Light and Shadows 11: Rekindling the Flame
By J. Darksong & Gbrn32e
* * *And now I see clearly—All these times I simply stepped asideI watched but never really listenedAs the whole world passed me byAll this time I watched from the outsideNever understood what was wrong or what was rightI apologize, who-aaaahI apologize...
Prologue:
The young woman glanced up as the man stepped into view. Her vision was obscured by the helmet and visor fitted snugly atop her head. A slight blush spread over her naked form as she felt his gaze on her. She squirmed deliciously, hands and feet pulling against their restraints, not to actually break free, but more to simply enjoy the sensation of being held. The man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, walking around behind her, checking the dials on the machine she was attached to. Satisfied, he walked over to the computer and rechecked the program inputted and loaded into memory. Sighing softly, he turned back to the young girl once more.
“Everything is ready to go,” he said. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded.
The man sighed. “You know, you don’t have to do this. There are other ways… other alternatives…”
The girl shook her head vehemently.
“You’re determined, and I admire that,” the man said, sighing again. “But really, I have to wonder if you’re prepared for this. Are you really really SURE you know what you’re getting yourself into?” A soft sound issued forth from the girl, somewhere between a whine and a growl. The man merely shrugged. “Just wanting to be sure,” he stated, walking back to the machine’s controls, giving them a final once-over. “Once we begin, there’s no going back.”
The blond girl squirmed in her bondage, shifting her head slightly to face the man. “I promise you, this is what I want,” Katie Frasier replied, her voice husky and strained. “Nigel, Sir… this is hard enough as it is. Please don’t make me beg for it too!”
Nigel Grimalde merely smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Very well, Katherine,” he answered back, starting the procedure, stepping back to watch as the machine came to life. “Still, I suppose it is only fitting, as you’ll likely do a great deal of begging soon enough.”
Katie’s response was merely an intake of breath and a shudder. Beneath her, twin phalluses sprang to life, sliding up into her delicate folds. At the same time, the visor in front of her eyes clicked on, bombarding her eyes with bright colorful lights that drew her gaze in like a magnet. At the same time, the bonding solution, being dripped steadily into her body through the IV in her arm, kicked in, sending a wave of euphoria through her, amping up her arousal to new heights even as her mind grew hazy. The first orgasm hit with the suddenness of a two by four to the back of the head. She cried out in pleasure, only to groan and shuddered as her arousal held static, undiminished, held at the precipice of orgasm as another climax rocked her slender form.
And then another. And another.
Glancing at the controls one last time, making sure everything was working as it was supposed to, Nigel left the room, nodding to Sioban MacMillan, who stood waiting anxiously. “How’s she doing?” she asked as soon as Nigel stepped through the doorway.
“The procedure only just began,” Nigel replied stiffly, a wry smirk on his lips, “so I’d hazard to guess dear Katherine is doing well. Don’t worry, she’ll come through it just fine. I’ve done this quite a few times you know. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yes… I know. Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I just… I can’t help but feel overly protective of her, you know?” She glanced down at her feet, hands straightening her blouse for the thousandth time as a habit. “I mean… I know we came to you with this, that we begged and pleaded and cajoled you into it. But now…”
“Now, you’re wondering if you’re doing the right thing,” Nigel finished for her, causing the redhead to glance back up at him. He sighed deeply. “Frankly, considering everything that’s happened to our family over the past few months, I’d be surprised if you weren’t having second thoughts. It’s my machine, and even I was having issues about using it again…”
“Still, we needed to do it this way,” Sioban continued softly, almost as if speaking to herself. “This isn’t about covering up or hiding the hurt. She’s come to terms with losing Jessica, and she’s still seeing her Aunt Eva every week to work through her grief. This is about stability… for her as well as for me.”
