imagine.”

“Wow. You can plant wet dreams in people?”

“I am not entirely sure. A gentleman never returns to the scene of the crime, so whether my suggestions blossomed fully into wet dreams remains unknown.”

“Was this before or after you met Maddie?”

“Both. I should have been happy after I married her. A beautiful wife who absolutely loved seeing me with other women. Dream come true, right? Some of the assholes who’d heard the rumors were so envious. It was even more satisfying than the sex to hear them grinding their teeth over it.”

“Did you tell her about it?”

“No. I always kept everything to myself. I liked her and found her presence comforting, since I could not read her thoughts, but I did not trust her. I did not trust anyone. I could hear what they thought of me without my having exposed a weakness to them, I shudder to think what I might have heard if I had.”

“Okay. She knows everything now, though. She told me you’d love being called some cute names.”

“I see. Of course. My odd, thoughtful wife.”

“Anyway, you bite the pillow all the time now, so those mean thoughts don’t bother you anymore, right?”

“Of course not. As you say, it is now truth so they are not even wrong. My ego has grown far sturdier. People can think whatever they want. I bite the pillow and I do it with pleasure. I do not need to worry about the opinion of strangers.”

“That’s right. All my princess needs to worry about now is looking cute and cumming hard for daddy. And you’re a fucking natural at both, my sweet, slutty little princess. Hey, would you mind wearing a little pendant or something that says “daddy’s girl” on it some time? Could be cute. Don’t need to, obviously, just popped into my head right now.”

“I... would do it without hesitation if you asked. Madeleine might like to see it. And you say I am a natural at... well. Thank you, I suppose.”

Anessa pulls him into another hug. “Don’t mention it, princess. I’m really glad we got to have this talk. I never realized how much you were bottling inside. I’m sorry.”

“Please do not be. I never volunteered this information, nor did I invite your pity.”

“You can, though. Any time. I want to hear it.”

“Alright. Perhaps I will. But I do not know if I can bring myself to do so. Boys don’t cry and all that.”

“Okay. But my baby girl can, alright? From now on I’m gonna be more than just a daddy who fucks her little princess right." Nathaniel makes a little sound. "Oh? Is my baby girl getting flustered hearing daddy talk a little dirty?”

“I, ah, well, yes. This hug is very prolonged and so intimate that I can, ah, how to put this, feel both your musculature and, ah, a slight hardening?”

“Musculature, huh. Princess likes his daddy being big and strong, right?”

“Ah, um, y-yes? Yes, daddy.”

“Attaboy.” She hefts Nathaniel up and trundles over to the next room, where she takes a seat in an armchair with him firmly on her lap. The cat sneakily repositioning himself further away goes unnoticed.

“You know,” she continues, “maybe I should have a little picture of you in the gym. Something cute and slutty to get the blood flowing, and some text like “do it for princess” for motivation. Or maybe I should just bring you with me, have you dry me off between exercises, maybe let you sniff my armpits, bet you’d like that, could even make you lick the sweat off me, that could be hot, maybe halfway through we’d take a break for a nice throat-fuck, that’s probably good for muscle growth. Wait, no, sorry. I’m sorry, princess.”

Nathaniel snickers. “Not to worry, daddy. I find your flights of fancy amusing at worst, arousing at best. It is one of my favorite things about you, that ability to know what you want and simply say it, no matter how embarrassing or crass.”

Anessa strokes his cheek. “Thanks, princess. But I know I go too far. There’s a time and place. And right now I kinda wanted to talk more about your feelings. You said you were all about control. But you aren’t anymore, are you?”

“Well, in a way I think I still am. My definition of control has grown looser, what with you being rather unequivocally in charge in our dalliances. But I claw it back where I can, because I cannot help myself. I started calling you daddy and acting flirtatious to push your buttons. So even when you pin me down and take me roughly it is because I drove you to it. I love how you make me feel, but even though I am always on the receiving end I am still in some way the one in charge, the one who is not flustered, the one who decides everything. You do all the hard work and salivate for me. Madeleine watches me. I am the centerpiece.”

“Huh, some power bottom vibes.”

“I... had not thought of it that way.”

“But apart from control, what do you want now that we live like this? Is it something like what you wanted before, or is it completely different?”

“I do not know what I want. I thought I wanted respect, before you changed my life. But I am no longer sure that was a true desire. I spent so long agonizing over who I should be that I now find myself not knowing who I am.”

“You’re my pretty little princess, Nate. A princess who loves his wife and his friends and is proud of his cooking and likes looking fashionable and tending the garden.”

Nathaniel sighs. “Clothes, cooking and gardening. It really is no wonder they all entertained thoughts of me not being a real man.”

“What the fuck even is a real man? Who cares? You’re a sweet and sexy little slut that likes getting bent over and fucked hard by daddy, so what? You don’t stop being a man just because you cum real hard and often with my fat cock pounding away at you right in front of your wife.”

“A-ah, daddy, please, I-I appreciate your intent, but the words are simply not right for expressing this sentiment.”

“I’m sorry, princess. I mean it, though. Your sex life doesn’t diminish you as a person just because it’s a bit weird. A submissive and breedable man is still a man.”

“I... shall endeavor to keep that in mind. But if I had to guess, I think what I most want these days is to please you. I do tease you for a sense of control. I crave it, need it. But I also do it because the teasing arouses you, sometimes enough for you to lose yourself and take all control from me. And it feels incredible when you do, when you take your pleasure without constantly thinking about my needs or feelings or worrying about this or that. Feeling you enjoy me is intensely satisfying. Fulfilling your needs makes me... makes me, ah, cum real hard, as you would put it.”

“Wow. You are, like, the perfect bottom, huh? My pretty little princess.”

“Thank you. I think. Hearing you call me slut and baby girl and princess is doing something to me. I like it. It is like facing my old fears and... overcoming them, in a way.”

“Facing old fears and getting fucked hard by them till you’re a happy mess? There are probably worse ways to deal with your issues.”

“I, ah, yes. Well. At the core of it, I think I quite like it when you are in charge. Yes, I like feeling controlled, completely dominated, because that is when I feel good without a hint of doubt and guilt. My every display of emotion always feels like a lie, as if I am trying to become something for someone else, trying to fulfill a fantasy as I did so often before. But when you simply... take me... I do not have to worry whether I am sincere in my wants because I am just a receptacle for your lust and my intense feelings of pleasure are merely a fortunate side effect. I have an innate need for control, but I have found there is nothing I enjoy more than losing it.”

“Okay, I can dig it. Daddy will make sure to take charge of everything next time. But what about Maddie? Do you like her being in control?”

“She does not enjoy being in control. Another thing we seem to have in common. But she knows me more intimately than I her. The path is open but I am not comfortable delving as deep into her mind as I let her into me, because of what I tried to do to her in my foolish rage. She knows so much about me now, such embarrassing things. She is completely correct in everything she says about me. It is embarrassing and condescending and demeaning and that is... intolerably arousing. I suppose she does have some control. And I suppose I do like it.”

“Good. I feel kinda stupid for not getting my princess to spell it all out for me before. I’m gonna find all your buttons so I can finger them good. Do you want to give up control to anyone other than us two?”

“I do not think so.”

“Just let me know if you do. Don’t know how I’d feel seeing Jamal bossing you around or anything, but you know how I feel about pretty boys making out.”

“I may still be trying to discover who I actually am now, but I do not think that is going to happen. I simply appear to be someone who feels great excitement at being dominated and degraded slightly by someone he is immensely attracted to. Perhaps it is somewhat like Madeleine’s approach. The thoughts I used to read, the fear I harbored of not being a real man, not being enough, being weak and effeminate, all of my insecurities being proven true somehow arouses me to no end. It is absolute surrender and it feels incredible.”

“Jeez, Nate. You and Maddie aren’t, like, the same person are you? Like one mind walking around in two bodies?”

“Hardly. Though we have perhaps spent rather a lot of time in mental intimacy after you claimed me.”

“Ah. Claimed you sounds kinda rough, don’t it? Even if it might be true.”

“I like thinking of it that way. I was a wayward fool actively harming the ones I loved. You set me straight. For as long as I belong to you, I do not fear I will ever stray again. You are strong. You are kind. And you are beautiful.”

“Aw, thanks, baby girl. But you don’t belong to me or anything, not really, just kinda.” She sighs. “Hey. I hope it’s not too big an ask, but could you tell me how you felt when, uh, back when I claimed you?”

“Hmm. Well, it is a bit embarrassing.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Daddy don’t judge.”

“Yes, well, thank you. It felt intense, mostly. Disturbing, frightening, thrilling, incredible. I... what first and foremost struck me and changed my world was the... the hate you felt for me.”

“Oh.”

“That pure, unfiltered hatred you felt as you saved Madeleine from me, it was... it was beautiful to me. It felt so right. As if I had been waiting for it all my life. Finally, finally someone felt the right way about me. I realized in that instant it was what I myself felt.”

“Oh, no, my little Nate, I’m so sorry.”

“There is no need for you to be. I had never been a hero. I was a fantasy of one and I spent all my energy hiding the cracks in the facade. My whole life was nothing but an empty image that I obsessed over. Your pure hate when you first laid into me was the most refreshing thing I had felt in years. Being defeated and feeling that image shatter was a relief.”

“And then I made you cum a lot. It must have been so confusing.”

“It was. I suppose some wires may have gotten crossed, but I am not complaining. Throughout that night I felt your feelings change. And I changed with them. I fractured and found myself capable of examining all the pieces of myself and as you, ah, kept making love to me I slowly put myself back together, as a person that could actually hope to function. As your hate evaporated, mine did as well. You and Madeleine were both inside me, each in your own way. It was... rather like... a therapy session, perhaps. The most intense one imaginable. That night in your arms was somehow the safest I had ever felt in my life. All defenses and pretenses torn down, only a confusing and pleasurable reality pounding into me.”

“Reality does go pretty hard. I’m sorry, even if you liked it in the end. But I’m glad you came out alright. And don’t think this is a one and done. I want us to talk things out, the tough stuff and the sweet stuff. Whenever you feel like it.”

“Very well. Then I shall take this opportunity to strike a more positive tone and tell you that I appreciate your leadership. You are quite silly, I must say, but I trust you. You being in charge feels right and you... you make me feel remarkably safe.”

“Hell yeah!”

“Yes, well, still, I want you to know you do not need to shoulder your burdens alone. We may not be anything resembling voices of reason, but we are here for you. We are a team. The leader should not need to carry us.”

“Okay. Thank you. First thing I’d ask is probably if you think it’s wrong of me to want Maddie to be more confident.”

“No, I agree with you. I am not the most healthy individual so I am not sure if I am the right person to say what is right and what is wrong. And I do not look down on her for her fetish. I do not mind her preference and I think she is the sweetest woman I have ever met and I love her. But... perhaps she might focus a bit too much on that singular facet of her personality. Sometimes I feel the fetish consumes her. The insecurities that seem so firmly embedded in her pain me. I do not know how exactly it could be achieved, but I wish for your help in uprooting them. I wish for her to indulge in them more sparingly, perhaps only in the bedroom where she can leave them amid the sullied sheets.”

“So basically you’re saying she’s lost in the sauce?”

“I, well, yes, I suppose that is one way to put it.”

“Great! Yeah, we’ll find some way to boost that confidence. Maybe hypnotize her into getting more confident each time she’s spanked, then ask Irene to go another round with her. Sorry. I derailed it right away, didn’t I? How do you feel about that, by the way, the spanking?”

“Ah. I have yet to succeed at formulating a thought on it. It is simply too strange. That woman is odd and unsettling, but she certainly got Madeleine hot and bothered enough for her to let me pleasure her again so I cannot in good conscience complain.”

“That makes sense. But if you ever get uncomfortable, please tell me."

"I will. Thank you, daddy."

"No, thank you. This has been such a good talk.”

“Indeed.”

“Hey. After all this emotion, how about you tell me something hot, some fantasies you’ve got? Yeah, tell daddy your naughty dreams, baby girl. Gimme your best horny rant.”

“Well, perhaps one day as I was making breakfast you might happen to wake up early and drop by the kitchen and seeing I was busy but still feeling a great need you might perchance stumble upon the idea to take me right then and there, hard but not so hard that I have to drop what I am doing. The thought of you taking your pleasure even as I continue working excites me to no end. To feel your seed still warm inside me as I serve you breakfast is something I have thought about more than once, though I can scarcely imagine where this fantasy came from.”

Odd. Does her sperm not always get absorbed in some unnatural way? This tasteless fantasy should not be possible. Anessa puts her hand down his pants.

“Holy smokes. Yeah, okay, I’ll do that sometime. Anything else?”

“Perhaps I could crawl under the table and service you orally as you enjoyed the breakfast I made you.”

“My fucking god, Nate.”

“And then you could choke me with it and once you are done and I lay there panting and used you might simply walk off to carry about your day, as if nothing were more natural, leaving me to clean the plates and the floor.”

“Urgh. Couldn’t I pick you up and carry you to the living room and watch TV with my pretty little princess in my lap, petting his hair?”

“Well... I... anything you want, of course. But perhaps your demeanor could be a bit condescending.”

“What’s so hot about me wandering off? Daddy likes to cuddle, you know.”

“I do not know, exactly. Being a complete slut, used for pleasure and then put away wet, it... tickles me.”

“Okay, I guess. But I like you, okay?”

“Alright. Thank you. I am quite fond of you too. I suppose there is no reason to withhold that information. But I truly do enjoy being a slut for you. There is a strange, shameful and arousing liberation in it.”

“Okay, then. My princess can be a cumslut if he wants, but daddy reserves the right to cuddle if she feels like it.”

Nathaniel’s breath shudders. “Yes. Precisely. A cum slut. That is it. I want to feel your cum dripping down my legs after you’ve used me, as I finish preparing your breakfast and you simply head off, perhaps to shower. Then when you return for your meal I would gladly crawl under the table, still filled with your seed. There I would give you gentle oral sex in accompaniment that reaches its crescendo just as you finish dining, your orgasm serving as my breakfast. Then perchance you might push me off so the last few splashes can cover my face and body. I want to be drenched in your cum, left panting on the floor, visibly used.”

“Fuck. Okay yeah, that’s hot. I’ll give it to you some day. Just... fuck.”

“Thank you kindly, daddy.”

She puts a hand on the back of his head and bodily pulls him into a kiss. Then the hand down his pants starts moving with wild abandon.

“Yeah, I’ll give it to you some day. But now I want my baby girl to cream his panties for daddy right here and now.”

“Wha- ah, I, um...”

“Cum for me. Cum for daddy.”

Nathaniel shudders and gasps. “I...I...o-oh.”

“That’s it, there you go, that’s my princess. Good girl, Nate, good girl. Such a good girl for me.”

She kisses him again, briefly, before pulling her hand out of his pants.

“Daddy wants a taste but princess has to serve it to her.”

The cat looks away but still hears the low moan from Nathaniel, followed by the renewed sound of their kissing. It is time to make himself scarce. He telekinetically flings his feline body through the air, making good his escape.

How can they possibly act this way? He has stymied her efforts and clawed back another power. They should be at least a little worried. He supposes he should be grateful they are so lax. Still, it is a little disconcerting. At least he will not have to suffer that nickname, if Nathaniel is the resident princess. Yes, that is a silver lining.

 

He is more conservatively dressed than last time when he is called out to meet Radiance a second time. His hair is up in a bun and he is clad in a cozy green sweater with sleeves that are admittedly a bit short, then a long black and green plaid skirt, then black pantyhose covering his legs. Still non-threatening, but perhaps a bit more to Radiance’s liking. Innocent, thoughtful. If given the chance he might grab a cup of steaming cocoa and hold it with both hands to complete the picture of innocence. Though perhaps it is a bit too warm for cocoa.

He silently follows Anessa through the house and into a living room where Radiance stands waiting by a window. She seems to be vaping now. There is a little box on the window sill, but he turns his eyes back to her once she turns around.

“Hello again. I hear things aren’t going well, so it’s time for another talk. Take a seat.”

Anessa responds before him, taking a seat in the sofa. His options are the sofa or one of two armchairs. Since one of them is right next to Radiance and the other was used by Anessa and Nathaniel earlier in the day, he chooses the sofa. Radiance sits down in the armchair closest to her and puts away the vape.

“So. Another power. You must be pleased with yourself.”

He lifts his legs onto the sofa and lays them sideways, leaning his upper body slightly into Anessa. “Not at all. I am very worried. It bodes ill for my future, does it not?”

Radiance looks slightly bemused but quickly recovers. “It does. One more power and I think I will throw you into an orbital holding cell and keep you there indefinitely.”

“Oh, no. How lonely I would be.”

Radiance blinks at him slowly. He can feel Anessa shifting slightly and he leans harder into her.

“Yes, it would be lonely. Your only human contact would be occasional visits from Anessa.”

“So I’d be going into space for booty calls?”

Radiance pulls out the vape again. “You could say that. Conjugal visits would sound better.”

“So I’d be taking Irene along?”

A quick drag on the vape. “No. She wouldn’t see him again until I was sure he was under control.”

He reaches out to hold onto Anessa and he feels her take a shuddering breath and put one arm around him in return. It might not be possible to manipulate Radiance into leniency, but this bleeding heart right here can no doubt be played with.

“Wow, you’re kinda cold. You’re not getting sick, are you?” He shakes his head slightly in response. “But Rady, no, I’m sure he won’t have to go to space. We can work out what’s happening.”

“Can we? Do we even have a theory what’s going wrong?”

Anessa coughs. “Well, my main theory currently is that, you know, the sex is so great that subconsciously I want an excuse to hit it every day.”

“Jesus.” Another drag. “Fucking hell. What about you, buddy? Any theories?”

“None at all. It is her power, not mine. I do not know why she has failed.” He leans his head on Anessa’s shoulder. “You are welcome to watch, of course. Your keen eye might spot something the rest of us have missed.”

“I am not going to watch, god damn it. I refuse.”

Anessa coughs again. “You really don’t have to. I probably just need to try again and focus properly.”

“Hell does that even mean, focus properly? Do you need to concentrate hard to lock powers away?”

“Well, no, not usually. But maybe now I do, just because he’s got so many? I can kinda feel them all in there when we’re going at it, like I’m.... I don’t even know how to describe it... interfacing? Like there’s a system there and I can tweak it, but maybe because there’s so many options I’m getting confused?”

“But you easily locked them all away the first time. Why can’t you do that again?”

“Um, I don’t know. Usually it’s just like an on-off switch, I never really thought about it much.”

“He’s resisting somehow, that’s the only answer.”

“But I don’t even know how. My power isn’t really, you know, much of a co-operative thing. I get in there, make them cum and change them up a bit somehow. Not that I actually know how I change them, apart from them needing my dick on the regular after.”

A long drag on the vape. “I hate that I need to have a conversation about your dick. Why do we have to talk this out? Why can’t you just know how your own power works?”

“Well, it never failed before. And it’s not like I’ve really put in a lot of practice in turning powers on and off. With the other boys it was just, like, an awkward period of coming to terms with things after the first time, then an awkward acceptance, then some awkward sex that turned fantastic and then it was just all fantastic sex from there. When I gave them their powers back I never needed to take them away again. I didn’t really know this could happen.”

Radiance turns her head slightly toward his, still resting on Anessa’s shoulder. “So what is it? What are you doing that’s complicating things?”

“I haven’t the faintest clue. All I can do is try my best to keep my voice in check so I don’t make too many embarrassing sounds. It is very difficult. Anessa is quite the lover.”

Radiance closes her eyes and he can see her jaw moving as she grinds her teeth. “I mean it when I say I’m going to send you to a jail out in orbit if this keeps happening, jackass. It really is in your best interests to work with me here.”

He huddles even closer to Anessa. “I’m very sorry.”

Anessa’s arm grips him tighter and she opens her mouth to speak before thinking better of it and drawing in a deep breath instead. Yes, he will drive a wedge between these two.

“Fuck it. Tell me in detail how your last attempt went. Just don’t make it too graphic.”

“Well, it started off with him on top, since he asked for that.”

Radiance narrows her eyes at him. “And why was that?”

He averts his eyes. “Anessa usually does all the work, so I wanted to try a new position where I could control the pace myself.” He bites his lip for a moment. “And maybe having an unobstructed view of her toned body as I rode her was an enticing prospect.”

Anessa sucks in a breath, the python in her shorts undoubtedly stirring. Yes, this simpleton will dance in the palm of his hand. Radiance looks increasingly annoyed.

“Okay, then. What happened next?”

“He did a really good job taking me by himself considering how big I am, a real trooper, and he started dribbling a bit, you know-”

“Shut up. Those are unnecessary details. What was the next important thing that happened?”

“Oh, I guess it was Irene arriving.”

“Fuck’s sake, why wouldn’t you lead with that? What did she do?”

“Well, she spanked Maddie real hard.”

A twitch in the eye. A quick gnashing of teeth. A drag from the vape.

“What in the actual fuck, Anessa?”

“I know, I know, next time I see her I’m gonna tell her she can’t hang out as much anymore. It was just real hot, okay? Maddie liked it and it kinda drove me to flip this little sweetheart onto his stomach and really pound him, like I was competing with her or something, I was like fucking jackhammer or-”

“Stop. God damn it. So Maddie was there to help you focus but Shadowdancer stopped that. I wish I didn’t know how she did it. Fuck. Never in a million years would I have expected her to get along with you.”

“She’s nice, okay? Kinda intense but she’s cool. Real domme vibes.”

“I don’t care! She’s not your friend! She’s a problem and she’s going to stay in her lane or there will be consequences.”

“Okay, Rady, I hear ya.”

“Sometimes I don’t think you do.” Radiance takes another deep drag. “Maybe you can test things out with the other two. Try locking their powers away and ask them to try and resist you somehow, see if they can figure something out. Maybe they know something already. Have you asked them how it worked for them when you stopped them originally?”

“Way ahead of you! Already spoke with Nate about our first time. It was... interesting, but nothing that revealed too much.”

“Any hints?”

“Nah, not really. It was a private conversation so I’m not gonna tell any details, but I’m sure there was no answer to my dilemma. I know the power-lock wasn’t consensual there, just like it wasn’t that way with my poor sweetheart here. Nate started off resisting but couldn’t really do anything so he just kinda gave up. And then it was all sunshine and rainbows from there.”

“But this guy kept up the resistance the whole time?”

“Well, um, no, I kinda knocked him out with my first cumshot, because Maddie was keeping me focused so I wasn’t mindlessly horny and kept myself from going overboard. All the powers were locked away so I figured there was no harm stopping right there.”

Radiance’s eyes are losing their luster again. “This isn’t what I signed up for. Being a hero has its downsides, but this shouldn’t be one of them. How many... cumshots... did the other two receive?”

“Oh, um, it was like, all night long for both of them so, like, maybe a dozen?”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“I’m sorry, I get really fucking horny when I fight, okay? It’s probably the adrenaline or whatever and also they’re really damn hot so that didn’t help and they came even more than me so it wasn’t like I was just working on my own, they kept turning me on with their little whimpers, okay, do you have any idea how hot it is to feel a pretty guy cumming for you as you pound him all night long with your big fat-”

“Shut! Up! Stop it!” Another deep drag. “So. His defeat was different. He wanted to be on top. Shadowdancer keeps disrupting. And he’s playing on your emotions by hanging onto you like he’s scared.”

Anessa holds him tight rather than question herself. “Well, you are a little scary, Rady. And he’s actually a sweetheart.”

“No, he isn’t. But it doesn’t matter. You’re locking away that power right now. Restrain him. I won’t be looking but I’ll be in the room, so that if Shadowdancer shows up I can scare her off immediately. You’ll keep going until you succeed.”

“Um, okay. Yeah, I’ve got just the room.” She jumps to her feet, scooping him into her arms in a surprisingly smooth motion. “Let’s go, babe. Could get kinda intense, but I promise I’ll make it feel good.”

“Wait. Take the thing before I forget.” Radiance disappears from the chair and reappears near the little box in the window sill. “This should keep him from using the shape-shifting to mess with the process.” She opens the box, revealing something faintly green. “Bun-Bun seemed weirdly on the level when we spoke, but I’m hoping she wasn’t just fucking with me. This right here should slow your shape-shifting down, at least around the area it touches. It’s also got some tech in it, so if you run off somewhere we can track you and if you take it off we’ll immediately know.”

“But it looks cute, so you don’t gotta worry about that.”

Radiance frowns. Then she pulls the thing out of the box and frowns harder as it jingles. It looks to be a green choker or collar with a bell attached.

“What the fuck is this?”

“You told me to send them specs for what I thought would be best so I asked for, like, a kitty collar but for men.”

“You were supposed to send specs on the size needed, so it would fit him. Not this. An incredibly rare meteorite alloy... and you had them make fetish gear out of it?”

“It’s not fetish gear, Rady. He’s just been eavesdropping lately so I thought a cute little kitty collar was a nice way to stop that.”

“How can you say something like that as if it’s completely normal?”

“It’s really not that weird,” Anessa says as she puts him down, snatches the cat collar for men and fastens it around his neck before giving the bell a little push with her finger, making it jingle irritatingly.

“Right. Not weird at all.” Radiance taps her fingers on the vape before putting it away and fishing out a cigarette. “He doesn’t look happy about it, so I guess that’s a good sign at least. Get everything ready for... the procedure. The thing. I’ll be right back.”

She disappears and reappears in the doorway and then disappears once more. Anessa scoops him up again and starts trundling off with him in her arms, the ridiculous bell jingling slightly the entire way.

 

The look on Radiance’s face when she returns is hard to parse. Resignation, sadness and confusion are all viable candidates. Madeleine’s face is more animated as she steps inside and takes in his situation. A blush rises quickly on her cheeks and from her look he reads both excitement and embarrassment. His own face is hopefully an emotionless mask.

The situation is unusual. He is suspended from the ceiling, wearing nothing but that damned collar, panties and pantyhose as he dangles in mid air at roughly hip height for Anessa, who stands behind him and out of sight. With the amount of rope binding him, he could be said to be wearing it too.

His arms are behind him, with the elbows sticking out to the side and his hands tied together right behind his head, ropes reaching from each arm up to a hook in the ceiling. His torso is criss-crossed with superfluous amounts of rope, with one connection to the hook. His legs are splayed slightly apart, folded back with coils of rope around his thighs and shins pressing them together so his heels are close to his buttocks, with each leg connected to the hook via even more rope. He hangs there not quite horizontal, his upper body a bit higher than the lower. His head is held highest, as his long hair is tied to the superfluous ropes around his back, keeping it slightly craned back.

Radiance finally lets out a sigh. “I don’t know what I expected. This feels unnecessarily elaborate.” She sighs again, rubbing her temple. “Fucking hell. Just imagine if word got out this is what the League does to villains.”

“You think we’d have more or less villains?”

“I think we’d have the Council of Nations launching inquiries and strongly urging our top brass to resign. Though probably I’d have plenty of powerful actors trying to suppress the news and blackmail me.”

Anessa hums behind him. “Guess I could see that. Still, this is so weird I don’t think most people would believe it.”

Radiance fishes out her vape again, taking yet another drag. Nicotine must constitute a decent percentage of her body. “Right. Anyway. I guess he’s restrained. Won’t be moving a muscle, will he?”

A hand pushes him lightly, making him sway in place. “Nope, all trussed up. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

“I can tell. And that plastic sheet on the floor I guess you just had lying around. Ugh, I’m learning more than I want to know about you. Why did you have to make it a sex swing kind of thing?”

“Well, I... it just seemed like the thing to do.”

“Okay. Whatever. If it works there’s no problem. I need to stop focusing on all the useless details. Whatever is going on, we should now have pre-empted any move from him. Do what you gotta do. Until that shapeshifting is locked away again. If Bun-Bun was telling me the truth, he could lose control of it and then things will get nasty. It’s gotta go.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll do my best.”

She flits her eyes at him. “Shouldn’t you have taken all the clothes off before tying him up like that?”

“Nah, I wanted to do this.” Anessa rips his pantyhose apart, revealing his panties.

Radiance looks away, turning her back on them. “You fucking asshole. Why?”

“It’s just fun, okay? I’ll get him new ones, it’s fine.” She pulls at his panties, but they cannot go far on his bound form. “Shit, you’re right, I should have stripped him completely. Damn.” He feels her breath on his backside and then her nose poking him as she bites his underwear and rips it apart with her teeth. “I’ll get you a new one of those too. Sorry.”

“Alright, okay, I’m taking a seat here. I’ll keep an eye out on this half of the room, where I don’t have to see anything I will never be able to unsee. Madeleine, you go sit in that corner, keep watch over what I don’t see. My headphones should cancel out all noise, so talk straight into my brain if Shadowdancer shows up or anything weird starts happening. I’ll be listening to League communications, so if something serious pops up I might leave for a hot minute to deal with it. But then I’ll be right back. This isn’t over until I say it is.”

“Okay, Rady. Roger that.”

Madeleine moves a chair to the corner of the room and sits down, crossing her legs and then looking right at him. Radiance sits down in front of him with her back turned, putting on a hefty pair of headphones.

“Alright. Do it.”

He feels Anessa’s hand on his behind, stroking one cheek. “Okay, sweetie, let’s get to it. I know this is super weird and all, but it’s gotta be done. I’ll make you feel real good, so just try and enjoy it and let me lock away that nasty power.”

Next he feels her spreading his cheeks and the head of her oversized member pressing at his entrance. He jerks a little in his bindings, with minimal effect. It is an odd sensation, simply hanging there unable to move as she prepares to take him. This is a new level of helplessness.

“Try and relax for me, okay? Here we go.”

She enters him slowly and he doesn’t quite know where to look as his body delights in the sensation. He settles for staring hard at the back of Radiance’s head. Then Anessa rushes the rest of the way in, her hips colliding into him with enough force to make the little bell on his collar jingle.

Three quick thrusts follow, the last of them strong enough to make him swing forward in the ropes only to collide back into her fourth. It makes the bell ring louder, his body swing further, and bullies the first drop out of his dangling member. The thrusts are relatively slow after that, but each collision sends him swinging further, until nearly her entire length leaves him once he swings away, only to be driven all the way back in with considerable force.

His breathing remains steady and his face stays composed, but his body is already trembling in its restraints. Amid the slapping of her hips against him and the jingling of the bell he can hear the plastic sheet beneath him come under fire as his member begins a steady drip. It is getting hard to keep his gaze leveled at the back of Radiance’s head as he swings back and forth. Anessa lets out a pleased little sound somewhere between a grunt and a moan at their next collision. He thinks he knows why. He can feel ripples going through the cheeks of his backside each time his body slams against her and her sounds of appreciation seem to coincide with the ripples.

He tries to shift slightly in his bindings but to no avail. Anessa lets out a growl that turns into a drawn out moan, grabs onto his waist and pulls him forcefully back onto her length with the loudest slap yet. His whole body spasms helplessly and she holds him flush against her, grinding into him as he clenches hard around her, the plastic sheet beneath catching a spurt rather than a drop, then another and another as his body clenches and releases, clenches and releases.

His mouth drops open, but otherwise he maintains his composure, letting out only a choked little huff. He didn’t notice when it happened, but she is now cupping his chest with both hands, running a finger over each nipple as she grinds her hips against him, pushing him forward in this strange swinging contraption. He half wonders whether Radiance is unwittingly in the line of fire, but he cannot quite finish calculations before Anessa gives him another thrust that derails his thoughts.

Then she pulls back, only the head of her member remaining inside for just a moment, before the inevitable pull of gravity spears him on her monster once more. The clenching starts up again, but it is not accompanied by any further splashing on the plastic, his member seemingly content with returning its output to a drip.

He is in a tight spot. The shapeshifting is too good to give up, but this feels like it might reduce him to something pitiful if it carries on too long. Being sent off to an orbital jail cell would also present quite a challenge. Though it might be interesting to see what Anessa would do to him in the absence of gravity. But hardly worth it. Not very interesting at all, now that he gives it more thought.

“This is taking too long. Aren’t your orgasms the catalyst? Can you speed it up?”

Radiance to the rescue. He looks over at Madeleine who seems to be looking at Anessa.

“Ugh, what the hell? Rady better not order me to cum. This is weird enough as is.” She sighs, though it sounds a bit off. “But I guess she’s the boss. Sorry, babe, I’m gonna go a bit hard.”

She does indeed go hard. The next thrust is powerful, as is the one right after, as she puts both hands around his waist and pulls him back onto her at great speed, slamming her hips forward to meet him. He can’t hold back a surprised gasp at the rising intensity, which then morphs into a prolonged, stuttering growl at the back of his throat that he can’t seem to stop. His body is trying to move, but only his fingers and toes have free reign to stretch and flex in confused attempts at doing something. His eyes seem to be trying to squeeze shut but he stops them midway, leaving him squinting. With great effort he shuts his gasping mouth, the groan having to force its way through his clenched teeth. Then he is trembling in a paroxysm of pleasure, toes curling and fingernails digging into his palms as the plastic sheet receives more erratic spurts from his member. His body is trying to clench down on her and hold her fast but she keeps plowing through its defenses, somehow ratcheting the pleasure to a higher level. She starts moaning, hopefully drowning out his own voice, and he imagines he can feel her member grow inside him, rearing up to unleash another of her deluges into him. This feels too good. Usually when he starts spasming like this she slows down and lets his body clamp down on her as it wishes, but the feeling of her ignoring it and hammering on in chase of her own orgasm while he hangs there helpless like he is nothing but a toy for her pleasure is frankly incredible. Though to be fair, he would to the untrained eye seem to be taking far greater pleasure from this than she, hardly moving a muscle yet orgasming incessantly.

He can do nothing but take it, body trembling and hanging penis twitching, occasionally spurting globs onto the sheet beneath him in abject indignation at this treatment. Her moans change pitch and he can feel her twitching inside him, so he channels all his energy into what truly matters. He will not be relinquishing the power he has worked so hard to claw back. There may be harsh consequences if he withstands this onslaught, but he cannot allow himself to give in.

Her voice rises to almost a roar as she starts orgasming and there is only one thought on his mind: He will persevere. Her thrusts become shallower and lose most of their power as she tries to get as deep inside him as she can get, his still fluttering insides helping squeeze her release out of her gargantuan member. His fingers and toes finally relax and he lets his eyes close for a moment, wishing his head wasn’t held bound by his hair so he could let it droop a moment.

“First round,” Anessa pants, “is over. No dice.”

Madeleine turns her eyes to Radiance, who lifts the vape to her mouth. “Again.”

He focuses his eyes on the back of Radiance’s head again as his body slowly stops squeezing Anessa’s still twitching length. Hopefully the headphones are perfectly soundproof. She might never take him seriously as a villain if she were intimately familiar with the sounds of him being ravaged by a penis of monstrous size. Though perhaps simply by her knowing what is going on behind her the damage may already be done.

“Okay,” Anessa pants, “just a couple of minutes, then I’ll be ready to go.”

She is still lodged inside him at full mast, but has ceased twitching. The only movement now is one thumb stroking the sole of his foot and one hand stroking the side of his waist. He is uncertain what exactly his plan should be, but this is an opportunity to take the initiative. He cannot give in, so knocking Anessa off kilter is bound to be useful. A telekinetic force latches onto his torso and then pulls him forward, dragging him off most of her length.

“Huh?”

He rams himself hard back onto her, feeling the mightiest ripple so far go through his buttocks. Anessa gasps but he offers no respite, pulling himself off her once more and leaving only the head inside before he throws himself back and impactis hard enough to make both his teeth and the bell on his collar rattle.

“Oh, fuck, babe, damn! Oooh-hoo-hooh, fuck!”

She puts both hands back on his waist and starts pounding away. It takes some doing, but he finds a rhythm to his telekinetic pushing and pulling that matches the tempo of her thrusts. His toes start curling again, but he maintains his composure. Anessa does not seem to have actually needed those minutes for a refractory period, but hopefully this at least reduces her composure.

“I fucking love it, babe, but I don’t know if my set-up can take that force for too long, so maybe tone it down for now. I’ll fix it up strong so next time you can take this cock as hard as you want.”

Tearing this set-up free from the ceiling might send a strong message, but it is too early in the proceedings for that. Perhaps he should do it in the middle of one of her orgasms, knocking her over when she least expects it. For now, he tones it down, only slightly assisting her steady thrusts.

She keeps it shallow but quick, keeping an even tempo that he easily adjusts to. He looks over at Madeleine. She has turned a bit red in the face and undone the top button on her shirt. Her eyes seem to flit between him and Anessa and Radiance, the latter probably being the only reason she is maintaining this level of decorum. Her eyes meet his and she swallows thickly before letting her gaze roam over the room as if she were taking her job of sentry seriously.

Anessa suddenly changes up the pace and he draws in a hissing breath. She gives him a few slow and deep strokes before hitting him with a flurry of thrusts that slap into him. His member starts dripping again. She goes all the way in and stirs him up, then returns to a steady pace, repeatedly pulling him nearly all the way off her before rushing back all the way in.

The renewed fluttering of his body along the entire length of her monster is distracting, but he turns his focus to Radiance. She seems to be leaning forward in her seat, one arm resting on her knee while the other is raising her trusty vape to her lips. He wonders if anyone has ever tried poisoning her nicotine supply. It would of course be hard to get access to it, but this is a weakness if he has ever seen one. She must order in bulk, so perhaps her supplier could be tracked down with some effort and the stash tampered with before it reaches her. Though she might well have it tested before use. But knowing human nature, those tests might only be thorough on paper. Routine dulls all sense of danger. Yes, this might be interesting to look into.

He is brought back to the moment by Anessa bringing his swinging momentum to a halt, his collar jingling mightily before falling silent. And then she starts slamming hard into him while she holds him in place. Drops are flung from his member, but they still do not threaten to strike Radiance. But as Anessa keeps striking him firm and fast his toes start curling again and the clenching returns.

Madeleine is staring right at them again, lips slightly open as the blush keeps rising in her cheeks. She is sitting completely upright, legs pressed hard together, but her whole look seems somewhat disheveled. He reaches out with his power, subtly pushing this way and that before he finds her tie. Then he yanks down on it, causing her to jerk in her seat with a look of utter shock as she looks down at her unexpectedly hostile clothing.

He narrows his eyes in amusement and turns his gaze to the back of Radiance’s head as his body trembles and spurts a few more globs onto the plastic beneath him. Anessa speeds up much as she did earlier, plowing through the meager resistance offered by his clenching insides, once again convincing his body that this is an exquisite feeling worthy of a continuous stream of offerings in the form of repeated spurts from his dangling member.

Soon she is moaning deeply again before slamming her hips flush with his and announcing her orgasm with a low growl. His own voice is letting out some strange little gasps, but he does not worry about it. As she floods him he focuses and once again there is only one thing on his mind: No matter how great she can make him feel, he will persevere.

He pulls himself gently back and forth on her length with his telekinesis, willing his muscles to milk her member for all its worth. He may look helpless, yet he is anything but.

“Again.”

She spends a few minutes just stroking his body, teasing his nipples, planting a few kisses on his strained neck, groping his backside. Then she’s pounding away again and a long sigh is forced out of him at the return of this inescapable pleasure.

The sigh ends, but his breathing does not return to normal. It comes out in repeated little huffs, and soon he feels there is a bit of drool coming from his mouth that seems completely averse to closing. Occasionally a little groan comes from the back of his throat when she hilts herself inside him.

He ponders just what he can do as he endures the bizarre sensations of swinging back and forth, as Radiance keeps vaping in front of them and Madeleine tries not to stare too hard as she seemingly agonizes over where exactly her hands should be. Back and forth he swings, repeatedly coming nearly free of Anessa only to be impaled again on that incredible penis. The situation is quite strange.

He will not be able to walk away from this without losing something. If he endures Anessa forever, Radiance will lock him away in orbit. That is not a situation he could easily remedy. Losing the shape shifting is still too harsh a cost. It is so strong and so versatile. And so far, Bun-Bun’s words seem to hold true, so he feels no discomfort while using it.

A hard slam followed by a grinding motion deep inside him forces his thoughts to a halt as his mouth gapes wider and a choked moan crawls out of him and drool runs down his chin and drips onto the sheet below in solidarity with the drops from his member. She is so big it feels like she hits every conceivable spot inside him when she does that.

As she returns to thrusting a satisfied sounding sigh escapes him and his penis contentedly settles back into a steady dripping. If his body still held any misgivings regarding this sizable invader it has surely put them all aside now and declared the intruder a guest of honor. It may be hard for it to accept separation from it once he finally escapes, so it is probably a good thing Irene was gifted with a replica of it.

The mere thought of Irene thrusting into him with this member causes him another spasming fit, somehow even stronger than the ones that have come before. Anessa moans long and deep as he seizes up around her, taking her hands off his waist so their only point of contact is their hips as she jackhammers into him with shallow thrusts that are driving his body wild, causing it to quiver and shake in its bonds, only his fingers and toes free to clench and claw at the air, and his penis free to twitch and shudder as it spurts yet again.

The start of Anessa’s orgasm is more subdued this time, heralded by a contented moan that makes it sound like she may be losing focus in favor of basking in the sensations. She does not pull him onto her or push all the way inside, but keeps up the shallow thrusts as she ejaculates inside him. Still there is only one thought on his mind: No matter how oddly satisfying it feels when she fills him with that warm flood, he will persevere.

Only when the jingling of his bell stops does he notice that it was creating noise to begin with. The only sounds in the room now is their heavy breathing and the dripping of his drool and ejaculate onto the plastic sheet below. Though Madeleine also seems to be breathing heavy.

“Again.”

Soon enough, it does start again. At some point his body has started trembling and simply refused to stop. The moans and the drops hitting the plastic and the slaps of her powerful hips into him and the jingling of that stupid bell are all mixing into one. He focuses on keeping his voice down with minimal success, but manages to at least reduce it to a series of gasping moans rather than loud ones. He tries to focus on staring Madeleine down, but looking anywhere other than straight ahead seems difficult, as if his body is threatening to go cross-eyed if he taxes it further by looking at anything in particular. He has to be satisfied with an unfocused view of the entire room, vaguely seeing Madeleine squirming in her seat off to the side while Radiance just keeps on vaping. How much can one such device hold?

The next bout of spasming and spurting hits and he squeezes his eyes shut as soon as he feels himself going cross-eyed. The keening sound coming from him drives home the point that he is now in serious danger. Anessa moans in response and starts thrusting even faster, but her next orgasm is not triggered. But he needs it, needs it right this instant so they can get another few moments of respite. He guesses the distance with his telekinesis, gives one prod to ascertain the target. Then an invisible force slaps her buttocks hard, causing her to ram forward with a yelp, driving all the way into him with an offbeat, powerful thrust that sets him off again.

“Oh-ho-ho, fuck! You kinky little fucking bitch, I fucking love it!”

She slaps his behind in retaliation.

“Right back at ya, babe!” Another slap, then another and another. “Ooh, fuck yeah, tighten up around me, there you go, fuck, that’s it.”

From the corner of his eyes he can see Madeleine jump in her seat, legs firmly pressed together and hands gripping onto the bottom of her seat.

“Yeah, babe, yeah,” Anessa pants, the floodgates of her mouth seemingly opened, “I’m close, get ready for it. Just keep squirting for me, it turns me on so fucking much, you can’t even imagine.”

Annoyingly, he does resume that activity just after she says that.

“Yeah, that’s it, fuck yeah. Take it, you beautiful, perfect little bitch. Take it!” Her thrusts turn feral, slamming into him with renewed fervor, making him worry the hook in the ceiling might come lose, leaving him to be held aloft by nothing but her member.

“Take it!” She starts punctuating her words with violent thrusts into him. “Take! My! Fat! Fucking! Cock!”

Then she groans and growls as she starts orgasming once more, pulling him all the way back onto her. He feels a drop of what must be drool hitting his buttocks as she lets out a string of strange, hoarse sounds. He will persevere. No matter how much his body loves the feeling of her orgasming inside him, he will persevere. The power is his.

“God, it’s so fucking good. You’re so fucking good. I wanna fuck you all night long, fuck you so hard you can’t walk after, fuck you so good you won’t even wanna leave. God, you were made for this, fuck.”

She slows down for a moment and he tries to collect himself. But then Anessa and Radiance speak in unison.

“Again.”

She immediately returns to thrusting full force and he knows he is in trouble. If only Irene were here. Not that he would expect her to be able to help him currently, but just the sight of her would be welcome. He has to think. Maybe he can give up the lightning power and trick her into thinking it was the shapeshifting one. It’s the least useful one he has currently.

“Yeah, you were fucking made for this. The perfect little coquettish cock-tease that gets me all riled up, then a perfect, kinky little freak in bed to wring me fucking dry, hungry for every last drop of cum I’ve got, fuck.”

This is bad. Endless little moans now flow from him, at roughly the same rate as the output of his drooling penis. It feels incredible and he can’t take it much longer.

“I wanna make you scream my name in ecstasy. I wanna make you cum your brains out hard enough for you to call me mommy and then curl up in my arms and let me kiss your perfect fucking face all over and then letting me get one last moan out of you by telling you what a good boy you were for mommy before you drift off to sleep. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I wanna make my cock the best thing you’ve ever had in your life. Let’s have a wedding, with you as the bride and my fat cock as the groom.”

It’s not fair. He belongs to Irene. But now having realized that and accepted it he finds himself without her, being pleasured out of his mind by this absurd bully. Yes, that is what this cock of hers is doing, it’s bullying him. Except it’s not his lunch money that he’s being forced to part with. Nonsense. His thoughts are losing cohesion.

“Cum for me again, beautiful, I wanna see it, I wanna hear it, I wanna feel it. Cum for mama.”

He does. His trembling body takes things up a notch, nails digging into his palms as he grits his teeth and tries in vain to hold back a moan as his insides go wild around her cock as it keeps plunging into him at such speed his body can barely comprehend where exactly that amazing pressure is, registering it only as bliss all over as he spurts and spurts helplessly in this humiliating position. He thinks he may actually be losing his mind from pleasure, a thought which is surely indicative of exactly that loss of sanity.

“Fuck yeah, that’s it, that’s a good boy. Such a good boy for mommy.”

She stops her thrusting to grind into him and he notices the bell is jingling continually, shaken by nothing but the trembling of his orgasming body. Damn it. Then she starts up again, hammering into him.

“I’m gonna pound this pussy so good it’ll never forget my shape. Yeah, you’ll be able to pick me out of a line-up blind-folded with both hands tied behind your back. Fuck, it’s so fucking good.”

He has to give a power up. It feels too amazing. It’s too much. If this goes on much longer his mind may cease to function, leaving his body truly at their mercy, his power once again theirs for the taking. He cannot allow it to happen, but her magnificent member is wearing him down, pushing him over the edge again and again. If only Irene were here.

“Fuck, get ready, babe, I’m about to hose you down again.”

And then he sees it. A slight off patch in the wall to his side. He moves his eyes over, the entirety of his being focused on this task even as his body is relentlessly pounded and pleasured by the damned sex machine behind him. There is some dark hair poking out of the shadow on the wall, and beneath it are those beautiful pools of darkness that constitute Irene’s eyes, staring straight at him. Relief floods his being.

“Fuck, almost there, almost there, here it comes. Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes-”

Stubborn resistance is well and good, but the situation calls for subterfuge. He will give up a power, but not the one they want. Yes, that is the solution. He wants to give up the lightning. And instead he will take the power of silence back. Such a harmless little power, no one should mind. Not that Anessa has much of a mind. She slams into him with shuddering force.

“YES!”

As she starts flooding him yet again he uses the telekinesis to pull her hard against him, forcing her as deep as she can go, seemingly enthusiastically accepting her. She moans in response, one hand finding his nipple and pinching it. He spurts once more onto the plastic, but it barely registers. He can feel the change. Yes, it is the lightning that fades. And just as he desired, the gift of silence is returned to him. This is not defeat.

For a long while he holds her there, pressed up against him, imprisoned inside him. Her moans take a long time to die out, as does her orgasm. Finally, she takes her hands off him, leaning back from him and panting heavily.

“I did it! I finally did it!”

Irene’s eyes sink into the wall and disappear. Madeleine’s gaze flits to Radiance, who puts down her vape and then takes off the headphones.

“All of them? Or just the shapeshifting?”

One hand returns to his buttocks, stroking softly.

“Well... technically it was the lightning one. But that’s definitely progress.”

Radiance sits up straight, rolls her shoulders. “Again.”

“Hey, no, okay, Rady, I’m spent, okay? We did good, but I can’t keep going, seriously.”

“I thought you said you did it about a dozen times with the other two.”

“Well, that was different, alright? Because of battle adrenaline, you know, the danger turned me on real bad, surviving made me wanna fuck super hard, you know how it is. This right here was not a fight, it was a weird, super sexy thing but kinda chill. So I’m spent and I got no adrenaline to boost me.”

Radiance raises the vape to her mouth again, still not turning around. Anessa lifts his entire body, detaching his bindings from the ceiling and taking him into her arms, stepping back off the plastic sheet. She pushes his front against her, leaving his hands and feet still awkwardly bound behind him. It is an odd position to be in, especially since she uses his body to press her still rock hard erection flush against herself. Feeling his own member held up against that giant is a bizarre sensation.

“Hmm,” is Radiance’s eventual reply.

Without saying a word, Madeleine runs out of the room. Anessa unties his hair and his head immediately drops onto her shoulder. Then she puts one hand between his shoulder blades and one on his behind and starts rubbing him against herself. He is torn between being thankful she has stopped railing him and indignant at the fact she seems to be using him as a masturbatory aid.

Exhaustion wins and he simply sighs into her shoulder as his face lightly rises and falls atop it as she moves. Let the bizarre woman do as she wills, as long as she does not give away the fact that she is not spent at all. It is a comforting thought that these two are not on the same page.

Madeleine returns, draping a bed sheet over them. Anessa stops grinding him onto her and merely holds him tight. Remaining stuck in this strange bondage makes it a very odd sensation.

“Sounds like you failed,” Radiance says behind him, sounding like she has finally turned around. “Jesus. Can that sheet go away? Thank you.”

From the sounds of it, Madeleine starts maneuvering it away. He does not envy her. The thought that Radiance now knows exactly what effect this whole ordeal had on him is an uncomfortable one. She will definitely have a hard time taking him seriously as a villain. Though that might be a positive, in a way.

“Yeah, thanks, Maddie. And come on, I didn’t fail, this was a breakthrough! Now I know it can take a few tries and it’s hard to pick one power at a time and it’s better if Irene isn’t distracting me with her cool and mysterious vibes.”

“A breakthrough, sure. Then how about we try again in an hour or two?”

“Nah, Rady, nah, I’m seriously done for the night, I can’t cum any more.”

He hears a sucking on the vape. It is possible that Radiance would assume a lot of the spots on the plastic were from Anessa. She would hardly know the minutiae of Anessa’s power and should therefore expect plenty of her sperm to wind up outside him after such a chain of events. Yes, that is a consoling thought.

“Fine. There’s something happening in the Alps that I guess I should take a look at, anyway. We’ll call it quits for now. Tomorrow, we will get the shapeshifting. And if Anessa still can’t do it, Madeleine, you will have to go inside his head. Failure is not an option.”

“Sure, Rady, sure. See you tomorrow.”

A moment passes in silence, then another and another. Anessa sighs deeply, then starts rubbing him against her again. She plants a kiss on his ear, leaving her nose probing into his hair.

“I’m sorry, I got really carried away there. I’m not gonna lie: that felt so, so good. And I feel so bad about it. Fuck, you looked incredible all tied up like that. Some day we’ll work things out and I’ll give you your powers back and we’ll have fun like this in a calmer atmosphere and it’ll be just great.”

He lets her embrace him, too exhausted to even think of a snide comment. He has never experienced weariness quite like this. It feels like he might pass out, but her monster remains rock hard. She really is dangerous, no matter how ridiculous she may be.

“I’m sure Irene would agree you look nice in ropes and I’m sure you would love to be tied up for her. We’ll get through this. Things will be fun again.”

She keeps pulling him into her and up and down, making his little member rub repeatedly against her mammoth one as he remains helpless in her grasp. It is starting to annoy him. To overcome the feeling he decides to focus on the fact her hardness is indicative of some discord between her and Radiance. Driving a wedge between them is very much possible.

“Could you release me from these restraints now?”

“Oh, shoot, right, that’s what I was gonna do.” She grinds him up against her member one last time with a groan before releasing the pressure and starting to undo his bindings. ”You seriously look so fucking good in bondage, though, hot damn, we really, really need to do this again some time, whatever it takes. Hey, picture this: All three of my boys wearing nothing but a loincloth, hands tied behind their backs so they push them tits out, golden collar and chain around their necks so I can pull them around, like you’re my sexy slave boys and I’m a Hutt.”

She momentarily pauses her tirade to lift his head off her shoulder and lick the length of his face. Why is she so strange? And how desensitized to her nonsense has he become that her licking his face only registers as a mild annoyance? Perhaps his exhaustion plays a part in it.

“Mmm, yeah, yeah, a gross and disturbing alien girl with her captive pretty boys, maybe she would force you all to start making out for her, you know how- Sorry. Sorry. Thanks, Maddie. I can’t even remember how many times I came. Don’t know why I’m getting horny again. I’m sorry. You know I’d love to see you pretty boys making out, maybe teaming up to suck my dick, but you don’t have to ever do that, no matter how hot it would be. Sorry.”

He stretches out his arms as they come free, shaking them slightly to get the blood flowing properly. As soon as his legs are free he stretches them out, fighting off a numb stiffness. She pulls him tight again and stands up with one arm around him and the other latched onto his behind. He furrows his brow. Is she helping him stand just as an excuse to cop a feel? Ridiculous. He pushes against her and she relinquishes her hold, only to grab him again as his legs buckle.

“I got you, babe, no worries. Want mama to carry you?”

He latches onto himself with telekinetic force and yanks himself free, floating irritated in place before her.

“No. I do not.”

He slowly turns in place and gestures at his clothes on the floor, the ones that were not torn. Madeleine hands him his sweater and skirt. He struggles a bit but eventually manages to put them both on as he hovers. Then he begins the telekinetic float of shame back to his room.

“You don’t want me to walk you home?”

What the hell does that even mean? He turns himself to look at her, narrowing his eyes. “I am only traversing a few rooms.” He starts turning back but stops mid-way. “And this is not my home.”

He floats out the door. Mere moments later he hears her bounding footsteps.

“Hey, I think I might have left my nail clippers in your room, I’m gonna see if I can find them.”

“You did not.”

“I’ll just take a super quick look, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“It really is only a few rooms away.”

“Yeah, but I just wanna make sure you don’t fall or anything.”

“I am in complete control. I will not fall.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m a worrier.”

“I do not care. You can stop now. I know your nail clippers are not in there.”

“Okay. I couldn’t find the lawn mower this morning, though. Better take a look in your room, just to be sure.”

“Ridiculous. Patently ridiculous.”

“Yeah, I know. I know.”

He floats down the hall, through the door and onto the bed, where he lets himself fall with a thud. Looking back he sees Anessa peering exaggeratedly around the room.

“Huh, no lawn mower and no nail clippers. Oh, well. Good night! And good night to you too, Irene.”

