Light and Shadows 11: Rekindling the Flame
By J. Darksong & Gbrn32e
Ch.5) What You Believe
Parker Albinn groaned softly, eyes fluttering open as he shifted position slightly. A strange somewhat familiar sensation had pulled him from sleep, and it took him a moment to register exactly what he was feeling. Blinking, coming fully awake, he lifted the covers, glancing down at the mass of dark colored hair fluttering lightly around his cock. A moment later, the sucking sensation increased dramatically, as the hair parted and Veronica Albinn glanced up at him, smiling, his cock still held lovingly in her mouth.
“Good morning, my wonderful amazing and loving husband,” she said briefly before inhaling his manhood once again. She smiled a wickedly naughty sort of grin, just before, eyes flashing, she linked herself to him psychically. Parker gasped then groaned aloud, as he felt his wife’s arousal and need suddenly added to his own. He chuckled softly, ruefully, also feeling what her clever deft hands were doing to herself under the covers as she sucked him off.
“Good morning, baby,” he said with a noticeable strain, trying to maintain his poise with the extra added sensations. “I take it... uhhn... that Venus was able to... uuhhhn... ooohh... able to hold up... her end of the b-bargain?”
«Looks like it,» she answered him psychically, not wanting to release his cock long enough to answer. «And ooohhhh ffffuuuuck have I missed this! Mmmm... oh Master... this... this is just the BEST, the most perfect sensation in the world... aaahh... nnnhhhgg... how could I have gone so long without feeling your wonderful cock inside me?»
Parker groaned again, her words nearly as potent as the sensations wracking his body. He too had missed this... had missed the simple intimacy, the ability to touch her and feel connected to her again. The sex, as wonderful as it was, paled in comparison to the sensation and knowledge that their bond had been restored, that they were truly joined again. When he reached his climax, he felt Roni hit her peak as well, simultaneously. And afterward, they kissed, holding each other, simply basking in the moment.
And, speaking of being held... Parker glanced sidelong, to the redhead on his left side, still sleeping peacefully. Parker’s fingers twitched slightly. Seeing her this way, asleep and restful, looking so innocent and normal... it was easy to forget all of the hatred, anger, and pain that had passed between them. Of course, considering everything that passed between us last night, Parker mused lightly, I could almost give her a pass.
«Hmm?» Roni asked, glancing at him.
Eh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud... about last night. About being with, um... her, he thought back, gesturing to the sleeping Venus. He felt rather than heard Veronica chuckling against him.
«Well, having finally sampled the Goddess’ delights for myself,» she added in amusement, «I certainly second that emotion.» She sighed softly, stretching out a hand to caress Venus’ cheek lightly, running her fingers through her long scarlet hair. It was true. For the longest time, she’d thought that the stories of having sex with the so-called goddess of love had been exaggerated, that Parker’s memories of their time together were colored by the inexperience of youth. But having experienced it herself, having received the personal attentions of a woman with literal millennia of sexual experience under her belt... it was a very lucky thing that she’d given her oath not to enslave them or make them her thralls, because the sex alone had left her a mindless, brainless blob of jelly.
And she did keep her promise, she mused to herself, grinding lightly against Parker’s lower body, feeling his cock begin to stir once more against her. I’ve got my husband back... my Master back, she corrected herself, sighing in contentment. Things between her and Parker had been just fine before Satore had broken their bond. Now, though... maybe it was the aftermath of having that bond severed, of being forced to bear being emotionally separated from the man she had loved all these years. Maybe it was the difference between their first binding, done secondhand by Satore acting through Parker, and now, done at Venus’ hands directly. Whatever the reason, she had never felt more content in her loving Master’s arms than she did right now. Like this was where she was meant to be.
“Uhhhnn... n-no...” Venus groaned softly, shifting a place, a slight frown on her lips. “Nnnooo... no. Stop... stop it,” she moaned, tensing up, starting to curl into a ball.
“Another nightmare,” Parker said grimly, as he and Roni disengaged, and pulled Venus between them, snuggling with her. “Shhhh... it’s okay, my little princess,” Parker whispered gently, “You’re okay. Just relax. Relax.. and let yourself remember. You’re just dreaming, Venus. It’s just a dream.” He shook her gently. “C’mon, princess... wake up.”
Meanwhile, Veronica had closed her eyes, tapping into her abilities to enter Venus’ dream. She found herself in an alleyway, in a shadowy version of downtown Crystal City. An abnormally large man, clad mostly in shadow, with only his eyes and face visible, was towering over a young girl, a teenaged redhead with green eyes. Her clothing was tattered and torn, and her face sported a large and ugly bruise just below her right eye. “Please! No! I’m sorry! I’ll give you whatever you want!” Venus Satore pleaded, shrinking back away from the brute. “Take my purse... it’s... it’s yours! Just... just don’t hurt me!”
The shadowy figure laughed, moving closer, backing her up into a corner. “Hurt you? Of course not, baby. I wouldn’t dream of it! Just the opposite!” he rasped, tugging on his pants, pulling them down, revealing a monstrously huge and veined cock. “I’m gonna make you feel REAL good!”
Before he could make good on his threat, however, Veronica acted, freezing the man in place. “Venus. It’s me, Veronica,” she said gently, taking the frightened girl by the shoulder. “This isn’t happening. This is just a dream, remember? This isn’t really happening. You just need to wake up—”
“Wake up!”
