The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Rosella Contreras stood just outside the house, head down in despair. She felt completely lost. Adrift. Abandoned. The one thing that had kept her going all this time was the one thing that had so nearly destroyed her—the thought of finally reuniting with her beloved goddess Aphrodite. Unfortunately, that reunion had turned out nothing like she’d dreamed it would be. Instead of coming to the rescue of her beloved Owner, saving her from oppression at the hand of her most hated enemy, she’d instead discovered just the opposite: her goddess, laughing, enjoying sex and wine with those she’d claimed to despise from the depths of her soul.

She hadn’t been captured. Their goddess hadn’t been taken away from them. She’d abandoned them.

“Rosella,” Chloe said softly, squeezing her shoulder, “it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“Will it?” Rose asked her, glancing back. “I mean... it’s all wrong, Chloe. All of it. I don’t... what do we do now? Where do we go?” She sighed softly. “Should we go back to Frasier? Beg, grovel, tell him that this was all a mistake, and beg to join him again?”

Chloe sighed softly. The thought had actually occurred to her as well. “Or... we could just go back home to Crescent City,” she offered. “We don’t really need anyone else, after all. We could just live together, by ourselves... make our own way...”

“True,” Venus’ voice called out from behind them, causing them to turn. “You both could leave and go out on your own. You don’t need me... or Eugene Frasier. You don’t need anyone to get by, really.” She shrugged. “Still, ‘getting by’ isn’t really the same as ‘living’, is it? Because what we want isn’t necessarily what we need, after all.”

“YOU!” Rosella snarled, lashing out, slapping Venus hard on the face. She actually blinked in astonishment, surprised that the goddess had let her make contact. “You... I... how could you?!?” she yelled, letting out all the pain and frustration she felt. “I... we gave up everything for you! EVERYTHING! And this? You just... tossed us away like garbage to go and settle down with Parker FUCKING Albinn!?!”

Venus sighed, softly, shaking her head. “Rosella—”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” she snarled. “That was the name of your ‘High Priestess’. But she is gone... replaced by the one who had the job from before...”

But Venus shook her head. “That’s not what’s happening here. I just need you to listen to me for a moment. This situation... it’s complicated. But I did NOT abandon you. Either of you,” she added, turning to Chloe who merely stood by silently, arms crossed, listening. “As punishment for siding with and helping Katie Frasier in trying to remake reality as we wished it, my powers were greatly reduced by the Norn goddesses. My connection to all of you had been severed as well, leaving me weak and vulnerable. Furthermore...” she added, with a deep sigh. “I... well... I just felt... ashamed... to face you both again.”

That got a reaction. “Ashamed?” Chloe asked, incredulously. “What do you have to feel ashamed about? If anything, we’re the ones that failed you. We should be the ones feeling ashamed—”

“You’re WRONG!” Venus said firmly, again surprising them. “You were both loyal and dependable servants. But... I let my anger cloud my judgment. I lost myself in my need to punish Parker for the past, when all along, I was the one at fault.” She shook her head. “It’s taken me a long time to accept that... to acknowledge that most of my problems have been because of my own misdeeds. But, I’m trying to do better. I’m trying to make amends.”

“Then... why were you in Parker’s bed?” Rose asked, still struggling to hang onto her anger. “Was that... your way of ‘making amends to him?”

Venus laughed ruefully. “No, that was more of a ‘thank you’ than an ‘apology’, dear. And the situation with Parker is, as I said, complicated. Suffice it to say, I am here because I witnessed an old enemy of theirs attempting to kidnap Parker and Veronica’s young daughter, Lucy.” She turned to look them both in the eye. “You know I couldn’t just stand by and let a young innocent girl her age be taken. And you both know why.”

Chloe nodded, softening somewhat. “Okay. I can understand that. But why stick around after she was safe? Why go home with the man that you wanted dead just a few weeks before? What happened to change your opinion so much that you would stay in his home and share his bed instead of moving on?”

“Because she’s not truly safe yet,” she stated with a sigh. “This isn’t over, not by a long shot. I know the people that are after her. Unless we find a way to stop them and put an end to this, the Yakuza will just keep sending his ninja assassins after the girl until they succeed. So no… I can’t let this go just yet.”

Chloe and Rose glanced at each other. “Yakuza?” the blonde heroine asked.

“Ninja? Are you seriously telling us that a group of ninja are after Parker Albinn’s daughter?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Venus asked, frowning slightly. “The girl’s mother, Veronica, is a former member of the Clan after all... and left under, shall we say, ‘less than equitable terms’. And I know what you’re thinking... why do I care? What does this have to do with me?” She shook her head. “The truth is that in another life, another incarnation, I actually helped create them! I brought them together as a group, taught them how to defend themselves, how to organize, how to survive and endure the hardships of that time I ever shared my vitality, my essence, with the leaders, prolonging their lives.” Her head dropped low. “The idea was to create a group that would take care of their neighbors, protect the little man, promote brotherhood and solidarity against what was, back then, a corrupt and uncaring government. But as they grew larger and more powerful, they lost sight of those ideals... and became nothing more than a bunch of thugs.”