“Yes,” she says as she flows fully out of the corner. “Good night.”

The atmosphere in this damned place is so extremely odd. But his confusion and annoyance evaporate as Irene joins him on the bed, her cool hand finding his. Everything is under control.

Chapter 12: Laying the groundwork

He paces his room under Irene’s watchful gaze, stiletto heels striking the floor in absolute silence. Even though the clacking is half the fun of these things he still feels great satisfaction at this enhanced stealthiness. Even that ridiculous bell around his neck gives no sound as it shakes with his movements. Irene steps toward him with her arm raised and he stops in his tracks.

“Impressive. But what exactly is this?”

She lifts the little bell with a single finger and for some reason a shiver goes through him.

“Apparently it interferes with the shapeshifting. And supposedly contains a tracker.”

“Hmm. How does it interfere?”

He tries to shift his neck into that of a giraffe, but it is as if his shifting flesh is swimming against a current. There is a change, but it is slow and limited. He shifts his hands into pincers with little difficulty.

“It seems to slow me down greatly, but only around the area of contact. It does not expand, so I suppose my neck must stay at this size.”

“Constraining, but manageable.”

“Yes, this is a mere nuisance. The possibility of repeated prolonged... sessions is what bothers me. Anessa’s seemingly weak will can not be so easily exploited while she is following Radiance’s commands.”

“It is a disturbing prospect. I have no doubt you could resist Anessa for eternity, but Radiance is a different foe altogether. I greatly fear what she may do if her patience runs out.”

“She threatened to place me in orbit.”

She puts one hand on his waist and the other in his hand, starting a slow dance and leaning close to whisper to him. “That would make things difficult. Still, I think I could pull some strings if it came to pass. It would be dangerous and expensive, but I would stop at nothing.”

“Thank you. Your determination inspires me.”

“Think nothing of it. But my true fear is that she might come to consider you too dangerous and simply decide to execute you. I could give a warning in advance that my response would be drastic, but then she might simply decide to summarily execute me.”

“Is Radiance fond of executions?”

“Not exactly. But I have heard eyewitness accounts that contradict the official story of Devastator’s death. According to them he was already beaten, his war machines in ruins around him. But a number of hostages were dead so without saying a word, she disintegrated his torso.”

Their steps are slow and ponderous. He feels his outfit consisting of a crop top, short skirt, fishnet stockings and stiletto heels ill fits this dance, but makes no comment. “I see. How long did that take her?”

“An instant, supposedly.”

“Hmm. The shapeshifting power gives me great confidence in enduring bodily harm, but instant disintegration may be too much. If only there were a way to get her to attack Bun-Bun and observe the results. ”

“I do not know how we can deal with her oppressive power. Mind-altering powers might be the only answer to her, but they do not offer instant victory while her power does.”

“There are two powerful telepaths in this very building. But reclaiming my original power, taking theirs and then overcoming Radiance with it sounds like rather a tall order.”

“If we could somehow bend Anessa to our will so that she would relinquish your powers without alerting anyone we might achieve it.”

“I feel the chances of completely dominating her will or turning her to villainy are quite slim.”

She dips him slowly, confidently.

“I agree with that assessment. But fooling her into thinking you wish to help people might well be possible.”

He lets her hold him there as he ponders, one heeled foot steady on the floor while the other curls around her leg.

“Yes, that should be possible. Though in that scenario Radiance once more stands in our way. Their current agreement is that Anessa may not take any decision regarding my powers without her input.”

She pulls him back up and they resume the dance.

“Perhaps we could lay the groundwork for this and earn as much of Anessa’s trust as we can. Then I could hire the Undying to put on a good distraction for Radiance and use the opportunity to overwhelm Anessa. Once your powers are returned we would then convince her not to reveal it, as that would result in your death at the hands of Radiance. I believe she would fold. Then you could consider taking the telepaths’ power.”

“Yes. This does sound plausible. Let us attempt it.”

“Though it may be hard to earn her trust if you are locked away in this corner of the house.”

“That lock seems more symbolic than anything at this point. They have so far not seemed particularly perturbed by my excursions beyond it.”

“Are you capable of bypassing it without assistance?”

“I believe so, yes. I will now have to change my method, but it should be easy. Come, let me show you.”

They march out into the hallway, their footsteps completely silent. He shifts his ears into that of a cat on the way, then leans down before the locked door. His telekinetic force reaches out and soon he can feel and hear himself prodding at the lock.

“Is your hearing much enhanced by this change?”

“Yes, considerably.”

“Truly a formidable power.”

He feels the tumblers push into place. “Indeed. I cannot see the lock due to their meddling with my mind, yet I can feel it. Yes, I can feel each little tumbler falling into place. A fascinating sensation.”

The door opens and he rises to his full height.

“Impressive.”

“Thank you. Now, let us... wait.” His cat ears twitch. “Let us retreat. A lumbering oaf approaches.”

They stride in silence back to the room, the footsteps drawing closer behind them. He enters the room and grabs a book off the shelf so he can look natural. He hesitates for a moment while deciding on his optimal positioning, only to be pulled onto Irene’s lap. He flips the book open and crosses his legs just a moment before the door opens and Anessa sticks her head in. He finishes reading a sentence in the book, something about the surprisingly smooth timbre of a rough-looking cowboy’s voice, before looking up at her.

“Hey there.”

“Hello yourself.”

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not really. I was only reading.”

“Out loud? Or is Irene’s lap just comfy?”

“There is only the one chair. What were we to do?”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. So... that book any good?”

He inspects the cover and is greeted with the sight of a cowboy with his shirt only buttoned half way up.

“No, I cannot say it is. But these days I find myself aggressively expanding my horizons.”

“Well, sometimes silly smut is what you need. And Raunchy Rancher definitely delivers.”

He hesitates for but a moment. “Indeed. But I expect you wanted to discuss more than literature of questionable quality.”

Anessa steps fully into the room and clears her throat. “Yep. Irene, there’s no easy way to say this, but you gotta stop hanging out here all the time. I’m sorry. You’re not kicked out or anything, but just tone it down.”

“Alright. I shall endeavor to spend no more than 12 out of every 24 hours here.”

“That... kinda sounds like a lot.”

“That number includes time spent sleeping, meaning I would only be here roughly 4 hours each day. Surely you would not demand my darling and I sleep separately?”

“Uh, no, I guess that would be kinda mean. Wait, no, I should be a bit mean. I think you should not stay over every night.”

He looks straight into her eyes. “But how will I deal with my night terrors without Irene?”

Her face falls. “Oh no, you too? I had no idea! Every night?”

Is this fool really falling for it? Might as well try.

“Yes. Each night I run through an open prairie with a hapless soul in tow, sprinting toward a shack that is the only hope for shelter from a wicked storm that chases us. As we reach the door I pull out an immense key ring filled with an absurd number of keys. I start going through them with shaking hands, trying key after key to no avail, while the hapless soul grows ever more agitated as I keep apologizing. Eventually the storm catches up, raising my companion into the sky and tearing them apart as I watch. It is only then that I step through the door that was never locked.”

Anessa blinks at him a few times. “Uh, yeah, that sounds rough. Does that mean anything to you?”

Irene pulls him into her, making their seated position somewhat inelegant. “It is indicative of a guilty conscience, no doubt.”

He nods. “Undoubtedly. I ponder my misdeeds often. Such complicated emotions it arouses in me.”

Anessa nods hesitantly in return. “Okay.”

“What are your night terrors like?”

“Oh, it’s pretty stupid.”

“Please tell us,” Irene says as she wraps her arms tight around his torso, “dreams are fascinating to me. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Well, I think there is. My nightmares double as wet dreams.”

“Wet... nightmares?”

“Yeah, it’s dumb.”

“Not at all. Please elaborate.”

She hesitates, but at the batting of his eyelashes she seems to relent. “In my nightmare I’ve, like, taken over the world or something. And I’m living in some palace and it’s just filled with hotties and they all belong to me and all I do is fuck and the place is filled with passed out lovers oozing from every hole but I can’t ever stop because I always want more. The dream just keeps going and going and I always want more and more. It’s amazing and it’s awful.”

Now it is his turn to blink hesitantly at her. “That... does sound horrifying, yes.”

“Yeah, anyway, don’t know why I told you that. Night terrors are bad, so I guess you can stay every night, it’s fine. But maybe bring it down to 3 hours during the day, at least?”

Irene hums to herself. “So 11 hours in total. You drive a hard bargain, but I can do naught but accept.”

“Uh, yeah, okay, great. Timer starts now, I guess.”

“Oh, but I come and go. Must my time be spent in one prolonged period?”

“Um, I guess I hadn’t really thought about that. Maybe spend one hour together in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, something like that?”

“Very reasonable.”

“Yeah, I’m plenty reasonable. Sometimes. Hey, so, I’m sorry about last night. I went overboard.”

He shrugs. “You were only following orders.”

Her face falls in a satisfying manner at that. “I wasn’t ordered to be extra pervy. I licked your face all on my own.”

“Yes, that was a bit odd.”

She coughs. “I got way too excited and I went way too far and I’m sorry. It all got to be just a bit too much for me, the horny got out of hand. You really weren’t kidding about telekinesis being freaky though, damn.”

“I am a creative soul.”

“Hell yeah, you are. I hope the, uh, the whole bondage set-up wasn’t too much.”

“I am unharmed.”

“Good, that’s good. I, like, will do what Rady tells me, but if you ever feel like I’m going unreasonably far please tell me. I don’t wanna get blinded by my own, uh, desires, and pretend I’m not responsible just because I’m following orders.”

“I will. But you did stand up to her.”

“Well, sorta. I lied to her, which isn’t quite the same thing. It just felt like you might have been getting tuckered out and, you know, one power getting locked away is a step in the right direction.”

“Yes, perhaps it was not the most gallant approach. That could be why it pleased me so. Whatever the case, I thank you for it.”

Irene pulls him even further into herself, spreading her legs so he can fall between them, her head perching on his shoulder. “We both thank you for it.”

Anessa smiles at them. “Thanks. You guys are so cute sometimes. It’s like you’re the perfect match. How long have you been together?

“That is a very personal question.”

“Oh. I just, you know, I was wondering how long it took you to get so comfortable in your, you know, your whole dynamic. It’s like it just comes so natural to you guys, him being so completely, kinda smoothly subby, you know? And you being just so effortlessly dommy.”

Irene’s fingers tap against his body. “I do not fully understand this accusation. But it is baseless.”

“It’s not an accusation. It’s cool, I like it. I think it’s neat.”

“That is good. I will not pretend to understand what exactly you are talking about, but I am glad we have your approval.”

“It’s... it’s your whole dynamic, your vibe. You’re dominant, he’s submissive, you both totally own it, it’s honestly perfect.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“You know, the... the everything?” Anessa turns to him. “Do you get what I’m talking about?”

“No. I believe your worldview is too simplistic to fit a person such as myself. I am not “submissive”. You oaf.”

Irene curls further around him, fingers lazily playing at his collarbone. “Exactly. And I am not dominant. We are unusual people, perhaps that alone is enough to spawn these misconceptions in your mind.”

Anessa stares at them wordlessly, slowly coming to grips with her defeat. “Okay, guys. Okay, I was wrong. My bad.”

“All is forgiven. But please, do not repeat this slander to anyone.”

“It’s not slander! Not an accusation either! I’m just amazed at how perfectly you fit, I’m honestly kinda jelly.”

“You... are... jelly?”

“In this instance, it would mean she is jealous.”

“I see. Well. That is flattering, I suppose. Thank you.”

“Uh, no problem. But, like, did either of you date anyone else before you met? Anyone say anything about the vibes?”

“I have never dated anyone but my darling.”

“This is similarly my first and only relationship.”

“Wow. You just... hit it outta the park first try?”

Irene hums behind him. “Perhaps we were destined to be.”

“Huh. Well, I’m happy for you guys. And I’m honestly sorry I had to stick my nose, or, well, you know, in your business.”

“It is alright. It would take more than you to derail our destiny.”

“Gosh. You’re so romantic. I kinda wish I could pull off that vibe every now and then.”

“Hmm. I am sure you could. Simply start with something small. The gift of a flower is a certified classic.”

“Yeah, I guess. Don’t know if me giving someone a rose could ever be romantic though. I’m too pervy and goofy.”

“There can surely be no harm in trying.”

“That’s true. There’s no florist around here, though.”

“The entire world is a mere step away for me. What kind of rose would you like?”

“Oh, thanks! I’m kinda changing my mind now though. What would be a nice flower to put in a princess’ hair?”

“I am unsure. No doubt it varies princess by princess. A flower crown of some sort, perhaps?”

“I’m thinking maybe something a little more subtle. Like a single big flower maybe?”

“Alright. Perhaps a poppy, then?”

“Sure, that sounds good.”

“Very well. Consider it done.”

She pushes against him slightly and they somewhat awkwardly raise themselves to a standing position. Then Irene gives a little nod, walks at the wall and melts into shadow.

Anessa looks at him with a little smile. “Your girlfriend is so sweet.”

“Yes. Sweet as sin.”

She snorts. “You never stop, do you?”

 

 

It is late morning when the flower finds its victim. He holds himself aloft with telekinesis as he watches, pressed into a tight spot between an armoire and the ceiling, his chameleon skin blending in with his surroundings, the very essence of stealth. Anessa seems somewhat hesitant and clumsy, but Nathaniel seems too bewildered to register it. His face is reddening at an alarming rate.

“You... I... you make me feel the strangest things.”

“Strange but good?”

“Yes. Yes, I believe this made me happy. Thank you.”

“I had a feeling you’d like it. And you look real pretty like this. This flower was Irene’s suggestion.”

“Oh. That... ever so slightly disturbing woman has been thinking about how I might look with flowers in my hair?”

“No, no, she just helped me pick out the specific flower to put in there. And fetched it.”

“Well, that is quite a relief. And how very kind of her.”

“Yeah. Are you, like, actually afraid of her? She’s super sweet, honestly.”

“I merely find her somewhat off-putting. Not hearing a person’s thoughts should be comfortable. But I simply do not know why I cannot hear hers. It bothers me.”

“Well, I won’t tell you to trust her or anything, but couldn’t she be a neat friend to have? You could talk to her all you like and never have to worry about hearing anything going on in her head.”

“I do not know that it would be wise to befriend her. No matter how harmless her antics may currently seem, we have no way of knowing what she truly wants.”

“That’s easy, she just wants her sweet boyfriend. One look in her eyes while she’s watching him and you can tell.”

“I doubt I could. I may not be the best at reading faces due to my access to thoughts, but I feel as if her face is not very... well, it seems oddly... frozen. Those eyes simply do not look right to me. They remind me of a doll. It does not help my unease around her.”

He files this fear away for later use. Anessa lifts Nathaniel’s chin with a finger, making him look up at her. One of these days he will have to measure her height. When in her presence he is only really aware of her as vaguely big, but watching her from afar her height always comes as a bit of a surprise.

“Okay. You don’t have to be friends with her. But she sure knows the right flowers to make a pretty princess glow.”

Nathaniel’s receding blush returns, resulting in a chuckle from Anessa. “Perhaps.”

“No, definitely. You’re pretty, Nate. The kinda cute that brightens up the room.”

The blush is starting to look like a hazard to his health. “Yes, well... do...do you know what my favorite part of sex with you is?”

“Hmm. A couple days ago I woulda said cumming. But now I know you’re a dedicated bottom. Is it making your wife happy?”

“It is hearing the litany of doubt and guilt that constantly runs in the back of your mind going quiet.”

“Oh.”

“Not that I am actively trying to read your mind, but your ministrations leave me incapable of the focus required to block you out.”

“That’s okay.”

Nathaniel hesitates, bites his lip. “You may always regret it afterward but I like you best when you are assertive and free from worry. I wish you would stop agonizing about what you do to me. Even if you were to somehow go too far, by whatever metric that could possibly be measured, remember that I am evil. Nothing you can do is anything I do not deserve.”

She embraces him then, tilting his head back so she can look straight at his still upturned face. “Hey now. My princess is the sweetest in the world. And from now on he’s gonna stop tearing himself down.”

“Alright. I shall endeavor-”

“No. No endeavoring. You will stop. That’s an order.”

Nathaniel makes no reply to this so they merely stand there in that awkward embrace. Madeleine arrives with a cup in hand, stopping a moment to take in the scene. “Oh, good morning. Don’t mind me. Please.”

“Oh, it’s nothing exciting, we were just talking out some feelings.”

Madeleine seems to slightly deflate at that. Nathaniel squirms in Anessa’s embrace until he can look fully into his wife’s eyes. Soon she smiles at him. “Well, that’s lovely. Why not celebrate it with some sex?”

“I mean, I won’t say no, but we were talking some kinda heavy stuff so I don’t know if the mood is right.”

“Oh, come now.” Madeleine sips at her cup. “Nate is a princess so I want to be a prince.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, indeed. And what do princes do? They watch their princess get fucked by an ogre.”

Anessa starts shifting awkwardly in place, a tell-tale sign of the monster’s awakening. “Haha, wow, uh, what a weird idea.”

“Of course it is. I plucked it from your head after all.”

“Gah, okay, yeah, it’s mine, it’s my fantasy. I’m sorry, my everything is getting progressively weirder, you absolutely don’t have to play along.”

“You don’t have sole rights to perversion, Anessa. I want it too.”

“As do I. Let us waste no time, daddy.”

“Well, if that’s the mood, how can I say no? Let’s go!”

Then she bodily picks them both up and sets off at a brisk pace. Madeleine makes some half-hearted sounds of disapproval while Nathaniel meekly clutches onto her.

He lets a few moments pass before pushing himself off of the wardrobe, floating gently, silently to the ground. His stilettos hit the floor without a sound as he stalks ominously after them. Listening too long would no doubt affect his sanity, but there might still be some worthwhile tidbits uttered before they begin. He finds the door to the room they entered and strains his cat ears.

“Now, I like your style, but we should really get you something with more ease of access some day.”

“Oooh, that sounds like a great idea. Doesn’t it, sweetheart?”

“Yes, dear. I shall keep it in mind next time I update my wardrobe.”

“Alright, that’s enough talking, that pretty mouth has better things to do. Hey, Maddie, wasn’t it fun the other day, having your cute hubby eat you out while I fucked him? What if it was your hand in his hair this time, pushing him down on me?”

“No, I like when you do it.”

“Okay, okay. But hey, wouldn’t it be hot if you sucked him off while I’m inside him? Like that’s the only way you’re allowed to get his dick?”

“Eh, I don’t know.”

“I think it’d be hot. I’d lift him up, like so.” Her words are punctuated by a gasp from Nathaniel. “And then just walk him over and make you swallow all the cum I fuck out of him.”

“Maybe some day. Why don’t we just start like normal for now?”

“But, like, I’m in charge, right? Yeah. So here comes the airplane...”

Just what in the hell are they doing in there?

“What? No! Stop right there, god, that’s perfect! Oh, god, yes, hold him like that, right in front of me, pound him hard! Right on my lap, make him cum right on my lap!””

“But... the airplane...”

“Daddy, please refrain from the use of baby talk. It is highly unappealing.”

“But... but it’s demeaning, right? And I kinda wanna see you and Maddie...”

“I appreciate the thought you put into it, daddy. But please, focus on putting on a good show for my lovely wife.”

“Yes, stop waffling about, Anessa! I mean... please! I’m begging you! Fuck my husband harder!”

“Okay, guys, okay, okay.”

“Thank you, daddy.”

“But we’ll all snuggle up after. And I think I’ll make you take the suit off, cause I’m about to make a mess of it with your hubby.”

“Alright, fine, just please go harder.”

“Okay, I hear ya. Yeah, heheh, you better prepare yourself, prince. This ogre is going to fuck your princess silly and then cuddle you so hard right after.”

He supposes their myriad psychological issues could be weaponized against them, but the thought of delving deep into whatever the hell is wrong with them is unappealing.

“Yeah, fuck, bet the princess never let you do this, huh?”

“No! Never! I am so jealous. Please allow me to touch myself.”

“You go right on ahead, little prince.”

“No! Please, prince, I beg of you, do not! I am too embarrassed! Look away!”

“Quiet, princess. You’re here to take my cock, not run your mouth. Now go on, prince. Touch yourself.”

He walks away. These ridiculous people. Gaining an understanding of their bizarre perversions might offer him an edge, but he simply does not have the mental fortitude required to analyze them properly. Some knowledge is simply too dangerous.

He keeps his eyes peeled as he stalks through the house, allowing his stilettos to make sound once more. Jamal is eerily stealthy himself, so it is best not to flaunt his silent steps unnecessarily. He has done two full laps of the house without spotting anything when he enters the main kitchen again and is finally confronted.

“Hey, man, sorry about that collar thing, wasn’t really expecting that. But you shouldn’t have been snooping.”

He turns to look at Jamal, who seems to have been standing in the corner for some reason. “No need to apologize. This is not my punishment. It is yours.”

He keeps walking, completely dropping the silence and moving his neck enough with each step to make the bell jingle incessantly.

“So, what? You just gonna try and annoy me with that? You a little kid or something?”

“You may think whatever you wish of me. It will not save you from this infernal jingling.”

“Whatever, man." Jamal looks down at his feet. "So why you doing laps around the house and why you gotta do it in those crazy heels?”

“I do it to stay in shape.”

“Sure, man, sure.”

“Now if you will excuse me, my workout is not over.”

He leaves the room, jingling with purpose. He keeps up his patrol, occasionally turning completely silent and floating into unexpected positions with telekinesis. It is hard to tell for certain, but he believes Jamal is at least somewhat befuddled by his appearing and disappearing.

It is a while later that Anessa strolls through the house once more, with no sign of the telepaths. She finds Jamal just outside the front door. He stays a reasonable distance away, out of sight but listening in with keen cat ears.

“What are you doing?”

“Just making sure no creep in high heels is watching.”

“Is he out and about today?”

“Yeah, prancing around the house like he owns the place.”

“Well, this is his home.”

“Woman, he turned into a literal monster and attacked me just the other day. You were crying about it and you realized you couldn’t keep playing nice anymore. You remember that?”

“Yeah, but... you know... I’m not being that nice, really... I’m plenty strict.”

“Are you though?”

“Totally. I told Irene she can’t hang out as much, I took one of his powers away, I’m keeping Rady up to speed on everything, it’s all under control.”

“If you say so. Isn’t he supposed to be locked up in just one corner of the house, though?”

“Well, not explicitly. He’s bypassing the locked door, but it’s more of a suggestion anyway, like it’s just a plain door and we’ve got superpowers, it’s probably offensive to him. His new collar has a tracker anyway, so it’s not like he’s going anywhere.”

“Alright, alright. If you say it’s fine I’ll just pretend it is. Whatever.”

“So hey, I kinda wanted to ask you something. Could you tell me in detail what our first time felt like to you?”

“What do you mean, detail?”

“Just anything you think might be noteworthy. I know you’ve told me this before, but I’m trying to understand things better.”

“Well, the details are that I got experimented on, started losing my shit and blacked out and then when I woke up again I was getting fucked by some fucking weirdo.”

“But, like, what did it feel like?”

“I dunno, confusing? Intense?”

“Confusing how?”

“What do you mean how? I blacked out and woke up as I was getting railed by some crazy chick covered in blood, with a dick bigger than anybody has any damn business having. That kinda confusing.”

“Okay. Yeah, that’s gotta be pretty confusing. How weird was it, cumming on the crazy chick’s big dick?”

“You fucker. What, you want it on a scale of 1-10 or something? Then 12.”

“Did the blood make it better? Did you feel like you were in sort of a slasher film that turned into a porno halfway through?”

“What’s the point of all this bullshit?”

“Well, I’m kinda trying to understand my power better, or pretending to. How did it feel, losing your power back then?”

“I know I told you before. That mad scientist type put the power in me that night and drove me crazy and then when I came to it was gone. I didn’t understand none of it.”

“Alright, yeah, you have told me before. I’m just trying to find anything I might have overlooked, I never really had to think about how the thing works before.”

“And now you do? Lemme guess... new guy?”

“Yeah. New guy.”

“There’s a reason they say don’t stick your dick in crazy.”

“He’s not crazy. He’s just a little weird. And maybe he has some issues to work through. Like everyone does.”

“Uh huh. And you can fix him?”

“Hey, I’m not naive, okay? I think he’s pretty cute and I wanna help him chill out, but I know it’s not, like, gonna happen right away or even at all. I know he’s technically pretty dangerous, but I’m not gonna give up hope. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be teammates. Pals, even.”

“Sure, sure. We’ll come up with a catchphrase, end each day with a jumping high five and I’ll laugh at all his dumb little jokes.”

“He tells you jokes?”

“Calling them jokes may be pushing it. But I think he’s joking. I hope he’s joking, for his sake.”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess he does say some silly things sometimes. But it’d be great if you two could be friends. It’d be so good for him. Friendship is magic, you know.”

“Stop fucking with me.”

“Oh, I haven’t even begun, babe. Check this out.”

“Fuck’s that for? Don’t look like rain.”

“It ain’t cause of the weather. This right here is a uniform. I’m Red Riding Hood, bitch.”

“...”

“And I hear there’s a big bad wolf prowling round these parts.”

“Off script already.”

“Hey, watch it fella, Red Riding Hood don’t take no lip from nobody.”

“Way off script. You never actually read that story, huh?”

“Last warning. You wouldn’t like Riding Hood when she’s mad. She was a great wrestling champion, but got kicked out for being too erotically charged in the ring.”

“Just...what?”

“So now to scratch that itch she’s gotta hunt down some of the world’s most dangerous beasties and wrassle ’em into submission. That big bad wolf’s gonna be howling in the middle of the day and in a way different pitch than usual.”

There is a strange sound, some sort of guttural grumble. “What else you got in that basket?”

“Just some handcuffs, an o-ring ball-gag and rope, rope and some more rope. Your average hunting gear. Safety first, like grandma always says.”

“You fucking... I don’t even know. I got nothing.”

“You better run along into the forest now, little wolf. The Red Hood is coming... and she rides hard.”

“Don’t. Tell. Anyone.”

There is the sound of frantic running for just a moment. Then it sounds like Anessa starts skipping along, whistling. He does not follow.

 

 

Anessa returns alone in the evening, Jamal seemingly choosing to stay out there unless she simply left him tied up somewhere in the forest. Dinner is served and put away, then taken back out once Jamal returns, though he takes it with him into his room to eat, like some petulant teenager. The telepaths excuse themselves, Irene maker herself scarce after having used up nearly all of her allotted 3 hours.

It is nearly midnight when a knock finally comes at the door. Only he and Anessa are present, having waited patiently the last few hours for this guest. She heads to the door, opening it to reveal an unusually haggard Radiance, holding a large suitcase in one hand.

“Sorry I’m late. Loct trast of time.”

“What?”

“Misspoke, whatever, you know what I mean.”

“Right. So how did it go?”

“Fine. Same as always.” She pushes inside, groaning a bit at the sight of him. “How many fucking outfits does this guy have?”

“I dunno, lots? I think Irene brings them.”

“So stolen goods are probably getting brought here every single day.”

She looks more than a little haggard. There is blood on her sleeve, even some on the side of her face.

“Hmm, I never thought of that. I’ll ask her.”

“Why? She’s a villain, she’ll just lie to you.”

“I dunno, I feel like she’s not that kind of villain. She brought me a flower today, you know.”

“I don’t care if she shines your fucking shoes! She is an actual fucking villain and you will take this seriously!”

“Alright, chill, Rady, chill.”

“She’s killed people, Anessa.”

“What?”

“I don’t have evidence and they weren’t the best people, but if it was her, and I’m 90% sure it was, she killed them like nothing was more natural.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. She’s not some bloodthirsty maniac, but you cannot underestimate her. No matter how chummy you get and whatever weird shit you get up to here, she is legitimately dangerous. Stop thinking of her as your buddy.”

“Okay. Hey, uh, you got a little something on your face there.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s nothing, don’t mind me. You go get set up, I’ll pop on home and shower and then come back and we can get this over with.”

“Uh, it’s not nothing, Rady. It looks like you’ve got gore on your face.”

“And I will shower before we start, what’s the big deal? It’s just Undying gore, happens all the time.”

“What’s in the suitcase, Rady?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll take it with me when I go to shower and you’ll never see it again.”

“It does matter, Rady. Your vibes are all wrong. What’s in the suitcase?”

“Fucking... vibes. Okay. It’s part of his left arm, if you must know. Happy now?”

“Not really, but thanks for telling me. Why is his left arm in your suitcase?”

Radiance sighs. “It’s a small freezer container. He decomposes unnaturally quickly but it can be stopped with enough cold if you act quick enough. So I sometimes nab a piece.”

“Why?”

“For research.”

“But you’ve been fighting him for years now. Has the research ever revealed anything?”

Radiance taps her nails against the suitcase. “No, not yet.”

“Do you have, like, a full set of him by now?”

“No. My freezer is full of him, but I am still missing a few bits.”

“H-holy shit, Rady.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Worst case I have a steady supply for the laboratory to keep working on. Best case I get the full set and stitch it together and then next time I kill him he’ll be forced to reincarnate in my reinforced, one of a kind high-tech freezer and I’ll have finally beat him.”

Anessa takes a deep breath in, her whole body tensing. “Alright. Okay. So how’s the, y’know... is he hung?”

“What?”

“Is it big? Down there?”

“That... that’s your question? You hear all that and this is what you want to now?”

“Sorry, you’re right, that was stupid and childish. Maybe I was trying to lighten the mood or something, I dunno.”

“Right. Yeah. Okay. You always make me feel normal, you know that, Anessa? It’s one of the things about knowing you.”

“But let’s say he reincarnated in your freezer. Would he not just... destroy it and leave?”

“Eventually, but I have motion sensors in there. I’d know as soon as he appeared. An automatic defense system would start shocking him, keeping him off kilter while I returned home. He feels pain and it can disorient him, but won’t give him a chance to “die” if it is not damaging enough. I doubt he appears with his little knives or poison pills, so he’d have no way out.”

“Jesus, Rady. Sweet Jesus. You have a torture freezer? Who even thinks up something like that?”

“I know, I know, it’s a little crazy. But it would only be for a little while. Once I’d get there I’d turn on the capturing system, hurting him manually if he tried to escape it, then as soon as he was sort of caught in the bindings I’d dump him out of the freezer and into this thing I had made, it’s kind of like an indestructible hamster ball if it lives up to expectations. Well, indestructible to him, at least. I haven’t really thought of the next step, probably I’d keep it at home for a while, just to make sure it works. Then I’d have to decide whether to put him in some super jail or just blast him out into space never to be seen again. Or for a few years at least, I’m not sure how long an automated set-up could forcibly keep him alive.”

“I am learning things about you that make me a little uncomfortable, Rady.”

“I know it’s not very nice. But I have to figure this out. He can’t keep getting away with it. Besides, it’s actually pretty unlikely he’ll ever reincarnate using those bits. It’s not like he’s showing up missing an arm and a leg even though I have them in my freezer, so my collection doesn’t seem to count as part of him anymore. This is just a desperate attempt to accomplish something more than just inconveniencing him.”

“Okay. But hey, how about we postpone our date until tomorrow? I’m really not feeling it right now.”

Radiance narrows her eyes and a little pulse of light runs through her body. “Don’t call it a date. And we’re getting it done, so start feeling it.”

“Come on, we can do it early tomorrow, it’s not even a whole day. I just want you to take a breather, okay? We can wait a little bit.”

“I don’t need a breather. Stop wasting time. Let’s get this over with.”

He looks between the two of them. Anessa looks genuinely uncomfortable. Excellent. He latches onto her arm, looking up into her eyes with what he hopes is a vaguely scared look.

“Please, Anessa. I may be scared but I do not want you to put yourself at risk for me.”

“Oh, fuck off! If you’re gonna pretend to be scared try sounding like you’re not talking about the weather.”

“He doesn’t talk like most people do, Rady. He never sounds very emotional but that doesn’t mean what he’s expressing isn’t real, okay?”

Two more pulses of light pass through her. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You can have all the touchy-feely time you could possibly want AFTER you’ve locked all his powers away. If you didn’t want me breathing down your neck you shouldn’t have started giving them back. You’ve already stepped in shit, whining about the smell won’t do you any good.”

“Come on, Rady, I’m not whining about the smell, I’m just saying we take the shoe off for a few hours. We’ll do it tomorrow, it’s okay, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Oh, you do? Well, too fucking bad! I happen to be on a tight schedule and guess what this part of it reads: Make fucking sure that fucking jackass fucks the other fucking jackass into fucking submission already! I don’t like that part of my job has become micromanaging your sex life, but you obviously can’t get it done without me, now can you?”

“Rady, chill. It’s one day. It’s okay. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

Repeated, slow pulses run through her now. One hand is gripping the suitcase tightly, the other patting at where her cigarettes might be.

“Anessa. Do you have any idea how fragile this world really is? I am the strongest person in existence. The world is not comfortable with that, but tolerates it because I have shown that I have a sense of right and wrong. And because I can smile and be nice, so people don’t continually shit themselves over the terrifying reality of the existence of a person that could quite possibly destroy the world if they wanted to. Now imagine this pretty boy becomes more powerful than me. Are you picturing it? I’ll help you out: If this guy overtakes me, the world is going to freak out. Every military in the world would ramp up their programs, some governments would compete to bribe him so they could fuck up their neighbors, others would be trying to assassinate him to get back to their preferred status quo, everything would go to shit and we couldn’t respond to anything without taking into account how this jackass might interfere. All because the vibes weren’t right for you. Do you want that to happen, Anessa?”

“No, Rady. But I’m more worried about you than myself right now.”

Radiance takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, their glow still coming through her eyelids. “As soon as this shit gets done, I will be just peachy. So get it over with and you won’t have to worry anymore.”

“No, Rady. I need you to trust me. I can keep things under control for just a few hours. You need to stop, for just a little while. Please go home and keep assembling your weird flesh doll in your freezer and stare at it however long you need to relax.”

A little growl comes from Radiance. “Fuck off. I know it’s weird and creepy, no need to exaggerate it. I don’t stand and... stare at it.”

“What was that pause? You were realizing you totally do that, weren’t you?”

“Shut up already.”

“Go home, Rady, please. I’ll tell you this, as a friend... we’re friends, right?”

“Depends on what you’re about to say.”

“Well, as a friend I’m gonna tell you this: Rady, right now you look like a serial killer. And you sound crazy enough to be one too.”

“This is about the fate of the world, Anessa.”

“The world is not gonna get destroyed by a single shape shifter in one day. He’s got the collar so you’d get an alarm if something happened. And you can get over here in an instant. It’s okay. It can wait one more night. You know I’m right. That even rhymes.”

Radiance takes a deep breath, finally pulling out a cigarette but not lighting it. The fingers of her free hand twitch, a final pulse of light racing through her body. “Fine. Have it your way. Tomorrow, then. Early.”

“Yeah, tomorrow. Now get some sleep. Take care of yourself.”

Suddenly Radiance is standing by the door. Then she opens it, steps outside, closes it and disappears. Anessa lets out a long breath. The schism is forming. Though he cannot overlook the possibility that this is an elaborate version of good cop, bad cop.

“Sorry you had to see that. Boy, Rady is not in a good place right now.”

The clock strikes midnight and he is jubilant. Radiance is a mess, seemingly teetering on the edge. This must be quite the uncomfortable realization for Anessa, mushy weakling that she is. He reaches out to squeeze her hand.

“You stood up to her again. My hero.”

A twitch goes through her and her face looks unsure just what to display. “No, I just gave her some firm friendly advice.”

“She is lucky to have you,” comes Irene’s voice as she flows out of the corner. “As are we.”

“Uh, thank you. Let’s talk more tomorrow, okay? I need to think on some things.”

He does not let go of her hand. “Do you have to go?”

“Uh, um, yeah. You’ve got Irene, so no reason to be scared, alright?”

Irene slides slowly closer, face and upper body completely still. “Are you certain you want to be alone with your thoughts? You seem quite troubled.”

Anessa backs away a step, removing herself from his loose grasp. “Vibes are getting weird here. Okay, first off: Irene, have you killed someone before?”

“Yes.”

Anessa blinks slowly. “Fuck. You’re pretty honest, though, I guess.”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“It was a contract killing.”

Another slow blink. “What? You’re a contract killer?”

“Only the once.”

“Please, fuck, don’t make me ask for every single detail, give me the entire story.”

“Forgive me. It was a few years ago now, during one of the civil wars in the ever-shifting polities of the old Ottoman territories. One of the groups vying for power counted quite a number of powered people among their ranks. Their brutality was common knowledge and they were accused of a great number of crimes against humanity. The Council of Nations was hesitant to allow intervention. And then a hit was put out on this faction’s leadership. The reward was exorbitant, but entering a war zone was not appealing to most. When I investigated the source of this contract, all evidence pointed to it coming from someone within the League of Legends. I found that interesting, so I took the contract. I found their compound and their escape tunnel from it and lined it with explosives. Then I set off an explosion in two different corners of the compound and followed it up with an indiscriminate rain of grenades in their meeting hall and once the survivors ran for their escape tunnel I blew it up with them inside. The total number of casualties was hard to ascertain.”

“Jesus.”

“They were very bad people, I assure you.”

“And you say someone in the League put out a hit on these people?”

“Yes. Someone quite high in the hierarchy.”

“What are you implying?”

Irene finally stops right in front of Anessa, who now has her back against the wall. “I am implying it was Radiance. I do not possess evidence, but I am nigh certain it was her.”

“You want me to believe Rady paid you to kill people?”

He tries to put on a worried face as he looks at her. “She just told you she has a dismembered corpse in her freezer.”

“That’s true.”

Irene turns to face him a moment before returning her gaze to Anessa. “Radiance is not the person the world wants to believe she is. I do believe she wants to do the right thing, murky as that concept is, but I do not know that she holds the rules she must abide by in particularly high esteem.”

“I’ve known her for a long time. I know she’s a good person. But I guess I could see her hiring an assassin, if it was for the greater good. Weird, but not that bad really.”

She’s suddenly taking it in stride? That won’t do. “Her actions regarding the Undying are what is troubling. Why does she insist on personally obliterating him every time? How has she not imprisoned him yet, with all the resources of the League at her disposal?”

Anessa strokes her chin in contemplation. “I honestly don’t get it. He’s apparently real good at killing himself so capture never works, but he doesn’t really seem that tough. There should be plenty of people who could deal with him. But maybe if someone other than Rady showed up he might actually kill a hostage for once?”

“Perhaps. But there could also be an alternative reason for Radiance’s seeming obsession with the man.”

“Like what?”

He crosses his arms, looks away as if in thought, opens his mouth once without speaking, as if hesitant. “Well, it is well documented within the world of heroes and villains that sometimes when enemies face each other regularly there can be... a tension. Of the sexual variety.”

Anessa stares at him, jaw going slightly slack. This may have been too brazen.

“Oh. My. God. How have I never thought of that? I think you’re on to something.”

He nearly smiles. Could she be made to believe absolutely anything as long as the word sex appears in the sentence?

“I was loathe to broach the subject for fear I might sound disrespectful, but I am glad you agree with my assessment.”

“This is not something we could easily bring up with her, but it really explains a lot. He’s tall, dark and sorta handsome in a bit of a creepy way; she’s too busy and stressed for much of a love life, plus she says the few guys she does meet are all pretty weird about it. Though she’s scary strong and gets annoyed pretty damn easily, so I’m honestly not surprised. Imagine going on a date with someone you know can obliterate you and she starts doing that weird pulsing thing at your first bad joke.”

She seems oddly enthusiastic. Could she have seen through his ruse and actually be pulling his leg? His ridiculous suggestion does seem far fetched. If he were to make an actual guess he would wager it is Radiance’s ego that is to blame. A self righteous fool with incredible power who imagines herself to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and cannot tolerate the idea that there is someone out there who cannot be destroyed or controlled through brute force. A childish titan trying to shape the world, incapable of understanding that even she is insignificant in the end and the world will tumble along as it pleases no matter how much she may wish it stay still.

“It seems quite plausible,” Irene says and breaks the silence that he accidentally let drag on too long. “Do you think he feels the same way?”

Anessa nods slowly. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Dude’s obsessed. She must have killed him a hundred times by now, but he just keeps coming back for more. I don’t know if he does anything other than fight her. He could just... not, you know?”

“That does sound romantic.”

He nods too. “Very romantic.”

“Oh, yeah, you guys would know, wouldn’t you? How a villain thinks? Have you met him?”

“Yes,” Irene answers, “I have met him a few times. No words were spoken, I merely handed him a suitcase with money each time. But I do not believe the monetary gain holds much importance to him. No, it would make much more sense for him to be motivated by something akin to love.”

Anessa hides her face in her hands. “God, how did I never notice? What am I going to do about it?”

He clears his throat. “Perhaps she could be persuaded to ask him out on a date?”

Innocuous, but probably annoying enough to widen the gap between Anessa and Radiance considerably.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

It was worth a try. “I apologize, it was a poor suggestion.”

“Don’t sweat it, we’re just brainstorming. But Rady’s not really gonna be comfortable with that, I think. We need something more extreme. Like a kabedon or burning all his clothes off or laser beaming her name in his skin or something.”

“A what?”

“It’s something I saw in a fan fic Titania recommended to me. You read any?”

“No, but Titania introduced the concept to me.”

“I am wholly unfamiliar,” Irene interjects. “Perhaps you could enlighten me, Anessa?”

“Well, it’s... you know... fiction about real people, in this instance. Superheroes and villains getting up to some weird things, I guess. It’s kinda interesting, not that I’m like super into it or anything.”

“Fascinating. Could you show me one?”

“Like right now?”

“Yes, why not? It could be a nice way to unwind after Radiance’s intensity. Just the three of us and a good story. And who knows? Perhaps we might find the inspiration we need to ensure her romance with the Undying blossoms.”

“Huh. Well... why not, I guess.”

She pulls out her phone and starts searching.

“Perhaps we should take this somewhere more comfortable?”

Anessa’s head whips up. “What?”

Irene stares back. “A sofa, perhaps? Reading while standing is not very relaxing.”

“Oh, right, yeah, good thinking.”

They march into another room and Anessa sits down at the edge of the sofa but scoots into the middle at Irene’s prodding. They then take up position on either side of her, he leaning heavily into her to view the screen.

“U-uh, so here’s the main site. And if we search the Radiance tag and sort by number of comments or number of hits we should be able to find something good.”

“There seem to be quite a number of these stories,” Irene says as she leans slightly on Anessa.

“Uh, yeah, she’s on people’s mind a lot, I guess. So now we just, um, take a look. Ah, so, a lot of these seem to be about Rady getting overpowered and being helpless and villains being all nasty to her, I don’t think we’re gonna find anything she might like in there. This one’s got her in charge and... uh, extreme violence and death? Moving on, then. Why the hell is that so popular? Oooh, maybe this one? “On the trail of the Undying, Radiance finds herself visiting a mysterious brothel.” Seems like a lot of chapters for such a short description.”

“Let us see what it has in store.”

Anessa opens it. After a bit of hesitation, Irene manages to convince her to read out loud for them, since the screen is so small. The story wastes no time, having Radiance engage in some sort of battle of wills with a doorman.

“Huh. Can’t imagine her ever going to a place like that, but I actually can imagine her making someone lick her boot.”

Radiance gains entry to the brothel and starts her search for clues, supposedly. By the time she is confronted with a trio of masked men revealing their sizable members to her, Anessa’s shorts are tenting fiercely.

“S-sorry, guys.”

“Not to worry,” Irene hums by her ear. “We have seen it all before.”

He leans off of her to put his hair up in a ponytail.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

“Merely getting more comfortable. Is something wrong?”

“N-no, I guess not.”

Before long Radiance is having sex with all three of the men at once, her inner thoughts running rampant in their detailed descriptions of the men’s genitals and the sensations they evoke in her.

“It seems the author has had enough of the build-up.”

“Yeah, that... that really went all out suddenly. Not that I’m complaining, honestly. Wonder if Rady’s ever had a foursome?”

“Perhaps you can ask her next time you see her. Please, continue.”

The foursome continues. In the middle of it he uses his telekinesis to raise Anessa’s shorts and grabs her by her sizable weakness, giving her firm but slow strokes. Her mouth opens a few times before finding words.

“Uh, what are you doing? It’s a rest day, okay?”

“I’m sorry, I may have gotten a bit excited. You have such a nice voice.”

“Um, thanks, but maybe we should keep it in our pants for now.”

“I will. But please let me play with yours.”

“Oh, man, I dunno. If Rady knew I was reading smut about her and getting jacked off to it I don’t know what she’d do.”

“There is hardly any reason for her to find out,” Irene interjects. “All we need is an idea, a spark to light the flames in her heart. She will never know whence the idea came.”

“Yeah, but... like, uh, this feels unnecessarily perverse. Even for me.”

“You are not the sole possessor of desire.” He leans in close, stroking her member in tune to the shallow breaths he releases by her ear. “I want to hear more of this story. And I want to have your enormous member in my mouth as I do. Please.”

She clenches her jaws, a look of comical consternation on her face. “Hnn-hnnngh.”

Irene leans closer to her other ear. “Come now, Anessa. Please continue the story. What is a little fellatio between friends? Consider it your reward for protecting my darling from Radiance.”

“I didn’t... he wasn’t in any d-dangerrrrr.”

Her speech slurs as soon as he engulfs the head of her member and applies a strong suction. Without letting go he shifts his positioning so he is laid sideways on the sofa, one arm resting on the other side of her legs as he holds his upper body on her lap and bobs up and down on her length, ponytail swaying with his movements. Irene’s cold hand finds the back of his neck and starts lazily scratching.

“Please, Anessa. What happens next?”

What happens next is that the trio of men all approach their orgasm at the exact same time in an impressive display of erotic co-ordination. Just as they hit their peak, however, Radiance disappears. The men are left to suffer something called a ruined orgasm as they tremble and sputter in shock and disbelief. The poor man who had been lying prone beneath Radiance takes a fair bit of friendly fire. Radiance bites the shoulder of one of the men standing, kneading his testicles painfully from behind as whatever fetish this is exactly is fulfilled. Suddenly the prone man starts moaning and groaning helplessly, as it turns out the sperm of these men was laced with some sort of mind-numbing aphrodisiac. A devious plot indeed. Anessa lets out a choked groan as he gives her a particularly hard suck.

“Uh, ugh, fuck, it... it’s pretty good obviously, but I’m thinking maybe we’re not gonna be finding any good ideas for igniting romance in here.”

Irene hums. “Perhaps not. Still, this unusual story has aroused a great curiosity in me. Let us read on a little while longer. I must know what happens next.”

Next Radiance saunters away from the trio, one of them now mindless and the other two trying to restrain him in some way, seemingly aware that they cannot stop her. Entering another room, Radiance is confronted with a man who oozes sex, whatever that means. He seems eager to please and yet submissive in his presentation, nearly lulling his target into a false sense of security. But she is not fooled, directing him to take his place on an x-shaped contraption. Upon securing him on it she proceeds to whip him, apparently to the delight of both. She then kicks his testicles repeatedly, which somehow makes him orgasm. This is a very odd story. Still it seems incapable of deterring Anessa, who is having an increasingly harder time reading as he suckles away at her, playing at changing up the tempo, coaxing gasps and groans out of her at his leisure. One of her hands rests on his waist, vaguely clutching at him in confusion as she fights to stay still and take what’s given to her.

He feels Irene shift closer to their victim. “It is fascinating art, really. Literature fully divorced from the constraints of publication and public appeal. It is free and unhinged in a way that nothing that needs to sell can ever be.”

“A-huh, huh, yeah, yeah totally. I... to be honest... I mostly like the sexy bits.”

“And that is perfectly valid.”

“I’m not into... ball busting though. Just wanna get that out there.”

“Excellent. But you sound a bit out of breath. Shall I take over reading?”

“P-please do.”

Hearing Irene read out how Radiance enters a third room and finds the Undying hanging all tied up in some elaborate bondage, wrapped with a bow, is quite odd. Even odder is hearing her describe Radiance spanking her nemesis savagely until tears form in his eyes and then starting to finger him.

Still it doesn’t feel half bad, villainously devouring this dick, teaming up with Irene to overpower its foolish owner. Yes, he will snatch another power from her hapless member, make her fail Radiance as she orgasms thinking of her, make her complicit in his power grab.

He can just barely hear Irene whispering in her ear above him, piling on the pressure. “This is an incredibly creative story, isn’t it? Do you read a lot of these? Is this one particularly good or are there many of this caliber?”

Anessa sucks in a breath, her hips squirming and gyrating up and down in a seeming attempt to force more of her into him. He takes her to the base to still her.

“Uh! Uh, yeah, yeah it’s pretty good, I don’t read that many but it’s really hot, there are others though, fuck.”

“Interesting. Perhaps you could recommend some to me. We might find a good idea more quickly if we both keep looking.”

“Guh, I dunno, Titania’s got the recs, she’s deep in this stuff, we could ask her.”

“An excellent idea. Are you close?”

“Y-yeah, I think I’m gonna cum pretty soon if he keeps this up.”

“That is fine. But I was referring to you and Titania. Are you friends?”

“Oh, uh, right. Yeah, I guess we’re sort of friends, maybe, except I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m creepy what with my power and all. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Well, it is her loss if so. Now, on with the story.”

Radiance reaches for a wicked looking strap-on, slapping it on the Undying’s face as he stares at it wide-eyed. Soon as she gets it inside his rear end he keens and trembles but she has no mercy, picking up the pace and absolutely pounding him, quickly bringing him to orgasm from the superhuman speed and brutality.

“Fuck, you guys are d-d-dangerous. I’m supposed to take you more seriously. I do take you seriously, but not enough, I see that now. I know you’re dangerous though. I know, okay?”

“Thank you, Anessa. I consider you dangerous as well.”

Radiance continues working the Undying over. He is the only man she can rail without fear of damaging permanently. She can go all out for once. The brothel may not be happy if she goes too far and robs them of their perfect captive sub, but they have only themselves to blame for dangling such a morsel in front of her and not expecting her to lose all restraint. The bitch was made for this and she will fuck him until she’s satisfied. This story makes very little sense, he thinks to himself as he suckles away at Anessa.

“I-I’m gonna... I’m gonna....”

“That is alright, let it all out. This is your reward. You have earned this.”

Here it comes. He shifts his position to get a view of her face as she orgasms. And while he is at it he will take the power to swim through earth back, right here and now. He will take what is his. Irene is leaning heavily into her, one arm over her shoulder. Her hand reaches up to play in Anessa’s hair just as she begins flooding him, moaning heavily.

“Hush now, girl. You won’t hear the story over all that groaning.”

Anessa looks at her dumbstruck, myriad emotions running over her face. For a moment she seems to be leaning her face closer, but Irene turns away and continues reading. Still, she takes hold of Anessa’s hand. In the story, Radiance keeps pegging the Undying through his orgasm and into his next one. He knows that feeling, embarrassingly enough. Radiance keeps pegging her prey until he hangs limp and exhausted in his bindings. At the end of the chapter Radiance decides to take over this brothel, becoming a madame and making the Undying her main earner. A truly unhinged story. He wonders exactly how it can continue for dozens of chapters.

“Isn’t this nice?”

“U-um, yeah, it’s pretty nice.”

Anessa is blushing and staring down in bewilderment as Irene confounds her. He allows himself a slight smile around her thick member as he coaxes the last drops out of it, making sure they land on his tongue so he can savor their oddly delectable taste.

“Yes, nothing but a good time in the company of friends.”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Oh no, oh god, why did you get another power back?”

He pops her member out of his mouth. “Tee. Hee. Hee.”

“W-what?”

“You heard me.”

Her mouth hangs slack for a moment, the calm before the storm. “This is not a tee-hee situation! Shit, fuck, this is really, really bad! You know Rady won’t like this! You just heard her admit she has a bunch of body parts in her freezer, why are you not taking this seriously?”

“You hardly need to tell her. It is a harmless power, really. Traversing structures is difficult, impossible to do without damaging them. If ever I misuse it, you will know. And then you can alert Radiance and I will gladly take whatever punishment she deems fit.”

“The punishment she deems fit it is gonna be sending you out into fucking orbit! Why, why, why are you risking that?”

“Please. Trust me. You know I still need you. And truth be told, I have come to like you. I believe we both have.”

“Yes,” Irene adds, still with a hand in Anessa’s hair. “We want to be your friends.”

Anessa twitches, sinking slightly into herself. “Then why do I feel like I’m being bullied right now?”

Irene leans her head forward so she can fully stare her down. “Many friendships have a teasing element to them.”

“Fuck!” Anessa jumps to her feet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. This is going to end really bad, you know? I’m going to bed. Tomorrow I’ll fix this and then I’m never falling for your stupid, sexy games ever again!”

“Yes, please, sleep on it.” Irene also rises to her feet. “But I loathe the idea of you possibly suffering those night terrors all by yourself. Hold on for but a moment.”

Anessa watches her disappear into the shadows with a look of disbelief, then turns it on him. “Huh?”

He does not answer. Irene reappears, holding figures similar to the one she already gave him in each arm. One seems reminiscent of Jamal, while the other is unmistakably Anessa.

“Which would make you feel safer?”

Anessa’s mouth becomes a flat line for an instant, her eyes betraying deep, foolish emotion. “You... you made one of me?” Then she scowls and points an accusatory finger. “No! I’m not falling for any more of your tricks!”

“Very well. I shall place them both in your room, then. I hope they will help you sleep.”

“No! I said I don’t want your cute plushies! Keep them away from me!”

Irene starts backing into the shadows, slowly disappearing. “I will place them in an inconspicuous place, so you can claim not to have noticed them if challenged.”

“Stop it! I know, okay? I know you’re not my friend!”

Only Irene’s face remains visible, frozen visage pointed straight at Anessa. “Oh, but I will be. I will be.”

And then she disappears. Anessa starts backing out of the room, shaking her head. “What the hell is with you guys? It’s... it’s not fair. You can’t be cute and sexy and villainous at the same time. It’s just not right. You hear me? It’s not right.”

He watches her as she backs all the way out. “Yes, simply not right. Such is villainy.”

Her shoulders droop. “Rady was right and I was wrong. Obviously. I can’t do anything right.”

“Stop your wallowing. All is well.”

“It is not well. Things have gotten weird. It’s just... all weird.”

“Always has been. Good night, Anessa.”

“Yeah, good night. You’ll regret this tomorrow though, mark my words. Mama’s gonna be strict, you’ll see. You’ll see.”

 

 

Back in his room his and Irene’s forms are closely intertwined as they celebrate their success with another bout of prolonged kissing. After some tosses and turns he has somehow ended on top for once, but her cool hands remain quite active in running all over him, playing in his hair or gently scratching at his back.

She breaks the kiss to place her mouth at his ear. “We will wrap that woman around our finger.”

“Yes. She cannot hope to resist us. Radiance is the only real threat.”

“She is a great danger. But the telepaths could still prove a problem, if they realize Anessa is helpless.”

“They will scarcely dare try anything. They know to fear you.”

Her teeth find his neck and a shudder goes through him as he just barely manages to choke back a sound. He is unbearably aroused in this moment. It hardly seems fair he should be the only one to make silly noises. She relinquishes her hold and he shudders again at the loss of the sensation.