With a gasp, Venus sat up, opening her eyes. “Gaaah... ugg... uhhnn...” she babbled, wide eyes, panting, staring not at her two bedmates but at the image still frozen in her mind. “He was... he was going to... I mean, he did... he raped me... but... it didn’t...” she blinked, panting, shaking her head to banish the rest of the nightmare. Taking a steadying breath, she glanced up, finally seeing the people in front of her. “He was... he was going to rape me. Rape me, then stab me, and leave me to die,” she said in a small voice. “I mean... her, that girl... Jamie. I was her.” She took a deep breath, a bit of the old Venus Satore returning. “Thank you for waking me before it got that far. Not that it’s THAT big a deal. I mean, obviously, she lived through what happened. She survived that encounter. Still... I’m thankful for not having to relive the entire experience.”
“Yeah,” Parker agreed softly, hugging her tightly. Despite her words to the contrary, he could feel how shaken up she still was from her rapid heartbeat and the small shudders that ran through her. So he and Veronica simply held her there, saying nothing, letting the tension drain out of her. Heh. I never thought I’d ever see her like this... this... vulnerable. It’s actually kind of sweet. I think I could actually like this version—
“So,” Venus said suddenly, pulling back, sliding out of the bed, her usual smirk on her lips, “I see you two haven’t wasted any time in rekindling the old flame.”
And the bitch is back, Parker groaned inwardly. “And the mood is now broken,” he said aloud, shaking his head. “Seriously, Venus. Do you take some kind of sick sadistic pleasure out of getting on my nerves?”
“Yes, actually,” Venus admitted with a shrug. “Your frustration and angst are my nourishment. Your pain is my pleasure. And your burning rage is what keeps me warm in the night.” Seeing Parker and Veronica’s shocked expression, she laughed. “I’m joking, silly boy,” she said with a shake of her head. “Seriously, though, I do love fucking with you. You’re just too easy to provoke.” Parker moved forward, hands raised in a choking manner, but Veronica pulled him away, giggling.
“She’s right, my love. You ARE too easy to provoke. And we both know she’s just teasing you.” She yawned and stretched, momentarily distracting Parker with the view of her naked form. “C’mon,” she said gently, leading him back to the bed, slipping deftly under the covers. “It’s way too early to be up. Let’s go back to bed for a few more hours.”
“Tch... fine,” he said with a smirk of his own. After a moment, he rolled his eyes, and smacked Venus lightly on the ass, causing her to yelp. “Hey, you heard the lady. Back to bed.”
Venus raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re inviting me back into your bed? I already fulfilled my part of the bargain you know. And well,” she added, glancing away, “you both fulfilled your part as well when yo—H-H-HEYY!!”
“I said get in the damned bed,” Parker said, scooping her up into his arms, and depositing her back onto the king sized mattress once more. “Geez. Everything has to be a contest of wills with you, huh? Anyway, the deal was that we hold you all night... and the night’s not over yet. Besides... I’d hate for you to have another nightmare and not be there to um... you know... make it... uh... better,” he said, trailing off a bit, going red in the face. Venus glanced at him in surprise. “Shaddup and go to sleep,” he replied with a growl, his blush deepening, “before you say something to make me regret this...”
Okay, so MAYBE I was starting to get the hang of this early morning thing after all.
It was kind of strange. For the past several days, I’d been dreaming the sound of the alarm waking me up. I’d looked forward to today—Mistress’ day off—for a while, mostly for the chance to share some quality Mistress-slave time together, but ALSO because I would be able to sleep in for a change! I hadn’t even set the alarm last night. And yet, I found myself waking up bright and early at six am yet again, unable to simply close my eyes and will myself back to sleep. Damn... guess it’s a conditioned response at this point, I thought glumly to myself as I slid gingerly out of bed, careful not to wake Mistress. It was just the two of us this morning—Tawnya was back at the Tower, spending her turn in the rotation with her beloved Master, Nigel.
I was very happy that everything had gone so well in Yggdrasil for Patty and the others, but especially for Dee Dee, um, Delores. After her rejuvenation, she’d rejoined the roster and was happily sharing Nigel’s bed once more. I felt a moment of envy at that. In my short time with the Grimalde family, I’d snuggled with the eldest harem slave a few times, and enjoyed it immensely—the best sex without the actual sex, as I routinely teased her. Before her trip abroad, she’d been incredibly beautiful and sexy with a body of a woman half her age. Afterward, however, she’d returned with a body that girl’s MY age would envy.
And, well, truth be told, I missed her. I missed all of them. But... hopefully, after today, that might just change.
A quick shower and dressing later, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. A few of the maids glanced up at my approach, surprised to see me, but Hazel, the cook, waved me over. “Ah, Katherine,” she said warmly, giving me a one-armed hug, the other busy stirring a large pot. “Nice to see you up and about. And here I thought you’d be sleeping in on your day off!”
“Well, that was the plan,” I said with a shrug, “but my body had other ideas. I guess I’m stuck in a routine now.”
“Yes, yes, I know what that’s like,” the gray haired woman nodded with a wink. “So, are you hungry? It’s still a bit early, but I can whip something up really quick if you want.”
