The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Kiss From A Rose

By J. Darksong & Gbrn32e

* * *

Ch.8) Heart and Soul

Diane and Mei glanced up as the door opened, and their visitors rushed into the room. “Where’s Jette?” Jimmy said without preamble. “Where is she? Is she here? And where are the others? Ruby? Sapphire? And Amber?”

The two girls glanced at one another. “Very good to see you this afternoon, Jimmy,” Mei said calmly, taking an extended drink of her tea before continuing, “but perhaps you’d care to explain what this is all about first before launching a barrage of questions at us?”

“Sorry, okay? There’s no time for pleasantries,” Jimmy growled. “There’s major trouble going on here. Are there here or not?”

“He’s... right...” Emily panted, stepping inside the mansion as well a few seconds later with Devon in tow. “Geez, you move really fast for a big guy,” she muttered. “We need to find Julie and the others, right away!”

“They’re all in the practice room,” Diane stated, getting to her feet. “Julie, Stephanie and Amber, they’re all training together. Now, can one of you explain what is going on here?”

“Later,” Jimmy said, sprinting off towards the practice room.

“Did either of you catch the news broadcast on the EBS a few minutes ago?” Devon asked, having caught her breath. “Some insane witch calling herself Goddess Aphrodite has taken over a number of Supers, and is trying to expand her reach. We have reason to believe she’s converted Julie as well... and is planning to use her to convert others as well.”

“N-no,” Mei replied, stunned. “We’ve been relaxing here for the past half hour after completing out own practice session. But, what did you mean about ‘converting’? How bad is the situation?”

“We don’t know,” Emily admitted, heading down the halls towards the training room as well. “But I think we’re about to see.”

* * *

Nigel glanced up, pulling his phone from his pocket, frowning at the contact number. “It’s me. What is it?” he asked, expecting to hear from his staff secretary at GrimTech, reporting on yet another problem. The face and voice that greeted him, however, caught him off guard. “Satore? What the devil... how did you get this number?” he growled.

“Oh, it wasn’t that difficult,” Satore admitted with a shrug. “Your company contact list of public knowledge after all. And after chatting with your lovely secretary for a while, she was happy to forward your private number to me.” She sighed softly. “And just to be clear, I put in all this effort to speak to you directly. You... not your old pal Eugene Frasier.”

“Really? Well color me flattered,” Nigel replied dryly. “And to think, after all that time spent talking to Eugene and Parker, I doubted you even realized I existed at all.”

Venus chuckled darkly. “Oh, I’m very much aware of you, Nigel Grimalde,” she replied. “I’ve been acutely aware of you for most of my life. And just because I’ve never been in the position to confront you like this before, make no mistake, you’ve been never been far from my thoughts.”

Nigel’s scowl deepened. “Great. Not only are you a perverted sex fiend with delusions of grandeur, you’re also a stalker.”

“Hmph. Joke all you want,” she replied stiffly, “but mark my words. Once I have settled things with Parker Albinn and solidified my hold in River City, I intend to focus all my attention on you. It’s been a long time coming... but I’ll get my revenge!”

Nigel blinked in confusion. “Revenge? Are you speaking in riddles, or are you simply deranged? I’ve never met you before in my life. How can you be seeking revenge against me?”

“Oh? Are you claiming to be an innocent soul, is that it?” Venus snapped, her anger showing clearly now. “You don’t have any skeletons in your closets, anything in your past that you should be ashamed of?” Nigel stiffened. “Tell me, Grimalde... do you by chance remember a young woman named Natalie Townsend? She was a criminal... a thief of some repute.”

“Now that you mention it, the name does sound vaguely familiar,” Nigel said slowly. “She tried to steal from me, but was caught. I had my boys rough her up a bit, then toss her out on her ear. Why? Was she a relative or something? Are you holding a grudge for my having her beaten?”

“No! For not finishing the job and having her killed outright!” Venus yelled back.

“What?”

“Natalie had a partner named Mila Satore that worked on that job with her. When things went south, she cut and ran, leaving Natalie to get caught. And naturally, she decided to take it out on her former partner in the most brutal and sadistic way possible.” Venus fought for a moment to regain her composure. “So, Nigel Grimalde, thanks to you, I lost my mother to a violent crime that went essentially unpunished... that made me the woman I am today. How’s that feel, Mr. Moral Highground?” she sneered at him, “to know that everything that happened to your precious Patricia was set in motion by your own unthinking actions back before you ever met her?”

Nigel, for once, was visibly shaken, the same thought occurring to him as well. “I... you can’t... look, I never claimed to have the moral high ground,” he murmured, “and while I do feel sympathy for what happened to your mom, you have to know there’s no way I could have predicted what would happen to your mother based on what I did to some random thief that tried to steal from me fifty years ago!”

“Do you think I care about your excuses?” Venus shot back. “It doesn’t matter if you MEANT for it to happen or not, the fact of the matter is that it did! You could have let Natalie off, just tossed her out as a warning... or you could have had her arrested. You could have even had her killed. But you didn’t choose any of those choices. Instead you chose to deal out the maximum amount of pain to the girl then let her live, choosing to make her suffer longer, both physically and emotionally. Well, good job. Lesson learned! And thus the reason for this phone call. I want YOU to suffer now, Grimalde... to feel the same pain and anguish that thief felt, that my mom felt, and that I now feel!” She sighed softly, a slow smile creasing her face. “My one small regret in this is not being able to be there in person when you share this new with your friends. Hah! I can just imagine the looks on your ‘best pal’ Eugene’s face, or on Parker’s, when the find out that you are the source of all of this. And I’d just LOVE to know what you plan to tell your beloved Angie and Patty about your connection to the woman who tormented them all those years ago.”

Nigel’s response was a stone cold silence. “Hmm? Nothing to say, Grimalde? Pity. From what I gathered, you were the kind of man that loved having the last word. But I guess there’s really not much more to say, is there?”