“Then Radiance truly does deserve our undivided attention. What do you make of her?”

“She is an egotistic thug who has gone far too long without having her view of the world challenged. There is something between her ears, but she is too straight forward to properly utilize it. A neurotic mess straining under the weight she has placed on her own shoulders.”

“An interesting assessment. How many powers do you think you would need to survive a struggle with her?”

“All of them, preferably. The shapeshifting should grant me an inhuman sturdiness, though it is possible this odd collar might diminish it. But the offensive capabilities are lacking. There is no particular power that I believe could easily damage her, but an entire arsenal of them should grant me some chances.”

“Then all of them you shall have. We will simply have to convince Anessa to shield you further.”

“Yes. Just a few more friendly interactions to win her over and she will find herself incapable of denying us. The sight of her plushie self dealt her a heavy blow. She is close to cracking, I am sure of it.”

Irene presses her lips against his but does not fully kiss him. “Excellent. Soon you shall be free. And this world will know your glory.”

Then she does kiss him and somehow his body seems surprised by this, a jolt running through him and another strange sound being set free into her mouth. He does not quite know when he became so noisy, but he is too busy melting into her to give it proper thought. Still, it really doesn’t seem right that he alone let out all these noises. He can make Anessa moan easily, so surely he should be able to affect Irene similarly. He breaks the kiss, only to place another one on her collarbone, then her breast. “Might I... continue the kiss... elsewhere?”

Irene twitches in place and he places another kiss on her chest as she hesitates. “Yes, of course... you may.”

He moves his way down in the dark, traversing her pale skin one kiss at a time. She twitches again, heavily, once he reaches his target and spreads her pale legs. He leans in close and breathes hesitantly upon her sex, confidence evaporating. All his new experience lies in pleasuring a phallus, come to think of it. There is absolutely no reason to think he will be successful here.

He leans in even closer, eyes flitting up at her but seeing only her blank face staring back. It is reassuring as always, but there is something oddly vulnerable about her position that causes him unease. He starts with a kiss and she draws a quick breath.

Then it is time for another kiss. And then another. And then... he really should have prepared some sort of plan before engaging. He runs his tongue slowly along her wetness. This part of her really is much warmer than most of her body. He repeats the motion, marveling at the odd taste that might actually be a bit nice, in a way. Still, it is now time to get more creative.

But how to do so? He heads upwards, searching his way for the clitoris that should be around here somewhere. This is one activity where her favored darkness might have some detriments. But surely he will find it with a little searching. He stops. Would heading straight for it be an unduly brutish approach?

“A little higher.”

He obeys with relief. Of course it is obvious to her that he needs guidance in this matter. He soon finds his target and starts tracing lazy circles around it, pressuring its surroundings without engaging in a direct assault. She exhales audibly, which he decides to take as a good sign. Still, he could do with firmer directions. He finds her hand with his and pulls it toward him, but realizes with some consternation that it will not quite reach the back of his head. He settles for holding her hand and continues his ministrations.

“Yes. Just so.”

Excellent. He keeps going, hearing occasional noticeable exhales. Still, as he looks up at her and takes in the way her body shifts as she keeps her upper body slightly raised to be able to stare right at him he can’t help but think she might be feeling... awkward. An uncomfortable thought strikes him to the core. Are they actually just like a pair of awkward teenagers? No, impossible. They are terrifying villains. Irene is eerily competent at everything, of course she is not awkward. Still he cannot shake this feeling.

He pauses briefly and looks up at her. “Is everything alright?”

She hesitates a moment. “It is nothing. I simply feel... very naked somehow.”

“You are naked.”

“That is true.”

This is not good. He has somehow managed to take Irene out of her element with his selfish desires. What a blunder. How can he fix this? An idea comes to him and he acts on it. He puts his arms under her and raises her aloft, to no more reaction than a cocked head. He shuffles in the bed before lowering himself onto his back, pulling her hips down over his face. Now she does more than cock her head, hands rising in seeming surprise as she hesitates to lower herself down despite the slight pressure he exerts with his hands.

“Is this truly an acceptable position?”

“Yes. This feels right. It should also allow you to more comfortably observe me.”

“Alright. Very well. Alert me at the slightest discomfort.”

He exerts slightly more pressure and she finally relents, sitting on his face and surrounding it with her pale thighs. Yes, this truly does feel right. Incredible even, for some reason. His tongue finds her again and he continues pondering her taste as he basks in the feeling of... security? It is hard to understand just what is going on with his emotional state these days. But he truly trusts Irene, to an extent he would have considered impossible only days ago.

Yes, this is wonderful, he realizes as she starts grinding on his face, her slickness spreading over him as she takes pleasure from his act of service. He continues his ministrations with a gusto most unlike him, seemingly managing to overcome all worries and simply act. He feels his erection strongly even though it receives no attention. But he has no interest in it currently, despite its insistent throbbing. He is performing a selfless act for once.

Or is it truly selfless? No, probably not. He quite likes this for some reason. She exhales deeply above him and trembles a little on top of him.

Her thighs around his face are just wonderful. Yes, those are powerful, graceful legs. And he is doing right by their owner. Her wetness is audible as she grinds onto his tongue.

Yes. This feels good. There is no struggle involved, no worldly gain. He simply enjoys this.

Slowly, inexorably, she starts riding his face with more enthusiasm, which eventually turns into reckless abandon. She may not make embarrassing sounds like he does, but her heaving exhales are a sure sign he is pleasing her. The trembling of her body and the increasingly wet state of his face confirm it.

Eventually she stops, letting her still trembling body fall to the side, leaving his face by its lonesome. She lies there beside him drawing labored breaths and he can’t help but be pleased with himself. He might actually understand Nathaniel’s desire to have evidence of a lover left on his face for a prolonged period. But it is indicative of a decline in his mental state that he should be thinking of that fool in this moment.

“Thank you,” Irene eventually whispers. “Shall I return the favor? I could go fetch that gift of hers, if you require it.”

“No, that is alright. I am quite satisfied.”

She rises onto one arm, staring down at him. “I see. I apologize for leaving your face in such a state. We should perhaps head to the bathroom and clean you up.”

“I fear I am far too tired to walk such a distance right now. I think I will fall asleep soon.”

“I will help you, then.”

She picks him up with that odd strength that she has when her shadow self reaches into this world, and carries him into the bathroom where she puts him down to turn on the shower. It seems she is too much of a gentlewoman to let him bask in this newfound perversion of his. He still makes sure to lick his lips as he lets her pull him into the shower.

There is something quite enjoyable about being held close and having his face carefully cleaned by her. He puts his arms around her pale form, reaching one hand and running it through her now wet hair. Before he knows it they are locked in yet another kiss, wrapped in each others’ arms and heedless of the water cascading onto them.

Chapter 13: Making and breaking

Notes:

This chapter turned out rather long and smutty and kind of run-on, like a perverse glacier crushing its way down toward the ocean. Such is life.

It is early in the morning when Anessa opens the door to his room, without knocking. She spends a quick moment taking in the sight of him and Irene entwined, her face uncharacteristically blank.

“Hey. It’s time.”

He looks into Irene’s pitch black eyes and gives her a quick kiss before extracting himself from bed and heading over to the wardrobe.

“No real need to get dressed,” Anessa says.

He meets her unwavering gaze. There is a distinct lack of uncertainty about her in this moment. It is slightly unsettling. He throws on a skirt and blouse, so he isn’t prancing through the house in nothing but panties.

“Alright, let’s go.” Anessa takes his hand and starts marching him out, without uttering a word to Irene.

“There is no need to drag me.”

She does not answer. He has to hurry his steps to keep up with her, his bare feet pattering on the floor making him feel even more underdressed. They move through the house in tense silence. It feels oddly like he is being dragged to his execution, despite the ridiculousness of the situation. She somehow seems bigger than usual.

Soon she pulls him into the same room as last time. Radiance has already placed her chair and has her headphones at the ready. There seems to be a mattress on the floor now, covered by a large plastic tarp. At least it he won’t be strung up again.

“Alright,” Radiance says. “Let’s get this over with. Can you tie him up in less of an artistic way this time? Something restraining but still fairly normal.”

“Sure, I’ve got an armbinder that should do just fine. Maddie’s fetching it.”

“Okay?”

Within moments Madeleine arrives, carrying the contraption. Anessa divests him of the blouse before quickly pulling his hands behind his back and strapping him into the thing. Radiance looks a bit discomfited.

“That’s not the kind of normal I was imagining.”

“It does the job. Undying would be easier to deal with if you got him in one of these, right?”

“What?”

“Think about it.”

“I will not.” She crosses her arms. “Doesn’t it sort of get in the way of... things?”

“Nah, it’s fine when he’s face down, ass up, see.”

She pushes him to his knees and then forces his head to the ground, making him assume an embarrassing position.

“Why are you being rough with him all of a sudden?”

“No reason. I’m just taking this super seriously.”

“Well... good. But keep your cool.”

“I’m made of cool, Rady.”

“Fuck does that even mean?”

“It means you can stop worrying and look away now. I’m gonna pull his skirt and panties down.”

Radiance sighs. “Alright. Same as last time. Madeleine, you’re in charge of communications.”

She presumably takes her seat, as Anessa’s hands pry off the remainder of his clothes. Soon she is right behind him, pushing his legs further apart and slapping her thick member on top of his rear end. Then she pulls back and without warning pushes it in.

He lets out a slow breath as she hilts herself inside him. This will be challenging, but nothing he hasn’t faced before. It would be optimal if he could give up a power and somehow fool her into thinking it was the shapeshifting one.

Her first few thrusts are slow and lazy, like a polite greeting to his body from its favorite invader, a gentle reminder of its incredible size. His body enthusiastically welcomes her, basking in the pressure she applies as she primes it for a proper pounding. Only his face is displeased, as her repeated pushes threaten to push it into the mattress.

As if to drive the danger home she gives him the first powerful thrust, nearly knocking him off balance, only his powerful forehead keeping him steady. Then she switches to a series of quick and moderately powerful thrusts which cause his legs to instinctively spread wider for balance, toes trying to grasp for a foothold.

He realizes it just as she starts picking up both speed and power. She has done this on purpose. He will now have to contend with bodily pleasure, a precarious balance and her attempts to snatch his powers away from him, all at once. That is positively evil. She’s beginning to believe.

His body seems similarly awed by her cruelty, beginning its first set of flutters around her invading length as the plastic beneath him receives its first offering from his untouched member. Nothing to worry about, even though this orgasm is dragging on as she goes harder and harder, his forehead losing its grip and leaving his face to be pushed and dragged by the force of her attacks.

Next it is his toes that lose all grip, inadvertently splaying out at the increasingly intense sensation of this drawn out orgasm. That enormous member keeps claiming him with wild abandon, refusing to let his body relax, holding it at this peak for longer than he would have thought possible. But that’s fine, let the body have its fun. All he needs is enough concentration to resist when her orgasm hits. The new positioning of his face almost tempts his body into letting out a groan, as it might be muffled by the mattress, but he holds it back.

But it just keeps going. She’s ramming it into him at a blistering pace now, her hands on his hips pulling him into her to meet every thrust, his whole body shaking with her efforts. The plastic takes another helping from him and he has to bite his lip to hold back the sounds that are trying to break out of him.

His breathing is becoming erratic under this onslaught but so is hers and soon he is blessed by a surging and twitching motion in her member heralding an ejaculation that should bring with it a momentary reprieve. He lets out a sigh of relief as she grunts and the first rope of semen is deposited inside him. Then he feels a strange tugging somewhere within him. She’s trying to remove a power and he can actually feel it, almost physically. He grits his teeth and holds on. Then she breaks her orgasmic modus operandi and stops holding it deep inside, suddenly pulling out and then ramming back in repeatedly, even as she continues unloading into him. An embarrassing whimper breaks free of him and he can feel his hold on the power waver, but he stands firm. He continues resisting her even as his body achieves another orgasm of its own and attempts to fall fully prone but is stopped by Anessa’s strong hands and firm erection.

Finally she stops and he kneels there face down and trembling, breathing ragged as he exhales drops of drool onto the plastic. This was... different.

She looms over him, breathing almost as heavily as he is. A few moments pass and a drop of what must be sweat falls on him. Then she resumes her thrusting, her refractory period inhumanly short. His poor body trembles even harder as his pesky orgasm resumes with a vengeance just as he thought it was finally dying down.

The armbinder is starting to become truly uncomfortable as she picks up the pace again. This position is just so unnatural. It feels utterly bizarre to be ravaged with such ferocity in this helpless pose. The slaps of her hips against him are so loud he worries Radiance will hear despite the headphones. He tries to clench his fluttering muscles around the invader to impede her progress but she easily overpowers his defensive efforts, which somehow only enhances the sensations of his unnaturally extended orgasm. He buries his face in the mattress to muffle any sounds that might be forced out of him. The poor plastic is getting quite slick from the repeated little volleys from his ignored member.

He tries to detach himself from the proceedings, analyzing the situation with his powerful mind. Currently, he is enduring an attempt at disarming him. The seemingly unhinged and absurdly powerful Radiance is the driving force behind this, who will not relent until his shapeshifting power has been nullified, or until she is fooled into thinking it is. He bites his lip as Anessa changes up the pace, the plastic beneath him receiving another helping.

He breathes in deeply and tries to detach again. The body can enjoy this as much as it likes, but the mind must stay alert. Besides Radiance there is a mind reader who may or may not be invading his mind while he is preoccupied by the invasion of his body. Yes, that pervert is right there, currently watching him gush like a fountain in response to being ravished in this pose of utter submission. Of course his body responds to this realization by trembling and orgasming even harder, the sensations quickly becoming nigh unbearable. Even his ecstatic body tries to escape now, pushing away from Anessa’s jackhammer thrusts, hoping to find refuge by pressing down into the mattress.

His hips do not get far before she bodily pulls him up again, slamming him against her incoming thrust. The result is a nearly painful orgasmic spasm and a heavy splash onto the plastic. Anessa’s not talking or moaning or making any of her usual dumb sounds. Just heavy breathing and the occasional grunt. There is no warning of her orgasm except the surging twitch in her massive member, just moments before the flood.

She repeats her earlier trick, maintaining an irregular, powerful rhythm while she fills him with her seed, keeping him off balance as his body struggles with the myriad challenges presented to it. Again he feels that strange tug of war within him, as he clutches his power tight while this bully tries to claw it away from him. Is this what it feels like when she is determined? It’s awful. She should be insecure and indecisive, not... this.

She looms over him again, more drops of sweat hitting his back, some of them dripping onto the armbinder and then falling the rest of the way onto him. Her member twitches a last few times as he holds onto power, hoping she will now need a minute before resuming. His body may feel as good as it wants, but he really would appreciate a reprieve from this oppressive pleasure.

He raises his face from the mattress just in time to see Radiance standing from her seat. Her headphones remain on.

“There’s an emergency I’m gonna check out real quick. Some ship in a storm has stopped responding. Hopefully I won’t be long.”

Then in two quick flashes she is gone. Anessa pulls free of him and he lets out a relieved breath before sucking in a surprised one as she yanks him up from the mattress, leaning her head over his shoulder and whistling as she looks at the tarp beneath him.

“Wow. You cum a lot, boy. Good job.”

An odd attempt to demean him. But she is not factually wrong. That really is a lot. But he can think on it no longer, as she pulls him back a ways, turns him around and lowers her head to take his nipple into her mouth and suck strongly.

He stays kneeling, bewildered at what is happening. He is helpless before her, chest slightly pushed out by the restricting armbinder pulling his hands back and she is suckling away at him as if he were a tasty treat. It is somehow the strangest thing she has unleashed on him in this encounter.

“W-what do you... think you are doing?”

She does not deign to answer, only nibbling away at his nipple before starting to suck again. Why on earth does that feel good? Her hand finds his other nipple and starts lightly grazing it and in response he starts shivering for some reason. He finds himself leaning into her, sighing as she sucks and fondles away, her other hand curling around him and clutching his behind with pleasurable force. His own hands do not quite know what to do with themselves, stuck as they are, but his fingers wriggle helplessly in their prison. The fool has scored a strong hit on him, it seems.

And she maintains her momentum. The hand clutching his behind pushes its way between his cheeks, her fingers finding their way inside him. He sways there in her grasp, sandwiched between her suckling mouth and her probing fingers, unsure whether he is trying to escape or receive more. It is oddly gentle and oppressive at the same time. He feels hemmed in and somehow this slow fingering and sucking is overpowering him. It feels relaxing somehow, despite his unease. And now he’s orgasming again, just from this. Bizarre, but hardly an issue. This is still less intense than earlier, almost a comfortable orgasm. He will recover, eventually. Once his voice stops that weird, drawn out moan it seems to have started at some point. A few drops from him strike her and the fiend dares to chuckle around his nipple. He tries to focus on his annoyance, but it is difficult. He wants to hide his face somewhere but there is no cover nearby. His eyes meet Madeleine’s and he winces inwardly as he takes in her flushed face and her squirming legs pressed tight together.

He squeezes his eyes shut. This is embarrassing. Not only is he being pleasured in an unorthodox way, he is being closely scrutinized by a damned pervert as it happens. He feels like some animal on display. No, that’s not it. He feels like a pure soul realizing that not only are they caught in the clutches of a sex fiend but they have also been placed on stage in some strange sex show.

Suddenly there is a cold, familiar sensation upon his lower back. Anessa grumbles around his nipple as Irene halts the steady movement of her fingers into him.

Madeleine clears her throat. “Uh, Anessa says you should scram. And your boyfriend’s gonna cum a whole lot more and there’s no stopping it. Her words, not mine.”

Irene somehow manages to dislodge the invading fingers, leaning her head around to behold her foe. “I refuse to scram. I am not standing in the way of anything. I merely object to your methods. If my darling must get fingered, it should be done gently. Like so.”

Her fingers now enter him instead, so Anessa’s hand has to settle for clasping and kneading one buttock. As promised, Irene is gentler. Due to her positioning behind him she does not hit his spot efficiently, but having her fill him still feels very pleasant.

Now he can push against her without hesitation, basking in this most bizarre of pleasures. Irene’s chin rests on his shoulder, stilling him and staring down at Anessa as she continues sucking greedily. It seems a bit of a shame to have her use her fingers for such a lowly task, but she has made this decision so he will abide by it. Yes, in this moment he wants to be but an instrument of her will, so if her will is for him to receive her fingers and like it then that is exactly what he shall do. That makes a sort of sense. He trembles yet again at the expert maneuvering of her fingers and soils the sheets further as he gives in to their competitive manipulation of his body.

He shivers there, sandwiched between them as they... duel, he supposes? Anessa’s lips keep up that odd suckling, one hand roughly clasping his rear while the other grabs his member, gently stroking it with a few fingers. Irene kisses his shoulder, then cranes her head forward to start kissing his neck. If only this damned thing binding his arms weren’t in the way he could lean just a little backward and be in her embrace.

He draws a few shaky breaths. This is oddly intense, or no, not quite intense. More like oppressively nice. As if his forced passivity might soon reach a new level. Yes, an orgasm draws near and he fears he might melt into a puddle when it hits. Madeleine seems to be almost vibrating in her seat, hands clenched hard in her lap, no doubt tempted to wander.

He exhales and realizes orgasm is mere moments away. He uses what little freedom of movement he possesses to push his hips back into Irene’s skillful fingers, as she is the superior option here, even if every part of this feels good. Suddenly he pushes into her just a bit too hard and her whole hand pops inside and his eyes roll up as the orgasm arrives with unexpected intensity.

A bit more perverse than intended, he vaguely thinks to himself as he kneels there gasping, his member spurting freely onto Anessa’s fingers that are now stroking him at a blistering pace as he writhes between the two of them. Irene places steady kisses on his shoulder as he shakes, but soon as he cranes his neck she leans in to kiss him properly on the lips, her hand still but reassuring inside him. How exactly having a hand inside him is reassuring is a question for another day.

Eventually this orgasm dies down, with a slight resurgence when Irene stops kissing him and pulls her hand out, causing a few more drops to speckle Anessa’s hand as it still fondles his softening member.

“I want to hold your hand,” he says.

“And so you shall.”

Irene wastes no time undoing the bindings on the contraption. Anessa looks petulant as she licks her own hand clean while the armbinder comes off and he leans back into Irene’s embrace, her hands clasping his in front of him.

Anessa finally seems satisfied enough with the state of her hand to speak. “Get outta here already, Irene. This is serious business.”

Irene gives him a quick peck on the lips. “I must go now. But I will return.”

“No, damn it, you won’t.”

She lets go of him and steps back. “I will see you soon, Anessa.”

Anessa watches somewhere behind him as Irene presumably disappears. Then she grunts and pushes him onto his back, her fingers swiftly entering him again and resuming their forceful motions into him. She narrows her eyes down at him as he flails his limbs a little while he tries to decide just how to act in this moment. There is a knock on the door, but Anessa seems not to notice, picking up the pace and making him draw a shallow breath through clenched teeth.

“Should be gentle, my ass. You like it this way just fine. I think you could cum for mama pretty quick if I kept it up. But that’s not what’s up right now.”

The door opens and Radiance growls as she appears in the chair once more. “What the fuck? Obviously the knock meant to pause for a second. Wait, why did you take that thing off his arms?”

Anessa pays her no heed, flipping him onto his stomach and raising his hips before popping her monstrous member back in. She gives him a few slow thrusts before leaning over and grabbing his arms, lifting them until she can grab around his wrists and pull his hands behind him. Then she starts giving him slow and deep strokes that each culminate in a loud slap as she bottoms out. Slowly but surely she ups the pressure, increasing her speed until the slaps come hard and fast as she pounds away at him. He lets his head hang low so Madeleine can’t see if he should happen to lose control of his face at the onset of his next quickly approaching orgasm. Why must this stupid thing feel so good? He vaguely tries to pull away with his arms but she is so much stronger they won’t budge. He kneels there helpless as she takes him, his now limp member soon releasing yet more ejaculate onto the filthy plastic, shaking this way and that as her powerful thrusts slam against his body. Around his neck the damned bell shakes in similar fashion, jingling madly as she hammers into him.

She keeps going at full speed all through his orgasm and yet again this only serves to heighten and lengthen it, his whole body trembling for her as it dutifully receives her again and again. He is beginning to feel fatigue set in, even though he has hardly moved much of his own accord. Perhaps the constant spasming of his muscles during these orgasms is to blame.

She continues for what feels like an unreasonably long time at this blistering pace, coaxing another two little orgasms out of him before hers finally hits. He grits his teeth with effort as she floods him and that now familiar tug of war begins somewhere inside him. It feels as though she is getting stronger, or he weaker, but he remains steadfast, holding on for dear life. Then she suddenly lets go of his hands and gives him a hard slap on the buttocks that causes him to seize up around her twitching member, pushing him into an unexpected orgasm. He falls face first into the mattress, only his rear end staying up, fingers clawing at the plastic covering as she spanks him again and again and his whole body seems to seize up in orgasmic bliss from this rude treatment. The power slips from his grasp for an instant, but the next moment he reasserts his will and just barely manages to hold on while she groans behind him, sweat dropping onto his lower back in a steady drip similar to that issuing forth from his member.

When her orgasm finally ends he still has his power and he nearly smiles to himself. Then he realizes he is gasping and moaning and grinding back on her seemingly of his own volition. All mirth leaves him as he struggles to stop himself, needing an embarrassingly long time to stop grinding against her. He raises his upper body from the mattress, steadying himself on shaking arms.

Then she slowly starts moving inside him once more and dread fills him alongside her. This must be what a gazelle feels like when chased by a pursuit hunter. He has to trick her somehow, offer up a power and pretend it’s the shapeshifting. But it’s not working the same way as before. It doesn’t feel like there is any room for trickery. Soon as her orgasms hit he is on the defensive, holding on for dear life while she tugs at his powers. He’s not even sure which one they’ve been fighting over, so focused has he been on merely holding on.

His thoughts slow as another tremor goes through him, the plastic receiving another helping beneath him as he hangs his head. Then Anessa suddenly grabs his hair, pulling his head upright as she suddenly picks up the pace again and another orgasm immediately hits him as his hands flail around, uncertain where to go but determined not to touch the plastic.

“Maddie, come give me a hand.”

Madeleine stands from her seat, audibly alarming Radiance.

“Where are you going? What’s going on back there?”

Madeleine freezes and presumably tells Radiance something telepathically.

“Okay? I guess it’s her call. Just keep an eye out.”

Madeleine finishes her journey, standing right in front of him as Anessa keeps thrusting away into him, her hand pulling his hair making him incapable of even looking away.

“Alright, could you kneel down and hold his hands for me?”

She does. Madeleine kneels down right in front of him and takes his hands in hers. His mind reels as Anessa keeps working on him, yet another little orgasm finding him as he tries to maintain a poker face in front of the pervert, who is shyly looking down at him as he trembles helplessly. This is so absurd. Madeleine’s dainty hands hold his as he is absolutely railed right in front of her. Just what the hell even is this? Simply absurd. Absurd, absurd, absurd. He hears the heavy splat of his ejaculate hitting the plastic and embarrassment surges through him like a wildfire.

Of course, that is what their ploy is. Embarrassment is supposed to weaken him so that he will lose the next tug of war. But he will be ready for it. The pervert might as well not be here. His eyes don’t even perceive her, merely blankly staring straight ahead at her suit rather than the woman herself. Wait, that’s where her breasts are, it might look like he...

Anessa slams into him suddenly, forcing him forward and Madeleine shows surprising dexterity to lower her body and catch his head on her shoulder as Anessa starts unloading inside him. His whole body trembles and his hands break free to claw at Madeleine’s back as she starts gently grazing his scalp with her fingers as Anessa grinds against him as he orgasms yet again beneath her. The tug of war begins but he immediately realizes how it will go. It feels like he might flop to the ground if they weren’t both holding him. The power slips from his grasp.

“First success,” Anessa says as she finally lets go of his hair, opting instead to stroke his sides as her powerful member finishes twitching inside him.

Madeleine hums as she continues scratching at his scalp, not seeming to mind his death grip on the back of her suit. “I’ll tell her, then.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t the shapeshifting though, I think.”

She’s right. It’s the silence that’s gone. This is salvageable. He can’t bring himself to lift his head from Madeleine’s shoulder, so Anessa must be at least a little winded. He is sure she has been sweating profusely and he can hear her breathing is fairly ragged. Then she leans forward, breasts pressing against his back, her breath tickling his shoulder blades.

“Hi there, Maddie.”

“Hey.”

“You look cute.”

Why they would want to have a conversation on his back is beyond both him and Madeleine, judging from the pause. But any reprieve is welcome.

“Thanks?”

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Could you give him a kiss for me?”

“I-I think that would be crossing a boundary.”

“Really? I just mean a little peck on the cheek.”

“Oh, okay.”

Madeleine leans back and raises his head, then plants a chaste kiss on his cheek. He does not know what to make of this.

“Now the other cheek.”

“Um, okay.” She plants a peck on his other cheek. “Like this?”

“Yeah, just like that. Good job. Good girl.”

Madeleine makes a strange little sound in the back of her throat, then she clears it. “What are you doing, Anessa?”

“Just teasing you. Hey, that position looks uncomfortable. You should get your back straight again. He doesn’t need your shoulder, he can settle for resting on your pretty little tits.”

Madeleine grumbles but straightens her back. He does not feel a great need to rest on her breasts. Anessa pushes his head into them.

“Now keep playing with his hair.”

“Okay.”

Madeleine’s fingers return to gently scratching his scalp.

“God, just gorgeous. You’re the softest person I know, Maddie. And I mean that in a good way.”

“Um, thanks.”

They’re so confusing. Anessa starts slowly moving inside him again and his fingers clutch Madeleine even harder. She makes a shushing sound at him and pushes his head further into her bosom. This, finally, he is absolutely certain is the good cop bad cop stratagem.

“Yeah, just like that, Maddie, you’re a natural.”

“At what?”

“Nothing. Oh, hey, sorry your suit’s getting messed up. This cutie cums a lot, huh?”

“Who could blame him? You’re incredible.”

“Ah, heh, thanks, bestie. Do you need to touch yourself?”

“Wha- n-no. Of course not. We’ve got a job to do and I’m fully focused on it.”

“Okay. But feel free anytime. I know you’re getting hot.”

“Thank you, but no thank you. Not while I’m holding someone, at least.”

“Hmm, okay. I think mama’s gotta take a bit of a breather now, so you can sit back down in your chair. I would love to see you rub one out.”

Anessa lifts him from Madeleine’s embrace, allowing him to see that she seems as confused as he is.

“I will not be masturbating in front of Radiance. Absolutely not.”

Suddenly Radiance jumps to her feet, dropping the headphones but not turning around to look at them. “There’s movement in my freezer! I’ve gotta go!”

And then in two quick flashes she is gone. Anessa hums. “Seems like the coast is clear. It’s ime for you to get to fingering, I think.”

Madeleine walks backward to her chair, blushing scarlet as she sits down but defiantly crosses her legs. “I think not. She could reappear any second.”

“But you’re so horny, Maddie. You’re a total quickshot when you get like this, I’m sure you’d get off way before she gets back.”

“Stop telling me to masturbate! And tell me what the hell movement in her freezer means. Is that code?”

“Oh, right. I’ll tell you later, it’s kinda fucked. Speaking of...”

She lifts him off her, flips him around to face her and places him right back on her dick. He tries to maintain a cool exterior as he meets her eyes. She boops his nose. He responds by raising himself off her with telekinesis so he can look down on her. She grabs his hips before they get too far.

“You behave now, mister. Or mama’s gonna get mad.”

“Your maternal authority matters little here, ogress. You may have had your way with the princess, but I am a sorcerous empress and I will not be tamed.”

“Stop it! No role play! Only serious business.”

She tries to convince him of her seriousness by putting her lips back on his nipple, nibbling on it a little before starting to suckle. He nearly rolls his eyes at the ridiculousness as his hands rest on her shoulders and his body basks in the feeling, occasionally constricting around her incredible member.

He stays in that position a while, thankful for this moment of peace and quiet as she seems content with just this. He looks down at her clamped around his nipple and wonders whether he could unsettle her by pointing out it is not common for mothers to suck on teats and therefore it makes no sense for her to call herself mama. Yes, that should show her.

Before he can act on this she stops and suddenly hefts him higher, off of her penis and up into the air until his own member is right in front of her face. He has nothing to hold onto, so he flails in confusion. She steadies him by plunging her fingers inside him and, after a quick kiss on each testicle, engulfing his member with her mouth.

His legs clasp around her and his hands wind up in her hair to try and maintain balance in this precarious position, helplessly hardening in her mouth as she sucks on him and fingers him slow and steady. This is not the way oral sex usually goes, he is quite sure. But it does not seem ineffective, as his body seems convinced this is just great, the stimulation from both ends forcing him into a slight grinding motion that somehow doesn’t even budge her head despite the fact it seems to be supporting quite a bit of his body weight. An odd display of power.

Then she pauses, as Madeleine suddenly lets out a gasp. He cranes his head as Anessa takes him out of her mouth to look around his body. Irene is leaning out of a shadow on the wall, her head resting on Madeleine’s shoulder. The fingers of one hand are gently grasping her victim’s throat while the other explores her chest under her clothes.

“Stupid, sexy Irene,” Anessa mutters, barely audible. Then her fingers pick up the pace inside him and he jerks forward, her other hand grabbing onto his waist to keep him steady.

Irene responds by removing her hand from Madeleine’s throat and replacing it with her teeth, causing a hissing moan to emit from her target.

Anessa turns him upside down, engulfing him in her mouth once more and fingering him forcefully. His hands land on the filthy plastic and he trembles in embarrassment at this new and not at all improved position, something akin to a forbidden version of the wheelbarrow. He raises his head to look up at Irene, unsure how to act as his body fluctuates between feeling discomfort and bewildered pleasure. Irene’s hand treks down Madeleine’s body and worms its way into her pants.

Madeleine gasps and moans, but soon even that cannot drown out the sound of Irene’s motions. It is as if she is contending with a river. True to Anessa’s word, Madeleine really does turn out to be quick, reaching a keening orgasm in what must be less than a minute. He himself lasts at least twice that long before climaxing in Anessa’s mouth, for once free of the unseemly sound of ejaculate hitting plastic.

If only her fingers would stop rubbing inside him. They’re turning this orgasm into one of those odd, prolonged ones and it’s making his arms tremble a little as they carry his weight. He absolutely cannot fall face first onto the filthy tarp. Irene is winning, however, as Madeleine moans so heavily she must have reached a second orgasm. Anessa grumbles with his member in her mouth, which feels odd but not unpleasant. He looks up again and sees Irene sinking back into shadow, leaving Madeleine a slumped mess in her chair.

Anessa pops him out of her mouth and swings him up straight again before clasping him tightly against her, trapping her now rock hard erection between them, a hand on his behind making sure his much smaller member is pushed against hers.

“You okay there, Maddie?”

“Oh... my... god.”

“That good?”

“Yeah. Sorry, but yeah. She’s so scary and it’s so hot. She just shows up out of nowhere and just... just takes me without even saying a word. God, that’s hot.”

“Sure, girl. But we’re on the clock here. We’ve got a mission going on. Maybe don’t get too into it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Still, how does she know every time Rady leaves?”

“I’m not sure. He’s not communicating with her in any way, so maybe she’s just listening in?”

“You think she’s just got her ear against the door?”

“Maybe? But then Radiance would probably see her when she leaves. She could be out in the hall somewhere, you’re pretty loud and Radiance does open the door to leave, so it’s not like she has to keep too close an eye.”

“Well, I guess it’s fine. Hard to stop her and pretty much all she’s done so far is spice things up, which I don’t see as a problem. You might want to get yourself together before Rady comes back, though.”

“Oh, you’re right. Tell me when I look presentable again.”

“Sorry, too busy.”

Anessa lifts him up and slides inside him, moving his legs so they are clasped behind her waist. She carries him over to a wall and leans him against it, then raises one hand to cup his cheek, pulling out slowly only to feed him the entire length as she stares right in his eyes.

“Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling?”

He does not deign to answer.

“I’m gonna be taking your powers, even if it takes me hours. So basically it’s all up to you and how much you wanna cum for me before you give up.”

“We shall see.”

His voice did not come out quite even. She smiles at him as she slowly slides in and out.

“Okay, then. But even after I’ve taken your powers away, if you ever wanna get fucked hard again all you gotta do is ask.”

“In your dreams.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. But I’d like it to be real too. It’s okay to love this.”

“I do not.”

It is very difficult to converse with someone breathing right in his face, especially when that someone also has him pressed against a wall and is slowly sliding a penis of remarkable size in and out of him as they speak.

“I’m going to take the powers away. And it won’t diminish your worth in any way.”

He does not answer. He hears a knock on the door. Anessa keeps going, still staring in his eyes. Radiance lets out a little displeased grunt as she presumably returns to her seat.

“Somehow, my house got a roomba infestation. There were like forty fucking roombas running in there. Security system didn’t pick up anything, so some powered idiot must be behind it. Could be a dipshit playing a prank in the hopes of getting famous. Could be Shadowdancer. Can’t really imagine her carrying all those roombas, but can’t rule out the possibility.”

Anessa hums without taking her eyes off him, continuing her lazy penetration. “Forty roombas?”

“Yeah, fucking forty. Can you imagine?”

“That’s as many as four tens.”

“What?”

“And that’s terrible.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Anessa does not answer, occupied by the fact he has started to tremble in her grasp. Soon he starts gushing onto his own stomach, her eyes boring into him as she gives him a goofy little smile and a moan. Rather rude of her to moan, when this was his orgasm. A nonsensical thought. His composure is slipping.

“Wait, what happened to your neck?”

Anessa leans in and kisses him. Somewhere behind them Madeleine coughs.

“Oh, well, it’s... I was helping Anessa out and he was having a very, uh, very loud orgasm so he felt the need to bite down on something and my neck was the closest thing.”

“Right. Okay.”

With a few hurried thrusts, Anessa starts spasming inside him, moaning into his mouth as she fills him with her seed. He prepares to struggle against her, but then it... just doesn’t happen. After a few tense moments he relaxes, realizing there is no danger and he can breathe easy and just enjoy the feeling. The feeling of not having to struggle, that is. No, that’s not it, is it?

This is some sort of devious trap. Not applying pressure now is meant to lower his guard so the next time will hit harder. The realization of the fact his body likes the feeling of being held and kissed gently while being filled with seed is likewise meant to dismay him. Though how exactly she knows his body likes that is a mystery.

Eventually she pulls away from the wall, simply holding him while staying firmly lodged inside. She stands still for a moment, pushing his head onto her shoulder and petting the back of his head as she hums to herself.

“Hey, Maddie, could you fetch me a second tarp? This one’s looking pretty messy.”

“Of course.”

Madeleine runs off, as if the request were a reasonable one. He wonders just how many plastic tarps this household has. It’s not a normal thing to have, he is sure of that. Anessa sighs and lifts him slightly before bringing him back down.

“You must be pretty tired. Sure would feel good to just give in and let mama take care of you, huh?”

“That is not a tempting proposition.”

He does not imagine she takes him very seriously, as he hangs onto her and lets her pleasure herself with his body. She lifts him up before letting gravity pull him down, again and again. She keeps sighing.

“That’s okay, this is really nice so I’m in no rush to stop.”

Madeleine returns with another tarp and gets to work dragging the first one away without making a mess. He wonders just how experienced she is at this task.

“I honestly like you, you know.” Anessa pauses to kiss his ear, which makes him squirm in an undignified manner in her grasp. “You’re a real villain, I get that, but you’re so cute about it. Maybe I can turn one of the houses in the neighborhood into a makeshift bank and you can do heists on it. We could make it a role-play, I’d be a hero or a guard or something and try to stop you, you’d win if you get away and I’d win if I catch you, doesn’t even have to be any sex involved though obviously I’m always game for that. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

This insufferable lout has gone too far in her maternal delusions and started infantilizing him. And he can’t effectively insult her because soon as he opened his mouth to retort she’d no doubt start pounding him again and force some unwanted sound out of him. This is a difficult situation.

“All done.”

“Thanks, Maddie. Now,” she says as she pulls out of him and drops to her knees on the mattress and the new tarp covering it, giving him an annoying kiss on the tip of his nose before laying him down. “Mama’s gonna take your power away. Resist me if you can, sweetie.”

She flips him onto his stomach and then settles down on top of him, her heavy body crushing him into the mattress. Soon she enters him once more, staying fully inside him as she gets settled on top of him, finding his hands and clasping her own over them. Her hips rise, her member pulling slowly free of him. Then they slam back down, her outrageous girth rushing into him with enough force to make his breath hitch.

“Not quite face to face,” she breathes in his ear, “but still feels very intimate. Doesn’t it, sweet thing?”

He does not answer, gritting his teeth as her hips hammer him into the mattress once more. He can feel himself making his mark on the new tarp, though thankfully it makes no noise this time since he is pressed right against it.

Her thrusts are quick and short now, but something about this position makes them feel absolutely overpowering. Prone and immobile, his body quickly results to trembling as its only outlet for the duress it is under, clenching as hard as it can around her member, completely failing to impede its progress.

Just as his orgasm fully hits, she pulls his head up and turns it to the side so she can crane her own head around and kiss him. He can do nothing in the face of this onslaught but spasm and ejaculate, trying his hardest not to let out any sounds as she grinds away inside him, rubbing his poor penis into the mess it is in the middle of making.

This bastard is far too proficient at copulation. But it’s fine. He has only lost the silence, everything is still manageable. His body can enjoy this, he has been through it before without a problem, many times now. He only needs to reclaim his composure before she floods him.

She breaks the kiss to focus on her thrusts once more, picking up speed and power and absolutely drilling him into the mattress. Composure seems a distant prospect, especially as she leans down again and her teeth find his ear as that magnificent member claims his helpless body, making him tremble and gasp with each slam.

“Seems like you really like this position,” she whispers into his ear without relenting in her assault. “If you think you don’t, just say so. All you gotta do is beg mommy to change it up and fuck you some other way. And tell her exactly what position you wanna get fucked in.”

It is actually tempting, just to escape this grapple. But he cannot give in and say something like that. It would be a surrender far worse than his body’s attempted creation of a white flag beneath him. He stays the course, silently orgasming underneath her.

“Yeah, you love this one. That’s a good boy.”

Her jabs mean nothing. All that matters is holding on. He has to fool this fool somehow.

“Here it comes, babe. If you wanna convince me you’re actually a bad boy you better hold me off now.” Her next words she whispers right in his ear. “But you won’t, will you? We both know you want to be a good boy for mommy.”

She bites onto his neck and rams into him with even greater power. His hands try to crawl away but she holds them fast so all he can do is tremble as he orgasms smothered beneath her, suddenly unable to breathe or think as she starts flooding him, merely twitching under her helplessly. She growls around his neck and the tug of war begins and ends in an instant, his eyes rolling back in his head at the overwhelming pressure.

Hopelessness and anger mix strangely with a full body, earth shattering orgasm. For a moment he simply ceases to function. It takes him a few moments more to understand what she’s saying in between planting kisses on his neck and nibbling at his ear.

“Good boy. Such a good boy. Mama’s good boy.”

Defeat. He is still locked in orgasm, but that is the first word his frazzled mind can grasp.

Anessa exhales loudly. “Victory.”

A moment passes before Radiance answers. “Was it the shapeshifting?”

“Yeah. I mean I think that was it, his body feels less... I dunno, like it’s got less potential? It feels more normal, somehow. Though it actually doesn’t feel different at all, you know.”

“No, I don’t fucking know. Is it gone or not?”

“Probably. I’ll keep going though, just in case.”

“Alright. I’ll stay a while longer then.”

“Great. I’m gonna take a breather for a couple minutes though.”

This breather takes the form of rolling onto her side, pulling him along into the position of the little spoon. He lies despondent in her arms as she hums to herself, one hand running along his chest and stomach. Eventually she hits the slick spot where his most recent ejaculation has stuck to him. She runs her hand through it and then raises it toward her mouth. Her humming turns pleased for a moment, then her hand returns for seconds.

She is so disturbing. It is clear he pushed her too far last night. He thought he had her right where he wanted her, but he was wrong, horribly wrong. Best he can hope for now is that this ends soon, while he still has some powers left to bargain with.

Having seemingly had her fill, she pulls out of him and releases him from her embrace. She lifts his hips up and puts one leg under them, leaning her weight on one arm while the other sets to work fingering him again.

He squirms on the ground in response, struggling to lift his upper body.

“Down, boy. Just lie back and let mama take care of it.”

He feels so exhausted he can barely move, but those words prove enough inspiration for him to rise onto his elbows.

“Okay, if you really wanna see mama work that’s fine too. Look, now she’s gonna poke her good boy’s favorite spot.”

It does indeed seem to be a spot of some significance, as her prodding of it coaxes another dollop out of his member.

“Mmm, yeah, my little kitty really likes that.”

What is she on about now? Oh, she is making fun of the bell around his neck. Maybe he will at least be rid of it now that the shapeshifting has been stripped from him. He glares at her even as more drops are forced from him by her strong hand.

“Fuck, that smoulder, you know how to get mama going. Here I come.”

With uncanny nimbleness she switches up her position, taking a kneeling pose and replacing her fingers with that fat cock as she lifts his hips to start fucking him again, his upper body falling flat on the plastic. She wastes no time picking up the pace, hammering into him with those powerful hips and making his own little member perform a mad, jiggling dance as his hips shake with each impact.

Soon this unsightly dancer tries its hand at painting, flinging a little white glob through the air that lands right on his own cheek. And so his humiliation is complete. The oaf did this on purpose. This move will definitely disturb what remains of his concentration.

“Hang on, sweetie, I got it.”

She leans down, folding him in two as she does, so that his legs reach behind his head and his member aims straight at his own face. Alright, so now his humiliation is complete. Although no, probably not. She’s going to fuck him like this, isn’t she? She leans in and licks his face clean. This... this monster.

She pulls her head back and hesitates as she looks down at her conquest. Her whole body is slick with sweat and her breathing is ragged and uneven, breasts heaving with each inhale. But whatever fatigue she may feel is nothing compared to his.

“Maddie, I’m gonna need your help again.”

Madeleine looking at him up close in this position is not what he needed right now. She kneels down beside them and she too is breathing heavily, even though she’s only been sitting around and watching.

“Hold this leg for me, right here.”

“Okay?”

Madeleine takes hold of one of his legs and Anessa uses her now free hand to grasp his member.

“Oooh, yeah, you tighten up nice when I do that, huh? But I really wanted to tell you how much I love your little guy. I just adore how small you made it,” she says as she gives him a steady series of slow thrusts. “It’s so freaking cute, I wanna tie a ribbon around it, make a pretty little bow on top. It’s so dainty and sweet it kinda makes me want to protect you. Did you somehow know it would do that to me?”

He takes a shaky breath. “Protect me? You are being... very mean... to me.”

“I know. But you don’t hate that. Do you, sweetie?”

She picks up the pace again, letting go of his penis and taking hold of his leg again.

“Put out your hands, Maddie. Our good boy’s probably gonna squirt a lot real soon and we don’t want his face getting all covered in it.”

“Um, okay.”

He stares helplessly back into Anessa’s eyes as she starts drilling it into him more forcefully, bottoming out with every thrust, the slap of her hips against his behind echoing through the room. True to her word, he soon starts squirting, as she put it. Madeleine’s hands dutifully catch it as she awkwardly leans in to reach. He shivers as that incredible member dives into him at ever increasing speed and he just keeps... squirting. Now, surely, his humiliation is complete.

“God, you’re beautiful. You’re going to be powerless soon. And that’s okay. I’ll protect you, I swear.”

He lets out a breath but does not answer, just trembles as she keeps taking him. His shapeshifting is gone and everything feels rather hopeless. But he will not give in.

“You just have to give up being a villain. Live here with me and my friends. Move into a little house down the street with Irene. Chill out for a few months maybe, take up some hobby like painting or something. Irene doesn’t have to retire or anything, she can keep doing her thing, it’s fine. You just be like her villainous househusband or something, you could start a cute little family here, I’d be the cool aunt. Bet you guys would have the cutest kids. Would they come out half goth?”

Again he has no answer. Just how does her brain work? Does it actually work?

“Or you could join my team. I’d only give you back a few of your powers, but it’d be fun, I promise.”

She is so tiresome. How can his body keep orgasming so long? Where is all this sperm coming from? Surely it should run out at some point.

“But I can only protect you if you let me. Okay?”

“No... thank you.”

She leans in, pressing further down on his helpless form.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect all my little sweethearts. I’ll be so strong. Let me protect you.” She shifts up her pace to emphasize her words with hard thrusts. “Let. Me. Protect. You.”

“Um, I’m sorry to ruin the moment, but my hands are overflowing.”

“Oh, shoot, kitty really does cum a lot, huh? Bring it here, I’ll chug it down real quick.”

Madeleine shifts, pulling back and then raising her cupped hands to Anessa’s mouth. She does not pause her ministrations even as she feasts, leaving him to be splattered with yet more spurts from his frankly irritating member. At this point he accepts that his humiliation will probably never be complete. Yes, there are always new depths to sink to.

“Fuck, damn, I really should have let up for a second, look at his poor face. But it feels so good, of course I couldn’t stop.”

“Oh. Should I clean him up?”

“It’s too late now, maybe after I cum. Actually, let’s just go all out. I want you to let his head rest in your lap, I’m gonna make him squirt all over the both of you, then we can clean up after. Your suit always looks so fucking hot when it’s a cummed out mess.”

“Um, won’t Radiance be a bit disturbed by...”

“Kneel, Maddie. Now.”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Heheh. I prefer mama, but I’ll take it.”

“Oh, fuck you! I was just still thinking of Shadowdancer, okay?”

Anessa gasps exaggeratedly. “You bitch! I can’t believe you!”

“Well, you better.”

Madeleine may verbally deny it, but she does carry out Anessa’s order all the same. Soon his upper body is in her lap while Anessa stands holding his hips, pounding away at him. And soon he does indeed squirt all over the both of them. He catches one last glimpse of Madeleine’s face before he closes his eyes and she has a strange look on her face, biting her lip as her whole body trembles.

“God, just look at you, Maddie. I’ve got your fucking number, girl.”

“Shut up, Anessa.”

“Will not. You’re my perfect little helper and from now on I’ll put you to proper use.”

“W-what does that mean?”

“It means you’ll be playing bigger roles in our fun times. I wanna see you dom one of the boys, Maddie. I wanna see you getting your pretty little pussy eaten good, I wanna see you ride someone’s face.”

“I don’t know if I’m into that.”

“Just try it out for me. Do that and I’ll be a mistress for you.”

“That’s not... not an option.”

“I’ll take charge as much as you want. Tell you when and how you can cum. Spank you, tease you, just name it. I won’t even make you call me mommy or anything. Not right away, at least.”

“Keep your head in the game, Anessa. We’re not here to negotiate whatever you think you’re negotiating.”

“Oh, come on. Just look at me. You know I’m on top of things. And you’re having a ton of fun getting covered in the cum I’m fucking out of a pretty boy as you hold his head in your lap. But you don’t have to say yes right away, you can think on it. For now just enjoy yourself, girl. Fuck, I know I am. Get ready sweetie, I’m gonna cum again.”

She keeps pounding him relentlessly even as she unleashes another deluge inside him, her member making uncomfortable sloshing sounds as it pistons in and out. There is a strong pull inside him now, wrenching his dreams from him even as he squeezes his eyes shut tight and orgasms even harder from that massive cock.

“Oooooops,” Anessa moans.

“Ugh, what the fuck? Don’t make him fucking cum on me, you asshole." The smell of burning fabric fills the room for a second. "I liked that shirt.”

“It wasn’t on purpose, okay? It’s war back here, Rady, you can’t just sit on the sidelines and not expect to catch a single stray shot.”

“Ugh, I hate all of this. You’re basically done, right? Just wrap it up after this one. If it’s not over we’ll finish it tomorrow.”

“I just came. But I got a whole lot more than one left in me, Rady. He’s only got one power left and mama’s a perfectionist.”

Radiance must have taken off her headphones since they are conversing like this. He wonders just how many sounds other than Anessa’s voice she may have heard.

“Don’t fucking call yourself that when I’m around. And what has Madeleine been doing all this-”

He watches Anessa shrug her shoulders, looking in Radiance’s direction.

“What... the... fuck? Why is Madeleine- what is this posit... you know what? I don’t wanna know. I’ll be seeing that when I close my eyes for the foreseeable future, won’t I? Fuck you very much. I’m out.”

She saw. Radiance is immediately gone but she saw him in this position. Thankfully he has been humiliated so thoroughly already that he actually shrugs it off in the next instant. Anessa kneels, lowering him into a horizontal position in her and Madeleine’s laps. Then she leans down with a smile, and wipes some of the sperm off his face with her thumb.

“God, that’s hot. One of these days I have to give you a proper facial, you’d look so pretty covered in my cum.” She leans back up. “You too, Maddie.”

“What?”

“I mean you look good covered in jizz. Obviously it can’t be mine, what with how my power works.”

“Right.”

“But god, if it didn’t. I’d have that pretty pussy for breakfast every morning, Maddie.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Reel it in now.”

“Sorry. I’m feeling a bit too good, running my mouth more than I should. But you are so damn pretty and I fucking love you, girl.”

“That’s... sweet. I love you too. But maybe we should wrap this up.”

“Yeah, I guess I should stop.”

“Yeah. You should stop, Anessa.”

Anessa lifts him from Madeleine’s lap, holding him upright against her. Then she lets herself sink onto her back, his limp body laying on top of her. She spanks him hard and he tightens up around her, a little grunt escaping him as he spurts onto her toned stomach.

“Just one more. Then I’ll stop.”

Her hips rise into him, his limp form and the short distance only allowing her to give him quick and relatively weak thrusts compared to what she has been dealing him all morning. He can deal with this.

“Be a good little helper and hold his hips up a little for me, Maddie.”

“I’m really not that strong.”

“I believe in you, girl. Maybe we should work on your fitness in the future, though. I want my good girl fucking strong, okay?”

Madeleine sighs. “I’ll give it a shot. Now stop talking and wrap it up.”

Her hands grab his waist and with some effort raise him up a bit. Anessa’s thrusts immediately go into overdrive and he feels himself start dribbling freely onto her stomach. One of her hands grabs the back of his head, her lips coming close to his ear.

“Yeah, that’s it, empress. Take my fat ogre cock. Cum your snooty little brains out for me.”

He feels like he already has. He almost wishes he could pass out. Instead he keeps orgasming, receiving her incredible, monstrous dick inside of him while another woman holds his hips up so he can take it properly. Madeleine’s arms are starting to tremble so he uses a little telekinesis to hold himself up so Anessa can ram it home and get this over with.

Eventually her final orgasm hits, prompting him to give a last good gush onto her abs as Madeleine lets him drop. Anessa’s arms wrap tight around him and she groans loudly right in his ear as she floods him, then bites down on it. He just lies there and takes it, both of their stomachs now getting soaked by his spurting member and its seemingly endless ammunition. He realizes with a little relief that she didn’t even try to take his last power away.

Anessa spends some time kissing the side of his face even after her orgasm ends. Even after pulling out she keeps at it, holding him there an unnecessarily long while. Gloating over her success, no doubt.

“Okay,” she finally says, slowly getting to her feet. “Okay. That was the last one. Let’s get you back to your room. You cool with cleaning up here, Maddie?”

“Of course.”

She holds him almost bridal style, his face resting against her breasts. He catches one last glimpse of Madeleine before Anessa marches out. Her suit is flecked with his ejaculate, as is her face and even her hair. Who does something like that to a friend? And how can his body produce all that?

The house is quiet, seemingly devoid of witnesses to the unseemly sight of his filthy form slumped in her arms. His position makes him intimately aware of just how sweaty she is, her heavy breaths another indicator that this was at least somewhat of a physical ordeal for her. She jostles him a surprising amount on the way and he ponders it a moment before coming to a horrid realization: She’s rocking him in her arms.

Thankfully she has made her way to the hallway to his room, so he will soon be rid of her.

“You want mama to help you wash up?”

“No,” he and Irene say in chorus, as she steps out of his room and into the hallway like a dark savior.

“Oh. Hey, Irene.”

“Hello.”

“Um. I, uh, I brought your man.”

“I can see that. Hand him over.”

“Right. You... do I just literally hand him over? Can you carry him?”

Irene holds out her hands in response and Anessa dutifully hands him over. He can immediately feel Irene’s grip is not very firm. It is too bright still. He subtly lifts himself with telekinesis, side eyeing Anessa as she starts backing away, nude and sweaty and obscene.

“Alright. You take it easy now, guys. Let’s do something nice tomorrow. We can go to the beach or something.”

“Yes,” Irene answers, stepping closer to the door to his room, “the beach. My favorite.”

“Oh. Right. We’ll bring some massive parasols maybe, it’ll be cool, we’ll have a good time. I’m talking big ass parasols here.”

“Big... ass. I see. You know exactly what to say to convince me.”

