The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Again.”

Constance Yamanohana panted slightly, groaning inwardly. Her head hurt, her arm throbbed from the healing bullet wound of days before, and her frustration was nearing its peak. This woman is a fucking slave driver! she thought dimly, gathering her psychic essence, preparing to strike yet again, which, considering my lifestyle, one would THINK would be a good thing. But this bitch makes Nigel Grimalde on his worst day seem like a breath of fresh air.

“Quit stalling, Constance,” Evangeline Snow prompted, tapping a white high heeled pump idly, waiting. “I’ve told you this a few hundred times now. Don’t try and THINK about how to do it. Just do it. Relax and let your instincts guide you.”

“Hnnnyaaa!” Connie yelled, lashing out with all her remaining strength, only to feel her assault deflected, slamming into Eva’s shields and bouncing away harmlessly, making not even the slightest dent. “Goddammit!” she yelled in frustration, sagging down into her seat. “This is STUPID! You’re WAY stronger than I am! This is pointless! I’m never going to be able to beat your defenses! It’s just a waste of time!” She turned away, the anger and frustration of the exercise nearly bringing her to tears. She hadn’t wanted to do this, not really... didn’t think she NEEDED ‘training’ at all, and was perfectly comfortable staying the ‘ace’ hidden in Nigel’s sleeve, but no... she’d just had to go an volunteer, saying that if nothing else, she needed to know how to defend herself better. And Nigel and Patricia and Angela, and Robbie and Justine. And true, she had, deep down, always wished she could have had someone to mentor her, guide her in the use of her powers.

She’d just never imagined it would be so goddamn fucking frustrating!!!

“Okay, okay, time out,” Eva said with a sigh, coming up next to her. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetie,” she said gently, with sympathy, hugging the tear-wracked girl. “I’m sorry. I sometimes forget that you’re starting this completely from scratch. You learned everything else so quickly over the past few days that I thought you’d pick this up easily as well.”

“Well, I’m not,” Connie shot back, angrily, reluctantly melting into the older woman’s embrace. The hot sexy blonde reminded her a lot of Delores, the last person who had taken on the job of mentoring her... older but in very good shape and a smoldering sex appeal. She sighed. “Defense I get. Creating shields, being able to block and deflect mental attacks, protecting my inner self from attacks that overwhelm my shields... I got all of that. And the way you explained it makes sense. I mean I didn’t even come into my powers at all until I was in college. So what you told me about defense, it’s pretty much what I’ve been doing anyway for the past 5 years, just untrained. But going offensive, attacking someone else’s mind? It’s just not... I don’t get it. And anyway, I’m not strong enough to pierce anyone’s defenses, let alone YOURS. So... what’s the point?“

“Oh, child,” Eva said warmly, “it’s not ABOUT power. Yes, it’s helpful to be the strongest, to have the sheer brute strength to batter down someone’s shields... but the direct approach is rarely the best approach for psychics. First of all, you are much stronger than you think. You just need to focus and concentrate that power... to practice and hone your skills. A lot of your energy is wasted in flailing around.” She frowned, thinking for a moment. “Okay. Try this. Think of your power as a... a sword. So far you’ve been swinging it like a club, or a giant baseball bat, trying to hit one out of the park. Instead, think of it as a fencing blade... a long, narrow beam of steel, that you strike with quickly and deftly.”

“Like... a fencing sword?” Connie repeated dubiously.

“Yes,” Eva said, warming up to the subject. “Veronica Albinn’s psychic powers are actually weaker than yours, but in a psychic duel we would be just about even. She’s learned to manifest her psychic energy into a literal psychic blade, sharpened and tempered over decades of practice and training, able to cut through the strongest mental defenses like, well... a sword through paper.”

“Okay, well, that makes sense, I guess,” Constance admitted after a moment. “But how do I do that? How to I used my MIND like a blade?”

«Like this,» Eva responded, taking gentle hold of Connie’s mind, taking them both to the astral plane. Their spirit forms emerged, and Eva gestured lightly, her form shifting into an armored knight complete with broadsword. «Come on, love, now you try.» Connie focused her mind, concentrating, trying to replicate what she’d seen Eva do... and her form shifted into an armored female samurai holding a katana. Eva smiled.

«Perfect! Now, remember, we’re in spirit form right now. This is basically the physical manifestation of our mind, our psyche, our essence. To be able to affect me, you merely have to get past my shield,» she replied, holding up a literal shield, «and to affect you, I merely need to do the same.»

«Wait! That hardly seems fair!» Connie protested, glancing down at the small round buckler strapped to her arm. «You’re carrying a broadsword and a holding a foot long shield, and I’ve got a thin sword half the size of yours and a dinner plate strapped to my arm? How is that fair?!?» Eva merely rolled her eyes.

«Haven’t you been paying attention?» she demanded, charging suddenly, swinging her blade for Connie’s neck, causing the young girl to cry out and duck, retreating back several feet. «It’s not about strength,» she continued, pressing her attack, lashing out again, forcing Connie to defend. She cried out again, knocked back, her ‘dinner plate’ absorbing the attack, but just barely. «It’s not about power,» she growled, swinging again, as Connie brought up her own blade to defend herself this time, deflecting her blade. «It’s about finesse. Guile. Technique!» She lashed out again, and again, each time forcing Connie back, the poor girl barely holding her own, just barely able to defend herself from each attack before another rained down on her. Eva paused, sword raised, and smiled evilly.