I waved her off. “Actually, I was hoping we could continue from before,” I said, walking over to the wall to grab and don an apron. “Mistress Sioban really enjoyed the breakfast I made for her the other day. I was hoping you could teach me some more?”
“Certainly, dear,” Hazel replied with a nod. “After all this time, I know all of her favorites. And that redheaded little pixie has very fine tastes, let me tell you! Since this is her day off too, how about we surprise her with something special?”
I agreed, and Hazel and I set to work. The meal itself was actually kind of simple, at least in theory. Pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and meat. However, our version consisted of Chocolate chip pancakes, Eggs Benedict, Over-the-top Hash Browns, and pepper smoked Bacon. It took a bit more prep time than I could have possibly imagined, and two and a half hours later, I was extremely glad that Mistress had decided to sleep in! Nevertheless, soon enough I made my way upstairs and surprised her with a full platter full of freshly made food, including coffee and fresh squeezed OJ. She yawned and stretched, glanced up in surprise as I knelt, carefully placing the tray down before her with a smile.
“Good morning, Mistress,” I said as she sat up. “Breakfast is served!”
“Oh wow! Katie! You... did you make this yourself?” she asked, incredulously. I nodded, and she nearly upended the tray pulling me into a tight hug and kiss that made my toes curl and left me breathless. “You silly, silly, amazingly sweet girl,” she said with a laugh. “This is incredible! Eggs Benedict? And crepes? You made actual crepes?” She shook her head. “Sweetie, this was supposed to be YOUR day off as well, you know!”
“I know, my love,” I replied, sliding into bed next to her, melting against her lovely curves. “And I chose to spend it doing something I love: serving you.”
“Well, you certainly know how to not only live up to expectations but blow them out of the water,” she said with a grin, before picking up a fork and diving in. “Uggghhnn... oh Goddess Bless,” she moaned softly, closing her eyes. “Soooo good. It’s a good thing my Tear keeps me in perfect physical shape. You keep feeding me like this, and I’d look like an elephant in a month!” I laughed at that.
I would have been content to sit and watch her enjoy the feast I’d so lovingly prepared for her, but of course, my Mistress insisted that I dine with her. And frankly, I was starving as well! I’d started my day three hours earlier, after all. As we ate, we talked about our day, what plans we had. And, despite my wish to stay with my dearest heart all day long, I did have a few necessary errands that I needed to run. The first of which involved me making a trip to the small town of Redburton.
“Going to visit Techna?” Sioban asked, using the silk napkin to daintily dab at the spot of syrup on her cheek. I pouted at that ever so slightly—I’d been intending to remove it myself... with my tongue. “You’re planning to apologize to her about the Incident, aren’t you?”
I nodded. After talking with Tawnya last night, we’d both told Sioban what I wanted to do. She’d applauded my decision but cautioned that not all of the people that I wanted to bare my soul to would be receptive... and that more than a few might even turn violent. “Yes Ma’am,” I said with a soft sigh, pushing aside my own empty plate. “Megan’s a sweet and sensible girl. I know I kind of... well, I did, no ‘kind of’ to it. I screwed her over. Badly. But I think she’ll at least hear me out first and shoot later. I think she’ll listen to reason.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” Sioban replied softly. “So... do you have anything else special planned? Nigel has invited us to dinner at the Tower tonight, a kind of ‘grand re-opening’ celebration, even though they’d been back there for close to a week now.” I chuckled at that. “Still, it will be a good chance for us all to spend some time together again, like... before...”
“Before I went all crazy in the head, you mean?” I added with a sigh.
“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” Bonnie replied sharply. I swallowed at that. Mistress didn’t like me getting down on myself. “Anyway, I just wanted to remind you. We’re having dinner at six sharp.”
“I’ll be there,” I promised. “Oh, one thing, though. I heard from my brother the other day. He’s currently in Midas, visiting, but he let me know that my cousin Yancy will likely be stopping by sometime today to pay me a visit. Is it okay if I spend some time with her?”
“Yancy? Ahh, the cute redhead with the glowing red eyes,” Sioban replied with a smirk. “I remember she was fun. Does her visit fall into the category of ‘business’ or ‘pleasure’?”
I laughed at that. “With my cousins, the two tend to overlap. But yes, I believe it’s just a fun visit. If it was something serious, a family issue or an emergency of some kind, I would have heard directly.”
“Great!” Bonnie replied, pushing aside her tray and sliding out of bed. “I guess I’d better get cleaned up and start my day then. I have some papers to grade and a lesson plan to sort through for tomorrow, but if I hurry, I think I can be done before your cousin arrives.”
Whitney glanced up sharply as a familiar face drew into view. She chuckled softly to herself. Tawnya Parkinson cut an impressive enough figure that she tended to stand out in a crowd. She smiled, licking her lips. She had nothing against the young heroine; in fact, in a different world, a different time, she might have wanted to hook up with the beauty. Watching her stride confidently across the quad, heading towards the Science and Math building, she thought the same thing that many others had thought upon the sight of her: Mmmm... yes. Now THAT is my kind of girl!
Still... she had a plan. And she needed to stick to it. Personal feelings aside, hotness, you need to die. Taking you out will deal Katie a serious blow. If you two are as close as I’ve been lead to believe, that going after you will draw her out... and watching you die a slow and painful death will cut her to her very core!