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Nigel nodded once. “You’re right. There isn’t.” With that, he hung up the phone, yanking out the battery and tossing it aside to the floor. Then he moved to desk and sat down, heavily, to think and contemplate about this new revelation... and what exactly he was going to tell everyone...

* * *

“So, this is River City,” Chloe mused as they made their way out of the airport, glancing around. “It’s kind of nice. A lot quieter than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, it is pretty quiet. Too quiet, actually,” Rosella replied, considering. “So... you’ve never been here before? I mean... before... you know...”

“No, never,” Chloe admitted with a sigh, “though I really wanted to. I just... you know, never got around to it.” She glanced up as they walked past several people, and frowned. “So... you’re thinking this is a set up of some kind? We both saw that EBS broadcast on the plane, and we’ve passed at least two policemen since leaving the plane. You’d think someone would have approached us by now.”

“Maybe not,” Rosella replied. “After all, Parker wants this confrontation. He probably spread the word for everyone to leave us alone.”

“Look but don’t touch,” Chloe nodded in agreement. “That explains the unwanted ‘shadow’ following us discretely at a distance,” she murmured. “So... what do we do now?”

Rosella blinked in surprise. “You’re asking me?” Chloe merely nodded.

“You’re not my kid sidekick anymore, Je... um, Rosella,” she reminded her. “You’ve spent the last twenty years doing this kind of thing on a regular basis while I’ve spent the last two decades trying to master coloring within the lines.” She shrugged. “I have no problem following your lead, Rosella. Just tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll do the best I can to help you.”

“Thanks,” she said sincerely, giving her friend a smile. “That really means a lot.” Taking a deep breath, she focused back on the job at hand. “I think we should go directly to his house. I don’t see any reason in trying to hide or sneak around. Judging by the spies tailing us, he obviously knows we’re here. And he’s already made it clear that he’s done hiding from us.” She sighed. “Frankly, the sooner we get this over and done with, the better. Once Abinn’s taken care of, I can introduce you to our Goddess, and you can finally meet her face to face.”

Chloe grinned. “Well, it’s not as if I needed the extra motivation,” she replied, “but sure, let’s do it! Besides, the more time we waste waiting around, the more time he’ll have to come up with a bunch of surprises for us. We’re already on his home turf—let’s not give him any more advantages that we don’t have to.”

“My thoughts exactly. So... are you ready?” she asked, holding out her hand.

“Ready when you are, Rosella.” Chloe answered back, taking the offered hand in her own. In the blink of an eye, the two once-heroines disappeared, vanishing from sight. Several yards away, a nondescript man in a blue shirt and grey warm up pants and sunglasses cursed lightly, tapping his earpiece.

“Yes, sir. It’s Davis,” the man sighed wearily. “Yes... yes, they vanished, just as you predicted.” He frowned slightly. “No, sir, just two of them. Agent Contreras and another girl, a blonde.” He listened for a moment more, nodding. “Very well, sir, if you insist. How long do you want us to wait?” He nodded again. “Will do. And to be clear, we’re not to approach or detain, just radio any sightings, correct?” He listened, nodding again. “Very well. Davis out.” Sighing softly, he turned and walked back towards the airport terminal to keep watch for any other unwanted visitors to his city...

* * *

Jimmy skidded to a halt as he entered the Gems’ training room. The three occupants glanced up in alarm as his sudden entrance, and Jimmy’s expression darkened. Stephanie was currently being held tight, wrapped up to her neck in a shiny yellow cocoon with only her face showing. Amber and Julie both stood off to the side, facing one another, both within striking distance of their captured comrade.

Damn... should have waited for Dev. Not sure what to do here... looks like they captured Stephanie, but has she been converted her already, or were they just about to? And is Amber in on it as well, or does she think this is all just part of their ‘training’? Shit... I guess there’s only one way to really be sure...

“Jimmy? What is it? What’s wrong?” Julie asked, walking over to meet him. “Something going on? Are we under attack?”

“No, no, well, not really,” he said, awkwardly, preparing himself mentally, “I just needed to tell you something important.”

“Um, okay. What is it?”

“That Venus Satore is a goddamn butt-ugliest fucking whore that has ever li—”

The impact of Jimmy slamming into the far wall left a huge imprint, denting and twisting the metal, and leaving the hero slightly dazed. “Son of a bitch,” he grumbled, shaking his head as Jette, furious beyond reason, charged at him again. “Sometimes I really hate being right...”

“Heathen!” Jette screamed, swinging wildly, causing Jimmy to duck and dodge rapidly. “Blasphemer! How DARE you say such lies about my Goddess! I should rip your goddamn head off and stuff it up your ass!”

Ah, yes, always so poetic, my dear Julie, Jimmy thought as he managed to duck and slip behind the dark skinned warrior. Sweeping in, he locked his arms up behind hers, trapping her in a headlock, pinning her. “Easy, Julie... just calm down, okay?” he said gently. “I know you’re pissed. But this is for your own good. You’re being controlled.” He grunted as her struggles increased. “Settle down, Jette. You’re not breaking out of this. You’re strong, but you’re not in my lea—aaaaahhhhhh!” Stunned, Jimmy stumbled back, clutching his nose where Julie, having broken his hold, had elbowed him. The dark skinned vixen merely grinned at him.

“Out of your league? Huh... maybe before,” she said, cracking her knuckles. “But through my Goddess’ power, I’m more than a match for you.” She charged at him, only to feint as he dodged to the left, kicking out instead, catching him in the side. Taking advantage, she grabbed him, pulling the taller hero into an embrace, grinning at him as they found their roles suddenly reversed. “Hey, handsome,” she teased him evilly, her face inches away from his own. “Bet you’re sorry for that crack you made about my Goddess now, aren’t you? But you’re in luck. Goddess Aphrodite is a forgiving deity. In fact... right now She thinks we should kiss and make up.” She grinned, puckering up, as she leant forward. “I’ll bet after this, you’ll see things a lot clearer.”

«Don’t.»

