The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

I am SO not a morning person.

Frankly, I’ve never understood how people that do what we do, living double lives, can have normal early morning jobs. I mean, yeah, sure, some people manage it, and simply learn to work their schedules around their ‘extracurriculars’, but damn... you have to sleep sometime! And how can you spend your nights up ’til the wee hours of the night crawling over rooftops and then get up, bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6AM to start your normal day? It just doesn’t work.

As a point of fact, I haven’t been doing the superhero thing for a number of weeks now, partially from forced bed rest to recover, and partially because, well... I’d given up my hero badge. I’d actually slept rather well in my bed, with two very warm and comfy bodies nestled next to me. And yet, when my alarm went off, daylight seemed to have come WAY too soon, like a bolt from out of the blue. In fact, I’m pretty sure without my slave training, I would have groaned loudly, fired a light bolt at the alarm clock, and pulled the pillow back over my head. But... this was my first day as Mistress Sioban’s teaching assistant, and I wanted... no, I needed to be on time and ready, making the very best possible impression. I’d spent the last few days madly studying over her study plan for her classes, mentally forcing myself to retain what I’d read by sheer force of will.

I just hoped it was enough. I wasn’t, well... the smartest girl in the world when it came to science stuff. I’d barely passed it in high school, after all.

My musings drew to a halt as Mistress began to stir. Leaning down, I gave her a soft tender kiss, caressing her hair. “Not yet, Mistress,” I whispered softly, as she settled back in. “I’ll wake you when it’s time to get up.” She let out a soft sigh, rolling back over, snuggling against Tawnya, who cuddled into her. I winced momentarily, wishing I was still in there with them, but shrugged it off, heading to the closet instead. I laid out all of their clothes for the day, not something I needed, or was even told, to do, but it felt natural so I went with it. I then went to the bathroom, and started the shower, letting the water steam up nice and hot, before rushing back to check on the girls again. I reset the alarm for seven-thirty, for T, who didn’t have to be at class until nine... the lucky girl. Mistress Sioban needed to be up in another twenty minutes, however, and I set my watch to beep at me, and brought it with me into the bathroom as I grabbed a quick shower. Right on schedule, I was cleaned, dried, and dressed, as my watch beeped.

“Time to wake up,” I sang sweetly, sliding back to the foot of the bed, slipping underneath the covers, in between beautiful Sioban’s slender thighs, delving into her sweet enticing sex. This was a ritual that I very much enjoyed, by the way, my own take on the way Nigel’s harem woke their Master every day. Normally, I would take my time, licking each delicate petal, enjoying the soft coos and sighs, lovingly working my beloved’s tiny little clitty, teasing and working her into a slow boil, before delving deeper, spiking my tongue as deep into her juicing pussy as I could, licking, slurping, fucking her relentlessly, until I had my Mistress gasping and moaning in abandon. But this morning, with us both on a time schedule, I went straight for the kill, nibbling, stroking and sucking exactly how she loved it best, bringing her from zero to Fucking YES! in a matter of seconds. When her body seized, and her thighs clenched tightly around my head, I moaned myself in pleasure, cumming from the knowledge that I’d made her cum.

Damn... maybe tomorrow morning I’d wait to fully dress before waking Mistress this way, so I wouldn’t have to change my panties again afterwards.

“Uhhhn... oohh goddess,” Sioban groaned, a smiled seemingly etched permanently on her lovely face. “I could really get used to waking up like that. Hi, baby,” she said sweetly, before sliding out of bed. “Did you sleep well? And how are we fixed for time?”

“Right on schedule, my love,” I replied, leaning forward to kiss her lips, “and yes, I slept okay... though it’s going to take some time to get used to being up this early.” I yawned briefly, shaking my head. “I don’t know how you manage it every day!”

“Coffee helps,” she replied, stretching, giving me the most wonderful view of her lithe and beautiful body. I know... I’d seen her naked a few hundred times by now, and maybe it was what they called ‘slave myopia’ or whatever... but every time was almost like seeing her for the first time, and was always just as breathtaking. When she turned around a moment later, I swear it felt like I was coming out of a trance when she asked me a question. “I see you’re already dressed. What else do you need to do to get ready?”

“Um, I just need to do my hair and makeup,” I replied. And change my panties, of course, I added silently. “The bathroom’s all yours. I can finish up in front of the vanity. Oh, and I checked downstairs, the staff already has coffee and breakfast prepared for us.” Yeah. The staff. We’d talked about moving out of Angela’s mansion and getting our own place to live, but we still had a while before we were ready to do that. And frankly, I’d really miss living here... the people as well as the benefits of having a full staff on duty.

“Thank you, Kitten,” she replied, making her way to the bathroom. I shuddered again, enticingly, that nickname nearly making me juice myself again. Maybe it would be safer to just skip wearing underwear completely for a while... but no. Then my arousal would just show through my slacks all the more. With my cream colored blouse, blazer and tanned slacks, I was going for professional business woman, not sex addicted slut.

Soon enough, though, we were both dressed and styled, and after a quick bite to eat, and a lot of coffee—she was sooo right, I could see myself definitely becoming a caffeine addict—we were on our way. We drove mostly in silence, listening to some early morning radio. I was nervous. Hell, I was practically petrified, not because of what I was supposed to do, which would normally be scary enough, but because I didn’t want to fail and look like an idiot and shame my Mistress. I did not want my performance to look bad on her. I was probably a few steps away from hyperventilating as we pulled up to the main gate, when Sioban took my hand.

