The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Hiding behind your so-called Goddess...

I grumbled softly under my breath, careful not to make too much noise, despite the fact that my pursuers were nowhere close to me at the moment. Not that anyone would venture down here anyway... the city sewers weren’t exactly on the top one hundred hiding places for fugitive super heroes. Frankly, I wouldn’t have thought of it myself... except that I’d tripped and fell over a manhole cover that wasn’t quite on all the way over on 5th near the road construction going on.

“...gotta be around here somewhere, we just have to keep looking,” voices sounded from the street far above me. “He couldn’t have gotten too far in the condition he was in. Find him!”

I sighed softly, sliding down the filthy splattered wall, trying hard not to think about what was making that God Awful Smell, just trying to rest a bit and recover my strength. I closed my eyes, but every time I did, I saw them... my Aunt Eva, and my mother, lying there, listless, empty... obedient. I saw the moment when the fire died in my mother’s eyes...

Damned useless failure, I thought at myself bitterly. Should have just left me alone inside my own mind... at least the two of them might have had a chance to DO something... to stop Aphrodite somehow. Not like me... hah. All I can do is run away... like a coward. Damn... I can’t handle this... no way... I should just stay down here with the rest of the shit...

I resisted the urge to cry. Not that I didn’t want to, mind you... but I was holding onto my sanity at this point by the thinnest of threads, and if I started sobbing I was pretty sure I’d never be able to stop again. And even though a small part of me argued it would all be easier—so much easier—to just surrender, to let myself be caught and swept back into the fold once again... it would be like a betrayal to their sacrifice to free me in the first place.

So I had to stay free, for their sake if not my own.

“I have to come up with something,” I told myself softly. “I need a plan... a strategy of some kind... an idea.”

Even though its useless. Damned failure... everything’s fucked up, all because of me...

“No,” I said, pushing the self-doubt back. “Can’t think that way. I screwed up... royally screwed up... but that doesn’t mean I can’t make it right somehow. If I can’t stop her from taking over the city myself, then I can warn someone... I can stop her from spreading her control any farther... and maybe hold her off long enough for the cavalry to ride into town.”

Fat chance. Still, hopeless optimism is better than sheer hopelessness.

Well, whatever plan I came up with, I’d need to get some rest. I was tired, hungry, exhausted, drained from overusing my powers... not to mention in danger of catching some kind of disease from my current environment. This was an okay place for a hiding spot... but I couldn’t stay here.

So... where do I go, then?

Turning my face upwards to the street, I reached out, listening as hard as I could... but it was quiet. Which means absolutely nothing. It MIGHT be empty and deserted topside... or my energy might be so drained that I can’t pick up what’s right above my head. Dammit... and of course the damned sewers themselves are so well constructed, unlike the rest of this quick-build high-rise city... everything that makes it a good hiding place also makes it impossible for me to know what’s going on above ground. Heh... my tax dollars at work...

At which point a crazy idea popped into my head. And crazy it was, the kind of idea that you generally discarded first, mentioned only to start the brainstorming process and get the ball rolling. But, without any other better ideas, that crazy idea became my game plan. With a sigh, I clicked on the small light on my belt, and began trudging my way through the sewers once more, hoping that my sense of direction, and my luck, both continued to hold.

The black cloaked man studied the chessboard for a long moment, before gesturing to left, causing a black bishop to slide forward, knocking over a white rook. Nodding to himself, he stood and walked away, moving seamlessly across the pitch black room to another smaller chessboard set up on a second table against a wall. Another nod, and small lamp hanging above it clicked on, illuminating the board. Not that he needed the light, of course... but in chess one needs to see clearly in order to determine every move, every angle, every counter. Closing his eyes for a moment, he sighed, relaxing his powerful mind, as the whole of reality flashed before him—past, present, and future—seeing what had been, what was happening, and what could be.

The images drained him, naturally. Omniscience was difficult, even for a god... and while he was powerful, he was not quite arrogant enough to make that claim. Yet. Nevertheless, he shook off his momentary fatigue, and turned his gaze outward to the chessboard before him. He frowned slightly, studying the pieces, overlaying again the people and occurrences in his vision. His hand moved towards the small white pawn at E6, then stopped. The White Knight had been taken several moves ago, leaving behind only a pawn along its line, and yet, pawn or not, it had advanced far, despite all odd, making its way nearly to the back row. The next move belonged to the pawn; would it advance forth once more, into enemy territory, putting itself once more in jeopardy? Or... would it take the safe route and stay put, let the Black Queen slip free behind its current line and sweep across the field, further advancing its forces?