Julie gasped, wide-eyed, a shudder running through her as she felt an icy prickle run down her spine. Glancing up, she saw what looked like Devon standing just behind them, clad in a pale cream colored robe with gold inlay. She was staring directly at her, straight into her eyes. And though her mouth never moved, she could hear her voice clearly, inside her head:

«He’s MINE. Don’t even THINK of trying to take him,» her voice warned, «or you’ll spend the rest of eternity in torment so great being allowed to die and go to the lowest circle of Hell would seem like a blessing.»

“F-f-fuck!” Jette sputtered, releasing her hold, shuddering, stumbling back in wide-eyed in horror. Glancing around, she found Devon gone, as if she’d never been there at all. What the fucking HELL was that? Was that really Dev? No... no way. That was someone... someTHING else entirely. Whatever that was... for just a second, it felt like I was standing at the edge of a great bottomless pit about to be pushed in... and I think even my Goddess felt that and shuddered!

Jimmy, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, recovered, and grabbed Jette, this time pulling her into a blatant choke hold, locking an arm around her head and neck, pressing tightly. ”Okay then... time for plan B,” he grunted, wincing as the girl in his arms struggled wildly, kicking and lashing out. ”I choke you out until you pass out then slap a damn neutralization collar around your neck.”

“Hey! Jimmy! Get off her!” Amber yelled, rushing over as well, just as Emily entered. “Em, baby, perfect timing! Come on, baby, you have to help me,” she said pointing at the struggling duo, “he just burst in all of a sudden and went crazy! We’ve got to stop him!”

“Wait, Amber,” Emily said, stepping in front of her fiancé, “there’s more going on here than you realize. We think Julie may have been... well, brainwashed, by this person calling herself the Goddess Aphrodite. Jimmy’s just trying to subdue her—”

“Subdue her? You mean beat her to a pulp!” Amber spat back, scowling. “Julie is our friend and our teammate. I know Jimmy is a good guy and all... but really? Brainwashed by a Greek Goddess? Do you know how crazy that sounds?” Her eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle smile crinkling her lips. “And... really... isn’t possible that he’s mistaken... that he’s wrong about Jette?”

Emily blinked, frowning slightly. “No... no, not really. I mean, there was this news broadcast, and—”

“But maybe, the news broadcast was wrong, too,” Amber cut in, her eyes shining. She ran a hand lightly along her fiancé’s chin. “Think about it, sweetie. Julie is our friend. There’s no way she’d try to hurt us. In fact,” she said, leaning forward, staring deeply into her girlfriend’s eyes, “the only one who has ever hurt is has been Jimmy. Remember? Jimmy is the enemy. Jette is our friend. And we have to help our friend...”

“Have to... help... our friend...” Emily said blankly, eyes glazing over slightly as she stared into her lover’s face. “No... wait...” she said, blinking, shaking her head, even as she continued to stare into Amber’s deep magnetic gaze. “That... that’s not... Jimmy is our... our friend...” she protested weakly, only to fall silent as Amber placed a finger gently against her lips.

“Jimmy is the enemy, baby,” Amber insisted, licking her lips slightly, moving her face even closer to Emily’s. “Say it for me, sweetie. ‘Jimmy is the enemy’.”

“Jimmy... is... the... the enemy,” Emily repeated back, her resistance slowly eroding under the onslaught. She knew something was happening, that the words she was saying was wrong, but it felt so good to agree with Amber... it made the orange haired girl smile, and Amber’s smile caused her thighs to clench, and her breath to catch. “Jimmy... is the enemy,” she repeated again, feeling her arousal spike as Amber’s smile widened.

“Good girl, baby,” Amber cooed softly, cupping Emily’s face gently, “very good. Now, I just need to do one little thing for me, okay?” Sliding deftly out of Emily’s view, she turned the entranced girl towards Jimmy and Julie. “I need you to help our friend Julie... by using your powers on Jimmy. Remember... he is the enemy. Blast him, Emily... blast our enemy and help our friend Julie...”

“Enemy... have to... blast our... enemy,” Emily said softly, her hands beginning to glow. “Need to help Julie... help my friend...”

“Emerald! Stop!” Diamond shouted, stepping in just before her teammate could fire. Pearl and Devon grabbed Amber, holding on tightly. “Emily, wake up! You need to snap out of it! Jimmy isn’t our enemy—he’s trying to help us!” Snapping her fingers in front of the dazed girl snapped her out of it, and she groaned, shaking her head.

“Thanks for the assist, Di,” Jimmy grunted, releasing his hold on the unconscious Julie. “I think it’s safe to assume Amber’s been converted too.” He glanced over at the still cocooned form of Sapphire. “Sapphire, however... I don’t know. I arrived to late to see if they got to her or not.”

“Give me a second, then. I’ll try and read their minds,” Pearl suggested, placing a hand to her head. “I should be able to tell if—”

“NO! Mei, wait!” Jimmy yelled, moving towards the white haired Asian girl, only to stop, staring in horror as the girl’s eyes went wide.

“I... I don’t under...” Mei whispered, shaking her head. “Someone’s in their minds... can feel her... feel her... she’s speaking... speaking to me...”

“Mei! Disconnect! Sever the link while you still can!” Devon pleaded, as she and Diane moved over to her.

“I... can’t,” Mei said breathlessly, panting heavily, her cheeks blushing furiously red. “Can... feel her... f-feel her touch... so... gooooooddd...” she groaned, eyes rolling up into her head. “Can’t resist... don’t wanna... res... ist... mmyy... goddess...” she whispered before letting out a loud pleasure filled groan, sinking to the ground, unconscious.

Jimmy sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Well... damn... too late. I guess there’s no choice now. We’ll have to collar all three and lock them up until we can figure out a way to break Satore’s hold over them, and keep an eye on Saff and see if she was converted as well.”

Emily shuddered slightly. clutching herself, still shaken by what she’d just seen, and what her fiancé had done to her, and nearly made her do to the others. “And...what if we can’t find a way to break Satore’s hold over our friends?” she asked. “What then?”

Jimmy sighed softly, glancing at Devon. “We’ll think of something,” he said quietly but with conviction. “There’s always a way. It’s just a question of being able to do what needs to be done...”