“Just relax, Katie. It will be okay. You’re just going to be my assistant,” she reminded me. “I’ll be in charge of the class. All you really have to do is sit quietly and watch, hand out a few papers, and make sure the class is paying attention.” She squeezed my hand gently. “Trust me. You’ll do fine.”

And just like that I relaxed. Mmmm... the power of positive reinforcement of obedience commands. I did take her words to heart, however. Basically, I was her assistant, her class slave, as it were. I just had to do whatever she told me to do, and sit quietly the rest of the time, and I would be fine. And if there was one that I had gotten really good at over the past several days, it was obeying Sioban and following her instructions. As she parked the car, I took a deep breath, and let myself focus. Stepping out onto the university grounds, Slave Katie was set aside. Miss Katherine Frasier, Teaching Assistant, had arrived.

Venus Satore sat on the park bench overlooking the small pond, watching the geese gather and nest, sighing deeply. Her mind was ablaze with troubling thoughts, but she found herself struck with indecision. Her nightly torments had continued as promised, each night sharing a nightmare, a dream of reliving the worst moments of each of the people she’d enslaved in this lifetime, one by one. Luckily, most of her dreams were fairly tame and innocuous. Such as the dream last night, experiencing a businessman’s panic of arriving to work for a big presentation only to find he’d left his briefcase with the notes back at home. Others, however, like the ones she’d had three days past, only revealed to her in intimate detail how barbaric her treatment of some of her thralls had been.

It was a bitter irony, in a way, or perhaps Fate messing with her again, that the day she had decided to seek out Parker Albinn to deal with the repercussions of the nightmare of his wife’s dream that she’d then dreamt of his worst moment. Experiencing his brave yet futile quest to rescue his beloved Patty from the evil Nigel Grimalde, she’d been left utterly shaken at its conclusion, feeling the hatred and disdain the girl had shown him, and the utter despair and hopelessness that he had felt in his failure. She’d woken up crying, sobbing like a little baby, even after the dream mercifully faded. Because, even though she hadn’t actually been his tormentor in that particular dream, in the end, it had all lead back to her.

It was all because of how I’d broken that girl, she’d realized immediately afterwards. I’d punished Patricia for the pain of losing Parker, blaming her for it and taking out all my rage on her. I’d wanted to hurt her... and I apparently managed to do just that. In fact, I’d hurt and twisted her heart so deeply that even after my reign was broken, she ended up in the arms of a perverted thoughtless bastard, instead of the person that truly cared for her most in the world.

And that struck her to her core. Despite all her own anger and personal demons, she was, in essence, a goddess of love. At the end of the day, her goal, her purpose, had been to change this barren world, to make it BETTER, by promoting and nurturing free and unconditional love among all people. And to be worshipped and praised, of course, as was due her right as a goddess. And yet, somehow, along the way, her anger and need for revenge had blinded her to the truth of her own message.

Now, sitting on the park bench, she felt completely adrift. She’d sided with the wrong people, had pissed off the gods that reigned over her, and had been punished. Her servants had been taken from her, her powers greatly reduced, and of course, the oh so lovely torments during her sleep every night. For the first time since she was six years old, she felt scared, utterly alone, without purpose or a goal. What was she supposed to do with the rest of her life?

“Well, you seem lost in thought.”

Venus blinked, then groaned audibly, closing her eyes, instantly recognizing the voice of the person behind her. “As if my life wasn’t already painful enough,” she muttered, shaking her head, “now you’ve come to add to the pile. What is it, Skuld? Not suffering enough for your tastes? Come to add to the torture?”

“I just came to talk,” she replied softly, walking around, sitting down next to Venus. “And please, call me Devon. I didn’t come to add to your grief, Venus. And truly, despite what went between us earlier, I don’t harbor any ill will towards you.”

Venus raised an eyebrow. “Really? No ill will?”

“You pissed me off going after Jimmy,” she stated, “especially after the clear warning I gave. And you were in the wrong when you tried to use Katie Frasier to alter Mistress Fate’s plan for this world. Believe me, I could have done much worse.” She sighed again. “But that being said... yes, this was a punishment, but it was also an opportunity.”

Venus stared at her for a moment before breaking out in laughter. “Yes... yes, an opportunity... for you to humiliate and degrade me, to get your jollies watching me suffer. Don’t be coy with me, Skuld. I was the upstart divine that dared to go against the ‘program’, that wouldn’t follow the script handed down from above like the good little girl. So don’t try and tell me you aren’t getting every bit of satisfaction at seeing me suffer this way!”

Devon shook her head, staring out at the pond silently for a moment. “I was just like you once, Aphrodite,” she said after a long moment. “A long long time ago, my sisters and I made a very similar mistake. I needed help in shaping humanity and guiding it on its intended path, so I chose nine very special women, young girls, actually, and brought them to me. I made them into my Valkyries, my Chosen, and sent them out into the world to help guide humanity. They were loyal, and loving, my Beautiful Ones, they obeyed and served me with distinction. And as humanity’s numbers grew, and the task of guiding them grew more arduous, I began taking the expedient path, shoring their numbers, culling the herd, so to speak, to make things more manageable.” She sighed. “And by me, I meant my servants. Their tasks became harder, more... unpleasant. And they voiced their concerns, their displeasure, at some of my choices. But... they were my servants. My slaves. In my arrogance, I told them that I knew best, that theirs was simply to obey and follow orders, not question them.”