“Not to mention the rest of humanity,” Nigel added brusquely, causing Sioban to glance at him again. “The girl DID nearly destroy all of reality after all.” He shrugged. “Frankly, I was tempted to add some safeguards into her programming to ensure that could never happen again. And if I were the same man I was a year ago—hell, even six months ago—I would have done so without a second thought.” At Sioban’s grimace, he shook his head. “But I’m not quite so cynical these days. I read through the programming you and Katherine specified you wished entered, and I trust that you’ll be able to keep her under control.”
“Yeah,” Bonnie replied, glancing away again with a sigh of her own. “I hope so.”
“Trust me, you’ll do just fine,” Nigel assured her, surprising her with a hug. “You’re a far more grounded and well-rounded person than I was. And despite all of my mistakes, the lot of you came through it all rather well.”
Sioban smiled, nodding. It was actually kind of strange. On the one hand, she’d been taken mostly against her will, tricked by Angela and Patricia, abducted and brainwashed, transformed into this man’s loyal and obedient sex slave, her will and sexual orientation overridden, and forced to do the same to two other young innocent women as well. A small part of her resented that still, hated that she’d been taken so easily against her will. On the other hand, because of that same man she had gained so very much—a home and a loving family, and friends. She’d been pushed to strive for greatness, not just in pleasing him, but in her professional and personal life as well. She’d excelled in her studies ad become a professor in her own right, had even traveled the world and broadened her horizons. Even more importantly, she’d become a heroine, a Tearbearer, part of an ancient and elite sisterhood of benevolent beings striving to protect and serve all of mankind, and use their goddess gifted powers for the benefit of all. Best of all, it had allowed her to meet with the fiery and good hearted blonde in the next room, the girl that had captured and won her heart.
None of those things would have happened had she never become Nigel’s slave. And recent events had shown her that nothing in life happened by coincidence or mere happenstance. Fate always seemed to have a hand in things, whether or not it chose to make its plans known. It was even moreso with Katie; everything she had gone through, good and bad, had lead her to this point. Had lead them BOTH to this point. Sioban only hoped that karma would be less of a bitch than Fate had been, that the pain and suffering her beloved had endured was over, and that their lives would be peaceful and happy from now on.
“Come on,” Nigel said after a moment, breaking her out of her thoughts. “It’s a long process. We should go and leave the girl in peace. Besides, you could use the rest,” he added with a smirk. “I’d wager young Katherine will be quite eager to see you once she has finished her session, and you’ll want to be well rested and full of energy when you meet the new her.”
Veronica Albinn glanced up at the sound of the front door opening. Slipping on her robe, she padded lightly to the living room, a small smile creasing her lips as her husband groaned softly, making his way into the kitchen. The lights were off, and the room was dark, but years of ninja training allowed her to track him easily. She waited idly as he fixed himself a light snack—a large plate of leftover lasagna, six slices of pizza, a full bucket of KFC chicken, and an entire apple pie—before padding barefoot into the kitchen as well.
“Grabbing a bite to eat?” she asked, causing him to jump nearly a foot into the air.
“Gaaahh! R-Roni! Don’t DO that, dammit!” he grumbled as she struggled not to laugh out loud. “Geez! I love you sweetheart, but there is just something not right about you!” To which Roni did laugh. “Seriously, babe… my powers are sound based. I can hear Lucy sleeping upstairs in her room. I can hear the neighbor’s dog whining softly in its sleep. Hell, I can hear the ants crawling across the concrete outside in the yard. And yet I couldn’t detect you creeping up on me in the dark ten feet in front of me!”
Roni merely shrugged. “I’m a ninja. Being undetectable when I want to was ninety percent of my training.” She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down across from him. “You’ve been out late again tonight,” she pointed out unnecessarily.
“Um… y-yeah,” Parker said, glancing slightly away, not meeting her eyes. “You know how it is. Supernova might be gone, and her control over everyone broken, but it’s only a matter of time before people go back to their old ways, and the criminals start coming out of the woodwork again. I just decided to do a really thorough patrol—“
“Parker, you’ve been patrolling every inch of the city every night over the past week now,” she pointed out, “and that’s AFTER you and I finish our normal patrol together. I can appreciate your sense of ‘civic responsibility’, but I think we both know what’s going on. You’re avoiding me.”