* * *

“Okay... this is the place,” Rosella said softly, glancing around at the old abandoned junkyard that they’d come to. The entire area was fenced in, and though the grounds were mostly cleared, bits of scattered junk and debris still littered the area. In the far corner, the stripped down and rust covered wreck of an old Buick Skylark lay belly up on the muddy ground. All in all, it was a strange place for a final battle, but, on the favorable side, there were no pesky civilians in the area to get in the way.

“Nice spot he picked for a showdown,” Chloe commented, mirroring her own thoughts. “A lot of wide open space... not a lot of hiding spots. Not that we need them, mind—but you’d think this would put Albinn at more of a disadvantage instead of us. With all the junk and debris around, its not as if he’ll have a lot of room to run around and use his speed.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find this choice of arena puts us all on equal ground,” Parker replied openly, stepping out from behind the ruined wreck of an old Winnebago. “Oh, and you can drop the invisibility act,” he added after a moment when neither woman answered. “I don’t have to see you to know where you are. I’m more than just a speedster, remember?” He pointed a hand outward, firing a sonic pulse right at their feet. “I also do the ‘sound’ thing as well. I can track you both by the sound of you breathing and your hearts beating.” With a sigh, both girls reappeared, the brunette in her trademarked grey body suit and cloak, and the blonde sporting a navy blue leotard with bright yellow lightning bolts along the side and chest, matching gloves and boots.

“Hmm... nice costume,” he remarked, nodding once. “Bit of a change from your usual silver costume, eh, Ampere?”

“It was a gift from my Goddess,” Chloe remarked, hands beginning to glow and sparkle with electrical power. “And what about you? Going for the retro look? I thought you wore black now?” she asked, gesturing to his bright red costume.

Parker shrugged. “Last fight I had as Super Sonic was with Satore. It just seemed fitting to finish it with her the same way.”

“Fine. Whatever. Oh, and one more thing. Ampere is gone. She’s from my past, a past dead and buried. Thanks to Goddess Aphrodite, I’ve been reborn. You can call me Discharge now.” she announced, sending a wave of electrical energy at the stoic hero. Rather than bother to dodge, Parker stood stock still, letting the energy flow all around him. And when the dust settled, Rosella and Chloe blinked in surprise to find him still standing, completely unharmed. “What the... no! There’s no way!” Chloe said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Simple science lesson,” Parker said loudly, stepping forward, kicking a large twisted piece of rebar sticking up out of the ground. “Electricity always travels the path of lease resistance to ground. And since this place is a veritable cornucopia of metal pipes, rebar, and other implements half buried, if your lightning has the choice between me and the metal, it’s going for the metal every time.” He crossed his arms at his chest. “Oh, and nice choice of super hero names by the way... naming yourself after a bodily function.” Chloe scowled, glaring daggers at him. “So, no invisibility and no lightning. Have you ladies got anything else up your sleeves, or do you want to call it a day?”

Scowling, Ghost Girl drew back her cape, revealing a pair of Uzis, as Discharge pulled a photonic blaster from behind her back as well. “Okay, smart guy,” she snarled, cocking her weapon. “Let’s go with Plan B, then.”

* * *

“My dear, you seem a bit anxious,” Venus said gently, glancing over at her traveling companion. The brunette glanced up as well, a small smile on her trembling lips. “Oh, now dear, there’s no need to be nervous,” she chided the younger woman. “You know you can talk to me about anything on your mind. Tell me... are you worried about your daughter?”

Regina Baker nodded with a sigh. “Yes, my Goddess. I mean... I recognize that we need to go and go quickly, that time is of the essence... and of course, I would NEVER dream of going against your wishes. It’s just... she’s so young,” she said, her voice almost rising to a whine. “I’m on much better terms with my neighbors these days, and they said they would be more than happy to look after Chloe, but...”

“But it still feels wrong to just leave your eight year old daughter at home alone to go off with a veritable stranger,” Venus finished ruefully.

“Oh! Oh, no, Goddess,” Regina said humbly, shaking her head. “It’s not that at all! I have complete faith and trust in you! And... and you’re right. It won’t be very long, and its not as if we could bring her along with us, where we’re going,” she added with a slight frown. The memory of her daughter stuck with her and Jimmy, using her meager untrained powers to protect them while they fought back against the people that had kidnapped her still gave her nightmares.

“Don’t worry, my pet,” Venus said soothingly. “I converted your neighbors as well. The thralls looking after your daughter would die rather than allow one hair on her sweet head to be harmed. She’s perfectly safe. No one would dare to try to kidnap your daughter again after the last time. Besides,” she added, with a grin, running a finger lightly along the young woman’s chin, “with the Gift I gave you, your powers should now allow you to sense anyone or anything dangerous threatening your daughter from miles away. A simple word or two to my acolytes in this area, and any threat to your daughter will be dealt with.” She sighed softly. “Believe me, my dear... I have a lot of sympathy for a single mother trying to raise a young her daughter alone. I’ll never let anything happen to her.”

“Thank you, my Goddess,” the devoted police officer replied, thankfully, her fears finally abating. “That does take a load off my mind. Having Brothers and Sisters of your faith watching over her puts my mind at ease.”

“Good. Now then... we should turn our minds to what we will be facing once we arrive in River City. You’ve been there before, I assume?”

Regina nodded. “Yes, Goddess. I visited briefly a few months ago to testify at Jimmy Frasier’s trial,” She shook her head ruefully. “It’s kind of funny. I was helping the prosecution try and convict him at the time, and then, a few weeks later, we run into each other again, and he actually helps me rescue my daughter and save both of our lives... not to mention most of Utah from the threat of a nuclear bomb. I got promoted to Lieutenant thanks to him...”

Jimmy Frasier? Venus’ smile faded. “Frasier, you say?” she asked, curious. “Any relation to Eugene Frasier?”

“Oh, yes, Goddess,” Regina replied with a nod. “He’s his son.”