Venus nodded slowly, remembering the story. “And that’s when they rebelled?”

Devon winced, visibly deflating. “Not just then. It didn’t happen all at once. They were my thralls, after all... they were bound to me. They were incapable of rebelling or defying me. So... they suffered silently for a few more hundred years, until one day, they discovered the truth about their servitude.” She hung her head, the old wound still raw, still as fresh as it had been millennia ago. “I had given them eternal life, eternal beauty, eternal power... and eternal servitude. But eternal is not immortal. Once they learned that they could, in fact, still die, that they could choose to willingly give up their lives, they did so, one by one. And in doing so, they succeeded in what they’d truly wished—showing their uncaring, unfeeling Mistress the pain and despair that they themselves had felt from her actions.” The tears started to flow now, even as her voice remained calm and controlled. “All of them gone, Venus. Every single one. And it wasn’t until I’d lost them that I realized how very important they all had been to me. They were never my servants. I’d taken them from their various lives and remade them, gave them new life and a new purpose. I’d shared my love, my power, my spirit, my very essence with them. They were my daughters in every sense of the word. All they needed was some compassion, some understanding, to be shown that what they were doing was for a greater purpose than they knew. But... in my blind arrogance, I drove them away... drove them to do they only thing they could to escape from me... seek oblivion.”

Venus nodded again, her throat dry. She’d known the story, the tale of the Valkyries and their deaths, but hearing it told from Skuld’s own lips, it took on a new deeper meaning. Worse, she could see the obvious parallels in that situation and her own. “So, what?” she said snippily, covering her disquiet with anger. “Is that supposed to be some kind of object lesson? What’s the moral of this sad little tale then? Be nice to your slaves, or they will kill themselves and leave you all alone? In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t have any slaves to be nice to—you and your sisters took them all away!”

“Not all of them,” Skuld replied softly, wiping her cheeks. “There are a few that even now are searching for you... though I don’t think you’re quite ready to seek them out. Not quite yet. And no, Venus... the moral wasn’t about treating your slaves better. It was about not seeing them as slaves in the first place. My mistake was in devaluing them... but not just my Daughters, but humanity as a whole! I had thought of them as sheep, incapable of finding their own way, needing to be lead around by the nose. I tried to shape the future with an iron fist instead of a gentle open palm. But even though I see the future, I don’t see everything. Losing my beloved Daughters taught me much about myself, and how I looked at the world.”

She stood up, giving Venus a wan smile. “I’m so very thankful for my two new daughters, who gave me a chance to right a terrible wrong against one of my Valkyrie. But the truth is, I can never undo the terrible wrong I did to the rest of them. Venus, you at least have the chance to make up for the wrongs you’ve committed, not out of guilt or pressure, but just because it’s the right thing to do. Your punishment was to teach you humility, to keep you from going down the same path that I took. I hope some day you will be able to see it that way.” With that, she turned and vanished into thin air.

Being a Teaching Assistant isn’t quite as challenging as I’d thought.

Mistr... um, Dr. MacMillan had been correct. TA’s mostly sit in class and watch or listen, letting the actual instructor do most of the work. Indeed, I sat at my little desk, trying very hard to follow the lesson Dr. MacMillan was teaching the class. I might be unfairly biased,but I personally think she had a very wonderful rapport with the students. She always kept a smile on her face, seemed very friendly and approachable, yet still professional. And while I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the tray by any means, she taught in a clear and concise manner, using examples and analogies that even I could follow. Indeed, when she sprang a pop quiz on everyone near the end of class, to the usual half-hearted groans of protest that all students make, I glanced at my copy, surprised to find that I actually knew the answer to every single question just from what I’d retained from her lesson.

The third class of the day was just ending, and I was picking up everyone’s tests for the Instructor. My stomach grumbled loudly, causing me to blush as a couple of the girls giggled at the sound. “Um, sorry,” I murmured, taking their papers. I was very much looking forward to grabbing some lunch with the teacher once the rest of the class had departed. I wasn’t sure how Tawnya’s class schedule ran, but I had hoped to catch up with her as well. But then. glancing at Dr. MacMillan, seeing the telltale stiffening, and momentary glazed look, I sighed inwardly. Duty was apparently calling, so it looked like I would be having lunch alone today.

“I, er... need to run,” Sioban said shortly thereafter, confirming my theory. “Miss Frasier, I’ll trust you to finish up here. You can leave the papers on the desk in my office for later—I should be back after lunchtime, so you don’t have to spend the period grading them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied easily, sighing softly as she dashed off, no doubt to find a roof access to change and take flight. Goddess... how I wished I was going with her.

I’d just collected the last of the papers, and had closed the classroom door when I overheard the pair of students that I’d just taken tests from talking a little further down the hallway. “...such a shameless little slut,” one of the girl was saying, her voice dripping scorn. Ah well. I’d been part of a clique in high school myself, so I knew how catty some girls could be. I was prepared to tune out their conversation and continue on my way, when the other one responded. “I know, and the way she’s always darting off unexpectedly, like she has to run to the bathroom? Heh... Makes me wonder if she has some kind of bladder control issue or something!”