«You’re never going to beat me in terms of sheer strength, Connie girl,» she said in a sickly sweet tone. «But again, it’s not about that. Come on... you’ve seen fencing matches before. You’ve seen how it works. You don’t HAVE to break my shield or wear me down until I give. If you can’t get THROUGH my shield, then go around it! In fencing, you only have to tag your opponent... just make contact! Again, you don’t have enough power to completely overwhelm your opponent with a single strike the way I can, but a few quick, well placed jabs in the right place accomplish the same thing. Now... stop defending and ATTACK ME!»

Eva launched another assault, this time without holding back. Connie, suddenly realizing the difference, stopped trying to defend herself, instead relying on her mental quickness, using the techniques Eva had taught her previously to evade instead, conserving her power and strength, letting the older woman swing and strike and lash out repeatedly, trying to make contact. Finally, just as she began to think it might never come, she saw it—an opening. Dodging Eva’s strike, she twisted sharply to the side, and lashed out with an attack of her own, scoring a hit on Eva’s unprotected flank.

«Gaaaahhhh!» Eva cried out, weakening, drawing back, raising her shield even as her sword arm dropped. Momentarily dazed, she shook her head, only to come back to herself with the sight of Connie’s blade against her throat. Eva blinked in surprise, then laughed, dropping her sword and shield in surrender. «Congratulations, love! I knew you could do it! And it wasn’t about strength or power, either. You held your own, playing the defensive game, until you saw your opening and struck true. That’s how you win.»

Connie gasped, opening her eyes, finding herself back in her own body again. She sagged, suddenly, feeling as if she’d just ran up every stair of the Empire State building AFTER doing a few thousand pushups. Eva caught her easily, a little concerned, but Connie merely gave her a grin. “I’m okay. Just... worn out. That was... intense.”

“For me, as well,” Eva admitted, grinning back. “And I have to say, even at your age, you’ve picked up on these lessons faster than I did as a child.” She sighed softly, “My grandmother taught Ana and I, and she wasn’t nearly as cheerful or understanding as I am. You think I’m a slave driver? Every time we failed a lesson, anything she managed to pierce our defenses, we would spend the rest of the day completely enthralled to her, helplessly serving her slightest whims, which tended to be anything but pleasant.” She shuddered slightly. “It was good motivation for not failing the same lesson twice, but suffice it to say, the day I finally managed to best her was the day Ana and I left home for good and never came back.”

Connie nodded softly. “Gee... and I thought I’d had it rough growing up.”

Eva giggled softly, the two of them sharing a laugh. “Well, I think we’re done for today. I want you to practice pushing your limits, trying to slip into people’s thoughts unaware—remember, a soft touch, like a spider web, just barely there—as well as distance training, seeing how far out you can establish contact. Those things should help build up your ‘mental muscles’ a bit...” She paused frowning slightly, her eyes out of focus for a moment. “But before I leave, I don’t suppose you have enough energy left for one more little test? Talking about my childhood, something just occurred to me.”

Connie shrugged. “I guess. I’m really wiped, but as long as it’s not TOO strenuous...”

Eva nodded slowly. “Don’t worry, I think you can handle it. First center yourself like I showed you... gather your energy but don’t focus it yet, just relax yourself completely.” Connie nodded, letting her eyes unfocus, drifting just a little. Eva waited for a few seconds, her own mind completely shielded and closed—she didn’t want the girl to see this coming. After a long moment, when she felt Connie was completely off guard, she activated her telekinetic power, sending the heavy wooden chair across the room streaking towards her.

“AAAHHHHHH!!” Connie screamed, closing her eyes, throwing up her hand in terror. Eva watched, fascinated, as the heavy oak chair slowed and wobbled for just a split second, her psychic grip on the object wrenched away... and the chair EXPLODED into a thousand fragments shattering like broken glass. Eva nodded serenely, shielding herself from the debris as it rained down, confirming her suspicions.

“Eva?!? What the FUCK was that? Did you just try to kill me?” she asked, eyes wide, backing up, gathering her meager psychic powers, wondering idly if all of this was somehow a trick to lull her into a false sense of security before revealing her true intent.

“Constance, it’s okay, it’s okay. Relax, sweetie... just relax,” she said calmly to the seriously shaken girl. “I’m sorry. That was terrible of me, I know... but I had to test my theory. And it would only work if you reacted instinctively, without knowing it was coming. But... it turns out I was right. I thought your aura seemed a little off when we were fighting in the astral plane.... off but somehow familiar. Constance, dear, you know how I’ve been telling you all this time that you’re a lot more powerful that you think you are? You just proved me right... and wrong. Your telepathy is always going to be fairly weak, I’m afraid... but that’s okay. It’s not actually your most dominant power. Your TRUE power, Connie, is psychokinesis. You’re like my sister Ana.... you’re telekinetic!”

“Telekinetic?!?” Connie gasped in wonder. “You mean... the chair exploding like that... I did that?”

“Indeed you did. Incidentally, up until the point where you disintegrated it, I had full control. I wasn’t going to let it actually hit you. I just wanted to scare you and see if your power would react. And it did, in a big way.” She sighed softly. “Once you’re fully trained and learn to use it properly, you’ll be the equal of any psychic out there. Unfortunately, my own telekinetic abilities are meager at best. I can help you hone your telepathy, but for your telekinesis... we’re going to need someone more qualified than myself to train you in that.” Sighing, she took out her cell phone.