Venus’ left eye twitched slightly. “I take it you know young Jimmy rather well from your time together?” she asked, her voice going into a low dangerous tone.

“Of course,” Regina replied eagerly, missing the subtle change in her patron. “He’s a wonderful man... kind, strong, utterly fearless... he’d make a wonderful acolyte to your faith, my Goddess. And, um... I wouldn’t mind being the one to convert him, if you wish of me,” she added with a slight blush.

“Yes, well, I’m sure he would be,” Satore remarked dryly, “if he were already claimed by another.” She shuddered inwardly despite herself, the brief flash of... something... she’d felt from her acolyte Julie earlier still unsettling to her. The boy was problematic. His interference had just moments ago cost her a group of very powerful servants, servants she’d planned to send on to River City to assist her High Priestess in eliminating Parker Albinn. Worse, the news broadcast from the elder Frasier made traveling to and fro difficult as well. It was hard to gather new acolytes when everyone knew about you and avoided you like the plague! She was lucky to have made contact with Lt. Baker before she’d been notified of the alert.

First one Frasier male, and now the other, she mused with distaste. And my new bodyguard is an acquaintance of his as well. It can’t be a coincidence. I begin to wonder if Fate is having a joke at my expense, trying to worm Her way into my affairs. She scowled, shaking her head briskly. No matter. I am no one’s pawn. I walk my own path. And no one dictates how that path will lay but me!

“Goddess, we’re here,” their driver, announced, pulling the car to a halt at the private airport. “My friend said he’d have the helicopter gassed and ready to go by the time we got here. We can leave at any time. So... are we still heading off to Portland?”

“No, no,” she replied resignedly, as she exited the car, Regina in tow, carrying their bags. “that ship has already sailed. Besides,” she said with a smirk, “it seems my High Priestess and her two friends were just a bit impatient to face the threat to her Mistress. We’re going straight on to join them River City.”

* * *

“So... is this everything you thought it would be?” Super Sonic asked amicably as he dodged and ducked, deftly avoiding the pair of knives clutched tightly in Ghost Girl’s hands, as the two of them fought, dancing nimbly across the asphalt road a few blocks away from the junkyard where the fight had started. Things had escalated quickly, once the girls had started firing their weapons. A sonic blast shattered the metallic guns easily, but Rosella, expecting such a tactic, had countered by lobbing several grenades at the scarlet clad fighter, while Chloe ignited them all at once with a blast of her lightning. Cursing loudly, Parker had been forced to flee, rocketing away from the junkyard just before the blast overcame him, leaving behind a large smoking crater.

“I... don’t know... what you’re... talking about,” Ghost Girl responded, growling, trying in vain to cut the fast moving ninja. Her frustration was mounting, as she KNEW he was still toying with her. They were pretty much equal in terms of fighting skill and training, but in agility and reflexes, he completely trumped her. Her ability to phase at will kept him from striking a landing blow, but his speed prevented her from doing the same. And until Chloe recovered from the blast that had taken her off her feet, she was stuck in a stalemate with her Goddess’ enemy.

“Oh, sure you do,” Parker replied, still grinning, almost sadistically. “Surely you were all gung-ho about you and your little friend coming here to carve me a new asshole, to thrash me to within an inch of my life, all for the ‘glory of your supreme Goddess’,” he said, taunting her now. “I’m just asking...” he said, pausing as the tricky assassin flicked her wrist, sending a sharp narrow throwing dagger at him, trying to catch him off guard, to no avail, “if things are going the way you thought they would.” In the blink of an eye, he retreated, sprinting back as a bolt of electrical energy turned the ground where he’d been standing into a pool of molten tar.

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” Discharge growled, getting back to her feet, panting slightly as she regained her bearings.

“Point of fact, yes,” Super Sonic replied, returning to the area, spinning in a circle around the duo, causing a vortex of wind that actually lifted them both off their feet. “I get that a lot, actually. Roni says it comes from my high metabolism... the fact that I literally HAVE to eat a large amount of sugar and carbs to keep me going, thinking that’s what makes me so hyper. But no... it’s just my natural personality.” Skidding to a sudden stop, he caught both women as they fell, the wind dispersing, and hit both with a brutal haymaker that sent them both to their knees. Panting, bleeding from her mouth, Rosella spat, struggling to sit up and glare at the man.

“Fine... since you asked,” she rasped, angrily, “NO... things are NOT going as I’d hoped. But again, I’d imagine things aren’t going the way you wanted either. You wanted it to be Goddess Aphrodite herself that you were facing, instead of us. It’s too bad, actually... that you don’t rate high enough on her ‘to-do’ list for her to make a personal appearance!” She shook her head slightly. “You USED to be her High Priest, Parker,” she growled, getting back to her feet. “You were her trusted right hand! You used to be the one she counted on! Instead, you betrayed her... you went against her, fight your own Brothers and Sisters, and tried to destroy the person that owned your heart and soul! Why? WHY?!?”

“Because I woke up!” Parker yelled back, finally losing his composure. “Because I realized who and what Venus Satore really was! She’s a leach... a vampire, sucking away, not at your blood, but at your will, your strength, your very essence! She stole away the person I was and remade me into someone else! The same thing she did to you and Chloe here.” He sighed softly, raising his arms. “As you may have guessed, I’ve been holding back on you both. Call it a bit of leftover conscience... sympathy for having been through what you’re both going through now.”

He removed two small hypodermic needles from his belt pouch, holding them up. “But I can’t afford to play Mr. Nice Guy anymore. If Satore isn’t taking this seriously, too bad for her—because I sure as hell am! I’m going to beat you both into submission, then inject you with this serum. Once, your powers have been neutralized, we’ll see whether or not your precious Goddess still thinks you are worthy to serve her... or whether she simply discards you like trash and move on to someone she deems more useful!”