“Heheh, yeah, you do like the big booty, don’t ya?”

“What?”

“I mean look at your man, he’s packing back there, that’s the big, majestic booty of a boy who don’t neglect his glutes.”

“It is not large. Shapely, perhaps, but not disproportionately so. My darling’s physique is graceful, svelte.”

“Huh? I guess that was rude of me, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean nothing by it. Your man is very... very svelte. Hella svelte.”

“Good. I am glad you agree.”

“Yep. Yep, yep. Ahem.” Anessa does finger guns at them as she backs away. “Catch you later, guys.”

“Yes,” Irene says, stepping slowly and menacingly into the room, breaking line of sight. Then she nimbly pushes the door closed with her leg and sets off toward the bathroom. He lets his head slump against her shoulder.

“It did not go well. Not at all.”

“I see. What do you want to do?”

He hesitates a moment. She sits him down in the shower.

“I want revenge.”

She kicks off her shoes and starts taking off her dress as the shadows in the corners of the room deepen and curl outward. “You shall have it.”

“I want to make that woman pay.”

Irene steps into the shower, grabbing the shower head and turning it away from him while checking the temperature of the water as it begins flowing. “She will.”

“I want to beat her. I want to make her prostrate herself before me, lick my feet, kiss the very ground I walk on. I want to take all my powers back from her, I want her to realize she is helpless to resist, I want her to agonize over her own impotence. I want to make her a hapless thrall. Our simpering servant.”

Irene looks into his eyes, completely quiet as she runs her hand through his hair, washing him clean of every trace of that lout. She closes his eyes before she scrubs away at his face. Next she cleans one ear, then the other.

Then suddenly her lips are right there and she whispers right into his ear. “It shall be so.”

Despite it all, he feels the tug of a smile at his lips. Yes, this was just a setback. With Irene at his side, he can do anything. He reaches out and hugs her and she just holds him there a while, letting the water stream down his back.

“Thank you,” he mutters. “I want to say it more strongly but I’m not sure how. Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure.”

When next he opens his eyes the room as dark as night and he sighs happily. She finishes cleaning him up there in the darkness, and by the end of it he is sure he sees her shadow self bleeding into this world.

“Shall we go to my place?”

“Yes, take me away from here.”

 

Soon he is floating serenely in her arms in an ocean of darkness, gazing out at the impossibility of the place. He feels so safe and clean that he might almost be able to forget what just happened to him. For a few minutes the world might as well not exist. Nothing matters but her shadowy tendrils flowing around him, her pale body holding him, her beautiful eyes fixed on him like two little black holes. Her shadow self flows around her physical body, that face of wonderful ink black smoke elevating her normal beauty to ethereal standards. He thinks he could stay here forever and never want for anything from the normal world. Her lips plant a kiss on him and he shivers in contentment.

“How shall we overcome her?”

He rubs against her hand in his hair and the annoying bell jingles around his neck.

“I have a theory regarding her power. I will put it to the test in a final, climactic battle. Failure is not an option. But I will need to catch her alone and unprepared. Probably in her own room, once they have all gone to sleep. I will need an outfit that leaves her speechless. Something unthinkably erotic. An abundance of cloth that is still overly revealing. Dazzling jewelry that clinks with my every move. I want the mere sight of me to be a knockout blow.”

“I shall see what I can do. Should we eavesdrop on our enemy first, to see how they are reacting to their perceived victory?”

“Yes, that sounds prudent.”

She slips from underneath him, leaving him to float with just her shadow self tickling at his skin. Soon sounds from the real world echo through the darkness.

“Nate, where the hell have you been?”

“I went out for a jog.”

“In that? I gotta get you something sluttier.”

“O-oh, I am not sure I am quite so bold as to-”

“We live in a ghost town, babe. Flaunt your stuff. It’s just for me. And Maddie.”

“Hmm. I shall contemplate it.”

There is a loud sniff. “You smell good.”

“Ah, thank you?”

“But what am I wasting time for?! There’s an emergency, we gotta go!”

“Wha- where? What has happened?”

“Your wife’s the horniest she’s ever been in her life! She needs your help right fucking now! Go, go, go!”

“Please do not frighten me like that. I thought you were serious.”

There is a slap, as she no doubt strikes his hind quarters.

“I am serious, princess! Turn that tush around and come with me already!”

“My... my apologies, daddy. I shall have to redefine my concept of emergencies. I was merely caught off guard.”

“Of course you were. Hard to think straight when you got nothing but cock on your brain, huh, slut?”

“Ah... ehm... indeed.”

“You blush so fucking cute. But your wife’s panties are even wetter than yours right now. She’s so hot and bothered she accidentally called me mistress earlier.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. But I’m just gonna lean into it and dom her good.”

“That does not sound quite like what we discussed.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get her confidence sky high eventually.”

“Via domination?”

“Yeah. I’ll order her to do things that boost her self esteem. She’ll get all wet for me because she likes being ordered around, but eventually she’ll start making a connection between getting wet for mistress and doing things that boost her ego. It’s the perfect plan.”

“I see. It is certainly a plan.”

“Enough talk! Your wife’s not allowed to touch herself, so she’s waiting all alone, panting like a bitch in heat! She needs you, Nate!”

“That does sound dire. I shall find her forthwith, then, and do whatever it takes to satisfy her.”

“Great! That’s my perfect little bottom bitch. But I guess you already know what she’ll want.”

“Ahem, I, well... yes, I may have an inkling as to what it might entail.”

“Yeah, I can tell by the way my slutty princess is squirming. Heh, you really like that one. Do you shiver every time I say that? My pretty little princess? Hmm, guess not. Does the context matter?”

“W-well, I don’t know that-”

“Answer me, slut.”

“Yes! Yes, the context matters. I, ah, rather enjoy, you see, it feels best when... it is said in a way that is a bit... demeaning? Humiliating?”

“Fuck. Are you totally sure you and Maddie aren’t actually the same person?”

“No, no. We are just very close. In a psychic way, far beyond what most people will ever experience.”

“Are you in each others’ heads when I fuck you?”

“Yes. Yes, we like to share orgasms. Her humiliation kink is... honestly amazing, in the heat of the moment. She desires me so much when I am with someone else, it makes me feel incredible. The pleasure of her denying herself and furiously playing with herself while thinking demeaning things about herself, it’s amazing. She is very strange and I love her very much.”

“So I gotta tell the little princess just what a nice and tight fit he is for my big fat cock while I tell the wife how good it feels pounding her man. That’ll get you both off real hard?”

“Yes, that... that does sound... nice.”

“Should I tell you that you fail as a man and fit the role of being my woman better? And then turn right around and tell your wife she fails as a woman and that’s why her man chooses cock?”

“Mm. Mhm, that... might be...”

“Heh, got my baby girl so horny he can’t speak proper. Does my slutty little princess need his tight little pussy pounded right now? Is that what he wants?”

“Ah, ah-hah, well, that sounds utterly ridiculous, but if that is what a... a perfect... bottom bitch... would do, then certainly.”

“It sure is. Maddie’s gonna love this. But I think those words aren’t really hot enough. My sweet little princess should probably beg to be allowed to please daddy’s big cock, you know.”

“Y-yes, I see. Please. Please daddy, can your princess serve your huge cock with his slutty body? Right this instant, please?”

“Of course, princess. Let’s go find your prince charming. Someone’s gotta keep an eye out and make sure this naughty little princess isn’t just focusing on his own pleasure.”

How can she still go for more? What is wrong with all of them? But perhaps this can be considered a positive. If they all become fully subservient to her they will have a harder time resisting once they realize she is nothing but a puppet on his strings. He will just have to make sure that happens.

They stop eavesdropping for a while, realizing what comes next. Irene uses the opportunity to seek out an ensemble fit for the fall of a hero, and he likes what he sees. Soon after her return they resume listening.

“Phew. Daddy’s feeling tired today, princess, so you’ve gotta work that tight little ass up and down all by yourself. Might be a bit low for a princess to ride cowgirl, but damn you look good doing it.”

“T-thank you, daddy. Thank you very much.”

Nathaniel sounds quite out of breath. Perhaps her making him do all the work is a sign of fatigue in Anessa.

“Go on, princess, look your little wife in the eye and tell her how much you love my cock.”

“Madeleine, I- I love this cock so much.”

“God, I know you do, babe. Ride that monster, slut. Oooh, I could never compare, I know. Ride that cock till you cum, sweetheart. You deserve it, you deserve to cum hard, so hard. My pretty, needy little slut.”

“Yes! Please watch me, my love. Watch me come from this massive cock.”

“I will, I will, sweetheart. I want to hear you scream in pleasure. Let out all your beautiful moans, you gorgeous little fucking whore, don’t hold anything back, let everyone know just how much you love it.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I love you, I shall be the loudest whore in the brothel, I love you so much, please watch her fat cock disappear into me, see how perfectly it fits my slutty body.”

“Oh, I’m looking sweetheart, you know I’m looking.”

“God, you guys are the weirdest lovebirds. Now stop running your mouth, princess, and dance on daddy’s cock. Up and down, yeah, just like that, up and down, faster now. I said faster, princess!”

There is the sound of a loud spank followed by a whining moan, then a rasping breath from Madeleine. “Faster, Nate! Ride that cock harder, you slut! You need that cock, Nate, show it how much you need it, worship that cock, show us what a dirty whore you are! That’s what you are, isn’t it, Nate? A dirty whore?”

“Yes-yes-yes-yes-I-love-you-Madeleine-I-love-you-I-love-you-more-than-anything!”

“Except that fat cock, of course! God, you’re a slut. I love you too, baby, you horny little cock-crazed harlot.”

“Hey, you guys are gonna hug after, right?”

“Yes, Anessa, yes, don’t ruin it, he needs more, we need more.”

“Alrighty then. Can you go harder, babe? Can you make those cheeks clap?”

“I-I-I will try, daddy.”

There does come the slight sound of a series of slaps, but they are hardly claps.

“Hmm, guess you’re just too weak to get daddy off on your lonesome. Yeah, you’re made to take cock, not work it hard. Still, good job trying, princess! You got daddy so hot she’s gonna help you bounce on it.”

Suddenly the noise of the slaps rises dramatically. Anessa starts grunting, while Madeleine moans loudly. Nathaniel does scream from the pleasure, in the end.

They stop eavesdropping. It is a bit worrisome that her assertiveness does not seem to be diminishing. She still sounds foolish, but also annoyingly confident. And even though she must be tired, it does not seem to truly slow her down.

He looks into Irene’s eyes as she plays with his hair.

“There is a cave on this island, off the beach, accessible only through an underwater passage. Within lives a giant and among her possessions is a rope strong enough to hold most powered people. Place it within reach once I am inside Anessa’s quarters and she will be doomed.”

“It will be done.”

And so it is. It takes her hours of careful work, but Irene delivers. They return to listening in on the enemy.

The first sound through is that of heavy footsteps, possibly Anessa running through the house. The second sound is Jamal’s voice.

“What’s up with you?”

“Stop right there!”

There comes a slight slamming sound. “Huh? What’s... what’s going on?”

“It’s called a kabedon, look it up.”

“Uh, okay. I’ll do that. You need something?”

“Yeah, I need to tell you something. I... I kinda... I love you, you know?”

“Oh, man, uh, what is... what is happening?”

“It’s embarrassing, I know. But I love you. I’m a greedy bitch and I love you all and I’m never letting go. Obviously if you wanna get with someone else I’m cool with it, I’ll help, could be a lot of fun. But at the end of the day you’re mine. I love you and you’re mine.”

“I... I, uh....”

“No one’s listening, everyone else is all tuckered out, like proper, it’s just you and me babe.”

“Okay.... yeah, okay, okay, okay.”

“Well, I guess Irene could be listening, can’t rule that out.”

“Fuck.”

“But who cares? I don’t think she would ever laugh at us. Don’t think I’ve ever heard either of them laugh, actually. Now I’m wanting to tickle them. For science. I shouldn’t, though.”

“Don’t really care if she laughs or not. Just don’t want her hearing... whatever this is.”

“I’m just saying I love you. I love you, dude.”

“That is not the time to say dude.”

“I know, I just needed to get us back to our normal so I said something goofy so you’d sass me.”

“Oh.” There is a moment of silence. “You just going stay looming over me like that?”

“Yeah. I know you like it.”

“Man, you are really... something right now.”

“Assertive? It’s what you all need. And I’m all about giving my sweethearts what they need.”

“Heh, sure, okay. And what do I need?”

“You need to be teased a whole lot and touched and held just the way you like, kinda rough and possessive but loving.”

“Uh.”

“You like having my hand around your throat like this, squeezing just hard enough to let you know you’re mine.”

“Now, uh, now this is just bullying.”

“You like it when I get all close and stare you down. You like feeling how strong I am. You like that I can easily lift you up. Like this.”

“F-fuck, girl.”

Jamal’s voice sounds a bit strained and there is a gasping quality to it.

“I know it all makes you embarrassed. But it’s okay if it’s like this, all my doing. I’m in charge and I’m doing what I want. There’s no reason to be embarrassed because it’s all me.”

“Bit... bit of an ego you got there.”

“Yeah, go on and sass me, puppy. I like ’em bratty sometimes.”

“Okay, this is... this is still embarrassing. You can put me down now.”

“I don’t want to. Hey, we should go see your mother again soon.”

“Say what?”

“You can fly all over the world with me, but you settle for just calling her. It’s been months since you saw her. Why is that, puppy?”

Jamal doesn’t answer.

“It’s because you’re embarrassed. It’s because you’re stuck with me and I’m not normal.”

“Come on, girl, that’s not-”

“So we’ll go see her and tell her exactly what’s up.”

“No the fuck we won’t!”

“Pff. My puppy’s so cute when he panics. I’m messing with you.”

“Asshole.”

“But I won’t try to pretend to be your cute little girlfriend anymore. I suck at it anyway, so she probably knows a bit of what’s up. I’m not going to sit and watch you pretend to be something you think you have to be. Never again.”

“I don’t pretend, fuck you talking about?”

“I won’t hide that I’m the, uh, the big spoon in this relationship. We’ve got powers anyway, and I’m stronger than you, so it shouldn’t be that big a deal if we don’t conform to gender roles. Your mother should know I’m taking good care of her boy.”

“If you say any bullshit like “your son calls me mommy too” I will fucking end you, okay?”

“Haha! I’d like to see you try, puppy. But I won’t.”

“That’s right, you won’t. Or I’ll bite your leg. And steal your shoes. I’ll fuck you up, girl.”

Anessa giggles, unfazed by his threats. “Why is everyone around me so cute? But I won’t, I seriously won’t. I really like your mother, I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“Alright, cool. But hey, for future reference, please don’t have your hand around my neck when we talk about my mom.”

“Oh, shit, yeah, of course, sorry.”

“So... that hand letting go any time soon?”

“No, we’re moving on to other stuff now. I wanna make love to you.”

Jamal lets out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a gasp. “Fucking... slow down, Casanova. I’m not used to getting finessed like this.”

“I’ll fuck you hard, just the way you like it. Fuck you so good you can’t help but be sappy with me.”

“Man, what even... the tone is just all over, I don’t know how to react.”

“You don’t need to know, I’ll take care of it. Just let me hold you like this. And when I say we’re gonna have a nice time and I’ll fuck you till you’re too tired to be embarrassed and you’ll tell me if you love me too? Then you just let out a breath and stare into my eyes and part your lips a little, yeah, like that.”

Suddenly she is whispering.

“Then when I lean in you let me kiss you and then I’ll carry you off to bed. Just. Like. This.”

They cease listening. It would seem Anessa has become quite emboldened. Perhaps she thinks this domineering approach is the quickest way to subdue everyone around her, conquer them by simple shock and awe. From her words it seems almost as if she thinks this will gain her their love. She is sorely mistaken. He will use her arrogance against her.

Irene goes on one more trip to gather supplies before returning to him. The day has progressed into evening, and the fateful hour draws near. They leave her shadows and return to his room.

“Apply unto me the most seductive make-up you can manage. Lipstick she has not seen before, perfume she has not smelled, as elegant a hairstyle as we can manage with what I currently have.”

It is midnight when the finishing touches have been made. He stands before a mirror and admires his own imposing figure.

His lipstick and eye-shadow are blue so dark as to be near black. A thick golden torc around his neck covers the collar and bell. A golden chain hangs from the torc, that he weaves around his neck for now. Around his wrists, upper arms and ankles he has golden bangles and from his ears hang long, golden earrings in the shape of tears. A black sort of bra just barely covers his chest, ensuring his nipples will not be easily sucked this eve. From his waist hangs a black vestment that seems a cross between a loincloth and a long skirt, nearly touching the ground but leaving his shapely legs on display. The top part of this skirt is overlaid with an array of dangling gold ornaments that line his waist. A nearly opaque black veil covers the lower half of his face, while black and gold lionheart lilies adorn his hair. His entire affect is that of a dark, golden god come to break a hapless mortal’s meager world on a whim. He takes his entire visage in one last time, then throws on a black cloak to hide it all.

He practices moving without the bell on his neck making a sound a few times, gliding back and forth through the air with serene grace.

“Truly majestic.”

“Thank you. They are all asleep?”

“Yes, apart from Anessa. She is alone in her bed, but she remains awake.”

“Then let us go.”

Like two ghosts they glide from his room, through the rest of the darkened house, deathly still. He floats towards Anessa’s door like a specter of doom. He meets Irene’s eyes one last time before pushing open the door with his trusty telekinesis, floating in soundlessly. He can vaguely see Anessa’s shape in the dark. She seems to be lying on one side, muttering and grumbling to herself.

He telekinetically closes the door and she jolts, quickly reaching out a hand to turn on a light on her nightstand. Half sitting up in her bed she looks at him with bewilderment, but it quickly fades.

“Hey, sweetheart. Everything okay? You weren’t having one of those nightmares, were you? What’s that on your face?”

He answers her with silence at first, letting his eyes wander the room. The plushies are there, sneakily watching from atop a wardrobe. He returns his gaze back to her.

“You must be quite pleased with yourself.”

“Not really. But this is how it has to be. I’m sorry, but if there’s nothing wrong, can you go away? I kind of need a moment to think. I’ll be nicer tomorrow, okay?”

“No. I demand a rematch.”

“Sweetie, no, I-”

She stops mid sentence as he shrugs off his cloak revealing his gold and black ensemble. He carefully moves his currently wavy hair over one shoulder, his eyes boring into hers.

“Holy... moly. You dressed up like that just for me?”

“Yes.”

She shakes her head. “But I still shouldn’t. I know you’re angry, but I don’t think getting fucked hard again is a good way to deal with your emotions.”

“The rematch is really more of a pretense. I simply want more.”

“This morning wasn’t enough?”

“I want a more amicable ending. I want to be crushed beneath you again, but this time I want to follow it up by falling asleep in your arms, filled with your seed. Is that so much to ask?”

“Wow. Uh, wow.”

“Irene does not mind. As long as she can play with Madeleine, she will accept my need to... be taken by you.”

“Oh. Oh!” Anessa lets out a deep breath. “Okay, I’m game. Irene can get it on with anyone here, really, long as they’re up for it. I know for a fact Maddie’s game. Well, I guess you saw. Yeah, okay! One last fuck it is, and then some cuddling. You’re little spoon though, obviously. That’s non-negotiable. Will Irene join?”

“Eventually. If you do not mind.”

“Not at all! So... how you want me to take you?”

“For starters,” he says as he floats onto the bed, straddling her before he sits down on top of her, feeling that familiar member rising beneath the covers, “I want you to lie back and let me ride you. Hold onto this and relax.”

He unfurls the chain from around his neck and hands it to her, inwardly smirking at the little breath she releases when it reaches her hand. Then he rolls back the covers and starts grinding on her hefty member where it lies against her stomach, obscuring the action with his skirt. She twitches noticeably, perhaps from the feeling of his comparatively tiny member rubbing against her giant. He imagines it might be amusing to ejaculate on it, but if he did so now he would simply end up receiving his own seed inside him later. Perhaps some other time he will make a mess of her thus.

Next he raises himself up, pulling her python upward, tapping it gently against his derriere. It has such heft to it. Yes, this heavy anchor will sink and drown her, lost in his merciless depths. Her breath hitches as he places her at his entrance, the proceedings still hidden behind his skirt. Even after a full day of who knows how many orgasms, she is still so eager. It is impressive, in a way. Though he supposes his body is also abnormally excited considering just how thoroughly it was satisfied this morning.

But this is the time for action, not contemplation. He slowly impales himself on her, watching her hand clench around the chain while her teeth bite into her lip. He slows down even more, just to tease her further, even rises a little before resuming his descent.

Then he is sitting snug on her lap, the entire incredible thing caught inside him. He waits there just a little while, feeling completely filled. Then he starts riding her, slowly, gently, making only the laziest of movements, aiding himself with telekinesis.

He watches her as he rides, taking in the quivering muscles and strained breathing. This day of debauchery really has done a number on her. There are hickeys all over her neck. He looks down at his own body, so much more impressive in comparison. Yes, he is in peak physical condition, his stamina fully recovered from lazing around in Irene’s world all day.

It is a bit titillating to have their congress so concealed by his skirt. Just the sounds and the sensations to let him know it is happening. He pulls his skirt in a bit, so he can watch her abs. He leans over slightly to reach a hand down to them, feeling them tense as he picks up the pace, letting more of her exit him before engulfing her again.

“Such a strong hero you are.”

“Heh, yeah, mama’s got some muscle on her.”

“An impressive physique, yes, it must be said.”

“Right back at ya, babe. I bet you’ll have some serious leg muscles before long, if you keep riding my dick like this on the regular.”

“Oh, the exercise is minimal. I am employing telekinesis, the only power left to me.”

“Hey, let’s not dwell on the bad things.”

He catches sight of Irene from the corner of his eye, placing the restraints within reach. He sighs contentedly as he bounces himself harder on Anessa’s member with the telekinesis, his whole body oddly relaxed as he feels the familiar drops start flowing from him.

“It feels good, does it not?”

She grits her teeth. “Gngh, yeah, yeah it does.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have sex in a different ambience, however? Just imagine if there was a thunderstorm raging outside.”

“Oh, knock it off! I’m not that dumb, damn it!”

“It simply would not be the same without a hint of duplicity from me, would it?”

“Ugh, please don’t. You’re my good boy! We established that already! No take-backs!”

“I am beyond such petty concepts as good and evil.”

He punctuates his words with a particularly rough slam down on her length, prompting her to reach one hand out to grip onto his hip.

“Nuh-uh! You’re a good boy!”

That uninspired retort might be an indication of success in distracting her. But it might also just be her normal inadequacy. He rides her harder for good measure, focusing on what he wants her body to be doing in this moment, taking her hand off his hip and pushing it into the bed as he leans over her.

“We shall see. For now, please come for me, Anessa. Let me feel that monster erupt inside me.”

She makes a little whimpering sound. “Fuck, my name on your lips sounds nice. Here you go, empress, one ogre creampie, coming right up.”

She slams up into him as she starts to orgasm and he pulls himself up, putting his hands into his own hair to disarm her as he rides it out, bangles on his wrists shaking and the bell around his neck tinkling as he rides this bull, clenching powerfully around her as he answers with a little dribbling of his own. He wants her bigger inside him, bigger beneath him, and the bed creaks and he thinks he feels her stretching him further. She watches him with obvious appreciation, completely unaware of the encroaching restraints as she grunts and groans. He abruptly starts riding her hard again, causing her eyes to cross as he hammers himself down. With one quick grasp he snatches the power of silence back.

“No! Why did you have to do that?”

“Calm down, it’s a harmless one. I simply do not want anyone to hear when you take me properly later. I want to scream my pleasure tonight.”

That knocks her back down to normal, her returned senses picking up an unexpected sensation. After a second of anger, confusion etches itself on to her features as she realizes her hands have been bound to the bedpost over her head.

“Huh? What are you up to, sweetie?”

He rides her gently as he wraps a cordon of silence around the room, insulating it from the outside world. “My recent experiences at your hand have aroused a desire to try having someone else bound for me.”

“Well, it is a ton of fun, so I get it. When you want me to tear loose and pound you good, just let me know.”

“Oh, yes, I will.” He narrows his eyes at her as she slowly starts pumping it into him again and focuses on his desire. “But for now, let’s start with this.”

Her penis stops filling him as it shrinks down and then disappears entirely. He can’t help but smile beneath the veil as she puts on the face of a certain shocked pocket monster. Then she starts sputtering.

“Wha-? How- I... I swear this has never happened to me before!”

He lifts himself up a little, reaching down a hand to run a finger along her slick entrance. “Hello there.”

“Huh?”

He raises his finger in front of his face and inspects it. “I’ve found it remarkably difficult to pin down your exact height during my stay here. It perplexed me a long while.”

“But....”

He puts the finger in his mouth. Not a bad taste, but nothing compared to Irene. As expected. “Then there was the case of our first encounter, where your penis started off remarkably small. I inevitably came to he conclusion that you had to be a sort of shapeshifter yourself.”

Despite her mind still seeming to struggle with what has just happened, her hips keep grinding up into him, unable to comprehend their new reality. He lifts himself out of reach.

“But you changed my body too. How could I possibly ejaculate such outrageous quantities, after all?” She opens her mouth, but he presses on. “So it is not any regular shapeshifting. Not even that monstrous bunny creature can do that. Extremely curious. Then I realized you seem to be largest when you are around Nathaniel and Jamal, whose heights in relation to me did not quite add up to what I saw when you were next to them.”

Her hips now rise a great distance to start slapping into him, falling only to rise again and again, sending ripples through his flesh.

“Will you stop humping me?! I am trying to explain your own power to you.”

She does, mostly, though her hips refuse to stay completely still.

“Sorry, empress. My ogre brain can’t handle this, when that pretty tush is right there the only thing in my head is I need to pound it.”

Does she not realize the danger she is in? Does she underestimate him so thoroughly? Not even a hint of trepidation. Though that is good, he supposes. It is too late for her to make a lot of noise to get the others to help, but perhaps she could think panicked enough thoughts to disturb the telepaths. He watches her with silent suspicion.

“Please, empress, I’m sorry, please keep playing with your pet ogre, I’ll be good.”

Yes, she seems to be completely unfazed. It’s honestly impressive.

“Very well, you may resume your humping. But keep it gentle, so as not to disturb my lecture.”

“Thank you, empress. Best monarch ever.”

He lowers himself back into striking range and she immediately taps against his behind. He wonders if she is actually getting something out of it or if it’s just a placebo.

“You were physically larger around them than me not because you wanted to dominate them more or some such. No, it was because they wanted you larger.”

“Oh shit, really?”

“Yes, really.” He pushes her hips down and grinds his bottom against her, as if the penis he has willed out of existence were still there. “Your power is desire. It can shift you and your target into more pleasing shapes and binds your victims to the unnatural pleasure you provide.”

“Fuck, that sounds dark.”

“Oh, it is. But that desire is a two-way street once your target is yours. While you may hold more of the power, even a contradictory desire can overcome yours if the target is strong of will. As I am.”

She exhales slowly. “Damn. I just can’t get over the fact I’m super horny and I don’t have a massive cock. That hasn’t happened in like... yeah, not since my real power awakened. It’s been on ever since.”

“Your power is still active, obviously.”

“But... my dick?”

“It is a manifestation of your power, not the root of it.”

“But I... I grew a massive cock when my life was in danger. I mean Jamal’s hot, I definitely noticed that before he attacked, but like, I’m pretty sure I was running on survival instinct, not thinking about dicking him down.”

“Who knows how a mind such as yours work? How would you describe your desires before the incident with Jamal? What did you want to do to those who attracted you?”

“I... I wanted to hear them whimper and moan for me. And I... uh, I kinda always wished I had a big cock to make them cream for me. Fuck. Shit. So the only reason I put this big dick in you all is because I’m... I’m a pervert.”

“That sums it up rather nicely, yes.”

“Oh. Oh, god. I am... such a monster.”

“Yes, yes.”

“I could have just... fucked you all amazon style and not made you into such cocksluts.”

“I am not familiar with the term, so I cannot confirm or deny.”

“Maybe I’ll show you the some day. If I can ever keep my boner in check in the future.”

“With my assistance, it may be possible. I am sure I could instill some self control in you, with enough work.”

“But you can do this because my power goes both ways so... you do desire me?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “In a way, I suppose.”

“I’ve... I’ve made you feel really good, right? You’ve enjoyed the sex, because cumming feels good? You get horny not just because I want you to be?”

He stares down at her through lidded eyes. “At this point, who can tell?”

“Fuck. I think we gotta stop for now, this kinda changes everything and I need to... to figure things out.”

“No. I am not satisfied.”

“Sweetie, I’ll satisfy you first thing tomorrow, okay? Mama’s gotta work some things out right now.”

She says that, but keeps grinding her hips upward. He narrows his eyes at her. “No. You are responsible for all that has happened here. You set me aflame. So now you burn.”

She slams her hips into him, grinding hard against him in frustration as she lets out a hissing breath. “Fuck yeah, you weird little sex bomb, I’m on fucking fire, you got me so hot.” She lets her body fall again and takes in a deep breath. “But we should stop.”

She has no appreciation for the art of the ominous. Or perhaps this is simply not an occasion that allows for it. Is he out of touch? No, it is she who is wrong. He lowers himself down on her once more, feeling her wetness as he sits.

“We will not stop.”

“Uuuugh.” She lifts him with her hips again, then gives him a quick succession of hammering thrusts. “I wanna fuck that tight little ass so bad. If my power is desire why isn’t it happening? Just how bad do you want me to not do that?”

“Oh, you misunderstand. What I want is for you to squirm.”

She moans. “Fuck. Yeah, I’m squirming babe, you got me good, I need it so bad.”

No, perhaps it is he who was wrong. This situation may simply not be suited for ominous words.

“Yes, you need me. I can change your whole life for the better if you will only let me.”

“Fuck, you’re in demon temptress mode, aren’t you?”

“Just imagine what could be done if both you and your target had the exact same, strong desire.”

“Fuck. The possibilities are endless. I really wanna have a movie night with everyone, except beforehand I creampie all three of you good and then plug you up and as we enjoy the movie we pretend you’re all not just bloated with cum but actually pregnant and we’re gonna be a big, happy family.”

He can’t help but gawk at her. “What?”

“Oh, sorry, you meant like if I wanted what you wanted, obviously. But I don’t think I wanna squirm any harder, babe. Just gimme my dick back, I’ll mating press you again, give it to you so good you won’t walk straight, please sweetie, pretty please.”

What an uncouth name for a sexual act. She’s derailing everything yet again.

“I doubt our desires will ever truly coincide. But imagine what you could accomplish with the other two. Let us analyze your fantasy further. What if you could make either or both of them... carry your child?”

He goes cross eyed as her penis rockets back into existence, instantly filling him in a truly bizarre manner.

“Fuck, that really turned me on for some reason, sorry about that. Unless...?”

He would speak if he could. She caught him completely off-guard with that and his body is undergoing a powerful, bewildered orgasm, his little member dribbling helplessly onto her toned stomach. He had expected a struggle with her desire, not this.

She sighs in satisfaction as she starts giving him little thrusts upward. “God, it’s good to be back. You feel so good, sweetie.”

He leans back and reaches his hand down between her legs, exerting his will on her body. And there, yes, he can feel the parts of a woman again. “I am not finished with you.”

The position is not a very comfortable one, but he perseveres. She purses her lips as he pushes a finger inside her.

“Oooh?”

He utilizes her distraction to ensnare her legs in more of Titania’s rope, resulting in a frown on her goofy face.

“Will you knock that off? We can have fun with bondage later, but there’s no time right now. Mama’s gonna mating press you and then you gotta snuggle up with Irene while mama figures the rest of this out. Here we go, babe.”

She flexes her entire muscular frame as if she expects the rope to snap. There is visible confusion when it does not. She tries again, harder, straining with all her might. To no avail. He starts riding her gently once more, smirking slightly behind his veil.

“Is there... something wrong?”

She swallows, licks her lips. “Um, maybe. What, uh, what’s up with this rope?”

He leans down low to let his face loom closer to hers. “Oh, just something I borrowed from a neighbor.”

He watches with grim satisfaction as her scant brain cells rub together. His member leaks with grim satisfaction onto her as he continues riding her ever so gently, teasing her with just enough pleasure to distract her but nowhere near enough to bring her true satisfaction. Suddenly realization dawns on her and her eyes go wide.

“Oooh, shit in the city square on a sunny day.”

His eyes wander to a corner of the room. Is that a saying?

“Fuck, it’s Titania’s fucking super rope. And this bed is literally built to withstand the hardest fucking I can subject someone to, which is really hard, another thing I’ll show you some day.”

He looks down on the bed with some curiosity. He did not notice anything odd about it, but in retrospect it is a good thing indeed that she can not crush it in an attempt to get free. Pushing these idle thoughts aside, he turns his gaze back on her.

“Now that you are comfortable, there is something I have been wanting to try. Yes. It is time.”

“Oh yeah?”

He allows himself a proper smirk behind his veil. He cannot see or hear her, but he can just feel Irene approaching behind him, stalking through the darkness towards their prey.

“Oh, yes. It is your turn to whimper and moan.”

“Fuck, I can only get so erect, sweetheart.”

Irene’s weight arrives on the bed, and soon he feels the back side of his skirt folded up against him and then her cold hands are on his waist and the touch of her lips on his shoulder. He unfastens the chain from his torc, letting it fall limp in Anessa’s hand, completely driving home the fact she holds no power here.

“Good evening, Anessa. Raise her hips for me, darling.”

“Um, hey, Irene." She sighs. "I’m fucked, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” he says as he telekinetically fetches a pillow and slides it under her to raise her hips. For good measure he pulls the plushies closer too, that they might bear witness. “That sounds about right.”

Irene’s hands leave his hips and he watches with glee as trepidation finds its way onto Anessa’s features.

“Oh. I, uh, that gift was kinda meant for you, sweetheart.”

“And I am most pleased by it.”

She draws in a quick breath. “Fuck, that’s... that’s big.”

“What’s wrong? Can you only dish it out and not take it?”

“Sure I can. I’m just so fucking impressed with myself. I’m hung like a horse, fuck!”

She still holds on to her bravado, it seems. Another hissing inhale marks its progress into her. He rides the original, incapable of staying still as he watches the beginning of her end.

“Good god, that’s big!”

“You can take it.”

“I don’t know that I can!”

“Of course you can. We want you to, after all.”

He feels a little thud as the monster fills Anessa completely, causing her member to throb powerfully inside him. Irene’s hand temporarily leaves his waist to pat her on the leg. “There. What a good girl you are.”

“Oh my fucking god.”

“Now stop, darling. Take a deep breath, girl.”

He stops riding her, content to tremble with anticipation on top of her as Irene pulls back. And slides back in.

“Ugh, fuck!”

Slowly, gently back out. And faster back in.

“Hoo boy, I, uh, I-”

“Hush now.”

It was not directed at him, but he cannot help but watch in silent reverence as Anessa squirms beneath him. In and out, in and out, slowly gaining speed. Anessa’s muscular body beneath him strains against its bonds, sweat beading on her skin as her breasts heave with her increasingly labored breath.

“Oooh, it’s no wonder my sweeties cum so much, fuck!”

Irene’s efforts are growing more audible each moment, as Anessa seems to grow ever wetter under the onslaught. He watches her entire body start to subtly tremble as that incredible shape mercilessly fills her over and over. He pulls the ropes taut on each side, rendering her completely immobile. Then he leans over her, staring directly into her eyes as she is slowly worn down. She bites her lip, a low noise at the back of her throat, and then she squeezes her eyes shut as she trembles even harder. He feels a familiar sensation and jumps at the opportunity to start another tug of war inside of himself. It does not seem necessary for her seed to fill him, merely for her to orgasm while in close contact. She holds firm this time, but now it is definitely she who is on the defensive.

“Ooooh,” she groans, still trembling, “you dastardly villains, so that’s your game. I see how it is. Mama’s made of sterner stuff than you think, babes. And you should be thankful for that. All we’ve worked for would get wrecked if you actually got what you think you want and Rady locked you away for good.”

“Sunk cost fallacy,” Irene intones behind him.

“Huh? Just think about it, okay? How would you feel if your man was out in orbit and the only person he could hang out with was me?”

“Appeal to emotion.”

“Fucking... what are you talking about? Why are you guys like this? Where did you learn to talk dirty, you damn weirdos?”

“Ad hominem.”

“What the fuuuu-”

Another orgasm claims her and again he claws at his dormant powers, almost playfully pulling at a harmless one, enjoying her mighty struggle to keep it from him. She allows herself a silly smile as he lets her prevail, proud of her little accomplishment, unaware of just how doomed she is.

The exchange of words has not slowed the unrelenting charge of his dark knight, who if anything only plows into their foe with greater fervor. He stays still as the grave, impaled on top of Anessa’s rock hard erection without granting it any proper attention, content to shelter, no, restrain it inside himself. Although there is the occasional involuntary clench, as his body seems to harbor a desire to gently massage its girthy guest. But due to the absolute pounding she is taking, it most likely does not even register.

“Agh, fuck, how are you moving like that? You’re so thin! Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why you got so much game, girl? What the hell?”

“Such is the power of love and darkness, girl.”

“Hoo, huh, muh, I don’t get it but I kinda like it. Fuck, you’re not even breaking a sweat, how is that possible?”

“I am not in the habit of sweating.”

“Fuck, fuck, ah, guess the trip to the beach might be a real danger to you then. I’ll get you the biggest, fucking... parasol... in the goddamn... fuck, fucking... world.”

Again she orgasms and this time he has no mercy, grabbing a seemingly harmless power back. As she shakes and writhes and moans and the wet sounds grow ever louder, he gazes calmly down at her and sets to work planting a psychic tracker inside of her mind. For a few days he will always know exactly where she is. It would be prudent to place one in Jamal too. Though it might be possible for the telepaths to find and remove it, he is not really sure. A bridge to be burned when he crosses it.

“You think... you think you’re winning? Think again, guys. That one just wasn’t important.”

He puts his hands over Irene’s, admiring her skill as she cruises the river that currently flows from Anessa. The way she thrusts is simply out of this world, just like her. The thought of her doing this to him crosses his mind and he finds himself clenching hard around that incredible shaft, shaking a little in place.

He is not sure if there is a direct correlation, but Anessa orgasms again, and he thinks he feels a drop of seed inside him. But more than that he feels the tug of war resume, and it is a close affair this time. Right until he leans over to cup her breast and let his finger trace over her nipple while he stares her in the eye. In mere moments he has clawed back the ability to swim through earth.

“You’ll, ah, ah, ah, you’ll regret this, mark my ah, my words, mark ’em!”

Her nipple has grown stiff and pointy when her next orgasm hits, his fingers gently brushing over it again and again. From his captive captor he tears loose the power to control the weather. Perhaps he can make it rain on her beach trip tomorrow. She is looking greatly weakened, her questionable brainpower working below capacity as her body surrenders to the sensations. She lets out a huffing breath.

“Fuuuuuck. Please, empress, please ride my cock. I need it, I need it, I need it.”

“I apologize, ogre, but I am not in charge right now. What do you say, Irene? Should I start moving again?”

“No. Not yet. I want her to tremble a while longer for me.”

Her hands clasp his hips harder, keeping him still as she pounds away with inhuman vigor, not even breathing heavy. He helps keep himself still with telekinetic force and shivers in her grasp, his member letting out a little puddle beneath his skirt without him even grinding on the pillar inside him. Yes, this was just from feeling Irene’s possessive hands on him as she dominates the fool beneath them. Anessa writhes in her bonds but he is too busy trembling in his own, comfortable little orgasm to notice hers.

“There. Do you see? Anyone and anything could satisfy you, even a replica of yourself.”

“Oh fuck me, you fucking goth goddess, anyone would cum hard from you plowing them like this, it’s not fair!” Irene’s movements stop entirely as she contends with this retort. “God damn, that’s some serious game right there. I knew you fucked! You have an 8-pack, don’t you?”

“You never cease to confuse me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Irene is silent for a while, but her hips resume slamming into Anessa’s squirming body. He gives some slack to the restraints on her legs and watches with satisfaction as they instinctively spread wider to receive the enormous replica. He shivers contentedly again as he stays stock still on his towering throne and enjoys the view and Irene’s hands on his waist.

“It is quite alright, girl. Ride her, darling. Let us finish this.”

He does not need to be told twice. He rises, making sure not to go so far as to dislodge Irene’s hands, and then slams his body back down. It might be more prudent to ride slowly and teasingly, to truly turn the screws on the fool, but watching and feeling Irene hammer her into submission has aroused a great need in him.

He lets out a huffing breath as he rides it hard and fast, telekinesis bouncing him up and down on it as he furrows his brow. A need? Yes, that is what it is. He needs a strong orgasm brought on by something huge filling him, right this instant. Because Irene’s prowess made him excited. He wants her to take him like that some day. But in the meantime he will have to make do with Anessa’s enormous member.

Although making do might not be an appropriate description. This thing has brought his body incredible pleasure over the last few days. It feels good to ride it. Even better to be held down and be taken hard with it. Yes, perhaps he should make peace with it now that its owner is tamed. This is a magnificent cock. He actually likes when it makes him orgasm. He rides faster now, breath quickening as he draws closer to his release. This stupid, glorious, oversized, absurdly thick, outrageous, massive, damnably perfect cock.

He slams down a final time and before his orgasm fully hits, Irene’s hands push him down harder. He thinks he sees stars for a second there, and only belatedly realizes he is letting out a long moan that can only be described as wanton. The sound of it seemingly pushes Anessa over the edge, causing her to start unloading inside of him with a heavy groan as he trembles on top of her and spurts and spurts onto her stomach while Irene keeps railing her. It feels like he might fall over, but despite jerking and swaying this way and that, Irene keeps him steady on his throne.

Eventually their orgasms subside and he realizes he forgot to reclaim a power. A rather silly mistake. Nothing for it but to bring her another climax, then. He resumes his riding at a pleasantly calm pace, matching Irene’s now more relaxed rhythm. Anessa is looking completely out of it, overwhelmed by their impeccable technique.

This feels oddly nice. The only thing that’s missing is a kiss from Irene. He raises himself off of Anessa’s member for a moment and turns around before sinking back down on it. For a moment he watches Irene’s graceful body as it thrusts into her prey. Then he leans down a little, lifts his veil and she claims his mouth with an unexpectedly fierce kiss that makes him feel an odd warmth in his chest as he clenches hard around Anessa and spurts again, just barely managing to catch it in his skirt. It may need to be burned in the morning. Or perhaps it can be cleaned. It is a rather fetching outfit. And it will have considerable sentimental value after this eve’s triumph.

He wraps his arms around Irene and she stops thrusting to hold him in turn, their bodies joining as close as they can in this awkward position. Anessa groans from the sudden lack of stimulation, her hips squirming anew as she tries to get more of the toy inside her and more movement from him on top of her.

Irene breaks the kiss, running one finger along his cheek, down to the side of his lips. For some reason he turns his head and takes her digit in his mouth, presumably just to have part of her still in his mouth.

“Are you satisfied with the powers you have regained?”

She pulls her finger free of his lips to let him speak and he immediately misses it. He shakes his head.

“I will need one more.”

“Then take it, darling. Let me bear witness to your victory.”

He leans back, bracing himself with his arms on either side of Anessa, while his legs spread out on either side of Irene. Then he lifts himself up and under his love’s steady gaze he sinks back down on that thick member. It feels incredible. He stares straight into her eyes as he rises and falls, rises and falls, breath quickly leaving him as the pleasure of it all threatens to overwhelm him. She resumes her relaxed thrusts into Anessa, whose moans pick up once more. Up and down he goes, embarrassed and aroused beyond measure from doing something so strange and intimate. Irene lifts up his skirt, revealing his shame and still it does not stop him, even though he feels his member drooling. Then Irene puts her fingers around it, raising his half erect penis up and massaging it ever so gently.

It is too much. His eyes nearly clench shut and he rides faster, a low moan breaking out through his clenched teeth as he orgasms yet again, his member twitching happily as it releases onto Irene’s softly stroking fingers. His muscles clench and release madly around Anessa’s length as he pushes himself up and down with determination despite his whole body trembling. His knees fall toward each other, his legs clamping around Irene’s arms, but still he rides. His moan is no longer low and he is making a mess of Irene’s hand, but still he rides. His orgasm is a drawn out affair, leaving him fatigued and trembling. Yet somehow Anessa resisted his wiles, withholding her seed from him. He tiredly raises himself back up, twitching as he pushes back down on it.

“Rest if you must. I can bring you victory.”

He shakes his head, panting. “I will succeed. Meeting your eyes simply made it too good.”

“I see.”

He lifts himself up to turn around once more and narrow his eyes at the similarly panting Anessa. He will bring her down. He rides her gently, suddenly too tired to slam down on it properly. This will hardly overpower her, come to think of it. Still, he can’t bring himself to get off just yet, so he will settle for having one more orgasm on this big dick and then seeing what happens. Irene can finish her off, if he cannot do it. Yes, he can get what he wants and still not lose. It makes sense, in a way. He is overcoming her, really. Showing that her greatest weapon is no threat to him, perfectly safe for him to enjoy at his leisure, her strength turned into a harmless plaything for him. Perfect sense, he thinks as he starts trembling yet again, his upper body leaning over so he can rest his head on Anessa’s shoulder as he spurts contentedly onto her, her hips pushing her member comfortingly deeper inside him as Irene slams into them.

“Rest there, my love. I shall finish this.”

He does, even closing his eyes as he basks in the safety of knowing Irene will be true to her word. It was not a wasted effort, even if he did not bring Anessa over the edge and retrieve his shapeshifting. It was just a nice orgasm. A victory lap, of sorts. Yes, that’s what it was.

Still, he cannot remain completely idle. He raises one hand to cup Anessa’s face while the other finds her breast. He can hear her reaching her limit and prepares himself to pounce. For good measure he clenches hard around her. When this is met with a sucked in breath he relaxes his hold before clenching again, repeating the motions slowly but firmly, as if he were masturbating her. Behind him Irene reaches what must be her top speed, rocking their bodies as she slams home. Anessa pulls against her restraints, letting out a loud keening that turns into a scream as he bites her shoulder.

Her whole body spasms powerfully as orgasm takes her, her mighty member erupting inside of him while her hips twitch from Irene’s relentless thrusts into the ocean that her entrance has become. The sheets must be drenched. He stops biting her to look at her face as the struggle begins.

It is somewhat difficult to retrieve his power this time, not because of resistance but simply because he is exhausted. But such matters cannot stop one such as him. With one last effort he wrests the shapeshifting back, then just lies there and enjoys the feeling of her seed filling him as she babbles incoherently. Irene slowly decreases her speed, ending at a leisurely pace, one hand stroking his leg as she gently bottoms out in Anessa, over and over again.

Eventually Anessa’s noises stop, and she breathes in deeply. Then she lets out a little whimper, squeezing her eyes shut.

“What’s wrong with me? I literally can’t do anything right. What am I even doing?”

He strokes her face. “Yes, that’s good. Let it all out... mommy. Let it all out for your son.”

She sniffles. “No! Just no. Please. That’s not how it goes. Don’t call yourself that. I’m begging you.”

“Very well. But know that I am very pleased with you.”

“We both are,” Irene adds.

“That doesn’t make it any better! I am not giving you back any more powers. Especially not your original one. Okay? No matter how good you fuck me, I will resist you, swear to god.”

“That is fine. You can return it later, when you have learned to trust me fully.”

“Ugh, that’s not gonna happen. You tricked me and tied me up.”

He climbs off her and lets himself slump to the side, resting his head on her shoulder and sighing.

“But you didn’t hate that, did you?”

He looks up at her face with lidded eyes, while she turns her head to look back at him with a pout. “You’re very bad.”

“The very worst. I think you need one more before we sleep.”

Irene unclasps the toy from her hips and lies down opposite him, resting her head on Anessa’s other shoulder. “Perhaps you would do the honors, darling.”

He reaches out with his telekinesis, and soon gets a hold of the toy. He gives Anessa a slow, tentative thrust with it, feeling his way around. Then he slowly picks up the pace, causing Anessa’s breath to hitch once more.

“Ugh, I don’t know how much more I can take. Why did I have to spend the whole day fucking around? This never would have happened if my team wasn’t all tuckered out. You got lucky, alright?”

“Hmm.”

“Tomorrow morning they’ll come check on me and the jig will be up. You’re gonna be in so much trouble.”

“You talk too much.”

He runs his fingers over her stomach, gathering up evidence of his earlier enjoyment. Then he moves it to her lips and she obediently makes it disappear.

“You’re lucky you taste so good, I’d be real mad otherwise.”

“A terrifying prospect.”

He feeds her the rest of it before grasping her member and lazily stroking it while keeping up the pressure with the toy inside her. Irene meets his eyes before grabbing Anessa’s breast and playing with it. They lean in and over top of her their lips meet as they engage in their sweetest kiss yet, their victim groaning and moaning beneath them. Soon her body trembles once more, but the kiss does not relent. He slows his stroking of her member, leaving her to orgasm only from the repeated motions of its replica inside her.

She is left panting heavily when it finally stops. “Fuck... I think I’m about to pass out.”

He pulls the toy out and finally breaks the kiss to look down at her. “Good. Let oblivion take you.”

“Yes, rest now, girl. We will watch over you.”

“Stop it, you guys. I know you’re not nice.”

“You are correct. Therefore it is best not to anger us and simply fall asleep.”

Irene raises her head to look down at Anessa. “Exactly. Sleep now. Be a good girl for me.”

“I’m no one’s good girl, damn it,” Anessa mutters as her eyes flutter. Soon they are shut, her chest heaving with a steady rhythm. She may in fact have passed out. Perhaps even this monster cannot handle a full day of pure debauchery.

He leans over, as does Irene. They kiss on top of Anessa for a long while, arms reached out to embrace one another. Eventually they relent and he returns to laying his head on Anessa’s shoulder, slowly falling asleep in this mess of a bed, Irene’s steady gaze the last thing he sees before he finally lets his eyes shut. He reaches out a hand and she takes it in hers, resting both of them on Anessa’s stomach. It is not the cleanest spot, but he finds he barely cares as he drifts off.

Chapter 14: Needs of the few

He comes to as Anessa jolts awake. She takes a shuddering breath.

“So. There’s still rope around my wrists but it’s not tied to anything.”

“Yes,” Irene answers.

“You took off the sexy outfit.”

“Yes,” he replies.

“Did you clean me up while I was out?”

“Yes,” Irene says. “With a washcloth.”

“Hmm. Thank you. And now we’re just... in my bed. Cuddling.”

“Yes,” he says.

“Okay. Okay.”

“Yes,” they say in tandem. “It is alright.”

“I don’t... I don’t know that it is. What happens now?”

“You stay quiet and we rest a while longer.”

Another shuddering breath. He looks at her face and sees her biting her lip. She’s actually staying quiet. He rewards her with a kiss on the neck. She exhales heavily, a shudder going through her whole body as she wraps her arms around both him and Irene. Long moments pass in comfortable silence. Then she clenches her eyes shut.

“No, I can’t stay quiet, this is seriously bad.”

“You will receive no more kisses unless you stay quiet.”

“Tempting, but we really need to talk this out.”

They stare at her together, neither saying a word. She looks from one to the other, none of them speaking. Finally he deems it a long enough silence and kisses her neck again. Irene kisses the other side. Anessa resumes trembling. He puts his hand on her toned abdomen, stroking it softly as they work on her neck. Then he leans in to kiss Irene over top of Anessa. Her hand joins his in its task, occasionally stroking the back of his hand instead. Anessa lets out little whimpering sounds that he does not count as a rule break.

Her hands twitch around them, seemingly fighting not to pull them closer against her. A rare show of restraint. He returns to placing kisses on her neck, intertwining his hand with Irene’s on Anessa’s stomach. Soon their hands scamper after being hit with her mammoth meat, which has risen and then fallen at the hands of gravity.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. This thing seems to be the core of you, so its appearance is hardly unexpected.”

“Sounds real depressing when you put it like that. You’re not wrong though. Hmp!”

An odd sound, presumably in response to him starting to stroke her. He has her on the back foot now.

“Describe to me what this thing feels like.”

“Uh, how my dick feels?”

“Your power. Your lust.”

She narrows her eyes at him even as she struggles not to squirm under his slow, insistent stroking. “What are you fishing for here?”

“I simply want to understand you better. To me it seems you lack discipline. I want to know whether that is on account of your power or your personality.”

“I just... I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is right. Why are we in bed talking about my issues? Why aren’t you attacking me or something?”

“Oh, but we are attacking you. Look.”

He leans down to latch onto her breast, nibbling and suckling away at her nipple like she did his, keeping up his slow and steady stroking along her thick member. Soon Irene takes a position on her other nipple, the co-ordinated attack making Anessa let out an extended little whimper.

“F-fuck. This is... god, this feels way too nice, you weirdos. What even... seriously, guys, what happens next?”

He lets her nipple escape his mouth. “Nothing much. We will talk some more, bring you to climax, I will swallow every last drop and then we go about our day.”

“Uh, um, okay, sounds like a plan.”

He returns to his post and she lies there quiet and obedient as they work her over, only letting out the occasional sigh and stroking her fingers along their waists. This brute will be tamed and not even realize it.

“Now tell me how your power feels,” he says.

She bites her lip, shivers a little. And then the deluge begins. “It’s just... it feels good but almost too good. Like, making a cutie whimper and cry and cum hard with my big cock feels amazing. And when I cum it’s so long and powerful, it’s incredible. And always feels like such a release. But then, soon enough, I want more. It always feels like I could go for more. More and more and more and more. Sometimes I feel like I’m completely on top of things. Sometimes... sometimes I worry what would happen if Maddie wasn’t around to calm me down.”

“How does she calm you down?”

“She just distracts me, or boosts my other feelings. I want to be a good person, as good as someone like me can be. I want to be kind and protect people and be positive. Fucking forever does not fit with that.”

“I wonder if you could distract yourself. If you and I both desired for you to stay calm and collected, even during sex.”

“Um, I’m not sure how easy it is to stay calm and focused once I’m, you know, all up in there.”

He leaves her breast and rearranges his body, putting his head near her crotch and one of his feet near her lips.

“Let us try it out, regardless.”

He engulfs the head in his mouth, giving it a lazy suckle. She shudders and exhales loudly. He moves his foot, placing his toes in sucking range.

“I’m not into feet! Really. I’m not a foot girl.”

“You are now. The empress’ toes need cleaning so get to it, ogress.”

She makes a face, sighs and then gives in, sucking on his toes in tandem with his sucking on her member. Irene raises her head from Anessa’s breast in favor of staring her down, her fingers taking the place of her mouth to tease at Anessa’s nipple.

“Now, let us focus together. I want you to remain calm, even as both sets are pleasured. I must say, it would be handy to have the telepaths’ power just now, so I could keep my lips locked around you.”

Anessa shakes her head a little. “You’re not getting your power back just so my cock can get sucked more. I’m better than that, at least. Besides, Nate does it all the time so that niche is already filled, my guy.”

“Later, perhaps.”

