The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Welcome to my home away from home,” Eugene Frasier said, rolling his wheelchair up the ramp and across the threshold. “Please, make yourselves at home.”

His visitors, Nigel Grimalde, Patricia Grimalde, Constance Yamanohana, Angela Prentiss, Tawnya Parkinson, Sioban MacMillan, Delores Guiterrez, and Ellen Hofstadter, nodded, whistling in appreciation. The manor house was in fact a small mansion, a two-story stone building with twelve separate bedrooms, enough for each of them and the children to have their own separate room, a huge foyer, a dining room fit for a king, and a kitchen area capable of feeding a small army. The decor was a perfect representation of Eugene Frasier’s eclectic style: a perfect melding of old fashioned conservative and updated modern. Several tapestries hung from the walls, along with Gene’s tartan and clan colors, and a large oil painting hung above a huge fireplace, giving the place the feeling of being inside a castle. The furniture, however, was completely modern, leather bound recliners and couches, the climate controlled thermostat set to a comfortable 72, and the big screen 70 inch flat screen TV hang from a clear wall, currently showing a local news channel.

The grounds boasted a full length heated Olympic sized swimming pool in the basement, as well as a 15 person jacuzzi for relaxing. For the kids, a fully stocked entertainment center had been constructed, with everything from a pool table and air hockey, to a miniature go-kart track, to every video game currently on the market. There was also a fully functional gym, for someone wanting to work out, or practice martial arts, or simply play a game of B-ball. And of course, for Eugene’s home away from home, there was a fully functional lab on the grounds, a replica of his own back in River City.

“Interesting place you have here, Eugene,” Nigel said appreciatively. “Do you entertain here often?”

“Nae,” he said with a sigh, as Eva Snow and his wife, Lacie Frasier came to stand next to him. “I brought the kids and Eva here a few times, but usually it’s just Lacie and myself. After the time her grandmother brought Lacie Anne to Yggdrasil against her will, and Eva and I spent the better part of five months here searching for her, I decided if we were going to spend extended periods of time here in this country, I might as well make sure we’re comfortable. And once I learned the size of my darling’s extended family, I decided to make it large enough to accommodate any who might decide to visit.” He shrugged. “You know me, I like to be prepared.”

They all chuckled at that. “That’s probably the most hyperbolic statement you’ve ever made, Gene,” Eva said with a chuckle. Turning to Lacie she asked, “So, what now? How do you get to the this Home of yours from here? Say Isabelle’s name three time? Click our heels together and say ‘There’s no place like Home’?” At Lacie’s dour look, she shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry. It sounded a lot cuter in my head... So, can you just... walk through the veil from here, or does one of your Sisters have to come and open a doorway?“

Lacie frowned, shrugging. “I’m... not actually sure. Normally, this close to Home I could just will the Veil to part myself and step through... but right now I can’t even see it. Or sense it.” She shook her head. “I’d hoped that being this close would spark something inside me, some speck or thread of that connection that would allow me find it. But... I’ve got nothing.“

“There now, lass,” Eugene said gently, taking her hand, squeezing it gently. “It’s too soon to be getting discouraged now. Isabella didn’t invite us all the way out here as a joke, after all. If they’ve been keeping track of things at all I’m sure they know we’re here now. And I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before one of them appears to show you the way.”

“He’s right!” Sioban said suddenly, turning to stare at the fireplace, her eyes wide and slightly glazed. “Someone’s coming! There! Right there!” she said, pointing straight at the fireplace, at a visible shimmering distortion in the air. She glanced around and everyone, who simply stared at her in confusion. “Don’t tell me that I’m the only one seeing this?”

“No, I see it too, Sioban,” Tawnya replied, staring up with the same awestruck expression. “It’s... hard to explain. It’s like the wall in front of us is an old TV being tuned to the right channel. The wall is fading out and the static is slowly resolving into a wide clearing surrounding a forest. And... I can feel it, too, the clearer it gets, like the air is charged after a lightning storm.“

“Well, I can’t see anything yet,” Patricia stated, frowning slightly as she too stared at the fireplace, “but I can definitely feel it now."’

“Wow... me too,” Ellen replied, peering at the fireplace through her small round spectacles. “I sure don’t see nuthin’ strange but I’d swear it feels like a weird acid trip!”