“No... you won’t!” Discharge yelled, glowing brightly, literally lifting off the ground from the sheer amount of electrical energy she was channeling. Around them, street lights and buildings began to flicker and grow dark. “Our Goddess values us for ourselves, not our abilities,” Chloe railed, “but even so, I won’t allow her be denied of those abilities!” She smirked, blonde hair sticking straight up, arcs of electricity dancing from strand to strand. “All right, Speedy... let’s see you outrun this!”

* * *

Amber stared hard at her lover across the bars of the containment cell. Emily stood there watching her, torn inside between the need to go to her, and the knowledge of what would happen if she did. She glanced over at the other adjoining cells next to them, where Julie, Mei and Stephanie were all housed, the latter two still unconscious for the moment. With Ruby away on an errand, it left her and Diane as pretty much the last Gems standing. She shuddered slightly, remembering how close she’d come to joining the others in a cell. She glanced back over at Jimmy and Devon, who were both talking softly, trying to decide what to do now.

“I can’t believe you have me locked up in here,” Amber said with a pout.

“And I can’t believe what you just did to me,” Emily replied bitterly, glancing down at her feet. “And what you nearly made me do. How could you DO THAT to me, Amber?”

“Sorry, baby,” she said softly, sincerely. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But, well... we were kind of strapped for time. I didn’t have time to convert you then and there, with the other Gems likely to walk in at any time.” She shrugged. “I needed your help to stop Jimmy. So, well... I did what came natural. I seduced you.”

“You hypnotized me!” Emily replied angrily. “You got into my head and tried to make me hurt the guy that’s trying to save you!”

“You mean the guy that’s trying to take us away from our Goddess,” she spat back bitterly. “Damned fucking... if he hadn’t shown up, by now we’d all be one happy family again, a united team working together for the glory of our beloved Goddess Aphrodite.”

Emily sighed, turning away. “This isn’t the real you, Amber. That’s Venus Satore talking through you, using you as her puppet! The real Amber was nobody’s slave!”

Rather than respond with anger or bitter words, Amber merely laughed, causing Emily to turn back around. “Oh, Em, baby,” she said gently, “you have it so backwards! This is me... the same girl you fell in love with, the one you wanted to marry and spend the rest of your life with. I’m still me. I’m just a better version of me now.” She sighed softly. “Goddess Aphrodite opened my mind and my heart. I realize now just how limited my own limited version of love was. How selfish it was. Now, by the Goddess, I can share her love with you as well, Em... we can join together in a way we could have never imagined before. We’ll become true soulmates.”

“Yes, except your souls won’t actually be your own anymore,” Jimmy stated matter-of-factly, walking over to the pair. “I know it seems like a good thing to you right now, Amber... but trust me. It’s not. C’mon... you’ve been brainwashed enough times to know by now that what you feel in the moment isn’t the way you’ll feel once that control is severed.”

Amber’s expression darkened. “Well, of course, a heretic like you would say something like that,” she growled. “But it doesn’t matter, does it? I am my Goddess’ loyal servant... and nothing you can do can change that!” Walking back to her cot, she sat down. “My Goddess is a patient deity. Sooner or later, you’ll all join her. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Uhhnn... wha... wait! What the hell?” Sapphire said suddenly, sitting up in her cell. “Why am I in the holding cells? What’s going on here?” Moving to the bars, she thrust out her arms, then, wide eyed, did it again, staring down at her hands. “What the HELL?!? My powers! What happened to my powers?!?”

“Easy, Saff,” Emily stated, stepping forward. “Take it easy. You’re wearing one of Mr. Frasier’s Negation Collars around your neck,” she pointed out. “We placed you in here until we could determine what happened to you while you were in the training area. So, tell us,” she said, as the others gathered around, “what exactly happened to you?”

The blue haired youngster shrugged, blushing slightly at the attention. “Um... I dunno,” she said slowly. “We were... you know, training. We were doing the usual round of ‘dodgeball’ with the automated systems, and I got tagged... again.” She shook her head ruefully. “I swear, you guys set that thing on ‘impossible’ every time I train. Always hazing the rookie.” Sighing, she considered for a moment before continuing. “Anyway... um... OH! I remember. I got separated from the others for a bit, and when the session ended, and the bunkers descended back into the floor, I saw Jette and Amber snuggled together, like they were... um...” She paused, glancing at Emily. “They were... kissing. Sorry, Em.”

“Yes, yes, never mind that,” Diane replied, preventing the conversation from going off on an unwelcome tangent. “What about you? Did they try and kiss you as well?”

“What? No. No way!” Stephanie replied indignantly. “When the two of them saw me, they jerked apart, as if they were embarrassed to be caught. I glanced away as well, you know... trying to play it off... but Amber called my name, and I turned around...” she frowned. “And then there was a flash of yellow... and...” she blinked. “She cocooned me!” she protested, suddenly angry. “She fucking cocooned me! What the hell, Ambs?”

“Did she kiss you, Steph?” Diane insisted.

“No, she didn’t kiss me,” the younger girl shot back. “She cocooned me, froze me in place... and then there was a lot of bumps and thuds from what felt like a fight or something going on around me... and then the next thing I know, I wake up here in this cell!” She glanced from face to face. “So... now maybe one of you can tell me what this is all about?”

Diane and the others glanced at each other. “Sounds to me like she’s okay,” she stated with a sigh. “I think Jimmy stepped in before they would make a move on her. I suppose it would be best is Pearl scanned her to be one hundred percent certain, but,” she stated, glancing to the still unconscious psychic lying in the cell across from them, “that’s not really possible now. She’s clean. I’m letting her out.”

“No, she’s not, clean,” Devon stated emphatically, causing them all to turn in her direction. “Stephanie’s lying. I don’t know if they converted her while she was frozen or not, but she’s definitely drank the Kool-Aid. She has the same... ‘electric feeling’ about her that Julie and Amber have,” she sighed, gesturing with her chin, “and that Mei seems to have picked up as well. She’s one of them.”

Stephanie’s expression changed instantly. “Well, well, aren’t we clever!” she snapped, walking back to her cot. “And here I go and give the best performance of my young life, and have everyone believing me... and you have to go and ruin it!”