Oh. They were talking about Sioban. My hackles immediately went up at that, my natural reaction as her lover, girlfriend and and friend being to slap them both silly, or possible put them through a wall. But... interestingly enough, I felt restraint coming from my slave side, reminding me that this was a professional environment, that this was where she worked. As much as I wanted to thrash the little hussies, I couldn’t do anything that would jeopardize her job.

“Yeah, I think it’s more than that,” the other girl, a brunette with glasses said, conversationally. “Did you see the new ‘assistant’ she brought with her today?” she said with a giggle. “The whole time she was at her desk, she kept stealing glances at that big boobed blonde. I told you—she’s a total lezzie! I bet the Professor ran off to the bathroom in such a hurry to play ‘pet the pussy’ with herself.”

They laughed again, and her friend started to comment only to fall quiet as I walked by, my heels clapping loudly on the tile floor. “Good day, ladies.” I said casually, nodding to them in passing.

“Um, good day, Miss Frasier,” the brunette answered back cordially, as if she hadn’t just been bad-mouthing me a moment before. I continued on, however, acting as if I hadn’t heard anything, I wasn’t going to sink to their level. Besides... I was starving. And there were better ways of spending my time.

Trying to clear her head a bit, Venus had taken a walk through the park, simply taking in the sights and sounds of her surroundings. The park on Midvale was in fairly good shape; during Katie Frasier’s stint as supreme Mistress and authority of the city, she’d promoted an aggressive renovation and clean up program for the parks and recreational centers throughout the city. What were once hangouts for criminals and pickpockets had become respectable and safe places to take one’s children again. Alas, since Supernova had been defeated, the criminal element had been slowly but surely returning. The Midvale Park, however, was still in good shape.

She smiled, leaning against a tree, watching a group of kids playing at a jungle gym, laughing gleefully, without a care in the world. Despite her feelings for humans, and people in general, she’d always had a soft spot in her heart for children. This particular life’s past had only reinforced that notion, having lost her mother to a violent crime at an early age. Huh. Empathy, she mused silently, watching as a cute little dark haired girl climbed up to the top of the sliding board. Maybe this was what Skuld was alluding to... feeling sympathy for others based on my own experiences. But... no. Just because I happen to find children of that age cute doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly become a proponent of the human race at large. Taking one long last look, she turned away.

Well, it’s a nice sentiment, she thought to herself, but it’s going to take more than a few bad dreams to make me get personally involved in the lives of these mortals again.

Just then a scream rang out, the sound of a child crying. Whirling around, she spotted the cute little girl from the slide being carried away, kicking and screaming, by a pair of men in dark black suits and sunglasses. Before she’d even realized what was happening, she found herself running after them, sprinting the several yards to close the distance just behind the second man. Huh. So now I’m involved, again, and by my own hands, she grumbled inwardly as the apparent kidnappers stopped and turned to face her. And just after saying ‘it would take more than a few bad dreams’, huh? Damn you, Fate, she snarled, as both men drew daggers from their jackets. Subtle. Really subtle.

“You. Turn around and walk away,” the first man growled in heavily accented English. The girl in his arms was still struggling and kicking, and he grunted, punching her in the chest to quiet her down. “Kuso... stupid little brat! Stay still, or you’ll be sorry!”

Venus’s eyes narrowed. “Well, I can tell you both this right now: Any chance you had of me walking away from this just died when you hit that girl. Tell you what... let her go right now, and maybe, maybe, I’ll let YOU walk out of here in one piece.”

The first man laughed. “Bakayarou... think you are tough, eh, bitch?” He gestured to her with his chin. “Yusei, take her a lesson.”

Venus actually grinned, adopting a defensive stance as the knife wielding thug turned towards her. “Yes, Yusei,” she said mockingly, giving him a ‘come hither’ gesture. “Please do. Teach me a lesson.”

When the man struck, slashing out at her face, she had to admit it, however grudgingly, that he was skilled. Very much so. His form, his execution, of even so simply a slash, spoke of training... a very familiar kind of training. Fortunately for her, he was also abysmally slow, giving her more than ample time to dodge. She nearly burst out into laughter when he twisted, following up with a double slash, first overhand, then backhanded. After going all out against Parker Albinn on that rooftop, this wasn’t even good practice. As bored by her opponent lack of skill as he was frustrated in his inability to connect, she decided to end the contest, moving into his range, dodging underneath to deliver a stunning elbow, grabbing his knife hand and twisting as she bent forward, flipping him onto his back as she disarmed him.

Holding the blade idly in her hand, tossing and catching it, she glanced back at the first man. “So... care to try your luck now? Or do you want to cut your losses and drop the girl?”

“Baita!” he swore, pulling a gun now, leveling at Venus’ face. “So, you’ve got some skills. Let’s see if you are fast enough to dodge a bullet!”

Rather than be nervous, Venus gave him a saucy grin. “I see. So, when all else fails, and swagger falls flat, you resort to guns and cheap insults.” She moved slightly, thrusting out her hips a bit, causing her breasts to jiggle ever so slightly under her blouse. She saw the man’s eyebrows raise slightly, and she licked her lips, knowing she had him hooked. Using her hypnotic glamour took more effort now with the restrictions the Nornir had placed upon her, but ensnaring and entrancing a single individual with her looks was still mere child’s play.