Taking a step back from her vantage point, she withdrew her hand from the tree she’d been resting against, and frowned, seeing the bark peel away and crumble to dust in her grasp. “Dammit,” she swore aloud. “I’m fucking LEAKING again!” Over the past several days she’d trained and practiced in the use of her powers. She had learned to control them... for the most part. Apparently, however, her poison still flowed freely whenever she became overly excited or emotional. As she watched, the spot where she’s been leaning against the small tree turned black, a severe rot working its way quickly through the trunk. The leaves withered before her eyes, going brown, dropping from the dying branches. Sighing deeply, she pulled the hoodie over her head and turned towards the Science building’s side entrance.
Today was definitely shaping up to be a good day!
Yancy had arrived shortly before noon, and in her plan to raise my spirits she succeeded marvelously. It was great to catch up, to just simply talk and shoot the shit like back in the old days. And it was interesting hearing about what was going on in Sanctuary. I remarked that she seemed to be fitting into her new role as the heroine for an entire society quite well, that despite her insistence that fate and destiny weren’t real, that she seemed ‘made’ for the role she found herself in. And typically, she laughed and winked, and said ‘agree to disagree’.
I also took the time to apologize to her. Of course, I’d done so previously, when we’d talked at Jessica’s funeral. And having had personal experience with Yana Ritter’s special ink herself, she brushed it off, saying that she understood and didn’t hold it against me. But it occurred to me that the ink, that Supernova, was only partially responsible for what I’d done to her. I was coming to understand that a lot of what “we’d” done was mostly ME. My wants. My desires. My anger. My angst. Yes, a part of my beef with Yancy at the time was some of Sylvia’s angst and frustration... but most of it was ME, angry and frustrated about what happened to her, nearly dying at Lia’s hands... and that she hadn’t come to me for help. And that she’d lied about it, letting us think she’d died when she’d merely... changed.
So... we cleared the air. We talked about the why, and the how, and listened to each other’s feelings. We laughed. We cried. And then... I demonstrated how truly apologetic I was to her. Multiple times. With implements. Oh, and Mistress helped, of course, though she really had no reason to apologize. Nevertheless, both Yancy and I enjoyed her efforts. Again, multiple times. And introduced Yancy to a little light cocoon bondage, the way I’d shown Sylvia a few months earlier.
“Oh my... um... yeah,” she’d panted afterward, as we three all collapsed gently into a soft tangle of limbs and girl flesh. “That was... mmmm... wow,” she laughed after a bit, leaning over to kiss me, scarlet shimmering eyes flashing in amusement. “I know I was doing important stuff, and searching for mom back then,” she said with a grin, “but now I REALLY wish I’d taken at least a short break to come visit with Sylvie.”
I smiled at that as I dropped down lightly in front of Megan’s house a while later. It was probably a good thing that a situation had developed in Sanctuary and that she’d had to rush off, otherwise we would have likely spent the entire day together ‘apologizing’ to each other. Heh. It would be kind of nice of ALL of my apologies ended up in the bedroom with gratuitous sex, I mused as rang her doorbell. Not that I was under any illusion that this next confrontation would be a pleasant one. Considering that I’d effectively seduced her into being my slave in the first place, I doubt she’ll be wanting a repeat performance.
I stood. And waited. And waited. Frowning slightly, I rang the bell again, only to jerk back in surprise as the door suddenly swung open. A grim faced Megan Tanner answered, one of her infamous guns clutched tightly in her hand. Uh oh. SO much for her listening first and shooting later Just behind her stood another familiar face—Roberta Bayport, aka Robotica, who was likewise on high alert, with several of her weapons trained on me. I swallowed painfully. “Um... h-hi guys. I, er... just came to talk,” I said, raising my hands slowly, palms out in what I hoped was a non-threatening manner. “And, um, just talk. Can I please just talk to you for a bit? I don’t even have to come inside if you don’t want me to.”
“Good. I don’t want you inside,” Megan said coldly, lowering her gun, stepping outside the doorway. She sighed heavily. “Stupid good luck charms... it’s not as if either of us could have actually BLASTED you anyway. Okay, Katie. You wanted to talk? Talk. What’s on your mind?”
Okay. So she was pissed. I expected that. It was still kind of jarring, and unnerving, having such hostility directed at me, face to face, especially from someone I considered a close friend. “I just wanted to come by and apologize,” I said, looking her directly in the eye. “Both to you and to Roberta, actually,” I said, glancing at her as well as she came out. “I guess I was lucky that you were both here together,” I said with a small smile at the inside joke. Neither of them smiled back. “So, um... I’m very very sorry,” I stated, dropping to my knees before both of them, bowing my head. “I screwed with both of you... abused your trust and your friendship. What I did was inexcusable. And I deserve nothing from you but your scorn and contempt... but...” I said raising my head slightly, “I was hoping... that maybe you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me? Please?”
“Forgive you?” Megan repeated, incredulous. “Forgive you?!? Katie... you...” she said, huffing and puffing, so agitated that she had to pace back and forth. “Do you have ANY IDEA what you did to me? To... to us?” she asked, indicating Roberta as well. “Betrayed my trust doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it! You brainwashed me... AGAIN,” she growled, furiously, “and used me as your... your... plaything!”
I winced slightly at that. I supposed I COULD have mentioned that the previous time she was thinking of, it was Jessica that hypnotized and brainwashed her, not me... that she and Jess had actually double-teamed ME, not the other way around. But, well, this didn’t seem to be the time to quibble over details.