“Same here,” Delores remarked, stepping towards the fireplace to join the others. “It’s all tingly... but in a good way.”

“What about you, Nigel?” Angela asked, glancing over at him. “Are you feeling anything?”

“No, sorry. It appears to be something specific to you former and current Tearbearers.” He glanced sidelong at Lacie, who merely sighed and shook her head no as well.

Suddenly there was a slight flash, and those blessed with the ability to see and sense gasped collectively as the veil parted, giving them a clear view of Home. A bright and shining meadow surrounded by a great forest of trees appeared before them with Vurda, Isabella, and Ethyria at the forefront, dressed in pale silver robes, to greet them. Moving as one, the three representatives stepped forward, parting the Veil, and entering the room.

“Greetings, visitors,” Ethyria said formally, bowing slightly. “Thank you all for coming. It is a great pleasure to meet you all at last, you who share the spirit of our dearest Sister Skuld, and carry the legacy of her child, Brunhilda.” Delores scowled, and Ellen bit back a curse, but the others merely stood by warily. She glanced at Lacie, and their eyes met briefly before she turned away, glancing down. “There has been much animosity and strife between we Nornir, and our servants, the Valkyrie—”

“Servants?” Sioban replied hotly, trembling both in fear and anger, the Tear in her possession pushing those emotions to the forefront. “More like slaves! They were people, with feelings and emotions! You used them like simple tools, or weapons... as if they didn’t have a mind or feelings of their own... as if they didn’t matter!“

“Sioban, please,” Angela said, stepping in to intercede. “We all know what was done. The past is the past and cannot by changed. We’re here to see about putting the past behind us and forging a relationship for the future. To that end, we all need to calm down a bit and try to remain civil.”

“Well said, child,” Vurda intoned, somehow managing to sound simultaneously sincere, yet still condescending and pompous, at the same time. “As my Sister stated, we are here to try and mend the rift between us, and forge a new friendship. I will be the first to say that, yes, mistakes have been made in the past—”

“Well, that’s very big of you,” Patricia mumbled, only to earn a glare from her husband.

“Ahem,” Vurda continued, nonplussed. “but as my daughter’s daughter is often fond of saying, hindsight is always crystal clear. Yes, we goddesses viewed the Valkyrie as servants... as ‘tools’, to do the jobs that we did not wish to sully our hands with. It was... callous... on our part,” she continued, after a moment, as if the very admission cost her something personal. “When you have the power to literally shape the world around you as you see fit, looking down on the world from on high, you tend to lose... perspective. That is not an excuse, merely a fact. We are goddesses of fate, or destiny, but even we are not perfect. We are not omniscent. Nor are we all powerful. Goddesses we may be, but even we serve a higher power.”

“Wait... a ‘higher power’?” Nigel asked, curious. “So, in other words, you Nornir are not the top of the food chain after all, you’re more like top level executives working under a CEO?”

Vurda scowled deeply, turning to face him. “I do not know what this ‘see-ee-oh’ is of which you speak,” she rasped, “nor do I understand why a male interloper such as yourself has presumed to speak to me directly, but in the interest of open friendship with the women that accompanied you here, I shall let the insult pass. Yes, Nornir are servants of the Goddess Fate.. She who guides and directs all. It is She who has created the Great Weave, She who brought it all into existence. We, the Nornir, her children, are merely the caretakers of the Weave. “

“I see. Well thank you for clearing that up,” Nigel replied, contritely, his tone clipped and sharp.

“Perhaps we should continue this discussion at Home,” Isabella stepped in, projecting an air of calmness, trying to ease the growing tension. “It is easier to comprehend when you see with your own eyes.” She gestured to the Veil, and it shimmered, opening fully. “If you would please step through, the rest of our Sisters would love to greet you as well.”

“And I assume this invitation applies only to those of us that can SEE the portal, lass?” Everyone turned then, glancing back at Eugene. “I would imagine that we would be allowed to cross, if ye so willed it. But ’tis nae the case, is it? Lacie Anne could transverse the barrier at will before, but now that she’s on yer bad side, it’s been hidden from her view. Yet, as I recall, she’d been taken across against her will the first time by ye, Grandmother Vurda,” he pointed out, letting a flash of his irritation show. “Angie, Patty, Elle, and Deedee... they may have held Brunhilda’s Tears at one time or another, but I’d be willing to bet none of them are of the bloodlines yer lot seem so concerned about. So... which is it? Is the barrier impenetrable to those not of the blood, or is it entirely arbitrary?”