“The Yakuza,” Rosella muttered, still trying to wrap her mind around the concept. “You started the Yakuza... and now what? You plan to go back to Japan, you and Veronica, and Parker, just the three of you, to bring them down?”

“I didn’t start the Yakuza itself,” she replied with a smirk. “The organization itself is composed of dozens if not hundreds of separate branches. But I did create the group that is currently the main and most influential branch. Taking them one head to head in Japan, though… it’s an interesting idea. But complicated. Veronica is a wanted person back there. And I’m not delusional enough to believe that two women and a speedster, even with our talents and abilities, can take down the entire Japanese mafia.” She sighed heavily. “But... that’s all beside the point. My point in all of this is that I never left you! I didn’t toss you away, nor did I replace you with Parker and Veronica Albinn. And once this thing with the Yakuza was done, if I’d survived, I’d fully intended to come back for you both. I swear it upon my name as a goddess.”

Rosella sighed softly. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to yell and scream or... do... something. But she knew the truth when she heard it. And she knew her goddess better than anyone else in the world... besides, possibly, Parker Albinn. It helped a lot that she hadn’t had a choice, that those above her had punished her by severing their bond. And knowing that she’d meant to come back for them after finishing her work helped even more. But still... how could she even think about going into battle, taking on such a large and powerful force without her servants at her side?

Chloe, having much the same thoughts, stepped forward then. “Then if that’s the case, you have to take us with you.” Rosella nodded, stepping up beside her partner. “I can understand why you have to do this... and even wanting to keep us out of it until it was all over and done with. But we’re here now. We’re here to help you and support you if you’ll accept us. And that’s really all we need... my Goddess,” she said softly, lowering her gaze. “We just wish to serve you again. Please,” she added, her voice just a whisper.

Stunned, Venus glanced from girl to girl. They still wanted to serve her? To belong to her? After everything that had happened, all that she had put them through, and now that they were free, they were asking to become her slaves again? She bit her lip, hard, to keep from sniffling, forcing the tears not to fall. Dammit! I’ve cried more in the past two days than I have in the past two decades! What is wrong with me? She blinked, suddenly remembering the words Devon McKinley had spoken to her on that bench in the past days before.

Humanizing me, huh? she mused, a smile creasing her face despite herself. Skuld of the Future Threads, huh? I suppose you foresaw all this happening, didn’t you? Me, meeting young Lucy, falling in love, reuniting with my missing servants... all just a reminder that Fate is guiding my life as well. Fine. So be it. In this, at least, I won’t fight Fate’s will.

“Very well,” she said aloud. “If you would serve me again as my loyal thralls, I will humbly accept you. But only if this is truly what you wish. It must be your choice.”

Moving almost in unison, both women knelt on the ground before their goddess. “We so pledge ourselves to you, Goddess Aphrodite,” they said together, small smiles on their faces. “We pledge our love, our loyalty, our very lives to your service. We are yours to do with as you please.”

Venus Satore gasped aloud as the three of them began to glow with a soft pale light, easily seen in the gloom of early evening. She was stunned by the influx of power she received from them, the power of their devotion and servitude strengthening her. Goddess Bless! What... is this? This energy... it feels like the devotion of a thousand thralls... no, more than that. Yet, there are only two of them. She shook her head slightly. Is this the difference between taking someone as my thrall... and having that servitude given freely, by their own will?

It was then, in the midst of her musing, that she noticed something from the corner of her eye, something moving towards her. Before she could turn, however, she found herself pushed aside, thrown roughly back to the ground. Discharge stood in her place, arms in a defensive guard, glaring down at the person who had struck, who had attempted to pound their Goddess into the ground... the dark skinned black and gray clad woman who stood up slowly, her fist still embedded in the small crater she’d punched into the ground with her attack. “Goddess, are you okay?” Chloe asked behind her without turning.

“Oh... Goddess Bless,” Venus breathed softly as she sat up, recognizing her attacker. “No, I’m unharmed, my servant,” she said with a soft sigh, standing back up. “But I am not okay. Not by a long shot.”

“And you won’t be when I get through with you!” Julie Simmons snarled, drawing her arm back out of the hole she’d created, raising a fist at the redhead and her protectors. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time, Aphrodite,” she growled, “and I am going to make you pay... even if I have to go through your two little minions to do so!”

“No.”

Lana LaSilvas blinked in surprise. “What did you say?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, excuse me, what I meant to say was, ‘OH, HHEEEELLLL NOOO!!” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. “You want me to wear a magical slave collar so that you can ‘tame me’,” I said, using my fingers for the quotes. “No. Not a chance.”

Lana pouted. “Now, now, there’s no need to raise a fuss. Your cousin went through the exact same training after all, and she came through it just fine! The effect is perfectly painless. It’s like being ‘sparked’,” she said, conjuring a bright silver spark from her fingertip, “only continuous. And it will not turn you into my slave,” she added, clicking her teeth slightly, “it will merely make you more... malleable. Agreeable.”