“So, tell me, sweetie,” she said in a deep sexy coo, walking slowly towards the dazed man, taking the gun easily from his outstretched hands, “what do you think about me, now that you’ve had the chance to look at me... up close and personal?”

“Subarashi...”, he breathed, softly, a vacant smile creasing his lips. “Kireina... Megami... Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu—”

“Yes, yes, I’m quite sure,” Venus replied, rolling her eyes. “Now why don’t you be a good little boy and let the child in your arms go.” He did so, and the girl, still frightened, ran immediately to stand behind her. “Now, since your friend over there seems to be getting his wind back, do me a favor and knock him unconscious for me.”

“Hai, Megami-sama,” he replied eagerly, walking over to his groaning companion before delivering a cheap shot to the face. His glee at pleasing his beloved goddess was short lived, however, as Venus returned the favor, laying him out with a brutal punch to the chin.

“And by the way,” she added, glaring down at the unconscious thug, “Watashi wa baishunpude wanai!” Nodding to herself, she walked back to the girl, who stood, staring with wide eyes. “Hey, now, it’s okay,” she said soothingly. “The bad men are sleeping now. Are you okay, honey?” The girl nodded. “Good. That man was a creep,” she said, glaring back at him over the girl’s shoulder. “Only scumbags hit little girls. But don’t worry, sweetie, I won’t let them hurt you.” Sighing, she rose back up to her feet. “I guess we’d better try and find your parents. Do you know where they would be?”

“Um... they were over by the bleachers, near the swings,” the girl said softly, looking as if she were trying hard not to cry. “I bet they are looking for me now. They’re super heroes... so I know they’ll come and find me.” She glanced up at Venus, giving her a small smile. “And you must be a superhero too,” she stated. “I saw how you beat them up... and did that thing to the other guy to make him let me go.”

Venus chuckled softly. “Um, no, sweetie, sorry. I’m no hero.”

But the girl shook her head. “It’s okay! I won’t tell anyone! My mommy and daddy are heroes too, and they told me to always keep it a secret and not tell anyone. And I have powers too! One day, I’m gonna be a superhero like them, and like you!” She nodded, setting her chin firmly. “If I had had Mr. Snuggles with me, I woulda fought those bad guys myself. But Daddy said I didn’t need to take him to the park to play, ’cause he woulda got all dirty.” She paused. “Um... can I ask yer name, lady?”

Grinning, Venus nodded. “Of course, sweetie. My name is Venus.”

The girl’s eyes went wide. “OH! You mean like the planet? We learned about Venus in school last week. It’s a pretty blue planet, and it’s called ‘Morning Star’, ’cause you can see it in the sky sometimes when it’s close!” she told her. She frowned, thinking. “Oh... and, um... oh! And it’s also the name of a... um... ‘gawd dress’?” she said slowly, working through the word.

“You mean, a goddess?”

“Yeah! A goddess! My daddy said that he met a goddess named Venus once before a long long time ago before I was born, and that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, except for my mom, so, she is like the second most beautiful woman in the world, I guess.” She paused, considering. “You’re very pretty too, Miss Venus,” she added oblivious to how the older woman had suddenly gone pale.

“Um... wait a second, sweetie. You said... said your Daddy... met a woman named Venus before? And that he was a super hero?” The girl nodded. “Um... I’m sorry, sweetie. Very rude of me, I know, but I forgot to ask your name.”

“Oh! It’s Lucy,” the girl replied, giving her a true smile now. “Lucy Albinn.”

“So!” I said brightly, standing up as Sioban walked back into her office, “how was the ‘thing’?”

“The thing?” she said blankly, before blinking. “Oh! Right, the ‘thing’,” she said with a smirk, making quotes with her fingers. “We’re really calling it that now?”

“Well, Doctor, we are very much in public here at the University,” I pointed out as she sat down, taking out the lunch I’d picked up for her while she was out, making a plate for her. “Even if your office is semi-private, you never know who could be listening, or when someone might show up unexpectedly.”

Sioban sighed softly, taking the plate. “Thank you, Katie. And you know, when we’re not in class, you can just call me Bonnie. Calling me ’Doctor’ or ’Professor’ just sounds weird coming from you that way.” She took the glass of Diet Coke as well. “Thanks. And yes... the ‘thing’ went okay. Not a major incident, but it did have an unexpected twist. Luckily T showed up when she did to lend a hand—I know it’s tougher for her to slip out being a student. But yes, we wrapped everything up nicely, then came back here as soon as we could.” She took a bite of her sandwich, nodding appreciatively. “Mmm. This is really good. Tastes like... Rotisserie baked chicken. Huh... I didn’t think they served this on campus.”

I blushed slightly at the compliment. “They don’t actually. The chicken in the cafeteria wasn’t really worth mentioning, so I made a quick pit stop off campus to Kowalski’s Deli on Fifth and picked up something a bit better. I also brought you a pint of freshly made potato salad to go with it. I... hope you approve?” I asked, unable to keep the pleading from my voice.

“It’s wonderful. baby,” she gushed, diving in with abandon. It helped that I’d taken the time to learn all her favorite foods, her likes and dislikes. Yeah, I’d done the same with Jessica when we were together, wanting to be able to surprise her like this now and again... but with Bonnie as my Mistress, I’d taken it to an entirely new level. The look of delight on her face made it all worthwhile. Forget Katiecat, call me Katie Puppy! If I had an actual tail, it would be wagging like nobody’s business.