“Worst of all,” she continued, still pacing back and forth, “you made me hurt and betray my friends, fellow heroes! I was the one you used to brainwash Roberta! You used me to spread your damned control over the whole city! And you even made me fucking like it!”
“I know... and I’m sorry,” I said again, head down. “You’re right. I used you... abused you. I treated you like my slave... my helpless mindless slave, without any feelings of your own. I treated you like a pawn. A plaything. A toy.”
“A... toy...” Megan said back softly, her voice sounding strange. I blinked at that. I think reminding her of her submission to Supernova was bringing those feelings back again. Which was good, if I were looking to re-establish control over her again and turn her into my puppet. Not so much if I merely wanted to apologize and prove my sincerity. I stood up then, and snapped my fingers loudly, causing twin gasps from both women—I hadn’t even noticed Roberta swaying slightly, nearly entranced as well.
“That wasn’t what I wanted,” I said quietly but forcefully. “Not then. Not now. The me that did all those things... it wasn’t me. Not the real me.” I sighed softly. It was always so complicated trying to explain. “It is my fault, though. I accept full blame. If I’d been stronger... if I’d fought her harder, then none of this would have happened.” I swallowed again, painfully. “And... I’ll do anything in my power... to make it up to both of you.”
Megan scowled, considering. “Hmph. Pretty words. I just wonder how much you really mean them...”
Roberta, however, sighed heavily. “Okay, Megan. I think we can cut her a break. You and I both know that she was being controlled by that thing inside her.” She glanced at me, shaking her head. “I’m not happy about the situation either, having my brain hacked and used as someone else’s pawn. But punishing her for something that wasn’t really her fault... that’s not fair either.”
After a moment, Megan nodded as well. “You’re right. And I suppose if you can forgive ME, the one that hacked your brain, then I can forgive the one who hacked mine.” I glanced up as she approached me. Her expression flat and emotionless, she raised her right arm... and slapped the shit out of me! I yelped slightly, head snapping back, as I stood there, stunned. “There. Now we’re even,” she said simply, nodding once. “Want to come inside and have something to drink? It’s a pretty long flight back to River City.” Wordlessly, I nodded, rubbing my cheek idly.
“Heh. Sorry if I sucker punched you on that,” she said, smirking, sounding not even the least bit sorry. “I wanted to get rid of that last little bit of angst, but I knew I couldn’t simply shoot you. Hell, when I saw who was ringing the doorbell, I activated my house’s security system but it refused to zap you.” She shrugged. “Frankly, I surprised I was even able to slap you without the ground opening up underneath me.”
I nodded again, still rubbing my stinging cheek. She hadn’t held back at all when she’d slapped me. I was probably going to end up with a bruise. “Well, I did say I would do anything to make it up to you. But, um, Roberta, if you plan to hit me as well, can it please not be in the face?” We all laughed at that, and Megan handed me a glass of Coke.
Whitney sighed heavily, yawning in boredom as she sat in her chair at the SUB, watching the door of the Science building across the street. It was getting late in the evening, and still, her lovely mocha skinned target hadn’t emerged. It was a little frustrating. She’s studied the girl’s movements for the better part of a week and knew her routine fairly well. Or, at least she thought she did. The pesky girl had a habit of disappearing unexpectedly, then reappearing elsewhere. Knowing her secret identity as Ebony Angel, the winged heroine... or ‘Ravenheart’ as she insisted on calling herself these days, Whitney had no doubt what she was out doing during her seemingly random excursions. It just made it hard to plan a time to ‘accidentally’ bump into her.
Damned bitch, she grumbled, glancing again at her watch, I’ve heard of being late for your own funeral, but I never imagined it playing out like this...
Growling softly, she took another drink of water and sighed, picking lightly at the salad in the bowl before her. Not that she really needed it, or enjoyed the taste. Another problem with her transformation—her body pretty much poisoned and broke down everything she touched, including her food. Thus, no matter what she ate, the food had no taste, virtually turning to mush the moment it touched her lips. Worse, she usually ended up with gastric distress afterward, a side effect of eating poisoned food, even if the poison was being produced by her own body.
Heh. On the plus side, all the excess gas is actually useful... she thought ruefully, draining her glass, it gives a whole new meaning to ‘silent but deadly’.
She glanced up as the SUB door opened, and a familiar pair of girls walked in, chatting with each other. Whitney growled again in frustration. These two were definitely in the same class with Parkinson! If they were here, now, then class had definitely let out for the night.
So... where had her target gone?
“Hey, you!” she said, calling out to them as they walked by. “You two... you have Calculus 2 with a Tonya Parkinson, right? Do you know where she went? We’re, ah, supposed to meet up right after class.”
The blonde frowned, thinking. “Huh? Tonya? Was there a girl with that name in our class?”
The brunette blinked, then snapped her finger. “Parkinson! Yeah, she means the ‘Prodigy’. You know, the six foot tall Amazon freshman?”
“Oh! Yeah. Her.” the blond replied, wrinkling her nose. “The one who aced that damn pop quiz and totally threw off the bell curve.” She shrugged. “I dunno. I haven’t seen her. She left early just after finishing the test... hmmm... maybe half an hour ago?”