He returns to sucking on her, as Irene assumes a similar position, quickly entering Anessa with her nimble fingers and placing her own foot on Anessa’s face.

“Damn it, you guys. Can’t you just be sexy in a normal way? I don’t know how to deal with this.”

“Think of it as training. Relax and enjoy these sensations, but maintain focus. Stay calm. And clean the toes of the empress’ court sorcerer.”

He turns his attention back to sucking her pole, as Irene calmly fingers her. The next time he looks over at Anessa, she is sucking on Irene’s toes with her eyes closed, making little grumbling sounds that cannot hide the fact she is enjoying this immensely. Yes, their feet on her face make this a dominating affair even though they are the ones seemingly servicing her.

Then Anessa frees her mouth. “Oh, wait, you should watch out, Irene. My, um, fluids are dangerous.”

“I do not fear you.”

“Um, okay, nice but... you know, be careful.”

She gets right back to her task, sucking on his toes now while fondling Irene’s foot with her hand. She will make the most perverse servant, but a servant nonetheless.

“Uuugh, why is this so good? You’ve got great feet, guys. I hate that I feel that way, but I can’t deny it. Please don’t tell anyone I’m a foot girl. I never was one before, I swear. It’s your fault, you did this to me.”

“You have seen nothing yet.”

He takes her to the hilt, marveling at the impossible way their bodies work as her penis completely fills him. He focuses on his desire for her to be calm and docile as he lazily pleasures her mighty member. Irene’s steady hand continues apace, the sounds from her work getting slowly slicker.

“Do you feel calm, Anessa?”

“Yeah, mostly. Things are usually toughest when I’ve gone without for a bit and when I’ve already cum once or twice but my lover’s still right there, all sexy and just begging to be made to cum some more.”

“Then let us reach that first orgasm.”

He sets to work, taking her to the hilt and then dragging himself up and off her with a strong suction all the way. He is immediately rewarded with a hissing breath, and the sound of Irene picking up the pace. He repeats this movement once, twice, then changes his tactics, repeatedly taking her down his throat in her entirety. The bell jingles constantly as he works her in and out of his throat at a fast pace. It would be annoying if his mind started connecting the sound of a bell with pleasuring a massive penis. He pops her out of his mouth to air his grievance.

“I would like to be rid of this collar.”

“I’m sorry, I know it must be pretty annoying, but only Rady can unlock it. It’s awful cute, if that’s any consolation.”

“It is not.”

“I’m sorry.”

He resumes his efforts, trying his best to ignore the jingling. He does this by focusing on synchronizing his movements with that of Irene’s fingers into Anessa. It is strangely amusing, working together like this, even if his work consists of swallowing an enormous cock. Yes, they are like a well oiled machine. It isn’t long before Anessa starts groaning. When her geyser erupts he seals his mouth firmly around her base, not letting a single drop escape him. He strokes her toned stomach as she unloads inside of him, Irene’s hand driving into her at great speed. There is something fascinating about seeing this complicated body buck and writhe in orgasm from what must be overwhelming stimulation. He does not try to regain more power. This is a time for subtler plots.

Eventually it dies down, Irene’s movement slowing to a crawl but never quite stopping. Once assured that she has given him all he is due, he pulls himself slowly off her, sucking hard the entire way up. She shivers at his journey and lets out a grunting moan.

“Well?”

“Amazing. Thank you.”

“Yes, yes, but do you immediately want more?”

“Yeah, kinda. Maybe I would have an easier time not wanting it if Irene stopped that. Feels nice though.”

“Then you shall have more. Stay still and focus on remaining calm. Treat this like meditation.”

“You’re not just fucking with me, are you?”

He cannot answer, for his mouth is full of her cock. Slowly, leisurely he swallows her to the hilt before making the return journey just as lazily, until just the head is in his mouth, which he suckles gently. He has gotten quite good at this, he thinks. Irene’s fingers keep up a slow and steady rhythm, and Anessa lets out a sort of moaning sigh.

“I think I’m pretty calm. Feels like I could melt, honestly.”

He comes off her with a pop. “Excellent. Now tell me more about your power. What kind of hero would you like to be, and what is standing in your way?”

“Huh?”

“You are ashamed of your power. If you had complete control over it, what kind of hero would you be?”

He puts her back in his mouth as she ponders this. It’s amazing what a perfect fit it is. If he’s honest he even likes the taste. Yes, if Irene’s not bothered, he will definitely make this fool their plaything.

Anessa sighs and he pulls his foot away from her face to let her speak more easily. “Well, I guess I’m cool with just being on a rescue team. It just feels like my friends could do perfectly well without me. My only contribution during rescues is being strong and durable, which is honestly pretty basic. Really the only thing I bring to the table is being able to calm Jamal down if something goes wrong.”

This oafish braggart actually has self esteem issues. Delightful. He increases his pace up and down her pole as a reward for this revelation.

She huffs a quick breath. “I think my dick saved Jamal and Nate and Maddie. But it also changed them. I stopped you, but I still feel bad about it, even though you were threatening lots of lives and had to be stopped. If I were to wish for something, I think it would be to be able to just be a normal hero and not worry about fucking anyone who attacks me into submission.”

He slowly rises off her once more, a trail of saliva still connecting them that he does not bother to deal with. “A noble goal. Being a hero means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

She nods, whimpering a little as he follows the trail back onto her member.

“It does. When I was a little girl I used to dream of being a hero. Saving the day, getting a kiss from a pretty prince, the works. But that’s not what my life turned out like. That’s not me at all. I try my best but it’s just not that good. I’m heavy on the prince kissing part, light on saving the day. And heavy on fucking the prince hard and making him cum for me over and over again. My life honestly isn’t that bad, I know that, it’s just not... not what I expected. Trying not to just spend my whole life fucking is not the heroic struggle I wanted.”

Irene changes position, placing her head close to Anessa’s and idly stroking her hair with one hand while the other grips onto a breast. One leg she entwines around Anessa’s, vaguely rubbing it up and down. He takes over fingering her, though he is not as competent as Irene, struggling to maintain focus on multiple fronts.

“Damn, what are you guys doing to me?”

Irene places a kiss on her cheek. “Lending you an ear, nothing more. Continue.”

She’s so perfect. He goes all the way down and lets the dick rest fully inside him, rubbing lazily around Anessa’s clitoris as he happily watches Irene work. Anessa sighs, a strange mixture of happiness and regret.

“Well, basically my dream died. I may have pretty princes, but no real heroics. I hate my power. I hate what it does to people. I hate what it does to me. I hate that I love it too, deep down. Hell, not even deep down, I got it written all over me. I’m no hero. I’m just a horny monster. I confided in my family and they couldn’t take it, understandably. Because I’m disgusting.”

She stops, looking a bit lost. He lets himself feel the need to breathe, basking in the strange pleasure of being choked by this massive cock. Irene takes her hand out of Anessa’s hair to wipe at her eye.

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright. More than alright. Let it all out.”

“Ugh, I don’t wanna. What even is this? Is blowjob therapy a thing?”

He comes up for air, panting slightly and feeling comfortably light headed. “It is now. And Irene is right, you should let it all out. I am not trying to reclaim any more powers, as you may have noticed. I simply want to understand you. And help you understand yourself.”

Anessa shivers a little and Irene shifts again, curling her upper body around Anessa’s head in a sort of hug. “We have not hurt you. We will not hurt you. You do not have to be strong for us. Let yourself be vulnerable, if only for a short while.”

“Yes,” he says, hovering just above the head of her magnificent member, “give me your loss and your sorrow.”

“God, what? Are you trying to sound as untrustworthy as you can? You don’t have a rock in your fist, do you?”

“Not today, no.”

“You’re so confusing. You’re being sorta nice, which is already weird, but you’re being all villainous about it which just... I’m not sure. It’s weird, but maybe it’d be even weirder if you were just plain nice. And I never would have dreamed there was such a thing as villainous cock sucking, but you’ve managed it. You’re a pioneer.”

He meets her eyes, letting his tongue drift tantalizingly close to her organ before pulling it back in. “And you will never see any further oral innovation unless you continue. Can you see a future where you might not be disgusting?”

She raises her head to hold his gaze, allowing Irene to slither underneath, forming a cold, pale pillow. Anessa seems a bit caught off guard, but does not take her eyes off him. Her penis twitches beneath him, as if yearning for the haven of his mouth. She sighs.

“Fine. I should be able to just, uhn,” she grunts as he engulfs her once more, “not do these things constantly, not use the power over and over every day, just rein it in. But I’m too weak. Too busy playing at being a hero. Too happy to believe Rady’s idea that I could be a sort of trump card in a difficult situation. Save the world, even if it’s in a disturbing way.”

She huffs and he slows down his efforts a bit. It is not time for her to orgasm just yet. Irene scratches her scalp.

“I thought my encounter with you was saving the world, in a way. But I don’t know if that’s really what this all is. I did stop you, but then I just... fumbled around. I should have thought more about how to keep someone prisoner. If Rady’s idea really meant that much to me, why didn’t I get the fuck off my ass and plan for it? Because I’m addicted to my own power and I wasted all the time I had on fucking and fantasizing about fucking and being weird with my best friend and even sometimes yearning for my best friend. And the few times I wasn’t fucking I was just moping and pitying myself for being such a mess and feeling bad about my family being rightfully ashamed of me and worrying everyone around me actually hated me, like Titania now probably does, after seeing the state you were in.”

He releases her once more. “Perfect conditions to spiral out of control, it seems. I cannot speak for your family, but I know Titania did not hate you. How she feels now is impossible to tell without speaking to her. She truly may come to hate you if you never explain yourself to her.”

Anessa sighs. “I know. I was thinking of inviting her to hang with us at the beach today. She’s got this massive parasol, hopefully you’ll get to see it.”

He moves so that he is between her legs, takes her back into his mouth and lifting her legs onto his shoulders. He focuses on her as he does, making her body shrink a bit as he returns to fingering her.

“Oh. That felt... weird.”

“Good. It is high time you tried new things with your power. Doesn’t this feel better? You look so small and innocent in this moment. Especially when I make this thing disappear.”

He swallows her to the hilt and she gasps.

“I don’t... don’t know if being smaller makes me look innocent. But that is definitely new to me.”

It is hard to argue. Her body is still quite muscular. While there are probably many bodybuilders who epitomize innocence, it is not the correct aesthetic. He rises to speak once more.

“No matter. I like it. Let us go back to my defeat. What would you have done differently?”

“I’m not sure. I just didn’t realize in advance how hard it would be to only fuck you the minimal amount necessary to control your powers. Didn’t understand just how bad my power wants to own people. Things were so out of control with Jamal and Nate, I could excuse the mess I made of them. But with you, with me in almost full control, that weird craving was still there. I made you pass out and got you over here and then I thought I could get some relief with the boys and then everything would be fine. But it wasn’t. Every time I saw you I wanted to claim you harder. Exercise my power to its full extent and just... own you. It’s a horrible power. Or maybe it’s not even my power’s fault. Maybe I’ve just got something rotten inside of me.”

He comes off her once more, gives her one long lick. “Why does your power want to own people?”

“Well, it’s... I wasn’t sure after Nate, but I am after you. I’ve gotten stronger after each of you. I think I get a bit weaker if I go too long without fucking one of you, which might be why my power is addictive. I can’t cum without you guys and you can’t cum without me. It’s made for domination.”

Irene hums and scratches Anessa’s head. “But you don’t want to dominate, do you?”

“Only in a sexy way and only my current sweethearts. I want to be a good person. But the temptation is always there. I think I could grow incredibly strong if I gave in to the urges. My power is evil, hungry, sick. It always wants more. To take and dominate and transform. I think that’s what my nightmares are about. Taking and taking and taking and becoming something horrible and unstoppable. It doesn’t matter what I say or how I feel or what I want to be. The power is awful and it’s tempting. And even on my good days I listen to it, even if just a little.”

Irene wipes at her eyes again and Anessa draws a sniffling breath.

“God, sorry, this is really weird. I’ve never cried during a blowjob before.”

“Yes, but that’s good. That’s what we want right now, isn’t it? For you to be sweet and harmless and innocent again.”

Anessa draws a shaky breath. “I know you guys are probably up to something, but still. Thank you, honestly, for listening to my weird problems. I usually just... ignore them. Bottle them up, run from them, hide from them.” She sniffles again. “God damn it.”

“That’s it. Let it out. Such a good girl.”

He takes her dick out of his mouth. “Yes. Let it all out for your empress. Don’t be strong for me. I have Irene for that.”

“You damn weirdos. You’re so menacingly sweet. I seriously don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“You are learning to trust us. We will teach you discipline. You’ve struggled aimlessly on your own. What you need is someone to take the control from you every now and then. The empress can make that happen.”

“I don’t... really get it. This feels nice and I don’t feel like I’m very horny, even with your perfect lips wrapped around me, but I don’t know if whining about my problems is something I can do every time I have sex.”

“You won’t have to. All you need is to enjoy sex in a way that doesn’t feed your power’s need to sustain itself, every now and then. In fact, how about we have Irene rail you right here and now?”

“W-huh?”

“She’s good at it, isn’t she?”

“Well, yeah, but...”

“I think it would do you good. Denying your penis further attention is a form of training.”

“But I’m still super chill and in control, even after getting all that head.”

“So you want it to receive more? That sounds like the power talking.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yes, much better to ignore it for now. Don’t you agree, Irene?”

“Wholeheartedly. Get on your hands and knees for me, girl. I will satisfy you.”

He telekinetically moves Anessa’s bindings and fastens them back to the bedpost, but with plenty of slack.

“What’s that for?”

“I just like the look of you bound. You can still move around as much as you wish, don’t worry.”

Anessa does look a little worried, but her lust is stronger. She rises and turns over onto her knees and elbows, as Irene fetches the toy. He lays himself down beside her, so that he can watch her face. She looks at him askance, but is brought to attention by Irene lining herself up behind her.

“Here I come, girl.”

He watches her face intently as she is filled, a heavy breath leaving her as her jaw goes a bit slack and her eyes flutter. He knows the feeling.

“Radiance is not doing well,” he says as Irene bottoms out inside her.

“H-huh?”

He takes her hand as Irene pulls out and pushes back in, settling into a slow and steady rhythm, each push in accompanied by a soft slap as her hips hit Anessa’s rump.

“You know this to be true. She has a freezer full of body parts taken from her nemesis. She apparently hopes he will come to life in it, at which point the freezer will turn into some sort of torture device. She admitted this to you out loud.”

“W-well, yeah, I guess it is pretty fucked up. But she also said it’s probably never gonna happen, it’s just a silly thing that makes her feel less hopeless about stopping that guy.”

She lets out a little moan as Irene picks up the pace. Things are sounding very wet back there. Her penis rests unused on the bed, rubbing slightly against the mattress as its owner is repeatedly thrust into. There is a tantalizing bead of white forming on its tip, but he will not be tempted.

“And yet, what happened when she thought there was movement in her freezer? She sounded excited, didn’t she?”

Anessa closes her eyes, letting out quick breaths as she takes the replica of her own mighty member.

“I guess.”

“She looks exhausted every time I see her. She smokes constantly. Her current approach, whatever it is, isn’t sustainable.”

“You’re right. I should... invite her over for a game night or something. She needs friends to unwind with.”

“I doubt she would accept such an invitation.”

“I dunno, I think I could nag her into it. We’d just have to work hard on being charming and not annoy the shit out of her. Wonder if she’d be into dnd? Jamal’s a pretty good dungeon master, we ran a fun little game for a while, I was a minotaur bard and tried seducing pretty much everything and everyone, it was a ton of fun. I’d have to play something else if Rady came though, not an option to make it horny with her around.”

This took an unexpected turn. He watches her biting her lip and holding back a moan.

“I see.”

She sighs. “I maybe shouldn’t have told you that, he might think it’s embarrassing. Pretend I didn’t tell you, please.”

“I will. I think Radiance would be in a better place if there was someone else at her level, someone who could pick up the slack when she inevitably cannot respond to something.”

“I don’t think Rady would ever trust you. And I don’t think you really want to be a hero.”

“And you are correct. I would not be a hero. Do you know why I want to be the strongest being in this world?”

“No, not really. I can’t imagine you wanting to take over the world or anything. Do you just want... power for its own sake, maybe?”

He strokes her hand as she shudders from Irene’s increasingly loud ministrations, each thrust now slamming into her.

“No. I want freedom, in the most absolute sense of the word.”

She turns her eyes on him, looking almost dazed from the pounding she is taking. “What does that mean?”

“It means I wish to be untouchable. I want to stop a war on a whim. I want to sink a yacht into the sky. I want to evict a ruler. I want to stand apart from this world as if I were a different species, a higher power. But I would not be averse to saving it, if need be. I would simply do it on a lark, not out of any misplaced morals.”

Anessa shudders, lips pursing as she pants. “Very weird. Very you.”

“You do not need to agree with me. But think about it. There is so much that I could do that Radiance cannot, bound by the rules as she is. Having me as a convenient foe that she cannot truly stop but never does anything too terrible would be a great boon to her. All the problems she is unable to tackle I could lend a hand with, if she asked nicely.”

“I don’t think you understand. Having you running around would not relax Rady at all.”

“Alright. It is merely an idea I want you to think on. If ever you feel endangered by me, you can tell her I am out of control and let her take me to this orbital prison she seems so obsessed with. But until then, I want you to try and trust me, as far as you can.”

She keeps shuddering, her breath heaving. “Okay. Okay, I’ll trust you. Just a little bit.”

“Good. Very good. Now... come for me.”

“Can I hold your little guy?”

“What? Oh. Fine.”

Lightning quick she reaches out to grab onto his member, two fingers stroking it softly as she buries her face into the mattress and groans loudly as her whole body shudders with what seems like quite a powerful orgasm. He lies back and enjoys the view of Irene hammering away at her. Then he strikes, ruffling Anessa’s hair as she trembles in helpless orgasm.

“I will be free, Anessa. Whether I can find that freedom only in death is up to you.”

Anessa’s face jolts sideways, parts of it spasming, but she gets no words out. Irene slows her thrusting and leans her pale, graceful body down to reach out to him. They clasp hands over Anessa’s head as she tries in vain to regain control of herself.

“D- Don’t hit me with that while your girlfriend’s railing me! Fuck.”

He does not answer, merely pets her head as Irene gently moves in her. Moments pass in peaceful silence, apart from the occasional slick sound of an enormous sex toy gently entering Anessa, as well as her sighing breaths against the mattress. Then the door opens.

“Anessa, you need to wake up, your... wet dreams are... driving me-”

Madeleine stands frozen in the doorway, voice coming to a standstill to match her body.

“Oh. Hey, Maddie. Um, I’m not gonna say it’s not what it looks like, but it’s not as bad as it maybe looks.”

Madeleine’s jaw hangs low as her eyes try to comprehend what they see. Irene pulls out and gets off the bed, walking slowly toward the wall. The toy looks incredibly large and imposing in this moment, bobbing obscenely with each step. She sinks into a shadow in the corner, then swiftly appears behind Madeleine, pushing her into the room. Madeleine’s jaw remains mostly slack but shows some twitching movement as she lets herself be marched close to the bed.

“Why don’t you kneel here, girl? You can watch to your heart’s content.”

Madeleine sinks wordlessly to her knees, without even a hint of resistance.

“Is it a bad one, my love?” Nathaniel now appears in the doorway, going similarly slack jawed for a moment. Then his eyes fall on the wet sex toy currently menacing his wife and his face comes alive as he rushes in. “No!” He gets himself between Irene and his wife, spreading his arms wide. “Get behind me, Madeleine!”

Madeleine crawls backward to escape her husband’s rump, but soon it draws nearer once more, as Irene takes a menacing step forward, forcing Nathaniel to retreat. He looks quite silly, but really it is understandable. Irene has such a presence she can make even a sex toy look intimidating. And it looks so impossibly big on her graceful frame. He realizes he’s biting his lip and immediately puts a stop to that. This is no time to be distracted. He stands from the bed, but is not quite sure what a good next move might be.

“I wonder,” Irene says, inching ever closer, “what would happen if this were to touch her lips.”

“Do not even think of it! She... she would be incapable of sitting back and watching. It would be an unforgivable crime!”

“And yet... my curiosity eggs me on.”

“Uh, guys...”

Anessa is ignored.Nathaniel takes another step back but Madeleine has not crawled away swiftly enough. He falls, only a single hand keeping his behind from slamming down onto his wife. Irene advances, inexorable, and Nathaniel’s eyes go wide.

“Stay back! Madeleine, run!”

But Madeleine cannot run, for she is still trying to extricate herself from under him.

“I just... I hope we all realize this isn’t actually serious. We’re just playing around, yeah?”

Again Anessa is ignored. The toy bobs, weaves, pokes, threatening to strike past Nathaniel’s defenses, no matter how big he tries to make himself. Then, just as Madeleine looks like she is disentangling herself from her husband, he takes the plunge. Irene stares down at him as he catches the head of the toy in his mouth.

“Curses. It would seem my plan is foiled.”

Nathaniel freezes, possibly realizing just how stupid he looks. The room is silent, in appreciation of the same. Then Irene reaches a hand out behind Nathaniel.

“But perhaps I can still pull her face up against the exposed part, to sate my curiosity.”

Nathaniel makes a little sound that is hard to interpret before taking the toy to the hilt in one go. The room is still once more. An embarrassing talent, being able to swallow such a monster with no discernible effort. His mood darkens as he remembers he too possesses this talent. Irene finally breaks the silence.

“How resourceful. As expected of a hero. But the danger has not passed. Anessa has coated this toy quite liberally. It will take more than this to clean it.”

Nathaniel makes no move, the look on his face suggesting he is having some difficulty coming to grips with the situation. Which is relatable, really.

“It is alright. Out of respect for your tenacity, I will help you clean this.”

Irene pulls the thing out of his throat, putting one hand on his head to keep him steady. Nathaniel makes another little sound as his eyes drift upward.

“Stay still for me.”

When Irene slides it back in he lets out a strange groan of what might be surprise. His hands reach out for her legs to steady him.

“No. Be a good doll and keep your hands by your side.”

Madeleine moans at that, but Nathaniel just shivers. Anessa, having turned onto her back to watch the proceedings with her ridiculous erection on full display, whistles in seeming appreciation of the smoothness of Irene’s movements as she starts slowly moving the toy in and out of Nathaniel’s mouth.

“God, you guys. This is so weird. But god damn is it hot.”

Irene looks over at him. “Darling, ensure the wife does not cause trouble.”

He looks over at the woman, who looks back with visible confusion, her mind seemingly torn between lust and logic.

“You have my permission to use any means necessary.”

Excellent. But what does that mean? Killing Madeleine hardly seems appropriate. Violence would completely disrupt their work on Anessa. Playfully wrestling her to the ground might be the way. But playful is not really something he can pull off. Perhaps an accident that leaves her unconscious might work.

“Girl. Entertain my darling.”

He realizes simultaneously that his decision making was too slow and that she meant seduction. He locks eyes with Madeleine again. What do women like? A charming smile perhaps. A pity he is incapable of plastering on such a thing. The look in her eyes is one of bewilderment, though there is quite a blush on her face too.

“Go get some, Maddie! Oh, hey, he was wondering about a position yesterday. You wanna show him amazon style, Maddie?”

“S-shut up, Anessa!”

“Can she, Irene?”

“I am not familiar with the term.”

“It’s a kind of awkward but pretty dominant way to fuck. I’ve never tried it, but I think it sounds rad. I think your boy would love it.”

“Very well. Proceed with the amazon style, girl.”

Madeleine draws a shaky breath. “Anessa, you fucker, what- I... I can’t even really figure out if this is just a kink thing or real trouble.”

“Maybe a bit of both?”

“Stop dawdling, girl. Or this toy may never leave your husband’s throat.”

Madeleine steps up to him, putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. “Um, please lie down on the floor, I guess? Unless we get on the bed and just lean against Anessa a bit?”

He kneels before laying down on his back on the ground, finally becoming cognizant of the fact he is stark naked while she is wearing a full suit. Why this should arouse him is a mystery. She gets down on her knees in front of him, looking about as lost as he is.

“Maddie, I think you need to at least take off your pants.”

“But-”

“My beautiful dolls should know no shame.”

Madeleine shivers. Then she rises to her feet once more and shimmies out of her pants. Then she unbuttons the very top of her her shirt, revealing a hint of her collarbone. Finally, she kneels back down between his legs. With a shaky exhale she takes his legs and lifts them, starting to push them up toward his chest. He immediately understands this much vaunted position is going to be quite embarrassing. But the game must be played to be won, so he lets his legs rise. Then she just stays there, blushing and looking away. For this one moment he can actually understand the pervert, as he is doing much the same, though he does not blush.

“You got this, Maddie, he’s even subbier than you, it’s gonna be fine, totally natural.”

“Shut it. This is all your fault.”

“Do not make it too easy for her, darling. Grow as hard as you must to tax her capabilities. Girl, get to it.”

On Irene’s command, Madeleine mounts him. During the slightly awkward pause afterward, he likewise follows Irene’s command and lets himself grow a bit inside of her, ensuring he is a tougher opponent than he might have seemed a moment ago.

“Oh, g-god. I look pretty stupid, don’t I?”

“No, Maddie, no, you’re cute as a button! He’s hot for you, I’m hot for you, we’re all hot for you. Now pound that pretty boy!”

“Ugh, you’re making it worse.”

She thrusts tentatively. It feels a bit odd. Another two thrusts, a pause, then a few more. Thankfully she is too meek to take him properly. Being handled like this by the pervert and liking it would have been difficult to accept.

“Come, doll. Let us maneuver into their point of view.”

Both he and the pervert look over to see Irene slowly backing into view, a hand on the back of Nathaniel’s head keeping him fully impaled on the toy as he shuffles along on his knees. It is hard to see much of his face, but a glimpse of the look on it would suggest he is still struggling to comprehend this experience. Judging from his pants, his body is facing no such issues. Madeleine pants a little at the sight.

“Now, girl, follow my rhythm.”

Madeleine blushes brighter, but obeys. As Irene resumes thrusting into Nathaniel’s face, Madeleine matches her pace on top of him. His body comes to the conclusion that it is a big fan of this position.

He feels conflicted. This is a smart move and Irene is unequivocally in charge so all is well, but this is still strange. Why does adopting a passive role feel right even with this pervert? Is he actually submissive like these idiots keep insinuating? No, it is simply inexperience.

“God, Maddie, you’re so beautiful. You’re all so beautiful, guys.”

“Zip it, Anessa. God, this is just... so... embarrassing.”

She punctuates her words with uncharacteristically hard thrusts which nearly knock a sound out of him. The pervert may just be managing to connect her embarrassment to her apparent longing for humiliation. Or perhaps the sight of Irene firmly gripping Nathaniel’s hair as she increases her pace and his eyes start rolling up into his head is encouraging her.

He looks away from Irene himself, to regain composure. Things are starting to feel a bit too good, so focusing on the pervert is in order. He does not have to meet her eyes, thankfully, as she remains fixated on the sight of her husband’s treatment, starting to coo at him. Being so distracted from her embarrassment seems to enable her to start thrusting much harder. It feels annoyingly good, but he will not stoop to asking her to be gentle.

“No, honey, no, there’s nothing strange about that, it’d be stranger if you didn’t. But try to hold back, baby, I want to see her force it out of you.” She moans heavily atop him. “Oh, that was out loud, I’m sorry.”

She looks down at him and gives him an odd, shy little smile. How can he be taken in such an embarrassing, oddly domineering pose by someone so... cutesy? This feels too good, damn it. If only Irene could hold his hand as he processed all this.

And she’s still half clothed. As if she were a weary businesswoman relieving her stress and he were her pretty secretary who was not hired for his work ethic. And everyone in the office knows just what he is for. What on earth is he thinking? This is all apparently so embarrassing he’s losing his mind.

It would be highly detrimental to his position at the apex of this world if word got out that he is an absolute pushover for any woman, even a meek little mouse like this. He really isn’t, of course, but it could ruin many a day if every heroine he came across thought she stood a chance by acting lewdly domineering. Although looking at her from this position Madeleine doesn’t seem much of a meek mouse at all. A sigh escapes him, which sadly turns out a bit wanton. Madeleine shivers in response and goes harder, which knocks a whimper out of him, which drives her to another increase in force. Is he really so... submissive that he’s driving even this pervert into being forceful? No, it has probably just been a long time since she had sex rather than watch, so she is relieving a pent up need. Yes, that sounds plausible. She’s just like a wound up businesswoman with her secretary.

Damn it, he’s not going to last much longer. That’s what these ridiculous thoughts are, an attempt to distract from his impending orgasm. This stupidly cute little woman is on top, thrusting into him hard and he actually likes it. She looks at him again with another of those aggravating little smiles.

He looks away. Seeing Nathaniel is a slight relief. His position may not very respectable, but that man looks so much worse. He doesn’t stand a chance against Irene. All he can do is kneel there awkwardly, his hands twitching by his sides as Irene keeps a firm grip on his head and lays into him.

“Yes, baby, yes, god, fuck yes!”

“Open your eyes, little doll. Look at me.”

Nathaniel obeys, his fluttering eyes shooting fully open. His whole body starts twitching and a choked sound rises from him, even as the toy rams repeatedly down his throat in an attempt to silence him. Then he spasms, and Irene pulls him all the way onto the toy and holds him there while his hands flop stupidly around and a wet spot forms at the front of his twitching pants.

“Yesss,” Madeleine hisses, riding him harder and harder, pushing him to the brink. She is spasming on top of him now, squeezing and clutching around his length, turning her gaze back onto him and giving him another little smile before biting her lip as she momentarily loses her inhibitions. There must be an unspoken rule against looking cute during an act such as this. He just barely holds on.

“Maddie, I think I finally get you.”

Irene remains silent. His and Madeleine’s gaze drifts back to her as she slowly pulls the toy out of her victim. Nathaniel kneels there, gasping for breath, looking a complete mess. Drool and tears mar his face, and it would seem he had been wearing a bit of eyeliner or some such, which has now run down his face. He stays there dazed a moment, hands moving slowly as if to hide the wet spot on his pants, then as if to hide his face, but in the end doing neither. He looks utterly lost. Irene ruffles his hair and he trembles in place.

“Good doll.”

Then she props the enormous toy atop his face and he stills beneath it, eyes fluttering and then fixating on it like it is an object of worship that he dare not move, even as he shivers and seemingly still struggles to decide how to react to what just happened.

“God, baby, that was amazing. You pretty little slut.”

Not like this! Alas, he ejaculates right after those words, failing to hold back a sad little whimpering sound and needing to clamp his hand over his mouth as she exhales deeply and keeps thrusting into him. It actually feels incredible. He will have to ask Irene to take him like this, so that experience can overshadow this one and let it be forgotten. It is an oddly vulnerable feeling, orgasming in this pose. Thankfully her hands are firm and comforting, one on his chest and the other on the back of his knee. She keeps grinding into him as he finishes twitching inside her, then rests atop him breathless a moment. Her hair looks a bit disheveled and there is sweat dripping down her brow. Not a bad look on her, really.

Madeleine eventually clambers off of him and Irene steps away from Nathaniel.

“Come here, darling.”

“Come here, baby.”

He gets to his feet and starts making his way over to Irene, passing a dazed looking Nathaniel as he shuffles toward his wife, still on his knees. To an outsider this might look like some sort of prisoner exchange.

“Well, darling, I think it is time for us to retire to your room. Anessa, let us know when you wish to go on this beach trip of yours.”

The telepaths both look vaguely confused as they remain there, panting. Madeleine puts her arms around the still shivering Nathaniel, who leans his head against her shoulder and wraps his arms around her. The wife looks somewhat pleased with what has just transpired, a little smile plastered on her face as she holds her husband, who looks... shocked, perhaps. Or shy. His strange defeat must have hit hard.

On the bed, Anessa seems happy, though her hips are gyrating in apparent need. If the enormous, bobbing erection weren’t enough evidence. Whatever the case, he and Irene turn to leave, though she pulls her dress off the floor and wraps it around his waist before they do. Thoughtful, on top of everything else.

Anessa’s voice is the last they hear from the trio still in the room.

“Hey, that was awesome. But could you guys ask Jamal to come see me? And maybe untie me if he gets embarrassed seeing me like this?”

 

 

An hour or so later he stands before a mirror, admiring himself in one of the outfits Irene has brought him. It is strangely amusing to try on clothes with her and listen to her compliments, but it is time to get down to business and this outfit is the best one so far.

An innocent light blue, turquoise according to Irene, bikini and crop top with a criss-cross neckline. Atop his head rests a big white sun hat with a black band and around his waist is tied a loose black fabric that creates the illusion of this outfit being chaste without actually covering much. His feet are clad in black open toe sandals.

Yes, the other three were nice, but he simply had to return to this one. It was Irene’s first suggestion, so of course it’s good. Has he started sharing her tastes? Perhaps. Whatever the case, this is the thing he is most keen on. Having a bit of black as a sort of reminder that he belongs to her seems very fitting, aside from simply looking good.

She puts her arms around him, holding him from behind as their eyes meet in the mirror. It’s always so oddly comfortable in her arms. He shrinks his genitals a little more, until the bulge can only be described as petite, barely there. Hmm, yes. This is a look. Very disarming, the picture of innocence. They would be fools to trust him, but when he looks like this, how could they not?

He locks eyes with her again and she kisses his shoulder. He can’t help but lean into her a bit more, basking in the safety of her arms. She really is inhuman. So supportive and powerful and perfect. He would probably be willing to die for her, he realizes.

“Shall we go see if they are ready for this visit to the beach?”

“Yes, it is probably time. Will you be alright?”

“I will be fine. The sun does not harm me, I merely detest it. And I don’t like sand.”

“Understandable. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and gets everywhere.”

“Exactly.”

She squeezes him a bit tighter as they bond over this, then lets go and leads the way out the door. They make their way to the foyer, where Nathaniel and Madeleine are milling about. No one says anything, Nathaniel looking embarrassed while Madeleine remains only slightly awkward, even giving them a hint of a smile.

“What’s all this?”

Anessa and Jamal approach, she in her usual shorts and tank top that are probably an acceptable beach outfit. She looks over at him.

“Oh yeah, you should get changed real quick, we’re going to the beach.”

Jamal looks over at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Why?”

“Because... it’s beach time. Titania’s gonna come hang, too. It’ll be sweet. Probably.”

“Okay, then. Be right back.”

He walks off in his quest for beach wear. Anessa looks over at Madeleine and sighs.

“Maddie, please. Don’t come to the beach in a suit. That’s just wrong.”

“It’s not wrong. A suit is always appropriate.”

“You don’t have to wear a bikini or whatever, just please put on something a little less stuffy.”

“This suit is white. I’m not gonna get that hot.”

“I don’t care. It’s fucking cool, yeah, but we’re going to chill in the sand. Suits just aren’t right for that. The pants are probably fine but a shirt and a suit jacket is just too much.”

“Perhaps a compromise is in order,” Irene interjects, before stepping to the wall and disappearing. The rest of them stand there for little over a minute in silence before she reappears. “There is now an alternative outfit in your room. Follow her, Anessa, and offer her your opinion.”

“Oh, I don’t have any fashion sense.”

“Go with her all the same.”

“Uh, okay, Irene.”

The two set off. Nathaniel looks like he intends to follow, until Irene steps up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I will get you something next time.”

“O-oh, how... how generous. Thank you. Kindly.”

“Think nothing of it. Think nothing.”

Nathaniel’s face is locked in something that is not quite fear, but not far from it either. As his wife walks off and Irene keeps her hand on his shoulder he seems to wilt under the pressure, looking like he has no idea what to do or say. Eventually she takes her hand off him, but still he stands there meek and reserved. Approaching from the side, Jamal looks flabbergasted, but keeps his thoughts to himself.

Eventually Anessa and Madeleine return. Of her old ensemble only the suit jacket remains. Beneath it is a long blouse in the same color and on her legs she wears shorts that almost reach the knees. It is the most skin he has ever seen her show, he thinks, more even than when she.... well, best not dwell on that right now.

“Most fetching. You look very nice, Madeleine.”

“O-oh. Thank you... Irene.”

“Do not mention it.”

Madeleine blushes and focuses her attention on her husband as she steps up to him. He sidles up even closer, as if she offers some semblance of safety. Let him cling to her skirts, or shorts, as he wishes. It will do him no good.

“Well, then, let’s go!”

Madeleine steps forth, but freezes and looks unreasonably shocked as Anessa picks up a box of what must be beach supplies. Then she moves to pick up a duffel bag, but is beaten to the punch by Jamal.

“Something wrong, Maddie?”

“Well, I... I could carry some of that.”

“Thanks, but there’s no need.”

There is a short pause before Nathaniel seems to turn back on for a moment.

“We would love to make ourselves useful.”

“You don’t have to be useful all the time. We’re just chilling. Take it easy.”

Madeleine’s fingers turn restless. “But...”

“Oh, wait, maybe you could grab some drinks, I might have forgot those.”

Madeleine strides off to the kitchen, her husband following at a slower pace after her. He makes a mental note of this exchange. A well timed accusation uselessness might unsettle Madeleine, if the need should arise.

Soon they return with a bag each, and they set off. Irene opens a parasol, puts her arm around him and then takes a hesitant step outside. Their pace is slow, and his enjoyment of being in her grasp is somewhat diminished by her obvious discomfort. The others eventually notice their leisurely pace and slow down. Perhaps he should offer to hold the parasol?

“Forgive me. There is no danger. That thing simply... irks me.”

Anessa gawks at her a second before glancing up at the sun, but says nothing.

“Should I perhaps step out from the shade? I may be taking up space unnecessarily.”

“No. I would not like that.”

“Hmm. We could try to walk more closely then. Or perhaps I could carry you?”

She hesitates a moment, lowering her voice. “That would hardly be knightly behavior.”

“Dark knights abide by different rules.”

“Well... alright. Hopefully I can make it look unsettling.”

With surprising alacrity she jumps onto his back, legs wrapping around his waist and the arm not holding the parasol going around his neck while she leans her chin on his shoulder. Her cool body pressed tightly against him feels quite nice. He sets off at a slightly brisker pace than they previously maintained, ignoring the stares of the others as they gawk at his dark backpack.

They walk through the little ghost town and make their way to a seemingly random spot on the sunny beach. Anessa puts down the box, stretches her arms out and breathes in exaggeratedly before exhaling loudly. “The beach!.”

No one responds to this declaration. Madeleine goes for the box and pulls out blankets that she lays out on the sand, Nathaniel sticks some drinks into a box of ice, Jamal pulls out two poles and some sort of net. Irene slides off him to assume a more respectable position, holding onto him tightly from behind. Eventually Anessa makes a move, pulling out a large parasol and sticking it into the sand.

“This will have to do for now, but you are gonna have your minds blown later, trust me. Look, here she comes.”

Titania appears on the horizon and quickly draws near, her gait long even though her frame is currently as small as it gets. She carries something under her arm, but it certainly does not look likely to blow any minds. Anessa seems to agree, as she narrows her eyes and a worried look crosses her face. Despite her worry, she gives the newcomer a wave.

“Hey, Titey!” There is a quick pause as Anessa grimaces. “I’m really sorry, that’s not a good nickname, I didn’t think it through.”

“Heya. That’s okay. Maybe... Tania would make more sense if you really want to shorten it.”

“Yeah, sweet, I’ll try it out later, organically. But, um, where’s your big ass parasol?”

“Well, I meant to bring it, but one look at it changed my mind. I still haven’t gotten all the bird shit out after last time I used it.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Irene, I didn’t think this could happen.”

“It does not matter.”

“Oh,” Titania says, leaning down to see under the parasol, where the top half of Irene’s body sticks out of the shadows, “hello.”

“Hello,” is Irene’s reply.

“Are you... buried in sand?”

“No.”

“She’s like, I dunno, mid-teleport? Huh, I actually don’t get it, now that I think about it. Where is the rest of your body currently, Irene?

“It is a mystery.”

“Well, there you have it. Just a mystery. Irene’s great though, honestly. Not a big fan of the sun as you can see, but always down to hang.”

What utter nonsense. Though he supposes Anessa’s view of her is a sign of success. Titania nods her head.

“Okay, great.” Titania looks over at him. “Hey there. You doing alright?”

“Yes, I am doing excellently, thank you.”

She nods. “Good. That’s good.” Then she looks over at Jamal, who is finishing setting up his net. “Volleyball, huh? Hope you’re all ready for an unfair game.”

“Oh, right back at ya. But first, sunscreen.” Anessa whips her top off, revealing her breasts to all and sundry, then immediately hesitates. “This isn’t, like, inappropriate is it?”

“Nope, I don’t mind,” Titania replies.

“Great. Awesome.” Anessa marches over to the box, grabs a bottle of sunscreen and starts smearing it over herself, walking over to Nathaniel and Madeleine as she does. She lowers her voice a little. “Could you get mama’s back, princess?”

“Of course.”

And so it goes. Anessa eventually throws the bottle toward him and Irene. She declines it, but spends a while carefully slathering it on him. He shivers a little as she does, but not from cold. Something about the mundanity of the situation and the lack of apparent danger is oddly overwhelming. As if he could curl up his body beside her and simply... be. And just by doing that this could somehow become an unforgettable moment. Thankfully, Anessa brings him back to reality.

“Need some help with that, Tania?”

“Maybe a little, just on the back.”

“Any place you need, girl. Me and Jamal could double team you and be done in a jiffy. Not like that, of course. Sorry. Please forget every word I just said.”

“It’s... okay. And there’s no rush.”

“Great, no team then, maybe Jamal can sort you out by his lonesome. Does that sound suggestive? I didn’t mean to if it does.”

“I’m sure he can speak for himself.”

“Oh! Right!”

Jamal approaches this strange train wreck of a conversation calmly. “It’s cool, I got you.”

“Thanks,” Anessa and Titania say in unison.

After a moment of hesitation, Titania lies down on her stomach on her oversized blanket. Jamal sets to work, the bottle of sunscreen soon making sounds that indicate it might just be emptied during this attempt. There is something odd about seeing the size difference as he spreads the sunscreen with both hands, the brain constantly trying to reinterpret what it’s seeing.

“Your hands feel so nice,” Titania murmurs. “I bet you give a hell of a massage.”

“Oh, he’s great at those, you just have to try it sometime.”

“A tempting offer. How about it, Jamal, can I hit you up some day?”

Jamal laughs a bit too loud. “Yeah, sure, maybe, not a problem, hit me up, yeah. Uh, all done, by the way.”

He had been rather smooth up to that point. A pity.

Titania sits up and pats Jamal’s head with her huge hand, looking like she could easily wrap her fingers around its entirety. “Thanks, little man.”

Next, beverages are passed out and they just... stay there. The rest of them prattle among themselves, while he and Irene enjoy each other’s silence. The lower half of his body lies out in the sun, while his upper body remains with her in the shade. He lies on his back and she rests her head on his chest, face turned to him. Her hand intertwines with his and all seems rather right with the world. He raises her head with his steady breathing and it feels like a moment he wouldn’t mind stretching into eternity. But all things must pass.

“Alright, let’s play. I know you’re dressed to stun more than for sport, sweetie, but I’m expecting big things from you.”

He lets his eyes drift to Anessa without raising his head. “Why would I partake in such frivolities?”

“Because it builds trust.”

“I see.”

Irene rises from his chest and squeezes his hand. “I would be interested to see you play. I have no doubt you will prevail.”

He slowly rises to his feet, letting his gaze drift over the group before focusing it on Anessa. “Very well, then. I will destroy you.”

“No. You won’t.”

“Oh?”

“You’re going to be on my team. Aren’t you?”

“But of course.”

They square up in teams of two, Jamal and Titania staring him and Anessa down. A slight breeze blows along the beach, setting a piece of plastic rolling dramatically past. Madeleine scampers after it without a sound. Only the lapping of the waves breaks the tense silence of the stand-off as Jamal prepares to launch the first offensive, eyeing him warily.

“You know the rules, man?”

“No. That should make your defeat all the more painful.”

Jamal shakes his head. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Come on, it’s just smack talk, we do it all the time.”

“But he’s fucking... dressed like that while staring at me like he wants to kill me and... you know, shit’s a bit... it’s been a weird day so far, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. But we’ve peaked, probably. Now it’s just chill time.” She turns to him. “Basically we’re trying to make the ball hit the ground on their side of the net. And we use our hands but don’t hold the ball. That should cover it. I’ll let you know as we go if there are other rules you should know.”

A manual would be preferable, so he could simply learn all the rules before they start. But the goal is to pretend to fit into their world, so this will have to do. A casual answer is best. Which would sound something like...

“Excellent. Let us... ball.”

Anessa smirks, which he takes as a sign of success, and the game is on. Jamal’s serve sails straight for Anessa, who receives it with her arms stretched out and her hands balled up. He follows her lead and uses the same technique to send it softly toward the enemy’s position. It hits the top of the net, looking very much like it will land on his own side until he gives it a little telekinetic push.

But Jamal is ready, poking it up and over with the slightest touch. Anessa jumps in, face-planting into the sand, but not before launching the ball high up in the air. Titania steps up easily and looks poised to smash it down, but jolts back in surprise as he telekinetically launches himself into the air, her hesitation leaving him free to strike the ball hard. It glances off her side before hitting the ground, Jamal seemingly not ready to sacrifice himself to the same extent as Anessa.

There is silence as he floats back down to the ground, broken only when Irene claps once, twice, thrice. Titania puts on an awkward smile while Anessa busies herself with brushing the sand from her face. Jamal picks up the ball, holding it in his hand a moment and nodding to himself.

“Yeah, alright. That kind of game, huh? Yeah, that’s just fine by me, man. From here on out it’s no mercy.”

“So be it. I am your doom.”

“Fucking hell, man.”

“But maybe don’t mess with the ball like that,” Anessa interjects.

“He needs all the help he can get.” Jamal raises one side of his mouth in what must be meant as a cocky grin before delivering his next serve.

He receives it in much the same way Anessa did earlier, only slightly caught off guard by the force of it. Anessa rises and smashes it down toward their side but Jamal is already there, blocking with two raised hands. She just barely reacts as it sails over her head, her hand reaching out to knock it backward and up. He positions himself and easily passes it back toward the net, allowing Anessa to jump once more. This smash, too, is met by Jamal, but this time the rebound is hit right away by Anessa. With superhuman reflexes Jamal gets a few fingers on it and knocking it slightly up and to the side, leaving it in the air long enough for him to dart after it and pass back toward Titania, high up in the air. The height advantage proves decisive, allowing her to slam it straight down onto the court before he or Anessa can react.

Jamal laughs. “Hell yeah!”

“That’s how we do it.”

Titania holds out a massive hand and Jamal gives her a high five that’s not really strong enough to move her or make a satisfying slap, leaving him looking like a child asking an adult to hold hands. His smile turns a bit awkward right after, even though Titania is quick to withdraw her hand.

Anessa displays worthless chivalry and waits for them to retake their positions before serving, leading Titania to easily receive with a single open palm that sets up a slam for Jamal. Thankfully Anessa is quick on her feet, allowing her to easily block it. It sails over Jamal and Titania needs to bend over to knock it upwards once more. Jamal and Anessa skirmish once more by the net and he paces patiently in reserve, intently watching the battle. Then one of Jamal’s blocks sails smoothly toward Titania, enabling her to knock it up with one palm and slam it down with the other. But he is ready. With a telekinetic grasp he flings himself horizontal along the sand, like a stingray far from home. He catches the ball with his face, his body slamming into the sand from the blow.

A gasp and an “Oh no!” ring through the air as he flies up, lightly bumping the ball with his face one more time to tee it up for a devilish strike: he spins his whole body 360 degrees, catching the ball with a ferocious backhanded fist that slams the ball into Titania’s stomach, whence it drops to the ground. He remains there, floating, looking down his nose at only Jamal due to Titania’s height. They both stare at him in seeming surprise. Irene claps once, twice, thrice.

“What’s wrong? I thought you said no mercy.”

“Um, let’s not hurt ourselves, okay?”

He floats back down to the ground and looks back at Anessa. “I am unhurt.”

“Are you? Your face is really red.”

His skin swims as he renews it all. “Is it?”

“Well, okay. But not using our faces is a new rule now.”

“Very well. I shall refrain from giving it my all from here on out.”

“Great. I’m not gonna lie, this is pretty fun, but I think toning down the intensity just a little might be good.”

“What intensity?”

She does that thing where she swallows her lips to form a straight line with her mouth.

“I am joking, of course.”

A look of surprise etches itself onto her features. “Oh, really?”

“Yes. I shall tone it down, out of respect for our teamwork. Now come, let us get back to it. No mercy to those who oppose us.”

He turns away from her before she can react, running his eyes over the audience. Irene looks graceful as ever, watching intently with her hands steepled. The telepaths sit a ways from her, holding hands and sipping from one coconut with two long straws.

The game resumes. During the next round Anessa finally pulls her weight and scores a point. He grits his teeth without being too obvious about it as she comes in for a high five which he grants her. Next Jamal evens the score once more, earning a few pats on the back that look like they might knock him over if he didn’t brace after the first one.

They continue exchanging blows, staying neck and neck as each team refines their technique. He lengthens his arm on occasion to catch difficult strikes, to the disgust of Jamal. Once his gliding technique nears perfection Anessa feels confident in going all out on her offensives, resulting in their first real lead in the match. Titania counteracts this by taking a central position and spreading herself out like a great spider, her long arms ready to deflect most strikes, leaving Jamal free to sprint around and focus on the offensive. The crowning moment of this strategy comes when Titania blocks a strike with one palm while grabbing Jamal with her other hand and then tossing him into the fray. He seems caught off guard but manages to slam it with enough force and precision to make it unstoppable. Titania catches him again before he lands, drawing him back toward her, giving a peace sign with one enormous hand while the other gently puts Jamal down but doesn’t quite let go.

“This stance has no weaknesses.”

It was subtle, but it would seem she has allowed herself to grow a bit larger. It does seem a powerful stance, worthy of such a declaration. He keeps the banter flowing.

“Do you even know whom you face?”

“Hot guy hench.” She grins as she finally lets go of Jamal, giving him a slight slap on the rear that causes him a second of visible surprise. “Let’s show these losers what for, little man.”

“Oh, bring it!” Anessa displays a beaming smile in the face of this insult.

Titania stops smirking. “Wait. Is guy still appropriate?”

“No, but it is understandably difficult to encapsulate me in a single word.” He rises into the air and calls forth a gust of wind to make his hair blow dramatically, though that might not quite work with a ponytail. “Call me by any name. Any way it is all the same. I am the fly in your soup, the pebble in your shoe, the bump on every head, the peel on which you slip, the pin in every hip.”

Anessa makes a sound that is a mix of a laugh and a cough. “Yeah, he’s all that. But I think guy’s fine, really.”

Titania nods her head slowly, but has seemingly been silenced. The game resumes, with him slowly narrowing the score once more despite Titania’s so-called invincible stance by telekinetically throwing himself around like a rag doll and hitting the ball at unpredictable angles. Every successful strike is punctuated by Irene’s rhythmic, slow clapping. The inevitable end draws ever nearer, his hard fought victory within grasp. And then there is a flash of flight.

“Oh, hey, Rady.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just playing some volleyball.”

He glances over just in time to see her light a cigarette and disappear.

“Shadowdancer.”

“Radiance.”

He turns his head again to see her looming over Irene, who stares up at her without a hint of discomfort.

“Yeah, I’ve set some ground rules but she can still hang a bit. We’re just chilling.”

“I see. Somehow I expected the loss of all but one of his powers to... I don’t know, leave him a bit despondent.”

“Well, yeah, of course, the morning was pretty gloomy, for sure. But now we’re keeping our minds off it by playing around.”

Radiance reappears beside Anessa, leaning her head back and blowing smoke up to the sky. “Right.”

“Do you... maybe wanna play?”

“No. I don’t think I do.”

“Well, then,” Anessa says as she scurries off to the supplies and pulls out a chair that she folds out, “why don’t you just chill with us? We got beer if you want some.”

“No, thanks. I don’t think I’m in the mood to chill.” She grabs the chair regardless, disappearing and reappearing off to the side of their little playing field, on the opposite side from Irene and the telepaths. “I think I’ll just sit here for a while.”

“Great!”

The game resumes, but with an awkward quality to it. He is not sure how to act. Should he play up his teamwork with Anessa or appear meek and frightened by Radiance’s presence? The only power he can safely use is the telekinesis, but Radiance might consider it cheating. All players move with a bit of a lethargic quality now, and he barely reacts when Titania lazily scores a point.

Anessa laughs awkwardly. “Guess we’re getting tired. Sorry you missed the exciting parts, Rady.”

Radiance greedily sucks down the last of her cigarette. “Don’t worry. I’m used to it.”

“No, no, we’ve been playing a while, we’re honestly tired.”

“So you’re nearly finished?”

“Yeah, they’re two points from winning, we need four, I think.”

“Great. Don’t let me bother you, then. You can finish your game. We’ll talk after.”

Probably it is safest to act frightened now. Acting too friendly with Anessa would only raise suspicion. Planting the idea of him being a useful adversary can come later.

He is brought out of his thoughts by the ball nearly hitting him in the face and he just barely reacts fast enough to slam it away from him. His eyes follow its trajectory toward Radiance, who disappears in the middle of lighting her next cigarette only to reappear once the ball has sailed through the space she momentarily did not occupy. An unfortunate error, but salvageable. He debates whether to saunter or walk timidly to get it, but Anessa starts running after it. Radiance meets his gaze as she takes her first puff, then holds the cigarette awkwardly right in front of her face as her eyes run over the rest of him.

“Wait. How the hell can he fit in a bikini like that?”

“Oh, he probably shapeshifted it down to fit properly.”

All the irritation evaporates from Radiance’s face as she suddenly stands in front of the chair. He understands now what people mean when they call her beautiful. In this instant of perfect stillness with all eyes on her, she is a herald of death, her face as if carved from marble. Her voice is low and even when she finally speaks.

“He... what?”

“U-uh, back when he still had it, of course! All the changes stuck even after I took the power. You saw it yesterday, right? It was super small. You can inspect it right now and see it’s just the same. Sweetie, please drop your panties real quick.”

“That will not be necessary.” She appears right in front of him. “Enough of this bullshit. You’re going into orbit, buddy.”

“Hey, now, come on, Rady, it’s cool, everything’s under control, please trust me.”

“Trusting you to take anything seriously in the first place was a mistake. I won’t be repeating it.” Radiance looks over at Titania. “And you. I thought you were far enough removed from it all to be clear headed about this. Guess I was wrong.”

Titania raises her enormous hands in a possible attempt at pacification. “It was just a weirdly intense game of volleyball. I haven’t seen anything dangerous from either of them. It does seem under control.”

“Bullshit. I don’t know what’s gotten into you all. I can imagine Anessa being fooled, but at least one of you four should have the brains to not take his side.”

There is an odd intensity to the scene. The telepaths have stood up but simply stand there like idiots. Irene has risen fully from the shadow, but stands still and tense beneath the parasol. Jamal and Titania seem frozen. Anessa is fidgeting with her hands, alternating between scratching at her sides and raising her hands in meaningless gestures toward Radiance.