“You mean, suggestible,” I countered, still unhappy about the situation. “Lana. I’m not going to simply let you take over my mind! I’ve had my mind taken over a time or two in the past, and it has never ended well for me. So as you can imagine, I’m not about to voluntarily submit to someone else’s control... especially someone who’s a virtual stranger to me!”

“Then this entire trip has been an entire waste of my time!” Lana shot back, scowling at me. “I was told you would cooperate... that I would be able to train you in whatever manner I saw fit! And you promised that you would do whatever it took to learn how to use and control your magic powers!”

I winced at that. I had said ‘anything’ after all... but... “Look, I’m sorry if it seems like I’m being obstinate about this. I do really want to learn magic from you. I want that very much. But you’re asking me to simply give total control of myself over to you! And, Lana, I only met you a few days ago!” I sighed softly. This wasn’t going anywhere like I’d imagined. I needed to try and salvage this. “All during the trip here I tried to get you to open up about yourself. I told you pretty much everything about myself, but you refused to reciprocate. After all this time, I know almost nothing about you.”

“You don’t NEED to know all about me,” Lana replied softly, turning away. “I prefer to keep my private life private. All you need to know is that I am very good at what I do. I have been thoroughly trained in magic and have trained others in the craft for a thousand years, and I know what works.” She turned back to face me then, eyes glowing. “And I also know that once we’ve begun,” she stated, a small shower of silvery sparks flowing towards me, “you’ll thank me for this.”

Well. Shit.

I tensed momentarily as the sparks hit, feeling the small shudder run through me. It was.... it was... not that bad, really. It was actually kind of welcome, that soft warm, slightly fuzzing over feeling, where everything else just kind of... fades into the background. A smile actually creased my lips. I remembered this sensation, this exact feeling. It felt like Sarah, the way I used to sit in her lap as a kid while she told us stories of the heroic days of her youth. It was like her lips when she would kiss my forehead, and tell me to relax, to lighten up, and not be so gloomy. And there was never any malice, any ill will involved. It was all about contentment, about relaxing and letting my worries just... slide away for a while.

And that was exactly how I felt now... warm... safe... relaxed. I was sliding away... but that was fine. That was right. It was completely fine...

“Jette?” Rosella asked, stunned. “Wh... what are you doing here? What is this all about?”

Julie laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “Seriously? You’re asking me what this is about? YOU, of all people?” Growling, she whirled, and swung, hard, grunting slightly as her punch phased through Ghost Girl as she went intangible to avoid the blow. “If anything, I should blame YOU just as much as Satore,” she continued, swinging again and again, causing the dark haired girl to back away slowly. “You’re the one that brought me to her! You’re the one who betrayed me! We were friends! Comrades! And you sold me out to that demon!”

“It... uhnn... it wasn’t like that!” Rose protested, wincing, feeling a bit winded from having to shift phase back and forth repeatedly. “I’m sorry... and you’re right... I betrayed your trust. But I never meant to hurt you!”

“Yeah right! Pull the other one” Jette growled, feinting briefly, before striking out with her left hand, grabbing Rose by the arm as she became solid again. “Gotcha!” she replied in triumph, rearing back to deliver a love tap to the chin. Only to jerk back in surprise, releasing her hold, as a bolt of electricity struck her from behind.

“Rose, get out of the way!” Chloe yelled, one arm outstretched, as she gathered and channeled her powers. She bit her lip, concentrating, trying to gather enough energy to stun her or knock her out without killing her. Like her partner, she didn’t want to hurt the young girl. She actually sympathized with her. Still, she couldn’t just stand by and let her hurt their Goddess.

For her part, Rose dove aside, hitting the ground and rolling back out of the way, just as Jette turned around to face her other attacker. Her eyes widened slightly as Discharge let loose, hitting her directly in her chest. The blast lifted her off her feet, sending her to the ground several feet away, twitching slightly before going still as arcs of electricity rolled off her prone form. Chloe let out a soft sigh, then turned her attention back to her friends.

“Is everyone okay?” she asked. “Rosella? Goddess?”

“Yes, we’re okay,” Venus replied with a sigh, brushing the dirt from her clothes, “though my wardrobe is a bit worse for the wear. Not that I’m not grateful to have been pushed out of the way, mind... I just wish it somewhere that hadn’t left grass stains—LOOK OUT!”

Chloe and Rose turned then, and Chloe gasped in shock, finding herself held, lifted aloft by the neck, by a very angry and slightly singed Jette. N-no! It can’t be! Chloe thought dimly, pulling at the skinned youngster’s hand, struggling to breathe. She should be unconscious... or at least too stunned to get back up! And... how did she cross the distance between us so fast without me even noticing?

“You! Girl!” Venus said, focusing her aura against the girl hunting her. “Release her this instant!”