The three Nornir glanced at one another, each showing different expression. Vurda was clearly outraged at this mere mortal’s presumptive tone. Isabella seemed more impressed at the man’s insight. And Ethyria, more in tune with humanity from Lacie’s influence, looked to be simply amused. After a moment of silence, however, it was Lacie herself that spoke.

“It is... somewhat arbitrary,” she explained. “Those of us of the blood ... under normal circumstances,” she added with a frown, “can see and feel the Veil, and pass through it at will. It is a magical construct, however, so yes, it can be attuned to allow others to perceive it and cross through it as required. However, Gene, you and Nigel will still be unable to cross it at all.“

“What?” several female voices asked in alarm. “Why?”

“Men are simply unable to enter Yggdrasil,” Vurda replied in a bored tone. “The magic of this place, the Veil, Home itself... it is all old earth magic. Female magic. Men simply cannot cross over. Period. And believe me, in the past, many have tried...“

Hmph. Personal experience with that I suppose, Nigel mused. No wonder she seems to have a bug up her ass about Eugene and I, and men in general.

“Well, if Nigel can’t go, then I’m not going,” Patricia announced, frowning.

“Me neither,” Constance replied.

“And if Eugene can’t go, I’m not going,” Eva replied.

“Now, now, ladies, just a moment,” Nigel interrupted. “Just because Eugene and I can’t make the trip doesn’t mean that the rest of you shouldn’t go. Yes, I’m disappointed at not being able to go, to see this mystical magical place with my own two eyes... to literally ‘touch the divine’.” He sighed. “That doesn’t mean you should deny yourselves that chance out of spite or protest. Hell, we travelled halfway around the world for this, didn’t we? We’re all linked together through Brunhilda’s legacy. If I’d never heard the story about the Tears, and set my course to learn everything about them, to bring them and the holders of those Tears into my possession, none of us would be here right now. If nothing else, we owe it to Brunhilda herself to do this, to heal the rift between the Tearbearers and the Nornir.”

Patty looked at her husband, the remarkable man that had captured her heart and soul, and still somehow continued to find ways to make her love him more everyday. “Are you sure you want us to go, Nigel? I mean, I feel the same way you do about doing this for Brunhilda... but this has been your dream for as long as I’ve known you. Are you really okay with this?”

“Yeah, babe, I really am,” he told her sincerely, kissing her. “Just make sure you take plenty of notes. I’m going to want to hear all about it when you get back.” She smiled and nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Well, at least he’ll have Eugene and I to keep him,” Lacie said lightly, giving Patty’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry about a thing. Your Master is in good hands.”

“Are you not coming as well, Sister?” Ethyria asked quizzically. “You prefer to stay with your husband as well?”

“Are you saying I’m allowed?” Lacie asked, surprised. “I thought I was being shunned... disavowed...“

“You broke a taboo,” Isabella reminded her, her expression serious. “You knowingly defied Fate in directly using your powers to save your husband’s life. Such an act has consequences, Sister, even for us.”

“But that doesn’t make you any less our Sister,” Ethyria finished, grinning. “Like an errant child that misbehaves and is spanked or put into... into... what was it called again? ‘Time-out’?” She nodded. “Yes. You’re in ‘Time-Out’, Sister... but that doesn’t mean you are no longer part of the family. You can return Home any time you desire. You only need help crossing the Veil.” Gesturing again at the shimmering portal, she asked. “So, are we decided then? Is everyone who may come going?”

A moment of quiet murmuring filled the cabin. True, they all wished to go, hence their reason for being there, but likewise, they all felt guilty for leaving Nigel and Gene behind. After a moment, two of the group stepped forward.

“We’ve decided to stay with the men,” Eva said clearly, Constance nodding in agreement beside her. “For the rest of you, this is something important, something personal. And yes, we’re a part of it, but not as deeply as the rest of you. But it’s okay... Connie and I will take care of the boys and keep them from getting too lonely.”