“Don’t worry about it, Steph,” Julie called out from her cell. “You did good. But it doesn’t matter anyway. High tech collars or not, they can’t hold us in here forever.” Her grin turned wicked. “In fact... I think its just about time for our grand escape...”

Jimmy blinked, eyes going wide as a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Wait a minute!” he yelled, “There’s still one Gem unaccounted for! Where’s Ruby?” he asked, as the elevator pinged, and the doors opened.

“Did I hear someone call my name?” the flame haired Gem asked, as she extended her arms in front of her. Several of the Gems yelled out in alarm, moving out of the line of fire as a plume of intense flame erupted from their converted teammate’s hands. Devon, wide-eyed, stood frozen, stock still, staring at what would have likely been her death—only to grunt slightly in pain as Jimmy tackled her, clutching her to him, shielding her as the flames swept over them both.

A sudden sharp pain blossomed in the back of Devon’s head. Groggy, she blinked, glancing around at the chaos unfolding around her. Her vision swam in broken disjointed images, and everyone around her seemed to be moving in slow motion. Above her, Ruby stood, laughing, her arms outstretched, sending out flames at her teammates and partners, all of whom were trying to fight her, stop her, without hurting the young pyro. A soft groan escaped her lips as her vision swam again... and when it resolved, she saw them.

Lines. Strings. Threads of light emerging from every person in the room. Just like before, with the old man in the car crash, Devon found herself drawn to them, these strange ethereal lines of energy running through everyone. Glancing at Ruby’s however, she noticed a difference... a strange bluish thread wrapping around her normal red line, almost interwoven. There was a sense of... wrongness about it... and still dazed, dizzy, before she even realized what she was doing, she’d reached out and pulled the blue thread. It resisted, pulling back, wiggling in her grasp, but with one firm tug, it pulled free—

Ruby let out a sudden agonized scream, her eyes flashing brilliantly for a moment, before crumpling to the floor, unconscious. The room went silent, and everyone stared, stunned, as Devon rose slowly back to her feet, glowing briefly herself with a soft pale white light before she too collapsed. Jimmy, slightly singed, moved in and caught her before she hit the ground again.

“Dev? Dev? Are you okay?” he asked tentatively, breathing a soft sigh of relief as her eyes fluttered open. “Thank goodness. So... um... what just happened?” he asked, glancing over at Ruby, who likewise began to stir.

“I... I’m not sure,” Devon admitted, shaking her head. “I hit my head when Ruby attacked... and... there were these strings...”

“Wh... what happened?” Amanda Keene asked, frowning slightly, glancing around. “How did I get down... ooh... shit,” she said softly, eyes wide as the last few minutes came back to her. “Oh, fuck... did I really... is everyone okay? Did I... did I hurt anyone?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

“No, Amanda, we’re okay,” Emily said, pulling the girl into a deep hug. “Just a little singed around the edges, but nothing too bad. And I’m really really glad to have you back to yourself.” She glanced across the room to the girls still in their cells, to Amber, whose pale withdrawn and frightened expression told her everything she needed to know. “And, with a little luck... we’ll all be back to normal soon...”

* * *

Gaaahh... where the hell is she getting all this juice? Parker grumbled silently, as he ducked lower down behind the ruined shattered wall. Bolts of electrical power continued to lash out around him from Discharge, followed by the occasional exploding grenade or bomb from Ghost Girl. His hand and arm still tingled from the shock he’d received earlier. Luckily, unlike his Neuroweave costume, the underpadding of this suit was latex, insulating him from the worst of the blast. Still, the amount of power the former heroine was putting out was far beyond what he’d expected, and what his research into Ampere’s abilities had predicted.

Ah... fuck! he groaned inwardly, suddenly realizing his mistake. Of course. Satore’s goddamn magic... she can amplify and increase a Super’s powers to ungodly levels. ‘Ampere’ would have run out of power long before now, but Discharge, fully powered up by her Goddess, is still going strong. He rubbed his arm again, and sighed. I should probably rethink this stupid plan... but I don’t have a lot of other options. Counting softly in his head, preparing himself to run, he grimaced. I just hope I can do this without causing TOO much damage...

“Huh? Hey! Where are you going?” Rosella called out as Super Sonic suddenly turned and ran, sprinting out of the area at high speeds. “Running away like a coward?” She sighed softly, she and Chloe relaxing a bit, taking the moment to catch their breaths. “Looks like he ran away. I’m not sure, but he looked injured. Maybe you actually got him with one of your electrical bursts?”

“I don’t know,” Discharge said dubiously, frowning. “I mean, yeah, I’m pretty sure I clipped him with that first barrage, but if that didn’t take him out, he must have some kind of insulation in his suit. I doubt that hit could have done enough damage to make him run off, tail between his legs.” Her frown deepened. “He must be up to something... maybe going to get some kind of weapon to help even the odds—”

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded from the far side of the city, a ground shaking boom that caused both women to glance up. Before either could blink, a dark shadowy blur streaked by, running directly between them. An instant later, the concussive wave struck, knocking both women down and sending them flying. Parker skidded to a stop, panting slightly, energy crackling and rolling off him in waves. A glance back confirmed what he’d expected—several cars and vehicles damaged, buildings and walls broken, but still standing. Okay. Not bad. Guess I got the speed just right. The sonic boom caused less damage than I thought, and they’re both still alive, he mused grimly, as he walked over to the two groaning injured women, So I guess that’s something...

Kneeling down next to Rosella, he removed the needle again from his belt pouch. “I’m not happy about this,” he said quietly. “Really. Originally, I was pissed. You were the one that brought Satore back into my life, the one responsible for what happened to my wife and daughter. I wanted to fucking murder you with my bare hands for that!” He sighed. “But... I understand why. I don’t like it. I fucking HATE it. But... I understand. So... believe me when I say, this isn’t personal.”

The report of a gunshot rang out as the vial in Parker’s hand exploded. A second shot rang out, and her yelped, twisting, knocked to the ground as a sudden pain exploded high in his shoulder. Damn. Must have a sniper, he mused, rolling around behind parked car. And a Super at that... should have been able to avoid that second shot easily... but my damn speed is gone...