Parker glanced up sharply at that, a denial on his lips, but staring into his wife’s face, he sighed deeply. “It’s not that I’m avoiding you, per se,” he said slowly, trying to find the right words. “And it’s certainly not all the time! I’m just… giving you your space. At night. You know… at bedtime.” He shrugged, still avoiding her gaze. “I’m trying to be sensitive to your needs, sweetheart,” he said after a moment. “I’m usually really, well… ‘up’ at night, especially after we patrol together, so I’ve taken to working out, or going on extra patrols, to try and burn off some excess energy.”
Roni winced visibly, but nodded. She understood exactly what he meant. She too tended to become somewhat aroused at the end of their patrols. On a normal night, they’d head back home afterwards, unable to get to the bedroom fast enough, eager to indulge a bit of pent up carnal lust. Now, however, thanks to Venus Satore’s tampering, she was unable to achieve that blessed union with the man she loved. Indeed, over the past week she’d been forced to dig out her old standby vibrator, one she hadn’t had a need for in years, just to burn off the frustration. It had quenched her physical need, but not the emotional one, leaving her feeling unsatisfied and dejected.
And it seems Parker’s in the same boat as me, she realized glumly, he’s just handling it in a different way. But avoiding each other isn’t doing either of us any good. I miss my husband, dammit! It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t make me feel that spark anymore… I’d rather have him than be without him!
Veronica shook her head. “Parker. I appreciate the gesture. I really do. But… we can’t keep doing this. I miss being with you. I miss drifting off to sleep next to you, and waking up with you beside me.”
“And you think I don’t?” Parker replied sadly, shaking his head. “I miss it just as much as you do. But I also know your attraction towards me hasn’t changed. We can’t be together sexually,” he stated bluntly, “and after twenty years of marriage, my body just… reacts certain ways even when I’m half asleep.” He sighed. “And you remember what happened the last time you woke up with my hand between your thighs.”
Veronica had the good sense to blush, and look away. “I… I’m sorry about that,” she murmured. “I was half asleep myself, and it was a reflex. And your wrist was just sprained not broken, so there’s that as well.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Parker. I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow, I’m taking the appointment with Evangeline and having this problem fixed once and for all.”
“Wait, but,” Parker said hesitantly, “are you sure you want to go that route? I mean, I appreciate the offer, but, well, having Aunt Eva go inside your head and tamper with your sexual orientation like that…” He shrugged helplessly. Veronica knew what it entailed even better than he did. It wasn’t like simply flipping a light switch. It was much more involved, requiring several lengthy and invasive sessions, each done carefully to alter her way of thinking without damaging her psyche in the process. And even then, there’s still a chance that it won’t stick, he thought grimly, that some day suddenly, a week or a month or even a year later, she’ll wake up and we’ll be right back where we are right now…
Apparently sensing his disquiet, Roni took his hand in her own. “I know the risks, Parker,” she said quietly. “And really, I’m not looking forward to it. I had hoped that Katie would be able to follow through on her promise back from… earlier… and rework reality to restore what Satore took away from us. But she’s not really up to it right now. The poor girl’s dealing with her own crisis right now, and I don’t want to add to her load.” Parker nodded softly at that. “Anyway… it’s late. We can talk more about this in the morning. For now, please… let’s go to bed. Together.”
Resigned, Parker nodded again, placing an arm around his wife, trying not to notice the slight stiffening in her posture as they made their way back to their bedroom…
I was called directly into Oyabun-sama’s presence as soon as I returned. I was a bit nervous. Aside from the formal induction ceremony when I first joined I had only seen him once before now. Steely brown eyes peered down at me as I bowed, kneeling, to give him my report. “Ah, my newest ‘Blade’ has returned from her mission. I trust everything went as planned?” I nodded, hesitating a bit. He was shrewd, though, and noticed immediately. He demanded a full accounting of what happened, and obediently, I recounted the events of the night. I blushed deeply when I mentioned the vomiting, but otherwise managed to give a satisfactory report. Satisfied, he motioned for me to leave, and I turned, but paused.
