2 comments/ 43441 views/ 20 favorites A Clockwork Green Ch. 01 By: AwkwardMD "They left us again, didn't they?" The skiff is missing from the port side. I scowl as intensely as I can, if only to keep my lip from quivering. There's nothing I can do to stop my eyes from watering except to keep Tony behind me so he can't see. I grip the railing and stare out over the dunes. "It would appear that, once again-" "Aw, can it! I'm fuckin sick of this!" "Now now-" I round on him, and he takes a quick step back. "I'm not just a goddamn tech! I can fight too! I'm fucking strong!" Both of my fists ignite for a moment, flaring brightly. It's not like it's the first time I set something on fire by accident and it won't be the last, but it's still a bit of a shock. "Damnit!" Tony isn't afraid of me per say, but he has a healthy appreciation for my abilities. Way more than anyone else on our fucking crew, that's for damn sure. Tony gets overlooked just as much as I do. Maybe even more. He's a damn good fighter, one I'd want watching my back if things went south. He's a great front man though, so he gets to work with the clients and keep the books. Capn' thinks he's gay. Won't put him out in the field. He's seen more jobs than I have, but none where there was even a hint of danger and really, what's the fucking point then? "Next port, I'm outta here. I'm sick of this bullshit." "You have said the same and more many times, Mackenzie." "Yeah, well..." I have. I've quit to Tony a dozen times. He's much better soldier than I am, and he always talks me out of it. Which just pisses me off more. "Don't you have some shoes to shine? Or a latrine to clean?" Tony purses his lips and folds his arms. "That is not what I do, and you know it," he says, eyes narrowed and words clipped. He spins on his heel and stalks off. Not to be outdone, I storm off too. I've got a pile of work waiting for me in my shop that never gets any smaller. Think I might skip using a hammer and just use my fists for a while. Maybe skip the forge too. *** Fuck. The barrel is bent on Jarrit's rifle. Again. No straightening that out... I know they're gonna come back with grand tales about how awesome they were, and how big the titties they saved were or whatever the fuck they're doin' this time, but I swear they must destroy their gear on every job just to give me busy work. I can't go on missions if there's work waiting... He can be a little prissy, but Tony's a good guy. Trigger mechanism's shot too. At least he managed to keep the magazine from exploding in his hand. I don't know why he wants me to keep fixing this fucking rifle. There's not a single original part left on this thing. If it's so goddamn important, put it on a fucking shelf, moron. Now I'm gonna have to go up there and apologize to Tony. Again. He's been a good friend to me. I get by ok without many friends, but "no woman is an island". Or something like that. Damnit, now I'm quoting him in my head. Or paraphrasing. Whatever. Fuck. I'm gonna have to do more than apologize... Fuck! "And what the fuck is this shit?!" I toss down the twisted remains of Jarritt's worthless rifle and mourn the Capn's dented breastplate. This is one of my pieces, so seeing it all beat to shit is just that much harder. He scratched the etchings on it too. Beating it back into shape won't be hard, but restoring the imbuement is gonna take more time. And some Strapping Young Lad... I glance around at the workbenches. My airbox is around here some-... there. More out of habit than need, I point my finger at it and snap my thumb down like it's a hammer. A tiny explosion just behind and beneath the airbox sends it sailing through the air, and I have to leap to catch it. I ruined 3 of these doing that until I figured out how to layer a fire imbuement over the existing air ones. I doubt the original creator would approve of my changes. "Underneath The Waves," I say, whispering into the box. Immediately, the room is flooded with riffs and squealing vocals. Metal may not be the style anymore, but there's nothing better when I've got a piece of work to do and the bit in my teeth. I walk over and shut myself into the shop, and the volume creeps just that much closer to 'bleeding'. Heat the piece, apply force. Heat the piece, apply force. Just like Dad taught me. Well, not quite. Dad never thought using my fists or my magic was a great idea, but he also didn't hate the results. Really, once you get the metal hot enough, anyone can bend it into shape by hand. They'd just have a much harder time holding on to it than I do. *** The chow bell going off snaps me back to the present after a long session. I'm not even halfway done with the Capn's chest piece. He'll be ticked, but he won't push me. He knows how good I am. It's not gonna matter though. I'm done for real this time. Shit. I'd forgotten about Tony. I scoop up a couple shavings, and start warming them. As they soften and bend, I etch veins in a few with my fingernail. If I'd thought about it, I coulda had a few of these things done before heading upstairs, but I wasted all my time fuming, and he'll be madder if I let dinner get cold. A quick press to get the leaves attached to the thin rod I'm using as a stem, aaaaaand...Yeah. That kinda looks like a rose. Roses are the easiest to do. Realizing they're the easiest just makes makes me feel worse about it though. Tony has no idea how long it takes me to do these. He's got two vases full of em. He loves them all and he'll love this one, but I still feel like shit for rushing it. Metal rose in hand, I stump up the stairs. Apologies suck, and apologizing to Tony is the worst because I usually mean it. Sometimes, he gets bent out of shape for no reason. Like I said, he can be a little prissy, but I'm allowed to say that. He's my friend, and I'd knock anyone elses teeth in for saying that. I've done it too. Capn's gotten rid of two knuckleheads for gettin down on Tony, but I got to em first. Nearly broke Jackson's- *** "Mackenziiiiiiiiiiiiiie!" Only one eye will open. "Maaaaaaaaaaaaack!" "Hrm rm, hrrr.." That's not good. C'mon, Mack. You can do better. "Hrrrrrr." "Keep talking, Mackenzie! I am almost there!" "Hrrrrrrr..." Why can't I sit up? Or say the word here? "Come on, Mackenzie! I need you to push with me!" Why is the port side steam manifold laying on top of me? Wait, is- Tony screams, and the huge pipe lifts an inch. Only one of my hands is working. I don't feel the heat but I know he can. I lift and squirm, and the pipe thunders as it rolls to my side. It only goes about a foot or so before it hits the inner hull and rolls back, but it's not as much of a threat now that it's not on top of me. Tony falls back against the wall, grimacing at his hands. I clamber to my feet and take him by the wrists. His gloves are ruined. "Lemme see, lemme see." I yank off his gloves, eliciting a louder round of grunts. "Ok. No blistering. They're just gonna be tender is all." He nods, but he's in a lot of pain. I must not be seeing it all. "Why is the ship rocking so much?" "It's not. We're in the ground." My equilibrium has betrayed me. All this swaying is because I'm back on land again. "Did we get hit?!" "Yes, and we've got to go!" "We can't go! I've gotta get-" Tony grabs the collar of my shirt and groans. "We cannot stay, Mackenzie! They are not going to let the ship just sit here! We did not fall far enough!" Blood is streaking over the left side of his face. I try to shrug away, but he grips my shirt tighter and pulls me up the stairs. "I only need a few things, Tony..." Why am I letting him drag me? How is he dragging me? He's not. Not really. He's just pointing me in a direction and I'm walking. Why aren't I turning around? "No, I can't leave the Capn's breastpl-" "The Captain is dead, Mackenzie. They would not have found us otherwise. We have to get out of here!" He pushes me down another flight of stairs toward the port side airlock. This whole 'me taking orders from Tony' business is absurd. He rushes past me, probably because I can't get much of a head of steam going, and grabs the airlock door. The inner door swings open just as I get to it, and I lumber through and into the airlock. I mean, who does he think he is? The outer door takes both of us working the wheel to pry loose, and the door swings out. Dirt is 10 feet below us, but it might as well be 100. My vision goes completely sideways looking at it. " uhhh, Tony, I-" I feel his hands on my back, and then the ground rushes up to meet me. I have more luck getting myself up to my hands and knees than I did inside, but it's not fast enough for Tony. He grabs my armpit and starts hauling me away. I'm in a state of perpetually falling forward for 20 or 30 feet until I get my legs underneath me. It's hard to see in the pitch black, but there wouldn't be much if I could. Deserts can be very unoriginal in that way. We hit the crest of a dune, and that's all I can manage before I tumble. Over and down, down and over. I've lost my bearings by the time I skid to a stop. Tony skids to a stop next to me, crouching like he surfed his way down here. Agilitous bastard... "Stay down," he says. I want to knock his head off. Stay down, he says. Like I have a choice... It takes a minute to resolve into a sound I recognize, but when the shell finally lands, the boom is both deafening and blinding in the quiet dark. I grab the lapels of Tony's jacket, throw him over my body, and roll on top of him. His widened, terrified eyes probably mirror my own, but I'm too busy trying to brace myself for debris to really think about it. A few smaller pieces bounce off my back to no effect. Suddenly, a larger flaming piece whistles past us and slices into the sand a few feet away. That would have cut right through both of us... We stare at it. For the first time in as long as I can remember, there is fire around me and all I can think about is getting further away from it. "Dawn is coming," Tony croaks. "We should-" "Yeah." "Because they might-" "Yeah." *** The sun was finally setting. Tony had guided us by its path and was prepared to take us on by star light, but I needed a break. Years of working a forge and fire magic has given me greater heat resistance, but I'm not built for endurance like he is. There was no time to stop for supplies, and the desert is a surprisingly unpopulated place, lacking rest stops as often as I would prefer. Tony ribbed me all day for lagging, but his nervous smiles afterwards had me thinking he was just trying to egg me on to keep walking. God bless that little queer. I am too. When the crew found out, I got more than a few plates with three square inches of rug or carpet served to me, but I resort to violence at the drop of a hat. My hazing ended quickly and poorly for the other participants. I could have hidden it if I wanted to, but it felt wrong to stay safe when Tony was so much more visible and vulnerable. I don't think he knows that's why I kissed that pretty blond dock worker in full view of the ship. I'll probably tell him someday. "I just need a few minutes..." "Mackenzie, dusk and dawn are the ideal times for us to be moving so we escape the worst of the heat and the cold." "Fuck off, Tony!" "Please, we really need to-" "FUCK OFF!" My throat rasps, feeling the dehydration more acutely than at any point yet. I'm not doing well. A lifetime around fire had filled me with an awful knowledge of what to expect. I can feel my heart racing as my blood pressure is no doubt plummeting. I need to get Tony to keep going... "I just need to sit for a bit. I'm sorry. Why don't you scout ahead. I'll be up and following you soon." He looks at me sideways, but acquiesces to my superior logic and heads off faster than we'd gone all day. The revelation that I'd been holding him back was... ...horrifying. As soon as he disappeared behind the dune, I lay down to die. Hopefully, he figured out that kiss on his own. I'd hate it if he never knew. *** "Come on, Mackenzie. Get up." "Wh... why did you come back?!" "Your selfless sacrifice is both admirable and unnecessary, little one. I spotted an encampment not far from here." "You know I hate it when you call me that." "Mackenzie or little one." "Exactly," I grumble. *** "Can you tell how many people are down there?" "Looks to just be the one." "Well, we either get busy walkin', or we get busy dyin'. One or the others comin' soon." I try to launch myself down the hill, but it's no better than the pace I managed all day. As we get closer, I start to worry about Tony's eyesight, because I don't see- Everything happens at once. An elderly looking woman pops out of one of the caravans, carrying an ancient looking rifle. I reach back and pull Tony behind me. She raises the rifle, but her unsteady hands point it in a hundred directions a minute. "...intentions!! What're yer intentions!! What're. .." "...better pray the first one kills me, grandma! I swear..." "...one please calm down! Please!!" The woman locks eyes with me, and even though she's probably seen my lifespan 5 times over, there's still plenty of steel there. I go quiet, mostly out of respect, and she follows suit. "Ma'am please, we are lost and without water! We have no weapons, or provisions." "Weaponless, my wrinkly ass! That one's a caster!" Her voice sounds stronger than a frame like that should have been capable of producing. I nod slowly. Tony steps out from behind me, and she reorients. "No! You point that thing right here, Grandma!" I poke myself hard in the sternum. "I'll point it wherever I damn well please, red! Now quit interrupting the smooth one, cus he's the one I'll be dealing with. Isn't that right?" Her smirk is... offensive. "That's right," he says, as he waves me off. My nostrils flare, being summarily dismissed not once but twice. I'd snort fire if I could... I reluctantly fold my arms and take a step back. "That's more like it," she says, raising the rifle and throwing it back against her shoulder. "I knew I was gonna find someone out here this time. Knew it in my bones!" She grins and heads in towards the center of her little encampment. "Please, Ma'am, we have no provisions at all. Are you able to spare some water?" Tony follows right behind her. I hang back a bit, still miffed. "Oh, yer missin' somethin' alright," she cackles. Tony urges me to follow, and I grudgingly join them closer to the fire. She roots through a worn saddlebag at the foot of a camel, produces two green bottles, and tosses one to each of us. I can't help but feel uneasy as I snag the bottle out of the air. A minute ago, she was shaking too badly to hold a rifle straight, but now she can lob 5 lbs of water 10 yards? Twice? With accuracy? Tony's raised eyebrow as she turns back to her pack tells me he noticed it too. He shrugs lightly and pops out the cork. Yup... what choice indeed, Tony? "Drink it slow now!" She was still facing away from us. I know that! I scowl, but her wicked grin when she looks back at me really makes me worry. Mind reading isn't real... but blood magic? Oh gods, I hadn't even considered! She laughs again just as panic starts closing my throat. "If I wanted ya dead, I'da shot ya from the start." I tentatively take another sip. It's the best water I've ever had, which is saying a lot. Water and I have never gotten along, given my affinity for fire. However, I can't live without it and it knows that. It's never tried to drown me, and I've never tried to evaporate any more of it than necessary to power a steam engine. Mutual respect. This is different. I guess I've just never been this close to death, because the feeling of life seeping into me is a euphoric sensation second to none. It's a bit like an alcohol buzz settling into my stomach and radiating outward. If she managed to slip us some booze to finish us off slow, then my hats off to her stiller because this stuff is amazing... Tony sits down next to me and begins weeping lightly. It's easy to avoid survivors guilt when you don't think you're going to survive either... He lays his head on my shoulder, and I tilt mine down against his. The Capn' had been a great man. Even Jarritt and Mendosa, those mischievous sons of bitches, they were good people at heart. They'd taken me in when I had nowhere else to go, when no one else would give a punk mechanic from Hollinsport a chance. Gods damnit, I hate crying in front of Tony... I snake my arm out and around him and spin a little to hold him to my chest. He rests his head on my bosom and cries. He grieves more openly than I do. Always has. He cried when we buried Jackson, and Jackson had been hard on him. Too hard, really. The kind of hard that... oh. I rest my chin on the top of his head and hold him close. His arms wrap around my waist. We stay like that for what feels like hours, pausing only to take a few sips here and there. I've never felt closer to him than I do when he finally looks up at me. We're the only ones left now. His features seem so soft, and so beautiful. Had I ever thought him too severe? Too narrow? Surely not. The heart shape gazing up at me now is one I've known since before I was born. Long before the last time my soul wandered this realm. There you are. I've been looking for you, I say. I'm already here, comes the response. Our lips touch, and the fire dies. My tongue stretches, aches for yours, and when they meet, the stars explode. I lay you down, and your clothes burn away like an illusion. I crawl over you. You wrap your lips around my breasts, teeth pinching. As I lower myself, the prick feels so tight. Soooo incredibly tight! Oh, how I've missed this. Your cheeks burst with color as I rise and fall, but your tongue never stops. Go all the way, you say. I swell with anticipation, and the prick does not disappoint. It's been too long. Too long by far. I sigh softly as our groins meet. Your response is like songbirds on a spring wind, melodic and faint, but filled with an understated joy. The harmony of our love rises, races to the beat of our hips. Distant travelers nod their heads in time but know not why. It's been too long... We spin. The desert is gone. The desert never was. The desert will not yet be for ages. You float above me, perpendicular, and yet never closer than now. You rise and fall. My teeth grit, crushing planets like grains of rice. I reach for your chest, and your squeal echoes through the vacuum of space, echoes forward and backward through time. Your lips part, and no sound escapes at all. Tears appear at the corners of your eyes, both sad and joyous. Far too long. I am cumming, I say. You're already here, comes the response. *** My eyes try to retreat back into my skull as the dawn begins it's assault. For a giant ball of fire, you might think that the sun and I would have a better relationship than we do. It resents my abnormal tan, a mark of my natural magical abilities, and I resent it's obscenely bright presence for half the day. We continue as we ever have, in spite of each other... I tuck my head down and find unexpected shade, so I tentatively peek them open. Tony is laying directly in front of me. It must have gotten awfully cold, because I'm spooning him. He might even be... huddling into my arms? I start to stretch, but he grabs my wrist and pulls it back around himself. "What the hell-" "Mackenzie, wait." Tony's voice sounds wrong. I frown and gaze over my shoulder. Wasn't there a caravan here last night? "You ok, bud?" "I'm... I am wonderful!" He giggles, but there's a slight quaver to his voice like he's crying. A Clockwork Green Ch. 01 "A good night's sleep'll do that... although I had the craziest-" "They were not dreams, Mackenzie." "What? Of course it was. We'd have had to get pretty drunk to fuck each other." My voice sounds weird too. I try to clear it without luck. "Think, my friend. What do you remember?" "Aww, do I have to?" "Please. For me." He doesn't usually let his voice get this high pitched. Then again, it's just the two of us now and I'm not gonna call him on being effeminate. I groan and close my eyes, thinking back. "Not a dream, my ass. We had sex in space." "How?" "How did we get into space?" "No, how did we have sex?" "Whaddya mean how?" "Who. Had sex. With whom?" "You..." But no. He didn't, did he? I did. I had sex with him. He pulls my arm tight around him, and wiggles backward against me. "I... I fucked you, didn't I?" He takes my hand, and slides it up his chest, pausing as it rises over the bump of his pecks... Wait a minute. I squeeze my fingers and he gasps. That's a breast. I've had enough breasts in my hands to know the difference between a man's peck and a breast. He wiggles his butt into me again. Why does he keep doing that? Somehow, one of the water bottles got between us... "Tony, I-" "No. My name is Charlotte now." I rip my hand free to roll over and away. Something is wrong with my pants. Tony... no, Charlotte turns over and looks at me. That face. Even though last night is hazy, I remember that face. It's not Tony's face. Not quite. It's softer. Dantier even, like every feature was adjusted on a scale from masculine towards feminine. Her nose, narrower. Her eyes, brighter. Sparkling, even. Her eyebrows have thinned, and her forehead isn't so dominant. Her cheekbones are smoother, and her cheeks... As she rolls, I can see her clothes are fitting her differently. It's the same uniform, but it stretches over her lovely hips and pert bust in ways it didn't before. Her hands are slender. Tony's hands were never overly large, but... My eyes hesitate over her chest. Dawdle. Linger. Her short black hair curls over her cheeks, threatening her eyes. Holy crap, she's cute. Her legs go on forever... My pants are really starting to bother me, and when I finally work up the nerve to look away... "WHAT THE FUCK IS IN MY PANTS?!" I panic as I claw at the cord I use as a belt, but Charlotte (that's gonna take some getting used to) hides a polite smile behind her hand and averts her eyes. I kick myself up onto my heels and shoulders, arching my hips two feet off the ground as I push my pants down to my knees, and what should come flopping up over my waist, but..."Holy shit..." "This is what I've always wanted, Mackenzie. This is how I should have been from the start." It just keeps staring at me. One unblinking eye. "And I think that might be how you should have been too..." A prick. I have a prick. I've always been fond of that nickname for it, both for the way it invades and for the 'slightly arrogant jerk' implication that the man attached to it usually deserves. Monologuing is, of course, my way of trying to derail my brain from really thinking about the fact that I have a prick. It's attached to me. I wiggle my hips, and it doesn't fall off. She didn't just glue one on me for a laugh. My prick isn't the only thing that wiggles. "Holy shit, I have balls too..." They're all a part of me. I can... feel them. It's more than just a strap on. I can feel it rolling around on my hips just like I can still feel my tits. Just like I can still feel my pussy. I fall flat on my back, kicking out small dust clouds to either side. Charlotte is still politely averting her eyes, but her cheeks are a few shades shy of rosey. I yank up my pants and quickly retie the cord. There's something off in the distance. "What's that over there?" "Wha-uh... I think that is New Verdia." She seems confused as I bounce up to my feet and start walking. "Mackenzie, wait!" "I'm tired of this damn desert, Charlotte," I say over my shoulder. "Stay here if you want, but I'm gonna go soak up some civilization." She huffs as she gets up, but she follows anyway. She's quiet when she walks. Tony was always pretty graceful, but I have to look over my shoulder a few times to make sure she's still following me. She looks like she wants to talk more, but every time I see her open her mouth and take a breath, I look ahead and quicken my step. It takes us the better part of an hour to find a road and get to the gates. New Verdia was going to be our next port of call anyway. *** "What are we going to do now, Mackenzie?" "Cap'n would want us to have the remaining crew funds. What could that buy us?" "Not much, I'm afraid. The Captain played it pretty tight. We usually bought as much in the way of supplies as we could afford to rather than stockpiling gold for a rainy day." "So you're saying we need to go back out there..." I come to a stop, and she steps up next to me. She taps her lips in thought. "There are more than a few things which could have survived such an explosion. The funds I have access to could allow us to procure a skiff, and the Captain's strong boxes alone might make it so that the trip was profitable." "I can get inside a strong box." "I know you can, Mackenzie." I count off on my fingers. "So we rent us a skiff, head back out there, dig through the shattered remains of our lives for a few coins... and that's that." She looks at me like she's been hurt. "What... what do you-" "You know what I mean." She's silent as I meld with the crowd and enter the city, but she follows. After a few turns, she reluctantly takes the lead, and we wind our way to the nearest airport. The buildings here are much taller than they are in Hollinsport. I keep slowing to a stop to stare up. Charlotte always waits. I get the feeling she's waiting for more than for me to stop being awestruck by architecture, but I don't know what she thinks is gonna happen. We can't... I don't... There's... How can I think about anything as complicated as an us when I don't even know what the fuck I am?! I feel bad about staring at her ass as she leads the way up the stairs to the landing pad, but it's hardly my fault! It's right in front of me and fuck, it's an improvement! Mixed signals be damned, where else am I supposed to look? After she catches me for the third time, I just look down and stare at my boots as we trudge upwards. Charlotte didn't have to tell me to stand back and let her handle the rental, but she did anyway. I cross my arms and hang back, and enjoy the unexpected show. She totally scams the rental guy, playing up the damsel in distress and 'oh what's a poor girl to do', and he's totally buying it! I'm slack jawed. The way she twirls her hair, the way she kicks up one heel, the way she leans on the counter... She wasn't kidding; maybe she was supposed to be this way from the start. I envy her resolve. She's found more femininity in a day than I've found in a lifetime. *** "Doesn't..." My voice gets caught in my throat. Even though we're sailing through a desert, I still expect my mouth to have more moisture than it does. "Doesn't verdant mean green?" Charlotte is wide eyed when I look at her. I have to repeat myself before she answers. "I'm... I'm sorry. I just got the impression that the rest of this trip was going to be a silent affair." "Damnit, Char, do you know or not?" I don't know where 'Char' came from, but her downcast eyes shift at the sound of it. I don't know if I just made things better or worse. "Yes, Mackenzie. Verdant means green." "Then why is a town called New Verdia smack in the middle of the biggest desert in this hemisphere?" "From what I understand, it only became this way several centuries ago. The death of all earth mages kingdom-wide started here." "They died and the land got all dry, or the other way around?" "Contemporary sources thought the former, but modern theory holds that they happened simultaneously." It takes me longer than I would like to make sense of her sentence. She takes my silence to mean the end of the conversation, which I'm comfortable allowing. *** By the end of the day Charlotte is beginning to doubt her sense of direction, which I have never known to be wrong. We walked for one full day and woke up just in sight of the gates. At skiff speed, we should have reached the wreck in a few hours. We make camp, and I tinker with a knife I keep up my sleeve to have something to focus on. I sharpen, clean, and oil the blade, and inspect the arm strap it lives in. No wear. Charlotte looks awful from across the fire. Lonely. Part of me wants to go over there and hug her, but I've got my own shit to figure out. What the fuck am I? Shems and Herms are pretty clearly men or women with extra bits, but this isn't the same. All of me looks completely normal, and seems to work just fine. Took my first standing piss and everything. I peed 'Mack' into the sand. Damn thing is thick as hell, too. My wardrobe, if it survived at all, will be fine to hide it. I don't own anything skin tight. But what does this mean for me?! I was pretty happy being a lesbian. Sure, I'll cop to being jealous of pricks; a strapon just isn't the same. It always felt like I needed help connecting that way, and although I love oral, it wasn't what I wanted the most. Not if I'm being honest. If I'm not gonna be honest with myself, then what's the point? I lose track of time staring into the fire. It's almost sad when I let it die out, like saying goodbye to a friend. Charlotte must have fallen asleep hours ago... The next day passes in similar silence. When we stop to make camp, I pretend to clean my blade again, but I'm really just shocked at what I'm seeing in the gleaming steel. All the baby fat is gone. My jawline is more pronounced, and my cheekbones are just a bit more visible. I look less like a butterball and more like my dad, which isn't a nice thought. Not that he wasn't a handsome man, or that I'm freaked out that I resemble him. It's just... That puts me in a weird mood that lasts the rest of the night. Charlotte turns in early, so I don't have to worry about hiding my anger. Not tonight. *** "We have enough supplies to last 4 days going in this direction before we need to head back," she says as we load up the next morning. "How far out there were we?" There's heat in my voice I didn't intend. "I do not know. I wasn't the helmsman, but I do know it's a miracle we got out alive, Mackenzie." "Stop calllin' me that!" "Or what? You'll ignore me some more!?" I grit my teeth and throw the last of the gear in the back of the skiff. There's hurt on her face. "Talk to me, Mackenzie!" I rev the motor to drown her out, and she sits down, hurt and frustrated. Why can't she just let me think? *** Sometime just after noon, I spot it on the horizon. The AS Chimaera, in all it's burned-out glory. She's still magnificent, resting mostly upright and perpendicular to a dune. Charlotte covers her mouth in a gasp. That was our home, hers for 2 years longer than it was mine, and mine for long enough to put a frog in my throat. The Old Girl hardly looks like herself, but I can spot the remains of my modifications to the rear exhaust vents from miles away. It's definitely her. The area around her is strewn with debris. I park the skiff under a twisted piece of the rear starboard hull. Neither of us move for a long while. "She deserved better," I say. "She's not the only one..." I round on her. "What do you want from me, Charlotte?!" "Just talk to me!!" Doesn't she get it?! I have to come to this on my own! I hop off the skiff and storm towards the ship. "Mackenzie!" No part of what she cries after that gets through. My fists ignite, and the only sound I can hear is the crackle and hiss. *** My shop is ruined. There's even less down here that I can bring back than I thought. The forge is in a dozen pieces. Some of my tools are ok, but every one of my projects is fucked. Unrecognizable clumps of steel. All of my schematics are in ashes. The Capn's breastplate is worse than when I started it. All I ever wanted from this fucking thing was for it to hold together, but it couldn't do that, could it? Fucking little piece of shit! I pound it down against my anvil and the anvil cracks, and then I really lose it. The whole room erupts in a whirlwind of flames with me at the center. "Mackenzie, please, just listen." The intercom squawks weakly. The ships batteries are probably low. I raise an open palm at the speaker and let loose a ball of plasma that ignites and explodes harmlessly. I stare dumbly at it until I remember that the Capn' made me put an imbuement on it so I would stop exploding them with balls of plasma. Enraged, I dive across the room and rip it off the wall. "I did not mean to push you. Or to push you away. I just... I always felt a connection with you that," she pauses. I can hear her wipe at her eyes before she goes on. 'a connection I did not know how to make good on. How to follow through on." The intercom is a smoking ruin in 6 pieces, but she's got the all-call button down and I can still hear her voice echoing through the rest of the ship. "I thought we had been handed a gift from the gods, Mackenzie. That we had been made the same by some higher power so that we could finally be together." I've picked up the chestpiece again, and the anvil breaks into several more pieces beneath my wrath. "I knew as soon as I woke up what had happened to me, and I never thought for a second that you would react any differently. I never thought that you would want something else, or that you would not know what you wanted." "I WANTED THIS!!" My voice cracks. I pick up Jarritt's rifle and wield it like a club, bending it even worse as I obliterate my workbench. Explosions I don't even mean to be causing send half-finished projects and rejected failures alike careening around the room. "THIS WAS MY HOOOOOME!!" *** I lost track of time for a little bit there. When I come to, I'm heaving in the middle of the room, with nothing but scorch marks closer than 5 feet away. I haven't gone Holy Fire since... "Mackenzie! They're boarding! I can't stay up here any longer, not while someone else is trying to gut our home." Our home. It's a shock to hear that, and it breaks me out of my stupor. Our home. Me and her in the mess, mostly me rushing behind her fixing her colossal inability around food. Me cauterizing the wounds of the guys when they came back, and her dressing the wounds afterwards. The late night card games when we were left alone. The long talks. The praise for my work. All of my good memories of this place involve her. I don't even remember Tony anymore. Tony who? A dull thud rings through the hulk, and I panic. No! I'm just now catching up! Not now! It's too soon! Why now?! I'm didn't quite exhaust myself thrashing the shop. I'm not at 100%, but fighting in the ship gives me some advantages. I grab the biggest piece of the hull that I can lift with one hand and spot weld a handle to it. It makes a pretty good fit in the hallway, almost covering the width and leaving a few feet above. I start heading aft down the port side access hall. Just as I pass the spot where I blacked out before, several gunshots ring out against my makeshift shield. I wait for a pause and picture the angle of the stairs in my head as I reach around and let a Boomer go. Boomers are what I call these little dumbfire bolts that seem harmless as they pass you until they hit something, and then they explode with a force disproportionate to their size. Two sets of screams brings a smile to my face. I continue up the stairs, and then down the far side to stay on the crew deck. Suddenly, someone jumps around a corner behind me not 10 feet away. I had my hand out, waiting, and let out a stream of liquid flame that keeps burning long after he stops moving. I call that one the Torch. I'm sure I didn't actually invent any new ways of casting fire, but I'm self taught. I get to call it whatever the fuck I want. I find two more on the crew deck before I head up. Every one I find leaves my grimace just a little darker. This was OUR gods-damned home! I'll be the one deciding when I'm done with it!! Not you, not you, and not you either, asshole!! Things open up a little more once I get up in the hold, so I can't turtle my way around. That's ok with me. I line up my shield with the first few that I see and set off a massive explosion on my side of the piece, which sends it sailing across the floor and into them. I use the confusion to break across to the starboard side and take cover behind our scrap skiff. I peek through the broken windows to see two of them advancing slowly up the port side. I charge up a Kite and let it loose in the wrong direction. I can control the direction of Kites, but they're much less powerful. Just as it's about to hit the fore wall, I bring it back around in a wide arc, skimming just above the floor. The two of them only see it coming just as it rounds a pallet of boxes the Capn' thought he could barter for rum. Totally forget what's in em. I can't actually see the Kite, but I can see the flare it casts as it hurtles towards them and ignites on my command. Actually, I think they either implode or collapse, and then explode, if you want to be technical. I can't see any more still upright, so I stalk over to where I hear groaning. One of the first few survived the launch of my hull piece, albeit with a shattered leg. He whimpers at my approach. "How many more," I say, squatting down next to him. I reach into his shoulder pack, pull out his comm and melt it into a useless lump before tossing it down to the ground. "None. We're all that's left," he whimpers, but there's a ghost of a smile. I grab his broken leg, right in the mass of destroyed bone. He screams. "It feels like pudding," I say, as flat as a hammerhead. "You know what happens when you cook pudding?" His eyes get large as he looks down, and I start to apply heat. I can't help but smile now. "Me neither! Wanna find out?" "Five more topside," he screams. "Five more and one back at the rig! Oh Gods!!" I let off his leg for a moment. "I'm gonna go upstairs now. I find six guys, and I'll come back for you. Make it painless. I find seven? Or five? Or anything other than six? I'll come back..." I shake my head at him and leave the rest unstated. His imagination is worse than anything I can dream up. He wails at me as I walk away, winding through the tipped-over rubble and fallen support beams. I count four bodies as I get closer to the bridge. One with a gaping wound in his chest, and three with slashes to their tendons and necks. My smile is grizzly, thinking about just how good Charlotte is with that sword. Probably even better now. Never quite had the physique for what she wanted to do before. No fifth body though, so I keep it low and quiet. Nobody on the bridge, so I keep on heading deeper towards the Capn's quarters. I can hear Charlotte whimpering as I sneak up on his door. I shave a layer of enamel off my teeth with each second it takes me to lean around the corner. Charlotte is on her knees in front of the last one. No, that's not whimpering... "We've guhnned down a few fiah mayges in our time. Yor li'l freends prolly deed by naow. Fiah mayges is all the sayme. Awl flash and no-" He has his gun trained on Charlotte's head, but he makes the mistake of raising it to me when I step out. Can't he tell by the look in my eye that I'd rather be the one getting shot at? A Clockwork Green Ch. 01 His draw isn't as fast as mine since I don't have to raise anything but my hand. I snap down my thumb and set off a Boomstick two inches to the side of his head. It's a tiny little concussive blast, barely able to burn skin, but if you aim it just right, it'll crush an ear drum. The thug crumples satisfactorily to the side, his shot blowing wide and safely out a window. Charlotte spins as best she can. Her hands are bound behind her back. Her forehead is cut, leaking blood down over her eye, but her smile is... vindicated? The thug keeps trying to get up, but every time he moves, his eyes spin and he vomits. That's the thing about an equilibrium; it's all or nothing. They don't work halfway. Charlotte pops up to her feet as I get to her and I pull her face down into a kiss I've been waiting 10 years to lay. She actually whimpers this time, but I pull away after a few seconds. "Not yet," I say. "We're not done yet." She nods as I stride over to the flopping braggert. Can't even seem to find his hands and knees. "Aww, sonnuvabitch!" "What is it?!" Charlotte sounds concerned. "I was gonna come over here and lay this killer final line on this guy about listening to his momma and not counting his chickens before they hatch, but he can't hear shit..." I put my palm down against the base of his skull, and fire a Bolt. Simple, nearly effortless, and ruthlessly effective. "There's one more outside. Wait here..." "W-w-wait!" But I'm already out the door and down the hall. What the hell could he have meant by rig... Oooooh. Circling the Chimaera, maybe 100 ft off the ground, is a ZR-65. Ain't worth a crap off the floor, but you can mod em to do damn near anything. This one looks pretty decked out, but it's not doing anything. Pilot's gotta realize that no one is answering their comms anymore. He's got two choices, then. The smart one would be to go scorched earth on the Chimaera and bug out. The chickenshit option would be to just- And he goes with option B. Just bug out. I jump out on the deck and summon the biggest kite I can manage. It's off and away before he hits top speed, but that 65 is awfully fuckin fast. Kite's trade speed and strength for maneuverability, and he's gonna hit the edge of my control before it catches him... Don't serpentine, don't serpentine, don't... ... ... The flash makes me blink several seconds before the boom arrives. I holler and punch my fist in the air. Somewhere, the Capn's awfully fuckin proud right now. Charlotte appears next to me, smiling as the flaming wreck collides with the dunes. In a week, the winds will have blown a mound over his remains, and the chances that he gets uncovered this millennia are low. "Congratulations, Mackenzie," Charlotte says as she kneels down beside me. "When future generations sing the song of The Last Stand of the AS Chimaera, your name is the one they'll hail as hero." The way she's looking up at me... holy fucking shit... Her hands are still bound behind her back. "Char, don't you want me to-" "These are the spoils of victory, Sweetness. Come and claim them." Her eyes look so innocent, but that voice... so sultry... so husky. My fingers tear at my pants, and no sooner are they falling down past my knees is she snaking forward. "I knew you would come for me," she pants between licks along the shaft of my bulbous prick. "I knew it!" I reach down and grab her chin. "I would walk through fire for you." Her face flushes on the instant, and I guide my head to her lips. "Figuratively." She mumbles affirmatively. For the first time since we woke up in the desert, I get a full hardon, and the weight of it is eye popping. Even more so, though, is the way Charlotte's lips envelop and take in the thickest part, just behind the head. It feels like I've knotted her mouth! I throw my head back and yell as my fist tightens in her short, black spikes. I pull her deeper with each thrust, filling her mouth and crushing her tongue down into her jaw. She nears my pelvis when I reach her throat, and she lowers herself just enough to make the angle work. I finally look down to see that she's looking up at me. Tears gather at the corners of her eyes, and break across her cheeks each time she blinks. My arms clench, holding her tightly in place, and my hips take over. I pull the bulge out to her teeth, and put it back in her throat. Out to the teeth, into her throat. Her eyes flutter as I cram my flesh gag into her airway, and her stomach twitches as I withdraw. Harder into her throat, slower on the withdrawal. Harder and slower, harder and slower. She backs off for a few seconds to gasp for air, and launches herself at it again with renewed vigor. Her tongue slithers back and forth just behind her lips, massaging the underside of my cock as the tip tickles her throat. I thrust and hold, and stay... "Oh Gods... Oh Gods... Oh Gods...OH GODS!" I take a final withdrawal as I begin to fill the back of her throat and mouth with cum. I pull all the way out to head, cumming the whole time. The last spurt comes just as the head hits her lips. Her cheeks are puffed out, and her eyes are impossibly large. I grin and push back in one final time, stuffing what will fit down her throat, and the rest back out over her lips and chin. Her cheeks flush, and her eyes roll up as I pull out. My prick slaps loudly against my thighs as Charlotte doubles over, and my eyes nearly pop out of my skull when I see that her hands are inside the back of her pants!! "I have... oh! never been... oh! OH! OHHHHHNNNNNNNNGHHH!!" She spirals downward, singing a tuneless melody as she glows. "Look at you," I say. "Bright as a cherry... Cherry. Oh I think that's gonna stick." I didn't think she could get any redder, but then she proves me wrong! "Yes, please," she gasps, as bits of cum drip from her chin to the deck. "I want to be your Cherry!" I nearly stagger. I was just kidding... but she's not. She's serious. She's... submissive! I've always wanted to do this, be dominant, but I'd never found anyone who matched me that way... oh my gods, my own sub!! "Don't take your fingers out..." My voice sounds so far away. Charlotte freezes in place, her eyes popping as she watches my shoes. I strip off my duster and relieve it of one of my knives as I walk around behind her. She keeps me just barely in her peripheral vision as I circle and kneel behind her. I take my knife and delicately cut straight down the middle of her pants. She whimpers lightly with each jerk and tear. "No! Please! They're my only-" "Be quiet." Wonder of wonders, she clamps down on her lip! I grab the edges of her pants, give one final tear, and shove them down her thighs. She has her middle and ring fingers plugged palm deep in her ass... I grab her hip and raise her up, but when she starts to lift her head too, I reach over her waist and push her back down. My jaw quivers as she whimpers and complies. "These two piggies have been naughty," I say, withdrawing her fingers. She pants as I raise her hands up behind her, still tied together at the wrist. I scoot in closer, and the base of my prick comes to rest between her pussy lips. "It wasn't just convenience that put them back there, though. Was it?" "Uh uh," she whimpers. "You like having your ass played with, huh?" I lean in, and take the offending middle and ring fingers into my mouth. "Uh huh," she whimpers, a bit more emphatically. I run my tongue up and down, in and around her fingers. She coos. "Good. Then we're going to work on your pussy." My free hand grabs the trunk of my prick and lines it up. "What?! Mackenzie, Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnmnmmgh." Oh that's wonderful. I don't know if I took her virginity last time, or if I'm breaking new ground now, but in either case, her pink lips are an ungodly kind of tight!! With a slow drive, I just work the front half of my prick in and out, stretching her lips around the fattest part over and over. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! MmmmmmmmMMM! MMMMMMMMMMMM!" "That feels good, doesn't it Cherry?" "Mmm hmmm!!" "Pushing this big cock into that brand new pussy of yours is doing wonders for me, but it's not what you want, is it?" "Mmm mmm..." "You want this, don't you?" I lick my free thumb, and push it slowly down into her asshole. Her whole body squirms, and her pussy clamps down on my prick. . "Mmmm hmmmmm!!" I thrust a little faster, going deeper. This is amazing. I slowly apply just a bit of warmth to my thumb. Just a bit, and then just a bit more. The reaction is instantaneous. "Ooooooh, Mackenzie my sweet, please! Please put your cock in my ass!" I thrust faster, pounding her pussy. My balls slap noisily against both of our thighs. "PLEASE!!" Her dripping pussy has my prick soaked, but I keep thrusting. Her cries get louder and higher, and just when I think she can take no more, I pull all the way out on the withdrawal and jam my swollen prick at the hole my thumb has all warmed up. It takes maybe a full second to squeeze the thick part through, and less than half of one to cram the rest inside of her. Her full throated cry echoes out over the empty dunes, carrying the sound of a woman filled. My eyes cross, and as she vibrates and shakes beneath me, I manage one more thrust before unloading again inside of her. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit..." "Mackenzie," she pants, "oh my dear little one..." She groans as I pull out and settle back on my heels, and she falls to her side. The first thing I notice is the look of drunken glee on her face, but then I follow her gaze to a white puddle and spatter right below where she... I stare at it. Is that... I put a finger down into it. Thick. Just a dab on the tip of my tongue, and my eyes bug out. Char rolls over onto her back, and her cock flops over against her thigh. "I'm an idiot," I wheeze. "All I had to do was talk to you. I wouldn't have...wouldn't have had to feel like I was dealing with... with something different. If I had just talked to you..." She struggles to sit up. I frown and where did I throw that blasted knife? Once I cut her free, her arms are around me, pulling me in. It's my turn to weep now. *** It's too much to go through quickly, so we set up camp in the Chimaera. One of the fuel tanks didn't rupture, so it's not too much of a hassle to reestablish some power to charge the batteries back up. The Capn didn't believe in automated defenses. We do our best to keep lights to a minimum after dark and pray that no one else finds us. The useable and worthwhile materials quickly climbs beyond what our skiff can carry, so I get to work making the scrap skiff serviceable. We both cry a little remembering the absurd tale Mendosa told when he brought it back in 7 pieces. Charlotte is less than useless as a helper, but I get nervous every time she wanders off to work alone. Eventually she had to sit me down and explain that I was just going to have to learn to let her out of my sight. I never really got the hang of it while we were there. The Chimaera was home, but it was also a battlefield. We spent 7 days combing through room after room, and box after box. When we weren't scouring, we were fucking. We fucked in the mess, we fucked on the bridge, and we fucked in the brig. We fucked down in the hold, and we fucked up on the deck. I bent her over every waist high object I could find. It was glorious. *** "I can't wait to go back," she says for the dozenth time in as many hours. She's ecstatic over my idea to open a shop. I was nervous about it, but I'd spent too much time over the years complaining that no one ever gave me a chance without really getting out there and trying. "I'll be glad if the clunker can keep up the whole way. Everything after that is gravy." "I'm sure it'll make it," she says cheerily. "You're the best!" My cheeks warm a little, and the time feels right. I reach my hand down into the sand and pull out the last metal rose. Her eyes go as big as saucers on the instant. 'I wandered past your room yesterday, and I saw that all the other ones got crushed..." She reaches out and takes it from my hands, as gently as if it were real. Her lips open and close several times as she spins the stem between her fingers. "Never the same. Each one was unique..." "I made that one that last night before the attack. Had it in my hand as I was coming up the stairs." She nods, and the tears stream. I reach out and wrap my hands around hers. "I will make you a garden, if you desire it." She nods again. A garden it is. A Clockwork Green Ch. 02 A loud clanging jolts me out of bed and onto the floor with a thud. My first clear thought is that my head hurts. Apparently, the alarm is a little too loud. Cursed thing scared me half to death. I'll have to get Mackenzie to look at it. It's been about two weeks since what I like to call "The Awakening". Of course, I don't tell Mack I call it that. We managed to get things set up here in this little corner of the city. It's right on the border between the lower and middle class sections; I wouldn't call it the best of neighborhoods. We've decided that we were going to open up a car repair shop, but chose to set up here in order to keep a low profile. That may have not been the best decision for running a business, but we had other considerations to take into account. Namely, money. We spent most of it buying this little bit of property. We're going to have a difficult time getting business in here, but I have... ideas. Rubbing the little sore spot on my head, I get to my feet and shut the infernal thing off. Yeah, I'll have her take a look at that. Speaking of... I wonder if she fell asleep in the shop again? I'll worry about that later. Right now, I have other things I want to be doing. Running sounds wonderful right about now. I remove my bed clothing and begin hunting around for my jogging clothes. I walk by a mirror and stop to look at the reflection. Can't help but pose a little. I still can't get over my new form. One thing is for certain though: I am grateful. There's no more dissonance, as if the pieces that make me up are no longer at odds with one another. I am who I was meant to be. I don't have to hide anymore, and I don't have to endure the pain of living a lie. Come on, Charlotte, pick up the pace. You're daydreaming, and if you keep it up you won't get to run. I finally manage to find my running suit and get dressed. I head downstairs, and bounce out the door into the early morning chill. Time to stretch out. I'm feeling a little tight this morning, so I think I'll take it slowly. I start with the left calf, leaning against the wall with my arms out. That initial burn sets in and then slowly dissipates, and I repeat it with the other calf. Each muscle group gets the same treatment: Upper legs, chest, arms. It's like a ritual, and I can feel my body warming up. Oh, this run is going to feel so good. I can hardly wait to start. The sun hasn't even come up yet, which means I'll have all that time to myself. Six miles should do the trick nicely. Taking off at a fairly decent pace, I clear my mind and let the city blocks roll by. It's a kind of meditation for me, where none of the cares of the world can be a bother. Breathe in, breathe out. Footfalls become like a metronome, counting off time in my head. I can't help but start singing an old cadence softly, one I learned back in my training days I round the corner to come back to the shop, taking me a little by surprise. It's over already? Maybe I should have done eight or nine miles instead. The chiming of a great clock far away tells me that would've been a bad idea. It's time to get cleaned up for the new day, so I head inside. "...the fuck were you doing out there?" Mack tinkers with a widget behind the counter and looks at me like I've grown a second head. The fact that she's even moving this early is an oddity, but I let it pass without comment. "Running, Mackenzie." "Why?" "Because it's fun, and I like it." I smile at her happily. "It keeps me in good shape, too." "You have a fucked up idea of 'fun'. You know that, right?" "Says the person who forges armor by beating it with her hands." "I can think of something else I'd like to beat on right now." She cracks her knuckles and makes a grab at me. I skitter away from her grasp, laughing as I do. That must frustrate her, knowing that she can't get a hold of me unless I let her. "Okay, okay! I think it's time that I went and got cleaned up for work." She has a sour look on her face as I head upstairs to our apartment. I'd call it a pout, but that would really earn me a beating. I don't want to make her cross today, not when we have so much on the line. It is the first day of business, after all. I make my way to the bathroom, shut the door behind me, and strip off my sweaty clothing. That's the only bad thing about exercise; you smell like a wet boot sock afterwards, but I like showering just as much as I do getting my run on. Gods, I hope that Mackenzie managed to get the water heater going. Cold showers are the worst. I bite my lip and hesitantly turn on the water, and... find that it's getting warm! Thank you, Mack! I step in and start to get wet. Washing my hair is no big deal, as I keep it short and my preferred style is easy to maintain. It's one of the few things I hold on to from when I was... him. I do love showers so. I look in the mirror she put up in the shower. Black spiky hair, small tits and a slight build. I'm no advertising model, but I think I'm cute. Well, not that I could be one anyway. My cock would pretty much lock me out of that job. I guess you could say that I'm not really female, but that's okay. I am a woman in all the ways that matter. I also happen to have something extra. I look down at my boobs. Not nearly as big as Mack's. God she has such huge tits, and with those palm-sized nipples of hers I could get lost in them forever. And while I know some girls would like their breasts bigger, I am very happy with mine. They're very sensitive, and I love them. Not having them before two weeks ago may have something to do with that. Crap. Every time I start thinking like this, I get hard. My penis peeks up at me, like a pet begging for a treat. It makes me laugh for a moment. Some things will never change, I suppose. You're gonna have to go without this morning though, little guy. We've got things to do. Big, big things! It's amazing how much better I feel already. Open the door and- -walk straight into a naked Mackenzie, her flaming red hair pulled back into pigtails off of the sides of her head that frame those ever-present googles of hers. She stands a little shorter than I, with a somewhat thicker frame then mine. She isn't heavy by any stretch of the imagination though, just full figured and rather muscular. Especially her thighs. They're so defined... so strong. I have a fantasy where I cling to one of them as she protects me from whatever is threatening us. "Told ya I was going to beat something." She grins mischievously as she spins me around so that my back is to her, and reaches around to grab my, oh!! "Nice of you to have this hard and waiting for me." "Hey! Y-you cut that out! We can't be doing this... we've... mmmph... we've got too much work to do!" "Yeah, yeah. Dance your fuckin' way out of this." She sounds sooo pleased with herself. Then she squeezes my cock. Not hard enough to cause pain, but enough to let me know she's in control. She moves it around in little circles and lifts, making me go up on my toes. "Nnnnyuhh! C-come on now, Mackenzie. W-we've gotta get ready for woooooooooork," I say, trailing off. Gods, I love this feeling. She's got me and she'll do as she pleases. I can't help but wiggle my hips and dance up on tip toes. "We've got time, Cherry." I love that pet name so much! I squeal with delight, partly from the name, and partly from the fact that she's started to jerk me off now. Oh, and that tight grip, keeping me here and moving up and down my shaft. I'm positively throbbing now. I grab the shower rod for balance, but I know she has me. She won't let me fall, no matter how dizzy she makes me. "Mmmmm, someone likes this," she whispers into my ear. I can feel her inch her hand up and over my breast. Oh, she's... oh my. She's teasing my nipple! Oh Gods, she knows how sensitive they are! Between her stroking me off and fondling my tit, I'm not going to last very long at all. 