Just as he moved to withdraw his hand, white pawn moved, sliding forward of its own account. The black cloaked man merely nodded once, then walked around the table, staring down at the board from the Black side. It seemed he had come to a decision after all. The pawn was advancing, making itself a target for annihilation... but the board still contained many pieces, and while the threat posed by that one simple pawn was dire, it was not immediately obvious. And it was now Black’s move, after all.

Still staring at the board with interest, he reached out with his right hand, grabbing the phone from its cradle, speaking into it immediately. “So, having troubles are we, my dear Venus?”

“Ghhhaaa... dammit, I hate when you do that, King. Why can’t you answer the phone like a normal person for a change?”

The cloaked msn smiled, remaining silent, until at last, the caller continued. “Okay, fine. If I have to state the obvious for you, yes, I have a slight situation. One of my slaves has slipped his leash and run off. Unusual, but it happens now and again... considering that he’d had help. Not that it matters much at this point with the entire city under my sway... but Parker isn’t just some average citizen on the loose. If he escapes the city and finds outside help—”

“Oh, well rest assured, my friend, that is not the case. The game has progressed far enough for me to see that much... and while he has retreated, rest assured, he will not run. He is still within the city.”

“Good. If that’s the case, then there’s nothing to worry about. My servants are looking for him as we speak... it’s only a matter of time until they find him then.”

The man glanced sidelong at the chessboard. “Perhaps, perhaps not. I see many possible outcomes for this encounter, Venus... and not all of them are to your advantage.”

“Wait a minute,” Venus interrupted. “When I first set my plans in motion you assured me that I would succeed, that the entire city would become mine.”

“And it has,” the cloaked man reminded her. “The past is set in stone, the present is poured concrete, solid but changeable, but the future... ah, the future is fluid... always moving, always changing. Never trust glimpses of the future, my dear... at best, it shows you what MIGHT BE, not what IS TO BE.” He sighed softly. “The best one can do is to manipulate the present, to shape the future in the way they wish it to be... to move the game in the direction you want by limiting the possible moves your opponent can make.”

“Can you PLEASE stop with the damned chess analogies for once and tell me straight out: will Super Sonic ruin my carefully laid plans and cause my downfall or not?”

The corner of the man’s mouth twisted into a wry smirk. “Yes and no. Theatrics aside, Venus, it all depends on YOUR actions. He has one or two possible actions he can take now that he’s made up his mind to try and stop you. You know he’s coming after you, I’ve told you as much. So its only a matter of figuring out how you are going to deal with him. Obviously, if you are in any way prepared, you should have little trouble stopping him. He is, after all, one man, and you control the entire city. However, if you don’t—”

“You’re right,” Venus cut in. “I do have the entire city at my disposal... the citizens, the police force, even the supers living here. And he is one man, all alone, all by himself.” She laughed. “To think I was concerned about him being a threat to me! Fine then... let him come after me. I’ll be ready and waiting.”

The cloaked man held his tongue. There was, of course, more to consider than the fact that her adversary was alone and outnumbered. Still, it was not his job to sway her or guide her actions. He could only warn her to the possibilities and let her decide on her own. They were colleagues, friends of a sort... but this was not HIS game. It was not his place to guide her by the hand.

Besides, friend or not, her failure only benefited his own designs, after all.

Wishing her well on her endeavor, the cloaked man hung up the phone, returning it to its place. He glanced back again at the chessboard, curious. Dominating most of the field, Black had a myriad number of moves available. With most of White’s power pieces taken, its King was extremely vulnerable. The single white pawn left near the back lines was a nuisance, in position to remove Black’s bishop, or be removed by that bishop itself. And yet, as he watched, the Black Queen herself moved, sliding down the line, taking out White’s remaining Rook, leaving the White King defenseless and in danger of checkmate in two moves.

“Ah... this is the endgame,” he mused, rubbing his hands lightly. “Checkmate in two... but for which side?” Intrigued, he moved to a nearby chair to watch the rest of the game unfold...