“You’re pretty cool under pressure. Why are you looking at them? Do you actually have some form of mind control power I don’t know about?”

“No, Rady, that’s not it, he’s just kinda cute and likable in a weird way, you’d understand if you hung out with us. Hey, what if you move in with us for a bit and then if after a week you still think he should go we’ll accept it, how does that sound?”

“Shut the fuck up, Anessa.”

“Maddie, please, help her calm down a little?”

Radiance finally looks away from him for a moment. “If you even think of trying to get into my head you’d better be ready to lose yours.”

Nathaniel steps in front of his wife, as if that means anything. “I would appreciate it if you refrained from threatening my wife.”

“And I would appreciate it if you all backed off and stopped being idiots.”

Suddenly Anessa picks him up, pushing him into her bare chest. He lets it happen, wondering just what the plan is. Radiance looks back at them.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Just holding him for a second. You and me, we’re gonna talk this through and it’s not gonna be in some tense stand-off. Let’s all take a deep breath.”

“Stuff it, Anessa. Put him down.”

She squeezes him tighter, as if trying to roll him up into a ball. The plan to drive a wedge between these two seems wildly successful, but this position is too undignified to truly enjoy it.

“No. Let’s cool it for now and talk it out later.”

Anessa turns away and starts carrying him along.

“Don’t you walk away from me! Get back here!”

Anessa makes no reply, walking away with a scowl on her face. Radiance appears right in front of them.

“I said....”

Anessa moves past her, at a jogging pace. He catches a pulse of light out of the corner of his eye.

“Stop being an idiot child! You can’t walk away from this!”

Again Radiance appears right in front, and again, and again, as Anessa picks up speed. Radiance seems to flicker in and out of existence as she easily keeps up, constantly a little ahead.

“Why are you running? Why are you running?”

“Because you’re being weird! You’re scaring me, Rady!”

“Oh, no, I’m scaring you? OF COURSE I FUCKING SCARE YOU! I’m a weapon of mass destruction with a goddamned face on it! I am the most horrifying power this world has ever seen.”

She’s appearing only slightly ahead of them now, her body pulsing and eyes starting to glow.

“This fragile, fragile world. I can’t let this boy shatter it, Anessa.”

“He’s super cute but he’s a grown man, Rady!”

“Stop deflecting! Take this seriously, for the love of god!”

“I am! I’m trying to knock you out of whatever frenzy you’re working yourself up into.”

“I’m not frenzied, Anessa. If you ever see that, you’ll know.”

“Okay, but you’re letting your emotions get the best of you! You’re not thinking straight right now, you’re thinking something really, really mean.”

“I think mean things all the time, Anessa. It happens to people like me, who can’t just literally fuck around all day and all night.

"Everyone gets mad sometimes, that’s fine, just don’t let it take over, Rady."

"There’s this one thing in particular I find myself thinking about often. What if I made a new rule for this world? Any leader who decides on war becomes its first casualty. The declaration signed in their own blood, spilled by the unstoppable, inescapable me. Don’t you think they’d try a little harder to work things out? I fantasize about it constantly. The rules that are currently in place benefit certain people too much. But I can’t just overthrow them. The world would crumble. So my dreams stay dreams and I soldier on.”

“Let’s talk about it! Give me one evening to just listen to all the shit you gotta deal with! Just please calm down right now.”

Radiance appears slightly further away this time, putting on... brass knuckles?

“This whole world is hanging together by a thread. And it is filled with nothing but idiot children running around with scissors. But that doesn’t really matter right now. Stop, Anessa. Don’t make me do this.”

“Please, Rady, please!”

The next moment is disorientating. There is a loud sound and heavy impact and for a fraction of a second he’s flying backward to the sound of his collar jingling, then something yanks on him and he slips out of Anessa’s hands as she flies off. Next thing he knows he’s scrambling to his feet, whole body aching from whatever kind of impact it just felt second hand. Radiance stands before him.

“Now, I hope you can be more of an adult about this. You’re going into orbit and that’s final. Be thankful you don’t have to die.”

“I think... you take death... a tad too seriously.”

“Don’t start monologuing.”

“I won’t.” He catches a glimpse of what he thinks might be Irene with a rifle in one of the buildings nearby and he shakes his head. Shooting him might enable him to fake his death, but it is a long shot. “But neither will I assent to orbital confinement.”

“Good thing that means nothing to me. Let’s take this elsewhere, before that dumbass gets back.”

She grabs him by one arm and swings him with blinding speed, so that he suddenly finds himself airborne and spinning. She flickers in front of him, occasionally pulling on him to prolong his flight, until she lets him fall to the ground with only a little pull upward to reduce the impact of his landing. He lands on his knees and rolls a few times before slowly getting to his feet.

“What an odd little tyrant you are.”

“You’re not gonna guilt trip me. I learned a long time ago I can’t afford softness.”

“That was not my intention at all. I find myself agreeing with you on many fronts. Softness is a luxury some people can ill afford. And the world really is a little rotten.” He meets her eyes, cold and unfeeling. “We’re not so different, you and I.”

“Are you for fucking real? Is this a joke?”

“You can take it any way you wish. No one in this world can stop you, after all.”

“Moving on, then. Now the question is just how incompetent Anessa has been. Would she be stupid enough not to tell me if you got your power stealing back?”

“An excellent question. I would say no. She is not as incompetent as you might think. We have been coming to trust one another, I feel. She realizes my potential. For this world, and for you.”

“Don’t make me madder than I already am, buddy.”

“I do not expect you to accept immediately, but think about it. All the ways you could change this world with the advantage of a controlled opposition.”

“Fuck are you on about?”

“You are afraid to change the world because it would make you a tyrant. But what if someone else nudged your changes along, unsanctioned? Someone weaker than you but strong enough to believably survive encounters with you, someone who targeted the leeches of this world but never took its reins.”

She holds his gaze a moment in silence.

“Yeah, no. Someone who could turn even stronger than me promises me the world if only I give him everything he wants? You must think I’m pretty fucking stupid.”

“Quite the opposite. There is a keenness to you that sets you a world apart from the people I have found myself surrounded by on this island. I can tell you would do whatever it takes to protect this world, whatever that means to you. You have a strong conviction, a sharp mind and the eyes of a killer. I respect you, if nothing else.”

“You’re doing a piss poor job of convincing me. Are you trying to sound as awful as possible?”

“I would not dishonor you by coating my words in honey.”

“Wow, I’m touched, really. Good night.”

The blow is too fast for his eyes, but it rocks his head back with a force unlike anything he has ever felt in his career. And yet, his body refuses to fold. There is a moment where consciousness is debatable, but soon his head starts clearing and he realizes he is just barely standing, bent over backwards with his arms touching the ground, as if he were a puppet held aloft by string.

“Fuck. That fucking bikini makes this so much worse.”

He slowly starts raising himself back up. “I am addicted to Anessa and I cannot escape that addiction easily. You would always have a hook on me.”

“Will you shut the fuck up already? You’re going into orbit and that’s that.”

“Where I would be a constant trump card on offer for anyone desperate enough to upset the world’s status quo. Where Anessa would have to visit me regularly and be at risk of immediate death if any of said desperate parties were to make an unsuccessful attack while she was there.”

He pulls himself up fully, dropping his head and shoulders forward to play up the puppet look. Radiance stares at him and says nothing.

“No, it would be much easier for you to work with me. We could even use Anessa’s childish suggestion of spending a few days together to iron out the details. She could return my original power long enough for me to acquire a few more so that I could better serve my purpose, then retract it once I have them. Your power would be off limits. You would remain the strongest, forever unchallenged.”

“Hell no. There will be no negotiation. I don’t trust you and I never will.”

“But that’s the beauty of it, you wouldn’t have to. If ever you feel I have reneged on the deal, you could restrict my access to her. I tried overcoming the addiction and I started unraveling in the strangest way. It is a simple, easily exploited weakness. All you would have to worry about would be me kidnapping her. But that should not be too much of a problem. Simply lock her up in a fully illuminated room or store her in orbit. Or perhaps place something inside her that would let you kill her with a single click of a button if I ever tried something unwise.”

Radiance breathes out slowly, looking up at the sky in silent contemplation.

“Tell me something. What does that cloud look like to you?”

He cocks his head at her. Her gaze remains steadfast. He follows it hesitantly. There are a number of wispy little clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky. A searing burn hits his chest and he slumps forward, landing on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”

She pulls out another cigarette and lights it, putting one hand on his shoulder as he starts sliding down her body. She follows him down, ending up in a kneeling position with him still halfway draped over her.

“Hope the sky looked pretty, one last time.”

She coughs a drawn out, hacking cough, but does not let go of him. She finishes her entire cigarette in this awkward position, then lays him down on his back. She closes his eyes, stands up and from the sound of it starts physically walking away.

He lies there a good while in the sun, life buzzing all around him, a stupid collar around his neck. Then he allows himself a little smirk as he lets himself sink into the ground. He swims leisurely along towards where Anessa’s house should be, like some divinity traversing the underworld as he slots his new heart into place and fills out the cauterized hole she left in him.

It takes a few gopher imitations in random gardens, but eventually he finds the correct house. Anessa and Radiance are there, just outside the open front door. The former seems agitated while the latter just stands there. He rises fully from a neighboring garden.

“I want him back, Rady! You can’t just chuck him into space, we need to talk this through! Say something already!”

Radiance takes a drag of her cigarette. “There’s no talking anymore. It’s over. I’m sorry. It had to be done. I couldn’t risk it.”

Anessa notices him sauntering toward them, each step perfectly silenced. Her lip seems to be split and she has a slight bruise on her face, relatively mild considering the force of the blow. “Um, okay? Guess you gave him a stern talking to? You scared me there for a bit.”

Radiance coughs a bit on her cigarette. “What? No, I...”

“Yes, we had a lovely talk,” he says as he brushes past her to put his arm around Anessa and lean himself against her. “Though I could have worded my arguments better, in retrospect. You really showed me the error of my ways. I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”

Radiance looks like a fish on land as she gawks at him and soundlessly exercises her jaw. Eventually she gets out a single “No...”

“Um, what’s going on?”

“Not another one... Anessa, I killed him. Just a few minutes ago. I destroyed his heart.”

Anessa puts her arm around his shoulder, her fingers digging in uncomfortably. “You... did what?”

“He described to me how he envisioned the future. So I pulled the trigger.”

“I want you to know it’s taking a lot not to smack you right now. Fuck you, Rady.”

Radiance’s body starts pulsing with light once more and she scowls. “Stop standing up for this guy! Do you know what he said? He told me I could always kill you to get at him!”

“He says a lot of weird things! He’s not the best person in the world, maybe, but he’s honestly not that bad!”

“Think, you goddamn idiot, think! For just a second!”

“You’re the one who showed up and started threatening people and then fucking sent me flying!”

Radiance puts a hand over her heart as she draws heavy breaths, lights pulsing repeatedly through her as the glow in her eyes returns. “Am I having a heart attack? Fuck. It feels like I could literally explode. Hope that’s not a thing I can do.”

“Rady, stop it. Get some help. You’re cracking under the pressure you put yourself under.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I’ll just take a step back then, I guess, see how fucked up the world can get and not feel bad about it at all. What should I do while I watch it burn? Play the fiddle?”

Anessa trembles a little, then blurts out: “I think you should get it on with the Undying!”

A series of pulses run through Radiance, her eyes and mouth glowing like a lighthouse as she gnashes her teeth and raises her hands in exasperated choking motions. A moment passes where she just lets out a sort of keening groan. Anessa takes the opportunity to back into the house, pulling him with her. Eventually the groan stops and Radiance just stands there, breathing heavily. Then she too is inside the house, appearing right in front of them.

“Good news is I can’t literally explode, at least not accidentally. Bad news is: WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Are you fucking nuts?! Or is it me, somehow? Have I gone crazy? Is that it?!”

“That’s it, get it all out, Rady. I think there’s a lot of sexual tension there and maybe relieving it could help you a lot. Instead of what you usually do, I think you should try giving him a spank, see where it goes.”

“Rghfff! Shut up! Just shut! Up!”

“He’s probably the only one freaky enough to handle you right now. And you can’t actually kill him even if you flew off the handle over an argument.”

Radiance’s chest heaves with her breaths, the veins in her forehead impressively prominent as the pulses keep running through her. “What even... are you implying I’m a domestic abuser now?”

“Yeah, I can easily see it happening. Since you can just so easily drop by and casually kill someone.”

“He’s not just someone! He’s an unrepentant threat to the whole world!”

“I for one find your actions completely sensible,” he interjects.

Her intense gaze bores into him. “Fucking keep it to yourself.”

“Don’t you think he’s super chill considering what you just pulled? He’s so nice! You haven’t even apologized.”

“Apologized? You... I don’t think he’s chill, I think it’s suspicious and disturbing. How can all of you just stand there? This is not a man to be trusted, that much is obvious to you all, right? I am the voice of reason and the jackass over there telling me to fuck the Undying is the crazy one. Right?”

He follows her gaze, taking in the assembled audience. Irene stands staring at Radiance from a shadowy corner, with her arms disappearing into the shadows behind her. Nathaniel and Madeleine stand right next to each other, clasping hands and looking deeply uncomfortable. Jamal leans against a wall with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched. Titania fills the rest of the room, looking absurd on all fours with hear head against the ceiling.

“Well,” the overgrown woman finally says, “I don’t think you’re completely wrong, necessarily. But you do look a bit... agitated right now. Stepping away and clearing your head might be a good idea.”

“And you did punch a friend when you could have just talked it out,” Jamal adds.

“And you and Undying wouldn’t make a weird pair, Rady. Lots of people think so, there’s a bunch of great fan fics about you two.”

Another series of pulses runs through Radiance and one eye starts twitching madly. Then she laughs, a short bark of a laugh. “What the fuck... are you even saying to me?”

“Please show her, Tania.”

Titania looks over at Radiance, visibly hesitating as the latter laughs some more, now a shaky one that sounds like it’s physically taxing somehow.

“Like... for real?”

“Yeah. Please.”

“Um. Okay. ’Scuse me guys, coming through.”

She crawls through the room, squeezing past the telepaths before shakily pulling out a massive phone and holding it so Radiance can see.

“So, um, here’s this site and I just search for your name and-”

“Roasted by Radiance! Nearly a hundred thousand readers, must be good! Please, show me what I’m missing!”

“Oh, um, that’s actually, um... it’s a snuff fic.”

“And what the fuck is that?”

“Um, nothing nice.”

“Ahaha, of course! That makes sense! Show it to me, then. Show it to me now.”

“O-okay.”

And Radiance... seemingly begins reading. An oddly tense silence reigns, moments turning into minutes. Radiance’s intermittent laughter finally stops, her face taking on a perplexed scowl.

“Fuck. Please ignore that one, Rady, it’s weird and freaky and it’s not what we should be focusing on, no matter how popular it might be. And it’s not nearly a hundred thousand readers, it’s been clicked on that many times, it’s really not that popular probably.”

Radiance does not seem to hear. Anessa goes quiet and the tense reading session continues. Radiance seems to finish a chapter, angrily poking the screen to get the next one. She seems to skim it this time, quickly going to the next chapter and then the one after that, her scowl mutating into shocked disbelief. Eventually she looks away from the screen, staring off into nothing. There is complete silence for a moment, until finally she mutters something barely audible.

“That... little... bitch.”

“Huh?”

Radiance turns her shell shocked face vaguely towards the telepaths and sighs. “Why am I calmly reading fan fiction about myself? You chucklefucks did something. Fuck. You’re all so stupid. I’ll be back. Don’t you fucking dare give him back any more powers. And don’t fuck with me next time I see you. There will be consequences for this. I just have to be away from the madness for long enough to decide what they will be.”

And with that, she disappears. The room is silent. Irene walks up and puts her arms around him, squeezing him. Anessa lets out a rattling breath and sinks down into a squat, wringing her hands.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.”

Titania pats her on the shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her mad before. That was really weird. Is she going to be okay? Should we call someone?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

“I feel pretty bad about showing her that snuff fic.”

“Yeah, that was not part of the plan. Not that I had a plan. But what she did was wrong.”

“Yeah, I... I agree.”

“Can we crash at your place tonight?”

“Huh? Sure. But why?”

“Rady got me this place. It sorta feels wrong staying here right now. She got me so much, honestly. But that doesn’t mean she can just do something like that. Plus, I don’t think she can pop up as easily at your place, so if she comes back all pissed we’ll have some time to react.”

“You don’t think we’re in danger, do you?”

“Not us. But what if she gets drunk tonight? She might just try to finish the job, I don’t honestly know.”

“I’ve... never seen her drink.”

“Me neither. Maybe she just doesn’t. But I’m running all sorts of nightmare scenarios in my head.”

“Okay. We’ll go to my place.”

They do. Once there they sit around for a good long while in tense silence. What little conversation is attempted is obviously stilted and uncomfortable, even to him. Still, there seems a genuine consensus that Radiance is not doing too well, and that blowing a hole in his chest was a very mean thing to do. Thankfully Irene remains stuck to him, allowing him to easily hide his face in her shoulder when he nearly smiles at the outrageous softness of these people.

“I don’t actually have a guest bedroom, now that I think about it.”

Anessa nods her head gravely at their host. “We’re forced into a cuddle pile, then.”

While Titania has no guest bedroom, she does turn out to possess both giant pajamas and what must be the largest teddy bear in the world. She holds it tightly with both arms, perhaps decreasing the risk of her arms striking out onto her enormous bed during her rest.

“Don’t judge me, okay?”

“Of course not, Tania. That is the absolute cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time. And I’m bombarded with cuteness on a daily basis.”

“Alright. If any of our colleagues suddenly start teasing me about this, I’ll be real mad, okay?”

“Roger that. Good night, Tania.”

“Yeah. Good night, everyone.”

They all lie there on the side of Titania’s giant bed, under something that seems like a cross between a giant bowl and a cage, her breaths slightly tickling them through the man sized gaps in the bars. The telepaths curl up at one end of this contraption, while Anessa and Jamal lie in the middle, both staring straight upward and looking far from sleep. Irene lies with him, clasping on even tighter than before. She holds him so tight as to be almost uncomfortable. Which, oddly, is comfortable in its own way.

Notes:

Thus ends the beach episode.

I was going to give him a name this chapter, but it has been postponed to the next one. Coming up with a name for him is turning out to be rather difficult.

Chapter 15: On high alert

He awakes to an uncomfortable light in his face. He cracks his eyes open to see Irene is looking at it with similar distaste. How he can discern distaste from her expressionless face is a bit of a mystery, but he is absolutely sure he is right. After a few moments of analysis, he comes to the conclusion that Titania’s room is slowly becoming brighter due to automatic lights simulating a sort of sunrise. This seems to have little effect on the giant cave dweller, who rattles the entire bed with a mighty snore. Anessa laughs, revealing herself to likewise be awake.

The snore dies down and does not pick up again. It cannot be a common occurrence, as he highly doubts he could have slept through such a sound. Next the giant trembles, arms rising slightly only to then grasp tighter around the enormous teddy bear. Anessa lets out a choked little squeal for some reason. A single enormous eye opens a crack in response. No words are spoken, but Anessa waves. The eye closes once more.

“Well, I’m gonna go raid her kitchen.” Anessa puts a finger to her chin. “That’s not too rude, is it?”

“Maybe a bit,” Madeleine answers, “but I’m sure it’s fine. I’m kind of curious to see what it’s like.”

The four would-be heroes clamber to their feet and file out of the protective bowl prison, walking over to the edge of the gigantic bed. Jamal jumps off first, followed by Anessa with the telepaths in a double shoulder carry. It would surely have been more sensible to spread the load between the two of them.

He looks into Irene’s eyes as she remains tightly clinging to him. He does not want to simply follow the herd, but staying here has little point to it. She nods at him, so he puts an arm around her and floats them into a standing position. Nothing but the utmost elegance for one such as her. She drapes herself over him and rests her chin on his shoulder as he floats them off the bed, staying high above the peons below.

Her hand finds his and she starts maneuvering herself. It takes him a moment to understand, but soon they are twirling in a strange dance in the air, his telekinesis trying its best to make them move in a way that might fit the movement of their legs. A ruined crop top and a bikini is hardly appropriate attire for this dance, but the burnt hole may serve to increase sympathies toward him, so it has its uses. They go horizontal to dip through the cavernous exit from the bedroom and Irene lets gravity take her to his lips, her hands going around him and keeping her steady even as he feels inspired to do a slow barrel roll for some reason.

“Holy moly,” comes Anessa’s voice from below. “This is... muesli? Like a year’s worth. How did it even get moved down here? Is there like a giant milk carton somewhere?”

“There’s a faucet over there on the wall,” Madeleine answers.

“That’s gotta be just water, right? No way there’s milk in the pipes.”

“We can ask her when she wakes up.”

“I kinda wanna try it...”

“It’ll go everywhere,” Jamal pipes up. “Just wait.”

“Yeah, okay, you’re right. Think we can open that fridge?”

“Nah, let’s wait. We’d mess it up somehow.”

“Aw, where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Traded it in for a premium sense of dread after seeing Radiance have a meltdown.”

“Well... yeah, okay.”

The conversation grinds to a halt, as heavy footsteps herald their host’s arrival. He just barely floats out of her way as she lumbers into the kitchen and fetches an enormous bowl from an alcove cut into the rock high above them. She scoops a mighty helping of muesli into the bowl before bringing it up to the faucet in the wall. What comes from the faucet does seem to be milk.

“No way,” Anessa mutters, as if this of all things on the island is something truly remarkable.

Titania lumbers over to a mighty table and sets her bowl down, sitting on her knees on the floor and leaning onto the table as she begins to scoop the outrageous portions into her mouth. She looks like the world’s grandest zombie. She runs her eyes over her diminutive guests and slows down her feasting.

“Got some fruits.”

“Huh?”

The giant leans over and pulls open the enormous fridge. It is impressively normal, apart from the size. She nonchalantly plucks Anessa off the floor and places her inside.

“Down there, special shelf, not very cold. They’re normal size, I shrink down to eat them.”

Anessa soon strolls onto Titania’s palm with a grand bowl of fruits. The way she holds the bowl above her head is needlessly dramatic, as is the look on her face as she is brought over to the table. Titania tips her hand a bit to get her passenger to hurry off of her hand. Then she returns to shoveling muesli into her face with that outrageously large spoon.

“Oh yeah, then there’s some bread down there, and a toaster.”

Jamal follows the instruction and is soon loading a large slice of bread into an unusually large toaster, fit for a person of roughly triple normal size. Perhaps there is a whole industry that caters to Titania. Soon the toast has been buttered using an oversized knife and a scoop from a mountain of butter, and Anessa and Jamal gnaw away at separate ends of one piece. It is like a much worse version of that cartoon with the dogs and the spaghetti. The telepaths nibble away at fruits, and he decides to follow their lead. The atmosphere feels a bit strange as they eat atop the massive table in silence. It is not quite as tense as he would have expected. Still, the silence does hint at some tension.

“Hey, Irene. Do you just... not eat?”

“Of course I do. I simply do not have much of an appetite. Darling, feed me a grape.”

He does. She does not bite down on it before swallowing.

“Simply delicious.”

Anessa narrows her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if trying to weird people out is just something you do for fun.”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

The rest of their breakfast continues in silence. Titania finishes her bowl and stretches her enormous arms toward the ceiling before leaning back onto the table, resting her head on one hand.

“So... what now?”

Anessa swallows her toast before turning her lips downward and raising her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know. I guess we wait? Rady hasn’t sent me any messages or anything. Has anyone from the league contacted you?”

“Nope.”

“So I guess she kept her cool after she skedaddled.”

“I suppose. What are you going to do while you wait for her to say something?”

“I dunno. Is it cool if we just hang here today?”

“Sure.”

“No need to let us disturb your schedule, though, we can be super chill guests. What do you usually do?”

“I laze around, mostly.”

“Cool, cool.”

“The pool’s my favorite. I’m pretty heavy, so floating feels nice. You guys wanna splash around for a bit?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

They do indeed go. Anessa and Jamal are quick into the pool and seemingly start racing one another back and forth. The telepaths seem less enthused and stay on the pool bank. He and Irene stand a short distance aside from them, so as not to mingle too aggressively. Titania comes along after changing into her gigantic bikini and lowers herself gingerly into the water, still making some waves from her sheer size.

As soon as she is fully in she leans back and simply floats, her face, breasts and knees rising out of the water like landscape. She hums to herself, in a low voice that still reverberates through the cavern. Then she peers down at the others in the water.

“Don’t mind me, you can keep swimming. I can be an obstacle course if you want.”

Anessa laughs awkwardly. Titania smiles.

“I mean it. Give it a shot.”

Anessa hesitates a moment. Then she starts clambering onto Titania’s enormous stomach and sets off running across, splashing mightily with every step. Titania giggles and her stomach moves with her mirth, causing Anessa to flounder in surprise and fall face first onto her host, resulting in more giggles. She slowly gets back to her feet, nodding to herself.

“Not bad. Wanna play tag, Jamal?”

“I dunno, I feel like that’s a level of goofy I don’t wanna reach.”

“Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t really stand a chance, huh?”

“You think I’m twelve or something?”

“The way you run? Honestly, yeah, sometimes I do.”

“Since when is trash talking a part of tag?”

“Since you became a little scaredy cat and a sourpuss.”

“See? This shit’s goofy.”

“Embrace the goofy, Jamal.”

Madeleine sighs beside him. He looks over and sees her staring up at the giant beach chair.

“Would you like to be flown up there?”

She looks back and gives him a little smile. “Thank you, but no. I’m not a fan of heights. And just the idea of falling to my death from a beach chair is embarrassing enough to keep me down here.”

Irene gives him a little squeeze before slinking off into darkness. The telepaths both stare at her go, then continue staring at the spot she disappeared from. It is mere minutes before regular sized beach chairs emerge from the shadows, followed by Irene. He cannot help but notice there are only three chairs.

“Thank you,” Madeleine says.

“Do not mention it.” Irene walks straight up to him. “I will go see if there have been any sightings of Radiance. You should be safe here for the time being.”

“Yes.”

It makes sense. And it is not as if she could actually stop Radiance if she were to come here. But still the idea of sitting around alone with these idiots is a bit disappointing. He is vaguely aware that over in the pool Jamal has let himself be enticed into the chase. Then Irene pulls his head down for a kiss and he stops thinking for a while. When she eventually pulls away he has steeled himself. He will suffer through sitting around all day.

He watches her disappear, then sits down in a beach chair and the long wait begins. Back in the pool Anessa has sought refuge atop Titania’s breast, which Jamal seems hesitant to scale.

“Get down from there, I can’t... it isn’t right.”

Titania giggles again as Anessa takes what seems like a sumo stance.

“It’s alright, Jamal. She’s right there, you can catch her. Go on.”

“Okay, fine. Alright.”

He jumps, then begins to scale the bikini. Anessa rushes him and starts trying to push him off.

“Rrgh, I thought... this was... tag.”

“Yeah, but we’re in the endgame now. It’s king of the hill.”

It might be called a titanic struggle if it weren’t so stupid. They actually seem to be straining with effort.

“You’re going down, girl.”

“It’s over, Jamal. I have the high ground.”

He closes his eyes and tries to ignore them. A yelp surprises him into opening them once more, and he sees Jamal pull instead of push, leaving them both to tumble off the breast. Titania giggles more as they hit her torso, but quickly snatches them up, one in each hand.

“I’d say that was a draw. Go another round.”

She places one on each breast, leaving the two combatants to stare at one another across the chasm.

“So it’s come to this,” Anessa says, “king of the hills.”

“How does that even work?”

Titania hums. “Whoever stays on longer is the winner. Here we go.”

Her hands reach up and initiate a great jiggling of her breasts, leaving the competitors no recourse but to kneel and hold on to the fabric of the bikini for dear life. He closes his eyes to this inanity, leaving him exposed only to the sounds of the game.

“Tenacious little things, aren’t you? Well, let’s see how you like this.”

There comes a great splashing followed by a surprised intake of breath. Titania may have just done a roll, but he is not curious enough to open his eyes. Long moments pass, with considerable splashing, before they finally seem to settle down.

“And we have a winner. No need to let go, little man. You earned your spot.”

He is distracted from this nonsense by the appearance of Nathaniel in his mind’s eye. He appears in a grey suit, his features very clear but everything around him vague.

“Pardon the intrusion. But seeing how there is currently little to do I was wondering whether you would be interested in learning go now.”

It hardly seems appropriate to play games while waiting for Radiance’s judgement. But there truly is little else to do. He looks down at himself in this mental space and sees his body taking shape. He puts it in a tasteful black evening gown, to discomfit his opponent.

“What are you doing in here?”

Madeleine’s face appears next to her husband, floating unnaturally in the air.

“Merely playing a game, dear. If he is up for it, of course.”

“I am. Teach me this game.”

A board takes place in front of his eyes, a mass of squares.

“It is actually good that you are here, my love. We can play a short game and I explain the rules to him as we go.”

Her face goes abstract. “Okay. He’ll learn how not to play by watching me.”

“Come now, no reason to be so negative.”

They bicker a little more and then the game commences. Black and white stones appear on the intersections of the squares one after the other. Nathaniel drones on about territory and encirclement. The rules seem simple, but the sheer number of possibilities is daunting. It turns out Madeleine had full reason to be negative, as she gives up before the board is even halfway filled, most of her stones looking isolated and weak.

Next it is his turn. Immediately he can tell he still has no feel for what he is doing. Which can only be normal, considering he has just learned the rules. He despises normalcy.

“Again.”

“Splendid! It was a good showing for your first game.”

The next game goes similarly.

“Again.”

“Of course. I am glad to see you so enthused.”

After the third game he feels he is gaining an understanding.

“Again.”

“Alright. Perhaps we can play a slower game this time, and I can explain my moves as we go.”

“Not too slow. I wish to see more shapes.”

“Oh. I see. Very well.”

Nathaniel does explain more in the next game, but still deals him a decisive defeat.

“Again.”

“Alright, but let us end after this one. It has been a good bout so far, but I feel a break is in order soon.”

During this game he has a bit of an epiphany, not enough to actually threaten Nathaniel, but enough to understand that his opponent is not playing as ruthlessly as he could, merely settling for a safe victory by a modest amount of points.

“Again.”

“No, now I must take a break. The bathroom calls. But I look forward to more games at a later date. You show great potential, I must say.”

He opens his eyes back to the pool and watches Nathaniel walk off. Madeleine looks as if she has fallen asleep in her chair. Jamal and Anessa are swimming in the pool, with Titania nowhere in sight. He crosses his legs in his beach chair, tapping his finger on the armrest, black and white stones swimming through his head.

Then Titania bursts back into view, breaking the water like some monster from the deep, snatching Jamal between her lips and raising him high above the water. Her victim’s breath comes gasping, but soon he is laughing raucously. Titania slowly lowers him down to the water’s surface before releasing him.

Jamal grins. “Holy shit!”

“It’s a weird hobby of mine. Maybe I was a shark in a previous life. You okay?”

“Yeah! That was fucking crazy. Do it again.”

Titania smirks. “Alright. You’re both fair game this time. Try to escape me.”

Then she sinks out of sight. He wonders just how deep the water is. The game continues for a long while, Titania breaching the surface violently enough that he and Madeleine have to seek cover as their host snatches Anessa and Jamal over and over. It seems that Anessa is either more proficient at evasion or Jamal tastes better. Whatever the case, these people are hopelessly strange.

The day plods on with little to break the monotony. He aids Madeleine and Nathaniel in reaching onto the table in the kitchen for some further fruit eating. Then they return to the poolside, where he pesters Nathaniel into another slew of games, all of which he loses, though his opponent shows clear signs of fatigue. Eventually, Irene returns to end his woes, looming lovingly over him in his beach chair.

“No detailed information is available. Some flashes of light were spotted on the outskirts of Batavia, which could have been Radiance. There were no reports of super activity, however.”

He strokes his chin. “It is a fairly large city. If the Undying were there, he might pop up on the League’s radar without committing any crime.”

Suddenly Anessa is leaning onto the pool bank. “You think they’re on a date right now?”

She really knows how to ruin the mood of a good rumination. “Perhaps.”

She sighs. “I just don’t know what to expect. Is she staying quiet because she knows it’ll make me nervous? Or is she all alone somewhere having a rough time?”

Titania comes up behind her, with Jamal in hand, the wave resulting from her movement strong enough to push Anessa fully onto the bank. “Maybe we should eat something, it’s getting kind of late. Hope you like huge pizza.”

Huge pizza is quite an experience. It is a home made one, made with an enormous amount of dough, outrageous amounts of sauce and normal sized toppings poured from oversized containers.

“It’s pretty ridiculous, I know. I can shrink down to eat, but the portions that make me full at that size are nowhere near enough when I go back up to normal.”

Anessa stops trying to blow on her side of the ridiculous slice they are all working on. “It’s not ridiculous! I think this is the coolest meal I’ve ever had!”

For him it may be the most annoying meal he has ever had. So much scalding hot cheese. There is no way to eat it with even a hint of dignity. Jamal seems to be the only one having success, though he looks absolutely ridiculous. The dinner continues with some light banter. The group of them come closer to finishing their gigantic slice than might be expected, but Titania ends up finishing it. Not a crumb is left when all is said and done. Her cost of living must be exorbitant.

“So... you guys wanna watch a movie?”

There is general agreement, so Titania herds them onto her palm before walking off to another room. On the way she picks up a huge cup and an unlabelled box with a spigot. Once more he finds himself wondering just who makes all of her things, as she seats herself on an enormous beanie chair in front of what must be the largest television in the world.

She places her guests on her collarbone, fills her cup with what looks like red wine and then picks an enormous remote off the floor. She quickly thumbs through a menu and selects “A Fish Called Wanda.”

“Love this one. Let me know if the sound’s too loud.”

If anything it’s the sound of her swallowing that is too loud, as she takes her first sip of wine. Anessa and Jamal seem to settle in comfortably, she with her arm around him, as they lean back on Titania and watch the film. The telepaths seem a little less relaxed, but not considerably. He himself feels quite awkward, even though Irene is with him.

The film isn’t bad, and the fools are relatively quiet for once. But this simply doesn’t feel like the atmosphere that should follow the dramatic rift in Radiance and Anessa’s relationship. Punches were thrown and an execution was attempted. Even though they might be powerless to do much of anything, this doesn’t feel right. And every time Titania giggles it feels like an earthquake. She eventually notices the danger and puts on a necklace with hanging ropes that she offers them for safety. Only the telepaths accept the offer, getting a sort of harness tied onto them with the help of Anessa. It looks a bit provocative for something supposedly meant for safety.

He stews in confusion through the whole movie, only Irene’s cold hands grounding him.Titania finishes a few cups of wine, but shows no signs of inebriation. Her substantial size may make intoxication difficult. Though the sheer volume she seems to be imbibing might be capable of overcoming that.

Having finished the movie, Titania puts on some jazz and sinks further into the beanie chair with a sigh. She languidly fills her cup again.

“Just tell me if you guys want a sip. How about you, Jamal?”

“Sure.”

“Great! Here you go.”

She takes a sip, plucks him up with two fingers and sticks out her tongue, hovering him above it.

“Uh.”

She drops him, resulting in a splash of red as he receives an unusual tongue bath.

“Ooopth.”

He struggles to his feet, laughing. “Girl, you are a fucking menace. You- woah!”

She retracts her tongue and swallows. Then it slithers back out to its full length, going well past her chin with Jamal squished by the unusually flexible muscle as it dances its way downward. Anessa opens up her arms to catch him once he falls, giggling a little at his shocked face.

“Holy shit,” is his eventual response.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good wine.”

She cocks her head forward to stare at him in silence a moment before laughing merrily, knocking them all off balance.

“Oh, sorry guys, sorry. Maybe I should help you secure yourself better.”

She takes off her necklace and then starts shrinking down, soon leaving them all standing in a vast ocean of beanie chair as she jumps on Nathaniel and starts winding the rope around.

“Like this, then that and yep, all done.”

She immediately gets to work on Madeleine with bizarre speed. Nathaniel does not get back up, as his whole body has been tied up with a great deal of criss-crossing rope. Ugh, this isn’t for security at all. Though, to be fair, he probably wouldn’t be capable of falling off her necklace at all if reattached like this.

“You guys want some of this?”

He looks at her standing over a severely blushing and immobile Madeleine and shakes his head. Irene clasps him tighter.

“My darling and I are thinking of stepping into another room for a while.”

“Okie-dokie. There’s a little room off in that direction where we won’t bother you. No furniture though.”

“That will be fine, thank you.”

He holds Irene close and starts floating off, thankful to escape whatever is going on here. Titania starts growing once more, putting the necklace back and letting the telepaths dangle helplessly at the ends of their ropes, coming to rest on her bosom.

 

Irene leads him to the side room with a certainty, as if she already knows the layout of this place, which she probably does. There is no door to the room, but Irene is quick to mostly rectify that, by disappearing into the deep shadows of the room and reappearing with a thick wooden board that her thin arms heft into place, barring them from the rest of the cavern. The darkness becomes absolute.

“I am beyond worried.”

He nods his head, staring blindly ahead. “The situation is precarious.”

“She tried to kill you. Yet they spend the day in the pool and then watch a movie. I do not understand. Why are we not scheming ways of defeating Radiance?”

“Those fools do not stand much of a chance against her. Neither do we, at the moment. It would take considerable luck and there would be no way of winning in a non-lethal manner. Of course they won’t even consider abetting me in such an endeavor.”

“Yes, but they could work on a way of taking themselves hostage, ensuring your death means theirs would be quick to follow. If only they asked me for explosive collars or some such, triggered by the cessation of your heartbeat, I would arrange it in less than a day.”

He finds himself nodding once more. “A sound plan, but I do not think they are prepared to go so far just yet.”

He hears her start pacing in the darkness. “Perhaps I could intimidate the telepaths into it. A touch of tenderness, a hint of malice and heavy handed seduction could do it. Though it would ruin our work on gaining this group’s trust. And with Radiance’s speed she might actually be able to save them.”

“Yes, the risk is far too great. I believe the fools will be relying on negotiation. And judging by the fact Radiance has stayed away for a full day, that might be a valid option.”

“If we consider your imprisonment in orbit a valid option. That was her initial demand, with nothing but your death as a viable alternative.” Suddenly her cold hand is on his cheek, pulling his head down so she can lean her forehead against his. “I want you to know that I will avenge you if you die. Thousandfold. I will cast aside all rules of engagement. I will bring down the League, one member at a time. I will end anyone she cares for. I will assassinate leaders, destabilize governments, arm insurgents, sabotage nuclear plants. Whatever nightmare scenario she envisions your reign might be, I will make something worse. Even if she committed suicide to appease me I would not relent. There will be no world without you.”

He still can’t see her, so he has to slowly lean forward to catch her lips. Her kiss is ravenous and he feels his knees go a little weak, not aided by one her legs lifting and wrapping around him. His arms go around her to hold her as tight against him as possible. She returns the gesture with one arm, the other reaching higher so her hand can lodge itself in his hair. He stumbles around in the pitch darkness as they kiss, eventually hitting a wall, her hand in his hair protecting him from harm. He leans slightly against the wall before she fully pushes him into it, clinging to him like ivy.

It feels incredible. Just days ago he would never have believed romantic sentiments could affect him in such a way. But these aren’t just simple romantic sentiments. Irene is a juggernaut of romance, crushing his preconceived notions of himself, reshaping his old ambition into something far stronger. The world will still feel his impact, but it is currently a secondary goal. Just being with her is far more important. Yes, the world itself pales in comparison to her.

She breaks the kiss, to his disappointment. “I love you. I will not lose you.”

A silly little sound in the back of his throat and a slight lean forward convinces her lips to return to his. It may not be the best use of time in the face of looming danger, but it feels so good he deems it worthwhile. She feels good. He fully believes she would commit atrocities if he dies. No, it’s not a matter of belief. It’s a fact. Love is real and he’s in it.

She breaks the kiss and he does not try the same trick again, content to pant. Her hand releases his hair to cup his cheek. “I will not lose you.”

“I am very hard to kill.”

“That is not enough. I need to become capable of moving you. This instant.”

Suddenly he can see without seeing, whisked into her world without noticing it was happening. Her shadow self wraps around him as she leads him a short way off. She drops to her knees and pops her head through the murky darkness beneath them. Then she stands back up and takes his hand.

“Alright, this place should do. Kneel for me.”

He does. She follows, putting her hand in his hair.

“This will no doubt be uncomfortable. But I have to push you through.”

She slowly pushes his head down into the murk. It is an odd sensation. It does not feel solid or fluid, but he is definitely submerged in it. He can see nothing but blackness, nor can he hear. Long moments pass while she tries to push him through, her hands pressing into the back of his head and his shoulders. It doesn’t feel like he is meeting resistance exactly, as his face bobs in place, but he is definitely not getting anywhere. Out of curiosity he stops holding his breath.

The blackness fills him, flowing into him with an unnatural cold and his body panics, trying to expel whatever it is through hacking and heaving. Irene pulls him back.

“I am sorry.”

“I am... perfectly... fine. Let us try again.”

She pushes him back in, but it goes much the same way. On the third try he manages to control his body, lying there languidly, filled with whatever this is. But eventually his body’s need for air overrides him, resulting in more heaving. For the next try he increases his lung capacity and lasts a fair deal longer, but still there is no apparent progress. They try again and again and he swallows plenty of the inky blackness, his body slowly getting used to this strange procedure.

It is taxing, however. Soon he finds himself dizzy, only vaguely aware of his surroundings. All he knows is her firm hand in his hair holding him down and pulling him up, and the strangely suffocating darkness. Oh, and he has an erection for some reason. Perhaps he cannot call Anessa a pervert with such a sense of superiority anymore. Wait, of course he can, he is nowhere near her level. And love plays a part in this equation, so getting excited isn’t really that strange. Irene pulls him out and he coughs, dazed but strangely pleased.

“I do not like this. Let us take a break.”

“No,” he croaks. “Continue.”

She hesitates a moment. “Alright.”

And down he goes. This time he is only vaguely aware of the strange sludge entering him, far more focused on her strong grip in his hair, the lack of oxygen and his oddly powerful erection. It is a good thing he cannot speak currently, or he might ask her to touch him, which is not what this is all about.

But he can’t help it, he’s oddly aroused. It feels like the slightest touch would feel so good right now. And not necessarily a particularly sexual touch either, it would probably be enough if she gave him a little swat on his behind. The mere thought of it makes him buck his hips and lose his concentration, his body starting to retch once more.

She quickly pulls him up. “Are you alright? We should stop.”

For a moment he can do nothing but pant and heave and groan. “N-no, it’s... perfectly fine. Just a few more times.”

“No. We stop.”

She pulls him against her and his body falls limp into her, his head resting against her collarbone. Apparently he is in worse shape than he realized. His eyes barely stay open and his breathing sounds very wrong. He isn’t sure whether he wants her to notice his excitement or not. This damned island has changed him. It seems he has become far too lustful. A character flaw to be cognizant of going forward.

Still, this is nice. She gently holds him in complete silence, fingers playing slowly in his hair. Her body doesn’t feel the slightest bit cold in this moment.

They stay this way for a long time, his breathing slowly returning to normal but his excitement never waning. But it does not need to be addressed. Being in her arms, needy and wanting but receiving no outlet because it should only happen at her leisure, because he belongs to her, also feels incredible.

He definitely needs to control himself. Far too lustful. He nuzzles against her, trying to focus on her comforting presence and beating back these raging desires. There is nothing erotic about a session of repeated drownings followed by lying in her arms for a long while. Though in his defense, Irene could make watching paint dry exciting. Ugh, his mind goes on a strange journey of imagining her as a handyman fixing up a house and it makes him feel strange.

“Perhaps we should check back on the others,” he says, afraid of spiraling into even stranger thoughts.

“Alright.”

She stops stroking his hair and stands up with him still in her arms, now carrying him bridal style. It does little to calm his overexcited body. He shrinks his member down considerably, so the stubborn erection doesn’t tent his bikini. A change of clothes really would be welcome now. She just stands there, looking down at him in her arms. He stares into her beautiful, frozen face and the swirling shadow self behind her.

“Would you rather stay here?”

“No, forgive me, I was merely caught in the moment.”

“I see.”

“I feel like a vampire holding her bride. Groom, I should say.”

“I can be your bride if you prefer.”

“My preferences are vague, let us stick to whatever you consider comfortable.”

“I am fine with either.”

“Then I shall consider both valid options.”

“Excellent.”

“Yes.”

She still does not move so he leans his head upward a bit, prompting her to lean down for a quick kiss.

“I think I can stand by now.”

“Is this uncomfortable?”

“No, not at all, it... it feels... nice.”

He has to look away. Why is he feeling so embarrassed suddenly? It hardly fits a villain of his caliber. He will have to immerse himself in romantic films and literature soon, to overcome these jitters.

“Good.” She takes a few pondering steps forward. “I should probably set you down before we rejoin them. But I want to hold you a little longer.”

“Please do.”

She resumes her slow walk. How unusually gallant a villain she is. He wonders if she puts effort into being so ladylike or if it comes naturally. Though on further thought carrying someone is not something ladies do in popular culture. Knightly is what she is.

They sink back into the real world, Irene’s footsteps in the dark the only sound in the room. It takes longer than expected for them to reach the impromptu door, but eventually she puts him down to pull it away from the doorway. Then she latches onto him and he starts floating them in the direction of Titania’s low voice.

Once they come into sight the first thing that comes to mind is that wine consumption must have continued apace. Jamal is held in Titania’s palm, weakly struggling against her thumb as it absentmindedly pets him.

“Now kiss,” the giant says as she uses the fingers of her other hand to press the restrained telepaths against one another.

“I just don’t know what to think, Tania. She should have said something by now,” Anessa says, sitting on her haunches on Titania’s shoulder.

Titania turns her head to look at the guest on her shoulder. “Isn’t it a good thing that she’s taking her time to think it through? I’d say it means she’s choosing to trust you for the time being.”

“Maybe. But, like... she tried to kill him? And probably still wants to send him into orbit? This radio silence is just weird. Even if she did bang the freaky man, surely she’d still get back to us. Unless they’re, like, still banging?”

“To be honest I don’t wanna think about that man having sex. Ever.”

Anessa nods. “I get it. I’m just spiraling. I really thought we’d be having a dramatic day today. Not nervously waiting around all day and trying to distract myself by goofing around. Which has been great, by the way, I love your place. But I just wish she would talk to me, you know?”

He clears his throat. “I think in your current state of inebriation, conversing with Radiance might be hazardous.”

She turns to look at him. “I’m completely sober.”

Titania hums. “It’s only me that’s a bit tipsy.” She turns to smile down at Jamal. “And this little guy.”

“I see. Well. Be that as it may, I think we might just retire for the night.”

“We will be using that spare room,” Irene adds.

“Alright,” Titania answers. She unhooks the telepaths from her necklace and starts dangling them from her fingers instead. Madeleine seems to have developed a permanent blush. Nathaniel looks content to just hang there and watch his wife. “If you wanna hang out a little longer, just say the word. I’ve got plenty of room.”

“Perhaps some other time.” He starts floating them away. “Good night.”

“Good night,” three of them answer.

“That was the right decision,” Irene says as they near the darkened crevice of a room once more.

“Yes,” he replies as they enter, “the atmosphere was rather strange.”

“Very. Give me a moment to make this room more presentable.”

She puts the impromptu door back in place and he is plunged into darkness. For a few minutes he listens to what must be furniture being dragged through the shadows and into the space.

He sighs. “It really is absurd how obsessed with carnality they are. You would think the circumstances might diminish their passions.”

“Yes, they truly are strange.” There is a moment of silence in the perfect darkness, her work seemingly done. “I want to make love to you.”

“I want that too.”

He is suddenly yanked forward, spun around and flung in the air. He lands on a soft, springy bed, and before he has even finished bouncing she is upon him, kissing him ravenously as she intertwines her fingers with his and pushes them into the mattress above his head. A shiver passes through him as she engulfs him in the dark.

After a long moment of perfection she breaks the kiss. “I am forgetting the light.”

A hooded lantern is suddenly turned on off to the side. The light is scarce, feeble in the face of the room’s deep, dancing shadows. He sees tendrils of it gliding lazily around, the vague outline of her shadow self visible where the ceiling should be above them.

“There is no electric socket in here, so this will have to do.”

“It is perfect.”

She catches him with a succession of quick kisses, not even his attempt at rising after her convincing her to linger. The feeling of being held down is oddly comfortable.

“I wish to... I want to make you feel the way that woman does. I want to be the one making you feel that way. Pulling those sounds from you.”

He bites his lip and nods. “I want that too. Please.”

“Satisfaction would elude you if I did not use that... that thing.”

“Yes. We are forced to use it. Having seen you use it on her... I keep thinking about it. I want it.”

“Good. I have grown confident in my skills. I cannot promise I can match her experience, but I will do my utmost.”

“Everything is better with you. Her experience means nothing.”

“Thank you. Your words always strike a chord with me. But I know she is skilled. There is an animalistic quality to her I do not think I can emulate.”

“You do not need to emulate her. You are better than her, in every way. Perhaps one day we can have a little competition, with me as the playing field. Then you can establish dominance over her in such a way none can doubt your superiority.”

“I would not wish to push you into such a thing merely to soothe my own insecurities.”

“You would not be pushing me. It would bring me great pleasure to see you beat her in such a way. I could change my anatomy to fit both of you at once. I am sure I would barely feel her.”

Just what the hell is he saying?

“I see.” She clambers off the bed and soon she is strapping the thing on. “Is that a fantasy my demon prince has?” She coats it in liquid that he probably does not need. He could have just coated it in saliva if she was worried. “To be filled with two of these at once?”

She clambers onto the bed, the replica of that monstrous cock drawing closer. Two of these really would be a bit much. Just one of them looks obscene, dangling from her. She looks incredible. His legs part without any conscious decision of his, trembling. His body is ready. He wants her so bad.

“Maybe. Looking at it now, the idea seems a bit ambitious.”

“Yes, just this seems... impossible.”

She punctuates her words by letting it drop down on his abdomen, dwarfing his own erection and stretching far up his torso.

“Simply impossible,” she whispers.

She moves to push it gently against his opening, which immediately sucks the fat head in, leaving him to grunt in immediate, frustrating satisfaction that quickly morphs into a hunger for more. She stares down at it for a moment before looking back up at him.

“Is this alright? Tell me if it hurts.”

He keeps his face still and tries to stop the little trembling he feels in his jaw. He does not want to tell his girlfriend that he is in fact a formidable size queen and would very much like more than just the tip, preferably the entire length of it rammed inside him right this instant. Girlfriend? What nonsense. Irene is a partner and paramour in crime. But he needs to say something.

“It’s... fine.”

She nods. “Good. Could you do something for me? I want to hear my name from your lips.”

He blinks at her for a second, embarrassingly close to begging her for it once his lips part. It takes a moment for him to collect himself. Then he obliges, awkwardly.

“Irene?”

She slides forward and the whole thing disappears into him in one smooth motion that looks like it might have surprised her judging by the way she cocks her head, but the sound from his lips and the way his whole body twitches in ecstasy is probably enough to dispel any worry. She lingers a moment, then pulls all the way back out.

“Say my name.”

He tries to still his shaky breath.

“Irene.”

The thing rushes all the way back in and his body convulses beneath her.

She pulls slowly back out. “My name.”

He mouths it but fails to speak, then draws in a shuddering breath.

“Irene.”

The monstrous cock claims him once more and his toes are curling. He feels his stomach getting slick as she pulls back out. He lies panting on the bed a moment.

“Irene.”

All the way back in and her face is hovering just above him so he throws his arms out to try and hold onto her as she fills him. She cups his cheek with one hand before letting a finger stray between his lips that he immediately suckles on, for some reason that he does not need to immediately decipher because it feels nice. He manages to stop his eyes fluttering and holds her steady gaze.

“You’re mine.”

Just those words set his eyes back to fluttering and his whole body tingling. He sucks harder on her finger, letting out a strange little sound as he does.They stay like this for a long, perfect moment. He uses the opportunity to flex his power and make sure no sound of this will escape the room. The fools were on the verge of something earlier, they must not be alerted to what is going on in here. Eventually she pulls away both toy and finger, leaving him empty again.

“Irene.”

A solid thrust and he’s suddenly let go of her to grip the sheets tight, chest heaving as she pulls back out.

“Irene!”

In this moment he knows she’s right, he’s entirely hers. All his desires and dreams pale in comparison to the need to submit to her overpowering desire. He feels an intense need to submit to her will. He wants to be hers more than anything.

“Irene! Irene! Irene!”

Well. That may not be the obvious thing to do for the most powerful man on the planet, but she’s a powerful villain herself. It’s completely understandable to be seduced and maybe ever so slightly dominated by someone like her.

“Irene! Irene!”

She keeps thrusting with that impossible vigor and power the shadows grant her, her perfect face staying impossibly still. She leans down to plant kisses on his neck and nibble at his earlobe as he hurtles toward the edge of an orgasm, his voice starting to strain.

“Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-Irene-”

His voice is a hoarse moan now, his legs trembling uncontrollably as she lays into him. No, it is his whole body that is trembling. His stomach is getting ever slicker, his body in blissful torment from this drawn-out near-orgasm. Then she bites down on his neck and his legs and arms wrap around her as he convulses beneath her, tears forming in his eyes as his whole body tries and fails to react to what is happening to it in a coherent way. His nails are clawing at her back but she shows no sign of noticing, hammering away at him to the rhythm of his litany.

“IRENE!”

She floods him with her seed and his eyes roll back as his own orgasm hits with a force unlike anything he has ever felt. There is a keening noise coming from him as he trembles even harder, trying to pull her closer, but he manages to form the words: “Kiss me, please kiss me.”

She does. Their bodies pressed against one another, their lips locked, his legs wrapped tight around her as she fills him with her plentiful seed. This may be the happiest he has ever felt in his life. He’s climaxing harder than he thought possible and he loves her and he feels like he could cry. For some reason. It’s not her seed, obviously.

But what of it? He is happy. He lets himself bask in the feeling. This feels incredible and in this moment it is her seed. And he wants it deep inside him, every last drop, rational thought be damned. He musters what little strength he has in the moment and pulls her as far into him with his legs as he can.

Eventually it subsides. She breaks the kiss and he is greeted by the sound of his own partly moaning, partly panting voice as she gently moves in and out of him. Only now does he notice the creaking of the springs in this bed. It is rhythmic, amusing somehow...no, it is naughty.

“I did not realize the bed would be so loud, I apologize.”

“The sound excites me,” he says without thinking.

“Then every bed in our future shall creak.”

He thinks creaking springs sound naughty? How very silly. But he can’t help it. This was incredible and he is still excited. He doesn’t want it to end.

“Do you... think you could... go another round?”

“I could go until the break of dawn and beyond.”

She immediately speeds up her thrusting, soon reaching an erratic and powerful rhythm that quickly has his toes curling and back arching. She brings him to a second orgasm with impressive speed.

“Irene, I... I love you.”

“And I love you. Isandro.”