“Half an hour?!?” Whitney growled. “Tch. Figures. I planned for everything but her FUCKING leaving early...” Sighing, she stood up and walked straight to the door, leaving the two girls stunned at her sudden outburst and departure.
“Huh... psycho much?” the blonde stated, shaking her head.
“Probably,” the brunette agreed, smirking. “You saw how she was dressed. The grunge-stoner look has never been in season.” She sighed, coughing slightly. “So, Nancy, wanna grab a bite to eat before we head back to the dorm?”
“Sounds good to me,” her friend, Pam, replied, coughing a little as well as she made her way over to the food counter. “I’m starving. I didn’t think class would ever end...”
Sioban sighed softly, glancing at her watch idly as she nibbled at her food. Delores, at her left, caught her eye, giving her a small smile. A few chairs down, Patricia was telling everyone about her latest case, one which, if things worked out as hoped, would be her last. “It’s pretty much a done deal at this point,” she finished, pausing to sip lightly from her glass, “all that’s left is for the judge to make his ruling and the final paperwork to be filed. After that, I’m officially on my leave of absence.”
“Well, we’re all definitely proud of you, Patricia,” Constance spoke up then, “but... are you sure you want to do this? Not that I’m doubting you of course, but... politics is a lot different from the law.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised how similar they are,” Patty replied with a sigh, rolling her eyes “Both sides of the law are more about who you know and what kind of favors you can do for each other than the actual legality of matters.” She shrugged. “And over the years, I’ve made quite a few friends.”
“True, but you’ve also made quite a few enemies as well,” Angela, the ever practical one, pointed out. “This won’t be a cakewalk, sweetie. They’ll be a lot of people wanting to see you fail, and would do whatever they could to sabotage you.”
“Let them try,” Nigel replied with a devilish grin of his own. “If anyone wants to down and dirty, I’m more than willing to do so on my lovely wife’s behalf.“
“Nigel, I’d rather win fair and square, without resorting to mudslinging,” she said with a pout. “Resorting to dirty tactic brings you down to their level. I’d rather we keep the moral high ground.”
“You keep the moral high ground, babe,” Nigel replied chuckling, “I’ll get down into the trenches on your behalf. Trust me, I have plenty of experience spinning public opinion without it coming back on me.”
“Um, excuse me,” Karen Summers said, sitting up, causing everyone to stare in her direction. “Listen, I know I’m kind of a new face here and all, but I think we need to address the elephant in the room here. People running for public office are always heavily scrutinized... and the higher the office, the deeper they look. And, well, there is your past to consider...”
Patty frowned, crossing her arms. “Who’s past are you referring to? Mine or my husband’s?”
“Both, to be honest,” Karen answered. “Frankly, between Nigel’s... um... less than legal activities, and your own secret identity as a former heroine, you’re both ticking time bombs waiting to explode.” She sighed softly. “Look. I’m not trying to be a downer or anything. And I fully support your decision, Patty. I’m fully on board with ‘Team Grimalde’,” she said, taking Darryl’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “I’m just pointing out that if evidence about your past gets out, it would deep six your political career before it even begins.”
Nigel nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Karen. We are aware. And while I’d already begun to separate myself from my checkered past before the notion of Patricia running for office was even considered, I’ve since taken additional steps to ensure that THAT chapter of my life stays closed. In fact, with the exception of the people in this room, the only ones who know of and have any proof of my involvement in ANY criminal activity are all trusted friends... and Parker Albinn,” he added with a smirk, getting a chuckle from everyone, and a light punch in the arm from his wife. “As to the subject of hiding my lovely Patricia’s past work as a crime fighter? Eugene Frasier suggested it, and I agree wholeheartedly, that we take the opposite approach: We don’t advertise or hide the fact. If someone decides to dig deep enough to expose her as a fully licensed and badge carrying heroine, then who are we to try and dispute it?”
“You mean, turn it back on them?” Delores asked, nodding. “Instead of seeing it as a mark against, spin it as proof of her dedication to serving the public interest. It’s brilliant! I like it.”
“Yes, it is a good strategic move,” Sioban spoke up, frowning slightly, “but it still comes with consequences. If they connect the dots well enough to link Patricia with Seraph or Sunshine Angel, then it’s only a matter of time before they link Angela to Avenging Angel or Delores with Eagle Woman. And even if no one ever figures it out, we’ll all still be under a lot of scrutiny from the public. And, well, you have to admit, Nigel, your household isn’t exactly, well, normal.”
“Well, normally is overrated,” Nigel replied with a smirk. “But yes... you do have a point. We will have to be careful, yes... but I think the goal will be worth the effort. This is going to be a bit of an adjustment for us all.”
They all nodded... and then Darryl stood up. “And, um, on the subject of big adjustments,” he said, turning to stare at Karen, “I have an announcement to make...”
A great loud sound of cheering and laughter sounded from the dining room of the Grimalde family suites at the announcement. “And so, he asked me to marry me,” Karen finished, “and after a little convincing, I said yes.”
Darryl chuckled. “She means a LOT of convincing,” he replied, “like an hour and a half’s worth.” Karen blushed heatedly as the others laughed good-naturedly. But everyone’s laughter stopped abruptly as I stepped forward, entering the dining room.
“Um... hello everyone,” I said sheepishly. “Sorry to wreck the celebration. Please, don’t let me ruin the occasion.”