It was nearly dawn when I crawled out from underneath a storm grate just outside the mayor’s mansion. Thankfully traffic was light; at this time of the morning, it SHOULD have been non-existent, but apparently the citywide search was still going on. Ducking behind a bush or two, staying out of sight, I made my way up the driveway, back around the house and into the backyard, to the pool. Most likely there was no one home, but just in case, I didn’t want to tip anyone off by having them smell me from a mile away. Stripping out of my clothes, I buried them deep inside the trashcan, then dove into the swimming pool.

“Gaaahhhh!” I blurted out underwater, nearly drowning. I’d expected the water to be relatively warm this time of the night, comparatively speaking, after all it was still technically summer. No such luck. Sputtering, shaking, gasping, I hit the surface, feeling much much cleaner, and slightly hypothermic. Crawling back out of the pool, I sighed deeply, rubbing myself to get some warmth back in me.

Okay... okay... well, if I’d had any qualms about breaking and entering the mayor’s house, its no longer an issue! Damn... I need to get a nice hot shower going before I freeze solid. Pulling the key from the doormat, I unlocked the back door, and disabled the alarm with the code Jen had given me when we’d started dating.

By now, I knew the layout of the mansion almost as well as I knew my own off campus apartment. Which was a good thing, because the sound of bare feet slapping lightly against hardwood floor was all the warning I received as Jasmine and Jennifer strode naked into the kitchen. I ducked into the small alcove next to the downstairs dumbwaiter, managing to squeeze in just before they walked past. I closed my eyes, holding my breath, willing them not to see me, not to turn around and look into the alcove.

“Whew,” Jasmine said, panting, “that was really something, don’t you think?”

“It certainly was, Jazz,” Jennifer replied likewise smiling. “Sometimes its hard to believe we weren’t always this close.” She moved to place an arm around her sister’s waist, and pull her close, but Jasmine pulled away.

“Now, now, sister,” she chided gently, “we came down here to grab a snack and take a break. We have to keep up our energy, after all. If you start kissing and nibbling on me again—”

“—we won’t get anything to eat,” Jennifer finished, staring hungrily at her sister, licking her lips. “Or rather, nothing nutritionally fulfilling, anyway.”

Jasmine giggled, shaking her head. “Well, one of us has to be this strong one, sister-love, or we’d spend every single moment fucking each other senseless.” Opening the fridge, she pulled out a few items, then paused, frowning, sniffing at the pizza box. “Ugh. Something stinks in here. I think maybe the pizza’s gone bad.” Shrugging, she pushed it aside.

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “The strong one, indeed! It’s YOUR fault we’re still up and awake at 4:45AM! I wanted to go to bed and cuddle after we finished watching Casino Royale, but noooooo... I reminded you that we still need to be up and dressed by noon tomorrow for the big presentation at City Hall, when our Goddess officially takes control of city away from father. And what did you say? ‘Oh, come on, sis, just a little fun, no more than an hour or two, we won’t stay up all night this time, I promise’.”

Jasmine, smirking wickedly, leaned forward, kissing her sister lightly on the lips. “Well, as the older sister, I thought you’d be able to keep me in line.”

Jennifer sighed lustfully, placing the container back onto the table, turning her attentions back towards her sister. “First of all, I’m only older by two minutes. Secondly, you know I can’t resist you, dearheart.” Leaning close, the twins dissolved into a heavy petting and kissing section.

I stood there in the alcove, only a few feet away, feeling a maelstrom of emotions run through me. I loved Jennifer, deeply, and seeing her make out with her sister left me feeling both extremely aroused, and strangely betrayed. She called her ‘dearheart’, I thought dimly. That was always my pet name for her. Moreover, I felt frustration at the food lying forgotten all over the counters, so near, and yet so far, reminded me of the fact that I was starving to death! And while the room was warm enough that I wasn’t freezing anymore, I was still naked and dripping wet, hiding just out of their line of sight in a small alcove.

I had to do something. My energy was gone, my reserves were depleted... but I could still use my subsonics. It wouldn’t have much ‘umph’ behind it, but with their current level of distraction, I could maybe, just maybe, worm a few suggestions into their subconscious minds, no enough to enslave them, but enough to keep them from paying me any attent—

“ACHOOO!!”

Ah, shit!

Both girls jerked apart, glancing around. “What the hell? Did you hear that?”