“Wait, who are you calling?” Connie asked, curious.

“Hello? Hi, Ana, it’s your sister,” Eva said, smirking slightly. “Uh huh... you knew I was about to call? Yeah, it figures.” She rolled her eyes. Damned foresight. “So... what do you think about coming to visit for a few weeks?“

Hayabusha Mimiko scowled into the display on her tablet’s screen, sliding a delicate finger idly across the screen as she perused the several pages of information on the subject of their surveillance. The three other kunochi merely stood by, silent as always, observing. It was actually somewhat unnerving; ninja were, by definition, supposed to be silent and stealthy, but her three assistants seemed to take it to the next level. It’s all this new generation training, she mused. Oyabun-sama seems to have taken that recent bit of defiance personally, and made sure that these new jounin are completely one hundred percent loyal and obedient. Of course, it’s easy to be ‘loyal and obedient’ when your brain has been effectively turned off.

She glanced at the third member of her team, standing silently in the corner, watching her monitor with total devotion. Especially you, Sakura, she thought grimly. You were perfect, she thought of her year-mate and former rival. You had the strength, the speed, the skill, and the drive to succeed. You were on the path to becoming the Yakuza’s number one once Oyabun-sama eventually stepped down. You had it all... and you went and blew it with your personal vendetta against Misaki Reiko, the girl calling herself ‘Veronica Albinn’. You’d only had one task—capture the traitor and bring her back to Kyoto. But no... you had to get creative. You spent a few million dollars of the Yakuza’s money setting up the confrontation, just so you could challenge her to a duel... a duel you lost. In the end your failure was three-fold: you exposed our clan to notice from the authorities, you failed to capture your target, and you were defeated in battle. Any of the three would have earned a punishment, but all three, along with the injury to Mistress Fu Aki during the failed attempt, had earned you the most brutal punishment imaginable: reeducation.

Mimiko shuddered at the thought. She was a loyal member of the Hand, yes, having gone through the ‘training’ all shinobi received, but the idea of having her mind and will COMPLETELY stripped away, leaving her as an brainless obedient zombie? She took Sakura’s addition to her squad as an object lesson, just as Oyabun-sama had no doubt intended it to be: Failure is not an option. The reputation of her clan was at stake. They’d been hired to assassinate their target, and by their ancestors they would succeed or else!

Well, it’s not as if they’ve given us an cake-walk or anything, she thought in frustration. This Nigel Grimalde is better protected that the leaders of most countries! I’ve been going over his security for the past several days, trying to spot a loophole or deficiency I could use... but there are none! Between the sheer number of manpower and the high tech security, it’s impossible to get within a half-mile of his complex without him knowing. Forget trying to sneak in anything larger than a paperclip as a weapon—the test run we did a day ago proved that their new scanners can pick up damn near anything, no matter how well its hidden or disguised. It even identified Maki’s necklace as a possible garrote in disguise, which, of course, it was. No... the only real play here is to go with the infiltration plan I’d worked out as a backup.

Scrolling through the screen again, she stared at the image of the target she’d chosen. Hmmm. Yamanohana Constance. ‘Constance’... interesting name. One of her parents must be a gaijin, she thought, rolling her eyes. Still, the fact that she is Japanese will make it easier to impersonate her. Tapping a key, she played a recorded conversation of the young secretary talking, studying her voice, her mannerisms, her eye movements, every aspect of her being. Closing her eyes, Mimiko take a deep breath, letting her innate powers surface.

“Mr. Grimalde, Sir,” Constance’s voice uttered forth from Mimiko’s lips, “your three P.M. appointment has arrived.” She tilted her head idly to the side, perfectly mimicking the movement of the girl on the screen. She laughed, a soft cute giggle, just as the on-screen Constance did. Sighing, she rolled her eyes, sitting back, straightening her cloths primly, a veritable mirror image of the woman before her. Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes, disengaging, allowing her power to dissipate, reclaiming her own identity once again.

“Hmmm... not bad,” she said with a smirk. “And that was just a recording. Once I get a glimpse of the girl herself, I should be able to copy her so perfectly her own mother wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” She chuckled darkly, fingering the knife on her belt. And of course, Nigel Grimalde would NEVER suspect his personal secretary and trusted right hand of being the one sent to kill him. Best of all, as his personal assistant, she’s permitted to carry a gun and other weapons on her person, to protect him as needed. I won’t even have to try and smuggle a weapon onto the compound; with her identity I can carry them openly!

She sighed softly.Now, we just need to separate her from their entourage long enough to catch her unaware and capture her...

Nodding, she rewound the footage to study again. Too bad you lost your status, Sakura, she thought, giving her year-mate one last glance, but far be it for me not to take advantage. You had your shot. Now, it’s time for someone else to be number one! It’s time for Mimik to show her stuff!

“Bonnie?”

Sioban opened her eyes, yawning and stretching. She was in bed, lying naked atop her bed sheets where she’d lovingly fallen asleep next to Katie. Katie, however, was now fully dressed, sitting at Sioban’s desk, staring down at the folder in front of her. A frown marred her lovely face, despite the wonderful moment they’d just shared. Sitting up, Sioban propped her head up on his forearm. “Kitten? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Sioban,” Katie said slowly, still staring down at her folder. “I’m... I was...” She sighed heavily. “Bonnie, is there anything I could do that... that you would never forgive me for?” she asked hesitantly.