His brain short circuits, his body happily spasming on. Her eyes bore into his as she has stopped moving. His mind does not comprehend anything, the only thing that registers is the vague awareness of his hips twitching toward her, desperate for more.

“Am I allowed to use that name?”

She resumes her slow thrusting and while his hips still his mind starts working again, in time to notice his legs spreading even further for her.

It is just a name, but something about hearing it from her lips makes him feel strange. It is a name that meant something to his parents, not to him. He hasn’t used it for years, hasn’t heard it, hasn’t so much as thought of it. A remnant of a sorry, worthless past he’d rather forget.

It is just a name. But on Irene’s lips, it... matters.

“Yes,” he finds himself sort of hissing. “You can use it. You can. Only you.”

“Thank you. It will be one of our secrets. I will erase every trace of your past, so that once you are free and the world cannot help but take notice they can never find it. No one will know but us.”

He reaches out for her head and pulls her down for another kiss. The bed springs creak well into the night.

Chapter 16: Passion and power

The next morning finds the breakfast table in a similar state as the day before, apart from Anessa pacing back and forth with her phone to her ear. As he lands and grabs a fruit she takes the phone in hand and starts texting furiously. The telepaths’ eyes follow her back and forth, while Titania contents herself with poking a massive protein bar at Jamal that he nibbles at without making much headway.

“Why is she ignoring me? What does it mean? Does she not think the world is in danger anymore? Did reading that snuff fic send her spiraling into depression? You think that’s it? She’s just cooped up at home crying her eyes out all alone?”

Madeleine clears her throat. “I don’t think that’s likely.”

Anessa sits on her haunches and sighs. “Yeah, me neither. I just need to hear from her. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“At least she isn’t enraged, since she’s left us completely alone.”

“But if she’s not that angry, why isn’t she saying something?”

“I don’t know.”

“It was a big deal, right? She tried to kill our guy. Just look!”

She points at the burned hole in his outfit.

“It was indeed a big deal,” Nathaniel pipes up. “But this also brings to the fore that a change of clothes would be welcome. Perhaps we should make a quick stop back at the house?”

Anessa stares back at him. “I guess. Irene, could you be bothered to fetch a change of clothes for us?”

“Or,” Madeleine interjects, “we could even just... return home for a bit. This place is cozy, but I feel like enough time has passed peacefully that we can be sure Radiance isn’t going to do anything rash.”

“Yeah, I suppose. I’m just weirded out by the radio silence. There’s no world-ending threat I haven’t heard about keeping her busy, is there?”

They all start going through their phones now, slowly starting to shake their heads in the negative.

“Well, she’s bound to call eventually. I guess we can go home. It’s not like Rady’s some lunatic, she’s just stressed and had a bad day.”

Alarming. Their apprehension of Radiance must not be allowed to diminish completely.

Anessa looks over at him and Irene. “But maybe you two should stay here, just in case?”

He shakes his head. “I will not cower in the face of my demise. I found your attempts at protecting me quite heartening. Yes, if my end should come I would prefer to meet in the company of...” he feels a twitch in his eye, but he must power through, “... friends.”

Anessa’s lower lip wobbles a bit, so this ploy may be counted as a success. But at what cost?

“Yes,” Irene says, “you were the epitome of heroism. I dare say it merits a reward.”

“Shucks, you guys.” She throws her arms around them for a hug. “I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” She sniffles a little. “I love you guys.”

He pats her shoulder. “Splendid.”

Irene pats her side. “Excellent.”

“Yeah.” She squeezes them tighter. “Yeah.”

“Alright,” Titania says as she gets up, “I’ll go get dressed.”

The hug goes on for an unnecessarily long time, so they are still caught in it when Titania returns. She scoops them all up in her hand and strides over to her pool. Anessa finally lets go as their host steps into the water.

“All aboard.”

Titania pulls at her bikini bra to unceremoniously dump them onto her breast before letting the fabric return to its position, hemming them in.

“Okay, now hold your breath for a bit.”

He holds tightly onto Irene as she suffers this indignity with him. She could easily have escaped this, but he is thankful to have her here. He keeps his eyes closed tight and tries to consider this a part of the scheme to win the fools over onto his side. Yes, this no doubt instills a sense of camaraderie. Such an odd sensation of softness it is, as the giant swims through the water and they lie there helplessly, getting drenched inside her bra.

Soon enough they are back out of the water and Titania pulls at the bra again to peer down at them. “Everyone alright down there?”

A few thumbs rise in her direction. She nods and lets the bra close on top of them once more, humming as she walks with them still imprisoned against her.

But soon enough she is forced to relent, as she reaches the deserted streets that cannot accommodate her. She shrinks down as she releases them, soon standing tall and naked beside them. Then she rummages around in her bikini bottoms where they lie on the street, eventually pulling out a smaller bikini set and putting it on. Yet again he wonders who makes her these things.

No one else seems phased. Anessa is back to staring intently at her phone. Must be completely water-proof. They make their way to the house in silence, but once inside Anessa starts fussing about being a good host and insistently offers Titania something to drink. As Titania slowly succumbs to hospitality, he scurries off to his room with Irene in tow.

He emerges back onto the scene a new man in a fresh outfit, after having stayed in that ruined beach outfit for far too long. He now sports a casual tank top and somewhat tight skirt, tapping his way around in modest heels. Irene has changed into a dryer black dress that shows a bit more skin than usual, roughly the same amount as he is showing. Their earrings match, which pleases him disproportionately.

No one seems to pay it much heed, lost in their phones. The telepaths and Jamal seem to also have changed into dry clothes, but Anessa just sits on the living room couch man-spreading in the same... no, they’re completely dry. She must have a whole set of identical shorts and tank tops. She tuts at her phone.

“Either something is wrong or there isn’t. That’s what it comes down to.”

Titania puts down her oversized phone and chugs some sort of juice from a water jug, only her head and hands leaning through the window while her body lies out in the garden. “Well, apparently Radiance has told the League she is not to be disturbed. On a secret mission, apparently.”

“Secret mission?” Anessa jumps to her feet, shambling to the window and staring out. “You don’t think she’s... out there somewhere? Watching us?”

“That would be pretty weird,” Titania says, finishing the jug. “But I guess everything is weird these days. You’ve got a good nose, right, Jamal? Wanna go for a little jog, check the perimeter?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m up for a run.”

“Great! Hope those stubby little legs can keep up with me.”

“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll leave you in the dust, girl.”

The pair make their exit with more competitive noise that he zones out. Anessa returns to staring at her phone, gnawing at a nail. The mood is strange. It is not as tense as it could be, but they’re definitely not at ease.

Anessa shakes her head, sighing. “So she somehow let the league know not to bother her. But not us. Is she trying to psych me out? What would even be the point of that?”

“I don’t know,” Madeleine answers. “Maybe she’s still angry and knows she can’t make a clear judgement so she’s trying to stay completely clear of you? Didn’t contact us because she was afraid she’d blow a gasket again if she even thought of you?”

“Or,” he interjects, “perhaps she has told your compatriots at the league to keep you in the dark as to what she is actually doing. She might be plotting something, while trying to unbalance you mentally so that she can convince herself you have been compromised the next time she sees you, allowing her to justify her actions to herself. So that she can burn me to ashes without losing sleep over it.”

Anessa blinks at him slowly. “No, Rady’s not like that. She’s great, honestly, she just needs to get to know you.”

“Evil lurks in the heart of every human being. They just need to find a way to convincingly label it as good, and then they will unleash it with glee. Believing herself to be the most important and moral person in this world leaves Radiance uniquely vulnerable to temptation.”

“That’s some bleak stuff, dude. Not to dismiss you completely, but Rady’s not you who think she is.”

“We shall see, I suppose.”

“Yeah, you’ll see. She had an off day. She can be strict, but I’m not gonna let her just do whatever she wants.”

“If she has not changed her mind, I will respect that. But I would prefer a duel next time, rather than a cowardly strike like her last attempt.”

Anessa strides over to him to put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t duel Rady. Please. She’s not gonna kill you. I won’t allow that. If she seriously says it’s necessary to kill you because you’re too powerful, I’ll just hold up a mirror for her.” She clears her throat. “But maybe don’t lay the villainy on too thick when you talk to her. Telling her she can always get at you by killing me was really not the way to go. That’s not how she thinks at all. And it shouldn’t be how you think, either.”

“Alright. She simply struck me as a cold blooded killer, so it seemed a sensible approach.”

“She’s not!”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Good. Cause my word is correct, in this case. She’s intense, I’ll give you that, and she’s seen some shit, but she’s not a bad person.” She returns her attention to her phone. “Although she is currently turning the screws on me for whatever goddamn reason. She’s a bit of an asshole sometimes, for sure.”

“Probably the best thing we can do now,” Madeleine says, “is nothing. Let her take however much time she needs. Then when she returns you can show her nothing has changed in her absence and everything is fine and under control.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Something out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. Looking over he sees Nathaniel has set up a go board. Their eyes meet. He saunters over to the board, smoothly takes a seat and then plants the first black stone into the upper left corner, villainously.

Nathaniel answers on the board without comment. Anessa keeps grumbling and checking her phone, but he zones her out. The game progresses quickly and hangs long in the balance, but by the end, he has lost by a slim margin. Nathaniel looks surprised, his confident smile not so convincing.

With just a little prodding he assents to another game and they switch colors. Nathaniel seems to shy from fights and wish to focus on territory, so what he gets is a game of unrelenting aggression. When the dust has settled, Nathaniel counts the score with a look of disbelief. He has lost the game by the slimmest of margins, overcome by the compensation, defeated by half a point.

“Congratulations are in order, I believe.You are... quite the fast learner.”

“This is fact,” Irene says as she leans down, placing her head beside his.

He crosses his arms and looks at his defeated opponent with a haughty look. It would have been more fitting to win with the black pieces, but this will do.

“Just pick up the phone, you jackass!”

Anessa’s outburst steals all the attention.

Madeleine crosses her arms and stares at her. “Don’t send her angry voicemails.”

“Sorry, sorry, it wasn’t a voicemail, I’m just getting really annoyed.”

“Stay calm. Whatever is going on, we just have to wait.”

“Ugh, I know. But this waiting is driving me nuts.”

“Would you like some help relaxing?”

Anessa looks up at her friend and is momentarily quiet. “I wanna say yes but this feels a bit weird. You guys don’t just offer me sex every time I’m upset, do you?”

“No, of course not.”

Irene pulls at his arm and they quickly vacate the living room. They don’t make it all the to his room, however, Irene suddenly pulling him into an unusually deep shadow on the way. It is not as large as it usually is when she takes him with her, and the effects of that are immediately felt. The entrance feels uncomfortably tight, his lower body stuck in the real world for a while as Irene tries her best to pull him all the way in. She thankfully succeeds before any step brother can make it onto the scene.

“I tried looking in on Radiance’s home while you were playing your first game, but the security system seems to have been upgraded. As soon as I tried to push through, a bright light would turn on and eliminate the shadows, wherever I tried.”

“So she is aware you know where she lives and has prepared accordingly.”

“It would seem so. From the outside I could not see much, the windows are opaque. I could see some flickering lights in one spot, however, almost as if a television were on.”

He narrows is eyes. “Could she possibly be... sitting at home watching television?”

“We cannot rule it out. But perhaps she simply left it on to confuse me, knowing I might see it.”

“Yes, that seems somewhat plausible. Or perhaps she simply forgot to turn it off, fully focused as she is on whatever she is concocting.”

“Yes. There must be some sort of scheme afoot.”

He looks over at her. “What’s she building in there?”

Her blank face turns to him. “What the hell is she building in there?”

“She’s hiding something from the rest of them.”

“What’s she building in there?”

Irene dashes away into the shadows, off on another scouting run, before eventually returning.

“What’s that sound from underneath the door? I swear I heard someone moaning low. I keep seeing the blue light of a television show.”

“What the hell is she building in there? Something to increase her destructive output so she can eliminate me in one strike? Does she even need that?”

She takes his hand. “I do not know. Whatever she is doing will remain unknown to us for now. We must focus on our practice.”

“Yes. I am ready.”

He spends a while drowning in the dark, slowly entering that heady state he experienced last time. Until suddenly, he can breathe. But it would seem only his head has gone through. And the sight below him is rather unwelcome. He tries to retreat back into the darkness, to no avail. Irene’s head pops out beside him and he enforces silence on the area surrounding them. She says nothing, merely takes in the sight.

Anessa seems to be positioned right behind Nathaniel, who is on all fours on a queen sized bed. Right beside her is a blushing Madeleine, her hands behind her back in an armbinder.

“Get in my head, Maddie. I want you to feel this.”

Madeleine gasps as Anessa moves slowly forward, Nathaniel letting out a strained little sound. Irene leaves and soon he feels her tugging at him, trying to pull him back to safety. But he is stuck. Soon Anessa bottoms out, giving a contented sigh before palming Madeleine’s behind and pulling her closer.

“You like that? Check this out.”

She delivers a hard slap on Nathaniel’s behind, resulting in him groaning and Madeleine grinding into the back of Anessa’s leg

“Yeah, tightens up good, huh? But that’s a great idea, Maddie. You set the pace for us. Hump my leg, girl.”

“A-Anessa, you-”

Now it is Madeleine’s turn to receive a spank, making her jump in place, her attempt at escape only bringing her to hump the leg once more.

“Yeah, like that. Go on.”

Blushing and biting her lip, Madeleine does. Slowly, hesitatingly, she humps Anessa’s leg, who times her thrusts accordingly.

Irene’s head reappears beside him. “I do not know why, but this is not working. Going all the way through may be our only option.”

“I would really rather not. Please pull me back.”

Irene disappears once more to keep pulling. He tries shapeshifting his head into something slimmer, but it seems to have no effect. From below come increasingly wet slaps as Anessa keeps thrusting away at her best friend’s husband while said best friend keeps whimpering and humping her leg. If this were anyone else he might consider this blackmail material. Alas.

“You like this, huh? You dirty girl.”

Anessa puts her hand on Madeleine’s rump, aiding her humping motions.

“Yeah, that’s what your tight little hubby feels like. Let’s try it one more time.”

She spanks him hard.

“Ooh, fuck, that’s what I’m talking about. Now get in his head too.”

Madeleine’s whimpering goes up a notch as Anessa picks up the pace, bodily bouncing her friend off the side of her leg with one hand and the husband against her hips with the other.

“It’s so big, isn’t it? And that’s so tight. And you,” she says as her hand dips between Madeleine’s legs, “are so fucking wet, girl. You love it, you little perv.”

A tremor runs through Madeleine at that, emboldening Anessa to finger her in earnest. Elsewhere, Irene’s hands try grabbing onto different areas of his helpless body to pull, but nothing seems able to budge him. He must look so silly back there, his skirt shielding nothing in his current position. And now he’s growing hard, damn it.

Irene’s head pops back out. “Is it exciting?”

“No, no, feeling your hands on me while I am held helpless in your power set my mind wandering, but this is not the time for that.”

“Alright, we can recreate this later.”

She disappears once more and resumes her task. Below, Madeleine has started twitching, drooling as she lets her head slump onto Anessa’s shoulder.

“Anessa, fuck, please! Call me a freak. Degrade me. Humiliate me. Please, I need it.”

“Yeah, you’re a freak, alright. Get outta my head now, Nate never puts out for you like this, does he? This isn’t for you.”

Madeleine gasps and her whole body shudders, Anessa letting up her assault to give her a quick few spanks before returning to fingering her bucking and hissing friend. “Thank you, mistress, thank you, thank you.”

“Anything for my good girl. My beautiful, hot, smart, freaky little Maddie.”

Madeleine moans. “More humiliation, please! I’m a freak. I need it. I need it so bad.”

“Yeah, I know, girl. So get down for me, face down, ass up.”

Anessa pushes Madeleine down onto the bed, then helps her up so she winds up with her bound arms and hips up in the air while her face is resting on its side on the mattress.

“How’s it looking down there?”

“It’s... it’s drooling.”

“Okay, be sure to keep a look-out for me.”

Then Anessa grabs Nathaniel’s hips with both hands and starts pounding away in earnest.

Irene’s face reappears once more. “This is simply not working. They seem preoccupied, emerging fully might not reveal you.”

“I do not want to make an entrance here. Can you bring something into this room that I could move with telekinesis to expand the shadows around me?”

“Yes, that might work. Give me a moment.”

Below, Nathaniel’s groans are reaching a crescendo, very much audible despite him biting down on a pillow.

“Is he cumming?”

“Y-yes.”

“And?”

“It’s... it’s a lot.”

“And?”

“What?”

Anessa spanks her friend hard. “I’m putting in all this work to make your man cum.” Another spank. “And you’re not even gonna thank me?” Another. “Thank me, bitch.”

“Fuck! T-thank you, Anessa. Thank you, mistress.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” She ceases her thrusting, pulls Nathaniel into an upright position and stuffs her fingers in his mouth before slowly starting to move in him again. “Now clean it up for us.”

Madeleine clumsily scrambles forward and starts licking the mattress. Though now he notices there is plastic covering it, so her task could be worse. Anessa’s fingers return to her sex as she toils.

“That’s a good girl.” The fingers go faster and faster, soon leaving her trembling. “Such a good girl.”

Then suddenly Anessa stops, giving her friend another spank and then staying her hand.

“But you can’t cum again until I give you permission.”

Madeleine pauses in her task to let out a shuddering moan. “Oh, fuck.”

She is rewarded with another spank. “I didn’t say you could stop. You better keep me happy or you’re not cumming at all.” Anessa’s hand starts stroking her behind as she returns to her assignment with a fervor. “Yeah, this pussy belongs to me. You cum when I say so. If I say so.”

Madeleine licks up the last drop but doesn’t immediately retract her tongue, instead groaning hoarsely. “Yes, mistress! It’s yours!”

“Good job, good girl. Now stay there.” Anessa pushes Nathaniel back onto all fours, Madeleine beneath them. “Be a doll and stay under your hubby’s leaky faucet, try to catch as much as you can.”

“Yes, mistress!”

Irene reappears beside him. “I placed an umbrella there, in the corner.”

“Ah, sorry, I was... distracted.”

He focuses on the umbrella and starts slowly, subtly bringing it closer.

Below, Anessa starts moving in a most unsubtle way. Nathaniel’s hoarse groans change into a sort of whine, while his wife moans wantonly beneath him.

“He’s really clenching hard, Maddie. Your hubby usually does that when he’s having one of his long orgasms. Is that what it looks like on your end?”

“Yes! Yes, mistress!”

“Yeah, he can’t get enough. You know why? Cause he’s a dirty whore. Tell him. Tell him what he is.”

“You’re a dirty whore, Nate.” Anessa leans over and her hand reaches down to tease Madeleine’s sex once more. “A dirty... fucking.... whore.”

“That’s right, you fucking slut. You’re just as bad as he is. You love this big cock, don’t you? Never touched it, but you know every little part of it. Because you’ve been peeping through this little slut’s eyes.”

The umbrella’s progress is oddly slow and shaky. He has to focus.

“Why are you such a freak, Maddie?”

“Because I love it!”

“Tell me how you got this way.”

“I could... I could control it this way. The way they looked down on me. It didn’t hurt. It was hot. I was in control even as I licked Nate’s cum out of those pretty women. It was so hot.”

The umbrella has arrived. Slowly, carefully, he starts to open it.

“I think so too, Maddie. I love you, girl. Every part of you, freaky and sweet. I’m gonna make you feel so good. When I give you permission, you be a good girl for me and come super hard, okay?”

Maddie vaguely answers in the affirmative with a moan. Even in all this debauchery this seems a tad sappy to him. He notices he is squirming a bit, but thankfully Irene puts her arm around his body, holding him tight.

“Yes, yes mistress!”

“Alright, baby girl. I think I’m gonna put a baby in him now.”

Nate laughs through a hoarse moan. “Anessa, come now, what are you...”

She gives him the hardest spank yet. “That’s daddy to you, slut. And what’s so weird about that? You think I don’t know what I’m pounding? Listen to that clap.” Her thrusts impossibly become even stronger. “These are child-bearing hips, babe.”

The umbrella is open but he finds himself dumbstruck. He can’t look away from these lunatics.

“It feels like you have come loose," Irene says beside him. "But we can stay a moment. I find myself oddly invested in this.”

“Y-yes. There is knowledge to be gleaned from this, no doubt.”

“Fuck, it’s coming, Maddie. I’m about to knock this bitch up. I want you to cum for me when I do. Get in each other’s heads, sluts. I want you to cum together, cum your fucking brains out, like you were one slut instead of two.”

Nathaniel tries to laugh again, but his moans overpower him. Anessa slams into him now, grunting with each strike.

“Yeah, I’m gonna put a baby in you. Mama’s gonna make you a momma.”

The dam breaks and all three of them compete to let out the most wanton moans humanly possible. It drags on for a while and it is only once they slump down into a singular quivering lump that he regains enough presence of mind to finally pull back into Irene’s world.

His eyes meet hers and they stare at each other in silence a moment.

“That was... something.”

“Yes,” he concurs. “It... it truly was.”

“I wonder if that was a sign of their declining mental state. Or simply normal.”

“It boggles the mind, but it could easily be either.”

“Shall we take another peek, to ascertain the truth of the matter?”

“Yes, a perfunctory peek.”

She pushes him down again, gently. It takes a moment, but soon his face is breaching the veil, far more smoothly than last time. She likewise pushes her face through, joining him in his observations. Anessa now lies on her back with Nathaniel in one arm and Madeleine, now free of the armbinder, in the other. She moves her head back and forth between them.

“A kiss for this little sub. And a kiss for this little sub. Be a good girl and don’t move your face, mama’s kisses are dangerous. Actually no, this is way too risky, I should just kiss your little neck instead.”

The married couple whimpers as one while Anessa keeps alternating between them with a happy hum.

“My perfect little subby sweethearts. But maybe my good girl could play at being in charge some time. I’m imagining us having the house to ourselves one day and I’d have you both naked and collared all day, but you’d be lording it over him while subbing for me. Yeah, wifey could bring me her hubby on a leash. How’s that sound?”

They answer as one. “Pretty... kinky.”

“Okay, that’s new. Did I go too far? Is this, like, a problem we’re facing?”

“Going... to be fine. Just... need to... reorient.”

Anessa pats them both on their respective behinds. “Alright, good. Take your time. Mama’s got you.”

“Not.... calling you... mama.”

“That’s okay. Maybe some day. But hey, wouldn’t it be cool if Nate actually got knocked up? Then he can call me daddy all the time and it won’t be weird at all!”

“So... stupid.”

They pull back into the darkness.

“Abnormal, then.”

“Yes. I wonder whether this affects our situation in any way.”

“It is honestly hard to tell.”

“Perhaps we should move a ways, and then continue practicing.”

“That sounds wise.”

They spend most of the day practicing, with some success. Still, his body seems prone to becoming stuck between the worlds, making the prospect of a quick escape seem far fetched. They experiment with kissing as they break the veil, again with some success. It has the downside of being rather distracting, but they explore the method thoroughly.

 

 

The next day they find Anessa back in a state of acute agitation, eyes staring blankly at a television screen blaring out some movie.

“Yer a lizard, Harry,” says the overgrown man on the screen.

Anessa picks up the remote and turns it off, sighing.

“Okay, I’m officially losing my mind. I wanna go to her house and kick down the door. This is ridiculous.”

Madeleine leans over to pat her on the leg. “It is strange. But I don’t know if we can get over there so easily. Spending League resources on an impromptu house call might not go over so well.”

“I can’t just keep waiting around! It’s been days! I just need her to say something, anything!”

“I’ve tried reaching out to some people, but so far it seems no one knows anything about her top secret mission. Other, more important people than us are starting to wonder what she’s up to, so something is bound to happen soon. I think we have to keep waiting.”

Anessa leans her head back and stares at the ceiling, gritting her teeth. “She’s either a total dick or something is wrong. I’m angry and worried at the same time and I hate it.”

“I can’t imagine anything too bad happening to her. Hopefully she’s just taking a few days off for the first time in what must be years and completely disconnecting from the world. It would have been nice of her to send a message, yes, but let’s not get too angry.”

“What if she killed someone else? Went out there in a rage and accidentally went too far on some poor schmuck?”

“That’s... probably... not it. I hope.”

“Okay, enough of this shit,” Jamal interjects. “Come take a run with me.”

Anessa looks up at him with a strangely lost look on her face. “Yeah, okay.”

“We’ll make it a race. I’ll leave your mopey ass in the dust.”

She gets up but the usual zeal is missing. “You wish,” she musters, halfheartedly.

Jamal narrows his eyes at her. “Wish? No, I will.” Then he turns on his feet and leaves the room. She strides after him.

The telepaths stay behind, Nathaniel reaching for the remote to turn the television back on. He looks a bit awkward somehow, one arm staying firmly at his side as if to conceal his body. Do his pants seem a bit ill-fitting?

Irene pulls him toward his room before he can be sure, to continue their training.

Her shadowy world is cozy as ever and he soon finds himself gulping down the darkness once more, slowly breaking through at times, getting stuck at others. On a single occasion he gets all the way through, but it is a painfully slow affair.

“Perhaps more force is required.”

She cocks her head at him. “I do not know if I can push with more force without risk. It may not be a grievous injury to you, but I refuse to feel your bones break beneath my fingers.”

“Have no fear, that will not be necessary. I envision us enlisting the aid of gravity. If there is gravity here.”

“There is. Though I have never truly tested whether it is equivalent to the real world or not.”

“A fascinating experiment for a later date. For now, how about we try reaching a great height and then plunging through to the other side?”

“An interesting idea. I cannot fly, however, nor can I jump particularly high. And going through at high velocity carries its own risk.”

“Hmm. Perhaps if you flung me into the air and then took up position where I would land, clasping my hand and falling through with me? We could utilize the shadows in the boughs of the forest, ensuring our entry is high enough for a response before we hit the ground.”

“This seems like it could go wrong in many ways.”

“Yes. But pushing the boundaries of what is sensible and possible is the very essence of villainy.”

“That is true. Very well. Let us attempt it.”

“Excellent.”

She leads him up a sort of slope, before lifting him up by the torso, her shadow self wrapped all around him. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

He is flung into the air as if he weighed nothing. He flips upside down, placing one hand in front of him to breach the world, reaching out with the other to clasp her outstretched hand. It winds up more of a quick high five, but before he can start lamenting his failure to grab he sees foliage rising up to meet him. He flips once in the air, seeing Irene’s hand reaching out from the shadows. He slows his descent with telekinesis, changing from a graceful dive to a perfect supervillain landing.

The moment is ruined by a strange and inelegant sound echoing through the forest. A sort of... plap, plap, plap?

“Get pregnant, get pregnant, get pregnant!”

Oh, this cannot be happening. He looks to the side with a scowl, spotting a beast with two backs just a short distance away.

“Fuck you on about now, you crazy bitch? Just shut up and fuck me harder.”

“Oh, I’m the bitch? Then what are you? What the fuck are you?”

Jamal just pants, as the noise grows louder. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Anessa suddenly stops, her partner trembling beneath her as he tries to thrust his hips back. “Not unless you tell me what you are.”

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m the bitch, I’m the bitch! Fuck! God, I’m your bitch, please don’t stop.”

He starts trying to back away but freezes as Anessa suddenly lifts Jamal off the ground to push him against a tree and resume her labors.

“Hell yeah, you are! My beautiful, beautiful bitch. I love you, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but harder please, harder, harder, harder!”

Somehow, she does take it up a notch. Jamal’s words become incoherent babbling.

“That’s right. You’re my horny little bitch and I’m your big crazy bitch and we’re gonna have a litter. You want it, don’t ya?”

Jamal gives a strange little laugh, that bizarre hyena-like sound he sometimes makes. “Fuck, you fucking weird ass bitch. Fuck!" He lets out a gasping moan, and then a hiss. "I kinda do.”

He edges slowly away, trying to get at least one tree in between him and them. Looking up into the boughs he does not see Irene. First goal will simply be to get some distance from these people. They should not notice in their current position.

“Flip me around! I need you to choke me. Hit me!”

Oh, no. Anessa does as she’s bid and turns her partner over, one hand finding Jamal’s throat while the other slaps him across the face. Thankfully, his eyes are incapable of focusing enough to take in their reticent voyeur. Sadly, this is because he orgasms with an inhuman sound somewhere between growling and keening upon being treated so roughly.

“You sure you’re okay with being so loud? We might have another close call with that bird watching group.”

“Grngh. Fuck. Off.”

“Yeah, yeah, you really hate it when I tease you, huh? Just happen to squeeze harder around my fat cock every time I do.”

He uses the cover of Jamal’s moans and groans and pants to try and finish his escape, but they are not loud enough to dull the sound of a twig snapping beneath his foot. He dashes behind a tree trunk, breaking line of sight.

“Shit, is there someone actually there?”

“Oh! Ffffuck!”

“You want me to go check, puppy?”

“Don’t stop, I don’t care, fuck me! Fuck me harder! Please!”

“Should we see if they wanna come watch?”

“No! What? Fuck off!”

“Haha, I love how hot that makes you. It scares you but you want someone to see, don’t you?”

“N-nnn-no!”

“Don’t worry, puppy, I’m just teasing. It’ll never happen. Not unless you tell me you want it to.”

Gathering his wits about him, he makes sure to silence his movements as he puts more distance between him and them. The sounds of their coupling hound him a long while, his discomfort only ending once Irene finally finds him and pulls him back to safety.

“I think she is becoming a bit unhinged,” he says.

“In a way we might take advantage of?”

“Yes. It might soon be time to strike a final blow.”

 

 

The next morning finds Anessa on the couch and staring at the wall, phone in hand. Titania sighs out in the garden. Madeleine pokes her head out to address her.

“Something wrong?”

“No, not really, it’s... it’s just that weird snuff fic ended this morning. With an awful self-insert chapter where the author gets kidnapped by Radiance, locked up in her house and can never write again. It fucking sucked. Not that I, you know... reading it wasn’t fun exactly, but it was definitely something. It was so morbid and weird. And now it finished in the dumbest way possible. Couldn’t they just have abandoned it? I don’t know why, but this really bothers me.”

Madeleine nods her head sagely. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

He stands in front of Anessa, whose eyes slowly rise to meet his gaze with a look of incomprehension.

“Come.”

He walks away. She hesitates a moment before obeying, striding quickly to catch up. “What is it?”

“It is time for you to claim your reward for your bravery. Anything you could possibly desire of me.”

“Reward?” She tuts. “I don’t know how I feel about everyone seducing me to keep me sane.” Then she sighs. “But I would like to play with and coo at your little guy for as long as I want without you being snarky. Being embarrassed is totally cool though, encouraged even.”

An odd request and oddly tame. He shrugs as he strolls toward his room, heels clacking gently. “Very well.”

As soon as she closes the door behind her she hefts him off the ground and into her embrace, with his back against her chest as she puts one arm under his knees to fold him up in an awkward way. He feels her breath down his neck as her other arm snakes up and under his skirt, before poking his panties with a single finger.

“Boop.”

“Spare me your boops! Put me down.”

She does, depositing him on the bed and getting on her knees in front of him with an oddly bashful smile. “Sorry.”

She’s not sorry at all. That was to embarrass him, which is seemingly part of her base desires. He spreads his legs wide to cure her of any delusions of his being embarrassed, panties on display as he glares down at her. He is irritated, not embarrassed.

“Alright. Any ground rules before we start?”

“Yes.” He stands up, forcing her to scoot back, before nonchalantly pulling off his dress to stand before her in nothing but panties. Soon these too are gone. “You are not allowed to touch yourself.”

She blinks at him stupidly so he waves his hand lazily. “Go on. Speak your words of adulation.”

She leans in closer, as if to speak directly to his member. “Who’s a cute little guy? You are, yes you are. Just the cutest.”

“That is not “a little guy”. That is your empress’ scepter, and you will address it with the respect it is owed.”

Anessa freezes up. Then she snickers. “My sincerest apologies, m’lady, your highness.”

“Excellent, that is much better.”

“How dainty thee are down here, highness.”

“If thou art incapable of civilized speech, refrain from it.”

“Sorry, I’m not that good at language.”

“Oh, I am well aware. You can enjoy your reward in silence.”

She makes a little sound of indignation, but still leans even closer, her lips parting.

“Yes, show your fealty. Engulf your sovereign with your lips.”

She narrows her eyes up at him as she takes his small member into her mouth and gives it a firm suck. A slight tremor goes through his knees at the unexpected intensity of the sensation, but the empress did not rise to her station by giving in at the slightest hint of pressure.

“The empress is pleased. Keep going, ogress. It is clear that it is not in oration but here that thine talents lie.”

She pulls off him with eyes still narrowed, giving the head of his member a little goodbye kiss before leaning back.

“Maybe thee could also enjoy in silence, your highness? This is supposed to be my reward, so please be cute and shy for a bit.”

“Still thy tongue, ogress, lest I still it for thee.”

She does, but not without making a face at him. Her eyes flit back to his member, evidence of just how much of a slave to her desires she is. In lieu of walking off in a huff or engaging in a verbal spar, she holds out two fingers and spits on them.

An instant later her fingers slide easily into him and unerringly find his most pleasing spot. A simple yet effective strike. In the past, it might have phased him. Now he simply lets out a low, pleased hum and looks down at her through lidded eyes. “Yes, exactly so. Well done.”

He gleefully watches her own member throb with desire. He will not touch it. Her lust shall grow, until it becomes her undoing.

“How pleasing on the eyes this servant is. This position suits an ogress.”

She grumbles around his short length, before pressing into him with her whole face, pushing him back onto the bed. He takes it in stride, draping his legs over her shoulders. She fingers him faster despite the awkward new position and he lets out a pleased little sigh.

She pulls her lips off him and holds his member against her face. It reaches from her chin just past her lips, looking quite small indeed.

“And this position really suits an empress. So damn cute.”

He doesn’t answer. She continues her fingering apace, accompanying it with little kisses on his member, flicking out her tongue to claim the occasional hint of white that dares to show itself. His hips writhe in place and she incorporates the motions into her ministrations, her lips meeting every rise of his member toward her with a kiss.

He would probably orgasm if she wrapped her lips around him again. But he will be patient. No teasing could possibly bring him even half the need building up in her. He raises himself up to reach out and pat her head once while she is occupied with one of her kisses.

She engulfs him once more and grins around him, locking eyes with him as she curls her fingers upward, teasing at that weak spot inside him. Her tongue lazily caresses him inside her mouth, but she offers no suction. He tries to relax in her grip, but she keeps his hips raised off the bed, ensuring his position is slightly awkward while she continues to tease him.

Said teasing is starting to get a bit annoying. The sensations are pleasant enough, but they seem content to teeter at the edge of relief. Does she actually have such precise control of his body? That will not do. He will show her who is truly in control here.

He floats upward, remaining firmly entrenched in her mouth but now resting atop her, putting one hand on her shoulder blade and lazily caressing her hair with the other. She grumbles at his maneuvering and speeds up a bit, but then comes to a near complete stop, letting her disapproval be known by a little harrumph.

He realizes what she is doing. She wants him to debase himself by humping in place. As if such a thing could bother him. He is the one who harrumphs. Noise made, he shamelessly starts humping forth into her face and back onto her fingers.

She sounds slightly surprised at the enthusiasm, but stays the course. An attempted chuckle is stifled by a particularly vigorous thrust into her face. Though exactly what game this is may be up for debate, he is winning.

And yet, thrust as he will, she still somehow manages to keep him on the edge. This will not do. He reaches down with a foot, inconspicuously searching for her weakness as he teeters on the brink of release. Then he finds it, and runs his toes teasingly along the length of her hard pole. The foot fiend can’t help but moan.

And so, with the reverberation of her voice all around his member, he reaches victory, climaxing into her mouth. She makes a noise of surprise but accepts her defeat, pushing him against her face while keeping her lips sealed around him. She keeps up the suction far longer than is necessary, causing strange sensations to arise. Soon a noise escapes his mouth and his legs kick in the air, her lips suddenly a trap as whatever feeling this is becomes too much.

He taps her shoulder in protest and she finally lets go. Before he can fully appreciate his relief she drops him onto the bed, hefting her pillar onto his thigh.

“What a goofy ass empress, humping away like that. Can a royal really act that way?”

“With great power comes great disregard for societal norms.”

“Heh, okay.” She runs a finger up his short length. “So, hey, not to be weird but... could it be even smaller for a bit?”

He raises an eyebrow at her, but fulfills her request.

She takes a quick, gasping breath as it shrinks further, right beside her mammoth organ.

“Oh my fucking god it’s so cute, it looks so happy! You’re safe there, little buddy, mama’s got you.” She starts rubbing her oversized member over his, soon making it disappear completely beneath her. She lets out a satisfied sigh. “Look. It’s safe and sound under there. Completely sheltered.”

“How very useful. Are we expecting rain?”

She smirks down at him. “A few drops from you, yeah.” She raises her hefty member and then lets it drop back down onto him. “Tell me you want me inside you.”

“I do not recall that being part of your reward.”

She blinks slowly. “What? Did I misread the mood?”

“It would seem so. You are being rewarded for your service. You asked for a particular part of me, not my entirety.

“Hmm. Guess that’s true. But I’d really love a bit more right now, so... ahem. O great and mighty empress! Can this lowly ogre please get some? I’ll make you feel so good, I promise.”

“Enticing an offer as that is, I do not know if it would be wise for an empress to submit her body to an ogress.”

“Not even a very friendly ogress? With a lot of experience at making beautiful empresses cum?”

“Hmm. I suppose there might be some way we could reach an accord. Yes, perhaps such a thing could be allowed to happen if it were under the supervision of the court wizard.”

“Hell yeah, bring that wizard!”

Her enthusiastic grin turns to utter shock as Irene clasps a collar around her neck. Anessa puts a hand over her heart and lets out a deep breath.

“Jeez, when did you get here? And what is... oh.”

She is silent as her eyes trail the path of the leash from her collar to Irene’s hand as she moves to stand at the headrest.

“Oh, fuck, that is hotter than it has any right to be.”

He reclines regally on the bed, looking through his eyelashes at her with a bored expression. “You may proceed, ogress.”

She slowly clambers her way up the bed, mouth slightly open and at risk of drooling, quick little breaths audible. She brings herself up against his entrance, glances up at Irene before lowering her gaze once more. Then she pushes all the way inside him in one go.

He keeps his voice mostly down, but his hands clench the sheets and his member lets out a little gush. She keeps her hips flush to him, grinding slowly and sighing in satisfaction. Then she puts her hands on either side of him, slowly pulls out and takes a deep breath.

And then she starts jack-hammering away at him, rattling his body and possibly his very soul. Every part of him clenches and trembles as helpless pleasure assails him, the actual ogre on top of him forcing little squeaking noises from his gasping mouth as she grunts with effort.

This... damned... beast. He’s vaguely aware of droplets getting flung from his currently minuscule member onto his abdomen, but it is hard to focus on anything when his whole body is tingling in response to the overwhelming pressure of this rutting. His legs are shakily trying to spread wider in surrender to the invasion, his fingers are grasping at nothing, his eyes are threatening to roll back into his head. Being taken hard has no right to feel this good.

Irene’s cold hand takes his and he feels grounded once more. Yes, it feels incredible. But there are more important matters at stake. Those grunts of hers are not just from exhaustion. She is working herself up to a release. He cannot allow it.

“Change... change positions.”

The ogress ravishing him takes no heed. Until she feels a tug on her leash, that is. She stops all the way inside him, gasping for breath as she looks up at Irene, still grinding inside him. Another yank on the leash and she relents, pulling herself out while biting her lip.

“F-fuck.”

“Yes, ogress, we will. Lie down on your back.”

She lets out a shaky breath. “Yes, empress!”

He climbs on top of her and sits on her waist, pressing her member against his lower back and lazily rubbing it up and down with one hand.

“Your savage nature is far too dangerous. It must be contained. Wizard, employ a grounding wand on this beast.”

“Of course, my empress.”

Irene ties the leash to a knob on the headboard before quickly producing the strap-on, giving Anessa one menacing glimpse of it before getting in position behind them, the hand holding the leash coming to a rest on his stomach.

“Grounding wand is a super dorky thing to ca-”

Anessa’s complaints are cut short by Irene entering her just as violently as she did him earlier.

“Be quiet, ogress.”

“Sor-”

Again she is cut short, as he takes her to the hilt with an imperious look on his face.

She opens her mouth as if to speak, but thinks better of it and settles for a deep breath out. They work her in tandem, slow and methodical. A few times her hips give in to temptation and try to thrust into him, but the heavy rod sliding into her keeps her grounded. Up and down he goes, gently, teasingly. In and out Irene goes, slow and steady. Anessa lets out the occasional little moan, but he is sure she remains far from reaching orgasm. He spasms around her length with sadistic glee, coating her abdomen with a few drops of his confused seed.

He rides her with precision and grace, truly worthy of the title of empress. She is a supplicant beneath him, entirely at his mercy. Alas, he has none. He slams her entire length inside him, causing her soft moans to be broken up by a grunt. Helpless little plaything. She doesn’t even know what’s coming. This is the turning of the tide, a resetting of the balance of power. From this day on, she is not the one in control anymore. With Irene by his side, no one will push him around ever again.

His next journey upward takes him completely off Anessa’s member and he looks down at her with lips curled upward at her whimpering, futile attempt at following him.

“The ogress looks sufficiently tamed,” he says, pausing for a beat to let out a deep breath. “It is time.”

Before her bewildered eyes his member disappears and a new entrance comes into being, a novel sensation of heat immediately rising in his lower abdomen.

“Uh, wow. Are you a lady now?”

“Eloquent as always. But no, I merely wanted to show you something you can never have. Yes, this is too good for an ogress. This part is reserved for my court wizard.”

“Fuck, this is kinky.”

“Indeed,” he says as he turns around, standing imperiously above two perverse pillars, as Irene pulls the drenched toy out of Anessa. “Now come, sit up. Delight your empress.”

As Anessa obeys he puts an arm over her shoulder to steady himself, then wraps his legs around Irene’s waist. She lines herself up, meets his gaze and holds it. He leans down to kiss her, then leans back up to give her the faintest smile.

“Take me, my knight.”

She slides it in and pleasure of a completely new kind fills his altered body, his legs twitching around her as he tries to come to grips with this new sensation. He feels wet and hot and needy. He kisses her again, her lips mashing against his with an uncharacteristic ferocity.

Then cold hands spread his cheeks and soon another behemoth of a member fills his rear, the shock of it causing something akin to sensory overload. In this moment, his world is cock.

It feels incredible. Right now, there is no scheme, no plot, no future, no past. He is a mouth breathing in and out rapidly with an accompanying low moan. A pair of legs twitching around his lover’s waist. A forehead leaning down on beautiful Irene’s shoulder as his fingers grasp tightly onto her. Hips grabbed by four hands slowly pulling him up off the two monsters inside him. A body trembling helplessly in their grasp as they impale him once more.

There are no words. His teeth clench, as do his insides as he spasms. This is completely different than usual, but he’s climaxing. He basks in the double teaming, an insensate body moaning and writhing from these massive cocks that he has come to love so dearly.

Of course there are words. Depraved, debauched, delectable. And “Faster!”

They deliver and he throws his head back, eyes rolling into the back of his head. Just a short while ago he could not even have imagined something like this. Now he has desires such as he has never known before. Shame is but a memory.

Freedom is so close. He still wants power beyond imagining. But there are other wants as well. Among those desires that incredible cock stands proud and tall. She is such a simpleton. But a skilled lover, it cannot be denied. Seeing her leashed by Irene is strangely exciting. Everything Irene does is exciting.

The hands on his waist pick up even more speed, dragging his overwhelmed body up and down those incredible lengths. The pleasure is immense, but there is a strange clarity coming to him. His eyes return to facing front, though they aren’t quite keeping focus. Anessa plants a kiss on his face. Irene responds by pulling him over to lock lips with him.

He openly moans into her kiss. No matter how powerful he might become, he wants her in charge. Because it feels good. He breaks the kiss to try and get a better look at her, one hand vaguely attempting to cup her face. She does not meet his gaze, seemingly staring Anessa down. Her intensity never wavers. He loves her.

Anessa misinterprets the gaze and leans in to plant her lips on Irene’s. She does not respond much, allowing the kiss but keeping the one eye still visible to him fully trained on him. The man who will soon be the most powerful creature in the world spasms and moans as the two massive members slam into him faster, a strange competition between lip-locked hero and villain.

The ogress soon breaks it off to grunt and moan freely, signaling her approaching climax. He himself is losing himself in waves of pleasure. But even in ecstasy he knows his purpose.

It feels akin to divine revelation, a knowing without knowing, secrets of the universe written in the paths trodden by all that lives, immense power unbeholden to concepts so small as good and evil, the constraints imposed by reality suddenly not so oppressive. He laughs as her orgasm floods him, laughs sweetly as he joins her, in a voice so unlike him yet entirely true to him, reaching blindly toward the ceiling with four arms as he laughs and plucks what powers he will from her while she pumps mindlessly into him, her teeth digging hard into his shoulder as she stifles a scream with his flesh. He reaches with two hands behind him to cradle the beautiful fool closer as powers flow into him, with the other two he clasps Irene’s perfect face to pull her into the sweetest kiss of his life, his lips stuck in a grin even as he presses them against hers. He mischievously reaches out with his telekinesis to make the toy flood him as well, so it is as if they are all finishing as one, an unholy trinity basking in his triumph. He feels all powerful and unstoppable and beautiful. In a stroke of inspiration he leaves a single power in his foolish captor’s clutches.

“Fuck,” Anessa says, her teeth finally leaving his shoulder even as she keeps thrusting into him erratically. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Why? Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

He hums and pats her head one more time before retracting his extra pair of hands into himself, lazily grinding against her and trying his best to squeeze every drop from her. “Yes, it was a good one.”

“Why did you have to that? Now Rady’s gonna freak. She’ll kill you. And I can’t do anything to stop her. I can’t even play at keeping you in check anymore. I don’t... I don’t want you to die. Why couldn’t you just rely on me?”

“It is not your fault. Freedom is everything to me. You have changed me in many ways, I must admit. But not that part. I could never stay. It had to be this way.”

She lowers her head, leaning it against his shoulder and groaning. “I don’t even know what to think anymore. I failed and you took it all back. But you didn’t hurt anyone this whole time, not a single one of us. And Rady did. She dropped by and decided to just kill you on the spot. It’s not right.” She sighs before raising her head. “Fine. I guess it doesn’t matter right now if I can’t tell right from wrong. You defeated me.”

“Oh, yes I did.” He chuckles. His shoulders shake. He throws his head back in uproarious, villainous laughter. “Hah! Ahahaha! BwaHAHAHA-aaaahn!”

His uproarious, villainous laughter accidentally makes them hit just the spot, alongside every other possible spot due to the sheer size of the dicks, causing him to seize up and tremble in a slight orgasm. No matter, even this cannot diminish his victory.

“Goofy ass empress.”

She’s ruining the moment, as is her wont.

“Graceful demon prince,” Irene comes to his defense.

He brings them back on track, rising gracefully off of the enormous members, shifting his genitals back to their original form.

“You may have noticed I left a single power still in your care.”

“Yeah, kinda. Is it.... your original one?”

“Yes. You will return it to me later. For now I want Radiance to face me without a hint of fear. I will duel her and I will leave this place. And then I’ll show you. I’ll show you all. That the world will be just fine.”

The look on Anessa’s face is one of pure horror. “Oh, no, no, no, seriously, please don’t duel Rady. Please.”

He leans down and kisses her forehead. “Have faith, little fool.”

The look does not fade, so he slowly puts his arms around her in a reassuring hug.

She cracks immediately. “Oh, you guys,” she sighs, reaching out her arms to pull Irene into a grand hug with him in the middle. “Fuck it. This was probably a huge mistake but for now, who cares? I just wanna hold you guys and pretend everything is all right.”

“There is no need to pretend,” Irene says as Anessa drops onto her back, pulling them along with her.

“By the way, I’m sorry if kissing you was crossing the line, Irene. You’re just awful pretty and you seem to be immune to my power so I kinda just lost myself in the moment, I’m sorry.”

“It is no problem.”

“Great.” Anessa sighs and hugs them closer. “This is nice, anyhow.”

It actually is. He rests comfortably on Anessa’s large frame, sharing a comfortable kiss with Irene as Anessa plays with their hair and catches her breath. The moments stretch into minutes as they simply lie there, his would-be captor being slowly lulled into complacency while he basks in his victory.

And then there is a flash of light outside.

Anessa jumps upward, tossing him and Irene off her as if they weigh nothing. “Oh god, oh fuck, seriously? Right now is when she shows up? Stay here!”

She hops out of bed and makes for the door, the leash going taut and snapping the knob off the headboard it was tied to. Anessa turns in a confused, panicked circle as she clumsily frees herself from the leash. “Oh, shit fuck! It’s okay! Everything’s gonna be fine! I’ll smooth things out, don’t worry, just stay right there.”

The momentary hurdle seems to remind her she is naked and she throws her clothes back on before running outside fast as she can. He kisses Irene before putting on a dress and lazily floating after Anessa.

Notes:

Extra smutty since the final chapter probably won’t have too much of it.

Chapter 17: Quixotic conquests

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

He comes to a stop close to the still open front door, listening to the confrontation outside.

“Sorry I punched you in the face the other day.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got a punchable face.”

It does not start off as much of a confrontation. But there is still time.

“You look different somehow. Have you been meditating or something?”

“What? No.”

“Well, you look good. What, uh, what have you been up to these past few days? I’ve been trying to reach you. Quite a few times.”

“I just noticed this morning. Sorry. Been a bit busy.”

“Yeah? With what?”

“Just superhero business.”

“So just your everyday kind of stuff?”

“No, more intense. Much more.” There is a pregnant pause. “Cult. Conspiracy. That kind of thing. I was looking into it.”

Anessa lets out a deep breath. “What’s that face you’re making, Rady?”

“I’m not making a face.”

“Yes you are. You’re making a face and you’re practically glowing.”

“My power does do that sometimes.”

“No, I mean like... an inner glow kind of thing.”

“An inner glow? Shut up.”

“You tried my advice, didn’t you?”

“No. I said shut up.”

“You did. You totally did.”

“...”

“So how did it go? Are you dating now?”

“Fuck off, Anessa.”

“Come on, Rady, it’s okay. You want to talk about it, I can tell. And I need to know, not just as your wingman, but as your colleague. Come on. Debrief me.”

Radiance sighs. Then she takes a slow, deep breath.

“Fine. There was a sighting soon after I left you lunatics. I went right over there, ready to tear him a new one for the thousandth time. And he did that stupid fucking smirk and I realized I couldn’t just melt his sorry ass yet again, because he just loves that. So in a fit of rage I knocked him over onto his hands and knees and I...” Radiance sighs again, now sounding like her soul is leaving her body. “I spanked him.”

“How did he take it?”

“He... said “oh” over and over, in a few different tones of voice. Didn’t really resist, his blood thing just kinda hung in the air looking confused. So I kept going. I was so mad I didn’t care how stupid it was. He was sniffling a bit when I stopped. Never heard that before, not even the times he died slowly. And when I walked to stand in front of him he didn’t even try to get up, just raised his head.” Her voice takes on a distant quality. “The look on his fucking face. I always feel powerful, obviously, but that was... different. That unkillable psycho looked up at me like he was somehow suddenly at my mercy, unlike all the times I’ve literally killed him. He said he was sorry if he’d crossed some line without realizing it.”

“Huh. I knew it was good advice, but that wasn’t what I expected. I thought he’d just, like, get hard and tell you he was in love with you.”

“He did clasp his hands in front of his crotch when I ordered him to get up.”

“I knew it. Not that it’s really surprising he’s a masochist.”

“No, I guess not. He’s never been... into it like that before, though.”

“Well yeah, this was different.”

“That’s what he said. After I’d stared him down in silence for a while. We had a talk, like we’ve never done before.”

“That’s great, Rady! Enemies having a heart to heart is so important. Did you learn something new about him?”

“I guess. He’s a fucking idiot, basically, on top of being a weird psycho.”

“Oh. Well, that’s... something. What happened next?”

“That’s just what he asked. He offered to leave, fight or off himself. I told him he was under arrest.”

“Um, okay?”

“It’s like you’re quoting him. I zipped off to borrow some handcuffs and then I slapped them on him. Not that they would do much, but it felt right.”

“And you just took him to jail?”

“No... well, kind of. I took him to my place. Spent ages tossing him across half the globe, but we got there. He threw up once, but we were over the ocean thankfully.”

“Sounds pretty weird, not gonna lie, but I think I sense romance incoming.”

“Not at all. We got to my place and I put him in the ball. Not so easy being creepy when you’re stuck in a giant hamster ball.”

“I’ll bet.”

Radiance... snorts. “His face when I started rolling him around, god.”

“Funny, cute, both?”

“Fu... ugh. Cute. It was kinda cute. What is wrong with me?”

“Nothing, Rady, it’s okay.”

“I put the creepiest villain in the world in a hamster ball and giggled as I pushed him around my house.” Radiance’s voice takes on a flat tone. “Most fun I’ve had in a long time. Why don’t I just have a hobby like a normal person? Model trains or something.”

“Relax, Rady. I’m sure you’d be a great model train conductor, but goofing around with a dangerous supervillain in a hamster ball isn’t anything to be ashamed of. If you’re both having fun with it, I don’t see a problem.”

“He did destroy the ball eventually. Took him some effort, but it cracked. So I zipped off and got some restraints, one of those armbinder things like you have, and a pair of chained cuffs for his ankles.”

“Okay? And then?”

“And then I put on a movie.”

“Rady, what is this story? You put him in bondage to watch a movie? Is this a sex thing?”

“It’s not a sex thing! You just don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t.”

“I just had a nice movie on the screen and a constant threat to the world safely in my arms, completely under control. It was relaxing.”

“Okay, okay. Bondage movie night, I guess that could be cozy.”

“The world was safe that night,” Radiance says, her voice firm. “As long as you kept your mess somewhat under control, of course. But I managed to put that out of my mind.”

“Then the world was hella safe because everything was hunky dory here, no sweat.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“And after the movie? Did you talk some more?”

“Yeah. He’s honestly so ridiculous.”

“How so?”

“Apparently he doesn’t have anything in this world. Not a penny to his name.”

“Oh. I always figured he got paid for fighting you.”

“He does. But then he apparently gambles it away or gives it all to random charities. Last payout went to rhino conservation efforts. I looked into it. It’s a scam, most of the money goes straight to someone’s pocket. He just... he just bothers me and then tosses the cash to some random fucking bitch he didn’t even bother to investigate. I’m so mad, Anessa. This... fucking idiot... is my nemesis?”

“Huh. So the creep has a heart of gold?”

“Heart of a dumbass masochist loser, more like. All he wants is to be creepy and fuck around and get fucking destroyed.”

“Okay. So you talked things out with him and you finally know for sure what makes him tick. What are you gonna do with this information?”

“Oh, I already did it. There’s more than one way to get fucking destroyed, heh, heh.”

“Uh. Please don’t do that laugh ever again. And please tell me what the hell that means.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s a sex thing, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a sex thing!”