Jasmine nodded, circling around the counter. “Sounded like a sneeze. Someone’s in here with us!” Her hand flipped the light switch.

Thinking quickly, I did the only thing I could think of. ::Sleep!:: I projected with as much strength as I had left.

The light came on, illuminating me in my hiding place. I saw both girls turn in my direction, and I thought, Oh shit, I’m caught but to my surprise, both girls let out a soft sigh, slumping down where they stood, going into a deep deep sleep. I gasped, clutching my mouth to keep from making any sudden sounds and waking them up prematurely. It was several minutes later before I started to breath normally again.

Truth be told, I hadn’t known for sure if it would even work. I mean, their minds belonged to the Goddess, after all. I’d blurted out the sleep command mostly on impulse to save my skin... after all, if the girls had seen me before I’d put them under, then Venus Satore would have known instantly where I was. Luckily, both girls had slipped into slumber before sighting me in the alcove, so I’d dodged a bullet there. Still... damn, how much closer to the edge can I possibly come?

I stared at the two lovely girls, one of whom I loved, the other I hated, both of whom I wanted desperately to fuck. I was on my last legs, and fading fast, but I couldn’t just trust them to sleep until I was rested and recovered again. I turned back to the counter, and my hunger won out. I devoured a few hoagies, and a third of cold pizza before I turned my attention back to the girls again.

::Alright girls,:: I projected at them both, ::listen closely. You are both deep deep asleep right now, and you will remain so until I awaken you. In the meantime, when I snap my fingers, you will both open your eyes, and act as you do normally when awake, but remain deep deep asleep. You will follow my instructions completely; you will see what I tell you to see, feel what I tell you to feel, and do whatever I tell you to do. Finally, when I allow you to awaken, you will remember nothing that has occurred since coming into this kitchen tonight. All you will remember is kissing each other, then descending into an explosive lovemaking session, then falling asleep until morning. Nod if you understand.::

Both girls nodded, and again I breathe a sigh of relief. ::Good. Very good. Now, when I snap my fingers you will open your eyes, and act normally, as if you were awake. Um... and when you look at me, you will see a strange man you don’t recognize, but that is the most handsome, sexy, masculine person you’ve ever laid eyes on.::

I added that last bit, just in case. Even though there were, for the moment, in my power, I couldn’t know just how much of them were was still Aphrodite’s puppet. If they recognized me for who I am, even asleep, even in trance, their Goddess might become aware if it too. Hopefully this would confuse them enough that Venus wouldn’t know what was going on even if she were watching through their eyes.

And as for the handsome, sexy, masculine part... well, if I’m going to take control of two young, beautiful, sexy women, I might as well make the most of it.

I snapped my fingers, and the girls jerked ‘awake’, looking around in apparent confusion, until their eyes landed on me. Their confusion was instantly replaced by obvious lust and arousal—both of them, which confused me for a moment until I remembered that Jasmine had been ‘remade’ like her sister, which apparently included a powerful attraction to the opposite sex! They stalked me, coming at me from both sides, hips swaying dramatically with each step. I began to feel light headed, and not from the lack of rest; I suddenly remembered the insidious sexual feedback loop caused by their arousal, and ordered them to freeze.

“Sorry girls,” I said, keeping my distance, even as my cock began to spring to life. “Maybe later. For now, I need to eat, bathe, and sleep, in that order. And as much as I’d love to play with you tonight, I think we all need to get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day for us all.”

“Well, that’s no fun,” one of the girls, Jasmine I think, pouted sexily. “I finally get the chance to be with a big, strapping man” yeah, definitely Jazz “and you won’t let me take advantage of it?”

“Oh, I know. What if we help you?” Jenn asked, licking her lips. “What if I fix you something to eat, Jazz runs you a hot bath, and we both take turns feeding you and bathing you? Then maybe we can all bed down together for the night. How’s that sound?”

Hmmm. Well, not exactly what I’d planned... hell, it was much better than what I’d planned. “Alright then. Jennifer, prepare me something to eat, and Jazz, prepare the shower for me. I believe you have a very large shower stall in the master bathroom upstairs. I’ll want fresh towels and a robe waiting for me afterwards, and if you do a good job bathing me, Jasmine, you’ll get to have me first.” Squealing eagerly, both girls went off to attend to their assigned duties. Myself, I took a leisurely stroll through the living room, standing in front of the patio window, glancing outside.