“Exactly,” the young Asian secretary agreed. “Assuming things go well, this is bound to be more than a one-time visit. We can go next time. Besides,” she said with a smirk, “it will give us all a chance to get caught up on some ‘private time’.” Ellen laughed, as the rest of the group blushed fiercely, catching her meaning only too well. As they made their way through the portal, Lacie and Patty both paused for a moment to look at their respective husbands, both thinking the same thoughts... wishing they were coming with them, and hoping they would both be okay without them.

Jimmy Frasier sat up screaming, soaked in sweat, hands clenched into fists. He leapt up, stumbling back, tripping and falling to the ground, scuttling back into a dark corner of the room. His heartbeat thundering loudly in his ears, it took several seconds for Devon’s voice to pierce the haze clouding his perceptions.

“Jimmy! It’s okay! You’re all right. You’re safe, baby. Safe.”

He blinked, gasping, panting as he processed her words. Safe. He was safe. He was... in his off campus dorm room. At the University of Portland. With Devon, his girlfriend. Not in a dank dark duneon in chains. Slowly, his racing pulse slowed, and his heartbeat slowed from a flat out gallop down to a canter. He closed his eyes. Right. It was just a dream. Just a dream. It’s been weeks now since I escaped Serpentina’s compound. Weeks since she tortured me to the brink of insanity. I’m... okay. It’s over now. I’m safe.

The touch at his shoulder made him tense up, but he soon relaxed as Devon wrapped her soft supple body against his own. “Another nightmare, baby?” she asked softly, snuggling, calming him with her presence, her touch. He nodded, grunting in embarrassment. “Oh, now, come on, baby. It’s okay. And we knew it was going to be like this for a while. Your Aunt Eva told you that the trauma of what you went through wouldn’t simply go away overnight.”

“She didn’t say I’d be dealing with night terrors or wake up screaming in the middle of the night,” he grumbled softly, pulling away from her. “This isn’t fair to you, Dev. You have classes in the morning, too. You shouldn’t have to babysit me every night, losing sleep, wrecking your own chance for a degree—”

She silenced his protest with a deep passionate kiss. “Jimmy, stop. Just stop,” she said lovingly. “First of all, it is NEVER an imposition to spend time with you... and I don’t just mean sleeping with you. Second, you’re my boyfriend, the man I love, and the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’d be a pretty sucky girlfriend if I couldn’t be there for you when you need me.”

Jimmy smiled gently, running a hand gently along her cheek. “I know. And thanks, love, I appreciate it. I really do. It just feels weird, yanno?” He sighed. “I’m the super hero... I should be taking care of you, protecting you... not the other way around.”

“Hey, just because I don’t run around in a cape or tight spandex, doesn’t make me any less of a Super,” she pointed out. “I did well enough traveling across the country with Hugo and Rose to find and rescue you after all.”

“Okay, okay, you have a point,” he conceded gently, leaning into her. “And that couldn’t have been easy. From the small amount of time I was around the guy, I could tell Malleable Man was a jerk. And Ghost Girl has the personality of a pissed-off Rottweiler—”

“Hey, wait a second! Rose isn’t so bad,” Devon cut in, pulling away from him a bit to glare. “True, she can be a bit... prickly, at first, as well as a bit blunt—”

“Devon, when I first met her, down in that underground tunnel, when that kidnapper was holding a gun to your head, she calmly and seriously explained to everyone that she didn’t give a crap about you, or any of the other hostages... that her purpose, her JOB, was to rescue me, and if she had to walk over your and the gunman’s dead bodies to take me out of there, she would, and gladly!“

The dark haired girl blinked, frowning. “Ohhhhhkay,” she said slowly, “so, she is a bit excessively ‘goal oriented’,” she conceded. “But deep down, underneath that gruff exterior, she’s a good person! We were together for several weeks trying to track you down, and in that time she let down her guard and showed me her softer side. She’s had a rough past, Jimmy...”

He nodded, sighing deeply. “Yeah,” Jimmy replied simply, knowing all too much about her history from his Dad’s files. I do sympathize with her situation, after everything she went through back in Crescent City, and I really owe her one for coming to my rescue twice now... but that doesn’t make her any more likable! Still, if Dev considers her a friend, I guess I could learn to deal with Ms. Abrasive...