“Hmph, a bit too late for that,” Constance murmured, loud enough for me to hear.
“Katherine... so good to join us,” Nigel said stiffly. “Dinner was at six PM sharp, so I’m afraid you’ve missed most of it. However,” he added, eyebrow raised in obvious question, “seeing your current state, I suppose you have a good reason for being late.”
“Katie? Goddess Bless! What happened to you?” Mistress asked, coming over to look me over. “Your face... your clothes!” I winced slightly. I suppose I looked worse off than I’d thought if she was in such a state. “Did Techna do this to you?” she accused, anger marring her beautiful face.
“Um, no, not exactly,” I replied with a brief shake of my head. “Well, a little. Megan just slapped me... hard enough to leave a bruise, maybe. But most of this... I ran into Vapria on the way here. And even though I tried to apologize to her too, she wasn’t exactly in a forgiving mood.” I glanced around. “Where’s Tawnya? I thought she at least would have beaten me here...”
“She did,” Nigel replied dryly. “By nearly two hours. After dinner, she and the kids went upstairs to spend some time together.”
“Oh,” I said softly. At this point, I kinda wished I were upstairs with them. “Okay... still, it’s good that you’re all together. I have something that I wanted to say to all of you, and I guess this would be the best time to do it.” I sighed and took a deep breath. “Nigel. Patricia. Angela. Delores. Constance. Darryl. Karen. Thank you,” I said bowing to the waist. “Thank you all so very much. You all welcomed me and showed me kindness when I was at my lowest point when I felt I did not have a friend left in the world. You helped me, protected me, nurtured me, and showed me, love. More than anything else, you all trusted me, let me into your world, into your home. And I... am so very sorry for betraying that trust.”
I stood up straight, risking a glance at their faces. Their expressions ran the entire spectrum, from closed and impassive from Nigel, to kind and compassionate from Dee Dee, to... to... oh my... downright hostile coming from Constance. I suppose that was to be expected... I’d messed with her head more than anyone else... except maybe Sioban. Of course, the fact that Mistress loves me probably contributed to HER forgiving me. I’d no doubt have to try a lot harder to win Connie over.
“Katie, dear, it’s... okay,” Angela said awkwardly, not quite sure if she could speak for everyone else in this manner, but feeling the need to say something. “We know that you were being controlled by that ink. Lacie and Eugene explained in detail what was happening to you. It’s not your fault—”
“But it WAS my fault,” I insisted, wanting, needing to make them understand. “That’s why I have to apologize to all of you. This mess... everything that happened... it all goes back to my weakness.” I hung my head. The shame... it was almost more than I could take. My breathing became shallow, and my heartbeat started to race. I felt like I was having a panic attack... until, once again, Sioban came to my aid, doing nothing more than coming up to stand by me, taking my hand. “Thank you, Mistress,” I told her aloud, confirming our status if anyone present didn’t already know. “Supernova... was not me. She was a separate personality, yes. But she would have never been able to do all the things she did if I hadn’t surrendered to her.”
“So, you’re saying you could have resisted falling under her control?” Karen asked, more curious than accusing. “If so... I mean... I don’t understand. How did this happen in the first place?”
“It was a long time ago... more than a year now,” I admitted. “My cousins Sylvia and Aurora tangled with an old Midas City villainess, Quillspawn, and got inked. In the end, Sylvie was able to turn the tables on her and defeat her, but it was a pretty close thing. Silver Girl was gone missing at this time, so there wasn’t anyone around to, er, ‘clean up’ her mind afterward. A few months later, she came to visit me, and we spent some time together... and ended up fighting a River City villainess named Dream Queen.” I shook my head. “Long story short, I ended up doing a whole mind-meld thing with her that we’re both still feeling slight effects from. And I ended up absorbing some of the ink that had remained behind.”
”Okay, that’s enough for me,” Connie stated, getting up from the table. ”Sorry, everyone... but the subject matter is making me feel sick to my stomach.” With that, she turned and walked away, heading upstairs. I stared at her longingly for a moment, unsure if I should go after her or not.
“Hold on. Wait for a second,” Patty exclaimed. “This incident with you and Silver Girl’s daughter... this was more than a year ago?” Patty exclaimed. “You’ve been under that inkblot’s influence for more than a year and no one noticed?!?”
“It wasn’t like that,” I answered. “Yeah, it was inside me all this time, but it was... dormant. Quiet. Near as I can tell, without Quillspawn or someone actively controlling it, it doesn’t have the power to corrupt and control you. It wasn’t until... Jessica died... that it started to stir.” I sighed softly, squeezing Mistress’ hand again. “But the first time it actually took control of me, the first time I was truly aware it was even inside me, was the day HE came to the mansion trying to kill Nigel...”
“Sureshot,” Nigel answered, scowling. “Laraby Fredrickson.” He closed his own eyes in memory. Truth be told, he HAD thought that that whole episode had ended strangely. Looking back on it now, he could even recall the moment when she’d changed, when she’d gone from a scared and frightened girl, injured and bleeding, at the end of her rope... to a dominating, awe inspiring badass in a full blown yet calmly controlled rage. And what she did to him there at the end, he mused, shuddering slightly. I did think it strange that a girl with light powers could create a ball of black shimmering death...