Nearly daylight. Damn. I don’t really have time for these distractions, as satisfying as they might be... I should just grab a quick snack and find someplace to sleep. Yeah... that’s what I should do.

Then, a moment later, Jennifer strolled by, carrying a small covered platter, her long blonde hair flowing behind her as she walked, her flawless perfect body undulating as she made her way gracefully up the stairs, pausing at the top to wink back at me, before moving to join her twin in the bathroom. And I thought, No, THAT is what I should do. Shaking off my weariness, I sprinted up the stairs after her.

Suffice it to say, I felt much much better as I made my way towards the assembly later the next morning. Or at least PHYSICALLY better. Sure, the odds were very much against me, there was a very good chance that Venus knew I was coming, that I was walking headlong into a trap. But, well, its hard to feel apprehensive after the best damned night of your life.

I mean, most guys would kill to be with twins, let alone submissive, sex-crazed, mind-blanked twins. Until last night, I’d have said nothing would ever match bedding a horny, freaky female werewolf in heat. Speaking of which, I used a little trick from that session to help me manage both sexy strumpets: pumping up the stereo volume while we fucked helped restore my waning energy reserves just as much as the food. When we finally settled down to sleep, I moved to the downstairs entertainment room, pulled the surround-sound speakers next to the couch, switched on some music, and drifted off to sleep. The end result was that I stood on the corner of Main Street, just across from the newly restored City Hall building, feeling a little nervous, but otherwise fully recharged, mentally as well as physically.

I might not win this battle, but at least I’m as prepared as I can possibly be, under the circumstances.

As the police continued to take their positions, keeping the crowds back to a reasonable distance for the ceremony about to commence, I took a deep breath, pulled my cap over my head, and stepped out from my hiding spot in the alleyway. “Here, now, people, step back, step back, let’s keep this area clear now,” I said in my most authoritative voice, hoping I looked convincing in the policeman’s uniform I’d purloined earlier this morning.

My luck was holding; the crowd obeyed my commands, albeit reluctantly, each person no doubt wanting to get their first view of their ‘Most Exalted Goddess’ in person. Taking my lead from the other police, I worked on keeping everything civil and orderly, keeping my head down, trying not to stand out or attract undue attention from the real cops. If things worked as I hoped, I’d have a window of about thirty seconds in which to make my move before the entire city rushed me. I glanced at my watch—11:52AM. Almost noon. C’mon, Parker, stay cool. It’s nearly time. All you have to do is relax for a few more minutes... and when the time to strike comes, strike.

A shadow fluttered by from overhead, and I glanced upwards. Eyes widening, I glanced straight ahead, trying not to sweat. Ah, shit. Shit. Should have expected Avenging Angel and Seraph to be patrolling from the air. Dammit... both of them have better vision that a hawk wearing glasses... I just have to hope she didn’t see my face.

The sound of cheering nearby caught my attention, and I glanced left. The procession had finally reached main street. Taking a breath, forcing myself calm, I turned back to the crowd, admonishing several overeager youngsters trying to push past the barricade to catch a glimpse. Still playing my part, sticking to my role... biding my time.

A few minutes later, they came into view. Two very familiar faces, Ultra Girl and Red Flame, were walking in front of a slow moving white limousine, flanked on each side by several policemen, among them Lieutenant Steele. Two more supers brought up the rear, Seraph and—

Oh God. Shinobi.

Veronica.

I almost lost my composure right then and there. Almost. Barely recovered from her last entanglement with the dark forces trying to take over River City, Roni strode forth proudly behind the car, clad in her dark ninja gear and sword, looking every bit the formidable bodyguard and consummate warrior. I knew the truth, however—that she was still frail and worn, that her body hadn’t had enough time yet to recover fully, that she was nowhere near as strong as she was pretending to be. It was, in a way, both a blessing and a curse, having her be one of Venus’ bodyguards. If things went sour, she would be the one who reacted the fastest, the one to put herself directly between me and my target. In her weakened state, my chances of besting her were at least fifty-fifty, which was good for me.

But... could I really hurt Roni... after all that she’d been through? It was one thing to hit her with everything I had the first time we fought... but now.