“C’mon, let’s go back to bed,” he said after a moment, returning to their bed, slipping back under the covers. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow, and you need your rest.”

“Me?” she smirked, sliding in next to him. ”You’re the one that has a major exam tomorrow in Molecular Biology.“

“Meh... Not worried about it,” he replied, pulling her in close, his lips latching onto that special spot on the side of her neck that always sent shivers down her spine. “I am a bit concerned about my upcoming Anatomy exam, however,” he added, hands moving down to caress and grope her breasts, feeling her nipples harden at his touch. “Maybe you’d like to help me with a quick refresher course on the finer points of the female anatomy?” Her witty reply turned unintelligible as his other hand slipped deftly between her thighs, seeking and finding her most tender places, and exploring their depths...

Bethany Van Hoffe scowled deeply at the evening city skyline, glaring at the twinkling lights of the city as if they somehow held the answers she sought. For several weeks now she had been hearing rumors around town among the criminal element about a sudden shift in the balance of power for the entire city. Criminals and heroes alike were being co-opted, being recruited as agents for some shadowy organization. Rumors among criminals were nothing new; she herself had reliable Intel that the federal government had a group of formerly criminal Supers on their payroll, dispatched as ‘special operatives’ in return for having their records expunged. This rumor, however, was far more sinister and disturbing. Her contacts on the streets had turned up very little, other than the fact that even the baddest of the bad were taking the threat seriously, curtailing their activities and circling the wagons. Which in and of itself leant credibility to the threat—if Frankie Nash, the most cutthroat drug dealer in the city, was worried enough to pack up and move his operation to Redburton just to be outside of River City, then something had to be up.

Still, having most of the criminal element scared and running... it’s not as if it’s, like, completely a bad thing, she reasoned as she fingered the grappling staff on her belt. In the past couple of months, River City has pretty much gone to hell in a handbasket. First, some psycho pastry chef turns us all into sex crazed bimbos, then a mad bomber tries to blow up half the city. Then two of River Cities most famous heroes—THE city’s heroes, Omega Girl and Armor Man—go off to fight some grey skinned hulking brute with designs on world domination and just vanish! No one’s seen them or heard from them in weeks! And now, suddenly, the rest of the city’s main heroes seem to have vanished as well! And when the city’s premiere protectors and defenders disappears, the criminals just seem to come out of the woodwork. Or... that’s usually the case.

If nothing else, her super hero alter ego had certainly been busy. Before all the craziness had hit, she’d concerned herself mostly with patrolling a few city blocks in the industrial district, stopping low level criminals and the occasional thief trying to steal from her father’s company. With the sudden vacuum of powerful Supers, she’d had to step up her own activities, And to supplement her own ‘less than impressive’ power set, she’d been forced to... ahem, ‘borrow’ a few prototypes from Braxton Industries’ R & D department.

Not that Dad would even miss a few of his precious toys from the ‘failure’ pile with all the new projects he has going on, she mused to herself. Ever since F.I. got shut down by the government, he’s been spending all of his time in the lab, working on his ‘top secret projects’ to try and surpass GrimTech and sweep up some of those lucrative military contracts apparently up for grabs. Huh. As if we needed more money anyway. With Dad, it’s all about status... beating out the competition. Bethany sighed deeply. It still bothered her somewhat that her father was such a miser. Unlike the other moguls and affluent in the city, he refused to give to charity, or donate to the city in any way. And though she wouldn’t have stated it in so many words, the main reason she’d taken on the mantle of Red Rocket was to try and make up for her father’s selfishness... to try and do some good for the city she loved since her father refused to.

A loud beeping in her ear alerted her to her scanner picking up an alarm going off in the vicinity. Slipping on her goggles, she gave the area the once-over, scanning for abnormal electromagnetic signatures, until she spotted a large power spike coming from the Third Street Bank two blocks over. Sighing, she grabbed her grappling staff, the paused, considering. Well, I guess this is as good a chance to, like, try out the new gear, she mused. The low-G belt unit should, in theory, reduce my weight by a factor of ten. While I won’t be, like, weightless or anything, I should be light enough to glide on the wind with just my cape. Flipping the switch on her belt, clutching her trusty grapple on her other hand just in case she took a nose dive, she took a deep breath, counted to three, she leapt over the edge.