“Something I wouldn’t forgive you for?” Sioban repeated, sitting up fully now. “Katie, what’s this about? What do you mean? What did you do?“

The blonde heroine shook her head, finally looking over at her lover. “It’s nothing I’ve done. But I... I’m trying to do something. Something really good. But to do that, I have to do something... kind of... bad. Something that would maybe hurt some people...”

“Katie, baby, I don’t know what it is you’re asking me,” Sioban replied, padding over to her. “I think I’ve come to know you pretty well over the past several weeks. You’re a good girl, Kitten. You’d never willingly hurt anyone. And you always try and do the right thing.”

“I know,” Katie replied softly, glancing down again. “But... but what if in doing the right thing I end up hurting someone in the process. What if... in order to do something really, really important I had to hurt you?” She swallowed. “Would... would you ever be able to forgive me? Or... would you hate me for it?”

Strong, soft pale arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a comforting hug. “Baby, I could never hate you. Ever.” She sighed deeply, considering her words. “This thing you’re talking about... this ‘bad’ thing. Is it going to kill anyone?” Katie shook her head. “Will it hurt or injure any innocent people?” Again, Katie shook her head. “Then that’s your answer, sweetie. There’s a difference between doing something bad and doing something ‘evil’. Breaking a rule, or doing something a little naughty might be bad, but as long as there’s no ill intent behind it, as long as you’re doing it with the best of intentions, then it’s not evil.”

Katie sighed, snuggling against her, melting into her embrace. “Thank you for that, S’ban... really. You have no idea how that makes me feel. But still... I wonder if you’ll still feel that way... after...”

Sioban pulled back from her for a moment, glancing at her. “After what? Katie, baby, just what is it you’re worried about? What is it you’re planning?”

“Only what’s necessary,” Katie replied somberly. “Never mind. It’s not important right now, anyway. You’ve helped me enough for one night. Wanna go grab a quick shower and head out to eat?”

“Hang on, wait a second,” Sioban said, crossing her arms. “You can’t ask me something like this, something that has you so concerned, and then just change gears and leave me hanging without an explanation.” Leaning over, she reached for the folder, only to frown as Katie slid it out of reach, closing it. “Hey! What gives? I thought you wanted my help?”

“I did. I do.” Katie closed her eyes. “And you HAVE helped me. I wouldn’t have been able to plan out everything I did without the advice and options you laid out for me. And I think it’s going to all work out just as you diagrammed. But... I also know, Bon-bon, that if you knew what I was going to do, if you remembered everything you’d told me... you’d try and talk me out of it. You’d try and stop me. And... I can’t. I can’t let you do that.”

Sioban’s frown deepened, a line of worry flashing across her face. Remembered what I’d told her? What I helped her plan out? “Katie, sweetie,” she said gently, “you’re kind of starting to scare me a little. Baby, please... you have to tell me what this is all about—“

“Persona rescindo,” Katie stated in a clear voice.

Sioban gasped aloud, a slight shudder going through her naked form. Her eyelids fluttered gently before drooping to half-slits. “Mmmmm... ohhh, what was I saying?” she asked huskily, reaching up to caress and squeeze a heavy taunt breast.

“You were saying that you wanted me to take you back to bed,” Katie answered, grabbing the dazed redhead gently but firmly by the shoulders, leading her back to the bed, pushing her down flat on her back. “And then dominate you lovingly, teasingly, sensually, until you forget all about any silly questions you might have in that pretty little head of yours.” She leaned forward, kissing Bonnie deeply while deftly teasing her simmering wetness. “Isn’t that right, my little Bon-bon?”

“Ooohhhh! Ooooh yeesss, Mistress Supernova,” Sioban gasped, writhing erotically, as her hips began to buck. “Ahhhhh... please... Make your sweet bon-bon cuuummm...“

Katie grimaced inwardly, even as she brought her lover to the edge of climax. Sioban was her dearest friend, and her opinion meant the world to her. Subverting her will, taking advantage of her... it was all an important part of her plan to make the world a better place. But the guilt... even if Sioban forgave her for the betrayal, she doubted she would ever forgive herself. It has to be this way, she reminded herself, as she slid into bed next to her beloved. I’m only doing what’s necessary, Katie told herself again and again, even as she brought Bonnie to a mind-blowing climax...

Devon sighed deeply, staring straight ahead as the SUV made its way back towards their hotel, their temporary base of operations. Last night’s assault had worked out better than expected, and Ravenheart’s boss’s Intel had proven sound. With the slave trafficking raid at the warehouse last night, that was four of Serpentina’s operations they’d shut down so far. Between the info coming in from River City and Megan’s computer skills, they were effectively shutting down all of Serpentina’s operations. It was only a matter of time before the evil snake bitch came out of hiding to deal with them personally.

Still, she felt an uneasy disquiet. After more than a month on the road, she was seasoned enough that she’d stopped feeling like an outsider, and actually part of the team, even though her role in things remained primarily advisory. All the ‘heavy lifting’ was handled by Hugo, Rose, Julie and Tawnya, the latter pair done with a flair and enthusiasm that belied their age and experience. Ravenheart and Jette, it seemed, were every bit the dark skinned amazons they appeared, charging fearlessly headlong into each confrontation, taking down the armed assailants with apparent ease, enough that they even managed to impress Ghost Girl. “If we had a few more like those two on the team,” she’d said after last night’s mission, “this would be a piece of cake!” Which was a good thing, though it made Devon feel slightly jealous. It had taken Rose several weeks before she’d warmed up to HER after all!