“Father,” the words tumbling forth from my mouth despite the sense of dread they raised in me, “I know you put a lot of time and effort into my... my training... but I don’t think I am cut out to be an assassin.”
“Nonsense!” he replied, with a soft laugh. “You’ve just proven yourself to be an exceptional assassin. Despite unforeseen circumstances, you managed to complete your mission successfully. You have helped to ensure that Aizukotetsu-kai remains respected and feared by all of those around us! That is what is most important. Now, return to your room and rest. I shall call you when I have another mission for you...”
I tried to nod and turn, to accept his words and walk away… but despite myself the words tumbled forth again. “But... I don’t want any more missions!” I cried aloud, causing him to scowl at me. A voice in the back of my head was screaming insistently that this was wrong, wrong, WRONG... my duty, my purpose, my existence was to conform to this man’s wishes, to be whatever he wanted me to be, and to hell with my own personal feelings. The only thing louder was nee-san’s words… Reiko-chan’s words… echoing in my mind, telling me that she didn’t want this for me... that she didn’t want me to become jaded, heartless, or cold-blooded. Her words gave me the courage to speak up. “I don’t... I don’t have the stomach for it,” I said, still staring down. “I… I am sure there are other areas in which I could put my skills to work for you, Father. I can—”
“SILENCE!” the elderly man roared. I went silent, dropping immediately into a kneeling position, just as I’d been trained. “Such impertinence! You DARE to think that you can dictate to ME what your purpose will be? You exist to serve ME, not the other way around! I do not CARE if killing upsets your delicate stomach, girl... it is what you were TRAINED to do, and you will do so when I say, for as long as I say!” He scowled. “It seems that leaving you in the personal care of Reiko-san all these years has caused her bad habits to rub off on you as well! I think perhaps it is time for an object lesson.”
He snapped his fingers, and I stepped forward from my spot behind the curtains, bowing to him from the waist. I felt a momentary feeling of vertigo, seeing myself in both places at once, before the world resolved itself again. From the corner of my eye, I saw the girl’s eyes… my eyes, actually, widen. “Your expression betrays you, Veronica-san” Oyabun-sama barked harshly. “I know all about the so-called relationship between you two. In a way, I suppose it is a testament to your spirit. She was supposed to toughen you up, to harden your heart... instead you tamed her, softened her heart, and made her soft!” He turned and lashed out at me with the small crop in his hand, striking my across my thigh. I didn’t flinch. “I gave her a simple assignment while you were gone, to assist her sempai on a simple cash pickup... and because she was so distracted with thoughts of your taboo love affair, two of my men are dead, one is badly injured, and Osato, that despicable weasel, has run off with my money! Well... I have taken care of that. Reiko-san has been ‘retrained’, and now knows her purpose in life is whatever I decide it is! The same will be done to you if you continue to go against my will!”
Pain. Sadness. Despair. All of those feelings and more bled through me as I stared her down. Rei-chan… my lover… my self… the images kept shifting back and forth… but it didn’t matter. I knew what was happening, what WOULD happen now. Her eyes were cold and hard, like stone, and her expression showed no emotion whatsoever. She’d been ‘retrained’, Father had said? I felt my spirit dry up inside me and crumble away to dust. The one thing in my life that I had loved, completely, without reservation, and he’d taken it from me... just out of spite! Out of sheer unfiltered cruelty, simply because he could! Rei, my Rei, was gone… changed… perhaps forever.