“WOOOOOHOOOO!!” she screamed in triumph as she streaked across the night sky on the wind. “This is, like, the most awesome thing ever!” Caught up in the giddy euphoria of the moment, it took several minutes before she remembered that she was actually on patrol. Sighing inwardly, promising herself that she would explore this new ability in depth later on, she made her way towards the bank, landing lightly in front of the back entrance, which had been jimmied open. Switching off the belt, she pulled her trusty extending baton from belt.

Alright, she thought to herself, as she slipped inside the bank. Time to go to work...

“All right, Fredrickson,” Alice, the guard of the women’s wing of the River City maximum security prison said loudly, tapping against the edge of the bathroom stall with her nightstick, “time’s up. You’ve been in there long enough. Time to get back to your cell.” When the inmate didn’t respond, Alice sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. Until now, the woman had been pretty much a model inmate, keeping her head down, and causing no trouble. Most of the women in the ‘A’ wing were considered dangerous criminals, some of them super villains of some form or another, though non-powered like the residents of the prison were housed in Block D. Still, the mere fact that they had done things bad enough to be housed here in the first place was reason enough for caution.

“Hey! Fredrickson!” she yelled louder, banging on the door with her baton, pulling her stun gun from its holster with the other hand. “I said your time is up! I know you’re still in there, I can see your feet underneath the stall door!” Still no response “Dammit, Fredrickson, if you force me to kick in this door there’s gonna be hell to pay!” Still no response. Alice took a step back, but as she raised a booted foot, preparing to kick the door in, it opened, and Larissa Fredrickson glanced at her in apparent alarm.

“Ahhhhh!” she squeaked, taking a step back. “A... alice? What is it? Something wrong? How long have you been standing there?”

“Girl, you better have a damn good reason for ignoring me just now!” the guard yelled, seething, gesturing with her nightstick.

“Yeah, um, well, sorry,” Larissa replies sheepishly, pulling back her long blonde hair, revealing a pair of earbuds, connected to an iPod in her front shirt pocket. “I didn’t hear you. Honest!”

“Listening to music, huh?” Alice scowled. “Goddammit, Fredrickson, you know the rules about contraband. Especially electronics!” She put out a hand. “Alright. Hand it over, and get out of here, before I have you sent off to solitary.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Larissa said with a smirk, placing the iPod into the guard’s hand, taking a step back. She stood there idly for a moment, as the guard pocketed the device, coiling up the earbuds and sliding them in her pocket as well. Ah. Such a pity. I’d almost hoped she would put them in her own ears and take a listen... it would have been so much more interesting to watch. Ah, well. No matter.

“Hey! Ow! What the...” Alice yelped, glancing down at her pocket. “Damn thing shocked me!” She frowned, glancing up to glare at Larissa. “Is this your doing, Fredriksson? Some kinda... stupid... prank?” She frowned deeper, shaking her head. She felt strange... dizzy. “What.... what’s... happening?” she asked, starting to sway slightly in place. Larissa merely giggled with glee.

“What is happening, my dear Alice,” Larissa replied, “is that the modifications I made to that device have started to work just as I planned. When I took it off and handed it to you, I set a timed discharge for a specially modified hypersonic emitter embedded in the device. That little ‘zap’ you felt was the device sending a change of energy into your body, through your nervous system, and straight into your brain! For the next hour and a half, your ability to reason and think has been severely impaired. You’ll pretty much believe any damn thing I tell you and accept it as the truth.”

Alice merely gaped at her, blinking. “I don’t... understand,” she said softly, sounding meek and unsure.

“I know, dearie, I know,” Larissa chuckled. “But don’t worry. We’ll keep it nice and simple for you. Just do whatever I tell you and everything will be fine. Okay?”

Alice frowned, considering her words. On the one hand, the woman in front of her in the orange jumpsuit was a criminal... a bad guy. And bad guys couldn’t be trusted. Plus, she was relatively sure that the bad woman had done something to her... something mean. But... on the other hand, if she did what the bad girl said, then everything would be fine right? And... she wanted everything to be fine. Didn’t she? She was a prison guard, after all... and the last thing she wanted on her job was trouble. Trouble was BAD. With all the bad and dangerous criminals in this prison, she wanted... no, she NEEDED everything to be fine. And... doing whatever the woman told her to do was really a small price to pay for that, right?