And speaking of warming up... she glanced over at the dark haired teenager of the group, sitting across from her, staring pointedly out the window at the highway passing by. Still just as cold and aloof as always, she thought sadly. It’s been five days since she arrived, and she’s barely spoken ten words to me the entire time. Heck, even the little nerdy one with the glasses has been friendlier, and she as much as admitted that she was Jimmy’s ex. And I know it’s not that she’s just taciturn... she laughs and jokes with everybody else, even Ghost Girl. Hell, she even gives Hugo as good as she gets, even though it’s clear she has the good sense not to like him. So... why am I the only one getting the cold shoulder?

The SUV pulled to a stop back at their hotel, and the two of them got out. “Hugo and I will be back shortly,” Rose said from the driver’s seat. “I need to check in with HQ and coordinate and see if they have anything new for us, while Hugo handles resupplying. For now, just hang tight. We’ll be back soon, and with dinner.”

“You know, I could probably help with that if you want,” Tawnya piped up suddenly. “I could go fly out and grab dinner while you two are running errands... you know, to save time?”

Rose chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I appreciate the offer, T, but we’re fine. Just relax. You deserve a little down time. You youngsters sit tight. We’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah, great,” Tawnya mumbled as the SUV drove off, leaving the two of them alone. Stretching, yawning widely, she turned back to the hotel. “Well, I’m bushed, think I’ll go take a nap,” she said loudly, trudging back towards her room. Devon, however, wasn’t about to let the matter drop.

“Tawnya,” she said, reaching out to touch the girl’s shoulder, only to draw back as the Angel whirled around, her face pinched, her hands clenched into fists. “Hey! Take it easy! I’m not the enemy here, you know!”

“Oh, aren’t you?” Tawnya mumbled quietly, forcing herself to relax. Devon frowned, crossing her arms.

“Okay. That’s enough,” she snapped, angrily. “What is your deal? Ever since we met at the airport you’d been treating me like something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe! If you have a problem with me, then spit it out! What did I do to make you treat me like a damned leper?!?“

Tawnya blanched, backing up a step, her reaction instinctual, then cursed herself for showing a moment of weakness. Dammit! It’s not her! It’s not her! Get a damn grip on yourself! She’s just a regular girl, a college student... that happens to look like the goddess who made Brunhilda’s life an everlasting hell. Just calm down and relax... and breathe.

Devon, meanwhile, continued to glare at her, waiting for an answer, for some kind of response. Finally, she chuffed, turning away. “Fine. Be that way. All I wanted to do was have a conversation, but if that’s too much to ask, then I’ll just leave you in peace. Have a nice nap...”

Great. Now she thinks I’m an asshole. “Wait... Devon?” Tawnya said after a moment, running after her. “Look... you’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been acting like a real, um, ass. And... it’s not you, it’s me that’s the problem. It’s just... you remind me of someone, okay? Someone... who used to bully, err, ah, a friend of mine around, a long time ago. Hell, you could be her twin. And when I see you... all those bad feelings just come back to me with a vengeance.“

Devon blinked. I remind her of someone else? A bully? Huh. Well, I guess that explains why she was avoiding me, though I can’t imagine someone my size and shape bullying a living goddess like her! “Okay. I can accept that. But whoever it was that pissed you off, I’m not her, okay? We’re on the same team, working towards the same goal... the least we can do is to try and get along, okay?“

“Yeah... I suppose,” Tawnya mumbled back. The two of them stood there for a bit, neither quite knowing what else to say. The awkward silence seemed to stretch on forever, until Devon decided to change the subject.

“Look, this other person, this... bully. Do I seem that much like her? Personality wise, I mean?” Tawnya paused, considering. “I mean, was she smooth, coordinated, composed, self-assured? I’m sure as hell not. Frankly, I have no idea what I’m even doing here. Any minute I keep expecting to wake up here in this hotel room by myself... that Rose has finally gotten tired of babysitting me and that she and all of you will have left and gone on without me.” She shrugged. “I mean, I’m not all that useful. My visions helped a little... but it not as if I can even control them or anything! It’s all just random. All in all, I’m pretty much useless.”

Tawnya frowned. “Hey, now, I wouldn’t say that. Rose strikes me as the kind of woman that doesn’t suffer the company of fools or useless people. If you’re still here after all this time, then you must not be completely useless!”

Devon smiled slightly. “Thanks. That’s the first nice thing you’ve said to me since we met.”

Damn... telling her she’s not useless is the nicest thing I’ve said? I must have been more of a bitch to her than I thought.

“So, um, Tawnya, do you ever think about the future?”

Tawnya jerked slightly, caught off guard by the question. “The future? Hu... what... do you mean?” she asked, the question bringing back to mind her association to the Goddess of Future events, Skuld, and her uncanny resemblance to her. “Why did you ask that?”

“Oh, um, no reason,” Devon replied, slightly confused by the girl’s suddenly defensive tone. “I was just wondering... you’re in high school, right? A senior?”