“But if it’s not a sex thing I think it’s just awful. Weird sex things aren’t that bad, you know.”

“I don’t know what you find so awful about it.”

“You spanked the dude, took him to your place, put him in bondage gear and cuddled with him over a movie. Like, obviously it’s not exactly your average date, but it’s definitely hinting at some romance.”

“He might think so, but that’s not what it is. I’m keeping the world safe, Anessa.”

Anessa lets out a whistling breath. “Okay. So what happens when he realizes it’s not a sex thing and going nowhere? What’s to stop him from killing himself and then popping up somewhere else, now armed with the knowledge of where you live and actually mad at you?”

“He’ll never find out.”

“And why’s that?”

“Just because. Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s not an answer, Rady. Tell me.”

“Because... because there was a... okay, a bit of a sex thing.”

“Rady, if you fucking boned the dude stop beating around the bush, just cut the shit already, what is this?”

“I didn’t bone him, Anessa. I pegged him.”

“Oh, I see, yeah, that’s barely a sex thing, you’re right.”

“I know it sounds strange. But I’m keeping the world safe.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. Dictionary definition of heroism right there. But... as long as you were both into it, I guess it’s fine.”

“Obviously I wasn’t “into it,” but he was. Took him quite a while to finish, but he did.”

“What does that mean? How long did it take?”

“Roughly two hours.”

“Rady, what the fuck? I know he’s used to you being rough, but that’s extreme. On a first date?”

“Not a date. And it’s not like it was two hours uninterrupted. We tried out a lot of different sizes and shapes.”

“Never would have imagined you owning an arsenal of sex toys.”

“I didn’t. Had to zip out to get them.”

“Jeez. How many sex toys did you buy in one night? How do people react to fucking Radiance waltzing in and buying a big old bag of dicks?”

“Well, I didn’t... there was no one there, the place was technically closed.”

“The greatest superhero in the world did not rob a sex shop, no way.”

“It was an emergency and I left a lot of money behind, more than enough for the toys and the fried surveillance camera. I think.”

Anessa starts speaking but immediately breaks out into laughter, their conversation taking a long pause as she lets out what sounds like a great deal of nervous energy.

“Fuck, Rady, you got me good. I didn’t know you had it in you. Aheh. How did you keep a straight face during all that, you jackass?”

“It was really out of character, I know. I don’t know what made me grab the big, freaky, tentacle-looking thing, but that was the one that finally got my freak over the edge.”

“Oh, god, it’s real?”

“Yeah. It’s like, this big.”

Thankfully, he does not have line of sight to see how big it is.

“So, okay, alright. And he was into it the whole two hours?”

“I mean, yeah? I think so?”

“You think so? He didn’t say anything about it?”

“Well, I... have him gagged most of the time, I didn’t really think to ask.”

“You didn’t think to ask if he was ready for a pegging marathon? Rady, what have you been smoking?”

“Listen, you don’t know him like I do. I know that freak inside and out, literally. If I say he can easily take a few sex toys over the course of a couple of hours, he can.”

“I don’t know how or why you became an overnight hardcore dominatrix, but you can’t just do that. You need to talk things out and for something like that you need a safeword. If you’re not just shitting me, in which case please knock it off.”

Radiance scoffs. “Dominatrix? Safe word? You know I’m not kinky like that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“He was totally fine, okay? When I took the gag out he didn’t say anything, just moaned and panted. We took a shower and then went to sleep, completely casual.”

“Uh huh, casual. Did you at least cuddle as you fell asleep?”

“Of course not. I couldn’t trust him to sleep right beside me, he’s a dangerous man. I put him in a dog cage at the foot of my bed. Had to zip out to get the cage, of course.”

“What in the actual fuck? Who are you? What did you do with Rady?”

“Cut the drama, Anessa. I can’t sleep with my nemesis right there free to assassinate me, that’d be stupid.”

“Like, I almost see the logic but... Rady, you are messed up.”

“Am I? Do you even know how many lives he has threatened through the years? I’d be an idiot to snuggle up in bed with that man. Caged at the foot of my bed is exactly where he belongs.”

“Still, the lack of cuddling must be rough. Aftercare is a thing, you know, especially after intense sessions like that.”

“I do not know it’s a thing. But it’s fine, I pet his head before going to sleep.”

“Oh. Okay. Is this like... pet play or something?”

“What even is that? Wait, don’t actually tell me. It’s not, let’s leave it at that.”

“But... you put him in a dog cage and now you say you’re petting him?”

“So what?”

“Okay, Rady. Okay. But the dog cage is pretty weird.”

“It didn’t have to be a dog cage, obviously, that was just the handiest thing for the situation. I put a weighted blanket over it and some pots and pans so if his blood started creeping out to kill me it would make a racket and I’d wake up. It was a logical choice. This isn’t some silly love story. I’m keeping an extremely dangerous villain contained at my house.”

“Uh huh, totally logical. So you just discipline him and lock him up in there and he’s your good boy?”

“Of course not. He’s a bad boy through and through. The worst boy. A terrible villain.”

“I feel like I’m losing my grip on reality here, Rady. You’re trying to trick your nemesis into a hardcore BDSM sort of relationship, which you’re totally not into yourself, for the sake of keeping the world safe?”

“That’s right.”

There is a long silence. It sounds like he will be facing a slightly unhinged Radiance. Whether this affects his chances in either a positive or negative way is hard to assess.

“So I guess all this seems justifiable to you since it’s for the sake of the world?”

“I would do anything for the greater good. You know this.”

“Yeah, but... this is just... really out there. The mental gymnastics involved to become a dominatrix in denial is just blowing my mind.”

“There’s no denial. I’m fully aware this is unusual. But if I can bring him to heel it might just be the greatest accomplishment of my entire career.”

“Unusual just isn’t a strong enough word. Is your every single interaction with him about hardcore domination?”

“No, it’s not like that. I fed him strawberries on the second day. Dipped in chocolate.” She clears her throat. “It was... nice.”

“I just... why are you shy about that? You told me you pegged him for two hours straight without flinching. But... that’s kinda cute. Tell me more about the strawberries.”

“He couldn’t eat them on his own, obviously, since his hands were tied behind his back. So I had him kneeling in front of me so I could feed him.”

“Ugh, I wanted cute. Please keep it cute.”

“It was kind of relaxing, lounging in the sofa and feeding him. It was weirdly soothing. He looked so harmless... sweet, almost.”

“That’s more like it.”

“Having him literally eat out of my hand was something I never knew I needed. Felt like I could just stay in that moment for ever. Then he ruined it and said he couldn’t take any more. I made him finish the portion, couldn’t let it go to waste.”

“What...”

“I don’t like strawberries at all myself. I helped finish the chocolate though.”

“You force fed him strawberries.”

“He’s a terrible villain, it’s hardly a harsh punishment.”

“I guess not, it’s just... weird.”

“Then I showed him the freezer.”

“The torture freezer? Let me guess, he loved it.”

“Yeah, laughed his ass off. Then felt queasy from too many strawberries. Then he offered to try it out. I didn’t feel like it.”

“And his own body parts? Did he see that?”

“He said it was the most romantic thing he’d ever seen.”

“Right. Romantic.”

“Yeah, he’s a freak.”

“And you’re normal. So, okay, let’s say your plan goes off without a hitch and he just stays with you as a live-in masochist. What happens if someone finds out about all this? Have you told anyone else? Anyone in the League know about this grand plan?”

“No. They wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re probably right about that. But you know quite a few people know where you live, right? So what happens if someone drops by unannounced when you’re in the middle of some, some pegging marathon or whipping session or whatever?”

“Wha- Whipping? Why would... you... I... how did you know?”

“I didn’t. I don’t know why I said it. Let’s just move on.”

“I only whipped him to make him think I trusted him. I’ve constantly been running my hands all over his body, looking for cuts and scrapes he might whip his blood out of to surprise me. By whipping him and giving him plenty, I’m showing I trust him a little. Even though I don’t, not really. I’m constantly on my toes, Anessa, don’t you worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. And I said let’s move on. What happens if someone sees what you’re up to?”

Radiance falls silent. This could all be blackmail material, he supposes. But details of his stay on this island might be leaked to the world at large if he ever exposed her, which would color public perception of him in an unfortunate way.

“You’re right, that would be bad. I should keep him in the basement.”

“Oh, come on, what? Never mind. Forget the basement. If someone finds out, how will you explain yourself'?”

“I’ll just explain exactly what it is, which is a sort of house arrest. But it’s at my house. And the correctional program is a bit unorthodox.”

“Correctional program? Just admit you like the guy. Be honest about your emotions, at least with me. I think this would get a lot less weird if you just admitted out loud that you like him.”

“Like him? I don’t think so. I’ve been obsessed with him for a few years and now I’ve finally got him under my thumb and I’m exploring the possibilities of that. All I like about this is the feel of his hair in my hand as I pull him along, the way he flinches when I slap him and then the sultry look in his eyes after, the sounds he made when he finally obeyed my order and came from that toy, how pathetic he looks caged at the foot of my bed. I’m finally punishing him properly for all those years he’s tormented me. It feels amazing. But more than that it’s keeping the world safe, Anessa.”

“God, I’m not good at being the sensible one. I hate it. So you’re just having a little fun while saving the world, is that right?”

“That’s right. But I wouldn’t say I’m having fun.”

“And it’s just a relief. You haven’t gotten anything out of it, sexually?”

“What? No...”

“Oh, Rady, what was that face?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“One of these days I wanna play poker with you. So... what? Did you just happen to get your rocks off at some point?”

“No, it didn’t just happen, alright? It was a controlled orgasm. Part of the program.”

“Huh?”

“I rode his face and I didn’t clean him up after. I saw this idea online and it really spoke to me. Leaving him tied up and helpless with my smell all over him for hours. The fact I’m in charge just seeping in.”

“Rady...”

“Just think about it, Anessa. He’s been so good for me, only disobeying enough for me to hurt him the way he likes. If I can train him to obey me completely the world will be safer than it’s been in years. The most horrifying villain around will just... be there, at my place, at my feet. So what if it’s a little weird, as long as the world is safe?”

“Yeah, okay, sure, you’re saving the world. But you’ve got to admit to yourself that you’re doing it by getting your freak on. And holy fucking shit is it freaky.”

“You just don’t understand.”

“Damn right I don’t! But that’s okay. It sounds like you two are happy, even if this is all freaking me out a little. You’ve become a hardcore dominatrix in a really short amount of time.”

“I really haven’t.”

“Yes, you have. I don’t know how you’re not seeing it, but that’s not the first thing to fix. Right now you need to learn the ropes and slow down a little. And girl, you need a safe word. You need it, need it, need it.”

“Fine, I’ll look into it. But not everything is a kink, Anessa.”

“But this is! How is treating all this as a weird revenge and punishment more acceptable to you than admitting you’ve discovered a kink and have some sort of attraction to your nemesis?”

“...”

“Just imagine if I had caught him. And then fucked his face and didn’t let him clean himself after and just shrugged and said it was a punishment.”

There is a little burst of pulsing lights that flare up before slowly dying down again. “I... guess I see your point.”

“It sounds like you’re a bit of a sadist, Rady. And with consent, satisfying those urges is fine.”

“I can’t be a sadist.”

“It’s okay, Rady.”

“No, no, no, no, it’s not. My power’s the most devastating the world’s ever seen. People are already scared of me. I can’t like hurting people.”

“You don’t like hurting people, Rady. You like hurting your masochist nemesis crush. And you feel like it’s okay because he’s a bad man, but that’s a terrible way to think of it. It’s okay because he’s into it.”

“I can’t... I can’t just be some pervert.”

“Nothing wrong with being a little pervy.”

“God. Chasing him all over the earth and putting him in the ground over and over again... I was... it was something I had to do, right? I mean, there were hostages. I don’t know. Now I spank him until he can’t walk and he openly moans as I do it and I... I feel so... satisfied.”

“And that’s okay. It’s fine to be into that if you both want it. You can like those things and still be a hero. What happens in your bedroom doesn’t define you as a person.”

“I whip him and slap him and choke him and he loves it. The things I feel when I’m with him cannot be normal. I’m almost scared of myself. But I don’t think I can ever go back to not having him.” Radiance lets out a heavy exhale. “I always thought he was the creepy one. I am the most powerful person this world has ever seen and I am an actual sadist. His stupid little fan fiction version of me honestly wasn’t that far off. The world cannot know.”

“Maybe not the world at large, but keeping it a secret from everyo-”

“It feels good now, but what if he stops liking me? What if I go too far or he just gets bored or something and I suddenly don’t have... whatever this is? Would I snap? Would I go crazy? Am I already crazy?”

“No, I... you’re having a hard time... and you definitely need to talk about it. But it’s okay. You’ve found the one person in the world who can shrug off pretty much anything and he’s a hardcore villain so he’s probably not gonna get traumatized by this.”

“He might not even be that bad.” Radiance’s voice goes distant again. “He said he’s never actually killed anyone, apart from his own murderer. Some scientist working with himself from another dimension trying to attain immortality. Used my freak as a guinea pig in both dimensions, killed both of him to fuse the two versions into one somehow and he doesn’t technically belong in this or any dimension so he’s all glitched out, whatever that means. And because of that he’s functionally immortal even though he’s pretty sure he’s aging. It’s confusing. Point is, I’ve killed quite a few people, Anessa. He’s an undying freak who cuts himself open and fights with his blood whipping around. I glow like the sun and I... I feel like out of the two of us, I’m the bad guy.”

“You’re not the bad guy, Rady. You make tough decisions and sacrifice a lot to keep people safe. The fact you don’t feel good about it is proof you’re a good person.”

“What is a good person? Someone who executes dangerous killers so they can’t do it again? Someone who has the leadership of a nasty faction in a civil war assassinated? Someone who beats a villain threatening to cross a line nearly to death in front of her buddies to put the fear of god in them? The things I’ve done... doing them for a good cause doesn’t change them. A good person is someone innocent. I’m so far from that, Anessa. My hands are stained. I feel so fucked up, shaking hands and smiling for the cameras. I honestly just feel fucked up, period. I feel bad. All the time.”

“Thank you, Rady. Thank you for telling me. And thank you for all you’ve done, seriously. Personally I don’t think a good person has to be innocent. A good person is someone who doesn’t look away from the tangled mess this world is, but tries their hardest to make it better. I’m not gonna say every bit of violence you’ve done is justified, I can’t decide that. But to me, you’re a good person. I’ll shake your hand any day. In fact, I’d like to hug you right now.”

“It all feels so childish.” Radiance’s voice suddenly sounds a bit squeezed, so the hug must be happening. “I do all these things and I fly all over the world just to hold back what feels like an inevitable tide. What if it’s just the nature of the world to be like this and all I’m doing is damming a river with my bare hands? Maybe all the violence and horror is just part of the circle of life and we just can’t admit it because it’s too awful. What happens to my dam when I croak? Am I just ensuring the world is going to drown once I’m gone?”

“Okay, that’s it, fuck the world. Forget about it for a second. It’s not important right now. Just tell me: When you look at the creepy dude you want to keep in your basement, how do you feel?”

“I don’t know. He’s a complete mess. He makes me so angry. But in a weird way. I see his face, hear his voice and I just... there is a need. I need to mess him up, Anessa. So bad. It’s driving me nuts.”

“If he likes to be messed up, it’s okay. A freaky love is still love.”

“Don’t say love. It’s just that... I don’t know, I feel like he can understand me in a way no one else can. These last few days I haven’t felt fake or rotten or helpless. With him I don’t have to pretend.”

“Okay, it doesn’t have to be love. But it sounds like it’s some sort of relationship which might be good for the both of you, though you should probably talk things out with him and set some actual rules together.”

“Yeah, I... I guess it’s a sort of relationship. Ugh, the world can not find out.”

“If they do, you can absolutely not say you’re doing all this to punish him.”

“You’re right. But they should just never find out. That would be best.”

“Maybe. But maybe-”

“The baseme-”

“Please forget about the basement. I think telling a few people in the League would be okay, doesn’t have to be the full story in detail, just so things don’t get weird if he suddenly stops appearing and then someone finds out he’s at your house vacuum packed in latex.”

“I... I haven’t wrapped him in latex, Anessa.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you any ideas. It’s a thing, though. People get in, like, a rubber frame and then the air is sucked out of it so they’re completely encased and immobilized in it.”

“Oh. That’s... that’s very weird.”

“Yeah.”

“I suppose it might look like I’ve simply caught him if people saw him in that.”

“I don’t really think so.”

“Okay. Maybe I should just keep him chained up in the basement.”

“I really don’t think that’s the way to go. I don’t know why you like that idea so much. Before you do anything, you should talk it out with him. This all sounds super intense, so please take a moment to speak with him in a non-dominating way and make sure he’s okay with all this. Set some ground rules, some boundaries.”

“Alright. I will.”

There is a flash of light.

“Uh, goodbye?” He peers out the open front door and sees Anessa pacing. “Oh, jeez. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?”

It is hard to predict whether he will be facing a despondent or unhinged Radiance. He supposes it hardly matters. This conversation has upended his perception of her, but it changes little in the grand scheme of things. A few minutes pass in silence, apart from Anessa mumbling something to herself as she paces back and forth. Then a few flashes of light herald Radiance’s return.

“Well, he says he’s having a great time. Said he never imagined even in his wildest dreams that I could be such a freak on top of everything.”

“I’m... happy for you, Rady.”

“He thinks the basement idea makes a lot of sense.”

“I think that guy agreeing with you means it’s a terrible idea. But if it’s, like, part of your thing? Go for it, I guess.”

“You might be right. Another idea he had was I could remove his limbs with my rays, leaving him completely helpless without me. Honestly...”

“Please don’t. Dear god, please do not do that. I know you can undo it by just killing him, but please don’t. And if you do, please never tell me. The idea alone hurts my soul.”

“Alright, Anessa, calm down.”

“I’m as calm as I can be. It would help if you could get that look off your face and stop twiddling with that... wait, what is that necklace? Why is there a key on it?”

“Oh, it’s a... a necklace with sentimental value. It’s the key to...my first... gym locker.”

Anessa sighs. “Did you put your nemesis in a chastity cage, Rady?”

“Ugh, how do you know everything?”

“Because I’m a raging pervert, Rady. But now I’m curious. What would be the “not a sex thing” explanation for this one?”

“Preventative measure.”

“Preventing what?”

“It prevents... it ensures he pees sitting down. I want my bathroom clean.”

“Ugh, that’s ridiculous. What was actually going through your head when you put it on?”

“I just... wanted to be a little mean to him and... sort of.... control and own him.”

“Okay, I’m not judging or anything. But absolutely do not let other people see that. The internet will know.”

“Alright, I’ll hide it away for public appearances. It feels so soothing to touch, though, I don’t think I can leave it at home.”

“Fine, fine. Just...” Anessa groans. “Nevermind. You really weren’t gone long, but did you hash out some sort of plan for how this is going to work moving forward?”

“Sort of. He offered to do any dirty work I might ever need done, even said he’d kill for me. I’ll have to train that out of him. I caned him a little and made him start cleaning the house. That’s all the dirty work he’ll ever do for me.”

“God, this dominatrix stuff sounds so weird coming from you. Still, I’m glad he’s into you too.”

“He wants to go out and fight me occasionally, which I guess is fine, since he promised it would be way less frequent than it’s been. No one will think he’s missing and I’ll be able to tolerate that stupid chuckling mouth knowing I can gag it later. I’ll have to figure out a reason to fight him without him having hostages. Or maybe he can just happen to always take gangsters as hostages from now on, or something.”

“That... honestly sounds great. You’re working things out. I’m happy for you, Rady.”

“Thanks, Anessa. This was a good talk. I honestly needed this. I’m in a weird place right now, but I think things are looking up. Now we just need to toss your prisoner into space for a bit, until we figure out what to do with him. I’ll interrogate him a few times, see if there’s any merit to your super optimism. If we can control him somehow he can be almost free, in exchange for helping people. How does that sound?”

“Um, I really don’t think you should try to toss him into space. Just talk to him, without the threats and stuff, see if we can’t work something out.”

“What did you do?”

“Come on, Rady-”

“Tell me what you did.”

“You really scared him and none of us could reach you so we were all feeling tense, you know, and-”

“Tell me now!”

“He kinda... he doesn’t have his power stealing back, okay? Just.... just everything else.”

“You had one fucking job!”

“Well, you fucking left me high and dry for days! Have you ever been dommed by a goth girl, Rady? Have you?!”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“That’s right, you haven’t! Because if you had, you’d understand.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. I leave you alone for just a few days and... and is he even still here? Does he want to try to kill me before dealing with you permanently?”

“No, no, he... well, he said he wanted to duel you.”

“Fuck’s sake.”

“He won’t duel you, I’ll talk him out of it, okay, I’ll fix it.”

It is time. He floats menacingly onto the scene, staring imperiously down at Radiance’s narrowed eyes. “Duel me.”

Anessa takes a gasping breath. “No, no, no, stop it! No duels! Let’s use our words!”

Radiance pulls out a cigarette and lights it, staring into his eyes without a hint of her earlier emotion. “Be quiet, Anessa. It’s too late.”

He nods in agreement. “Let us take this away from the neighborhood. Wouldn’t want you having to hold back.” He starts floating off toward the forest, lazily turning his head toward her as he goes. “I hope you won’t dishonor yourself with another surprise attack.”

In a flash she appears a ways ahead of him. “It was meant as a mercy. Don’t worry, this time I won’t have any.”

“Spoken like a true hero.”

She makes no retort, simply vanishes and reappears off in the distance, floating high above the ground. Beneath her is nothing but grass and the occasional bush, but the forest isn’t too far off. As he draws near he notices she has put on the knuckle dusters.

“Did Anessa not tell you? I do not need your power to face you. Feel free to use it.”

“You may have fooled her, but I’m not falling for it. You want to be exposed to my power. I’ll just beat you into submission instead. Bun-Bun’s power may let you regenerate almost anything, but it doesn’t block out pain.”

He shrugs. “Suit yourself. I am not sure I even want it anymore. Not my aesthetic at all.”

“Enough. And so it’s not another surprise attack: I’m going to beat you now.”

“One moment, please.” He raises one hand to the side of his neck and shoots out a shadowy blade, decapitating himself. For a moment he falls, but then the flesh immediately reaches out to pull him back together, only the damned collar tumbling with a ringing sound to the ground below as he resumes floating. She stares without the slightest expression, but he takes her hesitation to mean she is reconsidering her plan of testing his tolerance for pain. He gives her the faintest of smiles as he finishes placing a psychic tracker in her. “Ready when you are.”

He does not see the first blow, nor the following dozen or so. One moment he is floating, the next he is hurtling toward the ground with a shattered jaw. But in the third moment he is unleashing a flurry of shadow blades and Radiance zaps away, giving him time to slow his descent while his bones creakily mend themselves. So she doesn’t take damage from her blows connecting with him at those impossible speeds, but she would get cut by the shadows. Interesting.

He focuses on gathering more clouds overhead, then flings another shadow at her. She disappears and in that very instant he unleashes lightning behind him. Sadly, she comes from the side, shattering his cheek with her first blow. Porcupine quills burst out of his face but she crushes those easily with her strikes, only relenting once he manages to fling lightning in the right direction.

The pain is substantial, but it is too much at once to fully take in while it his happening and the shapeshifting power keeps it from lingering very long. His bones and teeth mend themselves once more in a matter of seconds. It will be interesting to see if it can retain its speed under prolonged duress.

She disappears and he immediately flings himself forward toward where she was, shooting out shadow blades and lightning in two random directions, sensing the psychic tracker in the same instant as her fist connects with his throat. He flings himself again while unable to breathe, but she is immediately on him, breaking his nose. The lightning crackles this way and that, one hand aiming at where she is and the other guessing where she will be as she zaps in and out and strikes him from every direction. The pain does linger now, as she inflicts new harm every few seconds while his poor bones groan as they crawl back into shape. Currently she seems to only hazard one or two blows on each approach, which might mean she’s feeling cautious.

Until she hits him with a flurry of blows that leaves him reeling. A lung collapses and he’s tumbling to the ground. He slows his fall only to be sent flying sideways as his jaw breaks again. This time he flings himself in the direction of his momentum, only to be immediately caught with an uppercut that breaks his neck and sends him soaring. As he’s reaching out to attack above him she’s already slammed down into his chest and broken some ribs. In the back of his mind he wonders if she’d be punching clean through him if he didn’t have the super strength back. Another blow shatters his cheek once more and he’s suddenly crashing through branches and then he’s hit the ground.

Or not. He raises his head and notices this fight’s first casualty, the mangled corpse of a wild hart lying beneath him. Without a conscious thought of his own, his jaw unhinges and his whole head stretches to engulf the morsel. He swallows heavily, the large mass distending his body, which ripples and flows as it finishes mending itself, impossibly starting to slim down to his regular size.

He looks up to see Radiance floating a short distance away, staring at him with a slight scowl. He puts a hand over his mouth. “Pardon, I was feeling peckish. I hope I haven’t scared you.”

“I’m not scared, dipshit, I’m disgusted.”

“Excellent.” The wind is starting to pick up, a heavy rustling in the leaves above heralding its arrival. “Say, would you care to see god?”

“No.”

He flings himself at her, letting his body unfurl like an accordion mid-air, ruining his poor dress and causing the scowl on Radiance’s face to deepen immeasurably. Many hands clumsily fling shadows and lightning at her and are met with a single ray of searing light from her hand, a chunk of flesh being seared off in an instant of incredible pain. The next moment she has disappeared from sight, his tracker placing her a short distance away, back above the open ground. He shrinks back into his usual shape and twitches in place for a second, realizing one side of his face is missing. The tree in front of him and another behind him are on fire. And so is he.

The body wants to scream, but the mind is ecstatic. He stiffens the muscles in his face so they cannot flinch, shrivels his vocal chords so they cannot complain. And then he saunters out of the burning treeline, calmly aflame. She watches him emerge, her expression under control once more. He stares back at her, the teeth on the ruined side of his face bared to the world as if in a smile. These are the moments that make villainy beautiful.

They watch each other for a spell, breathing with a modicum of exertion. He raises his head to the sky just in time for the first crack of thunder, the clouds unleashing a torrent of rain that immediately douses him. In the next instant he hurls himself toward her, the heavy rain splashing off his exposed skin as he spins into a feint of a kick. He throws lightning in arcs from both hands as if he thinks he is securing both front and flanks. She takes the bait and appears right in front of him, striking to break his leg only to be caught off guard by his telekinesis pulling her a tiny bit closer and ensuring his foot connects with her stomach.

The heel breaks rather than pierce her, but he uses the instant of her surprise to shoot out a thread to tether her to him. It falls limply away the moment she goes incorporeal, allowing her an easy escape. Still, the sound she made before disappearing definitely implies she felt that kick. Much sturdier than a normal person, but not quite as strong as most super strength. Perhaps she is near impervious as she becomes corporeal but gradually returns to something closer to human.

He has little time to ponder this theory as she appears above, behind, below and beside within just a few instants, each appearance coupled with a precise ray that cuts clean holes through his body. Momentarily bewildered, he dives into the ground to disappear from her view.

The earth swallows him and offers a moment of peace, his body gliding through it like water. Then he senses her tracker go higher into the sky and she starts tearing up the ground with her rays, cutting random patterns into the ground in an effort to find him. He grins with excitement as one of his legs burns from a grazing shot and he gathers his own spilling blood as he moves, charging it up with explosive power before telekinetically flinging it up into the sky after he has passed. The first volley is quite weak, but she does aim one of her beams at the spot they came from, granting him a slight reprieve. The next volley he spends longer charging, but she seems to take the danger seriously and moves even further up before they manage to explode anywhere near her. He creates pockets of silence in the sky above, hoping it will disorient her slightly if she pops into them.

Next he knocks up great waves of mud to draw her fire before surfacing subtly from the safety of the earth and into the now howling gale and sheets of rain. He rises to the air once more, employing telekinesis and bursts of speed to help him evade her long range shots. A little worm rises with him, tethered by the thread Radiance proved impervious to. Once he has reached a respectable height he trades weight with it, allowing his body to be whisked madly about by the furious wind while the worm plummets heavy to the ground.

She is similarly mobile, a constant flashing in the sky above him, a vaguely human shaped sun shining impossibly beneath the dark clouds and torrential rain. No doubt the storm inhibits her whenever she’s corporeal, forcing her to use her power constantly. He has never heard of her having limits, but this should be an interesting experiment regardless. He starts building up a magnetic force in his body, hoping to perhaps pull her slightly off kilter when next she comes close by pulling at what little metal may be present in her apparel.

A heavy barrage comes his way and he makes a guess. Right after whisking himself to the side to avoid the rays he uses a burst of speed to turn his head 180 degrees, just in time to see her surprised face appear right before his eyes. It takes less than a second, but she and the ray about to come from her hand vanish as lightning arcs from his mouth.

He whips his head back around just as a ray shoots through his abdomen. Her hand enters his wound as if to shoot a ray from inside and up the length of him, but an acid secretion hits her and she makes herself scarce in face of the unexpected damage. His clawed hands and arcing lightning hit empty air and he hisses at the feeling of the acid burning at his own exposed insides.

He ditches the magnetism. It was hard to see a clear figure in the obnoxious glow she has become, but it looked like the jacket had evaporated. She zaps around at medium distance, shooting a barrage of rays that he dips and weaves through, only taking the occasional hole in the torso. He flicks his fingers in the pouring rain and crafts after-images with one hand and hovering spikes of water made solid with the other. Around and around he flies, whisking himself this way and that, spinning and contorting as he plays with his myriad powers and pain, glorious pain marks the surpassing of natural limits.

“Stop!” She appears up close, a vague blur of motion. “Fucking!” Rays tear into him from all sides. “Dancing!”

He cackles even as his face is in the middle of regenerating. “Have you ever felt truly free, Radiance?”

He flings himself into one of the after-images, setting a little jolt through the both of them that barely registers to his battered body but causes her to yelp in surprise and retreat to a distance once more. Immediately upon reappearing she spends a moment striking a floating spike out of the air.

He increases his whirling momentum, soaring in spirals through the air and plucking at the falling rain as if playing invisible strings, leaving tiny floating needles now in place of spikes. She appears up close once more and he sees her impact one without effect, but the next second as she moves her hand to blast him he sees the slightest flinch as one catches her.

She’s completely impervious for a split second after becoming corporeal, maybe. His thoughts stall there as a beam melts away part of his face again. He plummets to the ground feeling excruciating pain and boundless freedom. He thinks he might just understand the Undying. This is exhilarating in a way completely different from anything he has ever experienced.

He impacts the muddy lake his storm has created below them and immediately starts to rise just as the first natural lightning strike splits the sky. He pulls up the grass with him, empowering it to grow high from the ground at great speed, just to rub it in her face that he is capable of something akin to creation while she is stuck with pure destruction.

He starts to rise but she is suddenly right in front of him and delivering a punch that shatters his nose and knocks him backward. “Fuck! I was finally-” A beam nearly cuts him in half. “Getting somewhere!”

He grows back multiple, a dozen trembling hands reaching in all directions to fill the air with lightning. He’s sure he catches her with it, but it now hurts to look at her so he isn’t sure of the extent of the damage. It is insufficient to keep her from glowing even brighter and cutting his whirling body into pieces.

“Fuck you! Fuck this! Fuck it all to hell!”

She appears right in front of him, her eyes and mouth now nothing but searing pools of light that let out a surge of light to blast him apart. For a moment he is nothing but chunks of charred meat hitting muddy ground. But he is simultaneously so much more, a crawling multitude with a singular will.

“Why can’t this goddamned world have peace for one! Fucking! Day! WHY CAN’T I?!”

He rises, mangled bits slowly growing into a whole once more. “You can. Be happy, be sad, whatever you wish. The world is not your responsibility. You are not in charge.”

“Shut the fuck up! I don’t have the luxury of being a sociopath! I’ve been given the most obscene power the world has ever seen! I can’t just shrug off that responsibility!”

“It’s alright. All of it. Everything as it should be. You have your place in this world. And I...” he morphs to stand four-armed and blue-skinned before her, sticking his long tongue out “... have mine.”

She stands huffing in the pounding rain a moment, an oddly human look to the completely inhuman glowstick creature in front of him. There is steam coming off her and over the noise of the storm he thinks he might hear a sizzling coming from the rain hitting her. The brightness is burning his eyes now, the constant regeneration barely keeping him in the game as he squints. It looks like she has definitely been pushed to some sort of limit, though whether that means she will fizzle out or reach some even more outrageous form remains to be seen. But he too might be nearing a limit. An inhuman hunger wracks his body and there is a tremor in him that has nothing to do with the frigid sheets of rain or the adrenaline coursing through him.

The glowing pools that currently constitute her eyes turn to him. “You could have surrendered. But now I can’t let you get away, can’t risk mercy. Have to burn every part of you away.”

His four arms shoot forth but none of his powers catch, her radiant body reappearing up above him and somehow going even brighter with every moment. But beyond her ever growing radiance there is an ever growing shadow, a beautiful shape flowing out of the dark clouds. He spreads his arms to the side, staring coolly past the little sun to admire the falling darkness. Radiance is impossible to spot now, but he sees the light suddenly jerk to the side. She unleashes an enormous beam up into the sky, cutting a massive hole in Irene’s looming shadow form.

The pristine, sculpted form of his love is not slowed in the slightest by the rays of this infant sun, a flooding darkness quickly filling out the face once more. Radiance keeps firing up at it but soon she is engulfed, her burning rays like a feeble flashlight in deepest night. The tide of shadow rushes down toward the ground and for a moment he sees a glow appear just above him but then the shadow engulfs him and he is gone from this world.

He falls into and rises out of inky blackness, pulled to his feet by pale, frigid hands. They stumble a bit and then he stills, her arm around his lower back holding him flush against her as he pants and trembles. Her fingers stroke his cheek and he can’t help but smile. A shaky sigh leaves him as he stares into her lifeless eyes.

“I had thought myself accustomed to your beauty. That was sublime.”

He kisses her and then they are dancing, splashing through the inky gloom, her shadow form slowly seeping back into being around them.

And then there is a light. They break their kiss and he sees there is a hole in their world, her shadow form still flowing in through it, but alongside it is a glowing hand reaching in. And then there is a head that hurts to look at, a bright figure that makes the shadows curl away as she slowly forces more and more of herself in, the glowing pools staring right at them.

“I told you. I can’t let you go.”

Then she’s there, a glowing, pulsing abomination of light in their world of darkness. Only the shape is human, along with the rising and falling of her shoulders, as if she were breathing heavy even though her voice is even.

“No one escapes. That’s what I decided that when I realized what I was.”

She rushes at them, cutting a blazing path through the inky darkness, her rays whizzing past them as Irene rushes them backward, dipping him low.

“I will never let this world face anything worse than me.”

Then she throws him in a twirl to one side while she dashes to the other. Radiance hesitates for less than a second before heading after him as he employs his telekinesis to boost his mad twirling dash.

“Every single government in the world has a “plan” for what to do if I go rogue. I don’t have much faith in any of them.”

The gloom sizzles all around her, a glowing hand held out to unleash another ray to strike him down. It flies wide, as Irene suddenly slams into him at speed from the side, whisking him out of the way and into the next step of this dance with death. Their legs kick up the murky darkness only for it to sizzle away as Radiance draws near once more and they part again.

“The world can’t handle someone like you. So I have to.”

She leaves a blazing path, but the shadows are flowing back, starting to fill in the scorched path behind her. He can see the path she leaves. He can see her movements. He smiles and flings shadowy blades at her. She dodges easily, but it does not look like her vanishing anymore. She seems to notice it too, looking down at her arm that is no longer painful to look at. Then Irene’s there, delivering a somersault kick to the back of her head.

Radiance’s face is only burning away the murk for an instant before she vaults back to her feet, a portion of her glow flowing out of her to form a blade of light that she swings after Irene long after she is gone. She stands still for once, readying the strange blade with two hands as her now suddenly human looking eyes dart around her surroundings before focusing on them as Irene takes the next few steps of the dance with him.

“It’s not teleportation at all, your power. What the hell is this place?”

“A reflection.”

Irene parts from him once more and they move on either side of Radiance, keeping their distance as Irene monologues.

“A living shadow.”

He lazily flicks a few more shadow blades, which Radiance dodges easily.

“An impossibility.”

Irene rushes in, a low kick throwing a wave of murk over Radiance, who mostly dodges, but still her glow dims ever so slightly.

“A home.”

Instead of falling back as he and no doubt Radiance expected, she dashes the full way in, landing a lightning quick kick to her foe’s solar plexus before impossibly dodging the blade’s mad swings by a hair’s breadth, her body rising and contorting upward until she comes to a stop up in the air, a puppet on her own looming shadow’s strings.

“A place where darkness swallows the sun.”

Then she flings herself away, landing to glide gracefully through the dark, staring their enemy down. Radiance watches her and smiles, the face that was beginning to look human again taking on an eerie aspect as her lips pull back as far as they can. He rather likes this person, despite everything.

“You think I’m afraid? You think I’m not prepared to die in the line of duty?”

Irene stops in her tracks, lifeless eyes staring her down.

“I do not care what you feel or what you think. You are an obstacle I intend to remove.”

The smile does not waver in the slightest. “An honest villain. I can respect that. But if my death is what it takes to save the world, so be it. Swallow this sun if you can. I’ll make you choke on it.”

That sounds a bit suggestive, maybe, but he doesn’t think it’s on purpose. Or maybe it isn’t the least bit suggestive, it might just be Anessa’s foul influence rubbing off on him.

They clash once more, Irene’s shadow form looming above, its tendrils clutching at Radiance and her blade, leeching the light from them. Then the blade suddenly vanishes, the tendrils losing enough of their grip to allow her to get a surprise hit in. Radiance’s face bleeds from Irene’s foot hitting it, but the smile stubbornly stays on as her fist sends Irene flying back.

She flips in the air a few times, the tendrils slowing her flight and eventually flinging her straight back at her manic looking opponent. Radiance can truly appreciate a battle, even when she is in dire straits. She really is quite likable, he thinks to himself as he watches Irene’s acrobatic, jerking, puppet-like movements and repeated kicks to Radiance’s body. And still she smiles. Does she want to die? She is obviously losing, but she keeps going, not the least bit interested in escaping. It is beautiful.

Two beings of inhuman power fighting right before his eyes, what might as well be the embodiments of light and dark, and they are reduced to fisticuffs, their fight a mixture of grace and base brutality.

“A small sun burning bright in its last moments before sputtering out in the endless darkness. Yes, this is true beauty.”

Radiance spares him a glance as Irene backs off for a moment. “Keep it to yourself, buddy.”

“But it could be even more beautiful.”

“I said shut it.”

“You should leave.”

“Fuck you. You’re arrogant enough to think you can take me on again? You want my power that bad?”

“I no longer care for your power. It is ugly.”

“You really get on my nerves. And I don’t believe you for a second.”

“That is inconsequential. I want you to leave. I do not desire your death. But if it should come, it should be a spectacle for all the world to see, not a lonely death here in the dark. Let your eulogy be a world of stunned silence. Let it be the wailing of despair. Let it be the recognition you deserved given to you at last, only once they realize you are gone. Let it be beautiful.”

Radiance puts a hand to her temple. “We were fighting just now. Why did it have to turn into poetry night?”

“I think it was beautiful,” Irene says, staring at the intruder. “Yes. You should leave.”

“I am not leaving. I have a duty to keep this world safe.”

He scoffs. “Duty this, duty that, what rot. You need a better reason. What of your love? Are you fine with never seeing him again?”

She suddenly flares up again, little motes of light dancing up her skin. “Fuck are you talking about? I’m not in love!”

“Spare me your embarrassment. I care not for what is right or wrong, who you are or who he is. Return to him.”

She stares at him slack-jawed a moment, then clenches her jaw and strides toward Irene, who simply backs away. Radiance looks angrily back his way. “What is this? I’m the strongest person in the world and you’ve got me in a weird dimension where I’m finally vulnerable. You should... you can’t just kick me out, that’s absurd.”

“Of course we can. I do not fear you. I do not hate you. I do see you as a worthy adversary, I admit. But more than anything, to me you are a human being.”

She stares at him, uncomprehending.

“Look, the spot is right there, where a little bit of light is still coming in. My storm has dissipated, it seems.”

She looks upset. Then her face goes blank. Then there is a scowl and a little twitch in the eye.

“We won’t strike you as you retreat. That simply would not be fun. Go on, now.”

She finally starts backing off. “I guess you feel like you’re humiliating me. Enjoy it while you can.”

“Not at all. I think you technically won our duel, once I retreated in here. Then you followed me here and my lover beat you up. It balances out to a sort of draw. No shame in that.”

She steps onto the spot she came from, her remaining light pushing it open further. She looks back at them. “I’m not falling for it, whatever you’re trying. You want my power, that’s the only explanation. This isn’t over!”

“I certainly hope not. I foresee an amusing world.”

She slowly sinks out of view, staring menacingly all the while.

As soon as she is gone he finds himself whisked off his feet by a pale blur that proceeds to dip him low and catch his lip in a ravenous kiss that would make his knees go weak if he were standing by his own power.

When she breaks the kiss he opens his eyes slowly, basking in the moment. Her blank visage stares him down, her shadow swimming around her. A pale hand rises to run a finger along his lips.

“I forbid you from fighting her in such a way again. Seeing you torn apart... wounded me.”

He takes a shallow breath as a shiver runs through him. “Ah. Alright.”

She forbids it? Somehow that feels oddly good.

“Good. Now then, let us go home.”

He nods slowly, so as not to dislodge her finger. “Yes.”

And then she’s pulled him close and started rocketing through her impossible world of shadow, a wind that does not truly feel like wind rustling his hair as he holds on tight to his significant, spooky other.

It barely registers when they enter the mundane world once more, the realization that he has firm ground beneath his feet swiftly swept aside by awe as Irene clicks her fingers and electric candles start to alight, dimly illuminating their surroundings. The candles flicker on in quick succession, crawling down through the gloom like a snake slithering along, revealing a grand, winding staircase heading downward leading into a grand, dilapidated hall. Her castle is as beautiful as he imagined.

“Arise, my children.”

Sleek roombas, black as night, start to scurry through the darkness at their mistress’ command. She dips him low once more and kisses him deeply. It may be the happiest moment of his life. But he will have to give those poor roombas a helping hand, he can already tell.

His fingers alight on a burn mark on her arm and it is somehow painful to him, far more than his own actual pain. “You are... injured.”

“It is nothing.”

“Hmm. Does it not hurt... my love?”

The end of that sentence turned into a bit of a squeak, unfortunately. He will need to train hard to become truly romantic. Her fingers play at his hair.

“On second thought, yes. The pain is great. Perhaps you could.... nurse me back to full health.”

“I will. As long as it takes.”

She picks him up in a sort of bridal carry and kisses him once more as she glides soundlessly down the steps, ghostly and elegant. In the grand hall she dances through the fleet of roombas, her light steps evading them nimbly without so much as a glance at them. The kiss grows more passionate with each new step into the welcoming darkness.

 

 

“It’s been weeks.”

“Yep.”

“We don’t even know what his plan is. They can pop up anywhere, but so far they’ve just fought people so he can copy their power. Then they leave. What is he going to do with all that power? When will he be satisfied?”

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea.”

“It seems random, but they always seem to know where to find power sources. I’m thinking Shadowdancer’s spying must have gone up a notch. In our fight she appeared as an actual shadow and not herself, if she can see through it she could have eyes anywhere. They’ve even attacked some villains. There’s no telling how many powers he has now.”

“Yeah, he’s a dangerous customer.”

“But apart from that all they really seem to do is steal things. Why on earth would you need to amass such incredible power just for that?”

“Pretty mysterious stuff. But they did bully some rich people, too. Destroyed a yacht. Trashed that presidential palace.”

“Seemingly random nonsense. Will he come for me again once he feels strong enough? And if he beats me, what then?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s gonna come, sooner rather than later.”

“I’m just not sure what to do. I’m not a bodyguard, but requests keep piling in. I’ve got an eye on the strongest heroes he hasn’t gone for yet, and they’re sticking close to one another to make less of an easy target, but it’s just not sustainable. We have to be out there doing our job, not hunkering down.”

“I feel like they won’t be going for anything too big right away, I think you did a number on Irene.”

“I did?”

“Yeah, last time I saw him he was in a nurse outfit, said he was taking care of her.”

“I don’t... want to engage with that.” Radiance sighs. “You said once that you have a sort of vague feeling for where your... guys... are. Can you track him with it?”

“Kinda, but not really. He’s all over the place. Shadowdancer must be teleporting them constantly.”

“And they never stop? There’s no place that they might have made their home?”

“Beats me.”

He smirks and beats her off faster under the table, an illusion making him invisible to Radiance even if she were to look, the poor fool.

“It’s all so strange. Even after taking his original power back from you he’s left you completely unharmed. All that power and he’s just... I don’t know.”

“Just vibing. But I don’t know that I was completely unharmed. I tried to resist, you know, but they just kept going, felt like my soul was being drained out of me.”

“Shut up, jackass. Still, I’m glad they’re not mad at you for... everything. They might not actually be that violent. They could have killed me, you know. In that other dimension or whatever the hell it is. I still don’t understand how they think.”

“Try talking to him next time you see him, I don’t think he’s really that bad. Who knows, eventually you might even trust him enough to cover you while you take a little break to start that family you said you could never have. I’m sure he’d keep the world relatively safe, just so he could keep looking down his nose at it. Maybe your indestructible freak could be a good stay-at-home dad? You zip right back into action while he keeps the kids safe.”

He lets go of her to convey his displeasure at her words. Her member bobs sadly before his eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about? Who the fuck would think the Undying would be a good father?”

“Well,” she starts, breath hitching as he takes her in his mouth, “I dunno, forget it, I guess.”

“I’m not gonna trust that weirdo just because they’re not completely wrecking everything. They’re still a menace. I hate that I can’t catch them. I’ve arrived on the scene a few times, but they’re quick to vanish. I probably could enter their world again, since it seems the portals she uses don’t vanish immediately and my power is able to push them open. But that place saps my power if I go inside. And I don’t feel comfortable tossing someone in there. I could maybe throw my freak in there and follow him in, but I don’t really see him beating them.”

“Oooh, but it could be the start of a redemption arc for him, and get the world used to you two dating! An unthinkable team-up to deal with a greater threat than anyone’s ever seen, it’s perfect!”

“It is not. We’re not dating and no-one would ever believe we decided to team up. And no-one seems to take the threat those two pose all that seriously. Alone they’re dangerous but together they seem unstoppable. And still the media just talks about them as fashion icons. I know I should be thankful the world’s not panicking, but fuck does it get on my nerves.”

“Well, can you blame people? They dress nice and they don’t really terrorize anyone but us and super rich people. And I think they can even be forgiven for that, their Halloween look was honestly that good.”

“What?”

“They looked so perfect. Irene was born to play a vampire.”

“And you were apparently born to play cheerleader. I didn’t really get what he was supposed to be though. Her victim?”

“Her vampire bride, duh. Bloody neck, beautiful dress, totally obvious.”

“Whatever.”

“But it’s more than just the fashion. Their choreography’s sick.”

Radiance huffs. “It’s a weird flex. Trying to demoralize people maybe, show that beating even powerful heroes is just a game to them.”

“I think they just honestly love dancing.” He pauses in his work. “But of course it’s intimidating as hell, too,” she says, ending her sentence with a sigh as he resumes.

“You sound strange.”

“I am strange.”

“Your power’s still got a hold of him, right? I’m thinking an ambush might be the only way to catch them. He... needs you, still, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah. I think he sucks my dick when I sleep.”

“...”

“It’s the only explanation for how he’s getting his fix without me noticing. Don’t know why I wouldn’t wake up from it though, must be some new power keeping me out cold.”

“That’s incredibly disturbing. I hate it.”

This nonsense is unacceptable. He lets go of Anessa and menacingly floats from under the table and into view.

“Fucking hell!” Radiance reappears in the doorway. “Anessa, you fucking asshole.” She narrows her eyes at him. “Why... why are you dressed like a stripper nurse?”

He floats into a vertical position, pushing his arms slightly from his torso, palms facing up as he stares down at her.

“You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.”

“I... this is ridiculous. Are you fine with those fucking heels on your floor, Anessa? He’s pierced concrete with those stupid things.”

“Yeah, they really scare me, that’s why I didn’t say anything.”

“They are certainly not stupid. These heels are powerful. They must be this high. The added reach to my kicks is important. A formidable part of my arsenal.”

Radiance’s lights pulse. “Is this all just a joke?”

“Life can be whatever you wish it to be.”

“Skip the life coach shit.”

“Very well. Do you want to fight?”

“I... no, not right now. I don’t want a nemesis dressed like that. If you were wearing something normal I’d fight you. But this fetish stuff is just... just no. Fuck this. I’m out.”

She disappears in a flash, leaving him alone with Anessa, his menacing stance wasted. He turns slowly in the air to look at her.

“I hardly think this counts as fetish wear.”

“It’s pretty suggestive, dude.”

“Suggestive, yes, but within reason. Pushing boundaries but not crossing them. There is an art to it, and I like to think myself a master of it.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining.”

“But I suppose I would not fight too openly in this. An upskirt shot on the news would annoy me. Though that could give me reason for a vendetta against any media company that used it. A fantastically villainous endeavor that might spawn great, inane discussions on what is permissible in publishing.”

“I don’t know about all that. You don’t really have to raise your legs much anyway, with all those powers.”

“I could also place an illusion beneath the skirt, so that anyone hoping for an embarrassing shot would see only a black hole or a disapproving face looking back at them.”

“I like that better. But hey, I was thinking.”

“Worrying.”

“If you guys have a wedding, would we be invited?”

He cocks his head at her. “Marriage is a social construct that marks a milestone in the lives of normal people. We are free of the mundane.”

“Yeah, but, like, wouldn’t Irene love the aesthetic? Just picture it: A wedding at night in a ruined church somewhere, black wedding dresses. I wanna see it.”

She’s right. The aesthetics alone... It comes to life behind his eyes, images of a black wedding dress, the moon visible in the night sky through a broken roof, the ceremony officiated by someone like Satyr, Irene in either an identical black wedding dress or something vaguely masculine coded to make it a full role reversal, but definitely they would both have black veils that they would lift from one another’s face and then they would kiss and he’s getting vaguely emotional and excited about this.

“We will consider it.”

Irene flows out of a corner, carrying a suitcase. “What will we consider?”

“Something to be discussed in private.”

“Very well. Anessa, a refill is required. Go to your bench and assume the position.”

“Yes, Irene...”

She plays at petulance but he can read her like an open book. She enjoys her defeated status. Together they march through the house, he and Irene flanking her menacingly. Past the kitchen they go, catching the attention of Jamal who rolls his eyes like a petulant teenager at their solemn procession. Through the living room they go, the telepaths leaning on their lawn chairs outside the window to wave at them, Madeleine rather more energetically than her husband, whose eyes flit to a go board inside the living room. He may crush the man later, but he does not bother showing any response to the unspoken invitation. Woe to the vanquished, after all.

Soon they find themselves in a room all by themselves. Anessa strips naked and lays down on a custom made bench specifically designed for her fate. Her prodigious member drops through a hole in it and he positions himself below with a container at the ready while Irene positions herself above.

“Prepare yourself, hero.”

“Do your worst, you villain!”

It does not take long for her bravado to vanish. A stream of expletives, calls to heaven and hell and the slapping of flesh on flesh fill the room. His fingers lightly tease down her shaft, priming it for a release that he will not grant until she begs. He is either the most or second most powerful person in the world and he can do whatever he wants, beholden to none. And he chooses to play with an enormous member dangling helplessly before him while his love wrecks its owner. Yes, this too is villainy.

 

 

Later that night they go dancing, like they so often do.

They dance and see the pyramids along the Nile, then watch the sunset on a tropic isle. They see the marketplace in old Algiers, nab photographs and souvenirs. They cross the ocean through her shadow realm to see the jungle wet with rain.

They dance-

An older man in a baggy uniform stares and then shakily reaches for a gun.

And they dance-

Seagulls fly off in all directions, their displeased squawking echoing through the night.

And they dance-

A cat scurries off and a drunkard drops his bottle with a yelp as their steps pound a rooftop.

And they dance, covering the globe with their steps timed to the fall of night as it blankets the earth in its ceaseless spin.

Notes:

And there we go, oddity complete. Now for some long-winded notes.

Characters:
Originally I had some vague ideas about Maddie and Nate not being as chill with one another as they say. They were going to be vaguely at war with one another, Maddie planting ideas in Anessa’s head to make her call him embarrassing nicknames while he would be planting ideas in Anessa’s head about Maddie being a freak who loved to watch. Then they would have pulled a double "joke’s on you, I’m into that shit." But then I decided that just didn’t fit Maddie so she became a true friend.

Everyone involved has a lot of issues and likes to wallow or revel in their own perceived monstrousness. I envisioned the whole story as a sort of drawn out pillow fight, with issues in place of pillows. The culmination of this emotional pillow fight would then be the characters finally reaching an understanding of one another, after facing and getting hit in the face by all the stuff they’d been avoiding. That sort of happened, I think.

World:
The story takes place in a slightly alternate history, with superpowers seemingly coming into existence during the American war of independence. Empires and colonial powers stuck around far longer due to offering positions of power or even marriages into ruling families to the most powerful supers. Viceroys basically taking over colonies and doing whatever they wanted to them while paying some tribute and lip service to their empire was not uncommon.

The British empire was the biggest bully in the world for decades, up until the single world war this world has seen broke out at the end of the 19th century. It started with independence movements starting coordinated revolts, then got messier as other world powers jumped on the chance to weaken the big bully, then got even messier as independence movements within their territories started revolts. The war was a mess, with some theaters of conflict seeing vast casualties and destruction that greatly disturbed everyone involved. In the end a sort of draw was declared, with little land switching hands but a great many somewhat autonomous territories popping up within the old empires. Those territories slowly became more independent with the passage of time, but a safe stagnancy has been the preferred state of things for a long time.

Scared shitless of a conflict like that happening again, accords were made that outlawed the use of superpowers in offensive wars between states. These accords have been adhered to up till the current day, so that only in civil wars does shit properly hit the fan. An existing organization was elevated to a sort of world police to deal with superpowered outlaws, all independent states being required to supply members to its ranks, ensuring it remained international and ostensibly independent. That organization was the League of Legends, though no one ever says the full title as the founder is known to have been an utter twat. An opposing League vaguely exists sometimes, but it is rarely well organized and seldom has any real goal.

Superheroes and villains are a huge part of pop culture, with plenty on both sides appearing regularly on television or making songs. When a supervillain is first caught, assuming they haven’t done anything heinous, they can sign a deal with an agency and go to a reality TV kind of prison. If they cross a line afterward, their career is wiped. Plenty of heroes and villains avoid the pop culture aspect as best they can, but still follow a relatively strict code of conduct. Villains who are particularly deadly don’t tend to live long.

Does any of that particularly impact the story? No, not really. I just can’t help myself.

Thanks for reading!