And... and he expected me to just... go on, to pretend it didn’t matter, to just follow orders like a good little shinobi and kill off his enemies, or anyone who happened to get on his bad side. My hands were shaking again as he continued to speak, but I wasn’t listening. Rei-chan. The conflicting voices arguing in my head, the harsh guttural tones of my Oyabun-sama... all of these faded into silence, deafened by the sheer force of my anger and loss—and before I’d even recognized what I was doing, I was moving, the sword in my hands, swinging towards its target—
My vision shifted again, and I was just barely able to get hold of my katana and parry her blow before she could strike Father. Oyabun-sama paused in his speaking, eyes wide with fear at how close he’d come to dying without even realizing. “Wh... wha...” he sputtered, leaping back. The girl, however, wasn’t done by a long shot. She launched into a dynamic barrage of sword slices and strikes, trying to break past me and reach Oyabun-sama. Her form was flawless, her technique perfect. I had taught her well, and she had learned every lesson.
“Impertinence! Disgrace! Dishonor!” Father yelled, finally freed from his paralysis enough to retreat. “You dare to attack me? You think yourself so valuable that I cannot do without you? Reiko... show her how expendable she is! Kill her!”
The tempo of the fight had changed, suddenly; she was now the aggressor, and I was the defender, unwilling and unable to bring myself to attack her. Her strikes backed me slowly into a corner, both figuratively and metaphorically, as I found myself boxed in, unable to escape yet unwilling to attack. To make matters worse, the other Yakuza enforcers had finally arrived, and were about to bring their weapons to bear. I had no false illusions of how this would end. I had no wish to live anyway, without Rei-chan... the least I could do before I left this world would be to try and free her...
Her sword stabs forward, almost in slow motion, toward my chest. I know my time has come. I don’t even try to avoid it, focusing instead on my own blade. I stab forward, piercing her with my psychic essence even as hard steel pierces my chest... Pain! Aaaahhh! Goddess bless, it hurts… so much pain, but I push myself past it, through it, as I force my presence through her mind, past her defenses and others created not by her...
...and I FEEL her... feel her pain, feel her sadness... but I’m a weapon... an emotionless... tool?
...breathing is hard now, lungs seizing up... goddess… think she nicked my heart... but for her, for her... have to... push... through...
...something gives inside me... like a wall crumbling... and suddenly I FEEL again... realize what I’d done... realize why... I AM NOT A TOOL! Oh Goddess... Roni-chan… what have I done?!?
Blackness licks at the edges of my vision now... time slowing almost to a crawl... my strength is gone... my life is fading... but I manage a sad smile. Rei-chan is herself again... I... broke through... she will be... okay... if only we’d had more time… if only…
Venus Satore sat up in her bed, panting, heart racing, her vision clouded by tears. By now, she’d gotten mostly used to the nightly torture of experiencing the nightmares of all of the people she’d enslaved, as decreed by the accursed Nornir bitch, Skuld. Some of them were actually fairly tame, hardly even considered a real nightmare in comparison, and some were brutal, the kind that had her waking up screaming, barely able to remember that it was only a dream and not truly reality.
And then there were dreams like the one she’d just had that were on a whole other order of magnitude to the others.
She closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, composing herself again, trying to regain her composure. It was only NOW that she was awake and alert, no longer so caught up in the dream that she could separate herself from the experience, that she realized several important facts. First of all, from the way her perspective had kept shifting around like a ping pong ball, she deduced that she’d been sharing the dreams of Veronica Albinn, Parker’s dear beloved wife. She knew some of the former ninja’s past from their time bonded, but she’d never delved far enough to find out exactly how she had become a merged mind entity.
More disturbing, however, was the memory of the clan itself, and its leaders, particularly of Hitomi Yoshi, Oyabun-sama, the Yakuza lord who had presided over the events. Venus knew the man intimately, both he and the revered Mistress and mentor of Kagera-sama, Fu Aki. She even looked like an older version of the Aki she remembered. They’re both still alive and well, she mused darkly, but the way they’re running things… working with the Yakuza, using their talents in such a way… She sighed deeply. She couldn’t let it stand. She’d made countless mistakes in her long lived life, but at least this one she could do something about.