Tawnya nodded, relaxing slightly. “Ye-yeah. Just finished up my senior year. Technically, I still have a week left of school, but my Ma... er, boss, he pulled a few strings and got the principal to let me take my exams early. That’s why I was able to spend the past couple of days here without worrying about my grades.” She smiled a bit at that, with pride. Despite the loss of her Nigel-implanted programming and her busy ‘night life’ as Ravenheart, she’d managed to maintain her studies. She’d graduate at the end of the year with straight A’s as she’d promised, though she’d slipped just a little at the end. Her scholarship to River City U was assured, and she would start in the fall with her ride fully paid for.

“Have you thought about what you want to study after high school?” Devon asked, curious. “And, um, yanno... does it have anything to do with your job as a heroine? I’m just curious... Jimmy has been studying to get his medical degree and plans to eventually become a doctor, to help people in and out of costume. I was just wondering if you had similar aspirations?”

Tawnya blushed slightly at that. “I, um... haven’t really decided on a specific area of study yet,” she said slowly, “but as far as career goals go, I want to become a pilot. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl,” she added, her blush deepening. “Maybe it’s not as... selfless as becoming a doctor or anything, but I’ll be able to focus more on helping people ‘in costume’ if I’m not splitting my focus on such a demanding career.” She chuckled. “A doctor huh? It figures... wouldn’t expect anything less from Jimmy Frasier...”

Devon frowned, bristling slightly at her tones. Huh. So she does know my Jimmy then. ‘Personal reasons’, hmmm? I guess I can’t really blame her for being into him though... I’ve only been with him that one time, and spent just a couple of days together, while she’s from his home town and probably grew up together. Shit... I’m not the jealous type, I’m really not... but fuck, how the hell can I compete with her?!? she thought furiously, giving the dark skinned diva a critical once-over.

“So, what about you?” Tawnya asked, bringing her out of her musings. “You’re in college, right? What are you studying?”

“Me? Um, nothing special... Business Administration, with a minor in Communications.” She sighed. “Just trying to cover my bases, I suppose, making sure I can get a job after college. It’s a real jungle out there in the job market right now.” She shook her head, sighing again. “And yet... now I wonder about that choice. I mean... I’m a Super now. I have powers... and a responsibility to use them, right? I’d always kind of pictured myself as a normal girl growing up, living a normal life, finding a good job, meeting Mr. Right,” she said with a grin, imagining Jimmy in that role, “and settling down... maybe having a few kids after a couple of years.”

She paused, frowning. “What about you? Do you have a ‘special someone’ in your life?”

Tawnya blushed furiously at the question, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t freak the young girl out. Me? Oh yes, actually. I’m currently in a polygamous relationship with a man three times my age, and his four other wives who are also all his devoted slaves, as well as a friendly amorous relationship with my partner and my best friend, both of whom are also deeply in love with each other. Yeah... that just rolls off the tongue.

Taking her momentary silence as guilt, Devon decided to press the issue. “Just how well do you know Jimmy?!?” she asked, surprised herself at the edge in her own voice. “I mean... did you two used to date or something? Megan admitted that she and Jimmy were ‘friends with benefits’, until he finally broke it off. Julie said he saved her life twice, and she’s here to return the favor. But, well, you never really said why you’re here... only that you had a ‘personal stake’ in this too.“

Ahhh! That’s it. That’s why she’s suddenly so defensive! Tawnya realized. She’s jealous! “Devon, relax. Jimmy and I aren’t an item, if that’s what you’re worried about. Hell, we’ve never even met! He’s two years older than me, and Jimmy graduated two years early, so I never even got to see him even though we went to the same school. His sister Katie and I are close friends, though, and the Frasiers and my, um, adopted family are pretty close...” At least we are now, thank goodness that stupid feud is all settled. “So when we heard you guys had narrowed down the search and had found where he’d been taken, my, ah, family volunteered me to help find him. Not that I objected or anything!“

“Ah, I see,” Devon replied, mollified. “Well, glad to have you aboard. Sorry if that came across a little snippy before,” she said with a shy grin. “I guess I’m feeling a bit... insecure, at the moment.” She sighed softly, wondering how she could possibly explain her connection with Jimmy, how they were literal soulmates, that he was the missing part of her, without it sounding stupid or cliché. And despite having shared so much of him over the past twenty years, we’re still just learning about each other. He’s been with other women, but he was my first. And now I meet all these incredibly hot sexy women from his life, and can’t help but compare myself to them...

“Well, trust me,” Tawnya replied with a smirk, giving her a friendly hug. “He might be a real hunk, but other than stealing his time to ‘geek out’ with him, talking about aeronautics, you have nothing to worry about from me. Trust me. I’ve got more than enough lovers back home to keep me busy.” She blinked, groaning inwardly. “Okay, that probably came out wrong. I just meant that, well... if anything, I’m more interested in his sister as a bedmate than him.“

Devon blinked, then nodded. “Ah. Okay. Cool. That works.” She sighed softly. “I suppose we should get back to the room with the others, huh? Rose and Hugo should be getting back soon, and I think Megan was planning to do some research into the nearby realty networks, to see if Serpentina owns any more property here in Austin.”

“Good idea, I suppose,” Tawnya admitted, “though I’d think that would have been one of the first things you guys would check on when you got into town.”

“We did,” Devon replied, opening the door to the room she shared with Rose, “but apparently Serpentina was smart enough not to use her own name in any officially accessed records. Everything she has here she obtained by proxy. The warehouses and holdings we’d been raiding before your team showed up so far, we found only because my visions pointed me in those directions. Still, Megan was confident that she could find a connection if she dug deep enough.”