'Uh... uhn! M-Mackenzie... you're n-not... AHN! Not p-playing fair!" Very eloquent. My hips squeeze and release of their own volition, pumping my cock in her hand. Her grip tightens just that much more, and my eyelids flutter. "You don't seem to mind." I bite my lip in response, more to keep from moaning loudly than to keep from agreeing with her. No. No, I most certainly do not mind. Not my most dignified moment, but then again I really couldn't care less right now. She pulls me in tighter, and her cock presses lengthwise along my ass. Oh, Mackenzie... how selfish of me! "Sweetie, w-wait." "Don't want to, Cherry." I manage to break away for a moment, much to her surprise. I skip over to the sink, prop one leg up on it and lift my balls away from my snatch to expose it with my back to her. "My puuussssy wants you to come and play." She goes crazy when I drag it out like that, and looks at me like a starving man looks at a seven-course meal. "What happened to getting ready for work?" Despite her concern, I notice she's still moving toward me, cock in hand. Oh that thing is so big! I want it in me. I want it in me now. "Fuck work. Come take what's yours." Did I just say 'fuck'? "Did you just say fuck?" She's on me now, pushing her head into my pussy. "No... AH!" I love her cock. It's a little more swollen just after the head, and fills me up sooo nicely. I go weak at the knees as she stretches me. "Liar." She laughs as she finally slides fully into me. I squeeze her, and she throws her head back and groans. "Damnit, Cherry! Give a girl a chance to get set before you start going to town on her!" "Hush. T-take me now, Mackenzie!". She grabs hold of my hips with both hands and begins to pump me. Hard. I hear myself giggle maniacally as she slams that wonderful tool into me over and over, and I'm vaguely aware of the fact that I am now jacking myself off. I look back behind me to see that magnificent rack bouncing around as she's grunting and straining. "Oooooh, f-f-f-fuck me. Fuck me, Mackenzie. Fuck my little pussy..." Her big, heavy tits make almost as much noise as her dick does in my slopping wet pussy. I can feel it now. Both ways. It's building up inside me, boiling over and threatening to take my sanity. I don't have much longer. 'Fuck! Fuck fuck! Godfuckingdammit!! Fuuuuuuuuuck!" Neither does Mackenzie, apparently. "M-Mackenzie! I-I'm gonna... I'm gonna... AHN! Gonna come! Please. Gods, please!" "FUCK! Say my name, Cherry! SAY IT!!" "Mackeeeeeenziieeeee!!" Mackenzie releases me and stumbles backwards, her cock making an eyecrossing sssssssssuck sound as it pops out of my little cunt. She nearly collapses onto the bench built into the wall of the shower as the waves of her climax take her, leave her gasping for air. I manage to hold onto the sink for a few moments longer. My body is tingling all over, and I can barely string two words together in a sentence right now. She's still going, stringing 'fucks' with the occasional 'shit'. I bite my lip and take a deep calming breath before I cross the room and flop down in her lap. Her cock throbs beneath me, and I sigh gigglingly as I drip love all over it. Finally, we calm down enough to talk. "You know I love the name 'Cherry'." "You're my tasty little treat. Plus you turn bright red when I talk nasty to you." "Awwwwwww!" "Can it, Charlotte," she says, rolling her eyes. "Over the fuckin top." I look around at the mess we've made, and realize I'm going to have to shower again. Still... I love quickies. *** There's hasn't been anyone that's even looked inside the shop all morning. I am so bored I can barely stand it. I've cleaned the front room twice, organized all the log books and tried to bug Mackenzie twice now. The last time I did so, she threw a wrench in my general direction and yelled something about invading her private space. I need something to do, even if it is just dodging a tool. I start to make my way back to her work area. Maybe if I run in and flash my boobs, she'll change her mind. I get about halfway there when I hear...uh... oh! The door chime! Our first customers! This is our first chance to make some money, and I am not going to blow it. I run back to the front room just in time for the chime to stop jingling as the door closes. They're a middle aged couple, and they regard me with a kind of wary look. "Good morning and welcome to Mack & Charlotte's Repair Shop! I'm Charlotte! How can I be of service today?" "This is... is... ah... it's not exactly the best place in town for an auto repair shop, wouldn't you think?" The man almost sneers in condescension. Oh my, they're going to be one of those types. I have the sinking feeling that they're only here because we're cheap. "Well, their rates are reasonable, dear. Besides, we can write it off as a deduction. Charity to the lower classes." She doesn't quite manage the haughtiness her husband can serve up, but it's clear they have bought into the classism bit hook, line and sinker. Suddenly I'm not so sure about doing business with these two, but a payday is a payday. "You'll find that our rates are very competitive, sir." I've had a lot of experience dealing with all kinds of people, and these two aren't really that difficult. I can play up to their sense of entitlement and make them feel like we're grateful for their generosity. "We do quality work, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results we can produce". I watch him as he sits there and looks over the price list. Every once in a while he looks at me as if he's trying to gauge me. I just smile brightly and nod. No confrontation, no challenge at all. Kill 'em with kindness, Momma always told me. "Well, we'll see about that. I would be interested in an engine upgrade, the one you have listed here". "Of course, sir. An excellent choice, and one that we can-" "Gods damned motherfucking son. Of. A. Biiiitch!" Oh no. Mackenzie, now is not a good time to lose your temper! My heart drops to the bottom of my chest as looks of horror spread across their faces. Still, the show must go on. "... easily accommodate you on. This won't take much time at all, and -" "Bastard! Fuckin' cheap ass power core!" "My word, who is that?" The woman looks like she's about to faint from all the foul language pouring out of the workshop. Come on, lady. I don't cuss, and yet I don't get morally offended when someone else does. "That is Mackenzie, our mechanic." I may still be able to salvage this yet. "She's a little rough around the edges, but she works very hard and produces quality work. I'm afraid we haven't had the benefit of a civilized education, but we will do our utmost for you." I can see their expressions beginning to soften as I play up to their prejudices. I start to tell them about our other options. "And if you'll look over here-" "FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!" That last one almost made my eyes cross. Mack, please sweetie. Be quiet for just five minutes, okay? "I don't know..." The wife is clearly perturbed by Mack's swearing. "Perhaps we should go somewhere else." "No, let's do business with them. They do have good rates, and like you said dear. We would be showing kindness to our lessers." Ugh, I so want to put my boot up his snobby, self-absorbed backside! They're middle class, at best, and yet he's talking like he's so much better than us. I don't let it show, though. Not when we're this close to a pay check. Plus Mack just bought me these boots, and they're soooo cute! "Your generosity and kindness are far and away too much, sir." I curtsy to him and smile deferentially. He nods appreciatively and starts to pull out his pocketbook. I've got him now! We work out the details, and he leaves the down payment with me after signing the contract. They finally leave, and I let out a long, drawn out sigh. Our first paying customer! We can actually get something fun to eat tonight, and perhaps some nice things. Funny, I never thought like that before. This transformation... it's done more than affect just my body. My demeanor, my point of view and everything else has changed as well. As Tony, I wouldn't have said and done the things I'm doing now. But that's okay. I have become Charlotte, and I'm beginning to find that this is the kind of person I was meant to be all along. That thought brings a smile to my face. Yes, I think I may be finally at peace. Suddenly, Mackenzie pokes her head in."What was that all about?" She's got oil smudges on her cheek, and she blows a lock of her hair away from her face. "We've just gotten our first paying customer! He gave us a down payment and everything." I can't help but squeal and clap excitedly. This is turning into a wonderful day! She smiles that cute crooked smile at me. "So, we got ourselves some creds, eh? Whadda we have to do to get the rest?" "Come over here. I'll tell you all about it." I'm just going to keep how we almost lost it to myself. I'll find a way to talk to Mack about it later. Right now, I just want to bask in our first win! "Sure. I need the work to clear my head after that fuckin' shitty-ass power core blew up on me." She comes over to look at the contract. I watch her out of the corner of my eye as her face begins to fall. "That's... not a lot of money, is it." "No, it is not Mackenzie." She bites her lip in frustration, and I can see her fists begin to tighten. "I knew these rates were gonna make things tight, but... fuck..." I can understand where she is coming from, but I think I may have an answer. I put my hand on her shoulder and turn her to face me. "Well, that is where the second part of my plan comes in. The shop here is a place to call home, and to let you work on the kinds of things you enjoy." She looks at me in confusion as I continue. "But, are you really ready to settle down for a life of quiet domesticity?" "No... what're you getting at, Char?" 'You are a powerful caster, tested in battle. I am a skilled swordswoman. We can do mercenary work, have adventures... make names for ourselves!" I take a step back with a flourish and draw my sabre, raising it up into the air and putting the other hand on my hip. Mackenzie rolls her eyes at me and laughs. "Attention whore... can't sit still for five seconds, can you?" "I sure can't! BUT... the idea has merit, yes? I mean, you do like blowing things up, right?" She gets a faraway look in her eyes, and I can see a slight smile tug at the corner of her lips. "I do like blowing things up..." "Then it's settled! We take small jobs and build our reputation from there." I move into her arms, and snuggle up against her chest. "We can do this. I know we can. We're strong, and soon we'll have the money we need to live decently enough." "I... I can deal with that." I feel Mackenzie return the hug after a few moments, and I couldn't be happier. *** 　 We do some looking around, and find a few odd jobs. They are nothing serious, to be certain. Guard duty here, an escort mission for people who believe they are more important than they actually are there. It is not grand work, but we know that we are not going to get the best jobs right off the bat. They keep us in the black, though, and I watch happily as our standard of living goes up. Baby Girl needs shoes, after all! And more boots! Oh, and heels... gotta have heels! The way they make Mackenzie stare at me is worth any price. A Clockwork Green Ch. 02 One man has been hiring us on a somewhat regular basis. His name is Gregory Heimdahl, and he has sold three contracts to us now. He fancies himself a scientist, but from what I have seen he is rather low budget. Mackenzie thinks he is kind of a joke, and is always making cracks about him behind his back. He seems to have problems keeping regular employees, and nobody works for him more than a few times before finding employment elsewhere. He is definitely a creeper, and I occasionally catch him staring at us or making awkward passes when I am alone with him. I never had to deal with this kind of problem as Tony, and it is a real eye-opener. How can anyone behave so dishonorably? We keep working for him though, simply because the money is decent. We just completed a job for him, and we are sitting on couches in his lobby waiting for him to come out. It is a rather expansive room about the size of a large church foyer, the floor lined with faded tiles. Frayed curtains hang on the windows. The room itself is poorly lit, the fading sunlight not helping matters any as we stand by for him to bring us our payment. "What's taking him so long? I wanna get home and go to bed. I'm beat." Mackenzie stretches and lets out a big yawn. I sit with my hands in my lap, my legs crossed at the ankles while I look around nervously. Something isn't right, and I can feel it. Why not just pay us in his office like normal? Finally, he walks out. Heimdahl is a diminutive man, with salt and pepper hair that is receding back on his forehead. He has oversized goggles that sit up on his forehead, and a brown overcoat that looks more than a little worn. As I said, if he is indeed a scientist he's fallen on hard times. "Thank you for waiting ladies. I hope you don't mind, but I had to finish a few things before coming out to meet you with your payment." "It is alright. We would be grateful if we could be on our way, as we have an early day tomorrow." Something is telling me we need to get out of here. Now. "Yeah, we just wanna go home." Mackenzie is being impatient simply because she wants her bed. Whatever I'm picking up on, she isn't. She lazes on the couch as she absentmindedly fingers a button on her duster. "Now, hold a moment please. How would you like to earn a good deal more money? I have another job for you, if you're interested." His grin is nauseating, and does nothing to settle my nerves. "What's the job, and what does it pay?" Mackenzie sits up. "I'd be willing to triple your fee if you perform one more small task. That you strip down for me here and see to my needs." His smile twists lecherously as he makes no attempt to hide the fact her is eye-sexing us. I can hear Mackenzie literally gag on the request as I stand up. "That will be quite enough of that. Please keep our payment, sir. I don't think we will have anything more to do with you." I spin on my heel and head for the door. Mack makes an emphatic gesture I can only guess is rude in Hollinsport, and follows. "You're not going anywhere, ladies." He snarls as he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a remote. He pushes a button, and two MX-12 drones rise out of the floor and spin toward us. Not high end models, but good enough for prisoner transportation and riot control. At the same time, four large men walk in through the door. They all look like they mean business, though they're not military; I can tell right off. Hired thugs, more than likely. They're carrying oversized blunderbusses, and have the swagger of bullies that believe they have the edge over us. The hackles on my neck began to stand up immediately, and I can see Mackenzie's face tighten in anger. "Back. The fuck. Off. We're not interested in talking." She balls up her hands, and fire explodes around them. "Our boss wants to have words wit ya. Says 'e wants to talk ta ya about some things." They continue towards us, grinning as they do so. "Youse gonna be proper ladies and go and sees 'im." "You're fuckin' with the wrong women!" Mackenzie sounds pissed, and she's got a right to be. She steps in front of me in an effort to protect me from them. Normally I adore that kind of thing, but she seems to forget sometimes that I am a soldier too. A very dangerous one at that. "Bitch, don't gif us trubble. Youse gonna come wit' us now like the boss wants," squawks a second one. Overbearing and stupid. What a delight. I have no desire to see what these 'gentlemen' have in store for us. And I can think of a better use for Mackenzie's magic than on these halfwits. "Focus on the drones," I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll handle these fellows." Heimdahl yelps and makes a rapid retreat back through the way he came, and I know that we'll have to deal with him in a little while. I can hear her start to object. I know how much she hates being told what to do, but that concern is fading away like words written on water. Nothing matters now, except for this moment. It's all pushed to the side, baggage that will only slow me down and make me vulnerable. All that is important is the here and now. I see them in front of me. No judgment, no preconceptions to their abilities. They and I are on equal terms, and the next few moments will decide who is right and who is dead. I can feel the weight of my sword in my hand as I draw it. It feels pure, and there's no difference between me and it. We are one, aren't we old friend? I drop my right leg back behind me, putting my weight on it as I bring the blade overhead. "Who's first?" The biggest one steps up. He raises his blunderbuss and takes aim at my head, or at least where my head used to be. I spring forward into a roll, somersaulting twice before coming to a stop right in front of him and skewering him through his abdomen. My wrist snaps and the blade slides three inches across his belly, blood erupting from the wound as his aortic artery is severed. He screams and drops to his knees, clutching his stomach as if he thinks he can keep the blood in. I don't think he knows he's only got less than a minute to live. I leap to my feet as another one dials in on my position. This one's a little faster than the first, and he manages to get a shot off. It goes wide as I sidestep its trajectory before he pulls the trigger, correctly reading his telegraphed movements. Up comes my old friend through his eye as I make a bounding leap forward. It's a classic fencing thrust, and he slurs unintelligibly as he drops to the ground. I hear the third thug behind me, charging forward with his own club, intent on braining me. I keep a stubbed double-barreled shotgun that Mackenzie made for me on my belt, for times when I need a ranged weapon, or to punch through armor. I call her Bessie, and she comes in handy. I don't even look back as I bring her up to the level of his chest, and I hear him skid to a stop in fear. I'm certain he didn't see that coming. Click. He gets both barrels in the chest from less than ten feet away, and I turn to see him flying through the air. He lands in a heap of blood and smoke, gasping and choking as he tries to draw breath into lungs that simply don't work anymore. He's going to die painfully, but there's nothing I can do about that now. There's one more to deal with. Bessie bucks softly in my hand, reloading automatically. He seems to have lost his taste for combat, however. He turns and runs out of the lobby, screaming something I can't quite make out. It's only now that I start to get angry. My thinking self's sense of honor has been offended, which serves to bring me back into the world. My lips curl into a snarl as the thought of the fleeing mercenary makes me ill to my stomach. "Fuckin' Coward. He's not worth the effort of chasing down." I turn back to Mackenzie to see that she's dumbfounded. "What?" Why is she looking at me like that? "Char. You dropped three guys in less than 20 seconds and sent the last one running for his fuckin' life!" "They were just hired thugs. Oh, that reminds me." The one with the hole in his chest is still gagging, dying hard as he lays there. Raising Bessie up, I put an end to his suffering. I really do hope he finds peace in the next life, but I somehow doubt it. A ways beyond him, I see the smoking remains of the drones. in no less than a dozen pieces. I can't help but smile as I turn to face her. It is at that moment when the world turns on us. Pain erupts in my ears, and I can't seem to focus on anything. It's so high-pitched that it causes my vision to double and my balance to fail. I drop to my knees and try to cover my ears, which doesn't work in the least. I can feel my eyes cross. I look over at Mackenzie, and I can feel my heart quail. She's thrashing about, slinging fire everywhere... Her "bolts", her "torches"... there is no order or semblance to it! She is going ballistic on the entire room, disoriented by the pain and fear! No, I know her better than that. She's trying to protect me. She has some idea of where I am, and isn't hurling anything in my direction. Smoke begins to fill the room as more and more of her abilities land, burning anything and everything flammable. She begins to charge up a "kite", but the sonic attack finally drives her down to the ground as she loses consciousness. "Mack!" It's stupid. I know. How could she possibly hear me over this? I roll over on to my side and curl up into the fetal position. "...M-Mackenzie..." 　 "Uhhn." What... what happened? Why is everything so dark? It is too difficult to make anything out. "Mmmmnnnh." The room needs to stop spinning. Come on now, Charlotte. Let's try to pull it together now, shall we? Calm down and get a hold of yourself. Okay, things are starting to come back into focus now. My head hurts, though. It feels like I bumped it somehow. ... why can't I raise my hand to check it? What... what is going on here? Oh, okay. I see now. I can't raise it because it's bound behind me. I can't raise it because it's bound behind me?! What is going on here? AND WHY AM I NAKED?! "Ow! H-help! Let me out of this!" I struggle for a few moments blindly, but I'm very tightly bound. This isn't doing any good, Charlotte. Focus. Okay, I think I see now. I'm on some kind of bed or bench, like a reclining chair of some kind. My arms are overhanging it and bound to a metal support at my wrists and elbows. There's a headrest supporting my head, but there's also some kind of leash around my neck strapping me to it. My legs are in some kind of stirrups, spread wide apart and lashed to them with leather restraints at my shins and mid-thigh. Finally, a big leather belt locks my waist into place on the bed. Put simply, I am not going anywhere. Blind thrashing is not going to do me any good here. Maybe... maybe if I test the bonds, pull at them strategically. I might have more success if I... Mackenzie! Oh, Gods. She's beside me a few feet away and tied up just as I am, nude and splayed. It looks like her hands are in some kind of mitts, though. Probably to keep her from casting. She looks like she's out cold, too. I have to get her to wake up! "Mackenzie! Mackenzie!!" She moans and then moves around a little. Slowly her efforts become more coordinated as she stirs. Her reaction is just like mine once she gets her bearings. "Mackenzie!" "Uhhn. What...the FUCK?! Lemme outta this! Motherfucker!" She strains at her bindings. The chair groans, but gives no indication of breaking. "Mackenzie, calm down..." "Fuck that, Char! I'm gettin' out of this right the fuck now. Nnnggh! Ah! My fingers. I can't move my fingers! And something's keeping me from casting. Arrrgh!" The chair groans again, but it won't be enough. "Mackenzie, please. We need to gather our wits and think this through here." After a few seconds, she settles. A bit. "... fine. You woke up before me. Any idea what the fuck this is?" "I don't know. Judging from the fact that we are nude, I have a pretty good idea what we may be in store for, though." "Fuckin' Heimdahl!" "More than likely, pun not intended." Mackenzie looks at me quizzically for a brief moment before frowning down at her bindings again. A door creaks open on the far side of the room. "That would be correct, my dears." Gods, it is him. Mackenzie and I instinctively start to struggle at the sound of his voice. It was one thing to be nude and vulnerable to each other, but with someone else in the room now... I can feel my face flush as a knot begins to form in my stomach. Someone else is looking at us. We are naked and vulnerable, and can do nothing to stop him from seeing us. He studies us with a lewd and dirty look, and while it disgusts me, there is another part responding in a way I don't understand. It feels like I have butterflies in my stomach, and suddenly the room feels so warm. Then I notice it. I'm getting hard, and quickly. My pussy is starting to get wet, and my breathing gets faster. This... this is actually turning me on! Gods, he is so repulsive. I can see him leer at me and Mackenzie, and he's obviously enjoying the sight. But I can't stop feeling aroused! Mackenzie is watching me as well. Intently. I see something in her eyes that I've never seen before, and it both scares and delights me at the same time. I don't know what it is, but it gives me more than a small thrill. She bites her lower lip for a moment and I can see her cock start to harden as well. What is wrong with us? We are in big trouble, and yet both of us are behaving like oversexed teens! He's speaking again. Snap out of it, Charlotte! "... and I can see that you both are enjoying this. That'll suit my needs rather nicely." "Fuck you! I swear to the Gods, if you don't let us outta this right now, I'm gonna put plasma so far up your ass you'll taste sulfur!" He laughs at her, a full-throated belly laugh that makes her spit and fight all the more. I can see her muscles tighten up and bulge as she shakes the bed she's bound to. It is safe to say that Mackenzie is one pissed woman right now. "Motherfucker! Let me out of this now, or I will fucking kill you!" He stops laughing, though he still has that smug smile. "You'll do exactly as I want. And what I want is for you to be quiet. Otherwise I'll make sure your friend here suffers for your disobedience." He takes a small pistol out and points it at me. Now, I'm not scared. I've had guns pointed at me before, and if he took the time to bind us both like this then the odds of him killing me are low. But the effect on Mackenzie is immediate and pronounced. She quiets down, and I can see her expression change from rage to one of impotent frustration. The desperation in her eyes is obvious, and I hate him for making her feel like that. "Why are you doing this?" I continue to pull at the restraints, squirming about. "Originally, it was because I thought you were two cute women that I wanted to play with. But your... condition... became apparent to me after I captured you. As a man of science, I was intrigued..." He pulls out a remote and pushes one of the buttons on it. Mackenzie's bed lurches forward, moving toward me on some kind of track in the floor. He steps in-between us as she gets closer, putting both of us within arm's reach. "There are different variations of your multisexual condition in our society; all done via surgery, or else impotent and non-functional. You two, however, seem to have working physiologies that didn't require operations to complete. I am... curious to see how that came about." "Such an elaborate justification for rape." The ice in my voice could freeze beer. I may be aroused by this somehow, but that doesn't change what it is. What he is. And I would consider it a true pleasure to separate his head from his neck with my old friend. His smile fades a bit. I hit a nerve, and that satisfies me just a little. "I am a scientist. Just one with interesting hobbies. And right now, I want to see just how functional your physical makeup is." With that, he reaches out and grabs both of our cocks at the base. "No! Please, you mustn't do this! It's improper!" "Bastard! Don't you dare fucking touch her!" He ignores us, giggling as he slides both hands up our shafts. He reaches the top, lets go and runs a finger around and around the heads, teasing them and making Mackenzie groan. He massages them for a few moments between his thumbs and forefingers before slowly moving them back down to the base. I watch as a drop of pre-come oozes from the opening of my penis. "Nuhh! Sir, p-please. You can't do this to us!" Gods, I am so hard right now. He repulses me, but I cannot stop my response to his touches. I can feel myself throbbing in his grip as he moves his hand back up my pole. I struggle against my bonds, my wrists twisting in their restraints. "My my, you two seem to be enjoying yourselves." He laughs again as he turns to look at Mackenzie. She's biting her lip and wiggling her hips, her toes curling as he starts to speed up. "S-shit! Stop, you b-bastard... I said st- ah! AHH! No, NO!" Faster and faster he works us, moving up then down, squeezing once in a while. We both plead and yell, trying in vain to find the right words that will make him stop and let us go. We squirm and writhe in the beds, pulling at our restraints while he brings us closer to climax. "No, no please! You AH! You have to s-stop! P-please... I-I can't take this!" "Fucker! L-let us gooooah! AHN! Shit, I s-said stahhhhhp!" "Neither of you have much longer." I hear the tremor in his voice, that little perverted lilt that lets me know he is getting off on this. Ugh. He really gets into it now, and I know that he is looking to finish us. He beats us off furiously, and it's all I can do to keep from crying out. "Fuck you! FUCK... Goddammit! Nrrgh! Nooooooooo!" "Please, don't m-make me come... I don't want to-to-toaaaaaaah!" We climax at nearly the same time, our bodies tensing up and surging against both the restraints and the power of our orgasm. He angles us back just in time, and my spunk shoots all over my stomach and chest. Mackenzie is bigger than me, and some actually hits her in the face. We gasp and moan in the aftermath, shuddering as we draw deep breaths. "Well, look at that. The red-haired bitch gave herself a facial!" He laughs cruelly, making her flush a deep red as she turns to look away from him. She's been humiliated, and I can see her fighting to hold back tears. She turns to me, and I smile at her as supportively as I can. He may have us, but he can't break us. "You... you always need the help of... machines and restraints to get people off? How does... it feel to know that we are more of a man than... you?" He spins around on me, a look of wounded hatred on his face. That got him. Mackenzie smiles silently at the insult, seeming to draw strength from it as she winks at me when he turns from her. "I am more of a man than you could EVER hope to be, freak!" He takes a quick step toward me and grabs one of my nipples, twisting hard as he does so. I cry out in pain, but the smile doesn't leave my face. Words really do hurt, and I've cut him deep with mine. He stares hard at me for a moment before regaining his composure. "I won't be baited into an argument with you." "The only way she had of fighting you, and you're runnin' away. Fucking coward. Not a man at all. Barely even human." Mackenzie laughs. He begins to visibly tremble now. We may be antagonizing him and making it harder for ourselves, but it's our only avenue of getting at him. We're not going to be beaten by the likes of him. A Clockwork Green Ch. 02 He pulls out the remote and pushes two more buttons. Something begins to lower from the ceiling above us, while a little mechanical arm comes out from underneath the beds, tipped with an impressive looking dildo. "Oh, my" I breathe anxiously. "You'll soon learn your place, little pet," He hisses as the machines come to rest. "Despite your obstinance, I still intend to use you as I see fit. I'll be collecting samples for study, since you're capable of shooting sperm. I wonder what else you're capable of." "Samples?" I can hear the apprehension in Mackenzie's voice. "What kind of samples?" A brass tube on a thick cable drops out of the machines that came out of the ceiling. They snake down to us, coming to rest on our stomachs. We both pale at the sight of them. "Oh." "That's correct, my dears. You're going to be milked. And to make sure that you stay hard no matter what, I have a topical drug for just such an occasion. You'll be amazed by it's potency..." He reaches into a coat pocket, producing a pair of gloves that he dons in preparation for what he has in mind. Next comes a tube, presumably filled with this drug he's talking about. He moves to me first, holding my cock up and applying a generous amount of what looks like a clear and viscous liquid, rubbing it into my flesh while moving his hand up and down my shaft. It starts to work almost immediately as I can feel a sensation of warmth spread all over my crotch. It makes me hard again faster than I expect, and the feeling is almost overpowering. "Ah! What did you just do to me?" "Remarkable, isn't it? It makes for a wonderful stimulant." He laughs as he goes over to Mackenzie and does the same. She cusses up a storm, but the end result is the same. Soon, she is hard and throbbing as well. "Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to the other parts of your sex, shall we?" He pushes another button on that damned remote, making the dildoes move into position just in front of our slits. I feel the dildo slide into my pussy. Oh, oh Gods. It's big, almost as big as Mackenzie. It's cold and unyielding, and I can feel my muscles tighten around it instinctively. I gasp as it slides all the way in, filling me up as it comes to rest. I make a little squeak as it settles, trying to wiggle my hips around to readjust my position on the bed. "Fuuuuck!" Mackenzie leans her head forward as far as possible, her eyes wide as her dildo enters her. "What're you trying to do? Split me in half?!" "Part one is done. Now time for the other bit." He moves back to me, taking the brass tube in hand. I have a raging hard on now; the drug he gave us has taken full effect, as well as any semblance of control out of my hands. He takes hold of me at the base of my prick and gently starts to slide it down. Oh, it's a tight fit! He actually has to work at it a little to get it to go all the way to the base. He steps away, and then goes to Mackenzie to do the same. her tube is a fair bit thicker than the one he put on me. She fights him, and fights him hard. But the end result is the same, and she stares at it almost disbelievingly. "You get that fucking thing off me! Gods-dammit, I said get it off!" He ignores her and pulls out that remote. "Well, now that preparations are in order... shall we begin?" "No, please-" "I said Get It-" He pushes a button, and Mackenzie and I scream in ecstasy together. The tube is more complicated than it first appeared. I can feel it contract around my cock in waves, one right after the other and in rapid succession. There's suction, too. It hungrily pulls at me, demanding that I give it all that it wants and more. This device isn't interested in asking for anything. It is literally forcing me to orgasm, greedily sucking at me and holding me within it. My eyes cross at its strength, and my head drops back on the head rest. "Oh, oh Gods. M-make it stop! I can't... can't control it!" I shake my hips in a vain effort to try to dislodge it. "Eeeep! Please, stop!" Mackenzie is not faring any better, either. "Shit! Shit, shit!" I watch as her expression becomes desperate, an uncharacteristic pleading look lights up her eyes. "Please, I-I can't take this! It's too m-much! Fuuuck! FUCK! I'll lose it if, Nnnnngh, if you leave this on me!" "Stop? Of course not! In fact, let's see if we can't make things more interesting." He pushes yet another button, and the dildoes inside us begin to pump back and forth, the attachments brushing up against our clits and embracing them as they vibrate. Gods, I am really learning to hate that remote. I've lost the ability to talk, now. My fingers and toes curl as the thing has it's way with me. My tongue lolls out of my mouth as my eyes roll back into my head, and the only thing I can do is struggle against my restraints uselessly. Mackenzie for her part has devolved to a heavy grunting. She is literally humping the air, lost in her own pleasure as she writhes about. She comes first, followed shortly by myself. I can feel the suction carry my spunk away and up the tube, taken for whatever "testing" he has in store for it. We both lie exhausted, barely moving and gasping for air, but only for a moment... The bloody thing starts up again! "You... you have what you want! Y-you have your sample!" My voice sounds weak and frantic at the same time. And far away. "Stop the..." Mackenzie almost whispers. "Stop the... " She isn't holding up as well as I am, it would seem. "No, I don't think so. I am going to leave you here for a few hours.". He smiles victoriously as we both whimper and plead. "You see, this is only the beginning. I do have my samples now, but I also want you broken. Partly for your earlier defiance and partly because I want my new pets compliant and complacent." I can hear Mackenzie whimper. Something about it scares me badly. "I... can't live like that. I have to... no..." Mackenzie. "You don't have a choice. You're mine now, my little pet." "I'll... die first." Mackenzie! "No, I will make sure you stay mine. Both of you now belong to me." Heimdahl turns to leave as the door slides up to let him out. "No!!" I sit up as much as my bonds will let me. He turns to look at me, a quizzical look on his face. "No? I have you. You-" "I said no!! Mackenzie and I, we're meant for more than to be just your playthings! Take a good look at us now, because this will be the last time you see us like this again. We will escape. We will go on with our lives and never give you a second thought. We deserve better than you. And we will fucking have it!!" He pauses for a moment, studying me closely. Without a word, he steps out the door. It closes behind him, locking in place. I fall back against the bed, another orgasm taking my mind and making me swoon. The moments pass before I can open my eyes again. "Cherry." "I'm here, sweetness." "I... I hate when you do that." "No... no you don't." She licks her lips and smiles. "Maybe. But I... uhn. I know one thing. I'm getting you (AH!) out of here. I promise." "I know, Mackenzie." "I'm not gonna last much longer in this thing. I need... to rest soon." "Then get your rest, sweetness. He can't keep us here forever." Over the next hour, we both come over and over. We're being drained, and soon even talking becomes too much effort. Mackenzie passes out, her last climax being too much for her as she simply winks out as if she were a light. And with that, I'm alone. If I'm being honest, I would say that I love this. Not the fact that Heimdahl has us, but this situation in general. The bondage, being dominated... it feeds something in me. I draw pleasure from it, and would love to explore it more when we get out of here. I'm not like Mackenzie in that regard at all. She needs to be free, to be in control. I can feel another orgasm building within me. This one may be the one that puts me out, too. Wait... Mackenzie. Would she do this to me? Would she like to take me like this? Make me hers? Closing my eyes, I shut out everything but her. She's the one who has me here, not that fool Heimdahl. I can see her smiling at me, standing over me as my climax builds. Cherry, have you been a good girl today? Yes, Mistress. I've been so very good. May I come for you? I want you to watch me come... Mmmm, yes. I think I want to see that. You look so hard and so ready. M-Mackenzie... I-I'm... I can't... Let yourself go, Cherry. "Mackenzie!!" ... ... Oh, oh my. That made my head swim. I... I... Please Mackenzie. Tell me you want me like this. Tell me you want me... No... I want more. It's not enough to play games. I would give it to you, give it all to you, if you'd only ask. If you'd only... A Clockwork Green Ch. 03 "Look at how pretty they are when they sleep," he says. ''Oh we're going to have soooo much fun!!" Heimdahl shuffles from the door to a table in the corner. Levers are pulled, dials twisted, and the chairs hiss and buck as they slide across the floor. Charlotte murmurs as her chair comes to a less than gentle stop. He ambles over to her first, unstrapping one of her legs and lifting her foot. "Soo lovely," he murmurs, as he wraps his lips around her big toe. He moans gleefully, slurps loudly, as he opens wider and caresses all five toes with his tongue. "Sooo lovely." With a look pregnant with expectation and impending bliss, he finishes unstrapping her and lifts her limp frame over his shoulder. A wheelchair waits nearby, and he gently sets her down in it. "Soo lovely," he says, as he carts her out of the room. *** He returns 15 minutes later with the wheelchair empty. He hums a happy little tune as he unstraps one arm and wrist, and then the other. He unstraps one leg and ankle, and then pauses. Come on, asshole. I just need one opening... He lifts my left arm up, and lets go. It drops back down beside me like a stone. Feels like a stone too. Gods, I'm exhausted. He picks it back up, cradling it at the wrist. One of his hands shoots up and he snaps his fingers twice an inch from my face. Even if I had the spare energy to flinch, I wouldn't have fallen for that. "Maybe just a peek..." He tugs at my wrist, and I can feel the suppression glove slide away. Here it is... the opening I need... time to do...something!! "Ooooh, look at these," he says. Oh gods, is he gonna... Yup. They're in his mouth. Oh gods, he's... Augh! ...come on, Mack! This is it! This is your shot!! I've got less than nothing... Get it together, Mack!! He's gonna do unspeakable things to you! To your mind! To your body!! ... To Charlotte!! I yank my hand out of his mouth. I can barely get one eye open to see him. He desperately grabs for my wrist, but it's slippery and wet. Slippery keeps my hand free, but it also stops me from being able to snap! Slip... Come on! Slip... Come on! Snap! Two tiny but exceedingly bright sparks ignite mils in front of Heimdahl's eyes, and he shrieks in pain and rage. "My eyes!!" His hands belatedly cover his ruined sockets. "What have you done?". It's the weakest ability I have, and I've gotta be really close to do it, but he's almost certainly blind. It took just about everything I had left... "You bitch! You stupid, stupid bitch!!" His hands roam down his body, fumbling through his coat pockets. What could he... That fucking remote!! I try to swat his hands, but he's just out of reach! I nearly tumble over before i remember one of my legs is still bound!! I claw at the leg restraint, one hand still in a suppression glove, but it's hopeless... I slide off the chair, leg twisted but still strapped in, just as he gets the remote out of his pocket, but it's upside down and backwards. I swat once, twice, three times, whiffing it by inches. His fingers fumble awkwardly without the power of sight, and when he leans over to put it uselessly closer to his face, he inadvertently brings it closer to me. I rear back and put everything I have into one final swing and... Smack!! The remote crashes down and clatters noisily across the floor. "You bitch!!"" Heimdahl spins to try to follow the noise, and then gives up to try to come back after me, but he gets turned around and wanders into the middle of the room. "Where are you?!?!" It only takes me a few seconds to remove my other suppression glove, and I set it down on the chair. I nearly slip trying to reach over to my leg, still comically strapped in while I straddle the rest of the apparatus. "I hear you, Bitch!!" Somehow, when I wasn't looking, he'd found a length of pipe and is scraping it back and forth across the floor. He shouldn't be able to hear anything over the noise the pipe is making, but... He's scanning the floor for the remote! I'm out of the chair, but I don't believe that fucking things usefulness is restricted to a couple pieces of furniture. He smacks the remote with his pipe, sending it skittering again, but now he has a bead on it. I chance a few loud steps, dive for it... ...and crush the hell out of it with an outstretched fist! There's a quick blowback of wind and a puff of smoke. Fucking thing was running on air magic! Heimdahl hears the sound, and his face screws with rage. He brings the pipe down inches from my head as I roll away. He slams it down thunderously again and again, but I've slipped back up to my feet and padded away. Part of me wants to leave him like this; impotent, lost, and taking chips out of the marble flooring. Part of me wants to kill him. I struggle in silence to summon the strength for even the weakest kill shot, but I nearly collapse in a dizzy spell from the effort. After a minute catching my breath and listening to him rant at me, I settle for breaking his nose and laying him out. I may not be much for hand to hand, but an elderly blind man is a target even I can't miss. I practically fall pushing open the door as I step out into the hall. The cool rush of air reminds me that I'm naked. My prick bounces back and forth from thigh to thigh as I walk. Fuck, that thing is heavy- ...a noise down the hallway puts my heart in my throat. I don't want to duck right back in where I came from, so I slip inside the next door. Chest high countertops run a loop around a rectangular room, with two islands running in parallel down the middle. Several glass vials and beakers hover over open flames, and the fluids within them smoke and steam. I lean against a counter behind the door and listen for the noise I heard, but it's passed. My muscles are telling me I'm spent. I haven't felt this tired since I went Holy Fire on my father's forge. I flop down on a stool and look around. Lots of crazy science is going on around me, that's for sure. Fluids of every color roil and boil and swirl through elaborate glass piping. My eyes wander up, following tubes coming through the wall. I spin around, trying to picture what would have been on the other side of this... this room contains at least some of the machinery we were hooked up to. My eyes travel down the wall, following the pipes, to a separate counter where five glass and steel containers about the length of my forearm stand. No way. All five are filled with a dense white fluid. There's a mirror next to me, and I stare at my reflection for a moment. "When you tell Charlotte how you saved her," I say out loud, "leave this part out." My reflection nods with me. Cum is like... half protein, right? I grab one of the bottles labeled with a large capital C (as opposed to a capital M) close my eyes, and drink. I can't believe she filled three of these things while I only filled two. Technically, I filled her ass once while we were on assignment. "Not this much," I hear. My reflection grins wickedly at me, and I grin right back as I go for another long swig. I love the taste of her spunk. It's soooooo thick. Way thicker than mine. Like a malt. I swear she eats vanilla-flavored foods because she knows the flavor carries through. I slug back the dregs of the bottle and fall back against a counter, dazed... and high? I've never heard of being cum-drunk, but if that is a real thing, then I am it right now. The room tilts crazily in anticipation of the leanings of my head. "Sweet foockin shite," my reflection says. Since when is my reflection from Juteland? The room explodes with color. The infinite gradations between red and pink are not only perceptible, but are so easily apparent that I can't see how I never noticed them before. The walls pulse with vibrations. The lights in the ceiling cast such precise shadows... so impossibly precise! I sit/fall down, depending on who you ask, onto the stool and close my eyes for a 5 count. I try to peek one open again. 10 count. Better. 15 count. "Get on with it, Mack! Charlotte is waiting!" I glare at my reflection, but it glares right back. Eventually I relent, and it nods apologetically. I head back into the room with the chairs with an itch to finish him off, but Heimdahl's gone. There's only one door I can see; the one I used. I'd have heard him if he stumbled out after me... which means... secret passage? Great... If this is the kind of place that hides doorknobs in bookshelves and candelabras, I'm in for a long night. Naked, unfulfilled, and a little worried that he got away, I slip back into the hallway. The ceiling is a dizzying mess of tubes and pipes that run up, down, across, and all of the above. Some look hydraulic, or for water, but I'm thinking most are pneumatic. I take 5 steps into the hall, and another one of his crappy-ass MX-12 drones whirs out of a hole in the wall near the top. I spin and hit it in stride with a Bolt. The not-insignificant sound of it crashing to the floor gives me pause, but nothing else happens immediately. Some kind of magical trap then? Tied to the on switch for his drones? Which means they're probably set to attack whatever they find... fucking great. At least I don't hear any alarms going off, which means his traps are isolated and unconnected. Thank the gods he's cheap. I hadn't realized how expansive Heimdahl's complex is. The creepy, quasi-religious tone of the decor puts visions of a vampire book that Charlotte... I tuck that thought away for a while and focus. Creepy, yes. Quasi-religious, yes. Somewhat shabby, yes. Despite all of that, the pipes have good seals and the machinery I can identify is running quietly. Quiet means well maintained. Quiet means deadly. At least, that's what I always told The Cap'n when he complained that my parts didn't make enough noise. I set off a few more motion sensors as I explore, but I also waltz right past some much larger and heavier duty emplacements. Large caliber, multi-gun emplacements. They must be tied to an alarm... an alarm he can't trigger because I killed his stupid remote. Ha! Best news I sorted out for myself that I've heard all day! I wander down at least a dozen long corridors and hallways, all empty except for the occasional defense drone. His MX-12 drones take so long to spin up that they're hardly a threat. The slightly macabre atmosphere, on the other hand, is oppressive and claustro...phobing? I long for my reflection. At least then I didn't feel so alone. After what feels like an hour, I pass two disturbingly familiar doors. The room with the chairs is still empty, but the echoes in there fill me with dread. I can't back out quick enough. I spin around, examining the walls, and spot an elevator door ten feet from where I began that's not so much hidden as it is built into the shape of the wall in such a way as to not be obtrusive. The elevator only has one destination. I can hear voices as the door opens, but the door action is mercifully silent, so I hide inside the elevator car for a few moments. "-shoulda seen her in action. Took out five guys from our last crew, just like that, " a man's voice says, punctuating his claim with a snap of his finger. "I managed to hold her off for a while, but then the ginger bitch finished off the drones. I was just about to start a fighting retreat when the boss got his sonic death ray or whatever going, and they dropped like the bitches they are." "She don't look like much," replies another man, although this one speaks much slower, and with a much deeper voice. I peek around the corner. If I'm not mistaken, the first one is the guy who ran away. What a fuckin' liar. There's three more of them with him now. "Oh, then by all means! Wake her up and let her out. I watched her cut a man from lip to dick with a flick of her wrist. See how long you last..." Everyone but the braggart, who has more product in his hair than I've used cumulatively in my entire life, takes a step back. "I didn't think so," he sneers. He looks so... so foppish, with his wavy blond hair. What is he doing in this business? I think... yes. I want one of them alive to answer a few questions. The other three are clearly new hires, but the fancy one... he potentially knows something. I step out into the room and pad towards them. Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around... I raise my hands, index fingers extended, and snap down my thumbs. One Boomstick goes off right in between two of them, and the second takes down a third guard who'd been off by himself. The fancy one spins as his friends crumple to the ground, facing towards me just in time to turn into a blow to his stomach that knocks the wind out of him. Veins on his neck and face pop as he gasps and falls. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charlotte stir as I kill off the ones I don't need. "Mmm...Mmmmmackenzie?" "I'm here, Char." She's slow getting up on her hands and knees. "Are you ok?" She groans and peeks one eye open. "Mackenzie! Did you kill all of those men?!" "No," I say, as I kick the fancy one. He groans lightly, still lacking the air to do much more. "Left one alive." "And Heimdahl?" "He got away. I think I blinded him, and I killed his stupid remote, but he's not dead." I start looking at the door to her cell as she sits up. "Oh dear... my head is spinning. How are you even moving right now?" "Just, uh, must've gotten some real rest after I zonked out is all." The lock looks solid, but the hinges... She puts a hand to her head as she gets up on her knees. "Oh my! Mackenzie, you're... AAAAEEEEIIIII!" She scrambles about for a moment trying to cover herself. One of the hinges shifts from a deep red to a bright orange, and I snap it free from the door frame. "We're naked!!" "That's a good thing, Cherry. Anyone else we come up on is gonna be dumbstruck. No time to react to two escaped prisoners if all they can focus on is the fact that we're hot." "I am not walking around naked out there, Mackenzie. We have to find my clothes." I kick off the lower hinge, and the door to Charlotte's cell falls. It takes some finagling to work it out of the door frame, but it makes a satisfying crash. The fancy one is still hunched over, gasping for air. I grab the hair on the back of his head and yank up. "Where. Is. Our. Shit." He begins frantically pointing to a door in the corner before I finish, and I drop him back down. He lands with a heavy thud. I kick the door down, but the room was empty. Charlottes quasi-uniform is folded neatly on a desk. Her sword is right beside it, but... "Son of a bitch!" "What is it?" "Aww, these sons of bitches disassembled your gun to see how the reloading mechanism works. It's in a dozen pieces..." "Well, I think the first thing to do, Mackenzie my sweet, is for you to bring me my clothes." *** "And you are sure you can fix it?" Charlotte stared sadly down into the makeshift sack containing her disassembled shotgun. "Yeah, all the parts are there. I've just gotta put it back together." I stare down at our bound and gagged prisoner and frown. "How are we gonna get him outta here?" Charlotte draws herself up to her full height and comes to stand next to me. "Actually, I have an idea about that." *** The Fop, as I've taken to calling in my head, screams as I give him a shove. The wheelchair zooms down the hallway, past an intersection with another hallway. I fused the front wheels so they don't turn, and he barrels straight away, squealing like a little girl. Well, almost straight. As he passes the corner, I hear one of those larger gun emplacements spin up. Gods, they're like small cannons, chewing up the wall behind him. I peek my head out, and draw a bead on the biggest one. I summon a little Kite and let it fly. It zips down the hall, arcing up and into the barrel of the largest gun before I detonate it. It doesn't seem to do anything, but a half second later when it tries to fire again, the shell explodes before firing, and that starts a magnificent chain reaction I can't help but stare at. The Fop is crying when I come up behind him. "Don't worry, asshole. Only 3 more of those to disarm, and then we're home free!" *** "Actually," Charlotte says as we toss our first-ever prisoner into the sidecar of my motorcycle, "I think I might have something in storage that would help with him." "I keep forgetting you used to live here." "It's been a few years, but it should still be there. I'll swing by and pick up a few things, and I'll meet you back at the shop." "Be careful, " I say, nervous to let her out of my sight again. She kisses me lightly on the cheek, and jumps into the little prototype car I built for her. The fancy one stirs in his seat, and I smack him once more on principle before heading back. Today sucked. It's time to start cashing in on all that bad karma... *** I rip the cloth off his head as Charlotte walks him into our basement storage room. He whips his head back and forth, shaking his luxurious blond hair back into perfect shape too quickly. I'm so glad we grabbed the fancy looking one. That's gonna make this soooo much more fun. The glint in his eye says he found his confidence again. That's gonna make it even better!! "Unhand me, bitch," he says, spitting furiously at her, but Charlotte deftly dodges it. She brings her knee in hard behind his, and our foppish prisoner falls forward. Her hand on his shoulder is the only thing that keeps him from falling farther. He struggles again, but she grabs a fistful of his hair and yanks his head back. Her face never betrays even the slightest frustration, just cool professionalism. Watching her manhandle him is such a joy. I walk around in front of him, just at the edge of the halo the lamp above us has lit in the middle of the room "The carrot or the stick," I say. "The stick," he sneers defiantly. Too quickly. I look up at Charlotte and give her a consolatory smile. "I was gonna let you go first, but..." She gasps and puts her free hand up over her mouth. "You can be so crude, Mackenzie!" I grin impishly. "Put him in the spreader." "I can't wait to see-" SMACK!! "You will speak only when spoken to," Charlotte says coolly, no trace of her earlier shock remaining. Just dutifulness. I walk off into one of the darker corners and begin stripping down while watching her quickly and masterfully apply the leg shackles. Once his ankles are firmly bound and the bar is latched to the floor, she reaches up through his legs and yanks down on his wrist manacles, toppling him to the floor face first. He grunts and fights weakly, clearly saving his strength for a moment later when he thinks he might finally get the upper hand, but he'd been screwed for a while now. Once his wrists are bound next to his ankles, spreading his legs low and wide, she withdraws her knife and begins cutting at his clothes. He lifts his head from the ground and begins to protest loudly again, and receives another backhanded cuffing. Charlotte seems no more ruffled by his outburst than if a fly had passed her harmlessly, and she goes back to shredding his shirt, jacket, pants, and undergarments. With a few quick tugs, she relieves him of his coverings, leaving him naked and quivering with his ass in the air in the middle of the halo. "My name is Mack," I say as I walk into the edge of the halo fully nude, fingers tweaking my nipples, "but you will call me Mistress." He tries to arch his head up to look at me, but he can barely raise his eyes above my waist. I doubt he'd look higher if he could, though, judging by the way he locks on to my bulbous prick. His lips work soundlessly for a moment, and his eyes betray real fear for the first time. Charlotte is knelt next to him, prepared to reprimand him again if necessary, but he makes no noise. He does, however, finally start struggling against his bonds with his full strength. A Clockwork Green Ch. 03 "Awww, look at this," I say as I kneel down behind him. "Shaved?" I run my hand along his better-than-manicured ass cheeks, letting my palm settle over his asshole for a moment to soak up the warmth. "Not shaved... it's too smooth. You had it all removed..." Sooooo glad we grabbed the fancy one. He bucks as my hand slides farther down to wrap around his sack. My fingers slowly close around it, forcing his balls down and stretching the lowest part of his scrotum. Smooth as the day he was born... I release his balls after a moment with great reluctance. They're not what I want. He tries to be so strong, fighting and cussing right up until the tip of my cock touches his asshole. Then all that strength is gone. He pleads and begs, rocking his hips violently to no avail as I push slightly, stretching his anus just a bit to get his attention. He squirms and cries as I push... push... push... and break through. The spreader doesn't give him hardly any leverage to fight me off; it's merely my size and his sphincter muscles slowing me down. I go further in, and I can feel him tighten up to try to keep me out. It's too late though; I split him down the middle. He faltered, giving too much of a release, and now he's mine... He whimpers as I slide into him up to about mid shaft. I can feel his anus squeeze my prick, desperately trying to find a way to force me out. There's no cussing now, only crying and whimpering as I slam the rest of the way into him with a heavy grunt. His hips rock against me feebly as he tries to get away, but all he's really doing is getting me harder. I can feel my cock swell inside him, stretching him painfully. Squeezing me painfully. I am not deterred. His hips gyrating about, his asshole tensing as it tightens around my 'stick' only serves to make me laugh. More a limb than a stick. I give his ass a solid slap, making him cry out. The ripples from the slap reverberate through his cheeks, putting a slight vibration through my cock as well. I can feel him blushing and don't need to see his face as he begins to yield ever so slightly, although I wish I could. All I can do is to grab him with both hands by the hips and make this little slut MY bitch. More a trunk than a limb. Forward slowly, and then back even more so. I want him to know that he's mine, and that this is going to happen regardless of his wishes. I can hear him gasp, and his pleas take on an almost terrified quality. He's beginning to realize that he likes this, and he's fearful as to what that means for his own sexuality. I care less than none as I slam into him, harder and faster with the intent to see to my own needs. I want what I want, and whether he gets something out of this is beside the point. I want his ass. I'm going to fuck him senseless. Faster and harder. He cries only fuel me, make me want to pump him even more. God, I wish I had something in hand right now... maybe that would motivate him even more. Watching that ass gyrate and bounce about in futility as he gets hard himself is driving me nuts, and I'm gonna make sure I take every last bit he has to give and more. He starts to grow quiet, lost in his own pleasure as I get closer and closer to cumming. I can feel it...yes. It starts at the base of my cock, almost inside me as something snaps and begins that chain reaction that will end with him overflowing with my seed. It builds there, and I can feel my cock throb as the tip gets warm, and then hot. It buzzes as the sensation builds, and I can feel my mind give way as the only thing that matters is that release. That sweet, sweet release. It engulfs first my prick, and then my whole body in a flash as I grit my teeth and prepare for the final act. The actual moment feels like an explosion, washing my mind and senses away; everything logical flees. I can feel each spurt bursting deep within him as I dig my nails into his sides and draw blood. My climax is nothing less than epic, and he's mine now. My first notch on the wall. My first bitch. His panting is heavy with his cheek ground down into the floor, but his baritone grunts get faster and faster as I wind down and park my massive, man-eating member deep in his rectum. Truant gobs of spunk race into him in fits and spurts. Several seconds later, his whole body convulses. His eyes flutter, and I see now that his cheeks are tear-stained. Charlotte, who I'd nearly forgotten was still here, is doing her level best to keep the jealousy from her even disposition. "Alright, slut," I say as I slowly back my prick out of his ass. Cum streaks over the backs of his thighs and down his sack. His eyes flutter, but don't seem to focus. I ram my cock down inside him again hard enough to buck his restraints, and he cries out. "W-w-w-what Mistress?!" "That's better. I'm gonna set up shop back here for a while. Make myself nice and comfortable inside you, slut. In the meantime, new choice. The carrot or the peach?" Charlotte's eyes flick towards me and widen dramatically. "The... the... the..." his eyes dart around fearfully. "The carrot?" "You heard him, Charlotte. He wants the carrot." My grin is a mile wide as she flushes a deep red and rolls smoothly up on to her feet. She removes her surcoat. The slut groans, although he's facing away from her. She unbuttons her blouse, and he groans again, louder and longer. When she starts to bends over to slide her pants down, he cries out and she stops to look back at him, and then at me with an accusatory glance. "What?" I say, trying to hide my grin "You know very well what, Mackenzie." "I haven't moved an inch!" "Maybe not voluntarily, " she says, with an arch to her eyebrow, but when she bends over to lower her pants this time, she does it much slower. The slut emits a long groan, finishing several seconds after her beautiful little feet have touched down beside the neat pile of her clothes. She grabs several wooden planks and a stiff, round pillow. I reach over the slut, grab his hair, and lift his torso several inches off the ground while she props him up off the ground. He whines through gritted teeth through the ordeal, and whimpers softly once I set him back down. Charlotte sits down in front of him. With great hesitation, she straddles his head with her legs and leans back on her hands. I slowly back out my dick again, with just the head lingering inside him. "Look up, slut." Groggily, he does so, and begins whimpering anew as Charlotte's rock hard erection quivers at him. "Say hello to The Carrot." He swallows hard, but says nothing. I jam my prick back into the thickest part, and he gasps. "Hell-l-l-lo!" "I'll admit," she says, "it's not nearly as impressive as Mackenzie's. But it suits me just fine, and it's hers whenever she wants it. Something you'd NEVER understand." She looks down at him, letting her professionalism slip for just a moment as jealousy and resentment wash over her face. She quickly regains composure though, and smiles wickedly at him. "The Carrot will, however, be very useful in teaching you your proper place; underneath Mackenzie's thumb." "You're going to become good friends with the carrot, slut. If I hear her cry out in anything but pure unadulterated joy, or if I see so much as a wince of pain, I will take you in ways you can't even imagine. Ways far less fun for you. Do you understand me, slut?" "Yes... yes! Yes Mistress!" "Open," Charlotte says. "Now. Maybe you can learn a thing or two about what it means to really suck cock, little dandy..." I nod at Charlotte, and she scoots closer to him. I back out to the head, and lean to the side just in time to see his gaped mouth waiting for her. Eyes open too! I'm sooo glad we grabbed the fancy one!! I reach behind me and grab a black rubber plug I left there for just this moment. When I finally withdraw my cock, his asshole hangs open for several seconds. I jam the plug in somewhat short of mercifully, and hop up to my feet. The look on his face as he swallows what I'm guessing is his first cock sends shivers down my spine. Charlotte's face is flush, her eyes heavy lidded and her lips pouty. The sluts enthusiasm for this is far better than expected. I step over her waist, and she immediately walks herself up high enough to begin slurping the remaining cum from my prick. "You require service, yes? We... must get you cleaned up properly." She makes more noise than he does, but she's had far more practice at this than he has. I bite my lip and groan as she switches from just a cleaning to a full-on bobbing blowjob. Her cheeks are bright red, with a hint of fearfulness in her eyes as she really gets after it! "Hey," I say gently, as I reach down to cradle her cheek. She pauses and stares up at me, lips stretched tight around my shaft. I shake my head slightly as I continue. "He could never replace you." The color in her cheeks flares, and then slowly fades. After blowing a deep breath out her nostrils, she resumes her fabulous cock-swallowing act, but with much more calm and tenderness. A quick glance over my shoulder shows that the slut is working her cock, but also that the plug has nearly waddled out of his ass. I guess I stretched him more than I thought! My hand on her cheek guides her back and off my prick, and I walk around behind him. Charlotte balances herself on one hand for a moment to clean her lips and chin of my cum, sucking each finger clean while I watch. "Delicious treats were meant to be savored..." Gods, she's the best! I yank the plug out the rest of the way, and marvel as his asshole spasms and shudders. "Alright, slut. We're going to try something. Think of it as... parole." He doesn't stop, but he does make an affirmative "mmm hmm" around Charlotte's cock. "You can stop for a moment," I say as I reach down and unfasten first one, and then the other of his wrist restraints. He lifts himself up slowly, but continues to stare down at her glistening erection. "You are going to finish her though." He nods, and rolls his shoulders with a whimper. I wave my hand at Charlotte, and she gets up with a questioning look as I walk over to where she had been. He stammers as I settle down exactly where she was. "Don't worry, slut. This isn't for you." I grip my prick at the base and hold it straight up. "This is for her." "Yes, just for me." The taller woman bites her lip, straddles my waist, and slowly lowers herself on top of me. The sluts eyes nearly fall out of his head watching her ass devour my prick, and she sighs magnificently as her ass cheeks come to rest on my hips. "Oh, my. So very full! I can never get enough of this." she whispers. I walk myself up as high as I can, tits pressed into her back, and bite her shoulder. "Oh! Mackenzie!! Ooooh! Eat me up whole!" "You may continue, slut," I say. His head disappears from my view over her shoulder, and her ass clamps down on my prick as tightly as it ever has. Her face pinches, and she can barely manage the strangled gasps she gets out. Her normal torrent of professed enjoyment is nowhere to be found. I clench my buttocks tightly, causing my cock to jerk deep inside of her, and she cries out. "Faster, slut!" Charlotte's gasps become tighter and tighter, become longer and longer, until they grow into a minute-long, purple-faced groan of release. The slut hacks and gargles, coughing wetly. Now freed from his mouth, her cock continues to launch rope after thick rope of love into the air, some arcing high enough that I can see them, albeit briefly. She collapses back against me. I balance myself on one arm and hold her tightly to me as I lower us onto my back. Once flat, I wrap both arms around her to hold her tightly and lift my hips off the ground. Once I have enough clearance, I pin her in place with my arms, and piston my cock out of, and then right back into, her magnificent ass. She cries wordlessly, still not quite recovered from her own orgasm. I piston her again, and my arms begin to feel wet. She must still be leaking cum; it's running down her stomach. I piston her again, and this time, I feel her legs and hips lock in place to float above me. "Fuck me," she says breathlessly. "Fill my ass just like you filled his, sweetness! Take me and make me scream!" My toes flex and grip for purchase on the floor, and I ramp up to a fast rhythm. "Yes," she cries. "Yes! Use my asshole as you see fit! Gods yes!!" "Who are you?" The slut sounds exhausted and weak somewhere far below me. "Say my name," I whisper. "MACKENZIEEEEEEEEEE!!" She throws her head back, and I nuzzle into her neck, throwing everything I have into the furious pounding of her asshole. "MACKEEEEEEENZIEEEEEEEEE!!" I don't last much longer... *** "Hey, uh..." "Yes, Mackenzie?" "I... um..." "What's wrong?" "Did I..." I try to cough to clear my throat, but that wasn't the problem to begin with. "Did I go too far?" Charlotte blinks at me for a moment. "Too far?" "You know, with Selt.." At hearing his name, Selt groans and shifts behind the seat. Charlotte thumps him with the butt of her shotgun, and he returns to silence. "While he may not technically have tried to kill us, he was under employ to subdue us by any means necessary. Twice." "Yeah, I know, but-" "Plus your gamble paid off. I barely had to speak to him before he wanted to tell me his life story. Him not knowing anything useful isn't your fault." "I didn't just mean with him..." "Oh..." There's a long pause. Charlotte's brow furrows. She's so damn cute when she's thinking. "What I mean is, I'm... I don't always know what I'm doing sometimes, and I.. I need my friend." "What do you mean?" "We've... I dunno, we've changed our, uh, pattern." "Are you... are you regretting that?" Charlotte's voice is thick with worry. "No," I interject, as reassuringly as I can. "Not at all. I just mean... Fuck. I know it looks like I know what I'm doing, but I don't. I'm just winging it most of the time." "Mackenzie, no one expects you to have all the answers." "Are we still friends?" "What?" "I think that's what I've been tryin' to ask..." Charlotte is quiet for a minute, so I continue. "That was all we used to be. But in the last couple months, we've become other things." "Lovers..." "Yeah. But I... I still need my friend sometimes. The one who used to tell me when I was being a petulant baby." "Mackenzie..." "I know, it's stupid. I shouldn't need that kind of silly reinforcement, but I do." "Mackenzie, it's not stupid." "It's not?" "No. I think we've both started to let our, uh..." "Bedroom dynamic?" "Yes." "In-the-shower dynamic?" "The anywhere-you-want dynamic," she says with a sly smile, "to bleed into other areas." "Ok," I say, letting out a huge sigh of relief. I make a quick left down an alley, and hop out of the drivers side door. "What brought that on?" "Just a sec", I say to her. I grab Selt by the collar of his jacket and drag him out of the car. He's starting to stir again underneath the cloth hood. "This is where you get off, shithead." "Please," he mumbles. "I can't go back. They'll kill me!" "Don't have to go back, but you can't stay here. New Verdia's a big city, slut. I'm sure you'll find someone big and bad to look out for you, and he'll probably only take 15%." Charlotte giggles, and I give her a withering stare. "At least, I think that's the going rate on pimps. You're gonna count to a hundred before you even think about removing that hood, you got it?" Selt nods resignedly, and Charlotte and I hop back into the car. "Count to a hundred," I say. She nods and starts tapping her fingers on her thigh as we pull away. "Back to what I was saying, I was thinking about asking a favor from you, but I was... I was worried that ship had sailed." "What. Was. It?" she said, keeping an odd cadence that takes me a few seconds to sort out. I pull out onto the street and immediately park around the corner. A quick glance around finds me a fire escape ladder, and I dart upwards. Charlotte follows along behind me without question. We both peek over the edge of the roof and watch. Selt hasn't moved. "I'll tell you later." "Either the slut doesn't know how to count this high," Charlotte says a few seconds later, "or you really made an impression on him." "More like 'in him', right?" *** I have to take a few deep breaths before I round the corner. Charlotte is curled up on the couch, her beautiful little feet tucked up beside her. She immediately looks up from her paper, shaking her head. "I do not know why I keep up with this stuff. All it ever does is make me mad." She starts to look back down at her paper, and then pauses. The fact that I've got my hands behind my back is a dead giveaway. "Is this what you... Oooh!" I nod, and she smiles warmly at me as she folds up the paper and sets it down on the end table. I cross the room and sit down beside her. She looks at me expectantly, and I sheepishly give her the item I'd hidden behind me. "The Journey to Haverly? Again?" I shrug, and she laughs lightly. She stopped asking if I wanted her to teach me how to read better years ago. I get by with what I already know, and I have her for the rest of it. I slide a little farther away and curl up in a ball beside her, using her feet as a pillow. "My boots," she reads, sonorously, "covered in the dust of many towns, were nearly as tired as I when I stepped into the parlour..." A Clockwork Green Ch. 04 "Well, this has certainly been a long job," I say, as I lean back against the railing of the skiff and let the wind whip through my hair. Mackenzie sits at the controls as we speed along the desert floor to the outermost edges of New Verdia; to where our latest employer is waiting for us. I've enjoyed working for this lady very much. She's a nice middle-aged woman, a former professor who still finds learning fun in all its forms. She has taken to calling us her 'daughters'. "It took us just shy of two weeks." "You think she's gonna have some of those fudge cookies? Those things kick ass." Every time we come back with more information about what she hired us to find, she offers us cookies and cake. Mackenzie always manages to take far more treats than she should, but The Professor encourages it, so it's no harm, no foul I suppose. I'm almost sorry this job is over. Mackenzie smacks her lips as she looks over the skiff's piloting wheel at me. "Maybe. But this time you're not going to take more than one or two. Making such a pig of yourself like that in front of our host is just so ruuude!" "Hey, she likes it when I take more." She smiles a smug little grin that makes me roll my eyes. "Yer just pissed 'cus she likes me better'n you." "She likes us the same, you twit." I cross my arms and close my eyes in indignation. "Besides, if she were to like one of us more than the other it'd be me. I'm the one with the pet name, after all." "Blah blah blah, 'her little student', blah blah!" Mackenzie apes, then looks at me with an impish grin. "If she likes you so much, then how come I get more cookies than you?" I stand upright, stamping my foot and clenching my fists in irritation. "Because you take more! OOOOOOOHHH!" I stalk off to the front of the skiff. Mackenzie's laughter chases me all the way there. "Just get us there, you little brat. I have half a mind not to let you anywhere near me tonight, you know." She laughs even louder, and has to shout to be heard over the wind. "That ass is mine tonight, Cherry. You just think you got a say in the matter!" I don't let her see my smile, turning to face forward as the skiff speeds along the floor of the desert. She is right, of course... but that doesn't mean I have to let her know that she is. *** "My daughters! It has beeen too loong!" Professor Annette Tournesol waits at the door for us with a huge smile that neither of us can resist. Mackenzie's face nearly splits in half as we make our way up the path to her house. Her straight hair, more silver than gray, is pulled back into a ponytail. It hangs down to the small of her back, a stark contrast to the deep brown leather jacket she's wearing to ward off the chill of the approaching night. She wears a pair of silver glasses, and she has her hands clasped before her. She lost one of her arms in an accident long ago, and replaced it with a top of the line clockwork construct. I've seen Mackenzie attempting to study it surreptitiously on numerous occasions. Two pistols hang off of either side of the Professor's belt, and despite her pleasant demeanor she carries herself with the presence of a gunfighter. I'll bet she was formidable in front of a class, despite her diminutive frame. It's been wonderful having a steady employer again. This was the sixth job she had for us. The three months between Heimdahl and her were fairly lean. Heimdahl, for all his many flaws, always had work. That kind of additional income was a huge relief, even if he did... no. What am I even saying?! He was horrible, and no amount of money made up for his behavior. The thought of him blind and lost in his maze-of-a-compound brings a little smile to my face every morning. But it's still wonderful to have a steady employer. "Yes ma'am. We have a surprise for you as well." Her eyes widen, and she clasps her hands in front of her mouth. "You... you found eet? Oh, my dears, tell me you have the boook!" Mackenzie pulls out the thick tome from her duster, holding it up for her see. "We have your book." Professor Tournesol's eyes light up, and that smile of hers grows brighter than I thought possible. "Happy daaays, happy daaays! I made you both fudge cookies again, and this time I even baked up extra for you, Mack. Come insiiide!!" Mackenzie shoots me a smug look, as if to tell me 'I-told-you-so'. I slap at her in response, doing a bad job of hiding my irritation. The Professor laughs happily. "Don't worry, little student. I adore you both eeeequally." She reaches out to hug us both as we finally make our way to her. Putting an arm around each of our waists, she guides us inside to the delightful smell of baked goods and the warmth of a happy home. *** Mackenzie sits at the table, stuffing a second cookie into her mouth and making little noises of enjoyment. I nibble on my first, watching intently as Annette thumbs through the book, pausing every once in a while to read a passage. She finally closes it and smiles at us both. "This means a lot to me, you two. It will add a great deal more to my study of known magics in the world, and will prove invaluable in the near future." "Doef ih haff fiwe maffics nn ih?" Mackenzie is annihilating her fourth cookie. I cross my eyes in irritation and Annette laughs deeply. "No, Mackenzie. It has more to do with earth magic than anything else." That makes me perk up immediately. "I... thought that form of arcana had died out here long ago, ma'am." "It did, but just because it is no longer in use doesn't mean we can't study it. Right, my little student?" She gets up to put the new tome away, and pats me gently on my head as she passes by. I blush a little at the sign of affection and nod, distracting myself with a small bite of the cookie. "Plus, it being archaic and lost just makes it that much moore interesting to study." She reaches her book shelf, and slides it into a prepared slot before turning around to address us both. "This wouldn't have been possible without you two. I want to do two things for you. The first is to double your pay for the work you've done." "Oh, please don't. You've already paid us so well." Mackenzie gulps down the last of her cookie, reaching for a fifth. "Yeah. We liked working for you, P'fessor. You don't have to give us anymore than what you already have." "Nonsense, my dears. This isn't a debaaate you're going to win." Her eyes twinkle at us merrily. "Besides, there's a reeeeeson why I am doing this. There is an auction next weeeek over in the 'classieer' sections of New Verdia. I have one or two items I want to sell at that auuuuction, and I'd like for you to be my representatives theeere." She turns back to the bookcase, looking for a particular book. "The extra money is for you to buy fancy dresses. The kind that respectable society, if you can indeed call it that, would expect you to have." Mackenzie pauses her assault on the plate of baked goods to look up at Annette fearfully. "A... dress? On me? I... I don't-" "Now, Mack. I know you fancy yourseeelf a hardened caster and a harder woman." Annette winks at her with an impish smile. "But you're also veeery beautiful. You would look wonderful in a stylish dress. Besides, wouldn't you like to see Chaaaarlotte here in a nice ev-en-ing gown?" Me? In a nice dress? Rubbing elbows with some of society's bright lights?! I sit in my chair, trying desperately to keep from squealing with happiness. Annette sees it and giggles. "See? She can barely contain herself at the thought." Mackenzie's eyes shift from me, to Annette and back. She smiles nervously at last, sheepishly nodding in agreement. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that." "Wonderfuuul! It's not for a couple of weeeeks, so you have lots of time to plan. Here, let's seet down, shall we?" Professor Tournesol gives us a quick rundown of the items she wants to sell, actual worth, expected prices, etc. I pay attention, but the thought of me at that auction makes me smile to no end. I'm going to be sooo pretty... and so is Mackenzie! The world will get to see her how I see her at long last. *** "Seeya P'fessor! Thanks for the cookies!" Mackenzie has the whole plate in front of her, happily bouncing along as she heads over to the skiff sitting just outside of Annette's property. The darkness is all-encompassing, so she flips on her flood lights for us. Despite the bounce in her step, Mackenzie's head swivels constantly. She's not eager to share her score with coyotes. I yawn at the late hour as the wind switches directions abruptly, carrying with it an odd sound. I spin around to see Annette leaning up against the doorjamb with her arms crossed over the book we brought back to her. She's smiling at both of us, but that's not what catches me off guard. She's crying. There is a bittersweet kind of melancholy written on her face, like a mother who's watching her children leave home to make a life of their own. I frown and open my mouth, but she waves a hand dismissively and smiles. "Pay me no mind. When you get to be my age, everythiiing reminds you of something painful." She wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket and comes over to kiss me on the forehead. "Go. Get some rest. You have a big daaay coming up soon." "I will." I turn to leave, then spin back and pull her into a gentle hug. "Thank you, Professor. For everything." She tenses for a moment, and I worry that I may have gone one step too far. Then she wraps one arm around me and returns my embrace tightly, hugging me as if she doesn't want to let go. "Be good and be saaafe, hija tierra." The language is unfamiliar to me, and I pull back slightly. She smiles and waves it off. "Just a term of endearment I picked up in my travels, little student. Go now... and take caaare!" Smiling, I pull away from the embrace and run to the skiff. Mackenzie waits for me there, confusion written all over her features. "What was that about?" "I'm not sure. But she seems to be okay now." I glance over my shoulder one last time to see her wave at us happily. "Come on, let's go home." *** Mackenzie's jaw drops open as she takes in everything around us. "Are... are we in New Verdia anymore?" She's wonder-struck, and I can't really blame her. Most everyone has this reaction the first time they see the Elysia District for themselves. Everything is clean, neat and... well, beautiful. Shops line the roads, selling all kinds of high-end baubles and items not meant for people like us. Little clockwork machines scurry along the walkways, some of them carrying messages while others pick up bits of trash. Flying machines zip along over our heads, eagerly performing tasks given to them by their owners. The people walking along the street are all sharply dressed, sporting the latest fashions while talking about the various topics of the day. Vast, almost palatial estates rise up in the distance, as if to reinforce the view that everything here is simply better. A clean, sharp white reigns supreme on the visual palette, but clear blue, shiny chrome, and a shade of magenta I read about as the color of the season all have a strong presence. As we walk down one of the little side roads, her head darts back and forth as she takes in all the wonders Elysia has to offer. People walking by us take notice, but by and large make no comment as they go on about their business. They don't have to, at least as far as I am concerned. I can see it on their faces, plain as day. Bourgeois. Commoner. Lower class. I can feel the disgust as it radiates off of them, making me uncomfortable and bleeding off some of my enthusiasm for the day ahead. We can play dress-up all we want, and it wouldn't change the fact that we simply do not belong. This was the reason why I fled New Verdia so long ago. I knew I would never become more than what I was here, another sewer rat from Nuovo district. I would forever be pigeon-holed into a particular place with no chance to do more than what I was born into. The people here live and die within the caste system that underpins this city like rotten scaffolding. I say nothing to her as she cranes her neck while looking about, clearly taken with the scene around her. I don't want to steal that wonder from her, and I have to admit it is a sight to behold. Everything here seems so delightful, and it gives you the sense that the sky's the limit. If you're one of the chosen. Mackenzie and I? We would never be one of them. Not even if the Gods themselves came down from on high and granted us a boon. *** "Money talks, bullshit walks," Mackenzie said under her breath. I couldn't agree with her more. The store we're shopping in, Pierre's, tried to turn us away. The flash of money almost didn't convince them either. My irritation is another thought to be saved for later. I. Want. To. SHOOOOOOOOOP!!! The auction is still a week away yet, but any excuse I can take to look at lovely things and model pretty clothes is a day that is unquestionably good in my book. And the best part is that both Mackenzie and I are going to walk away with pretties that will be ours to keep! To say that I am giddy would be like saying New Verdia is arid; one hell of an understatement. Mackenzie does nothing but laugh as I bounce from one display to the next, admiring each dress. A purple and blue slip with floral patterns catches my eye, but I quickly dismiss it as being too gaudy. I want to look respectable, yet sexy at the same time. That would be something a little girl would wear. Then, I see it. It's a demure variation of the little black dress, but it looks flawless. It's strapless, and would let me display my favorite amethyst necklace prominently. The hem of the dress should come to about mid-thigh, and I can tell even now that it'd hug my form sooo deliciously. Throw in a little black purse and spaghetti strapped stiletto heels and... Talk about elegance and sexiness combined! I cannot believe this is my life now!! I gingerly pull it off of the rack and set it up to my chest to get an idea of how it'd look on me, and to show Mackenzie my new find. She stops laughing, her eyes slowly growing wider as her jaw lowers. "What do you think? Maybe a pair of-" "Dressin' room. Now." She is actually leering at me. There is unbridled lust in her eyes as she grabs me by the shoulders and spins me around. I don't exactly fight her as she pushes me towards the changing rooms. "Okay, okay! I'm guessing you want me to try this on," I laugh. I almost trip as Mackenzie shoves me along. She throws open the door to a room, pushes me inside, and slams the door shut behind her. Then she grabs me by the shoulders, twirls me around, and comes within inches of my face. "I have to see you in that dress!" "Mackenzie, what's gotten into-" "Please!" I smile at her sweetly, nodding with a slight flush as I undo the buttons on my surcoat. I do love this dress, and I can't wait to see what I look like in it. My motivations for wanting to see it might be juuuust a little different than hers though. I take my time undressing, making it a little ritual whenever I strip. I know I may be toying with her, but we're in public. Finally, I am ready to slip into the dress. I can hear her pout behind me. "C'mon, turn around so I can see you!" I toss my head as I look over my shoulder. "No, Mackenzie. We're here to go clothes shopping, so you can see me when I'm in the dress. Not before." I offer her a smug smile as I pick up the dress, taking care not to show her anything. I can feel her frustration as I shimmy into the garment, making minor adjustments and tweaking it before finally turning around. "Well, what do you think?" I'm asking her, but I already know that I love it! It fits me like a glove, and the only word I can think of that describes how I feel wearing it is 'scrumptious'. An image of a delicate chocolate wrapped in a silky confectioner's tissue flits across my mind, and I can't help but giggle. I have to have this dress. It's perfect. Mackenzie stares at me with an open-mouthed, drooling leer. If I'm that sweet little chocolate, I know for a fact she sees herself eating me up. Gods, I almost can't stop squirming at that thought. "Uh... uhm." That's all she gets out of her mouth. "Do you like it?" "Uh... uh huh." Oh, I have her so worked up, and there's nothing she can do about it here. This is turning out to be even more fun than I had thought! I spin around to the mirror, striking various poses while admiring my reflection. No, there's no need to look any further. This is what I'm going to buy. Still, there's no reason why I can't have a little fun. After a few minutes, I finally look in the mirror and sigh. "Alright!l We still need to get your dress, and I need to find a nice pair of heels." I strip down and step out of it, and then gingerly hang it up and set it to the side. Something hitting the ground catches my attention, bouncing around with the 'ping' of metal. Oh, it's a coin. It must've fallen out of Mackenzie's pocket or something. I bend over to pick it up only to hear the door slam behind me. Startled, I instinctively grab for my clothes, only find that they're not there. Mackenzie, my clothes, and the dress are gone! She took everything I could possibly wear! I'm naked, and with no way out of the room! Seconds pass like hours... After what seems like an eternity, Mackenzie saunters back into the dressing room wearing a smug little smile. "There, now we're talking!" I race to put an arm over my chest to cover my breasts while trying to hide my growing erection behind the other hand. "What did you do with my clothes?!" My voice is little more than a hoarse whisper. "There are so many people around. How am I supposed to get out of here?" "They're safe," she says haughtily, "but you ain't gettin' them back until you do what I tell you to." Mackenzie licks her lips as her eyes caress my body. "W-what... what do you want me to do?" She grins as she reaches out to cup my chin in her hand. "Get yourself off for me, Cherry." "Here? I can't! People will know!" "Then I guess you're gonna to have to figure out a way to get home naked, huh?" I can feel my face flush deeply as I bite my lower lip. Mackenzie smiles impishly at the fact that I am hard and throbbing now, the head of my cock bouncing in mid air as if begging to be touched. "You'll... you'll give me back my clothes if I do?" "It's a promise, baby girl." Gods, I love this so. I slowly drop my arms to my sides as I stand up straight and look meekly around, noticing the small bench behind me. I step back to the side and prop my right foot up on it. "Mmm, that's it Cherry. Show me fuckin' everything." Mackenzie puts her hand to her mouth, biting her index finger before licking it lustfully. "D-don't talk like that. It makes me squirm so," I stammer, as I reach down with my right hand and and gingerly take up my cock. My other hand slides up to one of my breasts and begins to tease the nipple, pinching and tugging gently on it. "Gods, you're cute as hell." Mackenzie starts teasing one of her pigtails over and over in her fingers as she stares at me. "You look so fuckin' hot right now!" My teeth clamp down on my lip. My cheeks are so red, I feel like I must be glowing. The thrill of being watched, of being caught, is gradually joined by the wondrous physical sensation as I slide my hand back and forth. Slowly at first. A small moan escapes. A Clockwork Green Ch. 04 "You... you're being so m-mean to me right now. Uhnn! Making me b-be naughty like this." I'm only vaguely aware of the fact that I am shifting my weight onto the leg balanced on the bench, and that I'm rocking my hips back and forth. Gods, what kind of pervert am I to be doing this? Ever since that episode with Heimdahl, I haven't been able to get the idea of being watched out of my head. Maybe I should stop. Good people don't do this kind of thing... And then I see the look on Mackenzie's face. I see her slide a hand down her own trousers, though it's obvious by the swell that her cock needs no coaxing. She is staring at me desperately, watching me with a hunger that sends a shiver up my spine. Ripples of delight dance over my scalp. "Cherry," she whispers, as though she were out of breath. Suddenly I don't give one sweet damn about being a good girl anymore. I want to be my Mackenzie's nasty little plaything, and she's going to get such a show here. "Y-you like seeing me... like this, don't you my Sweetness?" I roll my hips around and arch my back, thrusting my erection out at her while stroking it faster. My posturing makes her whimper as she takes a step forward, and it's becoming clear to me that she's starting to lose what remaining willpower she has left. "Oh, I'm having... having such an eff-ffect on m-my love, aren't I." My lips quiver as my fingertips tease my swollen head. I reverse the arch of my back to stick my backside out a little, and reach back with the other hand to slide two fingers into my ass. My mewling cry sounds so loud in so small a space, but that realization does nothing to quiet me as I'm penetrated. Pure animal lust takes control of my fingers, wiggling about and around. "But, you're going to, ah!!, have to stay back. You want to see m-me come for you, yes?" "Yeah. Fuck yeah, I wanna see that!" She stops herself short and looks me up and down. There it is! The look I saw back on the tables in Heimdahl's room. That ravenous, wide-eyed stare that lets me know I am moments away from being her little toy; to be used as she sees fit. I can feel the lust in her gaze, and it makes me feel sooo yummy... so wanted... "Ahn! I-I can see the... the look in your eyes, Sweetness. You want your treat, d-don't you? You ah!!!... You want your Cherry," I whimper. I am getting close now, and I can feel pressure starting to build at the base of my cock. It starts to spasm in my hand, and it only makes me finger my ass all the more. "You're about to come, aren't you..." I can hear the hunger in her voice. "Show me. Show me everything. I want to see you shoot your load all over this room!" "M-Mackenzie! I... ahn! I-I..." I close my eyes and the room starts to spin. I am so close, now. Just another few moments... just a few more strokes... Mackenzie's touch breaks my concentration. She's moved beside me, and I feel her run her fingers under my chin as she so very gently turns my head to look at her. I open my eyes to see her smiling softly at me. I've... I've not seen that look since that strange dream in the desert months ago. "You're my good little girl, aren't you..." "Yes." The smile grows warmer still. "Come for me, Cherry." That moment, that very moment... I feel something wash over me. A warmth I've only felt once before, more than just my impending climax. It wraps around my like a soft blanket, and I whimper happily at the sensation. A vision of a field of flowers pops into my head as I feel cum spurt from the tip of my cock. It pulses over and over, streams of white spunk shooting across the room for what seems like forever. I make no sound at all, not even a whimper as I look into those emerald eyes of hers. I feel... safe. Happy. Content. She surveys the mess I made, then looks at me with such happiness. Like she's been finally sated at last after a large meal. "That's my girl. That's my sweet Cherry." It's all I can do to just lean over and put my head on her shoulder, letting out a little sigh of contentment. I take a few deep breaths to clear my head, and I can feel her put her arms around me. "Let's get this cleaned up and finish our shoppin'. After seeing that, I've got plans for that ass of yours." Oh, Mackenzie... *** Finally! The night of the auction! I've been eagerly anticipating this day for so very long, waiting for the chance to see what the other side of the world looks like. Despite my views on the order of things, I am curious to know how people of money and power act and behave. What are we going to see? This is more than just a chance to show off a pretty dress while on Mackenzie's arm. It's a learning opportunity, and it's one I'm not going to pass up. Just passing through Elysia subjects us to a battery of disrespect, ranging from indifference to disgust. The level of assholery drops off significantly once we reach the estate housing the auction, however. It's a grand and wonderful building to be sure, and the pleasant smiles of the staff stand in stark contrast to the sneers and eye rolling encountered minutes before. "The shitty attitudes disappear when there's money to be made." Mackenzie shakes her head. I positively beam at her, squeezing her arm in approval at the observation. My girl may not have a high education, but that doesn't mean she's dumb. She looks at me sheepishly while flushing slightly; she still hasn't quite figured out what to do with my adoration. We go inside after handing our cloaks to the doorman. His eyes almost seem to bug out of his head as he ogles us, stumbling over his words as he lets us in. "I guess we're too much woman for him to handle." My hand shields my mouth to suppress a little giggle. Mackenzie may not have been happy about it, but I finally convinced her to take off her goggles and let me put her flaming orange hair up in a bun of curls. She's at least nine kinds of adorable right now in her strapless, sleeveless red dress. She winks back at me. "What'd really blow his fuckin' mind is if he knew we're better hung than him, too." That's my girl! I swat at her playfully as we make our way down through the causeway and into a great hall set up for the auction. The sight before us makes us both stop and gaze in wonder at the scene before us. The room is very well lit despite the late hour, thanks to ornate hanging gas lamps supplemented with fire magic to burn brightly. They chase away the shadows, illuminating priceless works of art that are set up between large windows. Heavy red velvet curtains offset sharply against the cream-colored walls Tables line the perimeter of the room, overflowing with foods that even I've never laid eyes on before. The sheer quantity of it is making my mind boggle. There is more food here in this room right now than some people back where we live will see in a month! All different kinds of delicacies, from exotic fruits to delicate chocolates and everything in between are artfully displayed to appeal to the senses. Large, comfortable sofas have been arranged around the room, offering those here to buy a place to relax and enjoy themselves. Servants make their way to various patrons, filling orders for drinks and food. Some of them are very scantily clad, and there's no illusions as to what they're offering. A small gasp from Mackenzie causes me to turn around, and I see her gawking at everything around her; She has such a wonderstruck look on her face. "Char, people can afford to live like this?" "Yes, they can." "Why... I don't understand. Don't they know there are people who don't have almost nothin' to eat? Why can't they..." She slowly brings her gaze to lock with mine, and I can see her start to connect the dots. "They know." It's all I can manage to say. She's from Hollinsport, a hardscrabble town where everyone had to work together to survive. To know that there are people living like this while others are suffering is creating a kind of mental logjam. "I think... I think I understand what you've been gettin' at." A look of mild disgust slowly spreads across her face. "And I think I know why the P'fessor lives where she does now, too." I open my mouth to agree with her, only to be cut off by a commanding voice from up at the massive stage in front of us. "Esteemed guests, please begin to take your seats. The evening's events will begin shortly." Mackenzie starts over to the chairs in front of us, forcing me to catch her by the arm quickly and shake my head. "Those are for the guests buying things tonight. We'll have to go to the back of the room, and when our item is sold we'll collect the money. We'll have to leave here afterwards." She nods silently, though I can tell she doesn't like the idea. Nobody likes being told they're not good enough, and Mackenzie is a proud person. A waitress in a black and white maid's outfit wanders by carrying a tray of drinks. She pauses in front of us, eyeballing us for a moment. "You don't look like aristocracy, ducky. What are you here for?" "Retainers," Mackenzie says simply. The waitress nods with an "ah" and smiles. "Seen a few of those lately. And you two look more like soldiers than royalty. Who you working for?" "Professor Annette Tournesol." "Oooh, I know her! Wonderful woman. Tell her Jessica said 'hello', won't you?" She winks at us before looking around the room. "And make sure you enjoy a little of what's around here before you go. You don't get the opportunity to have a little taste of the good things like this often. In fact, here..." She offers both of us a tall crystal glass of a orangish drink. I accept it with a nod, while Mackenzie takes hers a little more reluctantly. "You'll like this, trust me." With that, she sashays off to serve the other patrons. Mackenzie and I take a sip of our drinks, and I watch as her expression lights up almost immediately. "That's fuckin' good... What is this, Char?" "It's called a 'Mimosa'. It's part chilled orange juice and part champaigne." I giggle at her as she takes a large swig from the glass, relishing the drink thoroughly. "I call it fuckin' good! I wanna have another." She drains the last of the glass and sets it down on the tray of a passing servant before giving chase after him. "Hey! You got another of those Mimosas, buddy? Give it up!" I laugh heartily, admiring my girl as she runs after him. My thoughts are interrupted by the announcer, who has begun to introduce the prime patrons of the evening. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we begin I'd like to introduce you to the esteemed sponsors for tonight's affair. These champions of New Verdia have led us through times both harrowing and difficult, and their names echo through the halls of every corner of the city. May I introduce to you..." My pulse quickens immediately. This is another reason why I am here tonight; I want to catch a glimpse of the people in power, to see them as up close and personal as I can get. Regardless of what I think of the affairs of New Verdia, these people are proven leaders. They have the one thing that most of the people in this room don't, and that is power. They are the movers and shakers in our corner of the world, and I want to see what that looks like. "Baron Erlich Von Krauss." A short, gray-haired man wearing delicate spectacles and a somber look raises his glass in the air in acknowledgement. He's the Minister of Science and Arcana, and is responsible for most of the city's infrastructure. He's probably forgotten more about applied mechanics and magic than most people will ever learn. "Baron Ivanovich Mikhail Rasputin." He has women on both arms, despite the fact that he's in a relationship with another noble. He has the look of a powerful warrior, wearing a long sword on his left side. He's ruggedly handsome, and yet I can see a cruel streak in the set of his eyes as he looks around the room. From what I've read, he's fought in many battles. There is a reason why he's called 'New Verdia's General'. I wonder how I'd match up against him? "Baroness Emmaline Wadsworth." New Verdia's self-appointed Minister of Commerce. She's a mousy woman, though the hard steel in her gaze betrays her true nature. This woman is responsible for much of the financial goings-on in the city, and it's due to her leadership that the city is prospering. She is also the reason the city is segregated like it is, and I can actually taste the bile rising in my throat at the mention of her name. Mackenzie comes bounding up, clearly pleased with herself. She actually has four drinks in her hands, and the fact that she only learned to walk in heels three days ago is a testament to her determination to get her drink on. Watching her practice was... lovely. "I brought you a drink, Char." I shoot her a bemused look, eyeing the four drinks she's trying to balance in her grasp. "Only one, Sweetness?" "Yup. The rest are for me." She hands me one of the drinks and sets the other two down on a table. "I've been a good girl, and I deserve a present." "Duchess Emilie Amaranth." It's rather strange, really. No-one seems to know what she really does for the city, though she wields the most political clout of the four. Some believe her to be some kind of power broker, a matchmaker of sorts for the political elite. Others say that she is no more than a dilettante, the daughter of a powerful scion of the city in days past with no real power. Then there are the few that whisper in conspiratorial tones that she has made faustian deals with arcane entities for her powers. I spin around to see her for myself, and my jaw drops open. She is regal, confident... and painfully beautiful. She gazes over room with a kind of bemused expression, one that brings to mind a predator sizing up potential prey from afar. Her eyes bore holes as she stares, and she has the bearing of one who is accustomed to getting her way. Every. Single. Time. At the same time, there is something... sinister about her. I can't quite place my finger on it; for all the power the other three show, she radiates it, and dangerously so. It scares me, and yet it draws me inexplicably to her. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why I am feeling like this... but it's there, all the same. I am still watching the Duchess as she heads to her observation box above the auction house floor. I can hear someone calling my name, distantly. I pay them no mind as my eyes follow her up the stairs before the wall steals her from my view. "Char? You're staring at her." I hear myself sigh, almost in a dreamlike manner. "Huh?" "Charlotte..." It's enough to finally break me from my reverie, though she's not being loud at all. It's the tone in her voice that finally makes me turn to her. She has a stony look on her face, one that is tinged with a barely realized fear. She regards me with trepidation, and I can't help but feel that something, however small, has changed. "Sorry, Sweetness. I just got caught up thinking about the auction is all." It's a lie, and I can immediately tell that Mackenzie doesn't buy it. "Sure." The announcer finishes the introductions and begins the auction. She takes a heavy swig from her glass and turns away from me. "Mackenzie, I..." "Forget it. It's not important." Now we're both lying to each other, and that small change doesn't feel so small anymore. I ruefully sip my drink. It tastes like ash. Good job, Charlotte. You've managed to ruin a wonderful evening. You stupid bitch. *** The auction continues on well into the evening, and I watch as amazing things that I would never have presumed to put a value on are bought and sold at whim. They have yet to get the item we're selling for the Professor, but I know that it's coming up soon. Truth be told, I am grateful our part in this evening is almost done. Mackenzie has been drinking more than usual. She's not drunk yet, but I suspect that she's well on her way. She's had five or six mixed drinks, and I know from experience that's her judgement will start to wander soon. She's not said one word to me since the auction began, making for a very awkward silence. She drains her glass yet again before spinning on her heels (while almost toppling over in the process) and stalking off. I start off after her, only to be pulled back to the auctioneer. They've gotten to our item! I watch the proceedings with excitement as the bids climb higher and higher for the Professor's artifact. This is going to sell for far more than she thought... More and more money is being offered, each bid building suspense within me. How much is she going to get for that tiny statue?! A thought pops into my head as I watch; she promised us a ten percent commission! Comparatively speaking, we're going to have a lot of money when this night's over. A hand lightly touches my hip, breaking the spell that's come over me. I whirl. It's Mackenzie. She's standing before me, wearing a very embarrassed and petulant expression on her face. "Cherry," she whispers quietly. "I, um... We have a problem." "What's wrong, Sweetness? Are you okay?" "I just... um... we need to find a broom closet or something." "Did you spill something, or make a mess?" "Heh... not yet..." I turn around to search for a lavatory or other place where we can deal with this. My hand inadvertently brushes over her bulging erection, and I gasp in shock "Mackenzie! What has gotten into you?! Control yourself!" "Cherry, I'm so sorry. It's that dress!" "This one? You've seen me in less!" "Yeah, but... heh, never while I was in a dress too. There's nowhere to hide!" Her apologetic grin looks so out of place, and I can't help but giggle at her. The grin fades into a scowl as she tears away from my gaze. "This isn't funny!" "It very much is, my dear. Come on. It doesn't look like there's a bathroom around here. Let's head over to the balcony over there." I take her by the hand and lead her behind the crowd as much as I can.. We both step out into the cool night's air, goose bumps forming on my skin as we cross the partition from inside to outside. The night sky is simply amazing, stars scattered throughout the firmament like dust on the wind as they shine down on us. A full moon hangs lazily on the horizon, casting shadows over the landscape of the city. These are the kind of nights I loved to stand watch on back when we were aboard The Chimaera. Mackenzie brings me back to the real world as she presses close to me. "Who do you belong to, Cherry?" The fear in her voice is palpable, and it takes me aback. I know exactly what is going on here now, and it breaks my heart. I did more damage to her with that stupid fucking display earlier than I had thought. She's trying to be dominant here, but she's rattled and hurting. "Mackenzie. I -" "Please. Who do you belong to?" I catch myself in a whimper as I cup her chin in both hands. "You. Always you, my Sweetness." Her eyes soften a little, but there is still trepidation there. I look around, a thought forming in my head. I don't know whether it's the night's air, or the alcohol I've been drinking or just the fact that I've hurt the dearest person to me in this world. But I have an idea as to how I can prove my admission to her. I look down at the bulge straining against her dress, and a wan smile plays over my lips. I flutter my eyelashes as I turn my gaze to meet hers. "Take me. Here. Now." Her jaw drops open, and she seems to be at a loss for words. She stares into my eyes, as if she doesn't quite believe what I am asking of her. I lick my lips as I caress her cheek with a long, slow touch. "Bend me over this railing and use me as you like." I hear her actually growl as she roughly spins me around, pushing me down onto the marble latticework that overhangs the balcony with one hand while hiking the hem of my dress up over my hips with the other. The garden below is empty, blessedly empty. I feel her yank down my panties, making me step out of them before kicking at my ankle and forcing my legs wide apart. I hear myself whine pathetically, whimpering as she tosses me around. "M-Mackenzie. I -" A Clockwork Green Ch. 04 "Shut up." She grabs me by the hips, and I can feel her prick brush up against my lips. She stops there for a moment, as if to prove a point. "You don't speak. You don't complain or offer any resistance... you hear me?" "Mackenzie... I just..." She slaps my ass, and hard. I cry out in pain, bringing a hand to my mouth and biting on my index finger. The echo from the slap races across the palatial grounds unnoticed. "What did I just say, bitch?" I don't answer, suppressing a sob while still smarting from the blow. "Good. You're learning. But I wanna make sure you keep that yap of yours shut." She reaches forward and stuffs my panties into my mouth, cutting off any means of protest. "If those come outta your mouth, there's gonna be hell to pay. We clear on that?" I nod with a sniffle, and she moves back into position. "Good. Now, buckle up, slut. This is gonna get wild here inna sec." She pushes the head of her cock into my flower, the tip penetrating my lips. She forces them apart as she slams her full length into me unceremoniously. My eyes widen at the violation, tears streaming down my cheeks as I pound the railing with my fist. But even that isn't what is getting me the most. We're in public. Anyone can see us out here. All they have to do is step out onto the balcony, or look at the building from across the street, and everything would be there for them to see. Oh, Gods... I am terrified. That fear shreds my soul, certain that at any moment we'll be discovered. It also makes me delirious with ecstasy, that simultaneous thrill that comes with the idea that we're doing something so dirty... so delicious. So unknown, and yet so visible! "Yeah, you like this doncha? You're already so fuckin' wet... come on, baby. Work that ass for me!" She pulls out almost her whole length, only to slam it back in and make my body shudder with delight. I feel her run her hand up my back and into my hair, grasping a handful of it as she tightens her fingers in my curls. She pulls back hard, forcing my back into an arch as my ass grinds up against her. She pumps my cunt mercilessly, drawing back slowly before ramming her tool deep inside me repeatedly. She's being so forceful... so strong. I can't help but reach down with a free hand to grasp my own cock. She slaps my ass hard again, the sound of flesh on flesh ringing out over the balcony. "NO! You don't get to do that, Char. Good girls get treats like that, and you haven't been good, have you?!" I withdraw the hand immediately, putting it back on the bannister. My muffled cries serve only to make her harder, and I can feel her throb against my womanhood. I'm being stretched to new lengths... She's getting off on this! The thought that she's getting satisfaction makes me feel so yummy, and I begin to grind against her in timing with her thrusts. "Fuck! FUUUCK!!! Gods, Cherry..." She's getting close now, and I can feel her pumping me harder and faster as she approaches her climax. Every impact threatens to push me over the ledge, excepting for the fingers digging into my hips. Every impact threatens to push me over the edge. I'm starting to lose sense of the world around me, and it barely phases me when I notice two people staring at us from the curtain separating the balcony from the auction hall. I gaze at them, heavy lidded. I am so close, I don't care anymore. All that matters is that Mackenzie is taking me as she sees fit. Gods, it hurts! "... the fuck you looking at, jackass?!" A short, squat balding man with spectacles and an overbite harrumphs and scurries off before she can say anything else. With him gone, Mackenzie turns her attention to Jessica, our hostess from earlier. A slow smile spreads over the server's face as she flashes a thumbs up and mouths "get some" at us before disappearing. "Ah! Uuuhn! Fuck! FuckfuckFUUUUCK! I'm... I'mmmmmcooooommminnng!!!!" I feel her cock throb wildly inside me. My cunt clamps down on her, feeling every wave of cum forced through my trembling lips. My fingers try to dig into the stone of the railing as I look up into the night's sky unseeing, lost in the throes of my own climax. My vision doubles for a moment as I rise up onto the very tips of my toes. My ass twitches as waves of pleasure wash over me. I feel Mackenzie slump over me as we both try to recover and catch our breath. Finally, she pulls out of me with great effort. Gods above, she's so thick... "Heh, almost wasn't able to pull out of you, Cherry. You really get off on this exhibition shit, don't you?" I pull my panties out of my mouth, nodding weakly at her. "Yes, I do." The memory of those two heads peeking out at us finally fights its way through the sex-fueled fog "Did we just get caught? Are we... Do you think we're in trouble?" "Nahh, no trouble. Poindexter there looked like that was the first show he'd ever seen, and that Jessica girl was cheering us on." "All the same, we should... we should try to get as presentable as we can. Our... our item was being bid on, so that means that we should collect the Professor's money and go." She nods in agreement before studying me for a moment. "Cherry..." I pull my dear Mackenzie into an embrace, hugging her tightly. "Like you said with Selt. She means nothing. It's you I love, Sweetness." She smiles at me, though I can't help but notice it's still a little sad. "That'll do for now. Come on, let's get outta here." *** I am sitting, gingerly, at the table the next morning, reading the newspaper and drinking my usual first cup of coffee. I have to admit, I am very happy with the way things are shaping up. And it's more than just with the events of last night. Mackenzie and I now have enough money to more than just get by. We can go and have fun while actually leading something of a normal life. Between her work as a mechanic and our mercenary contracts, we can afford some of the small creature comforts that had eluded us before. We're building a life here, and it's one that we both can be proud of. I take a slow sip from my cup, set it down, and return to the paper. Yes, things are going well in our world, and I couldn't be happier. I always have a ritual when reading the news. I start with the things that matter, like politics and economics. Then I move on to sports, because my day isn't complete without my fix of Boards info. I wonder how Haversham did yesterday... Then, if I have time, I move on to the arts and entertainment section. Nothing important usually happens in that section, but if I have the time I like to be thorough. And today is one of those days. I thumb back to the last few pages and start at the top. Nothing of real consequence, just another third-rate artist complaining that people "don't get her work." It's followed by a plea for patronage, and I know that a few people would support her, but not for her "art". Then, I see it. The second story down... last night's auction. Two women of unidentified status were seen at last night's Gala Of The City, engaged in sexual intercourse. While things of that nature are not unexpected, witnesses say that the two women had fully functional male anatomies as well. 'I'm not kidding," one witness stated. "They had real cocks, and they were fucking each other like minks! I've never seen anything like it." When pressed for comment, Duchess Emilie Amaranth had this to say: "We have guests engage in questionable behavior at events like these constantly. But if it's to be believed, the actual nature of these two individuals is a very interesting development. One we would be keen to look into." The identity of the women remains a mystery as they left the auction shortly after the incident. While not pressing charges, Lady Amaranth has expressed a desire to find and speak to these women and has offered a reward for information leading to their location. Those with any knowledge should contact... My hands start to tremble as I gaze a thousand yards through the wall. The paper slips from my grasp and falls to the table. My heart races madly, and I can feel color creep up my neck and into my face. Tears begin to form and threaten to spill down my cheeks as I look around the room in a panic. We've been found out, and they want to talk to us! Why? We should be nothing more than a curiosity. A small one at that! There are others who have the kind of physiology we do, and no-one prattles on about them! Why would one of the most powerful people in the city want to seek us out personally? "MAAAACKENZIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!" A Clockwork Green Ch. 05 "So the guys in blue..." "Hav-er-SHAM!! YEEES!!" I frown and stare down at the... the knoll? Field. Whatever it's called. Clearly, one of the guys in blue just did something awesome because Charlotte is going bananas, but I can't figure out what. I never seem to know where to look. Every time the crowd erupts, I'm watching the other ball and nothing spectacular is happening. "Haversham is your team?" "Yes." She doesn't look at me, though I can hear the irritation in her voice. "And they're not just my team... they're my boys." A huge crowd to my right explodes in cheer, but Charlotte is nonplussed. I try to look down to see what the commotion was about, but the ball is being reset and I can't tell who scored or where. "And those guys who just yelled, they're..." "Wickits fans! Look at their colors!" None of the four teams on the field have the dark green and red combo that crowd is wearing. When I look back at her she frowns, frustration written all over her face. "Those assholes are wearing the home colors, but the team is in their away colors to-COME THE FUCK ON, REF!! Shit! SHIIIIIIIT! What the hell is that cheap-ass shit call?! That wasn't hoarding!" "'Ey! Pipe down over there, you Haver-lovin'-" "FUCK YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!! Just because YOUR boys are down five points..." I frown back and forth, gently tugging at Charlotte's surcoat. "Char, come on. It's only a game-" Charlotte rounds on me, and I flinch involuntarily. "Only a game? ONLY A GAME?! This is BOARDS, little girl! It AIN'T just a GAME. It's THE game!" I've never seen Charlotte act so aggressively... with such masculinity. Even when she was Tony. *** "Nooooo," Charlotte says, feebly trying to keep her cup away from the bartender. "Already drunk..." "C'moooon," I say. "Look how little there is left in the bottle! That isn't worth saving!" "Yoooou!" She points vaguely in my direction. "You drink it." "Awww, don't be like that. So Haverford los-" "Havershaaaaaam..." "Haversham lost, but it's not the end of the world. Besides, I couldn't. I'm already waaay too drunk." "You don't... don't look drunk," Charlotte says, blearily. "Oh yeah. Trashed." I wobble on my stool and smile lazily. "See?" Charlotte nods and stops trying to play keep away with her cup. The tender fills it again with a dubious look. "Don't worry buddy. I'm gonna make sure she gets home ok." *** "HaverSHAAAM! HaverSHAAAAAM!! Go Knights o'the... Hey, why are we gooin' through the... park?" "Shortcut," I say, keeping a hand on her elbow as we pass through the wrought iron gate. She fumbles her words for a few seconds and, having forgotten her place, starts the fight song over for about the tenth time tonight. "O' there is a team from HaverSHAM! Those men so great and proud..." Gas lamps light the way down the concrete walk, but after rounding the a few corners, I lead Charlotte off the path and through the low grass. "...drink in times of championshi...Mackenzie, I doooon't think this is a shortcuuuuut. We live oooover-" "Of course it is, Cherry. Trust me." She giggles a little every time I use her pet name, and that distraction is enough to override her superior sense of direction. We pass underneath a few trees and enter a clearing. A small pond sits still, with the heaviest of the fog settled above it. The Moon is barely visible as a hazy silver cloud. Charlotte takes a few steps forward to steady herself against a park bench and stargazes. "It's beauuuuutiful out here, Sweetness." "It certainly is," I respond, running a hand up her thigh. Charlotte gasps as my fingers pass underneath her skirt, but just as she tries to turn around, I give her a light push between the shoulderblades. She would have tumbled over the bench entirely if not for my hand steadying her leg. "WhooooooOOooOa, Mackenzie, what are you-" Charlotte cuts off in another gasp as I slide her skirt up over her waist. "What... What... What..." Charlotte's hands search for purchase on the bench seat, but the light layer of dew is enough to foil her inebriated attempts. "I got to thinking," I say, as my hand runs farther and farther up her thigh, teasing her lips through the thin cloth. Her cheeks flush with embarrassment at being exposed, but she doesn't cry out. I rip her panties apart in the middle and she groans drunkenly. My fingers rub up and down her slit, leaving the realm of silence behind as she instinctively begins to grind against my fingers despite her protests. "First of all, you owe me, Cherry. That was four hours of my life in that deafening arena." Charlotte flushes a deep red. "Secondly, I thought this might be an appropriate setting to try something a little more public than a changing room, or an empty balcony." "Mackenzie, this is too exposed! I couldn't! P-p-please!" Her words ring hollow even as she says them, and her final 'please' takes on a completely different tone as two of my fingers enter her pussy. She lifts her head and tries to look around. The light fog has reduced the nearest houses to regularly spaced lights, but the fact that they are visible at all is shows how close they are. How easily they could see us. See me. Bear witness. It's intoxicating. I withdraw my fingers, but a hand on the small of her back keeps her bent over. I kick at her left foot, knocking it free from the ground, and Charlotte settles just a little lower, in a slightly wider stance. I slide my wet fingers in and out of her lips for another second before pulling them back and delivering a cupped-hand slap to her cunt. Her whole body jolts, and she gasps as I push three fingers back into her pussy, far less gracefully than they had entered the first time. "Mackenzie! Please! We're going to get caught!" "Isn't that what makes it fun?" She groans as I yank my fingers out again and drag my thumb over her clit. My hard-earned calluses ensure it's more of a rub than a caress, but she whimpers all the same. "Plus, don't you think you deserve to be caught? To be punished?" 'Yes," Charlotte says hesitantly. Another slap directly over her fuckhole, louder by an order of magnitude now that she's sloppy wet. "Yes! Punish me!" I jam the angry head of my prick up against her asshole, and she lets out another choked cry. "Yes!" "Louder." "Yes," Charlotte cries, although not half as hard as the cry she follows with as I enter her as forcefully, and as quickly, as I ever have. Her echoes have echoes. She frantically looks left and right. I grab one of her hands, and bend it back behind her. The twist keeps her bent forward, keeps her in place. In more ways than one. I bite my lip and grin. I grab a fistful of her jacket for leverage. Slowly, I push her forward until her thighs touch the wood of the bench, my fat prick nearly retreating entirely from her, but a strong jerk pulls her back and fills her again. A short cry escapes her lips before she manages to clamp down and quiet herself "I can keep going slow like this, Cherry," I growl, "but that's not what you want, is it?" "No," she said, louder than I would have thought. "Use me!" Another sharp jerk, taking her from tip to hip with a sharp cry. "Yes! Fuck me!" "Louder." "Fuck me like you mean it!" Her eyes pinch shut. "YES," she cries. My thrusts gain in intensity, forcing air out of her diaphragm with a strangled exclamation attached to each push. "YES, YES, YES, YES!" I roughly jerk her up to a 45º angle, and push her against the bench. Now each thrust of that swollen cock of mine impacts heavily on her prostate, and she's lost the ability to make words with her sounds. I can't stop myself from muttering "fuck, fuck, fuck" under my breath. Charlotte's formless cries rise higher and higher in pitch, and just when I think the peak of her orgasm is coming, I switch my rhythm entirely. Instead of a deep thrust from end to end, I begin a vaguely cyclical thrust, keeping that angry cockhead pressed hard against her prostate. Over her shoulder, I see thick ropes of cum burst forth and sail through the air before splashing into the pond, the ripples finally breaking the stillness. Charlotte's knees go weak and buckle, but I pull her backwards and keep her upright, partly with my hands and partly with my fabulous fleshpole. "Don't think this makes us even yet," I whisper. *** Charlotte pulls down the hem of her skirt for fourth time in as many blocks as we walk. Her cheeks look like they might never lose their heat, and she anxiously looks over her shoulder again. All the while she wears nervous smile and licks her lips. "Don't worry, Cherry. No one is following us." "Are you ssssure?" Her heavy buzz hasn't subsided in the least. "Of course I'm...Oh wait!" Suddenly, I grab her elbow and drag her roughly into an alley. Charlotte nearly rolls her ankle as she stumbles behind me. "Did... did you hear someone?" Charlotte peeks her head to the side, fearfully glancing a hair down the street. I carefully drop down my pants and slip right behind her. "On your knees." Charlotte spins almost too quickly. I grab her shoulders to steady her, and then gently lower her the rest of the way. My heavy tool hangs thick in front of her. "Time to finish the job," I say. She stares goggle-eyed. I don't think she realized that I didn't finish in the park. Her hand tightens around the base as one of my hands tightens in her hair. Nothing beats that first lick; hesitant, tentative, and dripping with saliva. The fresh taste of her used asshole puts weight in her eyelids. She bathes my head, and it swells in fits and spurts. Her fingertips are pushed farther and farther away from each other as I approach critical mass. I lift it up, pull her in closer, and let it rest against her forehead. I wrap my other hand around my sack, force them down, and she opens her mouth wide like a good little girl. My hand clenches in her curls, and I push both balls in. Her cheeks swell, mirroring the widening of her eyes, but her tongue... By the Gods, her tongue... I unfold my hand, and she greedily sucks the remainder of my sack into her mouth. My cock obscures half her face, but the half I can see is more than enough. I pull her closer, practically smashing her face into my crotch. A drop of precum falls onto her forehead above her right eye, and I can't stop myself from giggling. Her tongue rolls and swirls, pressing them gently against the roof of her mouth. My head, my real head, wants to float away. It's exquisite... Her eyes close, and she loses herself in the worship. One of her hands is holding her skirt up to her stomach while the other strokes her own cock lovingly. I bite my lip, watching her take care of herself so tenderly. I'm in no hurry, so I let her continue her gentle ministrations. She switches back and forth, lavishing attention on one jewel at a time. My fingers find their own way around my engorged shaft, and the slightest bit of squeezing brings another drop of precum peeking out the tip. I drop this one above her left eye. Charlotte is unaware, lost in the love she's making with my scrotum. Another stroke, another drip... and I delicately paint a smile just above her eyebrows. Wet slurping sounds echo in the alley as she sucks air noisily around my boys, and I can't take the buildup anymore. I need her mouth. Nothing else will do. I push her head back roughly. She releases my balls reluctantly, with a sharp sucking sound. Her mouth, hanging open. Her eyes, heavy lidded. I practically whimper as she slowly raises them to me. "Fuck my face, Sweetness," she gasps. "Use me like a toy." The swollen tip of my cock slips between her lips, there to stay for a few minutes. My fingers clench so tightly in her hair, I wonder if I've ever actually made a fist before. I redefine fist as I drag her mouth down my flesh road. Her lips stretch tight over the knot at the end, causing her eyes to flutter, but once past she finds my gaze again. Her head rocks up and back, flexing at the shoulders while I guide her. My feet take root on the pavement; I am a monolith. I am firm, and unmoving. I am hard. I push her out to the head, and she blows deep breaths through flared nostrils. A few seconds respite, and back down again, farther this time. My head pushes into the narrow spaces in the back of her mouth, threatening her throat. Closer each time. So close. Each time. I shove down on her head, and she hunches, and the path into her throat becomes a possibility. Her eyes clamp shut when I finally pull in. She tries to open them again on the trip back, but I pull her throat around my head again. Harder. Harder. She stretches, molding to fit me. To suit my needs. Her nose brushes the tiny chevron of orange pubic hair, and I cannot resist groaning. No pushing back, just pushing in now. She squawks, fighting for air, but there is no resistance to my guidance. Her moist lips slide the last half of an inch, and I relent. "gasp> YES gasp>," she cries, her face a deeper shade of red than even her pet namesake. "Use me!" She fights for, and gets her breath back, faster than I had anticipated, but I will not stand in the way of her pleasuring me. Not tonight. I pull her past the knot, pulling inwards until I feel the pinch. My fingers flex and regrip, and this time, I pin her in place. The last two inches, the tightest two inches, the first two inches of her throat, I fuck. Her eyes leak tears in a near constant stream as I ravage her suckhole. My face twists almost angrily, eyes boring into her skull, but her only response is a sloppy, drooling "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "You need that, don't you?" "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "This is who you are, Cherry." "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "You're a dirty little slut. You know that, right?" "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "My little slut." "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "This is what you deserve, Cherry." "glalp>glalp>glalp>glalp>" "This is what you deserve." Her cheeks are puffy and darkened when I finally back out. She hacks violently and falls forward on one hand, but her other hand never stops stroking and neither do I. I keep a fist in her hair, slack while she coughs. Precum and saliva pour from her gaping mouth as I yank her back up and shove my prick back into it's home for the last time. Her lips stop just short of the knot, and once again, she meets my gaze. I fill her with purpose. "Good slut. Goooood slut..." A Clockwork Green Ch. 06 "Okay," I say to no one in particular as I crank the pressure caps back on the thermal core. "Okay." Stop saying okay, Mack. Just fucking start the thing. It's gonna fail, and I know it. No, you don't. Plus, if it fails it has safety systems. I bite the bullet. The engine roars to life with a satisfying rumble, but I've got an eye glued on the core pressure gauge. 170... 180... 190... I take a step back and frown. The overflow valve failing is a deafening affair. I wince and dive for the emergency shutoff lever, but the damage is done. Bits of pipe debris careen off my air compressor and shatter a window on their way to ruining someone else's day. "Damnit!" I cry, although it's totally lost in the cacophony. The pressure venting outside is thunderous, causing the whole shop to rattle. "Damnit!" I kick a wrench across the room, and it takes a divot out of the wall. Charlotte comes darting in a second later with her index fingers shoved in her ears. She's yelling something, but I can't hear her over the ringing. I pinch an eye shut and wave her off, but she just tilts her head and repeats herself. I can see her lips saying the same thing, but it's a drop in the bucket volume-wise. Aww, now she's coming over here... I try to wave her off again but she just keeps coming. "I SAID, ISN'T MR WHITAKER GOING TO BE FURIOUS?!" "Yes," I yell, wiggling my pinky down in my ear. "It's not gonna be done in time because these fucking overflow valves are all fucking shit!" Fucking piece of worthless... Damnit! "What is this thing supposed to do again?" I slam my fist down on my bench, and Charlotte takes a step back. Fucking things are rated for 200 psi, but everyone knows they overdesign them by 20%! It should be fine at 230! It should be fucking fine!! I need to get out of here before I break something on purpose. Charlotte is screaming behind me. I know she wants reassurances about Jonas fucking Whitaker's prototype Followcar, but I don't have anything for her right now. I throw up one of the overhead garage doors and stump across the parking lot. Something catches my eye as I hit the edge of our property, but I'm far too pissed off to slow down and process it. I get out to the street and hang a right, towards the heart of the Valhavia district. 200 fucking psi should be fine. It fucking should be. Hell, the Chimaera had a 150-rated valve operating at 200 in the #3 boiler, and don't even get me started on the port stabilizer ventilation pipes. Don't even get me started! I become aware that I might be muttering out loud when an elderly man coming toward me gives me a wide berth and cuts out into the street. His disapproving frown is infuriating. "Oh yeah? Well fuck you too, buddy!" He shakes his head and continues on by. Fucking asshole. Who asked him anyway? And what the fuck was with Charlotte at that fucking auction?! She looked like she would have followed that woman to the ends of the earth! They'd just fucking met! No, they've never met. Charlotte saw her walk across a Gods damned room. Is the whole world going fucking mad?! "No, just you," yells a bewildered street vendor. "Fuck off, asshole!" The nerve... but then I start thinking about that fucking newspaper article, and how maybe I need to try a little harder to not draw attention to myself. I reach into my back pocket and pull out my pack. The first drag is always the best... Three blocks and two cigs later, I've quelled the inner turmoil a hair. A short and curly hair, but not none. The ringing is starting to subside too. I've never been this deep in Valhavia before. I don't have Charlotte's sense of direction, so there's a tinge of worry in the back of my mind as I think about how I'm gonna get back, but I push it even farther to the rear. The poverty around me is staggering. Once you get past the superficial differences, it's a lot like Hollinsport here, but Hollinsport has nothing so obscene as what I saw in Elysia. To think that there are such dizzying highs and miserable lows so close to each other is sickening. Charlotte has been ranting about this stuff for months now, ever since we settled down here, but I guess I had to see it for myself to get it. I don't know how any of these buildings retain any heat! There's not a single solid window pane anywhere to be seen. Some of them have been bricked over, sure, but even I can tell the masonry is shoddy and I know just shy of zero about brickwork. The real killer for me is that once upon a time, I bet this area was really nice. There's a lot of ornate touches in the architecture that I don't have the vocabulary to describe. Pillars, and edging, and... whatever the fuck that is. A face designed into the wall? The eyes follow me... Staring at the empty, gaping windows gets my mind going. I bet I could design an imbuement that reflects heat and nothing else, but it would need to be applied at every window individually... there's gotta be a better solution... If I built it into the window frame, it would be small and easy to do, but that would only cover one window. Trying to do every window in a building that size would be weeks of work... If I backed it into the room just inside the window, it would need to go all the way around the floor, walls, and ceiling. Then I wouldn't have to do one for every window, but that would be a fuckton of extra work... Backburner. I find myself in an open air market, and not entirely certain how many turns I took getting here. I spin around and try to find The Grasp, a monolithic tower in the middle of New Verdia. It's writhing shape and absurd height make it unique enough to pick out from nearly anywhere in the city. I plot it and the Sun in my mind for a moment and try to triangulate our shop. I have no sense of distance, but I can hazard a guess at the direction. Damnit, the Sun is setting. I've been gone for hours. Just as I'm about to start heading back, I watch a little boy, no more than 10, grab two apples from a stand and dart past me. He's around a corner before the shopkeeper knows what happened, but that doesn't stop the guy from running after him. "Which way did he go," he shouts as he barrels around his cart. I only hesitate for a second before pointing towards The Grasp. The wrong way. The shopkeeper lumbers off, screaming bloody murder. I can appreciate that, in this neighborhood, his bottom line is so thin that every bit of inventory counts, but that kid was skin and bone. I grin as I turn back towards what I think is home. Two blocks down the road, the wind changes directions abruptly and it carries what I'm sure is a scream. Woman or child, I can't tell, but no one else around me reacts. It's not an insignificant number of people either. I stare at a few of them incredulously before heading south at a fast walk. The indifference is mind boggling... I start to jog as I cross a second street, and nearly pass the alley where the scream originated. A large man in a blue uniform has the thief from before by the wrist, and he's holding the boy a good foot off the ground. His two apples have tumbled to the street. "Put him down," I shout, turning into the alley. "Help!" The boy twists frantically, but makes no real gains in turning to see me. "Help me!" "G'on about your bus'ness, Ma'am. This little runt stole this food 'ere." The man in the uniform's face is calm, but the way his fist is clenched and quivering on the handle of his truncheon... "Don't leave me, Lady!" "Sha' Up!" "I saw him pay for those apples," I say, continuing forward. "He's not a thief. Are you a peace officer?" His smile turns vicious as he leers at me, and something seems to occur to him by the way his eyes flash. "No ma'am. Tru'ncy officer." He hefts his club in his hand. "I'm authorized to use this weap'n in the appre'ension of underage miscre'nts when they ought 'ta be in school." I can feel my blood beginning to boil. 10 feet away. "Aww, big guy like you needs a weapon to beat up little kids?" "Wait a minute," he says, squinting. "Don't I..." I barely have time to react as the man tosses the boy to the side and lunges at me. I bring my hand up and stop his overhead swing with my palm, and flames leap up around my fist. There is a moment of shock on his face until he wrenches the club loose and takes a step back. He and I arrive at the same conclusion a moment later; I just gave him a flaming weapon. He takes a huge diagonal swipe at me, but I back out of range. He follows with a backhanded swing, but I step away from that one as well. Barely. As he rears back for a third swing, I raise my hand, index finger extended, and bring down my thumb. A tiny Boomstick pops directly behind his head, and the concussive force sends him staggering to my left. My fist erupts again as I connect, sending him sprawling. His cheek is blackened and lightly smoking as he gets up on one knee, but when I take a step towards him, he takes off running. The boy, meanwhile, is just getting up, and running in the opposite direction. As much as I want to dish out a good asswhipping right now, I reluctantly follow the boy. He's quick, but he's sloppy. I don't have anything near Charlotte's stamina for running, so it's lucky that he never once turns around and I can huff and puff and be pretty blatant about tailing him. Fortunately, his destination is only 5 blocks away. Or at least, I hope it is. The building he ducks into is surrounded on all sides by crowded-looking alleys. He could have gone through the building and continued past it, and I'd have lost him, but I doubt it. I circle the building, staying a block away at all times. Near the back of the building, I spot two more kids, both as shabby and thin as the thief. They each have a little strip of brown cloth tied around their arm. The thief had one just like it, but I hadn't thought it was significant. I circle around to my starting point, and frown. My curiosity isn't sated. I dart up the fire escape of an abandoned building, and lean against the low wall at the edge of the roof to watch. Watch for what, I don't- "Hi!!" My head swivels. There, two feet to my left, perched on a chimney stack, is an even younger boy than the thief, wearing a combat helmet I'd wager would be too big for me. Brown cloth on his arm. "...Hello." "What are you doooing?" "I.. I don't know," I say. "Oh ok!" When he turns to look out over the street, his ill-fitting helmet bobbling precariously. I feel compelled to reach out and grab it so it doesn't fall, but he slaps a hand down on top of it with practiced ease. "Were you following Scratch?" "I didn't get his name, but I think so." I pause for a moment before continuing. "Are you some kind of lookout?" "Yup," he says enthusiastically, eyes intent on the street. His childish, sing-song manner of speech is adorable. "Why were you following Scratch?" "Someone, uhh, tried to hurt him... and maybe tried to make him go to school?" "Ooooooooooh," the boy says with up-raised eyebrows. "Is there mandatory schooling here in New Verdia?" "Yeah, but those trooncy off'cers don't care about making us go. They're bullies who only care about hitting little kids." Something about the way he talks says he's just repeating something someone else said. That doesn't make it any less true. Suddenly, the little boy looks back at me, his helmet impossibly unbalanced. "How did Scratch get away?" "I stopped the Truancy officer." The little boy's eyes go as wide as saucers. "How do you stop a trooncy off'cer?!" "Well, I... I hit him." The boy silently mouths 'wow'. "But then won't he make you go to school?!" "No, I'm an adult. I don't go to school." The boy nods slowly, hand holding the helmet tight as his head bobs, and he looks back down at the street. "I"m Mack." "Tubbins." I bark a laugh. "You have an awesome name, Tubbins." He is indifferent to my praise as he continues to watch up and down the three streets visible from his vantage point. "What are you looking for?" "Trooncy off'cers, Pees off'cers." "And what do you do if you see them?" "I put up a flag and run." "Who are you signalling?" "The other kids." His fearlessness as he leans over the edge of the roof of the six story building is more than a little unnerving. My brain can't handle the idea of this mini-soldier falling off a roof, so it seeks out an alternative chew toy. That thing that caught my eye earlier... It must've been a wrapper or something. It couldn't have been... "Why do you look confused," he asks. "I... um... I thought I saw something weird earlier. Couldn't be what I thought it was." "Oh ok!" "Have you ever seen grass, Tubbins?" "What's grass?" "Green stuff? Grows out of the dirt?" I hold one hand six inches above the other one. "Yea high?" His blank stare is an answer all by itself. "Didn't think so." I can't believe her! Right in front of me, staring like that. "Stared at who?" I've really gotta get a handle on this inner monologue thing. "Ju-" "Oh No," he cries. He reaches his arm down into the chimney he's perched on, and raises up a little white flag on a mechanical arm. A twin white flag goes up on the building I'd been watching. Helmet held securely to his head, Tubbins jumps down and and scurries to an escape ladder on the far side of the building. All of this happens in a matter of seconds, and it's a few more before I wonder what it was the boy had seen. Down in the street below are seven men following the Truancy officer from earlier, and two exo-frame mech suits. Behind them is a... is that a crate?! They're gonna try to round these kids up and put them in a giant fucking box?! I glance over at the building I'd picked out earlier. I can't make out much beyond a flurry of shadows inside, but it looks like a stirred bees nest. The officer, barking orders, grabs my attention again. They're about to spread out. Once they split up, they'll be operating independently. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I vault the edge of the roof and drop down towards the street below. Just as I pass the second story windows, I squat into a little ball. Massive jets of fire erupt from my hands, slowing my descent more and more the closer I get to the street. All of them have turned to face me by the time my boots touch the gravel street. This is exactly what I needed. "That's errr!" The officer from before, now with a bandage over half of his face, points excitedly at me. "I'm a big fan of symmetry," I shout, smirking as I start walking towards them. I make a quick left jab in the air. "If you want me to, yanno, even that out, just say the word." "We've been lookin' for yew for a woil naoh. Is the otha' one 'round 'ere?" The realization that these men are not after those kids breaks across my face like a lightning bolt, and the eight grins in front of me deepen menacingly. Wait, wasn't there- I only just manage to turn my head before one of the Walkers grabs me around the waist with a massive pincer. Quiet means well maintained. Quiet means deadly. I try to shout and run but the air is forced out of me, and my legs flail uselessly above the ground. I immediately grab hold of the pincers and start heating them as rapidly as I can. "Well done, Mayt! Toss 'er in the..." He trails off as the pincers turn bright orange in my hands. With a reluctant groan, the steel bends under the sudden heat, and I drop back down to the street. I immediately spin, throw my hands together at the wrist, and put out a twin stream of Torches at the knee joint. The driver tries to back out of the way rather than flail at me with his remaining arm, and it costs him. The third step backwards rips the right leg apart, and he topples over. I glance over my shoulder. The officer and his men have started to charge me, and the other Walker is still around here somewhere. Fun. I raise my hands and get off two Boomsticks square between the eyes of the first and second comers, but the rest swarm past them even as their comrades are crumpling. I throw a quick jet of flame at the third comer, just enough to singe his clothes and eyebrows, and spin. The fallen Walker has most of an intersection blocked off, so I break the other way. One of them hurls his truncheon at me, and I wheel away to my left as it whizzes past my head. Down an alley I go, leaping overflowing trash piles and a terrified mutt. I'm huffing far too quickly though. Gotta find a way to give them the slip before I run out of... As I reach the halfway point in the alley, the other Walker steps out in front of me. The pincers are clenched shut; I don't think this one wants to pick me up. I skid to a stop and half turn. The five remaining men are filing in behind me. The Walker doesn't have a ton of room to swing his arms, but he doesn't need to. He can just prevent me from getting away. Fuck. I turn towards the men. Bandageface walks at the head the pack. From just behind him, one of them raises a hand cannon and fires. The bullet rips into the top of my left shoulder, and I drop to one knee with a few choice curses. It hurts to turn and look, but there's blood on the back of my shoulder too. Feels like some of it is still stuck in there, but most of it passed through. With a grimace, I press my thumb and index fingers over the entry and exit wounds, and sear it. And curse. The man in the uniform turns and backhands the crap out of the shooter. "The boss said aloive, ya idjit! He needs 'er aloive!" I reach out my good arm towards the brick wall right next to them. Five bodies stiffen, and eyes widen. A Boomer. The wall erupts in a cloud of debris and flame, and I bolt for the Walker. The driver hadn't expected me to pick this option, but he immediately hunkers down and rears back an arm at my approach. I'm gonna need both hands for this, and it's gonna hurt. This is gonna hurt, this is gonna hurt, this is gonna hurt... He swings, and I jump, and curl up, and set off a Boomer below me. I'm propelled up and over the stupefied driver, and the Walker's arm swings through the space I had occupied and into the wall. I can't quite find the form to be graceful about it, and instead find myself sailing through the air like a flailing idiot. My shoulder erupts in pain as I land and roll. When I finally stop sliding, I twist onto my back and get off another Boomer at the wall right next to the Walker. The poor guy never saw it coming, and he's toppled over in a landslide of bricks. Delirium sets in as I stumble out onto the street and fall. I've completely lose my sense of direction, or how far I've come since we started... Gods, how long has this been going on? My shoulder is a shrieking mess. My hand doesn't pull away fresh blood when I poke at it, but I can't reach around to the back. I try to peek over my shoulder to see how bloody it looks, and immediately regret the effort. Fuck... "There she is!" Four of them jog around the corner, but I don't see Bandageface. A few of them have some light scratches, and the one on the left seems to have finally put out the fire I started on his clothes. I wince as I stand back up, ready to face them on my feet, and immediately fall back down. Shit. Spent. Too flashy jumping off the roof... I can barely manage to hold my head up. Charlotte's voice whispers 'This is why casters are not front line fighters.' A morbid chuckle drips from my lips, as thick as the blood pooling between my knees. Slowly, I reach my left hand up into my right sleeve, determined to take at least one more of them down with me. That's when the first brick lands. A Clockwork Green Ch. 06 With a cacophony of shrill cries, a horde of small humans pour out of the alley across the street. Small humans with brown cloth tied to their arms. Another of the men in front of me drops after a blow to the head, and suddenly there are only two still standing. They throw up their hands to shield themselves and each take a step back under the hail of debris. After a brief shared look, they bolt. "Come on," urges a heavily freckled boy. Two of the taller kids scoop me up by my shoulders and get me to my feet. "Hi Mack!" Tubbins smiles toothily at me. They hustle me down the street. Behind us, Peace officers are beginning to arrive. "Don't worry," the boy says. "In this neighborhood, no one saw anything." He can't seem to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing as they carry me into an abandoned building. Once, I bet this had been a very pretty hotel. The lobby area is incredibly spacious, and the front desk is a massive, finely-crafted, wooden monstrosity. Of course, the front desk is the only thing left, probably because it's too big to do anything else with. The walls are marred with holes where fixtures and lamps were ripped out mercilessly. My little posse moves through the lobby with purpose, turning down one hallway after another. "They came for me," I say, as I finally start to get my feet under me again. "I thought they were coming for you guys, but they were there for me. I thought I was helping..." The light from the open door behind us is barely enough to see in the dusty basement hallway. A series of bulbs farther down desperately attempt to come alive, but die out before giving any significant visibility. I summon a tiny Kite, and it floats in the air above me. I wince from the effort, but I guess I'm not as exhausted as I'd thought I was. One of the younger girls runs over to a wrought iron gate. A thick chain is woven between the bars, but the padlock holding it in place falls open as soon as she puts her fingers to it. Clever little bastards... She yanks out the chain, discards it on the floor, and slides the gate open. I walk over to the edge and peer up and down an empty elevator shaft. The Kite floats out into the center of it, but the meager light it casts reaches neither the top nor bottom. She deftly reaches around inside the shaft, grabs hold of something out of sight, and swings herself inside. I peek in after her and scoff. "A ladder? Really?" I point to my shoulder and give the crowd behind me an incredulous look. "It's the only way," says the younger girl. "Take my hand." She helps me until I get a foot over, and starts down ahead of me. I send the kite down below of her and take my time. My shoulder is a throbbing knot, but I can do most of the work with my legs and right arm. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the bottom . The elevator shaft lets out onto something like a train platform. I hunker down against a wall and pant while the rest of the group catches up. One by one, the kids gather in a group, peering at me in turns while putting their heads together out of earshot. I tentatively press on the entry wound in my shoulder, and a cold shock breaks over my body. The Kite, still floating in the air above me, flashes brightly for a moment. All the children turn expectantly towards the freckled boy when he drops down from the ladder, but he in turn frowns at me. I have to fight down the urge to be indignant; that I didn't ask for their help and didn't need it. Of course I needed it. I was fucked. "So who do I have to thank for saving my life back there?" "I told them you were nice," Tubbins says, squeezing between two taller girls. "I told them, and Scratch told them." "Cut it out, shrimp." I think that's Scratch, but I didn't get a great look at his face before and the lighting isn't great now. "Let Raphe talk." The freckle-faced boy, Raphe, raises his chin slightly. He stands a few inches taller than me. He's thin, but not gawky or awkward. Mostly though, I'm drawn to his eyes. There's more going on behind his eyes than I have words to describe. Above all others, I see disdain. "I didn't want to, but Sera insisted." "Which one of you is Sera then?" "I am," says a fair haired girl just finally descending the ladder. "Sorry for the delay, but I had to replace the chain and lock from the inside. It's time consuming." Sera is just slip of a thing, but there is a warmth to her. Her smile touches every feature on her face, from her forehead down to her chin. Her hands are clasped before her, and she seems to glow. "And you are Mack?" I grimace and launch myself off the wall. The room lurches briefly, but I find my balance sooner rather than later. "Yes. I... uh... thanks..." "You're welcome..." She pauses, looking down and away. "... but I must admit we were hoping you would be able to help us out in return." "See, look! She doesn't want to help us! We're nothing to her!" I hadn't realized I'd made a face, but I suppose I might have recoiled slightly. If I'm being honest. Sera smiles softly at him, and Raphe quiets down. "We are struggling. Raphe and I have been... supporting the others as best we can." Raphe colors dramatically, and stares at the floor. "But we're getting older and it's starting to show." "I wanted to help too, but they won't let me," Tubbins shouts. "You don't know what you're saying," Raphe says over his shoulder. "You're too young." I lick my lips and frown. "You're... are you... prostituting yourselves?" Raphe turns an even deeper red, made all the more stark against his freckled complexion. "Just the two of us," Sera says. Her gaze is much steadier. "We don't allow the others to help." "We get food and stuff sometimes!" "You're right, Scratch. And we're very thankful for your help!" Scratch beams at the praise, and Sera continues. Her smile falters for a moment "It was always a bad choice, but it was the best one we had." I'm deeply uncomfortable, and I think it shows. "Ok, look. I can't make you guys any promises. I'm hurt, and I need to get home. When we get there, we can talk this over with my girl Charlotte." "She makes the decisions, huh?" Raphe's smirk melts away, and he takes a step back. "We can use these tunnels to get you home," Sera interjects, as she steps in between us. "They criss-cross the city, with hundreds of stations like this one scattered here and there." "My... shop is on... um... Durbanville." "Near a boarded-over concrete block?" "...yeah. That's across the street." "Follow us." One by one, the kids hop down in between the tracks. The line slows to a stop. Tubbins had been leading the way but he stopped, and the rest of us slowly pile in around him. The tunnel we'd been following dumps out into a massive chamber, easily a half mile across if not more. Dozens of tracks connect and depart in as many directions. This must have been some kind of hub. "Well did you see any of them," Raphe says as I creep into earshot "No but look!" Tubbins points emphatically. I try to follow his finger, Nothing jumps out at me, but Sera takes a sharp breath. "Deadies were here!" "They might have just left that there," he says dismissively. "What are we looking at," I say, "and who are the deadies?" Sera leans in close next to me and points directly at a motor car peeking out of a tunnel just like the one we're in on the opposite side of the hub. "Two problems. One, that engine shouldn't be there. Two, the Deadies mostly stick to the tunnels under Elysia and Havenwood. If they're spreading down in Valhavia..." She gives Raphe a meaningful look. "Yeah, yeah, I know. We weren't gonna last much longer on our own. I know!" "Who are the Deadies?" "They're homeless too, but something's wrong with them," Tubbins says. "I don't know how to describe it any better," Sera says, frowning. "They might not be that bad," says a girl next to me who's been quiet the whole time. "They have food!" Tubbins tugs on my sleeve, and when I lean over, he whispers in my ear. "Nobody ever comes back." "Lets just keep moving," Raphe says, "nice and quiet." We slink along the edge of the hub, and my heart rate doesn't come down for quite a while It's the middle of the night when I kick through the woodboard covering. The kids manage to cobble it back into place over the disused entrance without too much trouble, and we slip back to the shop unseen. They all pile into our lobby area, taking up in the few chairs we keep, or else leaning against the counter. Tubbins tries to look up at me, belatedly slapping the back of the helmet against his head so he isn't staring into it, and smiles. Oh, he's gonna be trouble. Nothing this cute comes without a price tag. A creak in the stairs behind me puts the hairs on the back of my neck up, and I turn just in time to see Charlotte swing around the corner with her shotgun out and loaded. "Wait," I cry, as I leap in front of Tubbins with my arms raised. "Mackenzie! Where in the name of the Gods have you been?!" Her exasperation is palpable. "Go on," I say, pointing towards the shop door. "Everyone wait in there." "Mackenzie," she says insistently. "I have no idea, Char. I honestly don't. Some kind of tunnels?" "I was worried sick!" "Yeah, I know." She makes a face. I don't know how to read it, but it feels significant. Perturbed, maybe? She sighs and rests her shotgun back against her shoulder. Damn... Her thin pajama bottoms and night shirt are- "Down girl," she says with a sigh as she brushes past me into the garage. "We are gonna have a conversation about this later," I say, slightly flabbergasted. She turns her head to glare at me over her shoulder. Then her eyes widen significantly with a short cry. "And you got shot?! Come here..." She grabs my arm roughly and drags me towards wall, but I rip free. She rolls her eyes as she breaks open the first aid kit I keep in the corner. I grimace and cut my shirt apart at the shoulder. "You were lucky," she says as she starts cleaning away the crust. "It looks like it was a small caliber, and it missed the bone." "Certainly didn't feel small," I grumble. "Ow!" "So..." "...so?" "Mr Whitaker's Followhatever." "Aww shit." I'd totally lost track of why I stormed out in the first place. "I can replace the piping tonight, but we're gonna need to order higher rated overflow valves in the morning. Everything else is on hold until they get here." Charlotte frowns. "What?" "Didn't I say-" "Can it, Charlotte! Do you want to build it? Huh? Owwww!" She tilts her head slightly, in the barest shadow of an apologetic nod. Sera graciously introduces herself and the others while Charlotte continues to pull metal fragments out of my shoulder. She has nothing but kindness when she introduces herself, but me she wants to kill by very slowly ripping my shoulder apart! FUCK! "Sorry, Sweetness." "Hello Charlotte. It's nice to meet you." "Likewise," Charlotte says. "How can we help you?" "She exposed our home," Raphe spits, speaking up for the first time in a long time. "You led them right to-" Sera gently lays a hand on his arm, and he immediately quiets down. "We know you did not intend to bring us trouble. Scratch and Tubbins were very emphatic about your intentions." "I told em," he says brightly. "Scratch said he didn't get a good look at you, but that you helped!" "Are you sure you guys had to abandon that building? They weren't-ow!... Truancy officers," I finish, through gritted teeth. "Most of them weren't," Sera replies, "but we knew two of them that were. Even if their purpose wasn't to round us up as Tubbins thought, we had been there for a very long time." "And we could have stay-" Sera gives him a gentle smile, and he quiets again. "It was time. We had been needing to move on for a while." Raphe seems like he wants to chime in again, but he bites his tongue. "I'm so sorry," Charlotte says, as she gives the bandage around my shoulder an extra, and completely unnecessary, tug. I wince, and roll the arm around in its socket. "No, it's us who should be apologizing," Sera says graciously. "We're intruding in your home at an ungodly hour. On top of that, we're asking for your help. Our options are... limited and dwindling by the day it seems. Mack showed us a kindness of a sort that is nearly unheard of where we come from. Or at least, she tried to..." "How many of you are there?" "12." "So many? And all children?" "Yes. We're the oldest." Sera gives a weak smile, and Raphe gives her a wary look. "How do you keep so many..." "We look younger than we are," Raphe says looking down. "That makes it more expensive." Charlotte gasps in horror. "Then... how old..." "18," Raphe admits. "And 19." Charlotte's lip starts quivering, and before they know what's hit them, she's grabbed them both and pulled them into a hug. Sera reciprocates with guarded affection, and Raphe looks like he wants to be anywhere else in the world. "I might have an idea." All three turn to me. "We... we might need lookouts. Yanno, around here," I say, twirling my finger. "But then is it not just a matter of time until Truancy officers find them again?" I scratch my chin for a minute. "Can they apprentice instead?" "Instead of..." "Instead of going to school." "Yes, but who would..." "Me!" "...All of them?!" "Yeah, why not? I mean, it could just be a cover for some of them, but if any of them wanted to learn, I... I think I could teach." "I wanna learn," Tubbins interjects. "Where would they stay?" "Well, for now, they could stay in the basement, but I was thinking that we could buy that yellow house on the corner, and the blue one two doors down. They could... I dunno... set up a perimeter?" "What do you mean? And why do you think we need lookouts?" "Well, yanno, after the article. And I... might have forgotten to mention that the mercs today knew who I was, and were maybe looking for you too..." "What?!" "I might have skipped over some stuff..." She frets and paces the floor while I fill her in, getting angrier and angrier. "Anyway, yeah. That's why I thought we could use some lookouts." "I'm sure you know best, Mackenzie." Her voice is acid. "Picking a fight you almost LOST was a great idea, so how could this fail?" She stares daggers at me for a moment, and then continues. "I'm going back to bed now. If you're going to stay up and work on that Followhatever, don't wake me when you finally crash." She mutters under her breath as she storms out, something about putting 'children in the line of fire'. I stare after her, once again flabbergasted. A quiet flutter has been traveling through the kids since I suggested they stay with us, and they continue to titter and giggle as I show them down to the basement. The contraption in the corner says it's four in the morning, but I don't trust it. I took it apart the day after Charlotte bought it for me, and it's just a bunch of springs and counterweights. I'd tried to put on a good face, but I think she could tell I wasn't happy with it. I'd've rather built one myself, or better yet, had a Water one. Those Water casters may be a bunch of worthless sissies, but they know how to make clocks. They cost a small fortune though. Ripping out the damaged piping isn't too difficult, but fashioning the replacement is no easier than it was the first time I built it. Getting the angles bent just right is a time consuming task. I press my palm against the curvature in the pipe, and delicately warm it. Precise heat. Gentle pressure at the very edge of my reach. I allow the pipe to cool into shape, to become comfortable with the form I have given it. If I begin the next step too soon it may rebel, and so I am patient. I am not in the business of allowing my work to dictate my actions. It is mine to determine; it is hers to accept. Once cool to the touch, I place the pipe across a series of carefully prepared workhorses. The clamps spaced just so. The tension must be exact; too much and the clamps may bend it out of shape, too little and it may hurt itself far worse. I measure out the cuts to be made. I measure them again. I warm up my finger at first, prepared to etch the outline for the cuts with my fingernail...but no. The right tool. There can be no mistakes. Each hole bored meticulously, and smoothed to a mirror finish. I put down the file and stare up through the ceiling. Cherry is up there. She was naughty today. Very, very naughty. I get up and make my way into the lobby. "I'm sure you know best, Mackenzie." My brow seems to intrude on my field of vision as I ascend the stairs, muttering quietly. "I'm sure you know best, Mackenzie." I stop in the bathroom and remove my shirt. This amount of blood is never going to come out. I grab the shoulder and sleeve, and tear. Shoulder and sleeve, and tear. I discard the center piece and hold up my two scraps. This will do. The door slams against the wall as I enter the bedroom. Charlotte pops up immediately, but sinks back down almost as fast when she sees it's only me. She's already naked. Good. "Damnit, Macke-" I grab the back of her head and push down. She squirms and shouts into the pillow as I straddle her back, facing her lower half. "Mackenzie," she cries, as soon as my hand leaves her hair. "What are you-" "Shut. Up. Good little sluts don't talk." I grab her ankle, twist her leg outwards, and wrench it up against the back of her thigh. "Of course, you've been a mouthy little slut, haven't you?" I loop the tattered sleeve around her shin, and cinch her foot just beneath the bump of her ass. She mumbles quietly, and affirmatively. I look over my shoulder at her, and her eyes are wide with fear and... hope? Her other leg, twisted and wrenched. I tug the sleeve tight, and knot it firmly. Then I spin around and grab her arms. She yelps, barely stifling the tail end of it through a bitten lip. One of my hands holds her wrists together behind her while the other rips out the cord I use as a belt. Loop, loop, loop, cinch. Then I step back. Cherry whimpers. Seeing her all trussed up like this puts a smile on my face. The first real smile I've had all day. Time to put things back in order. I straddle her backwards again, her splayed legs before me. I reach down and grab a handful of the flank of her ass, and bring down my other hand with a terrifying crash. My fingers readjust, gripping a wider chunk and squeezing. My hardened palm feels it less than my ears do as it comes down thunderously. This time, Cherry bleats, mewling sort of cry. Again, and her legs strain against their bonds, toes pointing and curling frantically. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. My sense of symmetry is offended by her one swollen, reddened cheek, and I endeavor to correct that. Over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. Cherry sobs are constant, broken only by sharp, jerky inhalations when I grab one of her cheeks and squeeze. I pause to listen, and then squeeze again. Then I squeeze the other and compare reactions. Nope, not quite there yet. Another sharp squeeze and whap! Her cry is different this time. Frightened? I look over my shoulder and grin, as she's finally achieved her namesake color. That certainly took long en- What is she... staring... at... In the doorway, just barely visible as she peeks, is Sera. Cherry was staring at her. Cherry was staring at her. Cherry was staring at her. My hands ball into fists I have nowhere to put, and my eyes widen... A Clockwork Green Ch. 06 And then an unexpected calm comes over me. "Sera dear," I say. "You can come in here now." Charlotte squirms beneath me. "Mackenzie, I-" "Be quiet," I mutter, as I swat her flank one more time for good measure. Sera has gotten to her feet, and timidly takes a step into the door. "Don't worry. I won't bite unless you want me too." Sera is possessed by considerably less calm than she had downstairs herding her flock. Which strikes me as odd. Why be nervous now? Hmmm... Charlotte was being kind of loud. That means... Sera heard us... and either came up here because she's kind of a slut... or.... "Stay put," I growl. Charlotte is mollified as I crawl off of her and step off the bed. "Sera, were you fingering yourself in the hall?" Her shadow had been a give away. "Y-y-yes." "I bet you've seen, and been a part of, much worse than this, haven't you?" She nods warily. "Have you ever just had sex for yourself? Because it felt good?" She shakes her head. "Mackenzie, I-" "Be quiet," I hiss back at her. "Sera, take off your pants." Sera flinches lightly at the command, but wastes little time pushing down her slightly-too-short-for-her-height pants. "And your panties." White cotton. An expensive gift in New Verdia. Her hand trembles as she gives them to me. I smile as I wad them up tightly and turn back to Charlotte. "Open." Her cheeks are wet and her lips quiver as I press the ball of cloth into her mouth. Her eyes plead with me not to do this. I grab her torso and drag her around to face the edge of the bed. She wants to stare? Okay. "Sera, before we go any further, " I say, turning around slowly, "you should know that I have a prick. We both do." "That's ok. I've been with... oh..." It sends a shiver down my spine to have rendered her speechless by dropping my pants. I should do that more often. "Lie down on the bed," I say, as I reach back and unclasp my bra. My breasts pop forward and settle; keeping them bound tightly enough to do blacksmithing may have served well to keep them high and tight, but it's barely worth the discomfort. She can't take her eyes off of my prick as she crawls awkwardly onto the bed. As she finally settles onto her back, I grab hold of her knees. "Let's see if you're wet enough for this." I drag her over to the edge of the bed, right next to Charlotte, and kneel down. Charlotte is shaking, and my gaze dares her to look away as I lean in. Sera moans softly as my tongue pushes between her lips, in and up. From the top of her vaginal opening to tantalizing close to bottom of her clit, I lap. Over and over. Each time, giving just a fraction more attention to her button. She writhes, inadvertently lifting her leg between Charlotte and I, but I clamp my hand on her ankle and pull it back down and out of the way. She moans again. I move down to drink from her hole. My lips form a sloppy, imperfect, noisy seal. Charlotte, cheeks flaring, finally breaks our stare and turns. No! My hand snakes over to grab her, thumb and fingers spread over her nose to grasp her cheeks, to keep her watching. I hold her there for several minutes while I lavish attention on Sera's fuckhole, and once I feel sure she's gotten the message, I let go and stand. My prick is only at half mast, but as I press into Sera, the sheer weight of it serves well enough. It takes both hands guiding it to get it in. Her fingers knot in the bedsheets amid a fluttering gasp. I grab her by the waist, and roughly jerk her onto me. Charlotte's whimpering lessens. My fingers regrasp Sera's middle, and I more push her and pull her than thrust. Her warblings seem so far away. The only thing that matters in my world is Charlotte's eyes. She's matching my stare, finally. Good. Very good. Watch, little slut. Look at me. Look at me. Me! Mackenzie! The one who loves you. The one who wants you. The one who was always there for you. Not this little doll, and certainly not her. Her. What was her name? Wadsworth? ...no... Amaranth. Distantly, Sera screams. She grabs my wrists, clinging as if her life depended on it. What can she give you that I can't?! Huh?!? Fancy clothes? More fucking shoes?! What more can I do?! Why do you think we do all of this, Charlotte?! Why do you think I sweat in a fucking garage and then moonlight as an over-glorified gopher?! I do that for you! I do it all for you, and I do it gladly!!! On the horizon, Sera shrieks, and my fingers claw into her sides. And how do you repay me? By melting in front of me whenever someone else catches your fancy?! By ignoring me?! I don't think so. I've been through the forge fire for you! Been remade for you! You can't leave me!!! I will not let you go! It comes as something of a surprise when Sera digs her nails into my wrists and wails. A few seconds pass before it registers that she's cumming. She takes a minute to come back down to earth, and I realize that the few minutes before that are hazy. "That was incredible," she pants. I take her hand and gently help her up off the bed. She keeps trying to make eye contact. "The... uh... bathroom is at the end of the hall. You're probably going to want to get cleaned up. I'll... um... I'll get you some new panties in the morning." "I... y-yeah. Ok..." She seems like she wants to say more, or that she expects more from me, but I usher her to the door firmly and not-slowly. I flash a quick smile for her as she starts down the hall, but it's gone before I turn around. Charlotte's glare is frigid. I run my fingers along the head of my prick, and wipe off a glob Sera's good time. "How do you like staring at other women now," I say, as I smear it across her upper lip and on the edges of her nostrils. She twitches and recoils, but it was over before she knew what was happening. I grab a fresh shirt and another cord for my pants, and loosen the knot around Charlotte's wrists on my way back downstairs. The bedroom door slams shut just as I'm hitting the first floor landing. In all the madness of the day, I'd almost forgotten. I step outside and wander over to the south end of the parking lot. There, shooting up from the dirt, is a single blade of grass. "Why are you here," I ask it, but it's just a blade of grass. Struggling for a bit of sunlight. A living thing in a place notorious for its inhospitability. "Why are you here?" I hear a woman clear her throat down the street, and I quickly stamp out the blade. Stamp it, smother it, and kick the dirt over it. If Charlotte thought the attention we got by having sex in public was bad, growing living things in New Verdia, of all places, would make us a fucking tourist destination. I slip back inside and lean against the front door. A sick feeling is turning my stomach. No, not sick. Hollow. Oh Gods, what have I done... A Clockwork Green Ch. 07 I sip at the coffee in hand. Mondays are usually slow, and today is no different, but the boredom feels worse. More oppressive somehow. Before me on the table sit our outstanding invoices and bills. The pile seems interminable. We're losing money somewhere. I sift through the pile of papers and pick one up to look at the final balance, but the numbers refuse to add up. They swim around before my eyes, defying logic and sense of any kind. Why am I failing at this so badly? This is supposed to be my way of contributing to the house! I can't fail at this! I let the paper fall from my hand while slamming the coffee cup hard on the table. The sudden noise in our otherwise-silent house puts a pain just behind my eyes. Great... I have to get out of this rut somehow. Running didn't help this morning, but maybe sword practice will. Something has to... otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do! It feels like I'm going out of my mind. I take off my surcoat before picking up my sabre and heading outside. My Old Friend feels light in my hand. Perfect and uncomplicated. He's never failed me before, and there have been times when he was the only thing that I could truly count on. Even when the Captain forbade me from going on jobs, there were still times when I was forced to rely on nothing but three feet of steel and reflexes. Slovenly drunks who took offense at my demeanor, or thugs looking to make an example of me because I looked 'like some friggin' faggot.' All of them looking for trouble, and all of them finding more than they bargained for. Grim memories... I turn the blade over in my hand, studying the hilt for a few moments. It's ornate, and so very detailed. Runes and art intertwine and wrap around each other, creating wonderful designs while strengthening the imbuement that shimmers along the edge of the sword. I bring the flat of the blade to my forehead and close my eyes with a sigh. "No, you've never failed me, have you, Old Friend?" I move to the center of our yard. This space was one of the things that drew me to this property in the first place. Plenty of room to practice my combat drills, and right now I need that practice to clear my mind. The pit in my stomach churns, acid roiling discontentedly. My teeth grit in anger. I try to shake off the sudden swell of emotions in me and take a deep, steadying breath. My left foot slides back as I shift my body into a defensive pose, snapping the blade over my head and into a downward hold before launching into the first routine. The swings and strikes of my warm-up katas come fluidly, the imbuement humming as the blade slices the air as if in song. That's right, Old Friend. Sing for me, please. You've always been there, haven't you? Even when the others in my life left me. Or betrayed me. The Captain, Jackson- My foot falters, and I nearly trip. This isn't working. Normally exercise and training drive away such emotions, the rush of endorphins calming me and guiding me back to my center. Nothing I do quells this... uneasiness. I close my eyes for a moment and inhale deeply to try to reset my state of mind before assuming my opening stance again. Just as I begin my opening swing, out of the corner of my eye, I see him. The oldest boy, Raphe. The population influx in our home was one of many things that caught me by surprise that night. Of all the kids, though, it was Raphe who kept my attention. He sneaks along the wall, watching me intently while trying not to be seen himself. I have to admit, he's good. This one has potential. "Come out, Raphe. I know you're there." This is a welcome change. Maybe just the distraction I've been looking for... He steps boldly out from his hiding spot. Good, the shadows aren't for you little one. "How long have you known I was there?" "Since you first came out here." His face falls in disappointment, and I try to conceal my smile at the same time. "It's okay. You're not bothering me at all." "You've...um. You've been doing that for a while, haven't you?" He licks his lips nervously as he gestures at my Old Friend. "Yes. Since I was before your age." "It shows." He nods and stares at the blade as if mesmerized for a few more moments before locking his gaze with mine. "I mean, you're really good." "What if I told you I saw something similar in you?" I sheathe the blade and put a hand on his shoulder. He makes no effort to pull away from me like he did before. "I see a spark in you, Raphe. You're brave, you tell things how they are, and you love the others with all your heart." "H-how does that mean that I could do the things you can?" There is doubt in his voice. It reminds me of when I first signed on with the Captain. A lifetime ago. "It has everything to do with that." I smile and squeeze his shoulder gently. "Anyone can train to do the things I can do, but it takes heart to be a true warrior." He cocks his head to the side, as if he doesn't understand. "You love Sera and the others, don't you?" The uncertainty disappears as he nods energetically. "Yes." "You'll do anything for them? Fight for them?" I take a step back and turn away from him. "Yes." Putting my hands behind my back, I turn around and transfix him with a deadly serious look. "Die for them?" He recoils from my gaze, but his voice is steady. "Hell yes I would." His determination sends a small thrill through my heart. He starts to smile as I walk back to him, pulling him into a hug. "Then you'll make for a wonderful warrior. I can train you... if you want." "More than anything!" I can feel the ferocity in his soul, and I revel in it. A shaft of light breaks through the clouds. "Good. Your first lesson will begin-" "Hey, Char, we have to go to an Ink shop." No! Not now, not when things were looking up for me! Mackenzie is leaning up against the corner of the house, studying us both intently. "Then by all means go," I say. "You don't need me to come along." "Regular place doesn't have it. I need something special to finish Mr. Whitaker' Followcar. Besides, I uh... I want you to come." I cast an icy glance over my shoulder at her, cutting off anything else she might have to say. Raphe looks at me with a smile. "It's okay. I'll be around later. We can start when you get back." I turn back to him and clap him on the shoulder. "Okay. You know Mackenzie and I are being looked for. Sera may be your leader, but you're the fighter. If something should happen to us, you take care of things, okay?" "Come on, Char! We gotta get this done." Raphe starts back a little. Seeing his reaction, I make it a point to force a smile and nod at him. "We'll talk later, Raphe." With that, I turn and head over to where Mackenzie is standing. "Come on. Let's go buy your crap and get back. I have work that needs to be done." *** The ink shop, "McNulty's Magical Emporium", is only a short walk away from our home. Despite the grandiose name, it's little more than a hole in the wall. While I don't like going to such shops, the walks are usually rather enjoyable. Today is very much the exception, however. My head hurts, and it doesn't help that Mackenzie has been prattling on the entire time. She's being uncharacteristically sweet to me, and between that and my throbbing head, my nerves are starting to act up. "So... I was thinkin'. Maybe we could go and get you a new pair of boots. Something to go with that blouse I bought you?" She grins unconvincingly at me, as if searching for some kind of approval. "Uh huh." I don't even bother looking at her. The throbbing becomes a sharp pain. And you've been doin' great at takin' care of the bills. I don't know what I'd do without ya." "Mhmmm." I'm beginning to get really irritated now. It feels like she's buttering me up for something. A few more awkward moments pass between us, and I find myself hoping that she's gotten the hint. "And you've been a champ about letting the kids stay with us. You're wonderful with them, and..." No, she sure hasn't. The pain spikes between my temples, causing the muscles in my jaw to tighten up. "Char, are you listening to me? I said that I wanted to-" "Mackenzie?" She stops for a moment, looking at me oddly. "What?" "Please be quiet." The look on her face morphs from that funny expression to a scowl. "Fuck you, Char. I'm not gonna be-" I finally turn to her, the ice in my glare making her visibly flinch. "Let me put this as simply as I can, Mackenzie. Shut it." She boggles at me, genuinely confused by my attitude. "C-Cherry... I-" "Look, my head hurts, I'm tired and I really don't want to be here." The confusion in her expression becomes one of hurt, now. "The shop is just a little ways further. Let's get your fucking inks and get back to work. I'd rather not waste any more time than I have to." "... okay, Charlotte." She sounds so small, like a child that's just been scolded and is about to cry. While that may have been over the top, it achieves the effect I was looking for. Mackenzie doesn't say a word the rest of the walk there. "Welcome to my Emporium! And how are you ladies doing today? Here for something special?" McNulty is a doddering old man, comically dressed as one of those fairy tale wizards straight out of a children's book. Blue robe with stars and a large pointed hat. I'm pretty sure if I looked hard enough, he'd have a staff around here somewhere. The whole thing is humorously hokey, and I might have even relaxed a little had it not been for what happened next. A machine sits next to the front door, up on an end table out of the way. It looks like an orb about the size of a child's ball sitting on top of an ornate brass box, replete with nature motifs molded into the sides. The cursed thing begins to emit a horrific racket of sound coupled with a light show that sets my teeth on edge and does nothing for my headache. "And I can see that I have some very special customers, too. Plenty powerful if my machine does that when they walk in." He winks at us. Mackenzie rolls her eyes. I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and finger, trying to will my headache away. "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I need one 'a them ignis ink bottles, and two flame-treated brushes." She makes it a point to step around me and approach the counter, giving me a wide berth. "One ultra-fine and one fine." "Yeah, I got those right here for ya, pretty lady." He looks her up and down, making it obvious what's on his mind. She pretends not to notice, so he turns his attention to me. "And what about you, lil' lady? Anything you need?" My expression stops him cold. I slowly shake my head and silently mouth the word 'no'. I am not someone he wants to mess with right now. Thoroughly unnerved, he goes back to Mackenzie. "Y-yup, I have exactly what you need. The gods told me that you were coming, so I had them laid out for you all right here!" He points to a neat stack of bottles in the shelf. "Yessir, my special machine confirmed it for me!" Mackenzie snorts derisively. "The thing that made all that fuckin' noise? Sure it did." "No no! I mean it. That machine right there spins whenever powerful people, blessed by the gods, come into my shop." He walks over to where it sits on one of the displays, patting it affectionately. "Here, let me show you." Mackenzie frowns as he places his hand to her lower back and gives her a soft push. He takes a step back, surreptitiously sliding a hand into his coat pocket. I can't help but roll my eyes in disgust, even as the little globe spins on its axis for a few moments, twirling about as it begins to hover in the air. The closer she gets, the faster it goes. Why is she just frowning at it? He smiles brightly as it works it's 'magic', beaming the whole while at Mackenzie. "See? What did I tell you? Powerful people like yourselves need more refined ingredients, and I happen to have just a full stock!" The thing is spinning like crazy, emitting a cacophony of offensive stimuli. Just what I needed. "Oh, come off of it," I say. "You think I didn't see you digging in your pocket, looking for whatever it was that got this little bit of theater started? You're trying to swindle us!" I take a step toward him, menacingly. "You want to stop your little show, now?" "Hey, I run a perfectly respectable establishment, here! I have no idea of what you're talking about..." He puffs out his chest, trying to intimidate me. Poor little fool... "It is a damned con, Mackenzie! He's just using that silly thing to try and get more money out of us!" Angrily I snatch Bessie off of my belt and level her at the machine. "Hey! Hey! What do you think-" The sound of the shotgun blast fills the room. McNulty cover his ears and dives around a corner. Pieces of the machine scatter everywhere, ricocheting off the walls and bouncing onto the floor. The smoking husk whirls slowly, tragically. "You're crazy! I'll call the watchmen!" McNulty yells as he uncovers his ears. "I'll -" Something cuts him off, and he's staring at my feet. "What in the hells is THAT?" My eyes follow his gaze, and my breath catches in my throat. It's a flower. It's little, and frail, but a flower all the same. It's sprouting from a gap in the metal floor right between my feet. That wasn't there before... how did it appear so quickly? No, this is impossible. Nothing grows in New Verdia. This has to be another trick of his. I must have missed it somehow. Mackenzie's face is a deathly pale as she looks at the little flower. Her lower lip trembles ever so slightly. "The grass..." Grass? What is she talking about? Since when do we not tell each other everything?! So now she's hiding things from me, too? I can feel my blood pressure start to rise again. McNulty shakes his head as if to clear his mind before going back to threatening us. "Whatever it is, you still owe me for the damage you did! And that's assuming I still don't get the watchmen! I'll make sure that you pay for-" "You'll do nothing of the sort," I snap, taking another step towards him. "I wonder how they'll react when they discover some of the 'business practices' you've got going on here? A seedy place like this wouldn't last five minutes under official scrutiny." I hang Bessie back on my belt and cross my arms in defiance. "By all means! Go get the watchmen!" I stare him down as he stammers and fidgets, his bravado fading quickly under my icy glare. "Just as I thought." Mackenzie stares at me in shock as I pass her on my way out the door. I lean up against a wall and close my eyes. My mood is absolutely foul now, despite all my efforts to turn it around. Just another con man trying to swindle people out of what little money they can scrape together in this gods-forsaken city. Isn't it bad enough that the upper classes squeeze us like a vice for whatever they can get without having to worry about it coming from the people that live with us? And then that stupid flower. Just great. I- "Char? Charlotte?" Mackenzie is standing in front of me, fidgeting nervously. It reminds me of when she'd ask for me to read her favorite book to her. Normally I would adore that kind of behavior, but things are different. "What?" My flat response sounds strange even to my own ears. She winces, and I can't help but wonder just how ugly everyone else perceives me to be right now. I wonder, but I also don't care. "I had to buy him off, but it should be taken care of. I even got the stuff we need." She straightens up, and I can see that she's trying to reclaim some of her lost confidence. "We should probably go, though." "Fine." I walk past her and turn down the road toward home. She falls in step beside me, looking at me with a mixture of apprehension and worry. "Sounded like Bessie was a little loud in there." "What?" Mackenzie bites her lip and looks down at my waist. "I-I..uh... I think Bessie could use a little tune-up. The reload cycle was... was a little loud. I could take care of it. Later." "She's fine, Mackenzie." "Char, about that flower. It wasn't there before. It-" "I don't want to discuss it." Her face screws in anger at being cut off. 'Well, I do! I wanna know what's going on here! I wanna find out what happened to us... why weird shit keeps happening around here!" "All right. What do you suggest we do?" The exasperation in my voice is obvious, and she shakes her head. "Maybe... maybe we should go see the P'fessor? She's smart. Maybe we could talk with her?" She smiles at me weakly. "Please?" She's playing at being nice, now. It rings hollow for me, and it only makes me all the angrier. I stare at her for a long, hard moment before crossing my arms and putting my face in the palm of my hand. "Okay. We'll go to pay Annette a visit, then." I can feel her put a hand on my shoulder, bringing me in for a hug. Something inside me just... just snaps. Anger that has been on a slow boil all morning now comes to a head. After the way she treated me, the things she said... she doesn't deserve to just sweep it under the rug to call it well and done! How do you like staring at other women now? Quicker than she can react, I take hold of her wrist with my right hand and snap it hard so that it's bending back against her forearm at a very unfortunate angle. She cries out and drops to her knees as I use her own momentum against her. "Charlotte! W-what the fuck?! This hurts!" Her face is a mixture of pain and surprise as she looks up at me. "Don't. Touch. Me." I hold her there for effect, rubbing her predicament in her face. "After how you've been treating me lately, you don't get the privilege of being that familiar with me. Do you understand?" Realization dawns on her face, and she looks at me with sad eyes. If she had suspected what this was about before, then there was no remaining doubt now. She says nothing to me as she looks into my eyes, searching for a way to break through the wall I've thrown up against her. Well, guess what Mackenzie? You can't fix this like anything you've fixed before. You may not even be able to fix it, period. "Say you understand," I growl. "A-all right. I understand." She's defeated, now. I can hear the resignation in her voice as she turns to look away from me. The fact that she accepts this should be a warning bell to me... she wouldn't, normally. My angry side does nothing but gloat at humiliating her. Now maybe she feels a little of what I've been feeling. I release my grip on her and start to walk away. "Get up. We're going to see Annette now." *** The trip to Annette's house is painfully quiet. Neither of us say a word to each other as Mackenzie pilots the skiff. I'm standing up at the front, looking out over the horizon and making it a point to ignore her. Before, she was the one pushing me away. I remember feeling so helpless and hurt when she was doing it to me, and I had thought it a cruel thing. Now that I am the one doing it, it feels even worse. The irony is not lost on me. Something inside me pleads for me to turn around, to make it better and to make up with her. This isn't you, the voice tells me. But then images of Sera and that night crash in like a wave, drowning the voice in a flood of pain. No, she hurt me. Just as she was punishing me earlier, I am punishing her now. Soon enough, I can make out the house in the distance. Maybe Annette will have the answers we are looking for. Maybe she can tell me why my life has suddenly gotten so screwed up within a short space of time... although I doubt it. I just know I need to talk to her, if for no other reason to confide in her regarding this pent up anger. She's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. A Clockwork Green Ch. 07 We land at the bottom of the little hill her house is built on. Everything is quiet. Usually there are little machines darting about and the sounds of her wind generators humming along, but not now. My heart drops into a pit in my stomach. "This doesn't feel right." Mackenzie drops her hands to her sides, flame igniting around them. "It's too quiet." I unlatch Bessie from my belt and hold the shotgun up in front of me. "I'll take point." Cautiously we make our way inside her house. I see bullet holes and scorch marks in the walls, with the occasional spot of blood on the floor. Annette fought whoever it was that came for her, that much is for sure. The question is who... "Fuck," I hear Mackenzie hiss. "See those slashes on the walls? A air mage was here." I nod silently as I continue to sweep the hallway, checking every door as I go. This wasn't the work of some raiding party. Everything would be in disarray; smashed and destroyed as they looked to take whatever they could find of value. Whoever came here had a very specific purpose. That thought unnerves me even more. Annette's tough and can hold her own, but against a well-trained team? Time seems to slow to a crawl as we continue to move through the house, clearing one room after another. We pause outside her parlor, where we first discussed the details of the auction. A lot of happy memories in there. Slowly and carefully, I edge the door to her parlor open with Bessie held up in front of me. I quickly scan to my right and then left as I take a step inside. The parlor is a large room, and there is a lot that can be hiding in wait for us here. Undaunted, I start a more detailed search of the room... ...when I see the mangled remains of her clockwork left arm, still clutching her pistol, sticking out from behind an ornate leather armchair trimmed with brass. "ANNETTE!!!" I tear across the room to where the arm lay, hoping against hope that it isn't still attached to the person I adore. I leap over the armchair in my haste, and then almost immediately wish I hadn't when I see her body laying behind it on the floor. She's... Despite the evidence of magic and gunfire in the previous rooms, her body bears vicious wounds from a bladed weapon. Mackenzie lumbers across the room to me as I kneel down and reach out with a trembling hand to touch Annette's face. She looks so pale, and a small moan escapes my lips as I finally make contact, flinching at the coldness of her skin. "No... " Her face starts to blur as tears well up in my eyes. "Why is this happening? Why is this happening?" I hear Mackenzie's throat catch as she staggers, backing into a coffee table and knocking a few nicknacks onto the floor. "What did she ever do to anyone?!" I have no answers for her. All I can do is stare disbelievingly at the corpse as tears run down my cheeks. *** We buried her in her backyard. It's lovely there. She used to spend hours with us sipping tea and talking into the wee hours of the morning. It seemed only right that we made sure that she was in a beautiful place, surrounded by beautiful things. It's dusk by the time we finish, and we slowly make our way out of her house and down to the skiff to head home. "What are we gonna do now, Char? She knew a lot, and without her how are we gonna figure things out?" Mackenzie bites her lip in frustration as we walk out the doorway. I have no answers, and keep walking... I'm vaguely aware of the fact that Mackenzie isn't beside me, which sets me on edge for some reason. I turn around and am horrified to find her crouched with her hands tucked in towards her her right side, conjuring up one of those "kites" of hers. "What in the name of the gods are you doing, Mackenzie?!" "I'm gonna burn the place down. I don't want fuckin' looters goin' through her shit. She deserved better'n that." She doesn't look back at me, her kite growing larger and hotter all the while. I rush her just as she is about to release it, throwing my shoulder into her back and causing the incantation to wink out. She falls forward onto her hands, and shakes her head before turning back to look at me like I'm the monster. "What the fuck, Charlotte? Have you lost your mind?" I don't know if it's the tone of her voice, or that the comment comes off as affirmation of Mackenzie's narcissism, but something snaps inside me. "Our dear friend is dead, and all you can think of is setting something else on fire? You selfish, miserable person!" There is a spark in her eyes as she balls her fists in anger. "I don't know where this attitude of yours is coming from, but it's gonna stop. Right the fuck now!" I've known her long enough to realize that she's reached her limit, and that she's not going to take any more. She means to set me straight, once and for all. The problem with that is that I have reached my limit, too. I am hurt, and I am angry, and I no longer care to keep the peace between us. "My attitude? My attitude?!" I glare at her with barely concealed rage. Her glare falters as the ice in my voice overwhelms her fire, and she takes a step back. "All I am to you is a plaything! Something to keep you occupied!" She looks at me as if I had just slapped her. "That's... that's not true. I-" "You are done talking." Her jaw drops in shock, working wordlessly at my interruption. " I am not an equal to you. Hell, I am not even a person to you! I am just something comfortable, something you can come home to and use as you see fit!" My voice catches for a moment, forcing me to clear my throat before continuing. "All I ever wanted was an 'I love you!' I didn't even want to be an equal... I just wanted you to love me! To tell me that I was important to you, as you are to me! Just a little show of affection..." She watches me wordlessly, and I can see her heart starting to break. A part of me pleads to pull back, but I am too far gone now for that voice to matter. "But that wasn't what I got, was it!? I stood by as you used Selt! I watched as you brought Sera into our bedroom! You used her just like you used me, and then mocked me just for looking at someone else! For just looking!! Everything has always been about your desires, your wants! And then, the moment I even so much as look at someone else, I get punished and tossed into a corner!?" I can feel the muscles in my jaw tighten, the soldier starting to rebel against the state of things. "What fucking irony. To be punished for looking at a woman by someone who fucks others right in gods-damned front of me!" Her eyes are fallen, and the fire in them is gone. She begins to break down in front of me. "Well no more. Leave me to grieve my friend, and when that is done you and I will go our separate ways. I'm done, Mackenzie. Go back to the shop and to the life you obviously want. Just know that you're going to do it without me." Mackenzie drops to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Charlotte... no, it isn't like that. Not at all, I..." "I couldn't have said it better myself." A voice catches us both off guard. Soldiers and clockwork guardians seem to materialize out of thin air. So many well-armed soldiers, and the machines behind them are top of the line battlefield mechs. There is no way we are going to be able to fight our way out of this. Mackenzie quickly recovers her bearings, bouncing to her feet and conjuring flames around her fists, but even she seems to realize how hopelessly outnumbered we are. "I don't think that will be necessary." It's her. Duchess Amaranth. She's wearing such ornate robes, coupled with a shining silver breastplate and silvered pauldrons. The desert wind blows her auburn hair about, though she seems unperturbed by the environment around her. Her piercing blue eyes seem to look straight into my soul, and I tremble at the thought of her looking at me. She smiles at me, and my heart thrills at a simple gesture. I can feel myself go weak at the knees, and wonder how she has this kind of power over me. "Hello, my little pets. I've been looking for you for quite a while now. It's almost as if you don't want to be found." "Not by you! I can smell her blood on you!" Mackenzie falls back a step, flames flaring brightly around her hands. "Don't be dense, girl. Of course we didn't kill Professor Tournesol. We only just arrived here, though it does pain me to hear of her death. She is... was... a renowned researcher, and a guiding light on the nature of earth magic." She turns away from us for a moment, facing the house and bowing her head in sadness. "But, she did manage to bring us one last gift. Her work brought to light you, Charlotte. I've been looking for you for so long, now." "I-I... I don't u-understand, my lady..." "Oh, you dear precious thing, you! So naive of your value. You don't yet realize what a treasure you are." She takes a step towards me with outstretched arms, smiling brightly at me. Mackenzie growls in anger, the flames around her hands getting larger, hotter. "Save your breath! She's not gonna fall for your shit." Amaranth's expression changes to one of sadness. "And yet she was taken in by your lies, Mackenzie. Does she know about the others?" Hy heart skips a beat at the words, and I turn to face Mackenzie. "Others? M-Mackenzie, what is she talking about?" "You poor, loyal creature. You yourself mentioned two people she had the temerity to take in front of you... do you really think her selfishness could be contained to just what you could see?" "YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" The Duchess merely clucks her tongue and shakes her head. "Sadly, I have evidence. Oh Charlotte..." She steps beside me and lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. The touch sends a thrill through my heart and drains away my resistance. "She treats you so wretchedly. You were nothing more than another conquest to her, a plaything for her to come home to when she'd had her fun." "Charlotte... Cherry. Look at me. Please," Mackenzie pleads desperately. "I wouldn't keep anything from you. You're my one. The girl I... You can't give in to-" "Oh, you wouldn't hide anything from me? What was that about grass earlier?" The bitterness in my voice is palpable, and I shoot her a withering stare. "You didn't tell me about that. What else are you not telling me?" Mackenzie drops to her knees, hanging her head with a choked cry. "No..." is all she says, and then just sits on her knees. She doesn't make a move nor a sound, and the flames around her hands slowly die away. I feel Amaranth gently pull my face around to look into her eyes, and I melt. "She has always treated you like this. You were never more than a toy to her, despite her protestations otherwise. But Charlotte..." She runs her index finger down my cheek and under my chin, ever so gently pulling me closer to her. "I know what a gift you are. What a treasure! I can give you the kind of treatment you deserve." "... what about Mackenzie? You need her too, right?" I catch myself trying to lean into her caress, fighting the urge to completely surrender to her will. Fighting and losing, it would seem. "Charlotte, even as she wounds you, you still have her best interests at heart. It speaks volumes of your charity." She smiles widely as she cups my face in both hands and touches her forehead to mine. "Of course we shall see to Mackenze, too. She'll come with us as a guest, and when we have learned as much as we can from her, we'll let her go about her life. But as for you..." A soldier comes over to us, holding an exquisite collar with a fine silvered chain. Duchess Amaranth takes it from him, then turns to me. "I want you to come home with me. You'll be my favored pet, little one. I shall take care of you, and see to every need you could ever have. Every need." The veiled meaning isn't lost on me in the slightest. Part of me wants what she is offering so badly. I turn back to look at Mackenzie, my anger with her melting away. "She gets to lead her own life?" "You have my word. You'll never have to worry about her again." It feels like an eternity, but I finally turn to Amaranth with a nod. "I'll do as you ask, Mistress." Duchess Amaranth sighs contentedly as she gently secures the collar around my neck, smiling as she lets the chain snake through her hand before taking hold of the leather handle at the end. "Come then, my pet. Let me show you to your new life. You are going to be the crown jewel of my Menagerie! Of that you can be sure." She turns to the soldier beside us and nods at him. "Take a few of the others and escort Mackenzie to our ship. Make the necessary arrangements, and be quick about it." He nods races off to carry out his orders, leaving the Duchess and I to ourselves. She gently tugs on the leash, pulling me gently along behind her. "Come pet... let's take you to your new home, shall we?" "Yes, my Mistress." I start off after her eagerly, only to be stopped by Mackenzie's voice calling softly after me. "I fucked up, but I ain't givin' up, Cherry. Not now, not ever." "You should have thought about that before, Mackenzie." Duchess Amaranth says sweetly. "Come, pet." I obey without a word or a second glance. *** Several hours later I find myself standing alone in a darkened room, the low lights making it difficult to make anything out. I've been here a while, escorted in by two soldiers armed with heavy rifles and scimitars. They had given me instructions to wait here, and that I wasn't to move. She wished it that way, they told me. That was all they had to say. I wasn't about to disobey. The thought crosses my mind that I have surrendered everything that's important to me. I gave up my cherished weapons without so much as a word. The children back home, especially my promise to Raphe, are but a distant memory, fading away even now. Even Mackenzie... what she once meant to me, her betrayal, her treatment of me, everything. Nothing of it matters much anymore. Especially when she is around. I stand silently, my hands folded behind my back. I will wait as long as she sees fit; such is my desire to prove myself worthy of her praise. When will I see her again? Perhaps she is displeased with me already? The thought sends a chill through my body. I can't possibly have screwed things up so soon... I can hear the sound of a woman's heels clicking on the stone floor as they approach. The sound of a door opening almost makes me jump out of my skin. "Hello, my sweet. You've been waiting a while, haven't you?" It's her! My Mistress has come for me! I don't dare even speak. I haven't been given permission to do so. "Good. Your discipline impresses me so, even at this early stage in your training. Lights, please." It gets brighter in the room, and I see her there before me, wearing a white gown swathed in a deep crimson sash. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and her lips. Oh, her lips! Such a deep red. My heart flutters as she smiles at me. She puts her hands behind her back, walking around me as if she's inspecting me. "I have so many questions for you, little pet. As I said before, I've been looking for you for so very long. Ever Since the night of the auction when I saw you staring after me." I say nothing, but the surprise on my face must be obvious. She laughs, a high, lilting laugh that's almost musical in quality. "You didn't think I noticed you? How you studied me from afar, watching my every move? A little gauche, to be sure, but appreciated all the same." She completes her circle around me before stopping, cupping my chin in her palm. I have to fight the urge to nuzzle her hand like some over-affectionate animal. Control yourself, Charlotte. Don't shame her like that... "And now here you are. My patience has been rewarded, and I have this darling, delightful creature before me now." She takes a few steps back and crosses her arms in front of her. "Tell me, would you please your Mistress?" I drop to my knees, prostrating myself before her. "I would give anything to do so, my Mistress. Tell me what you'd have of me, and I will do it." She giggles happily in response. "Oh, you please me so already! I may have questions for you, but those will come in time. What I want more than anything is for you to show me what you are. Stand up, my pet." I immediately obey. She smiles and nods at me. "Remove your clothing. Strip for me, Charlotte." Heat creeps up my neck as I begin to remove my surcoat, folding it neatly and setting it down on the floor beside me. My blouse comes next, followed by my boots and pants. I can feel my face color as I remove my bra before finally turn my attention to my panties. The bulge straining in them causes me no small amount of embarrassment, but my Mistress has commanded it. I gingerly slip them down around my ankles and step out of them, leaning over to pick them up and put them neatly on the folded pile of my other things. Her smile seems to reach from ear to ear as she looks me up and down, tapping her lips with her index finger. "A very lovely sight, indeed. Your undressing was a little... unpracticed, but I could hardly expect someone of your station to be schooled in the fine art of such things. Sensuality and proper showmanship will come in time. " Something in the back of my mind squirms at the back-handed compliment, but I brush that thought aside. I am with her now. I have much to learn if I am to keep my place as her servant. "All the same, a delightful sight. And we can use your lack of training to my advantage right now. What you lack in finesse, you make up for in eagerness." She licks her lips in anticipation. "Let's begin there, shall we? Turn around and bend over. Show me your ass." I feel my face flush even more as I turn on my toes. I spread my feet apart a little wider than shoulders' length apart before leaning over. I grab my ankles with both hands and wiggle my ass about for her benefit. Her murmur of approval, the warmth of her acceptance, washes over me. Wipes away the uncertainty. "This is... yes I see. Yes! This is what you want, is it not?" "Yes, my Mistress." I slowly roll my hips around in a small circle, letting go of an ankle to reach up and behind me to spread my ass open even further for her view. "Does that please you?" "Dear Charlotte," she says, laughing musically, "there are so many wonderful things to learn about you." Her rapturous lilting takes a minute to slow to a stop. When she starts again, her voice is more commanding than before. "Turn around to face me. On your knees and take your cock in hand." She takes another step towards me and nods. "Put the other hand behind your head." I obey without hesitation, turning fully around before slowly sinking to me knees. I position myself exactly as she commanded, closing my eyes as I slide a hand down my stomach before grasping my cock at the base. I give it a little shake, as if to attract her attention to it even more. "Good, but... spread your knees further apart. I want nothing left to the imagination." I obey without hesitation. It's not my place to question her. "That will do for the moment. Tease your breast with your hand. And start to stroke yourself off for me, my dear." She snaps her fingers and motions off in a direction I can't see. A whirring, mechanical stool rolls forward, generously padded with a red velvet that compliments the golden frame and gears of the machine. She sits down delicately, crossing her legs at her ankles and folding her hands in her lap. A Clockwork Green Ch. 07 The hand behind my head glides around my neck and down to my breast, pausing for a moment before teasing my nipple between my thumb and forefinger. The hand around my cock starts to slide up the shaft of my cock. "Slower, dear one. The purpose of this is to show me your charms, not for you to glean enjoyment from it. My wishes are paramount here." She smiles as she speaks to me, but the sting of the admonition smarts in my psyche all the same. I dutifully comply, unsure of myself and desperate not to further disappoint her. "There. We will teach you yet. There is much for you to learn, but I am pleased with your willingness to try." She watches as I ever so slowly move my hand back down my cock, all the while teasing and playing with my nipple. My breathing starts to quicken a little as the heat of my arousal begins to build. "A little faster now, Charlotte. Begin to pleasure yourself. I want to see how you behave in the throes of ecstasy." She leans forward a little, her smile becoming predatory. I need no additional motivation as my hand begins to work faster up and down my tool, a drop of precum beginning to form at it's tip. A small moan escapes my lips as I look up at the ceiling of the room, my teeth gritting as my passions begin to build. My pussy is starting to get very wet, the juices running down my thighs and dripping onto the floor. After only a minute, I'm close, and I know that release will be coming soon. "Enough." I obey immediately, but I am confused. Didn't she want me to do this? I don't under- "It is not your place to question my desires." She says, her eyes seeming to pierce my soul. I am acutely aware of the fact that she finds me wanting right now, and that thought crushes my heart and will. I'll never get this right, and she deserves so much better than I am offering her right now. Her expression softens a little, and she gets up from the stool to come over to me. "Fear not, my darling pet. You will learn. It takes time for a lesser to know how to behave properly in a given situation." She stops before me, placing the tips of her fingers under my chin to raise me onto my feet. Wreathing my face with her hands, she pulls my face close to hers and speaks to me in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "You will please me. Soon." She lets go of me and turns, the click of her her heels growing more faint as she exits the room. I wrap my arms around myself, more out of a sudden sadness than the temperature of the room. What did I do wrong? A Clockwork Green Ch. 08 The sunset is magnificent today. Feels like I'm using my goggles for the first time a decade. Forgot how dim they make everything, but I can stare straight at the sun in 'em. I take another sip of my mimosa and sigh contentedly. "That looks delicious," The Cap'n says as he sits down next to me. "Got any more?" "Naw. Pretty sure this is the last of it. It's funny though," I say, holding it up in front of my face. "I think I've had like five of these, and I'm still starving." "You're starving because you haven't had anything to eat in six days, carrot top." "I hate that name," I say sullenly. "You hate everything," he says with a smile. He kicks his feet up, and we watch the sun sink farther and farther. "So how is it being dead?" "Quiet. No demands on my time. I liked Merc work, but there was never any let up. Permanent vacation suits me." "I miss you, yanno." "I know ya do, and it's admirable, but you can't spend your time dwelling on the past like that. And I'm not just-" "I know what you're talkin' about," I say sullenly. He smiles. "You're smarter than they give you credit for, Mack. Keep doin' what you're doin'. It's all you've got left..." *** The hinges protest loudly as she opens the heavy wooden door. Her lips, a shade of deep red I have no adjective for, curl lasciviously as she walks across the nearly empty room. Her heels echo in the space. Clack. Clack. Clack. "Hello Mackenzie." "Hello corpse." She stops in front of me, as is her custom. "And a one. And a two. And a one, two, three... Mackenzie, do you know how much easier this would go for you if you would only submit? If you would only kneel before me? If you would only bow your head?" "I'm going to kill you." "Charming." A patronizing smile, spoiled only slightly by a grin as she leans in to whisper. "I'm going to break Charlotte, you know. There will be nothing left of her when I am through. Just a pretty, vacuous doll that dances at my command." The restraining stocks buck violently, hammering against the floor briefly, but to no greater effect. Nothing is gained. She clucks her tongue as she walks over to the selection of instruments on the wall, her voice resuming its normal volume. "You know, when He returns, he believes he only needs one of you. And considering how quickly and completely dear Charlotte has given herself over to me, you then would be the natural choice to turn over." She lets that hang in the air for a moment. "But then I think about how wonderful our little chats are. Watching you twist while you think you're giving nothing away. Such fun!!" She laughs melodiously before laying her hand on a studded leather strap. "Let's start here and see where the mood takes us, shall we?" She drags a fingertip down my back, tracing over welts and bruises that range from fresh to a week old. "Of course Charlotte will be the one I keep. So beautiful, don't you agree? There's such a grace to her form... and such a unique pet for my menagerie. One of only two in the world, you know. Where as you, Mackenzie... When you break," she says, with a soft intonation as she circles me, "you will shatter. You will be useless, and until then you're a rabid dog! Have you even thought about how that reflects on me? Have you?" The strap lands harshly, her voice rising in anger. "Have you thought about how it makes me look?" Again, on the same spot. "Your misguided resistance will put worms in the ears of others, and that simply Will. Not. Do." Again, and then a brief pause. "And to think of all the trouble I have gone to for you! Why, just yesterday we moved you and this unwieldy contraption out onto my terrace. You got to see your precious Charlotte behaving herself so magnificently in my garden. Did you see her on that leash? Simply magnificent..." She trails off, lost in her memories, but only for a moment. "And what thanks did I get? What did you call me?" "Corpse." The strap lands again, straight across my buttocks. "Yes. That delightful little bit of resistance has given you no end of hope, hasn't it? You have but one dagger left, and you wield it like an animal. So predictable," she laughs. "Of course, you're used to only using one method. Do you know how quickly I had the measure of you, Mackenzie? How long it took me to realize you are a one trick pony? Attack!" Smack. "Attack!" Smack. "Attack!" Smack. The last one hardest of all and all straight across the buttocks. "You have no depth, Mackenzie! No vision! " Smack. "You are a hammer!" Smack. "No finesse!" Smack. "It's no wonder you drove Charlotte away! She could only take you pounding on her for so long!" Smack. "...You know you pushed her into my arms, don't you? I did nothing more than show her the slightest glimpse of an alternative to your barbaric methods, and. She. Jumped." "The real shame of it, you know, is that under different circumstances, I would have taken you as an apprentice. Taught you to become a Master." Smack. "Taught you to put all these petty insecurities behind you." Smack. "But I think it's too late for you now." Smack. "I think that, no matter what I say to you, and no matter how hard I hit you, you'll just keep staring at me with those dead eyes." Smack. And a smile. "Not that this isn't rewarding in and of itself, but I think it's time to try a different weapon." She walks back over to the wall, dragging the strap behind her and leaving a thin red trail across the stones. She replaces the strap on the wall and steps back, bringing in the whole selection into her field of view. She puts her palms together before her, index fingers just touching her lips, and giggles. "So many toys..." She stalks to her left, and then back to the right upon reaching the end of the selection. Finally she settles her hand on the grip of a whip, and reverently lifts it from the wall. "We'll see how this works. I do so loath trial and error, but sometimes it is a necessary evil." Clack. Clack. Clack. The door opening again is a bit of a surprise. "Charlotte, would you come in here please?" What? "Do you see how obedient she is? How wonderful? " A soft chiming precedes her, and Charlotte steps into the room a moment later with hands clasped at her waist. "She required no guard. No restraint. She stayed there because I told her to." The Duchess takes up her leash and leads her in front of me. Her eyes pass right over me, unrecognizingly. "Charlotte, would you please strip down?" She slowly, and with what seems like practiced form, removes the long purple gown without it touching the ground. She reverently folds the fine silks, smoothing them out and placing them gently on the table, and stands before The Duchess in only her silver collar and matching bracelets. The Duchess takes her by the wrists, and with an action I can't see, snaps the bracelets together. Charlotte offers no resistance as her arms are raised above her head to a hook I hadn't noticed dangling from the ceiling. Amaranth turns her nude, extended form to face me. "Don't look at me, Mackenzie," The Duchess says. "I'm not the one dragging this out. This is on you!" She rears back. Charlotte's face pinches in anticipation. Crack. Charlotte gasps, her eyes rolling wildly, but she remains otherwise silent. "Look at her, Mackenzie. Look at what you have wrought." Crack. "Look what measures you have driven me to!" Crack. "Do you see, Charlotte? Do you see how she makes me do this to you?" Crack. "Do you see how she tests me?!" Crack. "If she truly loved you, she would cry stop, but she sits there. She sits there while I beat you!!" Crack. "Look at her, Charlotte! Look how smug she is!" Crack. "That is pride! The kind of pride that leaves only room to love oneself!" Crack. "Never another. Never you, Charlotte! NEVER YOU!" Crack. Charlotte's eyes bore holes into me. Her tears are a constant stream, but there is nothing but hate behind them. Crack. There is nothing left of her affection for me, no trace of the adoration that once resided there. The Duchess rears back again. "She can only love herself!!" "No! I..." Amaranth slowly, ever so slowly, turns to look at me, sighing happily and quivering. The whip lowers, and her eyes close dreamily. She twists her head back and forth as if in rapture, and pauses. I have lost. "Do you see, Charlotte? How weak she is? How thin her resolve is? How little she thinks your strength?" Charlotte's eyes harden. "She was never good enough for you. Never strong enough for you. Never strong enough to handle you." She lightly traces her fingertips down Charlotte's cheek. "But that's over now, isn't it? You have seen her for what she truly is." She reaches up and unclasps Charlotte's bracelets, and wraps an arm around her shoulder. "One of my ladies will meet you in my chambers with a new ointment to reduce the swelling. She also claims that if we use it regularly, it may help slim down your hips to a more desirable width." Charlotte's smile flickers and, with downcast eyes, she exits the room. Amaranth only lingers a moment longer, her smile deep and wide. "I think it might be time to bring you something more than water. We made good progress today." A Clockwork Green Ch. 09 I sit crossed-legged in my room, trying to meditate. There isn't that much to do since I'm not allowed to leave, but that's not much of a problem. My world has become small of late, limited to pleasing my Mistress. Everything else is just... well, it just pales in comparison. She's... radiant. What's more is that she promised we were going to do something special today! I can't even begin to imagine what it may be, but I know it's going to be wonderful. The Mistress comes up with such delightful ideas, and I can't wait to see what she has in mind. A chime in the hallway rings melodiously, letting me and the other pets of the Menagerie know that it's time to prepare for the new day. I walk over to the little armoire she lets me keep in my room, a little swell of pride as I open its doors and look at the outfits inside. Some of them were gifts, to have something appropriate for functions and displays. The others were rewards for my training. One of my favorites is a deep purple sleeveless robe with a plunging neckline and a slit running up my right leg almost up to my hip. But I'm not going to be wearing that one today. "The color suits your complexion but it does nothing for your hips, my dear. Remember, we must downplay your flaws, not accentuate them." The slight frown, the barely perceptible pursing of her lips as she said it, stung more than any pain I could possibly imagine. No, we're not going to wear that. I reach for a black slip that she had set out for me. You have to learn to trust her, Charlotte. She knows what is best for you, and you have learn to put your Mistress' desires before your own. The thought makes me smile, and I know that I am doing the right thing in regards to this. All that matters are her wishes. The door to my room explodes, showering everything in wooden splinters and billowing smoke. I can hear the screams of the other pets as I scramble to one of the far corners of the room. My bed provides some shelter, and I peek over the now-rustled sheets. Mackenzie stumbles into the room, collapsing to her hands and knees after just a few steps. She has cuts all over her arms, and her back is criss-crossed with welts and strap marks. She looks like a wounded animal, and it scares me to see her like this for a moment. But then that moment passes. "Too easy," she mutters. "Get out," I scream. She looks wildly around the room before spotting me. I slide back into the corner as she scampers across the floor in my direction. "Cherry, come on!" "Stay back!" "Cherry? Charlotte! Oh gods, what is she doin to you?" "I said keep away from me! You can't be here!" She grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me violently. "You have to get out of here! Can't you see?!" The look on her face shifts from desperation to hurt as I try to recoil from her. "You can't stay! She's gonna turn you... You just gotta trust me!" "Trust you? Trust you?! Why are you trying to take this away from me?! Always thinking of yourself... did it ever occur to you that I am happy here?" The hurt becomes heartbreak as she reaches out to me again, this time as gently as she can. "Cherry... please." She takes my hands into hers and looks into my eyes. "Please. You gotta get outta here. You can get on with your life. If it's without me, fine, but.. if you stay here, you'll die. Everythin' that makes you special'll be gone." She reaches up to stroke my cheek, only to have a sob catch in her throat as I slap her hand away. "Get away from me! I won't let you sully this too! I'm not going to listen to your lies any longer!" I dart past her and run to the door, leaning out of the charred frame and screaming at the top of my lungs. "Guards? Guards! She's in here! Help me please!" "I'm sorry, Cherry, but I ain't goin' back!" She struggles to her feet and faces the door. Flames wreath her fists and I back away in fear. That's as far as she gets, however. A tremendous blast of wind sweeps into the room, blowing out the fire around her hands and slamming her back up against the far wall. The gale intensifies, pinning her up off of the floor. "Mother... fucker. I ain't losin'... to you!" She struggles to raise her hand up against the force of the wind. "Not again!!" She flattens her palm, fingers extended, and a bright orange bolt streaks towards the door. Another blast of wind, and the bolt swirls up and away. Debris showers the room as the bolt detonates against the ceiling. A tall man steps in, and the debris flows around him as water over an umbrella. A man of wealth, by his clothes. His short brown hair flows upward in a sea of peaks, and his cool smile carries confidence. I know that man... "Yes. You are," He sneers, simply. The redheaded woman gasps as her arm bends back around towards her face. She winces, fighting the unseen force with every ounce of her strength. There is a heavy thud, and her head whips around as if struck. She collapses onto the floor, unconscious, and I can't help but wonder if he's killed her. "Self-taught trash. I can't make them shoot themselves, but they always fear it... And to think that the Goddess touched her with the gift." He looks up at me, a sour look as though he's eaten something bitter, spreads across his face. "Even more perplexing was that she spent her escape attempt on the likes of you. She might have gotten away if she hadn't tried." "Then it is fortuitous that she acted as she did." My heart thrills as Lady Amaranth steps lightly through the debris. "Doubly so that I had you on hand to deal with her, Townsend. Given the damage she wrought in her attempt, I shudder to think what would have happened if she hadn't been stopped." He smiles and bows to her with a flourish. "Of course, Duchess. I'm always glad to be of service." His tone drips with disrespect. She surveys the damage before holding out her arms and smiling at me. 'Come, my pet. Are you all right?" I sprint across the room, kneeling before her and taking her hand. "Yes, Mistress. She scared me, but I'm not hurt." I smile happily as she pets my head. "Good. It would wound me grievously if my favorite pet had been hurt by that... thing." She shakes her head sadly. "She killed two guards while trying to escape. Both family men, beloved by fellow staff. The nobles were all very fond of them." She pauses, pressing her hand to her throat as if the words are almost too painful to utter. "I know you meant well by asking for her to have the same accommodations you have here, but she twisted it to her advantage." Amaranth cups my chin in her hand and raises me up to look her in the eyes. "We'll have to tell their families, but I see no reason to include your part in this. Mackenzie is a monster." "Why do you waste time on this... creature?" Townsend growls. He shoots me a bitter, contemptuous look. "She's nothing. At least Mackenzie can use magic... all this one does is take up space and look pretty." "Townsend, please. Charlotte here has a good heart, even if that goodness is short-sighted." She wipes a tear away from my cheek after shooting an icy glare over her shoulder at him. "Look at me, Charlotte. We're going to make sure that Mackenzie gets the help that she needs. She's unbalanced and dangerous, and we have to make sure that she won't be a danger to anyone else. Do you understand?" I look into her eyes, and it doesn't seem to matter anymore. Everything is okay now, and the warmth of her gaze is all that I need. "Yes, my Mistress. I'm sure that you have my... and Mackenzie's... best interests at heart. I kneel down before her and take her hand, nuzzling against it and basking in her attention. My Mistress smiles happily before kissing my forehead. "Good. Now come- ...your bed is unmade. You simply must learn to take better care of your things." She clucks her tongue at me, and I settle meekly into her shadow. *** The light streaming in from the window and through my eyelids rouses me. I can hear birds singing in the distance, and the sounds of a gentle wind blowing through the trees on the Lady's grounds are like music to my ears. Days mean little, only incomprehensible demarcations of time which have lost their importance. What are night and day versus the time I spend either with her or without her? Everything revolves around her. She is all that matters. To see acceptance, and perhaps even a little affection... I live for that. I stretch a little before sitting upright in my little bed. It was one of the things she had given me as a present for doing so well with my training. It's a prized possession, one of the few I have. The other being my beautiful collar. I reach up to touch it, the silver metal sending a chill up my spine. It marks me as hers, and I love it more than anything. The blade is nothing less than gorgeous. I'm holding it up before me while studying the intricate patterns etched into the pommel. They seem to flow into the designs on the blade, and I can tell right off that it's magical. " 'At's a pretty impressive sword, Tony." Vance, the ship's armorsmith whistles his approval with a nod. "A right proper prize for your first kill as the ship's cabin boy. 'It'll serve you well." It shines in the ambient light of the armory, and I feel as if the smile I'm wearing will split my face in two. "Yes. This sabre and I are going to become very close, I think." I sheathe the blade with a flourish, giving it an affectionate pat. "Isn't that right, my Friend?" Damn it. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I can't help it as my mood starts to sour. That isn't my life anymore. Why does it keep popping back up when I don't want it to? I am the Mistress' pet, one of the cherished creatures she keeps in her Menagerie. Not a sword for hire, living from paycheck to paycheck and scrabbling for the most basic of things in life. The Mistress cares for me and sees to everything I could possibly want. There's no competition between what I have now and what I had before. What you have now? What do you have now? A little room with possessions that mark you as a thing. Before, you had people that counted on and loved you. Her especially... No, that's not true. It can't be true. The Mistress loves and cares for me, and she is a raving sociopath! My mistress has shown me the truth of things. That's all I need, and it's all that matters. She'll be here any minute, now. It's in pleasing her that I've found purpose. Or at least she should be here now. She's late. I don't understand... Why would she be late? She's usually very punctual. A dark thought takes shape in my mind, and my heart skips a beat. Maybe... maybe I did something bad? But what? I pad over to the door before kneeling to the side of the door frame, putting my hands on my thighs and bowing my head. That has to be it. I did something wrong. I drove her away, and now I have to be punished. I am so stupid! It has to be that I'm not using that cream enough... she DID say my hips were a little too wide. Maybe... maybe if I skip my meal again, I can look more like how I should for her. Why am I failing her like this? The most important person in my life, and I can't even do this simple thing right! I can feel a tear start to run down my cheek. I can't help it, I'm crying now and I just know that she'll be disappointed with me! I- The door. It's opening! She's here! "Well, hello there little pet. I see you've been waiting so very patiently here for me." The Mistress smiles a little as she leans over to pat my head. She stops short and takes a good look at me, her smile fading a little bit. "Why, you've been crying my dear. What's wrong?" I want to tell her. I want to tell her so very badly, but she hasn't given me formal permission to speak. It's all I can do to look up at her with tears in my eyes as she purses her lips. She stares at me for a moment with a look I can't decipher, but I know that she's somehow able to see inside my mind. Her expression softens a bit and the smile returns. "Don't worry, my little Charlotte. You're doing as well as can be expected. It takes time to develop the kind of discipline I require of those in my Menagerie." She reaches down to cup my chin in her hand, sending a thrill of joy through my heart. "And you have been so very eager to learn, haven't you?" She pulls me up to eye level, stroking my cheek and wiping a tear away. "You may speak, my pet." "Y-yes. I want to be good for you, my Mistress." I nuzzle her hand, daring to hope that she may show my even more love. "All that matters is serving you." Her smiles brightens even more, and she ruffles my hair a little "Good. So very good. And today I'm going to provide you an opportunity to prove just that." She snaps her fingers, and the door opens to reveal a gleaming little flying machine bearing items on a red velvet pillow. "I think today I am going to take you on a little walk. You like going for walks, don't you my precious?" She reaches over to take one of the items off of the pillow, turning back to me with a sly grin. I nod enthusiastically. After all, I get to show off that I belong to my Mistress! "That's my pet. But, this time it's going to be a little different." She shows me the first item with a flourish, and I can't help but gasp at it. It's looks like... it is. It's a chastity belt. There's a heavy buckle in the front with a lock and a sizable hole situated below it, and I can guess that my cock is to be threaded through it. But that's not the thing that catches my attention most about it. There's a large metallic dildo, gleaming in the ambient light of the room. It's attached to the belt on the back of the inside, situated so that it only has one place to go. "I thought you might like this. It'll help you with your lessons in discipline, I think." She makes a spinning motion with her fingers to me. "Turn around and get your ass in the air, pet. Position yourself so that I may put this on." I obey her without hesitation. "Good girl. Now, brace yourself." I feel the tip of the dildo press up against my asshole, and I inhale sharply. Oh, that's so cold. I hold still for her, though... it wouldn't do to flinch. That would make her so very unhappy. She takes her time and pushes ever so slightly on the toy, spreading my pucker open just a little bit. "Yes, this will make for a wonderful show!" She continues to push, taking her time as my hole is being forced open more and more. "Oh... Oh! Mistress... i-it's so very big!" My eyes tear up as she continues to work the thing into my ass. This is bigger than anything I've ever taken before, and my discomfort grows to become a stinging pain. I have to hold my breath and close my eyes against it. It's too much... oh it hurts so! But I can't let her down I mustn't. "Good. You're being so very brave about this, Charlotte." I hear her giggle a little as she pushes, and it almost seems to feel like she is slowing down a bit. She's testing me, but I won't fail. I'll prove that I belong in her Menagerie! My teeth grit against the pain, and I try to focus on anything other than the huge toy that is tearing my asshole apart. At long last, I can feel the widest ridge of the dildo enter my anus. She sighs happily as she slides it in, situating it deep in my rectum before settling the belt into place. She wraps the strap around my waist, then takes a moment to feed my penis through the hole. Despite my love of anal, I've managed to keep from getting hard. I can hear her approval as she gently situates my cock and finishes strapping the belt in place. "Good, my pet. In the beginning, you wouldn't have been able to control yourself. But you've come a long way in a short time under my tutelage. You've flourished, despite your lowly station and your time controlled by that... creature." A warm feeling washes over me, and I can't help but smile. She praised me! I don't make a sound as the click of the belt being locked echoes in my ears. The Mistress takes a step back from me. "Stand up for me, pet. Talking privileges have been rescinded for now." My knees shake a little as I stand up, and I shift my hips back and forth to try to find a better stance to accommodate the dildo. My, it feels so big. The pain is subsiding, though now I am acutely aware that the thing is beginning to rub up against my prostate. Precum dribbles from the tip of my cock, falling to the ground in slow motion. I try to think about anything else... anything but that toy. If I dwell on it, I'll surely lose the battle to keep from being aroused. "Hands behind your back and keep them there until I say otherwise." She takes another item off of the velveteen pillow and walks towards me, her elegant heels clicking on the stone floor. "Look at my face, and keep your line of sight there." I obey without question, though I can't help but be curious about what she is doing. She smiles a impish little grin as she looks down, fiddling with the device she has in her hands. I can feel her fingertips gingerly brush the shaft of my penis. Oh my... I have to focus on something (anything!) else other than what she's doing. She's attaching something to the belt around it, though what it is I can't be sure. Whatever it is, it feels tight... constricting. I can hear the clicks of metal against metal as she secures it in place, and it isn't long before she steps back as if to admire her handiwork. "Very good. You may look down now." Without a word I obey her command, but I can't hide my dismay at what I see there. It's a cock prison... a cage. A small whimper escapes my trembling lips. This is going to become very uncomfortable very quickly. She knows that I am easily aroused by anal stimulation, and with that cage in place... "Now now, pet. I know this may not seem fair, but this is for your own good." A slightly sinister smile curls her lips. "And for my entertainment. It will serve to teach you the most valuable lesson you could ever learn. One that bears repeating as often as possible." She steps forward, running a fingertip down and around one of my nipples. I bite my lower lip, already starting to wince as my cock starts to harden. The metal cage keeps it from expanding, and another whimper escapes. "That lesson is this: You. Are. Mine. You are a reflection on me and the training I have given you, and that requires you show the utmost control and poise." She pinches my nipple hard, and it's all I can do to keep from crying out and flinching. She smiles as she eyes me with an almost predatory look. "Everything is conditional and based upon how you represent what I have done for you. Have I made myself clear, my pet?." I nod as a tear runs down my cheek. She hasn't given me permission to speak yet, and I want to be a good girl for her. I have to be. "Yesss..." She smiles brightly as she walks around me. "Now that we have you properly fitted, let's finish your bindings and take you out for a little stroll. Today promises to be such a delight!" *** The sounds of my high heels clicking on the marble floor echo down the long and ornate hallway. Guards and guests alike watch as I walk by, some out of amusement or curiosity, and yet others out of lust. My arms are tied behind me in a reverse prayer bind, and the only sound other than my heels and the occasional whisper are the fine silvered chains attached to clamps that hang from my nipples. Little bells dangle at the ends, tinkling with each step that I take. The arm bindings and my high heels force me into a very unnatural gait, my chest held out and making my breasts even more prominent. A Clockwork Green Ch. 09 I walk ahead of my Mistress, a collar and leash tethering me to her as she saunters along. I've done this quite a few times now, and I know the pace at which she likes to walk. It took some practice to learn it, but now I can walk without her having to yank on the leash to get me to heel. What is different is the damned anal toy that is up my ass. It's driving me crazy, but if I give into it... the thought sends a thrill through my body, and I can feel my cock start to strain against the confines of the cage. Giving in would be so easy... It takes a moment for me to regain my bearings and will myself to calm down. I would much rather deal with a suppressed urge than the pain of a denied erection. "You're doing well, my pet." The Mistress whispers as we make our way out into the sunshine of her grand garden. "Better than I had anticipated. Normally that would please me, but I wish to see what you would do in a difficult position." We make our way to the middle of the garden, my sense of worry building all the while. I adore my Mistress, but she can be... no, don't think it. To even entertain the thought that she has less than my best interests at heart is nothing less than sheer folly. She is doing this because I need it. I have to prove my devotion to her. You never needed to prove anything to her. She loved you regardless of what happened... even before you were Charlotte. Why can't you rememb- NO! I won't entertain these thoughts! The Mistress loves me... she loves me! She is all I need and want, now and forever! Mackenzie used me! ".. lotte? Are you listening to me? I'd hate to have to discipline you when you've been doing so well." Her voice sounds sharp, with a edge of anger to it. I turn back to her and nod, forcing a smile on my face. Her glare softens a little, and the smile returns. "It would seem that punishment is required. I am so very sorry, Charlotte... but this is for your own good." She snaps her fingers twice, and I can't help but gasp. That dildo starts to vibrate! Oh gods... it's a water device. I can feel it there, pressing up against my prostate and stimulating it all the while. The thing just being there was bad enough... but this? How am I going to be able to hold out against this? I stifle a whimper, trying to fight the urge that is slowly yet inexorably building. A sharp pain snaps my attention back to my cock as it strains against the cage that holds it, the metal prison allowing me no reprieve. I strain at the bonds holding my arms in place, my body starting to tremble uncontrollably as that thing works uncaringly. Please, please make it stop. I can't, I can't... NO! I can do this. I mustn't disappoint her... I won't let her down. I have to find some way to win over these base urges. For her. I begin to concentrate on my breathing in order to regain my center. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Over and over again. Drown everything out, save for a singular focus on my breathing. It's an old meditation technique, meant to balance a warrior and prepare them for the rigors of combat. My heart rate starts to slow, and the waves of pleasure rippling through my body seem muffled as they start to recede. I slowly begin to stand upright, the trembling subsiding and the pain inflicted on my cock from the cage lessening with every passing moment. I'm doing it... I'm winning over this fiendish device. I turn back to look at the Mistress, and what I see there makes me so happy. She has her hand pressed to her chest, as though she is trying to steady her heart. Her eyelashes flutter as she lets out a long, happy sigh. Her smile lights up her whole face as she stares at me. "Oh, my pet. You reflect so very well on me. My training has allowed you to overcome your humble origins. They said that you were trash, unfit for the life I have planned for you." She snaps her fingers again, the vibrator in my ass stopping and allowing me a measure of relief. "But I knew better, didn't I? I showed you the way, and despite your flaws, I have elevated you beyond your ken. You are one step closer to taking your place in my Menagerie, my precious little toy." She steps around in front of me and caresses my cheek, and I can't help but thrill at her touch. I did it! I showed her that I was her pet, and that I could do as she wanted! I start to lean into the caress, and am surprised when she withdraws it. "Come, let's go out to the foyer so that we may properly display you. I want my guests to see what my training has wrought." She tugs once on the leash and looks at me expectantly. I have no choice to obey. The sound of my footfalls in high heels echo in the grand hallway as I walk ahead of her, taking up my practiced gait to keep at the pace she desires. What happened? I did everything she wanted. This wasn't like before when I didn't know what I was doing. She said she was happy with how I behaved... why doesn't she show me any affection? I don't understand. Maybe what I did wasn't enough. Maybe nothing will ever be enough. No, that can't be it. She's... she's just preoccupied with this social function is all. That has to be it. She loves me, I know she does. I know she does. I'm her pet. I just need to do more is all. Maybe if I am especially good during this gathering, that will prove to her that I am hers. And then maybe she'll tell me that she loves me. *** We enter a grand sort of meeting hall, set up fairly similarly to the way the auction house was. The room is a good deal smaller though, and far more intimate. The sound of people milling about and talking with each other fills the room and makes me more than a little nervous. It's been a while since I've been around so many people. My world has been so very small as of late, and even this gathering is large. Intimidating. My being nude and paraded about does nothing to quell that uneasiness. "Hold for a moment, pet." The Mistress tugs once on my leash and I obey promptly. I turn back to her, and the look on her face tells me that my apprehension must be apparent. She clucks her tongue as though she's about to address a child who's been caught doing something silly. "This is important to me, my toy. These people are here to enjoy my home and the finer things I take part in on a regular basis." She sweeps her hand before her in a grand gesture as if to encompass everything around her. "All of it reflects on me, just as you do. The vibrator was just a test. THIS is the real thing. It goes without saying that I will not tolerate disappointment." I nod silently at her, keeping my gaze from meeting hers. "Good. Unless I give you direct permission, you are not to speak to anyone. If someone approaches you and addresses you, defer to me." She looks into the room beyond me over my shoulder and smiles. "Come. Let's show off my most recent acquisition, shall we?" The room grows deathly still as we enter, the only sound is the clicking of our heels on the floor. All eyes are upon me. I can feel every one in the room looking at me, watching me with rapt attention. This isn't like when Mackenzie and I had sex on the patio of the auction house. There's no thrill to this at all, no moment stolen from the world to be enjoyed like some forbidden treat. Still, I am the Mistress' pet. This will prove my devotion. She has to love me for doing this. I - Mackenzie never asked you to be anything other than what you were. Mackenzie LIED to me! She used me and then threw me in the corner when she was done. 'How do you like looking at other women now?' Some friend. Some lover. And yet she came back for you. Despite all that has happened, she came back. FOR YOU. My thoughts are interrupted at someone's approach. I recognize her as the Baroness Emmaline Wadsworth, the finance minister for the city. "My, such a well behaved creature, dear Emilie. I can tell you've put more than just a little effort into this one." Her steel gray eyes look me up and down as if she were sizing up some kind of show horse. "Tell me, is this one of the two from the auction?" "Why, yes!" The Mistress flashes a smile at the baroness. "This one is called Charlotte. She's proven to be much more malleable to proper training. Quite a find, if I do say so myself." "Oh my, yes. You've trained her well." Again her eyes wander up and down my body, more slowly this time and with more than just a hint of lust. "Will we be able to view this wonder of magic more... fully later? I've done a bit of research myself and I have to say-" "All this fawning talk about a fucking sewer rat." I become aware of Baron Rasputin as he glowers behind me. "It is a peasant. A thing meant only to amuse my Lady for a moment or two, then to be shit-heaped when the time comes." He circles around me with a sneer, making no effort to hide his contempt. His long black hair shimmers as he moves, and his physique is impressive to say the least. He carries himself like a warrior, and part of me wants to respond to him in kind. His broadsword hangs off of his belt in an ornamented scabbard, and I can't help but notice that he's fingering the hilt of the weapon as he looks at me. The Mistress turns to scowl at him, the ice in her gaze palpable. "You can be quite the boor, Mikhail. Tell me, isn't there a battle or some place else you can go inflict yourself on? My pet here, she -" "It." He snarls in anger. "It's not fully male, nor is it female. It's a thing. And it's only alive because of your good graces." "Don't be transparent, Raspy!" Townsend strolls up to the small gathering, guiding someone along with him as he does so. "Just have sex with it already. We all know you want to." Rasputin snorts derisively. I finally get a good view of the old man he's guiding along, and my heart skips a beat. Heimdahl? He's got on some kind of goggles, but it's most definitely him. What in all of the Heavens is going on here?! Townsend whispers something to him, and his face lights up with a lewd smile. "So, you have a life you and Mackenzie are going to build without me, eh?" He chuckles a bit. "It took a little bit longer, and cost me something important... but you are here, nonetheless. Fitting... and I hear that Mackenzie has been difficult as well! They tell me that she has been punished, and that she is a shell of what she was. Good. That is a thing I would've liked to see. I suppose I'll have to settle for hearing it." He begins to reach out for me. "Take your hand away from MY pet, cur." The Mistress slaps his hand away from me and rounds in on him. "You were hired to watch them, not use them for your own little games." "And what do you call this," he spits. "I call this beyond your station. I also find it fitting that the one thing I asked you to do for me, you can't ever do again period." Her smirk is cruel and taunting. "You are not irreplaceable," he snarls. Townsend gives her a smug grin and a light shrug as he leads the old man away. "And as for you, Mikhail. You're in my home. You will show me my due respect... unless you want me to take the matter up with him." Rasputin stares at her hard for a moment with murder in his eyes. His hand grips the hilt of his sword as his knuckles turn white, and I can hear the leather creak under his grip. After what seems like an eternity, he relaxes a little and smiles darkly. "That won't be... necessary." He turns to leave, only to stop short and call to her over his shoulder. "Enjoy your pet, good Duchess. If you ever need a hand with her, I think I have a spare clockwork one in my trophy room..." He walks away laughing. "After all, I'm only here to help." *** The guards have bound me to a wrought iron chair set up in the center of the room after removing my other bondage gear. Actually, "chair" would be something of an understatement. It's very large, and it took several guards to wheel it out and set it up. The closest word I can think of to describe it is 'throne'. It has armrests and a large backing to it, and everything has been padded for comfort. I don't resist as they secure me to this... monstrosity. They have me sitting down in it with my arms on the rests before putting my wrists in large, bracer-like manacles that are bolted down into the frame. The bindings enclose almost half of my forearms, and there is no way I would ever be able to break free if I had wanted to. My position at the head of the room makes it clear that I am to be the "main attraction" of this evening's affair. Many of the nobles are looking at me, craning their necks and watching as the guards secure my restraints and double check them for effectiveness. I'm vaguely aware that Duchess Amaranth is talking, telling the gathering about whatever it is she feels is important to know about me and other such details. I only truly pay attention when the speech ends and she comes over to me. "Comfortable?" The Mistress leans over and smiles at me. I nod silently at her, looking up at her from my position. 