But… I’m going to need some help, she thought as she sat back down on her bed, rolling over onto her side. As distasteful as it might seem… I will need to swallow my pride and talk to HIM about this. I’ll have to go and see Parker Albinn…
The young woman glanced up as the man stepped into view. Her vision was obscured by the helmet and visor fitted snugly atop her head. A slight blush spread over her naked form as she felt his gaze on her. She squirmed deliciously, hands and feet pulling against their restraints, not to actually break free, but more to simply enjoy the sensation of being held. The man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, walking around behind her, checking the dials on the machine she was attached to. Satisfied, he walked over to the computer and rechecked the program inputted and loaded into memory. Sighing softly, he turned back to the young girl once more.
“Everything is ready to go,” he said. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded.
The man sighed. “You know, you don’t have to do this.There are other ways… other alternatives…”
The girl shook her head vehemently.
“You’re determined, and I admire that,” the man said, sighing again. “But really, I have to wonder if you’re prepared for this. Are you really really SURE you know what you’re getting yourself into?” A soft sound issued forth from the girl, somewhere between a whine and a growl. The man merely shrugged. “Just wanting to be sure,” he stated, walking back to the machine’s controls, giving them a final once-over. “Once we begin, there’s no going back.”
The young blonde woman shook her head fiercely, managing to dislodge the rubber gag placed between her lips. “I fucking know that, dickwad!” Whitney Meyers growled, glaring up in his general direction. “I’m the one who went through all the trouble to track you down and get here after all. My contact, Richard, said that you were the one to contact for what I needed. So tell me, Doctor, was I wrong? Can you do what I asked, or not?”
Dr. MacDonald merely sighed, walking over to the machine monitors, double-checking the connections. “Yes, yes, my dear, I can do what you ask. In the years since my earlier days, I’ve actually grown quite proficient in splicing DNA to give people super powers… for the right price, of course,” he added with a smirk. “Normally, for a procedure such as this, the very minimum would be one million dollars… but the, ahem, man accompanying you,” he said, glancing back at the waiting room, “said that he would consider it a personal favor to do this for you. So, here we are.”
Whitney merely nodded. It had been a stroke of pure luck, running into Sureshot during that fiasco at the jail several days earlier. Whatever chaos that had been going on outside the prison had bled over into the prison as well, and when a wave of black energy had swept through, incapacitating most of the guards and prisoners alike, she’d jumped at her chance and escaped in the confusion. And she hadn’t really been looking for a partner or anything at the time, but when the supposedly blind, mute, brain damaged prisoner suddenly called out to her from his cell, asking her to let him out, she’d obliged, thinking having a trained killer owing her a favor might prove useful. And, as it turned out, he had indeed proved very useful.
“Okay, we’re all set,” he said, turning to face her again. “Once I flip this switch, this machine will begin pumping my special serum into your body as well as bombarding you with my specialized frequency of gamma and x-ray radiation to stimulate a mutagenic change in your cells.” He placed the rubber ball gag back between her lips, and tightened the strap. “I’m told its quite painful,” he added with a smirk, “but then again, no pain, no gain, right?” With that, he flipped the switch, then stepped back as the machine roared to life.
Whitney grunted, merely frowning as the slight tingling she felt as the IV switched on, pumping the doctor’s serum into her. A small part of her was worried, concerned about the changes this mad scientist was about to perform on her. She’d never been vain, exactly… at least not to the point of narcissism or anything, but she was proud of her body. Yes, she wanted the power these changes would give her, she just didn’t want to end up looking like a damned monster.
Ugghh… still… it will be worth it, she thought grimly, wincing as the pins and needles sensation gave way to a burgeoning heat welling up inside her… and not a good kind of heat. It felt as if her blood was literally beginning to boil inside her veins, an all invasive heat that flooded to every part of her. Ugghh… oh fuck… fuck… he wasn’t kidding… hurts like a motherfucker! she thought, shaking her head in agony, thankful for the rubber ball gag now to keep her from biting her tongue. Still… it’s… it’s worth it… she thought through the haze of pain which only continued to increase. It’s worth it… if it helps me… get my revenge on her… on Katie… fucking…. Frasier! Goddamn you, Luminaire… all this pain… fuck… I’ll pay it back to you… tenfold!