“Visions, huh?” Tawnya mused, frowning slightly. “So... um... do you always see the future? And do these visions always come true?”

“Ah, um... well, yes and no,” she said after a moment. “Everything I see comes to pass. But the future is... tricky. It’s like staring at an optical illusion, you know, like the vase that is really two people in profile—you can see what’s there easily enough, but your interpretation isn’t always the way things really are.” She sighed softly. “I once saw myself shooting Jimmy, and him falling limply to the ground. I thought ‘Oh my god, I killed Jimmy—’”

“You bastards!” Tawnya interjected with a grin, only to blush at Devon’s glare. “Sorry. Too much South Park growing up. Um... you were saying?”

Rolling her eyes, grinning despite herself, she continued. “Anyway... I thought I’d killed him. I’d seen myself shoot him and saw him fall so I assumed he was dead. I tried to find a way to change the vision, to keep it from happening... but I got captured by Dr. Brooks, and had a mind control chip injected into the back of my head.” She grimaced at the memory. “Long story short, I shot Jimmy. Just like in my vision. And he fell, just like in my vision. But he wasn’t dead. He survived. And went on to rescue me and break Dr. Brooks’ control over me. The future I saw came to pass, I just interpreted what I saw the wrong way.” She sighed deeply. “All in all, I really kind of miss being ‘normal’. I used to wish I had super powers growing up, wanting to be a costumed heroine like I saw on the news. Now that I am one... not so much fun. Having powers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.“

Tawnya nodded. “Yeah, I can understand that.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t give me that,” Devon teased, “You’re like the epitome of ‘heroine’.”

“No, seriously! I wasn’t born with my powers either. I was ‘recruited’... granted my powers through a magical artifact passed down from heroine to heroine since the olden days.”

“Really?” asked Devon, intrigued, “So you weren’t always a six-foot-tall winged goddess?”

Tawnya paused, considering. “Well, I’ve always been kinda tall and athletic, but I never had superpowers until this year. I’m what’s known as a ‘Tearbearer’, because I hold one of two magical tears shed by an ancient demigoddess named Brunhilda at the moment of her death. The tears crystallized into gemstones. They held the last lingering bit of her powers... as well as her memories. As they’ve been passed down they’ve also retained the memories and wisdom of the Tearbearers that held the mantle before me. That’s why I was so gruff with you before, Devon. You look so very much like the Goddess that gave Brunhilda her powers, the one that used and abused her and the other Valkyries. That Goddess eventually drove her to kill herself rather than endure an eternity as Her obedient Angel of Death!“

She laughed bitterly. “In case it’s not suddenly clear to you, Brunhilda was my ‘friend’ who was ‘bullied’, and that Goddess was your ‘twin’, the ‘bully’ that looks just like you. You have to understand; I have Brunhilda’s actual memories inside my head. They’re so real, so strong—particularly the memories about her Mistress. A part of me feels like I’ve lived her life! Since the moment I saw you at the airport, I’ve been fighting the urge to either kneel before you and kiss your feet... or punch you in the face.”

Devon laughed, somewhat shakily, unnerved by such a revelation. “Well, luckily, I’m not this evil, wicked Goddess, so there’s nothing to worry about there... but of the two choices, I personally would have preferred the kneeling and kissing choice to having my face rearranged.” She sighed softly, taking in Tawnya’s words, feeling a strange sense of disquiet from them. No... that’s not quite right, she thought to herself. There’s more to the story that that. I never... she... Skuld... never meant for it to be that way... did I? She? Skuld...

“Skuld?” Devon whispered softly, catching Tawnya’s attention again. “The Goddess that Brunhilda served... her name was ‘Skuld’, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. And how did you know that?” Tawnya demanded, her suspicions returning.

“I did some reading up, actually,” she admitted after a moment. “Jimmy asked me what I knew about Norse mythology a while back, and I kind of blew it off at the time. I’ve never really had an interest in ancient history, or relics from the past. I’ve always been a child of the modern era, preferring computers to books, always having the latest iPhone, or iPad, whatever’s new and modern. But since he mentioned it... I dunno... it’s just kind of struck a chord with me, yanno? And Google isn’t exactly a wealth of knowledge on the subject, but I did find a few things.”

She turned and stared at Tawnya then, the strange feeling she’d felt inside her almost compelling her to speak. “I’m not this Goddess Skuld, Tawnya. I’m not her. I’m just a normal girl wanting to save her boyfriend from some crazy psychotic gangster before it’s too late. But... I am sorry. Sorry for what she did to you, or rather to this Brunhilda that you revere so much. It just... maybe I’m presuming too much, or just talking out of my ass... but it seems to me that there HAS to be more to it that that! She had to have had a reason for everything she did, or made her do, right?“

Tawnya scowled, crossing her arms. “Well, perhaps, but her High and Mighty God-ship didn’t see fit to share that knowledge with her or any of the other Valkyries. I mean... you can’t imagine some of the things she made them do!” She shuddered hard, a particularly vivid memory—broken bodies on a bloody battlefield, Brunhilda’s thought-voice mourning them, saying good men, every one—it swept over for a moment before she banished it away once more.