Jette gasped, momentarily rocked by the strength of the command, but rallied, twisting suddenly to the side. “As you command, ‘Goddess’!” she snarled, obeying the command by tossing the half strangled blonde forward into an equally startled Venus. Both women hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of them. “Heh. Guess you should have phrased that better,” she stated, stomping over towards them. “And I guess it’s awful hard to give me commands when you’re barely conscious. Good... ’cause I don’t want to hear anything you have to say—”

“Raaaaaaaghhh!” Rose yelled, appearing suddenly out of thin air, landing a snap kick to Jette’s face, sending her sprawling back. Before she could adjust, the dark haired agent struck again, raining down a barrage of punches and kicks, steadily pushing the disoriented Gem back away from her Goddess. “Dammit... why the... grrnn hell... UGHHN! are you... nrrmnnh making me... Rrrraaahh do this?” she yelled, panting, drawing the twin pulse guns from her belt. “Jette... Julie... please! Can’t we just... talk about this?”

“Talk? Talk?!? Why would I want to talk to some mind controlled puppet anyway?” Jette replied, panting heavily. “And besides... what’s there to talk about? You seduced me and brought me to your Goddess who brainwashed me and made me betray my entire team. I gladly and eagerly fought my own friends, would have happily snapped their necks if that woman had so much as nodded in my general direction! I know EXACTLY what it’s like being under her control. And as contrite and apologetic as you sound right now, I know it’s only because SHE wants you to be that way... just to lure me into a false sense of security before she enslaves me the way she did you and your blonde friend!” She took a step towards Rose, who took a step back, raising her weapons.

“Jette, don’t make me shoot you,” Rose cautioned. “Please! I don’t want to do this,” she said, flipping off the safeties, “but I will if I have to.” Jette continued forward, and Rose sighed softly. “Sorry,” she said softly, firing, both blasts striking her dead center, sending the young heroine to the ground in a heap. She shook her head in dismay, starting to turn back to her friends, only to gape in astonishment as Jette groaned, and cursed, and rose back to her feet again.

Damn... I knew she was tough, Rose mused, drawing a bead on her again, but twin blasts from a pulse gun at point blank range would stop a charging rhino!

She fired again, the blast actually spinning Jette around before sending her to the ground... but again, panting, wheezing, obviously hurting, the dark skinned Amazon refused to stay down. Snarling, she locked eyes with Rose for a moment, then took off, sprinting straight towards her like a linebacker rushing the quarterback. Cursing herself, Rose fired rapidly, twice more, then gritted her teeth, standing her ground, preparing for the impact.

Fuck! Can’t move or phase... or she’ll trample Venus and Chloe... have to take the hit, and hope it slows her down... or at least buys them enough time to recover...

At the last moment, however, there was a blur—and suddenly Rose found herself lying on the porch swing next to Chloe and her Goddess, all of whom were confused about what had just happened. Glancing back at the yard, she saw her rescuer, Echo, Parker Albinn, standing toe to toe with an unhappy looking Jette. “You guys sit this one out,” he said loudly, nodding at them even as his eyes stayed focused on the woman in front of him. “I think the young lady and I will be able to settle things between us.”

“Jimmy? Wake up, Jimmy.”

I groaned softly, in protest, even as my eyes fluttered back open. My head felt full of fluff, a thankfully not familiar feeling, though after a few seconds I was able to recall where I’d felt it before... and how I’d come to feel that way just now. “Lana!” I growled, sitting up, glancing around in confusion, only to stare, wide eyed, at the surprising, and if I were truthful, very sexy, figure of Lana LaSilvas, kneeling on the floor next to my bed, completely naked, her soft pale flesh a strange but lovely compliment to her long silver colored hair, eyes, and, I noted, silver colored nipples. Speaking of her eyes, the silver glow that I’d grown accustomed to seeing in them was notably fainter than usual, her expression calm and placid.

In other words, she was completely entranced.

“Back with us again?” Devon asked, coming up alongside me, placing an arm around my waist for a brief kiss, before glancing over at Lana. “I don’t think she did anything to you, other than spark you into compliance. I don’t think she said or did anything to alter you.” She stepped forward, and I noted absently that she’d changed into her usual lounging robe, meaning she was most likely naked underneath it. “You didn’t make any changes to Jimmy’s mind, did you Lana?” she asked.

“Mmmm... no, Mistress,” the silver haired mage replied, smiling softly, sounding way too pleased just to answer a simple question. “I made no changes. I was just going to put him through the basic training regimen and then wake him up, to show him what it was like... and that he had nothing to be afraid of.”

I nodded at that, satisfied. I wasn’t happy about being blindsided—not by a longshot—but I guess I couldn’t fault her reasoning. I actually had a moment of clarity, realizing now just why Aurora, er, well, back when she WAS still Aurora, had been so pissed when I’d done the same to her. Even though Lana had had the best of intentions, and had meant absolutely no harm, it still tweaked me that she’d done so without my consent.

And, also... “Um, Dev? Not that I don’t appreciate the save,” I said, turning to face my sexy smirking girlfriend, “but did you need to have her strip naked for this?” Heh. And for that matter, did you have to dress down to your birthday suit as well?