“Umm... okay, I guess,” Alice said after a moment, nodding.

“Good girl,” Larissa replied, chuckling evilly. “Then here is what you’re going to do for me. First you’re going to the storage locker on the main floor where they keep all of the confisgated belongings for the criminals locked up here, and bring me back my gear. You won’t let anyone stop you. If anyone asks what you’re doing, tell them the warden asked you to.” She frowned, considering. “And if anyone still tries to stop you, use force.”

“Use... force?” Alice asked, frowning slightly, tilting her head to one side.

“Yes, you dimwit, force!” Larissa grumbled, shaking her own head. “You have a night stick and a tazer on your belt, and I’m pretty sure you can get a gun or two from storage as well. The point is, do whatever it takes it bring me my backpack. Don’t let anyone stop you.”

“Don’t let anyone stop me,” Alice repeated slowly, nodding to herself. “Yeah... okay. Get your backpack. Don’t let anyone stop me. Use force. Okay.” Nodding again, she turned on her heel and exited the bathroom, heading down the hall towards the main floor. Alone again, Larissa let out a soft sigh.

T’ch... finally. Now I can finally get out of this stinking little shitbox, she thought with derision. I can’t believe this place! That fucking little rust covered bitch must have told them specifically not to give me access to any electronics... it took forever to get access to even something as basic as that iPod. Even then, I had to call in more than a few favors back home to get it and my tools smuggled in, something so innocuous it wouldn’t automatically raise any alarms in case it was discovered by a guard, yet containing enough parts that I could use to make my escape.

Leaning against the wall, she sighed deeply. By all rights she should leave River City and head back to Las Angeles and her own little private corner of the world once she was free. But... that felt too much like running away, tail between her legs, to her. Ms. Machina had been bested by pair of rookie Supers, one of them nothing more than a low grade hunk of tin! That rankled her; robotics were her forte! By all rights, she should have had the advantage, and should have ended the day with two new obedient slave thralls, or at the very least one new slave and a bucket of spare parts.

Instead, I end up knocked out, unplugged from my backpack generator, stripped of all my gear, and had all my tech confiscated and hauled away by the cops! she fumed. And worst of all, I still never found a lead on that damned Luminaire chick!

That was the linchpin. It was bad enough to get taken down in a botched robbery attempt, but it was even worse getting caught in a fake robbery, set up as nothing more than an elaborate trap. She failed to find Luminaire before her brother did, though from all accounts, that was probably a GOOD thing. The blonde bimbo of vengeance had somehow managed to beat Laraby in their second encounter as well, leaving her brother as little more than a gaping, drooling vegetable. And there was no way Ms. Machina was leaving town without dealing out a healthy measure of revenge to those who had wronged them both!

A shout from the hallway, and the sound of a body thudding to the floor broke Larissa out of her musing. Glancing up, she smiled as her little alice-thrall returned, carrying her heavy metal backpack. “Ah! About time,” she chided, jerking it from the brainwashed guard’s grasp, lifting it easily with one hand. Stripping out of her bright orange jumpsuit, she removed a familiar silver colored bodysuit from her pack and slipped it on. Finally, she donned her backpack once more, feeling the connections lining up with her back, and fusing in place, as her body’s cybernetic systems came back online. “Ohhh baby,” she moaned softly in pleasure, “how I have missed that feeling.”

Glancing over at the guard, she favored her with a smile. “Nice job, Alice. You did a wonderful thing. Now I just need you to do one more thing for me, and everything will be honkey-dorey.” She held out her hand. “Give me the keys to the main security gate, take off your uniform, and put on my orange jumpsuit. then go back to my cell and lock yourself in.” She chuckled at that. “In all the confusion you caused, and that I’m about to create, it should take the other guards at least a day or two to realize what’s happened. By the time they figure out I’m not in my cell, I’ll be long gone.” Nodding stiffly, Alice began to remove her clothing.

Larissa watched for a moment, noting the guard’s ‘assets with a critical eye. Damn. Olive drab is not very flattering to your form, girl! If I knew all that was hidden away underneath that tired little uniform, I might have set aside a little ‘play time’ before making my escape. Ah well... you can’t win them all, I guess. Sighing inwardly, she turned, and headed down the hallway, to make good her escape...