“So, what do you think about your first day as a TA?” she asked offhand, as I dug into my own food. “Not too overwhelming, I hope?”

“Oh, it’s great!” I replied back, grinning. “I get to experience a taste of college life, and spend all day with the woman I love. What’s not to like?” I said, then considered. “Well, aside from waking up at the wee hours of the morning, I mean,” causing her to giggle. Mmmm... I loved her giggle. I was beginning to juice up, thinking naughty thoughts again...

“Trust me, you get used to it after awhile,” she said with sympathy. “And really, it’s a lot better this term than it has been, thanks to your mom.”

“Huh? My mom? What did she do?”

“She helped me renegotiate my contract with the University,” she explained. “Being a relatively new and young teacher, I had virtually no seniority, and no pull around here, so I kind of ended up getting stuck with the early morning shifts, and the lion’s share of paperwork for the department.” She shrugged. “I only recently obtained my doctorate, mind, so until I publish some papers, or rack up a few more years here, I am going to get the short end up the stick. And I’m fine with that. But, well, with my ‘extra curriculars’ making it necessary to take off and leave at a moment’s notice, I had to have a few special clauses added in to my contract. Your mom used her pull with the University Administration Board to have added in that I can take off and leave at a moment’s notice, as long as I have an assistant able to take over for me.”

So, basically me. I felt both highly honored and deeply unnerved at that revelation—honored that she trusted me to handle her classes in the event she needed to leave suddenly as she had earlier. And very unnerved... hell, flat out scared, at the idea of trying to handle her classes in the event she needed to leave again like she had earlier! I guess the grayish green tone of my face showed my true feelings on that, however, as she came out from behind her desk to hug me tightly.

“Katie, sweetie, it’s okay,” she told me, gently. “I know the idea kind of scares you. But you can do this. I have complete faith in you. You’re smarter than you think you are. And if I do need to put the class in your more than capable hands, trust me that I’ll leave you very careful and detailed instructions on what to do and say, as well as where to find any answers for any questions the class might come up with regarding the material.” She flashed me that smile that always melted my inside into goo. “Believe me when I say you can do this.”

It wasn’t a command, per se... but I did believe her. I accepted her trust and faith in me. And, she was right. I’d kept up with her class well enough to know all the answers to the pop quiz. True, she’d prepped me somewhat over the past two or three days, giving me the basic concepts, and all... but I hadn’t really understood what it all meant until she’d actually presented it to the class. And this was high level physics work she was teaching, at the sophomore and junior level. It actually made me consider that I could, maybe, handle being a college student myself. Maybe not as a physics major of course—waaaaay too much math for my tastes! But yeah. I thought, maybe... I could.

Me... a college student. If you’d proposed the concept to me a year ago I would have laughed at you right in your face. Now... it didn’t seem so far fetched at all. I remember something Mistress had told me two nights ago when that big storm had come up and she’d held me in bed, cuddling and soothing me. She’d told me that she would always, always, be there for me... that she would forever be my strength and my protector. But that from now on, I wasn’t allowed to be afraid of something as silly as a storm.

You’re much stronger than you think you are. Under the right circumstances, when it really counts, you’re practically fearless. As your Mistress, it’s not just my job to guide and protect you... it’s also my job to push you, to make you become better than you are. It’s my job to help you grow into the very best person you can be. And you, Katie, when you finally grow into your potential, will be someone truly special. And I feel very lucky, very blessed, to be the one to see the person you become.

Yeah. I was the lucky one, no pun intended. I’d been blessed in being able to spend the first part of my life with one of the most amazing women I’d even known... Jessica, growing up, and leaning about life and love. And now, I was again blessed to spend the next half with another most amazing person in the whole wide world. I was under no illusions. I knew everything would not be sunshine and rainbows. Heck, I was still blacklisted as a heroine, shunned by most of the other Supers, and generally hated and disliked by the city at large. I had a lot to make up for. And I had a long way to go to redemption. But... the future still looked bright.

Again, no pun intended.

Shit! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT! Venus Satore yelled silently, glancing back and forth across the area. This is NOT the way I wanted to reconnect with Parker Albinn, she thought furiously, trying to decide what to do. Yes, she’d just saved Parker’s daughter from being abducted, rescuing her from an unknown fate... but given their history and their track record, there was no way Parker would believe she had nothing to do with it. If the girl even mentions my name, he’ll assume this was all just some ploy, some intricate complicated plot to get revenge on him somehow... and nothing I say will convince him otherwise. Fuck... I should just leave... walk away and leave the kid here to fend for herself...

Except... I can’t do that, she thought dismally, staring into the young child’s innocent face. I can’t leave here here alone. If those two wake up before Albinn gets here, they’ll be trouble.And I hardly think they decided on a whim to kidnap her out of the blue. There’s probably more of their group nearby waiting. No... I can’t just walk away.

“Um... Miss Venus?”

Venus glanced down, glaring momentarily in frustration, before softening her expression. “Yes, sweetie, what is it?”

“I’m... um... are you okay? You were looking all mad for a minute. Did I say something to make you mad?”

Venus laughed softly, shaking her head. Goddess... this girl was just too sweet! “No. sweetie, it’s not that. It’s just...I don’t think your mommy and daddy will like me being here. I’d like you to do something for me, okay? I’m going to go over there in the trees a little ways. You won’t be alone, I promise. I’ll just be over there, watching over you... and if anyone bad comes towards you, I’ll stop them. But, well... I’d rather you didn’t tell your mom and dad my name.” She sighed. “It will make them very very mad if they knew I was here.”