“Why? Don’t you like the view?” she asked playfully, walking over to caress Lana’s cheek lightly, smiling as the much older woman sighed and melted into her touch.

“Yes, I do,” I replied honestly, “though I much prefer the sight of you that way.” Truth be told she had a valid point. I was committed to my girlfriend, and totally in love with her, but I also had an appreciation for beauty in other forms as well. And Lana was beautiful. I’d certainly never kick her out of my bed... not that a confirmed lesbian such as herself would willingly climb into bed with me in the first place, but... you get the picture. So yeah, I did enjoy the view, relishing that it was likely the only time I’d get to see it, assuming she didn’t get pissed and cast Meteo on the entire city once Devon released her from her trance.

With that in mind, I sighed deeply. “So, I suppose you’d better wake her up as well,” I said with actual regret. “Fair’s fair, after all. Besides, she didn’t do anything to me, so we shouldn’t take advantage of her while she’s in this state.” Devon suddenly glanced down, averting her gaze, as a soft blush colored her cheeks. “Um, Dev,” I asked, as their state of undress suddenly made a lot more sense. “Oh, come on!” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I couldn’t help it!” she protested weakly. “You have no idea, NO idea, how much she teased and taunted me that night we stayed at my parents’ house! And sparking her with her own current, melting her into a sweet submissive little thing, standing there, vacant and open... and without her haughty arrogant side she’s actually really hot...”

I just sighed, glancing up at the clock for the first time, noticing how much time has passed. “You know, the least you could have done was wake me up so that I could watch,” I grumbled, irritably, which only made her giggle. Levity aside, she did finally wake Lana, who gasped in surprise before squealing like a banshee to find herself kneeling naked in front of me. To her credit, she didn’t assume the worst and start pelting me with lightning bolts or fireballs, and was actually contrite about her part in things after Devon finished explaining about intervening. Afterward, she actually managed a wan smile.

“Well,” she said ruefully, “I guess that just goes to show that even someone as old as I am can still be caught off guard.”

Devon chuckled, her hair blowing slightly from an unseen breeze. “Well, you ARE merely a thousand years old, and still human,” she chided her, gently. “I had a definite advantage over you.” She winked at me, and I chuckled. “At any rate, I have a few errands to run before I’m back home to stay. I’ll leave you two to figure out the situation amongst yourselves. Just remember to play nice from now on.” With that, she blinked out in a flash of light.

“Well, you heard the lady,” I said briskly, taking a moment to stretch. “How do we proceed from here? Without the mind erasing collar, I mean.”

“What? You’re still interested in having me as a teacher?” she asked, incredulous, “even after I took advantage of you that way?”

“Don’t worry about it. You get a pass because you’re family,” I told her simply. “The next time, I might not be so happy about it, though. Besides, I’m sure my cousin probably mentioned that you’re not the ONLY one to pull such a stunt before.” I sighed. “And, I do still need and want you to train me. Not with the collar,” I added hastily, “at least not yet. Maybe... after a while, once I’ve gotten to know you a bit more... well, we’ll see.”

“Okay, fair enough,” she said, gesturing with her left hand, causing a long cream colored robe to appear over her body. “Then let us begin. I hope you’re ready to learn. I don’t intend to go easy on you, and without the collar, you’re going to be at a disadvantage.”

“Yeah, well, that’s me all over,” I said swallowing, “I’m a regular glutton for punishment. So... what do we do first?”

”So,” Parker said briskly, ”you’re Jette, from the Beautiful Gems, eh? I’ve heard good thing about you from Jimmy. So maybe you’d be good enough to explain why you’ve decided to completely change the landscape of my front yard and beat my friends to a pulp.”

“Echo,” Jette said with a sigh, shaking her head in dismay. “Damn. Satore got to you as well, I see. I heard you were the first one to ever break free of her control... but I guess it’s too much to hope for a repeat performance.”

“Got to me?” Parker replied, scowling. “Wait... hold on. I’m not one of Satore’s thralls! Hmph! If anything, it’s the complete opposite of that!”

“Right. And of course, I can believe you,” Julie spat, bringing her fists up. “It’s not as if a thrall would lie to protect their Mistress or anything. And I’m SURE there’s a perfectly good reason why she’d be staying here, in your home, considering the history between you two, if you WEREN’T her complete and total slave right now. I mean, it’s not as if you two were actively trying to kill each other a few weeks ago—oh, right, actually you WERE!”

Parker sighed, adjusting his stance slightly. “Hmm... guess you have a point,” he conceded. “There’s probably nothing I could say to convince you otherwise so... guess we’re done talking for now.” With an impressive standing leap, Parker kicked high, delivering a staggering kick to the young girl’s chin. Or, staggering to any other opponent, as Julie took the hit, faltered back a step, then straightened up, glaring at her opponent.

“Okay... that was your one free hit,” she said, rubbing her chin idly. “I have to say, Echo, that you were one of my heroes growing up. And for what it’s worth, I don’t blame you for any of this. I know you’re just another victim of that redheaded witch.” Her eyes narrowed, and she adopted a fighting stance of her. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on you either.”