“Ugh... did you get the number of that semi?” Chloe asked wearily, struggling to get back to her feet.

“Looks like our backup finally arrived,” Rosella grumbled, rubbing the back of her head. “About bloody time, Lockdown...”

“I heard that,” Henry’s voice rasped through the earpiece both women carried. “You were supposed to wait for my arrival—you jumped the gun. You’re just lucky I was able to find a proper vantage point from which to strike.” He grinned. “Still, I suppose this works. Albinn’s injured. And as long as I have eyes on him from here, my Power keeps his speed in check. No speeding away from you this time.”

“Glad to hear it,” Rosella replied, as she approached the downed hero, planting a boot on his left ankle to keep him from rising to his feet. “Looks like you turned out to be useful after all.” Drawing a serrated knife from her belt pouch, she knelt down closer to Parker’s legs. “But just to make sure, I think I’ll cut his Achilles tendons, to make sure he stays put.”

Parker glared up at her. “Why not just kill me then?” he asked, breathing heavily, clutching his shoulder. “Simply use your knife and slit my throat. It’s not as if I can stop you.”

Rosella paused, favoring him with a grin. “Oh, I’d love to, Echo,” she replied with a nod, “or do you prefer ‘Super Sonic’ now with your flashy red tights—but its not up to me. My Goddess deserves the honor of killing you herself. She should be arriving within the hour to finish the job herself. Her orders were simple: beat you to a bloody pulp, to the point of death, but not allow you to actually cross over. She wants to see the look in your eyes just before the light in them fades out for the last time.”

“Within the hour, huh?” Parker said softly with a nod. “That’s all I needed to know. Now!” he yelled harshly, as Rosella raised the knife, preparing to strike. Before she could bring it down, however, a wave of sonic energy exploded outward from him, shattering the metal blade, and knocking Ghost Girl flat on her back. Discharge yelled out as well, summoning her electricity, only to gasp then groan, slumping down to the ground, struck unconscious from a blow to the back of the head. Rosella grunted, struggling to get back to her feet, as Parker towered over her, a hand outstretched.

“Give yourself a break and just surrender,” he said calmly. “I’ve got you dead to rights. And if you try and go intangible, my sonic pulse will simply hit you harder than if you were solid.”

Ghost Girl growled. “How the FUCK... you were down! Lockdown had you frozen, pinned... you shouldn’t even be able to MOVE let alone use your damned powers!”

“Yeah, I know,” Sonic replied, hand still vibrating rapidly above her. “And it hurt like hell when he shot me. I didn’t know the Sergeant was a Super... wasn’t in his file. Frankly, I’d planned to simply deflect the bullet with a sonic shield and fake being hit to lure you in and make you tell me if and when Satore was going to show up. I actually had to wave my partner off from rushing in too soon.” Rosella’s eyes went wide. “What? You didn’t think you were the only one with backup, did you?” he asked, smirking. “Your boss may have shattered the bond she forged between Roni and I, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still care about each other. She’s still my wife, my best friend, and my partner. And she wasn’t about to let me go up against you and your little posse alone.”

“True enough,” Roni replied moments later, shoving an unconscious and shackled Hank Matthews onto the ground next to them. “Though I was beginning to feel like a damn voyeur or something, just hiding in the shadows, watching. I can’t believe you let them beat you up this badly!”

“Desperate times, desperate measures,” Parker countered, shrugging, then wincing, favoring his shoulder. “Frankly, I can’t believe we actually have that psycho Serpentina to thank for this,” he said with a scowl. Still, I can’t argue with the results. She predicted Satore would send her strongest two, and a third hidden as a backup, even predicted that it would by Matthews serving as a sniper, and that Satore herself would want to show up to deliver the coup de grace herself. Huh... guess it takes a psycho to know a psycho. He shook his head. “And anyway, it worked. Satore will be here in little more than an hour, and we’ll be waiting for her. Just an hour to go, Roni, and this will all be over.”

“Never!” Rosella growled, struggling as Shinobi grabbed her by the arms, pulling them behind her back to shackle her as well. “You won’t win! I won’t let you... uhhn... hurt my Goddess!” she yelled triumphantly, phasing through Roni’s grasp, pulling a small round cylinder with a red button attached from her belt. “Sorry, Albinn,” she said, grinning fanatically, laughing like a maniac. “Looks like you lose after all! I’d rather die and take you with me than let you harm a single hair on my Goddess’ head!”

Before she could press the button, however, a bright blinding light flooded the area. Everyone cried out in shock, closing and averting their eyes from the glare... and when it finally faded, all five Supers found themselves held, bound and contained in bright shining yellow cocoons of glowing light. “Okay, now, that’s quite enough of that,” Katie Frasier chided, hovering several feet above the group, her familiar pink white and yellow costume tinged with an eerie dark inky black tint. “Sorry. I usually try to stay out of private grudge matches, but this fight has already cause enough damage to my city. So now, I’ve decided to step in and finish this my way.”

“Lu... Luminaire?” Parker said, frowning. “Not that I don’t appreciate the help... but why are Shinobi and I restrained as well?”

“I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity dominatrix,” she replied with a smirk. “And the name is Supernova now. Besides, dear Uncle,” she purred with a seductive hint, “I believe you and Aunt Veronica are currently having some ‘troubles’ thanks to Miss Satore breaking the bond between you.”

“Wait... how did you know about that?” Shinobi asked, surprised. “For that matter, how did you even know we were back home in River City?”

“Oh, I have my sources,” she replied with a grin, holding up a lightly glowing hand. “Let’s just say a little bird told me.” Five small yellow dots of light formed, one on each of her fingers, slowly fading, growing dimmer, turning an inky black. “Fortunately, I think I know just how to fix it... to get you both back together and all lovey dovey again.” Her smile widened. “Don’t worry. In just a moment, you’ll understand exactly what I’m talking about. Soon, you will all truly see the Light.”