If I’m not careful, I could easily kill her. I mean, she’s Venus’ puppet, she’ll try and kill me... but can I do it? Can I kill someone... even if it means saving the city, and the rest of the world from falling under Aphrodite’s power? Is one life worth an entire city... an entire planet? And... what does that make me, if I do it? What does that make me if I don’t?

Why does this shit keep getting more and more complicated?

The car moved steadily forward, the crowd cheering loudly as the limo came into view. The windows were tinted, and up, but you could see a feminine face smiling serenely next to two other passengers as it passed by. Time was up. They were in position now. It was time to strike. The idea had been to hit them fast and hard, from the cover of the crowd, and escape with Venus before anyone could react fast enough to stop me... but staring at Roni’s lovely form sweating, seeing her breathing hard with the effort of merely walking, I called an audible and change plays on the fly.

Which was probably a good thing, because at that instant, Roni stopped, and turned, looking me directly in the eyes.

Well, no time for subtlety now. Just cross my fingers... and hope I don’t kill everyone within a 10 mile radius.

Before she could move, I used my weapon of last resort. I opened my mouth and screamed. Loudly. VERY LOUDLY. And very, very high.

Y’see, sound energy is a very useful tool, as well as a weapon. I used my sonic blasts pretty regularly, and on occasion I let loose with my Sonic Boom as well, like I’d done saving everyone from the bomb blast the month before. I sometimes used it for sonar, to help find things hidden by the naked eye. I even used my subsonics to entrance and subvert the occasional bad guy—and recently, good guy as well. In all this, I worked with and manipulated sound in the very low, to very high, super sonic, range... but now I was going beyond.

I let out a shriek, going hypersonic, feeling my body begin to tingle lightly. I was going for broke with this approach, counting on the signal to knock everyone in the area unconscious without liquefying their brains. According to my college level psychics book, the margin of error was relatively wide, all things considered... but considering it was my very first attempt... well...

The crowd let out a collective groan, grimacing as if in pain, then slipped to the pavement like a bunch of human-sized dominoes. Waiting until the entire crowd had fallen, I stepped forward, making my way over and around bodies, my heart thudding hard in my chest as I knelt down to examine one of the fallen. Pulse, normal. Breathing, a little shallow, but good. No bleeding... good. If their brains exploded, there should be blood, or something coming from their noses and mouths. They’re alive... unconscious, but alive.

I think... it worked.

Moving quickly, I opened the door to the limousine. “Alright, Aphrodite, you’re coming with... with... fuck...” Inside the limousine, the mayor and his two twin daughters lay unconscious, sprawled against the leather seats. I stood there for several minutes, stunned, just trying to understand how it had happened, how I’d been tricked. There was no way she could have had time to make a substitution in mid-procession, while they were rolling, even if Angela had spotted me from the air and informed Venus I was there. And on the off-chance that she had been present inside their heads while I was with the twins, I’d kept my plans completely hidden from them, and left long before they’d awakened that morning. So even if she’d known I would be there, there was no way she could have known when or where I’d strike beforehand—

Except that she HAD known beforehand. Which meant that she’d known EXACRLY what was going to happen here all along, and had planned for it.

::Very good, nephew, dear,:: Aunt Eva’s voice spoke in my head just as the main door to city hall opened. ::You figured it out. Your mother and I told the Goddess you were exceptionally bright as well as resourceful.:: I turned to see my nemesis standing there in all of her glory, with my mother and Aunt Eva at her sides, Stonewall behind her, and a relatively new recruit, the Scarlet Dynamo, standing right in front of her. For an instant, an image flashed in my mind: a chessboard, with a large Black Queen surrounded on four sides by other pieces... but the vision fades just as quickly as it had come.

“So, Parker, dear,” Venus Satore said with a sneer. “What now?”

The imagery wasn’t lost on me, however. I had been a pawn in this sick little game of hers the moment I first met the mayor and his two daughters, and now the endgame had come. Tossing away the police cap, I unbuttoned the jacket, tossing it aside, revealing my red costume underneath. I slid off the shoes and pants as well, then pulled my cowl up over my head. Tapping the controls on my belt, I activated the iPOD system hidden in my insulated suit, starting a song, sending a deep, throbbing, pulsing signal throughout my entire body. Godsmack. Interesting choice... Alright. So be it.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then turned to face my opponents. “Bring it,” I said simply, raising my fists.