Well, shit, Parker groaned inwardly, dodging the girl’s fists, lashing out with blows of his own, using his speed to his advantage. Something tells me this won’t end well. The kid’s outclassed... she can’t land a hit on me like this. Problem is, she’s as tough as Jimmy, he thought, zipping back, attacking her from behind with a flurry of blows, before dodging her counter and resuming a frontal assault. I could beat on her all day long and barely make a dent. The same with my sonic blasts... I’d have to raise a ruckus strong enough to bring down a skyscraper. Even then, not sure if it would just stun her or kill her...

For her part, Jette merely stood her ground, taking everything he dished out. It still stung; she was getting beaten down by a martial arts expert after taking multiple laser blasts. When the day was over, she fully expected to be covered in welts and bruises. Nevertheless, she marshaled on, her goal clearly in mind, and her target just a few feet away, still unconscious on the porch swing.

“Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted, pushing forward, taking another step towards the house. “I’ve felt spring raindrops that hurt more! If you’re just trying to stall me and give your friends time to recover, I have news for you—it’s not going to work!” She took another step towards the porch, wincing slightly as Parker increased his attack.

Shit... she’s right, he realized, risking a glance back at the porch. If she just decided to lower her head and charge like a bull, I doubt I could stop her. I’d hoped Roni would be out by now to help snap them all out of it, or at least back me up... but I can’t wait around. He drew back for a moment, putting some space between them, smirking. I haven’t had to use this one for a while, he thought, powering up and focusing his sonic energy into his right hand, but the ol’ Sonic Punch hasn’t let me down yet. And this kid looks a hell of a lot less resilient that Stonewall.

“Sorry, Jette,” he said, sprinting forward, “but it’s time to end this little farce of a battle.” He reared back, his fist vibrating with power. “Time to say ‘goodnight’,” he yelled as he swung—

Then blinked in disbelief at Jette, who’d caught his fist, teeth gritted as she hung on for dear life.

“Gotcha!” she growled, landing a low blow, sending Parker gasping to his knees. Rather than give him a chance to recover, she lifted him back to his feet again, still holding tightly to his right hand. “You said Jimmy told you all about me earlier? Well, he told me a lot about you as well. Especially about your ‘trump card’, your Sonic Punch. Said you’d even K.O.ed Omega Girl with it once.” She pulled him into an improvised bear hug. “I knew if I pushed you far enough, you’d try for it. And that would be my chance to grab you.”

“Ugghnn... clever... girl...” Parker admitted, struggling to get free. It was no use. Her grip was like steel.

“Thanks. Now it’s time for YOU to say goodnight,” she stated, as she began to squeeze the air from his lungs... only to freeze as she felt the sharp edge of a metal blade pressed against the side of her throat.

“Drop him.” Veronica Albinn said coldly. “Let him go now. This blade can cut through concrete like paper. My husband might have been willing to play your little game, but if you hurt him, I WILL slit your throat and watch you bleed out on our lawn.” Jette swallowed slowly, eyes wide.

“Now, now, dear,” Venus Satore chided, causing everyone to turn as she and the others approached them. “No need to become so gruesome. I’m sure if we all take a moment to calm down a bit, we can settle this without any more bloodshed. Julie, dear, let Parker go. Please. There’s nothing to be gained by holding onto him.”

Julie glanced around herself, nervously. She was surrounded and outnumbered. Worse, Satore had recovered and was apparently none the worse for wear. “Yeah. Nothing at all,” she said forlornly, letting him go. “So, now what? You talk and I listen like a good obedient little slave in the making?” She shook her head, her eyes wet, but refusing to let her tears flow. “You goddamn witch... you may have beaten me... but eventually someone else will take you down—”

“Shut up,” Venus snarked, tapping lightly into her power, running a hand gently on the side of her head. “Getting slammed into the ground with my own dear servant gave me a hell of a migraine, and your spouting nonsense isn’t helping matters.” Jette glared at her, but obeyed, keeping silent. “Now then. You seem to be under the assumption that everyone here is under my control, that they’re all my slaves. That’s not the case. Furthermore, I couldn’t enslave them all even if I wanted to—which, for the record, I do not.”

“And also, for the record,” Rose stated, stepping forward, “Chloe and I chose voluntarily to submit to her. That was what you witnessed just before you showed up. She didn’t enslave us. We gave ourselves to her, of our own free will!”

“That’s neither here nor there,” Venus said dismissively, sighing softly. “Listen, Julie. You can speak again, by the way, but please let me finish. I know you are angry with me for what I did to you. I get that. And after several weeks of experiencing a taste of what I put you and the others through, I can agree that I deserve your wrath. But whatever problems you have with me, keep them between us, you and me. Don’t harm my friends or my servants.” Rose and Chloe opened their mouths to protest, but Venus held up a hand. “No. I insist. She has every right to be angry for what I did to her. If thrashing me to within an inch of my life will make her feel better, then I’ll let her do so.” She sighed softly. “It’s really the least I can do to make up for it.”