“But... but you’re a hero!” she protested. ”You saved me! You’re one of the good guys.”

“Not everyone thinks so,” Venus replied ruefully. Hell, even I don’t think so. she thought to herself.

“LUUUUCYYYY! LUUUUCCCYY!! WHERE ARE YOU?” a familiar voice yelled out., echoing throughout the park.

“Ah. Sounds like your dad is on his way,” Venus replied with a sigh. “Okay, sweetie. You’re going to be just fine. And like I said, I’ll be watching over you until he arrives, so don’t worry.”

“I won’t,” Lucy promised, nodding as the lovely redhead sprinted away from her. “And I promise. I won’t tell my daddy or mommy, okay? I’ll keep it a secret!”

“Good girl,” Venus called back as she entered a small grove of trees just as an all too familiar blur streaked by, skidding to a stop just in front of the little girl.

“Lucy! Oh, thank God,” Parker cried, picking her up in his arms, hugging her rightly. “Oh, baby, baby, I was so worried about you. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” He frowned, glancing over at the two men lying unconscious a few feet away. “Um, Lucy, baby... did... did you do that to them?”

“No, Daddy! It was a superhero,” she said brightly. “She came out of nowhere and beat them up, and saved me!”

“Well, thank goodness for that,” Parker replied with a sigh of relief. “I’m kind of surprised that she beat them up then just left you here alone, but I’m glad she stepped in when she did. I just wish I could have thanked her... do you know who it was? Have you ever seen her before?”

Lucy shook her head. “Nope. I never met her before. But she was really cool! She knew kung fu. and she was like BAM! and ZAP! and POW!” she said excitedly, swinging her tiny arms around. “Oh! And she has superpowers too! She just like stared at the other bad guy and he went all goofy, and when she told him to beat up his friend, he totally did it!”

“Um, okay, that’s cool, I guess,” Parker replied with a grin. “Did this mystery lady tell you her name?”

The smile faded from Lucy’s lips. “Um... I can’t tell you that, Daddy,” she said softly, looking away. “She asked me not to tell.”

Parker frowned, considering. “Okay, okay. But... can you at least tell me what she looked like?”

“Uh huh. She had red hair. And she was really pretty. Really really pretty!”

Parker’s frown deepened. Huh. A redhead. Very pretty. Knows martial arts, and was able to beat up these guys with ease... but also was able to hypnotize one of them with a look deep enough to make him attack his partner. No... no way. It... it couldn’t be... could it? Hmph... well, there’s one sure way to find out!

“So, Lucy, sweetie,” he said gently, nodding to Veronica as she finally caught up to them, “I was thinking, to make up for all this bad stuff that happened to you here at the park, why don’t we stop by Coldstone Creamery and pick up a pint of your favorite ice cream,” her face lit up brightly at that “and maybe rent a few movies that you’ve been wanting to see.” He paused, as if thinking. “I believe that live action version of the Jungle Book is out now. I really liked that one, didn’t you? What was that song the goofy Orangutan used to sing when he and the monkeys were chasing the little kid, and the bear shows up and starts dancing with them?”

“Oh! You know, Daddy!” Lucy said with a laugh. “It’s ‘I Wanna Be Like You’!”

“Oh yeah, that one. How did it go again?” He cleared his through briefly, before carefully pitching his voice, perfectly mimicking King Louie. “Ahem... Oooo-bii-doo! I wanna be like you-ooo-oo!” he sang loudly, “I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too-oo-oo!”

“Woo-bii-doobey-doobey-doo!” Venus sang out, caught up in the song.

“Gotcha!” Parker snarled, zipping across the grass in a blur, snatching the startled redhead from her hiding spot, and bringing her back out into the open. Venus gasped, gagging, as she found his left hand clutched tightly around her throat, his right hand reared back, vibrating with sonic energy, ready to punch her lights out. “Satore! I knew it! I KNEW IT!” he growled, squeezing tighter, causing her to squirm and pull at his fingers. “You must have a deathwish, coming after my daughter like this! My little girl!”

“Daddy!” Lucy screamed, running over to them. “No! Daddy! Don’t! Don’t hurt her,” she cried out even as her mother pulled her back.

“Shh! Lucy, baby, it’s okay,” Veronica told her, glaring heatedly at the choking redhead. “She’s a very bad woman. Your father knows what he’s doing.”

“No! NO! You don’t understand!” she said, struggling, trying to get free. “She’s nice! She’s NICE!”

Parker’s expression darkened. “Messing with my little girl’s mind, now, Venus?” he snarled, furious. “What the the play here, huh? Trying to turn her against us?”

“Daddy please!” Lucy yelled out, pleading, beginning to tear up.

“I should bash your face into jelly,” he growled, as Venus began to turn purple from lack of air. “The only reason I haven’t ripped your bloody head clean off right now is because I don’t want my daughter to see this—”

“GODDAMMIT DADDY LISTEN TO MEEEEE!”

Stunned, surprised by the outburst, Veronica found herself letting her daughter go, and Parker released his hold on his captive, turning to gape at their daughter in shock. “Lucille Annette Reiko Albinn!” Veronica shrieked in outrage, but Lucy stomped her way forward, placing herself in between her parents and the gasping redhead that had helped her.