“You’re right. I can’t imagine,” Devon replied softly, placing a hand around the younger girl’s waist, hugging her. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like for her... or for you, a young sweet girl forced to live with and deal with those awful memories. But it just seems to me that an all-knowing, all-seeing Goddess that sees the future should have known what she was doing to her servants, and would have done something to prevent them from killing themselves if she could. Or... maybe she isn’t as all-knowing as you think she is. Maybe even goddesses make mistakes?“

Tawnya sighed, melting just a little into the older girl’s embrace. In truth, she and Nigel and the others had talked about that very issue briefly before she’d left on this trip. The revelation that Lacie Frasier, Omega Girl, was in reality one of those same Norn Goddesses had been a complete and total mind-fuck. And—not that she wasn’t a good person, and a great heroine—but she was hardly infallible or all-knowing. And, considering that she was currently powerless, you could hardly call her omnipotent, either.

Huh. I guess no one’s perfect then. Maybe when all this is over, and Katie’s brother is back safe and sound, I’ll go with Patricia and the others to Norway and visit the ‘homeland’ after all. I wasn’t so sure about facing a bunch of literal deities on their home turf... but maybe it won’t be so bad. And... I am kind of interested in seeing this shrine that Isabella chick mentioned...

Suddenly Devon gasped, shuddering violently in Tawnya’s arms. “Devon? What is it? What’s wrong?” The dark haired girl froze, going rigid, her eyes wide and sightless, staring at something only she could see. “Um, Dev? Honey? You’re kind of scaring me here,” Tawnya said, resisting the urge to freak out. Just as she was about to run across the hall to the other girl’s room and call for help, Devon gasped again, going limp in her arms. “Geez Louise, girl... you nearly gave me a heart attack! What the hell was that?”

“A vision,” she said, panting softly. “A big one. Tawnya... I finally found him. I’ve found Jimmy! I know where he is!”

“Really? Whoa... that’s... that’s great!” she said, grinning. “We should go tell the others right away!” She paused however, taking in Devon’s expression. “Um, okay, you don’t look very happy for someone who just found her lost boyfriend. What is it? What’s wrong? Is he...okay?”

“Y-yeah,” she said after a moment. “Well, no, not really. Jimmy’s in really bad shape, but he’s alive. He’ll pull through. I just... I saw part of the battle... saw what we’ll be facing when we get there. Outnumbered by a lot... but you and the others manage to make it through and reach him.” She sighed softly. “Tawnya... your reason for coming here? The real reason?” Tawnya started, glancing away. “When you said it was personal, you weren’t giving me the whole truth, were you? You want to take down Serpentina for more than just what she did to Jimmy, don’t you?“

Tawnya sighed heavily. “Huh. Guess you can’t fool a psychic, huh?” she admitted after a moment. “Okay, fine. Yes, I wanted to help rescue Jimmy Frasier. It’s the main reason I’m here. But... well, not the ONLY reason. Serpentina... she tried to take something... someone precious away from me. She hired a hitman, an assassin, to kill my boss, Nigel Grimalde, a man who’s like,” Tawnya paused, choking up a bit, “like a father to me. The hitman was after two members of my family,” she added with heat. And yes, Katie, you’re family now. “The guy she sent... he was a monster. A complete sociopath. He shot me and my Bonnie, err, Dragonfyre, and Katie...” and Connie... and Darryl “and... other... people I love... family and near-family. He would have shot and killed all of us if he’d had the chance. He was even going to kill Nigel’s kids... his kids!! What kind of a fucking monster does that?“

“Yeah, I know,” Devon said softly, pulling her into another hug. “And... you’re afraid that if you don’t stop her once and for all, she’d just try again. That she’ll send someone worse... that maybe they’ll get lucky and you’ll lose one of those people you care so much for.” Tawnya nodded, and Devon sighed wearily, shaking her head. “I know how you feel, T. I do. But... you can’t let your fear and anger get to you. I saw one more thing just now. I saw you, fighting Serpentina... saw you beat her. You made her surrender. You made her beg. But... it wasn’t good enough for you. In the end, you pulled a knife and put it to her throat...”

Tawnya gasped, going cold inside. “And... and then? Then what?”

“I don’t know,” Devon admitted. “The vision ends there. But Tawnya... you can’t do it. No matter how much she pushes you, or taunts you... you can’t kill her in cold blood.” She shook her head. “I don’t doubt that she deserves it. Hell, just from the flashes I’ve seen of her torturing Jimmy, I want to rip her apart with my bare hands. But you can’t go through with it, Tawnya.” She closed her eyes. “You can’t kill her. If you do... something terrible will happen.”

Tawnya simply nodded, saying nothing. Kill her? Yeah... the thought did cross my mind. From everything I’ve heard about this woman, she’s completely merciless, completely without empathy or feeling. I have no doubt that she’d send someone else after Nigel if she’s not stopped for good. But if I kill her... That outcome was awful to contemplate as well.

It was centuries since the last time a Tearbearer went rogue, killing the pirate who had raped her sister. Mary Smythe, Tawnya remembered. And her sister Esther had only been 12. When Mary had done the deed, her Tear, and her powers, had abandoned her immediately. The Tear Memories cut off at the point where she plunged the man’s own sword into his chest. No one knows what happened to her. Mary certainly hadn’t been on the pirate ship when it put in to port.

Tawnya sighed softly, considering, balancing her family versus her life as a heroine. I don’t know. Keeping Nigel alive... knowing that Robbie and Justine will grow up safe and sound without worry... it would be a small sacrifice. If push comes to shove.... maybe it would be worth it...