“At least we agree on that much,” Julie muttered, momentarily surprised that she could speak again. “Fine. You win. I don’t want to beat you up anymore. It just feels wrong... pounding on a helpless victim that won’t even fight back.” She sighed heavily. “And anyway... what does it matter, anyway? I can’t trust anything you’re telling me. For all I know, the reason I don’t feel like knocking your block off is that you commanded me to feel this way.”

“That’s not fair,” Roni protested, causing Julie to face her. “First of all, she just offered to let you wail on her without putting up a fight, or letting us defend her! And considering that you punched the ground and left a crater on our lawn, that says something.” She frowned, crossing her arms. “Secondly, why do you think she is trying so hard to convince you that she’s changed? If she was still just as evil and corrupt as you assume her to be, why would she even care what you thought? If she only wanted you to leave her alone, she could have easily convinced you to forget all about this and leave, the same way she stopped you from speaking earlier.” Jette blinked at that, considering, before conceding the point.

“Look, Jette,” Parker said simply, “the bottom line here is that you wanted her to pay for her misdeeds. And she has and still is. As part of her punishment handed down by the Nornir, she relives the worst moments of each of the people she has enslaved over the years of her life, one by one. Nightmares, not just seeing them but experiencing them as if they’re actually happening to her. Trust me, I saw up close and personal what it’s like for her. It’s not pretty. And it has taught her to think about the wellbeing of others besides herself. You asked earlier why I’d bring someone I so recently wanted to kill with my bare hands into my house? Well, without going into all the details, suffice it to say she saved my daughter’s life. If it wasn’t for Venus, Roni and I would have lost her for good.”

Julie grit her teeth, trying to fight the feeling welling up in her. Her anger, her sense of moral outrage, was fading bit by bit. She was even starting to feel sorry for the woman! But no! I can’t let this go! she thought, latching onto her disgust instead. She might have changed... she might even WANT to be a good guy now... but that doesn’t make up for everything she did before!

“So you think that excuses all the shit she’s pulled?” she asked, letting her inner fury show. “What about the people of Teton Springs?” she demanded, staring Venus directly in the eye. “What about my mother? Thanks to your little visit, spreading your so-called ‘cult of love’ throughout the entire city, the unplanned pregnancy rate has skyrocketed! Do you even KNOW how many unwed teenaged mothers there are now because of you? Women that fucked themselves silly, spreading your power among the uninitiated, out of love and devotion for their Goddess—only to wake up suddenly, once the spell was broken, wondering ‘what do we do now’?” Her expression hardened. “And worst of all, my mom... she took the brunt of it! Most of the people didn’t remember the specifics of why’d they’d been acting like horny little sluts the whole time, only that it all started at the resort, at the hotel. And my mom, the manager, she was blamed for all of it! She lost her job... was excommunicated from the local church... and her friends and neighbors, people in the town she’d grown up with and known for years, now treat her like a goddam leper!”

Venus stared at her wide eyed in shock for several seconds before speaking. “Julie,” she said in a voice thick with emotion, “when was the last time you spoke to your mother?”

“Why? What does that matter?” she snapped. “It’s not as if you give a damn about any of their problems—”

“Call her. Now.” Venus replied, her voice tight and her tone clipped. Something in her words broke through Julie’s self-righteous posturing, however, and she pulled out her cell phone.

“Hello? Mom? Yeah, it’s me, Listen, I was just... uh huh. Okay. Listen, I just wanted to... huh? Wait. What? WHAT?” She blinked, listening again for several seconds, turning slowly to stare at Venus, her expression thunderstruck. “Wait. Wait. Mom, are you sure? I mean... when? When did this happen?” She listened again, nodding dumbly, turning to stare at Venus again, this time in something akin to awe. “Uh huh. Yeah, Mom. That’s great. Okay, Mom. Well, I gotta go,” she said woodenly, hanging up the cell, cutting off the sound of her mother’s non-stop spirited chatter.

Venus nodded at her. “Well? What did she say? How’s she’s doing?”

“She...” Julie began, before stopping to compose herself. “She’s... doing better,” she admitted in a soft voice. “The whole town’s doing better. It seems... in the past few weeks, some big corporate bigwig that wanted to remain anonymous donated a lot of money to Teton Springs to set up a trust fund and services for all the unwed mothers... a few hundred million dollars, all donated from an unnamed source.” She shook her head in disbelief. “And my mom... she was so depressed about everything, about losing her job, and the way everyone was treating her. But three weeks ago, she got a call from a headhunter in Portland, looking for someone to run the new Marriott high-rise hotel as the general manager. They asked specifically for her, offered her an insane benefits package and perks... and she said yes! Best of all, she’ll be able to see me every day from now on, instead of one of us having to travel seven hundred miles just to visit the other.”