“I’m sorry I cussed,” she said, tears running freely down her cheeks. “I’m a bad girl... and you can spank me, and take away my movies and my ice cream... but I can’t let you hurt Miss Venus!” she told them defiantly. “She is a hero, like you, Daddy, and you, Mommy! And heroes are not supposed to fight each other! She’s not a bad guy! She didn’t try and kidnap me! It was those bad guys over there. She SAVED me! She didn’t do anything bad... she was nice to me... and she told me not to tell you that she helped me because you would be mad and you wouldn’t believe that she was being nice... but she IS nice! And even if I get punished for cussing... I still had to tell you to stop!”

Venus chuckled dryly, coughing, half choking, at Parker and Roni’s poleaxed expressions. “Quite a kid you both have there,” she managed, shaking her head a bit. “And... she’s right. Those thugs... they aren’t mine. I didn’t have anything to do with this. I didn’t even know she was your daughter until afterwards, when she told me her name.”

“Uh huh,” Parker said dubiously, glancing back at the two men in black. “So, I guess you just HAPPENED to be walking through the park and saw her taken, and what? Stepped in to help out of the goodness of your heart? And then, finding out who she was, you decided to just walk away, leave without working your mojo on her. Is that about it?”

“Yes, more or less,” Venus admitted with a sigh. “And the girl is right. I told her NOT to tell you about this because I knew... I knew that there would be nothing I could say or do to convince you that I wasn’t a part of this. And yet, here we are, anyway. And there’s no way to prove that I didn’t send them as part of some complicated revenge plot against you.”

“Um... I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Veronica remarked, kneeling down next to one of the unconscious men. “Parker... I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but... I think she’s telling the truth. I don’t believe Satore is involved in this.”

“What?” Parker asked, walking over to kneel down next to his wife. “Why? What makes you say that?”

“This tattoo,” she murmured, pointing to an intricately detailed dragon head etched on his arm, just barely visible through a rip in the man’s suit and shirt. “This man... he’s Yakuza. If we stripped him bare, he’d have an entire dragon tattooed down his arm, shoulder and most of his back.” She sighed heavily. “I know... because I used to have one exactly like it... back in the day.”

Parker blinked in surprise. “Yakuza? But... why would the Japanese mafia be after our daughter... unless... wait... you don’t think?”

Veronica nodded grimly. “It has to be. Still pissed at losing me, they’ve come for my daughter... for revenge, or to indoctrinate her and take my place, maybe.” She shuddered. “Either choice is too terrible to dwell on. But yes... it’s undoubtedly—”

“The ninkyo dantai,” Venus Satore stated, her tone flat and emotionless. She shook her head. “Damn. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I fight it... karma just keeps coming back to bite me. Fate... you goddamn bloody cun—” she began only to pause as Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, “—um, that is, I mean, um... stupid bit—er, um... uh, damn, I’ve got nothing. Sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to ‘cuss’.“

“Wait,” Roni asked, crossing her arms. “Hold on a second. How did YOU know about the ninkyo dantai?”

Venus sighed deeply. “It’s... a long story. Long and involved. And I promise I’ll tell you everything. But later. For now, we need to get out of here. I’d rather not wait for the police to arrive... or for whoever else is working with those would-be kidnappers.”

“Hey, hi there,” Marcy Brown called out to the sandy haired girl standing in the hallway, looking around. “You look lost. I’m Marcy, the Dean of the Science Department. Can I help you with something?”

“Um... uh, no, no thanks,” the girl replied, glancing around, sighing. “I’m okay. I was... actually just hoping to run into an old friend of mine. I heard that she was attending here,” she added with a knowing smirk, “though I have to say that was a bit of a surprise. My friend... she wasn’t exactly the best student back in high school.”

“I see. So you’re not actually a student here, then?”

“Me? Gawd, no!” the girl laughed. “Not me. My grades were barely any better than hers. Still, I guess if she can actually get accepted here, maybe there’s hope for me as well.” She turned to walk out, then paused considering. “Oh... maybe you CAN help me,” she said, taking out a piece of paper from her pocket. “Maybe you know another... mutual friend of ours. She’s a professor here, I think. A Miss... SSee-oh.. Sayo...”

“Ah, you mean Sioban MacMillan?” Marcy said with a chuckle. “Yeah, it’s a tricky name... Irish or Scottish, I think. She’s our new Physics professor. I think her office hours just ended, and she’d heading to her evening classes right now, but if you like, I could pass on a message for you.”

Ah. So she’s here too, then. Katie AND her new lover, the woman that she picked to replace Jess. That works... makes it easier having them all in the same place.

“Oh, that’s okay. There’s no message,” Whitney replied enigmatically. “I’d actually rather give it to her in person... you know, surprise her. But thanks anyway,” she said, turning on her heel, walking away.

“Oh. Um... okay then,” Marcy said with a shrug, walking back into her office. “Huh. Strange girl. Oh well... cough cough guess I might as well get back to cough cough work. That mountain of paper... cough isn’t going to sort cough itself...” She sighed, then groaned softly as a sudden wave of dizziness swept through her.

Ugh. That’s weird. I feel really lousy all of a sudden. Got a killer headache... and I feel a little hot. Hope I’m not coming down with something... she mused, opening her computer. I can’t afford to take a sick day.