“That was the first time. It wasn’t until much later that I could even remember clearly what happened. I was... desperate,” I said in a low voice, the memory all too real. “I was down, weak and powerless. I couldn’t stop him. He’d just shot Tawnya and Sioban out of the sky... they’d fallen so hard... I wasn’t sure if they were even still alive. And he was gloating... saying that he was going to kill everyone else, you and Patty, and Robbie and Justine... everyone in the household. He was going to save me for last... just to drive home the fact of how powerless I was to stop him. And... in the midst of all that, I heard her voice inside my head, begging me to give her control, that if I was too weak to stop this madman from killing the people I cared about, then SHE would fight him for me. And... I did. I surrendered control to her.” I sighed. “And, well... you know the rest.”
The room was quiet at that admission. But there was still more to the story. “I wasn’t... she didn’t control me ALL of the time,” I continued after a moment. “I’d lose time... I’d be doing something one minute, then blink, and I was somewhere else, doing something else. And that’s really my sin. That’s why I have to apologize to all of you. I knew... KNEW... something wasn’t right. I should have told someone... should have gone to Aunt Eva, or my mom, or any of you... and just TOLD you what was happening to me. But I didn’t want to burden you. I was already a wreck... and you were all giving me so much support, so much love, and concern...” I broke off, as the tears started. Dammit! The last thing I wanted was sympathy, for them to feel sorry for ME! This was MY fault... and I deserved their blame. Yes, I wanted to be forgiven, just not pitied.
“I thought I could handle it on my own,” I continued, wiping the tears, powering through. “But I couldn’t. And after a while, I didn’t even TRY to fight her. It was just easier to submit, to go along with what she wanted. And anyway, she was a part of me, my Id... my darkest desires realized. So I can’t blame HER for what I did... ’cause deep down, a part of me wanted her to! Not the choices she made,” I clarified softly, “but the goals she was trying to achieve. So... yeah... um... I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”
“Well,” Delores said brightly, speaking up first, “I don’t know about everyone else, but I for one accept your apology.” I glanced up at her, blinking in surprise to find she had tears in her own eyes! “You’re not the first person in the world to make a mistake, and I doubt you’ll be the last. And that’s what this was, sweetie. A mistake. A lapse in judgment. You had a problem, but you didn’t deal with it... and when a problem isn’t fixed right away, it tends to snowball out of control.” She turned to glance at Nigel, who simply nodded.
“Delores is correct. And while I am FAR more upset about the trauma you dealt to my loved ones than your using my contacts within the city government for your own reasons, I suppose I can give you a pass.” His impassive facade finally broke, and he flashed a wry grin. “After all, you did save my life.”
“Our lives, you mean,” Patty cut in, grinning as well. “Twice. Not to mention our children’s lives as well.” She turned to face me. “Katie, hon, it’s been a few years now since I donned spandex tights, but I still remember what it was like. I’ve had my mind taken over a few times myself,” she remarked, glancing back at her husband, “and not all of them ended in a good way. And, well, I also know what it’s like to want to prove yourself... to be too damned stubborn to ask for help.” Several voices rang out in laughter at that.
“Katie, hon, I don’t have anything against you myself,” Darryl replied, hugging his fiancé warmly. “As far as I know, you didn’t do anything to my head. But, um, I do need to ask. Did you, at any time, alter Robbie or Justine’s memories?” Nigel and Patty stiffened, apparently never having even entertained the notion.
I blinked, gaping in shock. “What? No. NO! I would never... they weren’t a part of any of this!” I said instantly. “Nigel, Patricia, I swear—”
“I know, I know, and I believe you, Katherine,” Nigel replied with a nod. “I don’t just record everything that goes on around me for fun, you know.”
I let out a small sigh of relief. Still... there was a moment there when he had considered the idea that I might have done something to his kids, that I might have used them as leverage of some kind. And it was there, just for a split second, mind... but I could swear I could feel the murderous intent of the man staring at me, a man who would have calmly and stoically crushed the very breath from me with his bare hands if he even suspected that I’d in any way harmed his children.
“Well then, now that that’s settled,” Angela said, breaking the tension, “Katie, you must be starving. I think there’s still some left over Tuscan Chicken Carbonara back in the kitchen if you’d like to join us.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine—” I began only to go practically crimson as my stomach chose that very moment to growl. Loudly. “Er, I’m fine, really,” I said weakly, as even Mistress giggled at my expense. “Seriously, I’d really like to talk to Constance before I head out. I could tell she’s still upset about... everything.”
“Ah, um, Katie, dear,” Delores said, pulling me aside for a bit. “I’d say Constance is more than just a little bit upset. I think maybe you should give her some space for a while. If you go to her now, I think it will probably only end badly. Give her some time to cool off, okay?”
I nodded softly at that. Cooling off would be good. I really wanted to clear the air between us, but I guess it could wait a day or two. And despite getting roughed up by Vapria earlier today, today had actually gone pretty well. I felt better about my relationship with Nigel and his family, and they understood a bit more about what had happened to me. It wasn’t a simple fix, by any means. Just saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t automatically fix things, or undo the damage I’d caused. But, it was a start.
Besides, I told myself as I let Dee Dee guide me back to an open seat at the table, the hard part’s over. I managed to win over Nigel, Patty, and Karen Summers. All of whom have more than enough reason to hate me for messing with them. Compared to them, getting Connie to accept my apology will be easy...