The dark skinned girl stared at the redhead, the woman that she believed that ruined her life, an uncaring, unfeeling monster with no conscience or remorse whatsoever. Yet here she was, face to face with the reality, a woman, arrogant, yes, narcissistic, definitely so... but not a monster without feelings as she’d believed. “Why?” she asked her, struggling to understand. “Why... did you do all of this?”

Venus merely shrugged, a small smile creasing her lips. “I remembered that being one of dear Amanda’s few regrets, that she so rarely got to see her heroic young daughter. It seemed to me that she could use a fresh start, and I thought it only fitting that she get the chance to start her new exciting career nearby her beloved daughter.” She shrugged. “As for the rest of the town, I also know what it’s like to be raised in a broken home. I figured the least I could do is give the women some options and the tools to make a better life for themselves.”

Julie simply nodded. “I... I don’t... know what to say. Tha—”

“No, don’t thank me,” Venus said sharply, causing her to fall silent. “You have no reason to thank me for fixing the mess I myself caused. And I didn’t do this for thanks or praise,” she added with a sad smile. “And not because of guilt, though it had motivated me in the beginning... and not because of outside pressure. But because it was the right thing to do.” She laughed ruefully. “It’s taken me quite a while to figure out what that means... and while I doubt I’ll ever end up as a ‘goody goody’ like the rest of you, it’s a lesson that I don’t intend to forget.”

Julie sighed softly in defeat. Her anger had been snuffed out completely. Worse... she felt like a total ass, attacking them all, when, as she’d been told multiple times, the situation had already resolved itself. She really has changed, she realized dimly. In fact, the real villain here is me. Dammit... how can I face everyone after all of this? What can I say, or do, to make up for being such a complete fucking moron?

A gentle hand on her shoulder broke her out of her introspection. “I know that look,” Venus said gently. “That’s the ‘I just realized how much I fucked up but don’t know what to do about it’ look. But if you’re feeling bad about all this... don’t.” She shook her head. “I already told you. I don’t blame you for how you felt. Hell, I probably deserve it and a lot more.” She sighed softly, glancing to the side. “I’m not a good person. I’m a goddess. I’ve always felt you mortals were beneath me. And, well, a smart part of me still feels that way.” She shrugged. “If not for these accursed dreams the Nornir sent me to ‘teach me empathy’, I might still—”

“Dreams?!?” Julie said suddenly, remembering. “OH! About that... um...” she said, glancing around hesitantly at the others. “Since you mention it... is there any way you could, um... change the dreams I’ve been having lately? You know... dreams about us, er... being together, during that time in Teton Springs,” she added, blushing heavily. “My psychic friend tried combing through my head, but said that they were due to some... ‘mystical magical connection’ between us, and that nothing she could do would stop them!”

Venus nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Oh, yeah. That. I guess I made a bit more of an impression on you taking you as my thrall that I thought. But don’t worry. The magic making those memories permanent will break easily enough after your next, ahem... ‘intimate coupling’.” Julie’s eyes widened. “And by that, I mean sex.”

“Wait! Wait for a second! You’re saying all I need to do to stop having wet dreams about you every night is to get laid?!?”

Venus chuckled. “Wet dreams about me? My my... I really DID have an impact on you, didn’t I?” At Julie’s scowl, she sighed again. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it so crudely, but, yes. And it has to be someone you feel a natural attraction to, male or female. It’s usually how things go after I’ve released a thr—er, servant of mine. The natural inclination to, ahem, hook up with someone else?” She raised an eyebrow at Julie. “It’s funny. No one else has ever complained about this. You’re probably the first person I know NOT to go right out to find someone to ‘scratch their itch’ after being freed.”

Julie growled, then sighed. “Tch... fine. Well, I suppose I’d better be leaving now. Sorry for the, um.... ‘misunderstanding’,” she said sullenly, hanging her head. “And you can, um, bill me for the damage to the yard.” She turned to walk away.

“Hey, hold on a second,” Veronica said, stepping in front of her. “We can’t let you leave things like this, you know?” Julie tensed as she approached, expecting a hit or a slap, only to blink in surprise as Roni instead kissed her. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she said gently. “It WAS a misunderstanding. Granted, Venus is no saint,” she said glancing back over her shoulder, “so your reaction is understandable. Hell, when she first approached us after saving Lucy, my husband responded by trying to choke the life out of her—”

“Thank you, Roni,” Parker grumbled, red-faced, as Venus and the others chuckled. “Point made. Move on, please?”

“—but we’ve all managed to get past it,” she concluded with a grin. “It’s really late. And it’s a long drive back to Portland. Why don’t you stay here for the night, with us? We have plenty of room, and I can get you patched up a bit.” She narrowed her eyes, speaking the next part psychically.

«And if you’re still concerned about those ‘dreams’,» she added, a bit of unmistakable lust coming clearly through the connection, «I think you’ll find more than enough people here to help ‘alleviate’ that problem for you. if you’re interested, that is.»

Julie’s mouth open and closed a few times, before she nodded. “Um... yes,” she said aloud, a slow smile creasing her face. “Thank you, Mrs. Albinn. I think I will accept your... more than generous offer.”