'I'm sorry about that little display back there, my pet. Some of my acquaintances don't know how behave themselves" She reaches down to pet my head. "I must say, you've been behaving wonderfully out here. I am so very pleased with your performance. "Thank you... mistress." She looks at me with a quizzical expression for a moment before turning to the men around me. "Guards, finish securing her in place." Two men come around from behind me and reach down to grab my ankles. I'm caught by surprise as they force them up and over my head, and I can hear the whir of gears as some kind of restraints clamp down around my ankles and hold my legs to the back of the chair. The action makes my butt hang over the edge of the seat, and the result is that I am lying on my lower back with my ass up in the air, unable to move except to wiggle my hips a bit. Everything is exposed for people to see. "There, now you're properly set up for display." She nods at me with a smile. "Everyone will be here shortly, and in this position your... uniqueness will be evident for all to see. Be good, my little pet." She spins on her heel and sashays off to a luxurious set up of chairs and food nearby. Music starts to play, and many people are filtering over to the tables for food and refreshments. It isn't long before a small line begins to form in front of me, though. Baroness Wadsworth is one of the first to view me. She kneels beside me, leaning in close and whispering so that only I can hear her. "Ohhh, what I would do to you." Her hands tremble as she strokes my thigh, and she closes her eyes for a moment. "Amaranth sees you as a project... something to be molded. Me? I'd just fuck you senseless. Use you until there was nothing left." She puts her hands on both my knees and digs her nails into my flesh. "That's all you're good for, you know. But, it would be unseemly for me to indulge myself like this here." She gets up and stares at me hard, her demeanor unnerving me more than just a little bit. "We'll have to see if your owner will let me borrow you for a bit later. After all, what are friends for?" She takes one last longing look at me before walking away. They come up, one or two at a time. Some of them treat me like a curiosity, stealing a touch before running off in embarrassment. Others look at me as though I were some zoo animal on display. Their reactions range from idle curiosity to thinly veiled disgust. One of them lumbers up to where I am bound, plunking down unceremoniously in front of me after pushing a few onlookers aside. "Well, you're certainly bigger than my husband." A plump middle-aged noblewoman with rosy red cheeks and a roundish nose leans over and begins to play with my cock. She handles it a little more roughly than I would like, though it doesn't come close to the pain I felt earlier. "They tell me that freaks like you used to exist long ago." "Yes, my Lady." I haven't the foggiest who she is, but I know well enough to keep a civil tongue in my head. She is nobility, after all, and if I were to mouth off to someone of importance... I bite my lip as she manhandles my cock while she jams two fingers into my pussy. Oh, she is so rough! My concentration slips a bit and I let out a little cry of pain. "Hush, you. I am having fun right now." Her grip tightens around my shaft as she starts to jack me off entirely too forcefully. Her efforts actually make it difficult to maintain an erection as she slams her clenched hand down into my pelvis. Her fingers in my snatch fare no better as she wriggles them around with the grace of a power tool. Everything that she's doing is uncomfortable, at best. "Lady Amaranth, there seems to be something wrong with it! It's not working right. I can feel it getting soft in my hands." She pouts as she stops trying to get me off. Relief floods my mind as she stands up, and I let out a small sigh of thankfulness. "I thought these things were supposed to be wanton perverts, desperate for sex of any kind!" The Mistress and the group surrounding her laugh at her comments. "Well, if you stopped handling her like a farm animal and actually did something that was actually pleasurable, maybe she'd respond in kind." A couple of nobles approaches where I am bound, grinning impishly as they stare my up and down. The man pushes a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose as he kneels down beside me, while the woman with auburn hair and a pen tucked behind her ear follows suit on the other side. The older woman snorts indignantly, only to be waved off. "You've had your fun," the younger woman says. "Step aside and let others see this delightful creature for themselves." The nobleman turns his attention back to me with a wide smile. "We've read about your kind. I for one have always wondered what it'd be like to see you up close and personal." He kneels down beside me, looking me up and down before letting out a low, quiet whistle. He's obviously intrigued by me, but there doesn't appear to be any malice behind his intentions, or in hers for that matter. Their demeanor is more like that of delighted wonder. "Yeah. Poor thing, we saw what Lady Everline was doing to you back there." She runs a finger gently over my lips before leaning in to whisper in my ear. "She has the subtlety of a war drone, doesn't she? Let's see if we can't treat you a little better, hmm?" She kisses my forehead before pulling away with a wink, walking back and taking her place in front of me. "Agreed. After her pawing at you like that, it's a wonder you're not curled up into a ball and crying." He runs his index finger down my shaft and cups my balls in his hand, massaging them gently. I squirm about, wiggling my hips as he strokes and teases them, his every touch beginning fan my desire. "I bet we can make up for that." "Ever since my friend here and I heard about you, we've been dying to see you for ourselves." The noblewoman kneels down in front of me, placing her hands on my ass cheeks and spreading them apart even further. I watch her smile as she looks on my exposed body, and I can't help but blush at the attention. "Ah! W-what are you going to do to me?" The man distracts me from the her as he leans over to kiss the head of my penis. "I-I don't think the M-mistress..." "Shh. You let us worry about that. All you need to worry about is enjoying yourself." His touch is as gentle as the priors was rough as he grasps my cock around the base. He squeezes slightly before slowly sliding his grip up my shaft while kissing the head over and over again. A Clockwork Green Ch. 09 "Yes, that's right. What was your name? Charlotte? You look like you could do with a little affection." She giggles a little to herself as she reaches out, touching the rim of my hole with a fingertip. She runs it around the edge, tracing little circles as she moves closer to the center. It puckers at her touch, and I want so very badly for her to do more. "P-please... please, I d-don't... a-ahh! I..." "Hush now, my dear. Let us take care of you." He smiles at me before taking my head into his mouth. I feel him run his tongue over and around it, caressing every fold of my flesh before putting the very tip into my urethra. He wiggles it there for a moment before sucking on me as though he were feeding. Ever so slowly he take more of me into his mouth, adjusting his position so that he can deep throat me. At the same time, I startle as I feel her lips press up against my anus. Her tongue feathers the opening, a warm surge of euphoria shooting through my body at the unexpected contact. "Ah! P-please... I can't! I mustn't!" They pay me no mind as they continue to lick and fondle me. He begins to work the shaft of my cock, bobbing his head up and down just a bit faster and with more energy while she continues to rim my ass with her tongue. She ever so delicately slides a hand down my thigh in the over my pussy, parting the lips with her fingers and stroking the inside of my slit. My head drops back against the back of the "throne" as I struggle against the manacles holding my wrists and ankles in place. My hips bounce up and down as I start to moan, the pent up frustration of denying myself earlier returning with a vengeance and threatening to overwhelm me. She exhales through her nostrils and pauses for just a moment before she slips her tongue into my ass. Oh, Gods... I can feel it writhing around inside me! I've never felt anything like that before. "N-no! Please... p-please don't!" They pay me no mind the whole while as they bring me closer to climax. He's bobbing his head up and down furiously now, and it's all I can do to hold my breath. I watch wide-eyed as he goes from the top of my penis all the way down to the base, and I can feel my head graze the back of his throat before he moves back up again. He puts on such a show of making sucking noises with each downward movement. I gasp in surprise as the woman trails her tongue from my asshole to my pussy, moving my testicles delicately aside with her hand. She showers kisses along the lips of my nether region, pausing for a moment before diving in, burying her mouth and nose deep and sucking on my clit. She adjusts a bit so that she doesn't interfere with the nobleman going down on me, then inserts a finger into my ass. She wriggles it around enthusiastically for a long moment before inserting another one, and then another. I cry out, in sorrow as much as in ecstasy. The two nobles pull away quickly, leaving me to shower myself with thick white ropes of ejaculate. It squirts high into the air before splashing back down onto my chest and stomach, while my snatch explodes with juices pent up from all that time not being allowed release. But there's no joy in it... in fact, I feel a little empty inside. There was no love in it, just release. The haze of my climax fades a bit and I'm aware of the fact that my restraints are being undone, the silvered collar being reattached around my neck. I feel a tug at the leash and I slink behind my Mistress as she glides to her seat. She gathers her dress about her in order to sit down, and I can't help but notice that she has a smile on her face. "That was quite a show, my pet. You've performed to my expectations." "Yes, my mistress." I bow my head out of respect without looking back at her as I take my place at her feet. "Pet, is there something wrong? Perhaps something I need to be aware of?" I can hear the edge in her voice, and I turn around to her with a small smile. "Not at all, mistress. I am... glad I could serve you." *** The gathering goes on for another hour or so, with the occasional partygoer coming up to us to congratulate the mistress on her find, or to praise her for her skills as a domme. Finally, things start to wind down and the crowd disperses. It isn't very long before a handful of people are left, the Duchess and the high nobles among them. "I should say that was a wonderful time, Duchess." Baroness Wadsworth giggles and gives her a little hug. "It all certainly lived up to the billing." "It was a party. At least you had the common decency to serve liquor here." Rasputin takes a deep draught from his glass and grimaces. "I needed it in order to make it through that little show of yours earlier." Townsend sighs with a shrug. "I'd better get Heimdahl back to his room. The fool is already drunk, and if he hangs around here for much longer I may have to pry him off of that... creature of yours." Duchess Amaranth smiles at Townsend, as if she has some kind of surprise for him. "I'd hold off on that for a moment, if I were you. I have one final lesson to teach someone, and I think you may actually enjoy this." He groans and rolls his eyes. "You take this whole 'dominatrix' routine far too seriously." She calls one of the guards over with a wave of her hand. "Bring me what I had asked for earlier, and be quick about it." He salutes her crisply and runs off. A few minutes pass before I can hear some kind of commotion coming up the hallway and into the grand ballroom. It's only then that I see Mackenzie. They lead her out into the room along the far wall, heavily restrained and bound. She's wearing suppression gloves, and has a ball gag in her mouth. She shuffles along as they drag her behind them on a thick metal chain. But the most striking thing about her is her eyes. I can still see defiance in them as she looks around the room, utter hatred flaring as her gaze meets Duchess Amaranth's. She stumbles once and falls to the ground, the guards cursing at her and hitting her. I cringe at each blow, grateful for when she finally gets up and the abuse stops. They lead her to a set of heavy stocks, binding her in place before moving back deferentially as the Mistress saunters to her. She leans over and strokes her hair, saying something to her I can't make out. Whatever it was, Mackenzie finally looks up and sees me. A pained and tortured look fills her eyes, and I see her nod her head up and down. The Mistress removes her ball gag and wanders back over to her place. "You're right for once, Amaranth." Townsend smiles for the first time that I can remember. It's a terrible thing to see. " I'd have paid real fucking money to see this!" "Is this the expendable one?" Wadsworth cocks an eyebrow and sneers. "Oh, yes. This one is beyond salvaging, but she's perfect for what He has in mind." She leans over to pat Mackenzie's head. "Take a good look, Mackenzie. This is the last time you'll ever see her. Charlotte is mine now, in body and spirit." Duchess Amaranth giggles and kneels down to get closer. "I wanted to thank you before sending you away, though. You made this so very easy for me. You practically gave her to me, you know. All it took was a whisper of a suggestion, and she offered herself to me. Willingly, wholly and completely. See how she sits there, watching us as we talk? I don't even have to hold her leash... she obeys without fail." She stands up and walks back towards me, smiling triumphantly. "This is what your unwarranted ego has wrought. You now go to him knowing that you have nothing, and that you only have yourself to blame. Townsend," she says, turning back to the group, "please escort the Lady Wadsworth to her room." A lump rises in my throat as Mackenzie closes her eyes for a moment, a tear running down her cheek. She says something too low for me to hear, and Duchess Amaranth turns back to her. "What was that, my dear?" "You've... you've killed 'er, didn't ya?" I can see tears running down her cheeks, but she's not sad anymore. She looks... angry. No, that isn't a strong enough word. Furious. She looks like she wants to kill someone. "Just like you said you would." "Killed her? No, Mackenzie. I've given her exactly what she asked for. I-" My breath catches as the she interrupts the Mistress yet again. "You killed everythin' that made her special. There's nothin' of her left." My Mistress spins on her heel, holding her arms out to at her sides. "I gave her what she wanted. Something you never did even though you had allll the opportunity in the world. She wanted to be controlled." "She wanted love. And yeah, I fucked it up. But with me, she had the chance to walk away and still be her." Mackenzie smiles mirthlessly, her eyes shining with hatred. "You? You weren't happy until you had stripped her of everything that made her Cherry." "I carved out your influence, Mackenzie! The damage you inflicted upon her! I have reshaped her!" "You said I was the hammer? You're the one that's beaten everythin' good and noble out of her. She was more than my lover, she was my friend. And you're not either to her." Something stirs within me, something I haven't felt in what seems like forever. Could it be that I was wrong? "Just like everythin' else in this fuckin' city. You use it for all it's worth an' then wipe your asses with it before throwin' it down the shithole." "That will be enough out of you, peasant." Rasputin's tone is murderous as he stalks over to the where she is being held in those stocks. "I suggest if you want to keep your worthless hide in one piece, you'll shut that impudent mouth of yours right now." I turn to look at her, the silvered chains around my neck and body chiming. "Charlotte, heel. Obey me now and pay her no mind." I hear the Duchess bark as she steps over and grabs up my leash, tugging on it to get me to turn away from her. To our mutual surprise, I disobey. I start to stand up and walk over toward her. The tugging becomes forceful pulling, and I fall back a little. Mackenzie sees me and smiles. Her green eyes seem to light up as her gaze catches mine, and I see nothing but adoration in them. For me. "Then again, maybe not yet." The pulling on my collar becomes a violent yanking as I hear the Mistress begin to scream. She seems so far away, though... as if she were across the room. "I am your OWNER, Charlotte. You WILL obey me, right now! Heel and come to me!" And still I disobey. "Cherry, I'm-" Rasputin's sword is drawn in a blur, and he levels it at Mackenzie. The tip of the steel dances perilously close to her left eye. "One more word, and I will carve out your eye." She leans her head through the stocks that restrain her and winks at him. In the dead silence, I swear I can hear her eyelashes brushing the tip of the blade. Her gaze flicks to me. "...sorry." Her head jerks violently, and I hear her cry out. Blood streams down her cheek, dripping onto the ground and mimicking the sound of rain as it splashes. Chaos erupts. A Clockwork Green Ch. 10 Pain. Pain everywhere. Pain like I've never felt in my life. My face is white hot. I have to resist the immediate urge to cauterize the wound. It's on my fucking face! Nevermind the fact that I can sense the fire again. It's my fucking face! I try to open my eyes, but the pain is too intense. I slap my left hand over the ruined socket and try again. The air in the room is full of dust. Or maybe smoke. I try to take a step backwards away from the stocks, and stumble. The room seems like it's vibrating. I can't tell if that's just in my head. A shadow lurches ahead of me and I instinctively throw a bolt at it. The body crumples, and I gasp. For a full two seconds, I'm in a dead panic. Charlotte is around here somewhere! Idiot! I rush over closer to the body so I can see it through the chaos, and breathe a sigh of relief that it's only Heimdahl. He stares up blankly, fearfully. "Good riddance," I mutter, although my ears tell me that I didn't mutter that at all. Pain lances my head, and as I crumple to my knees again, the room rocks violently. I'm thrown down onto my side. My body jolts as I land, and my hand pulls away from the socket. Dark blood covers the entire palm, and runs thickly down my arm. Pressure. Gotta keep pressure. I reapply my hand, but I know I'm gonna need to put something on it soon. Charlotte! I roll back onto my knees and call out her name, but there's no response. A lot of moaning from other downed bodies, but none of them are her voice. I cry out again, but it's no good; she either can't hear me, or can't respond. Grimly, I climb back up to my feet and survey. A guard comes crashing through the dark with his halberd raised. I take step back and fire off another quick bolt, and this time I really see what I did. The bolt was enormous. Well, big for a Bolt anyway. Most of the guard's torso is left smoking and blackened, rather than an area six inches across. I hold my right hand in front of me, flipping it back and forth. I know I've been suppressed for a while and that can cause a bit of a backup, but... Gods, the PAIN!! I can barely think straight. Gotta find Charlotte. Everything else is secondary. I work my way up to my feet, but stay low until the rumblings abate. I had no idea there was a fault line anywhere near New Verdia... Focus. Focus! Gods, I can't!! More rustling not too far away. I try to spin and keep the noise where I can see it, but it's so hard to locate. I can barely see, and I can't defend myself one handed... Slowly, I pull back my left hand and tighten all the fingers except the index into a fist. I whimper as the tip turns orange. Blood sizzles and burns and flakes away. Gotta get it really fucking hot... When the heat is enough to start hurting the finger, I push it against the top of the wound just above my eyebrow and drag down. The building and I cry out in unison as another aftershock rocks the world around me. Distantly, a huge boom starts it's own set of rumblings. Feels like a part of the building collapsed. I stay there, on my knees, for at least a few minutes, just breathing. Eventually, I stop seeing double and the pain begins to recede. Gotta find Charlotte. I stumble out into the hall. It's incredible to see the difference a few minutes has made on the interior of this place. Small fires are everywhere, fed by gas pipes from light fixtures. Servants scurry in every direction, and more than a few of them have bits of silver huddled against them as they run. The chaos is a mockery of the perfect façade it replaced. I scoop a rag up off the floor and take a swipe at the blood on my face. A trolley next to a door offers an array of liquors. None of them labeled. I grab a clear one and take a swig. Souvet. I gasp and take another long drag. I see him before he sees me. Rasputin comes barrelling down the hallway, looking toward the room I just left. I hurl the bottle at him with a loud grunt. He spins and draws his sword in one smooth motion, shattering the bottle. The glass shatters around him like a wave against the rocks, but the souvet... The souvet goes everywhere. With a grin, I unleash a stream of flame at him. The gods-damned eye-ruining bastard must have known what was in the bottle, because he was ducking and rolling away as soon as I raised my hand. I throw another jet, and another, but he's out of range and retreating down the hall. I grit my teeth and give chase. The servants know him by sight and clear a path for him as he runs, but none of them are looking behind him. I crash through four, five, six of them before I get to the corner he rounded and... He's gone. It's a dead end. I roar in anger, echoed once again by the building, and I have to brace myself against the wall. "When they told me that some badass was assaulting the place, I thought I was finally gonna see some action." Townsend. And I'm 5 steps into a dead end hallway. Think, Mack! Think! "Aww c'mon," I say, as I turn slowly to my right, "You gonna pick on an invalid?" As I turn, he gasps and covers his mouth in laughter. "Did Raspy do that to you!" I nod and take a step towards him. Distance favors him. I need to be close. "I tell ya, that guy has no qualms about hitting a lady." I bark. "I seem to recall you going quite a bit farther than you had to against a 17 year old girl." "Awww Mack! You're not still sore 'cus your Captain brought me on for that job, are you?" Every step I take, he matches. The distance is maintained. "You lured me into that duel, and you embarrassed me in front of my crew. You're damned right I'm still sore." Buy time. "No, no, no. I showed a punk kid exactly how far out of her league she was. A lesson, it seems, she still hasn't learned." "You were cruel." "You were stupid." I grit my teeth and... Holy shit, this is exactly what he did last time. Got me into a frenzy and beat me senseless. Shredded my clothes, held me in the air, and spanked me. Not this time. "I'm not stupid!" Keep circling. "What do you think you're gonna do against me, Mack?" He pauses... no, he's completely still. The breath before the lunge. "It's gonna be different this time," I say. "I'm not here for you." I grunt and lift my arms, and a massive wall of flame leaps up between us. I spin on my heel and dart through the nearest door. A wailing sound chases me as he turns the hallway into a wind tunnel. I don't need it. I make for the nearest window and dive through it. The walls on both sides of it buckle and groan as I roll through the dirt and run. A thousand air mages in the world. The second fewest of any kind of magic. The only type guaranteed to earn it's practitioner a lifetime of easy money, through remote communication and air travel, and I've gotta keep running into the one sadistic fuck that likes to use it as a weapon. I hear his boots behind me just as I blow through a door and head back into the compound. This room won't do. I map out my next few steps and reach behind me to let off a few boomers. The walls erupt in flame and debris, but a bubble of calm breaks through in chase. I get through another door and into another hallway just like the last one. I pick a direction and run, leaving as much torched debris in my wake as I can. I can hear him laughing, if perhaps not gaining, as I make it around another corner. A pair of massive double doors block the end of the hallway. I throw a boomer at them, and charge through the blast. This... This must have been a temple at one time. I don't take Amaranth for the worshipping time, and the gutted wooden structure agrees with my thinking, if not exactly proving me right. I take a few quick breaths, each one faster than the last, and spin fearfully as the remains of the doors are blown wide open. "Is that all you've got, Mack?" I unleash a torrent of bolts, arms pumping forward and backward with each shot, but he deflects them like he's conducting a symphony. I take a few steps back and gasp, and this time it's boomers. His casual pace isn't impeded in the slightest, and each of my attacks is carelessly, casually brushed aside. I gasp again, and he begins his counterstroke. I manage to get my arms thrown up just before a razor thin gust of wind slashes at me. I cry out in pain, and blood pours down my arms. Townsend grins and rears back, but the ground beneath him ripples. His attack goes astray as he tumbles down to one knee. I lob a boomer at him, and he deflects it down into the ground, but the blast still knocks him back. I try to keep pushing the offensive, throwing a wave of bolts, but I get slammed by a wall of air from my left. I wouldn't have seen it coming anyway. He cries out triumphantly. "Well, you managed to singe my clothes this time," he says. "I suppose that's an improvement." I need to buy time! I lift myself back up onto one knee and grimace. I hit rows of pews and chairs to either side of me with torches as I back away from him. He doesn't bother trying to put them out, he just hits them all with a massive gust and knocks them behind me. The gust picks up, and I have to plant my feet and lean just to stay upright. I can barely keep my eye open, and when he reaches back, I know it's coming again. I cringe and duck, and an enormous wall of dirt rises up out of the ground between us. It buckles as Townsend's attack lays into from the other side, but for one full second, all I can do is gape. 6 feet wide and 10 feet high. I have no idea how deep. I take a step back in awe, and then another, and praise be to the gods that I did because then the pillar explodes with incredible force. I'm laid out on my ass, shock painted on my features. "I think that's enough screwing around, don't you?" Townsend sneers at me as he stalks across the room. I throw up a hand and unleash another torrent of boomers at him, screaming at the top of my lungs as I desperately crawl backwards. His deflections are less artistic now, and I feel the air tighten on my arm, bending it around. I keep up the boomers, sprayed in an arc around the room, until the last possible second when my hand has been bent around at my own face. I stare at it fearfully as he laughs. And then I grin. "Have you finally sorted out that I can't make you shoot yourself, Mack?" "Not until just now, actually." He laughs, but cuts off as his laugh turns to a short cough. "Awww, Townsend... Is it getting a little hot in here for you?" His eyes bulge, and he looks around. Fire touches every surface, every wall, all the way up to the ceiling 60 feet above us. It groans angrily, as if to hammer home my point. He spins all the way around but there's no beginning or end to the flames. "I don't need to beat you, I just need to outlive you." His eyes snap back to me, and I let loose a massive torch at him. I can see the end of the torch flaring out as it hits some kind of shield. I let up and throw a boomer straight down behind it. It impacts directly against his wall of air and he grunts heavily from the other side of it. I charge and dive through the smoke, taking him into a full body tackle. We tussle on the ground. I've got one hand gripping his shirtsleeve and another on his chest, and he's desperately pushing my face away. I hit him with flames at the same time he hits me with- I smack hard against the ground, and the air leaves my lungs in a rush. I try to flop onto my side as I gasp, and I can hear Townsend crying out painfully. There's no clear memory of what I just hit him with, but whatever it was landed. I get up onto my knees and look around. He's shambling towards the wreck of a wall we came in from. I lob a few boomers past him, and the resultant explosions knock him back on his ass. He mewls terribly and rolls around a bit, but no real effort is made to get back up. "You know," I say, gasping more than a little as I stagger across the room. I heat up a finger and cauterize the gaping slash across the opposing forearm with a gut-wrenching cry. "I uh... " Another cry as I seal the second wound. Townsend manages to flip himself over onto his stomach, but his arms wobble terribly when he tries to lift himself. I kneel down in front of him and grab a fistful of his hair. He screams as I lift him. "Damn. You know, I had a great line I was gonna use when I finally beat you. Been thinking about it for years." I croak a laugh. "I just... can't seem to remember what it was." He gurgles and looks confused as I press my palm to his chest and end it. *** The hole I put in the stone wall is perhaps a bit more than is strictly necessary, but I need the effect. As I stump through the cloud of dust and smoke, I can hear them. Down at the far end of the room. The serving girl hadn't lied. I puff myself up as big as I can as I turn towards them. "That is mine," I shout, pointing at Cherry. Charlotte and the Duchess Amaranth lower their arms from the protective stances they'd taken and gape at me with equal levels of confusion. It's all I can do to walk straight, but every ounce of effort is put into that. Charlotte's eyes widen as her jaw drops, but Amaranth is unphased. "Stay," she says softly to Charlotte. "I'll handle this." She squares herself against me and takes a step. I use just about the last of my strength to ignite my fists and keep upright. Amaranth grins and takes a deep breath. "SUBMIT!" Her voice land like hammerblows to a bell. She yells it again, and I tumble. My vision tunnels, lights arc and prism, and my head wants to split open. She yells it a third time, and I cry out. "So much bluster," she muses at a normal volume. "So much... vigor." I manage to lift my head enough to see her bare feet pad around me slowly. "You thought you could come in here and... what? Intimidate me? Bluff me? Me? Like I couldn't see through your weakness the second you step foot in here? Into my sanctum?" "How does it feel, Mackenzie? I've always wondered what it was like... Is it blissful? To feel your willpower slip away?" My ears ring, her words crashing through my head. "It's a gift, you know. I wasn't... born with this, but He saw fit to reward my loyal service with a taste of his own power." I try to turn to follow her as she circles around behind me, but I can't seem to move fast enough. I would really like to look at her. "Of course, it takes all the fun out of it. All the nuance. Those are the bits I like the best, you know." She titters musically. "The real fun of breaking someone is watching it happen inch by inch. Inexorably. This..." The word 'this' echoes a thousand times, a thousand times a thousand. I clamp my hands over my ears and cry out. Why would she do that to me?! It hurts!! "This is effective, but hardly a challenge." As she passes my left side, I try to turn my head to face her, forgetting for a moment about my ruined eye. "Kneel." I summon the last of my strength to push myself up, nearly rolling backwards in the process. I try to keep my eye trained on her, but the world seems to bobble around. I wish she would make the world settle. That would be nice. She seems to have no trouble staying still, though, as she draws a dagger from within the folds of her dress. "Of course, who am I to argue with res-huuuuurk!" Red blooms across her dress. Amaranth looks down in horror at the blade jutting from her chest. The dagger clatters against the floor, forgotten. She reaches up slowly with both hands, grabbing at it feebly as her head lolls back and around to look at Charlotte. Tears stream down from my Cherry's red rimmed eyes. The Duchess' lips work soundlessly as she tries to turn around to face her pet, her attacker... her killer. Charlotte pulls the sword out of her back with a savage yank, slicing open her hands as they clench around it. She cries out weakly, blood erupting from her chest as her hands press against the wound in a desperate attempt to keep it all on the inside. "I-," she cuts out, coughing blood. "I never..." My vision is foggy, but I can feel the scales falling away. "Charlotte," she croaks. Charlotte drops the blade and stumbles. The Duchess, bleeding and moaning, reaches for her, and Charlotte scampers across the floor to hold her. "Tell me what to do," she cries. "Tell me what to do!" Amaranth gurgles and blinks, trying to desperately to speak, or to make any sound at all. I fall forward onto my hands and vomit. I cough and spit and hack, anything to get the taste out of my mouth. When my vision finally clears, Charlotte is cradling the very still corpse of Amaranth against her shoulder. "She won't tell me what to do," she says quietly. "We've gotta go, Charlotte." Her eyes are glassy and still. "C'mon Cherry! We can't stay here forever! Someone is gonna find us!" No response. "Charlotte?" I grab her arm and try to lift her up, but she doesn't budge. "She won't tell me what to do..." I did this to her. I drove her here. I drove her into those arms. I drove her into that collar. Amaranth was right about a lot of things. That's what made her so damn convincing. She used the truth like a... like a... doctors that cut... Surgeon. Gods, I'm tired. What was it she said? I clear my throat and stand up straight. "Charlotte, stand up." She stops rocking and looks up at me blankly. I take a deep breath. Fuck you, Amaranth. "Charlotte! Stand Up!" I fucking hate you. I hate that you did this to her. "Charlotte!" She shakes as she slowly lays the body down on the carpet and rises to her feet. This will not be your legacy. I will fix her. *** I have to threaten a cook to find the way to the garage. We're given a wide berth on our way out the door. I think it's my eye that really scares them. Charlotte shambles alongside of me, her eyes never rising from the carpet in front of her. The motor pool is a fancy lot of garish crap. Worthless junk that barely makes 20 miles an hour before it starts shaking. I ditch it once we're out of the Elysium district and almost steal a motorcycle, but I'm not sure Charlotte can handled riding behind me. I take a tricycle next to it instead. Less stylish, but more stable. I have to drive one handed, pinning Charlotte's arms to my front so she doesn't slide off the back. The shop is dark and silent as I pull into the parking lot. Dawn is in a few hours. I raise one of the overhead doors and hide the bike inside the shop. Charlotte is nearly catatonic as I throw her arm over my shoulder and hoist her up. The garage is a little dusty, and the front desk no better. Her feet carry her mechanically up the stairs beside me, and I guide her into the bathroom. Her ridiculous 'dress' is covered in Amaranth's blood, and it's a bit of a fight to get off of her limp frame, to say nothing of the dried blood sticking to everything. I resist resorting to yelling at her again, though that might have been easier. I wash out her short brown hair, and clean the blood off of her fingers and fingernails. She hardly even blinks while the water runs over her face. We walk naked into the bedroom. Charlotte stares blankly at the bed while I rummage through her side of the closet for some pajamas. I frown at them in my hands, thinking about how hard it was to get her out of what she'd been wearing. I lay them on the bed. "Charlotte. Dress yourself." Her face is an empty mask as she steps over to the bed and gracefully dons the shirt and pants I'd picked out. As soon as she finishes clothing herself, she twitches and whimpers. I look her up and down, but she seems fine. After a few seconds, she scampers over to the bed and straightens out the sheets. The bed had been sitting unmade for... I don't even know. Weeks? A month? I swoop in behind her and grab her arms. She tries to continue making the bed, but I gently push her into it. I think she'd almost forgotten I was there. A Clockwork Green Ch. 10 I grab some fresh clothes and turn out the lights on my way out of the bedroom. Charlotte curls up with a pillow, staring off into space as I shut the door. I throw on my clothes as I head down into the garage, and flick on the lights over my workspace. Charlotte lost her sword. She's gonna want that back, but I can whip up something in the meantime. Her shotgun is gone, but I've still got the plans for that around here somewhere. My goggles are gone too. I made those for my Dad. No point in replacing them. I never used them, just wore them for the effect. "Mackenzie?" I whirl, knocking my stool to the ground. Raphe throws up his hands. "Whoa, whoa!" I press my hand over my chest to slow my thumping heart. "I'm glad you're here. I'm gonna need help." "Oh my... what happened your eye?!" "Remember how I said someone was lookin' for us?" He nods. "They found us." "Is that where you two've been?" "How long were we gone?" "Six weeks." "Felt like longer," I croak. "Still, that's a long while. Have you guys been here the whole time?" "Yeah. Nobody came snooping around except customers." "Hey yeah... where's, uh..." "Mr. Whitaker came and picked up his followcar." "Shit! That wasn't finished!" "He took it for a test drive, or test follow, or whatever, and he said it worked fine." "And... did you guys charge him?" "Yeah. Sera and Rae worked out a price based on your notes." "And so... you guys had enough money?" "Yeah." I try to turn back to the desk and sit down, but the stool isn't where it used to be. I land hard on my ass and laugh. "Mack, are you ok?" "You shoulda seen the other guy!" I don't know why it's so funny, but it is. It's hilarious. "Mack," he says, "I think you might be in shock." I try to correct him, but I can't stop laughing. "I'm gonna go get Sera! Wait right here." I lean back against the desk and laugh. There's so much to do, and I'm just sitting here! Ugh! I grab the lip of the desk and try to lift myself up just as Sera and Raphe come running in "Oh my gods," Sera says, looking around. "Go get a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen! Something for the pain!" "She wasn't screaming like that when I left," he yells, as he runs back down the hall. Screaming? Sera kneels down next to me and gives me a gentle smile "Mackenzie, honey, you've gotta calm down and stop crying!" What is she talking about? I'm not crying... "Raphe, hurry up!" I'm not crying, am I? *** "Good morning, Mack!" I jolt up and spin. Tubbins is sitting up on the counter by the register with a giant picture book in his hands. He's missing one of his front teeth now, and he playfully pokes his tongue through the hole as he smiles. I've got a splitting headache, and when I reach up, I find a big bandage wrapped around my head. "Sera said you shouldn't take that off." "Has Charlotte come down yet?" "Noooope!" "You... uh. You learnin' to read, Tubbins?" "Yuuuup!" "Carry on," I say, as I crawl off the lobby couch. The monstrous clock in the garage says it's 10:30. I stagger into the kitchen, open the refrigerator, and immediately slam it shut. Phew. I make a pot of coffee instead. I fill two mugs and make my way upstairs. Opening the bedroom door is a chore, but... what... where is she? I walk farther into the room. The bed is impeccable, and the room has been cleaned and dusted. I sigh and turn and my heart nearly stops. Charlotte's kneeling right behind me. She'd been on my left as I walked in the door. On my left. I want to be mad. I want to be able to just be mad at myself, to feel some self pity. To be mad at Rasputin. I want to be able to process my problems. But Charlotte just kneels there, still as a statue, her eyes slightly widened in anticipation. Can't be mad right now. She'll take it the wrong way. I clear my throat. "The room looks wonderful. Was it your routine to wait by the door?" "Yes..." she pauses, and her eyes search the ground. "You will call me Mistress now." "Yes, Mistress." She sighs with relief. Fuck you, Amaranth. "Tomorrow, you will wait on the bed." "Yes, Mistress." I walk over to the closet and grab a new shirt and pants for myself. I watch Charlotte as I dress. She barely moves, remaining knelt by the side of the door. I pick out some clothes for her, lay them on the bed and stand back. She doesn't move. Gods, the woman I love is in there somewhere. I just want to shake her until she snaps out of it, but that won't work. She'll think she's failing me and break down crying again. I need to think. "Charlotte, dress yourself and wait in this room for me. You may sit on the bed if you wish." "Yes, Mistress." I run my hand through my hair frantically as she leaps to her feet. She undresses like it's part of an elegant dance. It's awful to see her like this. I walk out and shut the door behind me. *** "Not the rye," I say peevishly. "Are you nuts? Get the honey wheat." Raphe shrugs and grabs the right loaf. "Get four." "Ok," he huffs, unloading the bread into the basket on my arm. "But how?" "Trust me, that's not a question you should be in any hurry to know the answer to." "Well, how am I supposed to help then?" "Well for one thing, I'm looking for ideas, so if and when you have any, run 'em by me. Two, I need you to help me to get the others to keep... I dunno, order." "Order?" "Yeah, uhh, like, jobs and chores. Like a little system." I sigh. "A tiny little system." "We already kinda do that." "2 dozen fudge cookies," I say to the man behind the counter. "Well, now it's gonna be more rigid and enforced. It's what she needs." I frown and scratch behind my ear. "How far can you run?" *** I dip the steel into the quenching water for the last time and wince at the burst of steam. The steel is orange in my hand, but quickly dulls and cools. I pull it out and give it a few quick flicks of the wrist, but I could never feel balance. Never got the hang of it. "Zero point four two, right?" "Zeeeeroooo... pooooint... fooooooour... Two!" Tubbins looks up from the schematic and grins at me from his spot on my desk. I smirk and assemble the weights. I lay the blade over a bar, delicately hang the weights from the tang, and step back. The steel seesaws back and forth and Tubbins gasps behind me, but after a second the swaying settles down. I remember to breath just as the blade comes to a rest. Balanced. Now I just need to make sure the handle materials come out right. "Did Rissa come back with the leather for this yet?" "Nooooooope." "Okay," I say, snatching up the blade and setting it down in the cloth home I made for it. "That's on hold for a while. What's the schematic under that one?" Tubbins plants a hand on his combat helmet as he leans forward. He folds back the wide blue sheet where I drew out Charlotte's new sword, and furrows his brow. "I don't knooow. A ball?" "Nope," I say, coming up from behind him. "It's gonna be a new eye. At least I hope it will." "You can make eyeballs?!" "Well, not exactly. Do you remember the Followcar?" He nods, helmet bobbling. "Remember how it followed the torch that one time?" Helmet bobbling. "I made that machine follow heat, and I think I can make a tiny little ball do something similar." "So you can see fire?" "Yeah," I laugh. "Something like that. Now go get me an aluminum ingot." *** I walk in and smile. Charlotte is dressed and sitting on the bed. "I see you went with the white blouse, Charlotte. Why?" I sip at my coffee and peer at her, and she flusters. "The Mistress told me once that sh-she liked this shirt on me." "I sure did!" She laughed at me when I said it before. Now she's laughing because she's overjoyed that she made an acceptable wardrobe choice on her own. Baby steps. I hide my frown behind another sip. "I'm very proud of you, Charlotte. Those clothes are definitely to my liking." She preens. She absolutely preens. Fuck you, Amaranth. "Someone's getting a cookie with lunch." *** I rub at my eye and sigh. Staring through the magnifying lens is giving me a terrific headache, but the imbuements have to be etched and painted at an almost microscopic level. Sera suggested doing it on a pair of goggles instead of a ball, and I almost went with that, but I decided to stick with a replacement ball in the end. This is gonna look way cooler when it's done. The front door chime goes off distantly. More customers. Great. I take a steadying breath and lean back over the glass to stare down at my new eye. The razor hovers over the next etch, waiting for... something's wrong. What's... I put down the razor and look around. Why do I have this... wait, we're not open! I jump down off my stool and run to the lobby. "...was dealin' with her last time, so you can just- Hey miss! Come back here! I was talkin to you!" Mr. Farelli is pointing and shouting at Charlotte, who tried to walk back into our kitchen and is now tearing up. Sera is standing between them with her arms spread, but he's looking right over her. "What the fuck is goin on out here?!" "Who are you now," he asks, turning to me. "I'm Mack, and I-" "That bitch over there promised me that you wou-" I grab his shirt and spin him against the wall. "Now you listen here," I shout, my finger quivering an inch from his nose. "If you ever speak to her like that again, I will Fuck. You. Up." He straightens up and glowers at me. "She and I had a deal! You're a month late delivering on a replacement fan motor!" "And you'll be getting a full refund for your trouble." "No, I want an apology too!" He points behind me again. "I want her down on her knees, and-" I plant my fist in his groin, and Mr. Farelli doubles over with a groan. I grab the side of his head, fling him around into the wall, and he collapses in a heap. "Sera, would you please withdraw a refund for this man from the register?" I grab his collar and drag him outside into the middle of the parking lot. "Two hundred aaaaaaaaand ten," Sera says, running out to me. I take the bills, fold them in half, and shove them down the back of his trousers. "I hope he gets the message," I say, turning back. Charlotte nearly tackles me as we step back inside. "Thank you!!" I manage, if just barely, to stay upright. "I was just I was just I was just walking downstairs to meet Raphe for my run when he started yelling!" "It's ok! He's gone," I say, stroking her hair. "I'm here. I'm here." She trembles in my arms. "I remember telling him it would only be a weeeeeeeeee-" "Heeey. Hey. Calm down." I hold her closer, tightly. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault." I keep repeating it, but she just cries harder. *** I throw up the shield on my welding visor and assess. The seven foot frame, constructed of steel pipes, is certainly the least complicated thing I've built in a while, but it's sturdy. I jump up, grab the crossbeam, and lift myself up to my chin to prove it. Solid as a rock. Landing is a awkward. My back is sore from sleeping on the couch all week. "Can I look nooooow?" "Yeah, sorry!" Tubbins pushes his helmet back on top of his head and gasps. "It looks just like the drawing. What does it do again?" "I'll tell you when you're older," I say smirking, and light up a cigarette. "If you met the right girl, I'll even let you borrow it." It itches under my patch. I want to scratch it so badly. "Girls are weeird." "No argument here," I say absently, my mind already focused an hour into the future. "Alright, it's getting late. Can you grab Peat and Rissa and get them out of the house? Charlotte and I need some alone time." "Are you two gonna kiss?" "Out!" "Ewwww," he says with a sour face. "Out!" "Girls," he says in exasperation as he trudges up the stairs. *** I hear Charlotte shut the front door. "Mistress?" "I'm up here," I say. She jogs up the stairs and pauses. "In the bedroom." She stops after she gets a few steps through the doorway. I'm naked, sitting in an armchair that doesn't normally live in this room. "How was your run?" "It was..." "Were you nervous?" "Yes," she says, looking down and putting her hands together in front of her. "It was your first time out of the house alone. That's a big step." "Yes, Mistress." "Did you run the full 3 miles?" "Yes, Mistress." "You don't sound out of breath." "No, Mistress." "Strip down." She hesitates. "Yes?" "I'm all sweaty. May I go get cleaned up?" "That's sweet of you. No, you may not. Strip." Charlotte reaches across her chest and pulls her shirt over her head. Her small breasts rise and fall with her arms, but she's oblivious to my stare. She lifts a knee up and reaches down to untie her running shoe. Her balance is impeccable. My eyes follow the curve of her bare ankle, flowing up to her elongated calf. "I know who I am, Cherry." I get up and walk around behind her as she straightens from removing her shorts. "Your former Mistress reminded me of that every day we were there. I don't think she intended for me to find any strength in that, but I did. I'm... comfortable... in my skin. Even if it is a little scarred." I run my hand through the hair on the back of her head as I circle her. "You, on the other hand... she took who you are. Stole it from you. Tried to turn you into something else." I stop beside her, and carefully slide a finger from the same hand up under her balls to drag along her slit. "Tonight, I'm going to start reminding you. We're gonna find you again." I bring my hand up to my nose and take a deep whiff. She shudders while watching me in her peripheral vision. I walk over to the bed and lift away the first set of tissue paper. Charlotte's eyes widen as they fall on the simple blade I've made for her. "I know it's not as elegant as the one you had, but it's well made. It should suffice for now." She makes no move to pick it up, only stares wide eyed. I put the tissue paper back down over it and smile. "It's yours whenever you're ready for it." She nods slowly. I lift the next piece of paper, and she gasps. Two dark brown leather boots, ankle high. I hand them to her, and she smiles softly while she slips them on. The difference in our height becomes more pronounced, but I don't mind. She stands back up with a confident smile, and I circle her again. My hand up the back of her thigh, cupping the bottom of her ass. I kneel down behind her and marvel at the dream made real before me. The tone of muscle. The curve of flesh. My hands find her cheeks, gently parting. My tongue finds her hole, gently probing. She gasps again. "You've been a good girl, Charlotte. Now stay still." Her legs, held so close together, press her cheeks against mine, but not problematically so. A taste. Only a taste. She puffs out a frustrated breath as I pull back. She takes a few more breaths to steady herself as I walk back around to the bed again. I lift the last piece of paper. Her reaction to the leather collar is immediate; joyful. I smile as I scoop it up and turn around. Charlotte drops down to one knee and offers her neck to me, and I pause. I have that feeling. That tremor. I watched Amaranth have it. I had it that first time I was with Charlotte. That... power. As she kneels there before me, I have it again. She's offering herself to me. Again. In the blink of an eye, the auction. The alley. The girl. The unfounded insecurity. The unwarranted punishment. In the blink of an eye, I am resolved. The collar snaps into place, and she stands up. Her eyes, so full of hope. Hope that she finally found her role, her place in this world. Her place at my side. Hope that I will get it right this time. I smile broadly as I snap the leash to her collar. "We're going to the basement," I say. She turns and starts to leave, but I give the leash a quick tug. "No, Charlotte. I'll lead the way." She nods and waits while I step past her into the hall. She stays precisely two steps behind. The leash is limp in my hand, and she steps up beside me as we reach the landing in the basement. "That collar, that is yours. It is your responsibility. It is yours to care for, and to keep from damage." I walk her into the center of the frame, and raise her arms one at a time into bracers that hang from each of the top corners. "I leave it in your hands. I expect you to wear it as often as you can, but there will be times when it simply won't be possible or appropriate." I spread her legs, strapping each lower calf to the side. "So I'm going to give you something else you can't take off." I walk over to a barrel of water, and pull out a piece of iron three feet long. There is a plate on the end, just slightly smaller across than my palm. Etched in relief on the front of the plate is a lick of flame. Charlotte stares at it warily as my hand heats it with a gout of fire. "This will mark you as mine. I am claiming you. You are not a pet, or a thing. You are a woman. The most beautiful woman I have ever known, and you are mine. I will have you, if you will have me for your owner. With ownership comes responsibility. I will care for you, and you will be loved. But you will be mine. "I've already received my mark," I say, tapping the patch on my face. "I was willing, and glad, to take that step first. I put my faith in you, broken as you were, and you saved my life. "I won't do this without your permission, but if you put your faith in me, I can save you too. Fix what was broken. Heal what was wounded. Build anew what was destroyed." The iron hisses and smokes, and I look to her. She is fearful, as she has every right to be, but she is not backing down. She stands tall and proud in her restraints. A bit of her old strength shining through. She stares down the hot brand and nods. "Not good enough, Charlotte. I need to hear you say it." "Do it," she says. Her voice wavers slightly. "Make me yours." I step behind her and ready the iron. "On the count of three. One." I press the hot iron firmly against her right buttock for a full count of One Capodella. Charlotte shrieks and tugs inward on all four limbs, trying to tuck into a ball. Her skin smokes and squeals as I pull the brand away. I immediately reach up and grab her right hand with my left, palm to palm. My fingers interlace with hers. She clamps down and whimpers, thankful for the steadying effort, but she does not grasp my full purpose. The brand comes in hard against the back of her hand. She screams again, and nearly crushes my fingers between hers. A Clockwork Green Ch. 10 And then it's over. I step under her arm, fingers still intertwined. I toss the rod into the barrel of water, and turn back around to face her. She's heaving, covered in sweat. Her arm quivers, muscles straining. Her eyes are tearful, but there is a hint of a smile. "Did I..." She swallows hard. "Did I do good?" I grab the back of her neck and pull her down. "You were amazing." I pull her in closer until our lips brush, tilting her head to my right. Her eyes close, and our lips meet. She moans as my tongue invades her mouth, dominating it's target as surely as I do her. I let go of her hand and wrap my fingers around her cock. My thumb brings my prick in tight against hers. She moans again as I rub us, her arms struggling against their bonds. The flesh over her cock slides and bunches, and the shaft within nuzzles against mine. The only sound is our lips, coming together and sliding apart wetly. She thrusts her hips what little she can. She feels like a smooth stone, hard and round, pressed against me. Her tongue darts and escapes no matter how many times I pin it. I let go of her neck to reach around behind her. I stiffen my palm and flick my wrist, delivering a shockingly loud slap to her other rump. She cries into the kiss. I suck on her lip, drawing it into my mouth and pulling back. She cranes her neck as I bite and pull farther. Her eyes, pinched shut. Another slap, and I let go... "...harder." she whimpers. I give us one last good squeeze and let go to step around behind her. Her right cheek is shiny and swollen, the brand bright red on her pale skin. The left cheek just slightly pink. It could be pinker... I reach up under her arm to grab and push back on her chin. My lips sweep over her cheek as I speak. "As you wish." I bit my lip and moan into her ear as I slap her again. "...harder," she croaks. My hand cracks loudly against her ass a fourth time. My other hand slides down from her chin to grope at her breast. I step in behind her. My prick slides between her legs and up along her slit, the head resting against the underside of her sack. Her thighs, slick with sweat, press in on me as she clenches. I grab a handful of her short curls and pull her back to me again. "Beg," I whisper. "Please, Mistress! Please fuck me! Ahhh!" My fist pulls back a little harder. "Please!" I pull back and thrust, sliding my cock slowly between her legs. I lick my lips and enunciate. "I'm going to fuck your ass. Slowly" My fingers spread my homegrown lube and guide the anxious head between her cheeks. She whimpers as I part her, as I spread her, as I stretch her. I control my thrusts; fast coming out and slow going in. My hips ache, yearn, to crush her, to drive through her. I close my eye and focus on the incredible sensation of her hole, and the warmth of her walls. Her arms slacken, and her torso slouches forward. Inches only, but the action speaks volumes of her release. Of her acceptance. She looks back at me over her shoulder and she offers herself to me. I shudder. I fill her over and over. Her eyes pinch tight, but she never looks away. I savor the sensation of stretching her, slowing as I push that thickest part through. Her panting is shallow, voiced lightly and high. I bite my lip and cringe. I can't... I don't... not yet... it's too soon! My cheeks flush a deep red as I fight to stop it, but it's too late, and with one agonizingly slow push, I fill her to bursting. I step in closer, risking just the barest touch against her backside, and pull her back against my chest. It's too much to do more than the tiniest pushes. I bite down on her shoulder and scream into her flesh. The faint taste of blood on my lips brings me back, and I lean against her panting. She nuzzles the side of my head. My hands swarm over her breasts, and she sighs happily. "Oh no," I manage between labored breaths. "You've been a very good girl today, Cherry. You get a special treat." I wince as I pull back. She looks confused as I come back around in front of her. She should be. We've never done this. I've never done this. My heart races as I kneel down in front of her. She gives a kind of strangled cry as I grip the base of her cock. It seems so much bigger now that I'm this close to it... how does she manage mine?! I angle it up and drag my tongue along the underside. Memories and images flash as I try to picture this being done... no. I pause, staring at it eye to eye. Deep breath. "Thank you," Charlotte says. I look up at her, open my mouth, and guide the head inside. She shudders and sags. The head drags along the roof of my mouth, and the taste of sweat and her precum explodes on my tongue. I have to fight my jaw open wider when my teeth touch down on both sides at the same time my lips touch my fingers. I back off and roll my jaw. She whimpers, and I slide my hand up and down her length. Deep breath to steady myself, and I take her head inside me again. I keep my hand moving, and drag my tongue around her head. She moans more strongly, and I try to home in on what I'm doing right. More precum hits my tongue. I instinctively swallow, and she moans louder. I suck again, chancing a little more of her in me, and look up. Her face is... purple. Wait, Charlotte is a- In the space between one thought and the next, my mouth is filled. Panicked, I pull back, but her cock continues to shoot thick, hot loads. I turn, and my cheek is covered, battered, by her orgasm. It runs down onto my neck, and drips onto my shoulder. I swallow what I took, and pause, waiting while she wails away. I stroke her gently, and more dribbles out over my arm. "Next time," I say with a grin, "I'm going to make you lick it off." I stand up, and take her chin in hand. "Next time, you're going to give me a warning." I kiss her gently, cum stranding between our lips as I pull back. "Next time, I'll swallow a little more." She's exhausted as I help her out of her bindings, and help her upstairs. I take care of her in the shower, making sure her brand is cleaned and cared for. She luxuriates in the steam, and insists on washing me down when I'm done with her. "Mackenzie," she says, as I help her into the bed. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" I smile and nod. As she curls up under the sheets and into my arms, it feels right. Her naked form inside of mine. It feels like it should. It's not what it was before, and that's ok. *** I wake up the next morning to a soft whimper. I rub the gunk from my bleary eye and look around. I'm lying on my left side, with my right leg tucked into my stomach and my left leg extended. Charlotte is in bed behind me... it was her whimpering... and judging by the light rocking to the bed... "You woke me up," I grumble. "What are you doin' over there?" I roll my head to the side to peek back at her. Charlotte gasps and twists, wrapping the sheets around herself. "N-nothing, Mistress!" "Doesn't feel like nothin'." The silence hangs for a minute. "You know, all you have to do is ask..." She's cute when she stammers. "P-p-p-please Mistress, c-can I fuck you?" I reach down, grab the back of my thigh, and expose myself to her. "Go on, then. You've earned it." I smirk at her over my shoulder. Charlotte bounces up on her knees and shuffles in behind me. I feel one knee press against the middle of my back, and she pushes my legs together with the other one. She hovers over my hips, dick in hand, but still hesitant. "Do you not want to?" "No," she cries. "I do! I just... we never... I mean... Why are you being so nice to me?" "Shut up and fuck me, Cherry." Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. I squirm a little, and her reservations break down like a dam bursting. She hilts herself into my pussy in one go. I groan and tuck myself in a little tighter. Oooh, it's been a while. Oooooooo. Charlotte is nearly cross eyed, towering above me. She plants a hand on my thigh and one on my side and rocks her hips up and back. My hand waves in the air, torn between pushing her back and letting her have this. Oooooo, it's been a while! I squint and bury my face in the pillow. Suddenly, Charlotte grabs my flailing hand. I groan and tighten my hand around hers. I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good, but it's been a loooong time... Charlotte gives a light "Oh! Oh! Oh!" with each thrust. Something catches in her throat for a moment and her voice deepens. For a split second, it's Tony fucking me. My best friend. My only friend, for a while there. I tighten extra hard on her hand and squeeze my legs together, and Charlotte moans loudly. "Oh!" I reach out and grab the edge of the bed, desperate for anything to hold on to. "Oh!" I try to groan, but my groan is staccato, interrupted by a squeak every time I'm bounced. "Oh!" Every time she drives into my thighs. "Oh!" I glance up, and her face is darkened. "Oh!" "Stop!" Charlotte gasps and sits back on her heels, looking absolutely crestfallen. I pause to catch my breath. My mouth is arid. "I bet she did this kind of thing all the time, didn't she?" She nods weakly. "Denied you. Pushed you til you were broken." She nods again. "You trust me to only push you as hard as you can handle, right Cherry?" Her visible disappointment softens slightly, and she nods. "Good. Lets find out how hard that is." I roll onto my back and prop myself up on my elbows. "First, though, you got me all wet and messy. Clean it up. I'll tell you when to stop." I spread my legs as Charlotte curls in on herself, feet and knees held together, arms held tight to her torso, and she leans in. I fall back and stroke myself. Charlotte's tongue dives inside me, pushing through the folds to the hole within. The sound she makes while swallowing makes my eye roll back in my head. "That's right, Cherry. Really get in there." Her nose nudges the bottom of my sack with every lap of her tongue. I spit in my hand and stroke the last few inches, working the head and bulge, and tweak a nipple with the other. I twist, and pull, and squeeze, and moan. Charlotte's hands creep up to my thighs, and I curl my feet in against her with a smile. "Oooooh Gods. Whoever taught you how to eat pussy did a damn good job." "MmmMmmMmmmm!" "Yes, I did. That's right." She hums into her work, and I stroke faster. "Oh... Charlotte, that's gotta be... ... hard work down there. Stop." She starts to sit up at the same time I do, but she stops when I stare at her. "You must be getting thirsty then. Here, drink." Still stroking, I aim my cock at her, and she leans back in. I throw my head back and gasp as she swallows the tip, and her tongue is the last piece of the puzzle. Ugh, the sound of her swallowing... Drives. Me. Crazy. I curl forward, shouting as I orgasm. Charlotte purrs at me from below, her eyes closed. A rivulet of cum leaks from the each side of her mouth. A stronger wave pushes in behind the first, feeling like an entirely separate second orgasm rather than the strong second half of one big one. She continues to milk me, quietly sipping from my cup. "Gods yes," I cry. "You do know how to please your Mistress. Yes, you do" She mumbles affirmatively. I plant my hand on the top of her head and pull her in slightly farther. "No tongue, just suck. Yes!" Her cheeks pulse. "Yeeeeees!" I fall back after a few more moments. "Ok," I pant. "I want you to sit up. I want you to stroke your cock with one hand, and your clit with the other." I gaze at the ceiling, and the bed wobbles beneath me as she moves around. "You may stop stroking your cock if it becomes too much, or you may stop stroking your clit. You may not do both. If you get close, you will slow down and manage it, but you will not cum until I say so. You need my permission to cum, do you understand me?" "Yes Mistress," she whimpers. I can already hear the miniscule wet slapping of her folds, separating and clapping back together as she rubs herself. I writhe on the bed, partly from the tail end of my orgasm, and partly from Charlotte. Finally, I get up. Charlotte is sitting with her legs spread and her knees arched. Her lower lip is lost within her mouth, and the occasional sucking sound displays how hard she's trying to keep it there. Her right hand is keeping a slow stroke going on her cock, and her left hand is a blur of tiny motions below her balls. Her eyes slowly open and find me, and the faint downturn of her eyebrows betrays her discomfort. Charlotte gasps as her left hand pulls back. She plants it behind her on the bed and slows her stroking down just slightly. "May I cum, Mistress," she mewls. "No, you may not. Lie on your back." She flops back against the bed and pouts and although her hand slows down to almost nothing, she does not stop. "This is what she did to you, Charlotte. She denied you. She held that over you. That was her power." I crawl across the bed and lay on my side next to her. "Today, you will deny yourself. You will bring yourself to the very edge, and you will stop not because I tell you to, but because I want you to." She rolls her head to stare at me, her mouth hanging open. Her stroking remains slow, and she takes several deep breaths. "You will master this. You will ride the edge, and you will find strength in it." She nods slowly and angles her head up. My eye lingers on the way her neck stretches gracefully. "Finger yourself," I whisper, as I lean in and kiss her neck. "Two fingers. Your middle and ring finger. Inside of you. Now." She fidgets, and the sound of her fingers penetrating is unmistakable. "You may stop stroking if that's too much." She does. For a second. Her right hand hovers around her cock briefly before gripping and stroking again. "Good," I whisper. "Very good." I twist to look down over her extended form as she squirms. "I want you to keep those fingers working inside of you. Those are the most important." She tosses her head back and forth, breathing heavily through her nose. Her hand works rhythmically, filling the room with sound. "I don't want a toy. A thing that does what I want and nothing more." Her legs slide up and down, dragging her toes across the top of the other foot. "I do not want a pet. An animal that trots and begs and whines." I let a hand drift softly over her middle. "I want a woman. I want a killer. I want someone worthwhile who will give themselves to me, and I want her leashed." Charlotte's face pinches, and the fingers in her double their speed. "I will have it from you, Charlotte." She begins to cry out and her fingers ramp up briefly, and just as I take a deep breath to yell at her, she stops on her own. "...Charlotte, did you just edge yourself?" "Yes, Mistress," she cries, frustratedly. "You denied yourself?" "Yes, Mistress!" "Why?" "Because I knew you wouldn't let me finish," she pants. "And why wouldn't I let you?" "Because..." She blows through pursed lips. "Because I can last longer." I take her left hand by the wrist, and withdraw her fingers from within her. She looks at me longingly as I cradle her hand, and begin to lick her fingers. "That was very good, Charlotte." I pull her middle finger into my mouth, and bath it with my tongue. I draw out every glob, every drop, every molecule from her finger. It makes a loud pop when I drag it out past my lips. "Very, very good. Continue to stroke yourself, but slowly. I will be back." I take a little longer than I need to, enjoying a glass of water while looking out over the yard. 10 minutes pass before I return. Charlotte has writhed halfway across the bed, but no cum; it would be everywhere at this point. I smile and sip water from the cup in my hand, and just watch. She's got one hand planted in her short brown curls while she takes measured breaths. She never stops stroking. Her neck and face are bright pink... She must have pulled back again on her own. She arches her legs and lifts her middle up off the bed, wincing and panting. She must have gotten really close! I wipe a bit of drool off my lips with the inside of my wrist and cross the room. She's oblivious of me until I sit down on the side of the bed next to her. Her weak smile sends a thrill through me like an electric shock. "I want to do good," she whispers. I look over at the window, trying to judge the movement of shadows. "Maybe an hour so far. Impressive." She lets out a little laugh. "I want more." She nods, weakly again. Her hair matted and wet. Sweat beads down her chest and across her brow. "You must be thirsty," I say softly. She nods. She switches arms, stroking now with her off hand. I crawl over her, planting my knees to the sides of her head and sit back gently against her chest. "Don't worry," I say with a smirk. "You won't have to get up. I brought you a straw." A few strokes is all I need to be stiff enough to point. Charlotte opens her mouth widely, her tongue sliding up and over her lower lip. I pour a trickle of water down onto my shaft and watch as gravity does it's thing. I wait for her to swallow and pour a little more. And then a little more. When I pull the cup back, Charlotte lifts her head slightly to lick off the last of the drops. I grab her sweat-drenched hair, and pull her up between my legs. Charlotte's blue eyes stare up at me as she takes in my head again. I lift myself up to my knees and pull her up with me, and half of my cock disappears inside her mouth. I sit back down, pressing my ass against her shoulders, and the edges of the tip bulges out her lips. Up and down, up and down. She stares up at me, wincing from time to time when the hair-pulling gets a little excited, but always staring. "Have you calmed down from your last edge?" She tries to answer with a mouthful of cock. Gods bless her enthusiasm. I push her head down into the bed. "Yes, mistress," she gasps, as soon as her lips are otherwise unencumbered. "Good. You will not stop stroking." I roll off of her and slide off the edge of the bed. Charlotte gives a little squeak as I grab her ankle and drag her towards me. She huffs and pouts at my handling of her, but not half so much as she does when I hilt myself in her unceremoniously. "OH! OH! Please may I cum!? Please?!" "No, you may not. Keep stroking." She cries out and presses her hand against my stomach. Her thick pussy juice feels hot against my balls, and her full body squirm as she fights to keep from finishing does amazing things for the tightness of her slit. I'm content to remain fully inside her, smirking while she struggles to keep any sort of rhythm. Her feet press against my shoulders, toes tucked in tightly. She throws her head back and forth, grunting heavily. Her cheeks are wet. "Please! Please, may I cum?" "No," I say firmly. I slowly pull back, leaving the front half inside of her, and stroke myself. She's so warm and tight around me, and even just the slight brush of my fingers against her folds sends her into a fit of whimpers as she desperately tries to control herself. I bite my lip watching her fight it. Watching her fight it for me. Oh Gods! "Please, Mistress," she cries. "May I cum?" "No," I shout, as I pull out of her. A few more strokes, yes...yes... I cry out as I reach my second orgasm of the day. Her stomach, covered in strings of cum. She throws her head back down into the bed and screams into the air in frustration. I step to the side and crawl back onto the bed as she rages, and cup one of my boobs into her mouth. "Find something more useful to do with your mouth," I say dreamily. Her feet cycle in the air impotently, probably wishing I was still there to kick. She groans unhappily, but she does as she's told and she sucks. She switches the arm doing the stroking again, back to her right now. A Clockwork Green Ch. 11 I kneel down and run my hand through the green grass. The bathrobe I grabbed hangs open lewdly, untied, as I stare. Charlotte bursts out the back door a few seconds later, bedsheet wrapped tightly around her shoulders and dragging along the ground behind her. I look back over my shoulder at her. I'm sure her blank stare matches mine. *** "Should I bring the ones marked yelloooh?" "No, leave them," I say. Tubbins tucks the blueprints under his arm and scampers out of the garage. "Raphe! C'mere!" I squint and put the razor's edge to the ball in my hand again. "Yes?" I wait for him to jog in from the kitchen. "Is everyone else gone yet?" "It's just me and Peat. Peat's gone as soon as he finishes loading up his pack." "Make sure he doesn't just grab all the potatoes. Gotta be some cans with green stuff." "I'll make sure." He hesitates and takes another step forward. "Mack?" "Yeah?" Just a couple more etches. "What's happening?" "They're gonna find us now," I say, terser than I meant. "Weren't they always gonna find you guys? Here? At your house?" I frown and keep going. One more, and then a little bit of ink. "I mean, there's a big sign with your name on it!" "Charlotte needed to be somewhere familiar. Had to risk it." "And this 'gress' stuff is a problem?" "Any airship up high enough is gonna see it. They'll know something is different. It's the only vegetation for hundreds of miles and it wasn't there 6 hours ago.. Only takes so many tongues waggin' before it gets back to someone who matters." Raphe steps right up next to me, keeping his voice low. "How did that get there?" "We don't know!" I wink a few times and take a deep breath. "I'm sorry. That came out harsh. We have no idea. It's somethin' about us." Raphe takes a half step back. I pop open the orange ignis bottle on the desk and lay a careful stroke down into the groove on the side of the ball. "Are you..." "We don't know. We don't know anything. It's one or both of us, almost certainly both of us, and it's getting worse." Delicate. Delicate now! "You should check on Peat. You know where you're going?" "Y-yeah." I turn and look up. "If you guys aren't there, we'll understand." Raphe nods slowly, and calls to Peat as he heads out into the hall. I blow softly on the ink and dab at the corner with a cloth. Now or never... I grimace, lift up my scarred eyelid, and push the aluminum ball into the socket. Oh... Oh! The shape is a little off. Fuuuuck, that's uncomfortable... Size can be fixed, though. I take a deep breath and mutter, and the imbuement comes to life. I scream and fall to my knees! It fucking burns! GODS, GET IT OUT! I claw at my eyelid, and in seconds it's out. I probe around in a panic, but there's no actual burns. Everything feels fine. Or at least, it feels like it did before I started. I can't quite seem to open my eye though, so I settle for hyperventilating while the memory of pain fades. The front door slams shut distantly. After a few minutes, I put the ball in my pocket and grab my eye patch off the desk as I head upstairs. Fix it later. Charlotte is standing in front of the bed. The over-the-shoulder scabbard is strapped to her back, but she's got the sword out in her hands and she's just staring at it. "I don't think I should..." I'm still breathing heavy as I step up next to her. She tries to hand the blade to me. "Is she telling you you shouldn't have that?" Charlotte nods reluctantly. "You may never get rid of her voice." Charlotte nods again. "You don't have to listen to it though. You were born to wield one of those." She gasps as my hand slips inside her waistband to grab her length. "What is that voice telling you right now?" "Th-that you aren't good enough," she says fearfully. "And what are your instincts telling you?" I give her a little squeeze and she sighs. "More," she whispers breathily. "Trust your instincts, Charlotte." She licks her lips nervously, and slides the sword over her shoulder and into it's sheath. "Come on. We need to go." She nods and falls in step behind me. I hustle down the stairs, throw open the front door, and step- "HALT!" I step backwards. Charlotte touches my arm, which I hadn't even realized I'd thrown out in front of her. Fucking surrounded! Again! Glass shatters back in the house; they're filling in behind us. My eye hardly knows where to look as I try to assess numbers. The black, blue, and grey of the Peace Department is everywhere. "That's them!" Charlotte gasps as Rasputin steps through the line of officers with his finger pointed. "On the honor of my house, I witnessed these two viciously attack and murder Lady Amaranth, as well as a number of her guests!" "What?!" Two mechs on my right step forward menacingly at my outburst. Both of their arm cannons raise up. "That fucking whore kept us prisoners for a month!" The ranking asshat, or at least the one with the most bars on his chest, steps up. "Mackenzie O'Reilly! Charlotte Hamilton! You are hereby ordered to stand fast! Desist and-" "Fuck this," I shout. I point my hand down in front of my feet and let off a Boomer. The explosion knocks both of us back into the house, but I manage to shield Charlotte from the worst of it. I roll off of her and look back. Beyond the front door is an impenetrable cloud of smoke. I turn back just in time to see a man dressed in the black, blue, and grey come barrelling out of the kitchen only to be impaled on Charlotte's blade. Her fluid stabbing motion reverses instantly, and the man gapes as he tumbles. She and I look at each other for a moment. "See? Good instincts!" She bolts for the garage, and I'm right behind her. Once I'm through the door, she topples over one of my toolboxes to block it shut. I hop onto the tricycle I'd stolen, and it roars to life between my legs. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as I back it up to the rear wall. I try to shout that 'this is going to hurt,' but I can't even hear myself. The door budges beside me, and I gun it. The big garage door shatters. A half dozen peace officers, shock painted on their faces, turn as we plow into their ranks. Dumb luck has me avoid one of the Walkers. We jump the curb into the street before there's any gunfire, and it's only another second before we barrel into the boarded-over structure. The front of the bike scrapes viciously against the ceiling of the stairs. My shoulder brushes it too, and for one terrified fraction of a second, I'm really wishing I'd ducked my head to the right and protected that eye a little better, but then we're falling. The rear axle cracks as we land, and I go tumbling. I kick out one arm and a leg and start sliding, but as soon as I have my other arm raised to try to cover our retreat, I skid over the edge of another flight of stairs and start tumbling all over again. Charlotte lifts me up by my armpits once I stop tumbling. I dizzily throw a few boomers behind us; no one is in visible pursuit, but it's just a matter of time. We stumble onto the platform and jump down between the tracks. The tunnels are poorly lit. Regularly spaced exhaust pipes that go all the way up street level help, but it's pretty dim even directly beneath them because of the distance. A Walker comes crashing down one of the pipes behind us. I lob a boomer at it, and curse as it sails wide. This is why you aim at the floor or the wall, Mack! "Yeah, I know!" I lob another one at it's feet as it takes aim at Charlotte and pops off a few rounds, and it topples. Charlotte is looking back at me quizzically. "Oh shut up," I huff. Another Walker comes crashing down the pipes, and lands directly in front of Charlotte. In one move, she has the blade drawn and ignited. She leaps up onto the things knee and drives the flaming blade through the canopy door. Her shoulder slams into center immediately after and tips it over. She somersaults over the top of it and lands in stride. Gods, she's magnificent! "How did that feel," I shout as we run. "Really, really good!" She grins and bites her lip. Another crash and I turn. Another Walker dropped down 30 yards behind us, and 50 yards past that, there's more coming around the bend. I lob a few boomers indiscriminately and the tunnel in front of us straightens out. The big switching hub is the light at the end of the tunnel literally and figuratively. Suddenly, a heavily armored mech drops down in front of us, right at the mouth of the tunnel "Vesper," I shout. Charlotte ducks down as she runs. I fire a few bolts at the titan as it rises to it's full height. She and I both serpentine, with me crossing behind her. The thing raises it's left arm, with a heavy machine gun mounted to the forearm, at me, tracking me as I try to circle it. Charlotte streaks in and jumps. She hooks her arm around its arm and swings up into the air behind it. As she hits the apex of her arc, she spins and brings her now-flaming sword down just behind the cannon, severing a hydraulic hose and a few control wires. The monstrosity whips around and catches her with a broadside swipe. It's attention turned away from me, I hit it right between the shoulderblades with a boomer. I only stagger it. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Charlotte is up on her knees. I pump out ten boomers in an arc across the ceiling above the armored mech, and it disappears in a cloud of downrushing debris. She slowly rises to her feet as I jog over to her. Blood trickles from the corner of her mouth, and she's clutching her rib, but she's grinning. "I never had the chance to do a Vesper with the Captain." "Me either," I say, scooping up her blade and tossing it to her. She grabs it mid-air and we limp towards the track-switching control building. Peat pokes his head out of a smaller tunnel behind it and waves at us. "Hell of a morning, huh?" "That, Mistress, is an understatement." We slip unnoticed into one of the service access tunnels that run parallel to the disused rail system. It's significantly smaller, but there's a little handcar on smallscale tracks. Raphe and Peat work the lever like a seesaw. The rest of us crowd around and sit off the edges as we hurtle through the dark after my kite. *** "Don't stop here," Tubbins pleads. "There's Deadies over there!" "They're fine," Sera says. "They don't even know we're here." I hope off the cart and stretch my legs a little. The deserted maintenance station looms in the dark. It's big enough for all of us to stretch out in, and I can't wait for some rest. The kids are having a jumble of conversations all at once now that they can hear each other, like they were saving up all their thoughts until it was quiet enough for someone else to hear them. Charlotte plants herself by the door once we're inside, keeping it barely cracked as she watches. "So you guys're gonna stay here, right?" "Right." Raphe and Sera say it together, and then blush. "Charlotte 'n me are gonna head out to the P'fessor's. See if her skiff is still airworthy, and then we'll come back for you." "Mistress," Charlotte says from the door, "some of those 'deads' are coming over here." "They're harmless," Sera insists, but Charlotte frowns and slips out the door. "She's not gonna hurt them, is she?" "Not unless she has to," I say as soothingly as I can, but Sera doesn't look convinced. "Now, once we pick you up, Charlotte is gonna guide us out into a shipping lane, and we'll see if we can't find an airship that'll take us on. Even if we don't find one, our heading should take us near water long before we run out..." Voices are rising outside. The kids slowly turn, some terrified and some just confused. I step outside after Charlotte. She's yelling too. "-off!" One of them stumbles backwards away from her. She pulls out her sword, lifts it high overhead,and taps her thumb against the underside of the hilt. The blade flares brightly in the dimness. Dozens of deadies become visible, half surrounding Charlotte. I cross the space between us to stand at her side. "You come!" One of them whimpers. "You come!" "You come!" The group of them repeats it, voices overlapping. Men and women. Young and old. Ratty hair, dirty rags, and sallow skin are the only unifying features among them. "Come where," I ask hesitantly. "Him," they all say, together. Charlotte and I both take a step back. Suddenly, Rissa screams out behind us. I spin. One of the has her head in it's hands, but it's staring at me. "No hurt," it whimpers. "You come, no hurt!" "Whistler?" "Whistler," I reply. I raise my hand and unleash a bolt at the one holding the girl. Charlotte's blade whirls behind me, casting fast-moving shadows as she lays into the crowd. Bolt, bolt, bolt as I turn, dropping three more. Charlotte is in their midst, carving a swath. Some charge her weakly, some turn and amble away, but all of them fall quickly. Rissa nods her head at me that she's alright. "Did you hear them say 'him'?" "They said it just like she used to", Charlotte says. "Full of... reverence." "These... shells... are his doing, and he has them looking for us." I kick one to make sure it's down. "They know who he is. Or maybe where he is." Charlotte turns to the kids. "Where do the deadies congregate?" *** "Oh my gods, they're everywhere down here." I step back from the end of the service tunnel, and Charlotte moves up to take my place. Most of the kids are waiting a little ways behind us "Why The Grasp though?" "I dunno," Raphe shrugs and peeks under Charlotte's arm. "They go back and forth from here to somewhere under the Havenwood district. We never looked further because it didn't matter." "What are we even doing this close to so many of them," Rissa practically shrieks. "It was one thing when this was a.. whats the word? um... Nebulous! A nebulous threat," I say. "Now we know roughly where it's coming from, and I wanna know more." "We need some sort of distraction," Charlotte says, staring out over the sea of empty stares. "Or we need to start doing a lot of killing." "Look at them all," Raphe quietly exclaims. "They're like a herd!" "Oh, that's good," I say. "That's real good. Hey, Cherry... see if any of them grabbed that bottle of whiskey?" She smiles deviously and nods. "Thinking of putting on a fireworks show, Mistress?" Peat takes a few steps back, clutching his bag, and she goes straight for him. She clucks her tongue and shakes her head as she yanks the bottle out of his bag. Gods, I love that girl. I nod at her and turn to face the crowd. "Toss it when you're ready, babe." I need a large dispersal pattern of fire here, more to scare them than to do any real damage. They may be barely better than animals, but even animals know enough to run from fire. I'd rather not do any more killing today if I don't have to. I begin to charge up a kite, waiting for Charlotte to throw it overhead. "Fire in the hole!" She giggles as she throws it over handed, sailing over the crowd of Deadies. The kite streaks through the air in chase, striking the bottle with a flash and igniting the contents of the bottle as it shatters. Liquid flame showers the herd, and they begin to trample one another in order to get away from the fire. Three boomers arc out over the crowd and explode to great effect, driving them even further away and opening a path for us. "Come on. Lets get a move on before they put two and two together. You got point, girl?" Charlotte nods silently as she runs on ahead. "Ya'll stay here and stay outta sight, ye hear me? Sera, Raphe... make sure they do it, ya got it?" Both nod fearfully as I take off after Charlotte at a dead run. "What are we doing here, Mistress?" We skid to a stop between a concrete shaft as thick as our house and a rail car. Charlotte peers around the edge while I get low and peek under. The shrieks and cries of the Deadies echo in the cavernous chamber. "I'm tired of running from a pronoun. If we're gonna run, lets at least figure out why." Charlotte pulls out her new shotgun, checks the counter I put in the handle, and then checks the barrel. I step to the far side of the car and take a beat. The massive station, once the pinnacle of urban sophistication and technology, is an absolute wreck. I'd have thought this was some sort of industrial shipping yard at a glance, but the skeletal remains of a ticket window, and holes in the stairs where there would have been a bannister... "Go!" We scurry from car to car as even the whispers of echoes fade to nothing, until we finally reach the massive platform. "Hard to believe there's such a big hole in the ground underneath The Grasp," I say, looking around. The ceiling must be 200 ft high. "They don't build them like this anymore." Charlotte shakes her head, but then immediately ducks back down below the platform and waves me back. A rhythmic thudding, getting louder. I rise up an inch and... A mechanical sentry hops down off of a different part of the platform, and strides across the empty tracks. It walks... oddly. Ploddingly. It's torso is a large flat surface, with arms and legs attached to it rather than flowing out organically. Charlotte waves her hand, curling up two fingers and pointing towards the stairs. Two more, but I keep watching the first one. It's heading towards the dying embers of the fire we started... Charlotte eases the shotgun out of it's holster. I follow her eyes. The two she's tracking come down the stairs, but only briefly glance in toward us before turning in the opposite direction. The first one, however, is now staring at the scorch marks I made, and he's getting really close to the service tunnel. Charlotte gasps, slaps a hand over her mouth, and with the other points to the tunnel. I have to really squint, but after a moment I can make out Tubbins' tiny helmet poking around the corner. "Get them outta here," I whisper-shout as I hop up onto the platform. "HEY! HEY!!" "Halt," The first one screeches. "Stand fast! Halt!" It turns toward me and begins crossing the yard in a straight line. I smirk and shake my head, and unleash a boomer right at it. I turn to the other sentries just as it explodes and fire two more at the approaching machines. Charlotte scampers across the yard, circling wide around the combat. "Halt!" I turn in horror to see the first one was barely slowed down. I hit it square! Center mass! I glance over, and the other two aren't down either. Charlotte is halfway there... I turn and run towards the two at the bottom of the stairs. Keep the focus in this direction. Another one had been hiding in the rubble on the platform. "Stand fast!" I skid to a stop just out of his reach, and grit out the hottest torch I can manage. The heat reflecting off of him is almost too much for me to handle, and I have to take another step back as he lumbers on. Another step back. "Haaalt!" I throw everything I have into it and the thing stumbles to it's knees, voice warbling. A metal hand clamps around my wrist and lifts me up off the ground. "Halt!" I scream, plant my free hand against it's head and unleash, but the second sentry grabs it. They hold me up in the air like a wishbone. "Stand fast!" *** I skid across the floor of the boiler room, curled up while air returns to my lungs. The sentry turns around and walks back out the door. A Clockwork Green Ch. 11 "How does it work?" I slowly roll onto my back. A man is standing in the far corner of the room, staring at a series of poorly maintained pipes. I try to speak, but my throat seizes and all I get out are hacking coughs. "I apologize if my servants were a little harsh. They can be very zealous. Do you like them? My... solution to the problem of the poor? I have elevated them. "Take all the time you need." My mind reels as I try to prop myself up. "But we will need to circle back around to that first question." "Who-" another fit as I get onto my hands and knees. "Who-" "Me? I'm no one. Just one of New Verdia's sons. One who would see her returned to her rightful place. This grime... this..." He reaches out and touches one of the pipes, and then shakes his hand to dislodge a contaminant. "This isn't how it's supposed to be. "For years, I've searched for a way to heal the land. Years, Mackenzie." He knows my name... "Every Earth caster I've ever tried to bring here, either dead in transit or rendered powerless." I fall back on my heels. He's still facing away from me as I point my palm at him and prepare a bolt. "Oh Mackenzie. How are you going to cast when you have no hands?" Where are... Where are my hands?! Both of my arms end in stumps?! I can still feel my fingers flexing... or can I?! I raise my arm and try to focus, but I can't... I can't... "It's kind of funny," he chuckles. "Your hands are no part of it, you know. That's in your mind. I once took the hands off of a self-taught lightning caster, and spent six months trying to teach him to cast again." He sighs and shakes his head. "Wasted time. Lost years on pointless projects. New Verdia was crying out for help. Crying out to be saved. Can you hear it? Can you hear the land dying?" He flourishes as he spins, and the walls... shimmer. The pipes fade, replaced by a sprawling visage. New Verdia in the mid-afternoon. The view is so vast that I... I must be near the top of The Grasp somehow! I stumble over to the window. It all seems so small from up here. "The decay, and the rot. It's eating at her." He steps up next to me. Deep-set worry lines streak across his forehead. "I need to know how it works, Mackenzie." "How what works," I croak. He points past me. Near the edge of the city, almost as far as I can make anything out, is a tiny patch of green. "You and Charlotte are the key, don't you see? The answer I've spent half my life searching for!" He waves his hand, and New Verdia shimmers. The endless sea of sand...shifts... into fields of green. Crops. "I need to know how it works, Mackenzie." "I... I don't-" "Mackenzie?" I whirl at the sound of Charlotte's voice behind me. She reaches a hand toward me, pleading, as she plunges a dagger into her stomach. "NO!" I try to run to her, but she never gets any closer. "I need to know how it works, Mackenzie..." He's still standing right next to me, the window immediately behind me. Charlotte cries out as she turns the dagger in her hand and pulls up. "Mackenzie, please!" I whirl at the sound of Charlotte's voice behind me. She winces as she drags a knife up the length of her forearm. "Please make it stop!" Dark blood spills over her hands, and pools on the floor. "Gods No!" "I need to know how it works, Mackenzie." "What are you doing to me?!" "Mackenzie! Help me!" I whirl at the sound of Charlotte's voice behind me. Her cheeks are puffy from crying as she raises her shotgun to her head. "Mackenziiiiiiiie!" BLAM! "How did you heal the land, Mackenzie?" "I don't know!!" I press the ruined stumps of my arm over my eyes and scream. "I don't know!" "You do it unconsciously... That makes this much easier then!" A Clockwork Green Ch. 12 "Where's Mackenzie," Tubbins asks for the third time since I scooped him up. He keeps looking behind us. The rest of the children settled into my wake when I kept running. After about a half mile, we come to the first split in the tunnel, and I set him back down. He looks like he's about to cry, and he's not the only one. I think they all can sense my unease. "Why isn't she with you?" I kneel down and put both hands on his shoulders while looking him in the eyes. "Mackenzie bought us time, sweetie." He sniffles a little as he nods. "And now, I am going to go back and make sure she's okay." Raphe and Sera talk over each other in their urgency. "You're going back there alone?" "You're leaving us here alone?" "This is not a debate or a democracy." I stand up and unsheathe my sword. "I am going back for her. You two get the children to safety. Remember the location we discussed?" Raphe swallows hard and nods. "Good. Make your way over there as quickly and safely as you can. Mackenzie and I will be along soon." They all look at me with trepidation, and I offer them a smile. "Courage, little ones." With that, I spin on the heel of my boot and sprint off. So much effort wasted on trash. On the unworthy. Amaranth's voice echoes in my head. How you disappoint me, Charlotte. If you had only trusted m- "Shut it, Amaranth." My teeth grind in anger as I push her out of my mind. All that matters is my real Mistress. Nothing will keep me from her. Not you, not him... not anyone!" I come to a stop as I hop up on the platform in the station, looking about for any signs of where those machines have taken her. Scorch marks are scattered about where I last saw her. Gods, she almost melted the concrete! That would make sense, since she was trying to distract them. Still, I heard her lay into that... thing. There ought to be three mounds of scrap with the amount of firepower she was throwing at them, not just one. Something moans as it approaches from behind me. I reverse my grip on the hilt of my blade and thrust backward, gutting a Deadie before yanking the blade back out. I don't even bother to turn around to look as I walk over to the epicenter of the charring, and kneel down to examine the wreckage. If it took all of her casting to do this to just one of them, then I'm going to have to amend my tactics. Direct explosive attacks are out... but the things still have roughly human anatomy. I look around and find a relatively undamaged arm lying a short distance off, still intact. The blade flares, and a moment later the arm lays in two pieces, cleanly severed at the elbow joint. I smile grimly and lash out in an arc. The Deadie approaching from my left hits the ground. Twice. With that out of the way I run to the doors leading into the substructure, stopping to survey the room once I enter. Some kind of service room? Meant to allow maintenance workers access to the building's support machinery? There's a short hallway directly ahead of me, and I can hear the faint sounds of some kind of walking machine echo back to me. I creep along the hall and peek around the corner. I can see one of them now. It's moving in a patrol along the hallway and, oh good, it's back toward me. I round the corner and slink down the hall toward it. The sentry has a little more distance to go before it reaches the next intersection. I take off at a dead run, closing the distance with my sword held out to my side and trailing fire behind it. It surprises me how easily my sabre cuts through the joint of its' left knee, and it doesn't seem to react right off as it tumbles backwards. I scramble to my feet and round back in on the thing. "Alert! Unit compromised! Reque-" The blade slices into the cables and hoses of the sentry's neck, and it's head flies away in a shower of sparks. The blade's fire winks out, and I smile a bit to myself. Not bad for a showy dancer, eh Captain? I head through the door at the end of the hallway and gasp. Scorch marks! Mackenzie was here! Hold on a little longer, Mistress... I'm coming for y- "Halt!" Shit. Stupid, Charlotte... very stupid. "Stand fast!" I leap backwards as the sentry makes a grab for me, barely evading it's grasp. It lumbers towards me and reaches again, only this time it draws back a stump, it's left arm at the elbow falling to the floor with the clang. "Halt!" I roll under its' legs and clamber up its' back, pulling out the shotgun and placing the barrel right at the base of its' head. I let loose with both barrels and instantly regret it; the shriek of metal shearing through metal coupled with the boom makes far too much noise for my liking. I jump off of it's back as it crashes to the ground, shaking my head in disgust. All this flashiness is wasting time. I must find her, and this is slowing me down. I head up the hallway, following the scorch marks on the walls. *** I can barely hear a man's voice, low and soft as I step into the boiler room. I can see nothing yet though, the pipes and clouds of steam obscuring my view, but I can hear him all the same. I take another step between the pipes, and it's then that I can hear Mackenzie whimper. The man I hear talking... time slows to a crawl as I draw my blade. You are not going to have any chance against Him. You know that, right? Amaranth's voice mocks me as I continue through the steam. I had only the merest shadow of his power, and look what I was able to do to you! To Mackenzie! What hope can you possibly have against him? I killed you to save her, Amaranth. This fool is not going to be any different! My Mistress needs me. She's my friend, my lover... my owner. That's all that matters now. I won't let her down, I simply will NOT. The steam finally parts ahead of me. He's standing with his back to me, hovering over Mackenzie and talking to her in hushed tones. She's curled up in a fetal position, rocking herself back and forth. She's babbling incoherently and sometimes even screaming him to stop, though it doesn't look like he's doing anything to her. My heart leaps to my throat as I watch. The flame imbuement stays off. I watch him for a few moments before taking a single step forward, toe down first followed by the heel. Silently I pad towards him, one agonizing step at a time. He bends over Mackenzie to say something, and I take off at a dead sprint, my sword raised high for the killing blow. My heart pounds madly as I close the distance, and only at the last moment does he turn around. His face freezes in horror as we lock eyes. The blade sinks deep into his skull, a sound like that of a watermelon being dropped from a great height echoing off the walls of the room. Blood spurts from the wound as I wrench the blade out and watch as his body drops to the floor like so much dead weight. Good riddance to rubbish. Mackenzie stirs on the floor, and I rush over to her. Gently, almost fearfully I cradle her head in my hands and lift it into my lap. "Mistress? Mistress, please. Are you okay?" "Yeah... yeah. I think I'm okay, Cherry." She reaches up and strokes my cheek with her fingertips. "Thanks for coming back for me, babe." I giggle in relief as I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently. "I thought I had lost you there for a second. I... I don't know what I would have done if you were gone." I lean over and kiss her nose before setting my forehead on hers. I inhale deeply and close my eyes. "You're the most important person to me, ever." Mackenzie turns three shades of red and grimaces as she slowly gets to her knees. "Gods, always with th' sappy shows of affection. We got work ta do, and all you can think of is perfessin' yer undying love to me yet again." She pauses for a moment and the grimace turns into a faint smile. "There'll be time enough for that later." I can't help but hug her hard around her neck. "As you wish, Mistress. So, it it over? Are we...?" "Nope. That dude was an honest-to-gods blood mage. He had some fucked up plans for everythin', and we figured big in them." She gets to her feet, almost losing her balance in the process. I grab the neck of her duster in order to help her regain her footing. "He was gonna use us to create places where things could grow. Places that he owned, and he was gonna use them drones out there to work it tirelessly." She turns back to me with a deadly serious look that chills me to my core. "Cherry, this place has ta be destroyed. It ain't just the people in it, but the machines and the means to make more! Somethin' like this can't be left alone. Nothin' can be left for anyone else like him to use. Do you understand?" I sheathe my sword in the scabbard slung over my shoulder and nod. I start to look away but she grabs me by the shoulders. "No, Cherry. I don't think ya do at all. I'm talkin' about Bringing. Down. The Grasp. No matter WHAT the cost." There is such desperation in her eyes. Mackenzie isn't one to get rattled like this, so if this... structure has her so worked up, then it must be serious. "Of course. I'll do exactly as you say, Mistress. What would you have of me?" She looks away and shakes her head slowly. "I dunno. I know I'm gonna have to blow it up somehow, but I can't generate that kinda firepower all by myself. I'm gonna need some kind of help." I tap my finger to my lips. "That rail car we hid next to, by the support beam? That was a fuel car. We can use your magic like a fuse to ignite it, and that may weaken the foundation enough to bring it all down on itself." I smile and look to her for approval. "Like a controlled demolition." "Well, it'll probably lot messier than that, but yeah." She nods and starts heading for the door. "Come on. The sooner we do this, the better." I fall in step behind her as she goes and almost run into her as she stops. She turns around to me and looks at me again. This time she's smiling, but there's also tears in her eyes. It's such a bittersweet expression, and it tears at me in ways I can't even begin to understand. "Mistress...?" "Cherry. Charlotte, listen to me." She licks her lips and pulls me close to her. "I'm not one fer words, an' I've always preferred to let my actions speak fer me. But I've known ya for so long. You've been my best friend, you've been my lover and now you've given me th' chance to be so much more." She shakes her head before kissing me on the cheek. "What I'm tryin' to tell ya is that I love ya, Cherry. I might've been able to avoid all that shit with Amaranth if I 'ad just toldja so then... but I'm tellin' ya now." A sob catches in my throat as I stare at her, and I can barely bring myself to answer her. "I-I love you to, Mistress. Mackenzie." She nods and smiles at me, then pushes the door open. "Come on. We got work to do." *** It takes us a little while, but we have all the flammables we can find piled up around the four huge support columns in the basement. A train, more like a large trolley, is waiting for us at the entrance to the building. Mackenzie has me manning the controls as she turns to me and gives me a thumbs up. "Start 'er up, Cherry. Let's get the hell outta here." "Right, Mistress." I throw down the lever and the trolley lurches forward, and Mackenzie smiles a wide, happy grin. "'ey, Cherry... ya wanna see some REAL fireworks?" I smile at her and nod. "Yes, I do. I never get tired of seeing your power on display." Her grin becomes feral as she turns back to look at the building. We've pulled out into one of the tunnels, speeding into the black. "Oh yeah. You just watch." She sets her feet as though bracing for something and crosses her arms over her chest. She closes her eyes and begins to chant. I've never seen her chant when casting a spell before, and part of me knows this is something... special. Big. Flames ignite at her head and run down her body, enveloping her whole form and making her glow with a brilliant orange hue. The flames leap higher and the glow gets brighter as her voice grows louder, the chanting becoming more like shouting now. Her duster kicks up in an arcane vortex, and a huge orb made up of oranges, yellows and reds begins to form above her. She opens her eye and laughs almost maniacally, pointing at the building. "Finally figured out how ta direct the energy for a Holy Fire and make it an attack!" The roiling orb streaks away from her and back towards the building, and she laughs maniacally. "Gods! It's beautiful!!" It's a full few seconds before the groan of metal and stone competes with the sounds of earth moving. Mackenzie freezes before slowly turning back to me. "We... we may have used too much fuel." "What d-" The thunderous sound of debris grows louder, and suddenly my question seems like a silly one. My jaw drops as the rumble becomes deafening, and I spin around to throw the throttle open on the engine. "We're not going to outrun it," I shout over the din as best I can. "If you have any ideas, now would be the time," She spins back around and braces herself against the back of the car. A jet of flame, larger than I've ever seen her make, throws the car forward even faster. I nearly fall before catching myself against the doorframe to the cab. The dust cloud begins to overtake us, and I know that the heavier stuff will follow soon. I start to head over to where she is standing. She turns to yell at me, but the words are lost in the deafening roar. The world around me shakes violently, the sounds and sensations overwhelming me as I scream despite myself. I glance up as we explode back out of the debris cloud. It expanded outward into the open space of another hub. No sooner do I see that than we careen into another tunnel on the other side. The tunnel entrance behind us fades to a pinprick. Mackenzie slumps over against the railing. The roar of the wind overtakes everything else as we hurtle up a slight incline and out into daylight. A distant part of my brain tells me we just cruised past the outskirts of the Valhavia district to be above ground. Three miles in the longest, scariest minute of my life. Mackenzie looks around blankly for a moment, then a slow, wide grin spreads across her face, stretching from ear to ear. She looks at me and pants, leaning back against the railing and putting her hands behind her head. Her hair blows about in the wind, and I swear she's never been as beautiful as she is right now. I can't help but return the smile as I fold my hands in front of my body. *** The swell of my belly is more pronounced these days, and it's a little hard getting around. If you had told me when I was Tony that I would know what morning sickness is like, I would have laughed you out of the room. It's okay, though. All of the pieces have finally fallen into place, and I know what my true place in this world is. I bite my lip and run my hand in a slow swirl over where I just felt a kick. I open the cabinet and put away the cup I just finished drying while Mackenzie curses from down the hall at some bit of machinery that isn't doing exactly what she wants it to. She's a little more cross than usual. I chuckle softly to myself for a moment, then gasp as I can feel the baby kick again, harder. Ooh, he's a feisty one! Takes after his father, I suppose. Patience, little one. You'll get to explore the world soon enough! I reach into the cabinet to put away a bowl, when a shooting pain runs up my arm. Oh, that hurt! I've got to get back into shape after the baby comes. I've let myself go a bit since I started to swell. No excuse for being lazy, now. Mackenzie comes in and pours herself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the table. "Fuckin' drive shaft. Would you believe that piece o' shit torqued another one ta shreds? ...I guess I'll just have some coffee since someone won't let me have a cigarette." She shoots me an irritated look over her cup as she takes a sip. "It's not good for the baby, Mistress. You'll just have to learn to deal with it." I smile back at her before reaching to put away another dish. The pain is worse this time, and I gasp in surprise at it's strength. Mackenzie arches an eyebrow and sets her cup down. "You know, I'm not sure I want you doin' things like chores this far along. Maybe you oughta take it easy, let someone else do the work fer a while. That's what we have all these little jerks for, ain't it?" "Hey," Tubbins says, frowning. Mackenzie ruffles his hair playfully. "It's fine, Mistress. It's not anything that we should be worried about." I frown at her and lean up against the counter. "Besides, you and those little jerks wouldn't pick up after yourselves to save your life." "Smartass. I'm just sayin' is all." "Yeah, smartass." Tubbins mimics her right down to her tone. "TUBBINS! You watch your mouth." He scurries behind Mackenzie as I scold him. "Such language, and a certain adult should know better than to use it in front of children, too." "Aw, c'mon! 's nothin' he hadn't heard before." Mackenzie laughs and leans back in her chair. "No harm done." "Momma, can I have a cookie? You said that if I was good, I could have a cookie." Tubbins comes around from behind her and pleads with me, looking up at me with those adorable puppy-dog eyes. "Of course, sweetie. Language aside, you have been a good boy." I reach into the cupboard to get the container of cookies. The pain nearly blinds me this time, and I drop it to the floor below. Porcelain shatters and cookies roll everywhere. I bite my lip and hiss. "My arm!" "That does it. Cherry, no more chores for you. This ain't normal." Mackenzie is up and at my side, both hands on my shoulders. "C'mon. We're getting you to a doctor." "It... it'll be okay. Perhaps I just need a little rest." I brace myself against the counter for support. "There's no need to bother a doctor about something like this." Mackenzie looks at me dubiously. "Okay," she says tentatively. "Trust your instincts, Charlotte. You know best." She gives my shoulders a squeeze and goes to clean up the mess. "C'mon, squirt. Help me with this and I'll get ya somethin' else." Trust your instincts, Charlotte. I can hear Mackenzie's voice echo softly, and see her sad smile in my mind's eye. Suddenly, everything seems off. It feels like I am here, and yet not really. But why? We have a wonderful life now. Everything is as how it should be. Everything is perfect. Perfect. Like a dream come true. Haven't we earned that? It hits me with the force of a thunderclap. Too perfect. Nothing ever shapes up precisely the way we want it to, and this feels like someone has granted every small wish I've ever wished for. As if they're trying to distract me from something important. None of this is real. I look around as, one by one, the images of this idyllic life fade into nothingness. The bright sunlit room turns gray, pipes materialize out of the walls and steam hisses in the background. *** My sword is held high as I lunge in. I can see the surprise in his eyes as I bring the sabre down in a brutal swipe. It sinks deep into his skull, a sound like that of a watermelon being dropped from a great height echoes off the walls. Blood spurts from the wound as I wrench the blade out and watch as his body drops to the floor like so much dead weight. I spit on his corpse. I run over to Mackenzie, lying curled up on the floor in a fetal position. She isn't moving. Kneeling down, I pull her head into my lap and try to rouse her. "Mistress. Mistress, please... answer me." A Clockwork Green Ch. 12 She looks up at the ceiling with her unseeing eye, her mouth working but not making a sound. "Mistress. Mackenzie, please." "Maggots. In the..." She winks a few times. "In the..." Something is wrong... No. No. She just needs a little more time for things to clear up. "Mistress, you're not making any sense." I stroke her cheek gently and help her sit up. "We need to get going. We can't stay here." She's dead weight in my arms, unmoving.. "..." She says nothing, only stares across the room. Her jaw works wordlessly as she gazes off into the distance. She looks absolutely haggard. "Mackenzie?! Please! Now is not the time for play!" I shake her a little, hoping that will rouse her out of... out of this. "..." Nothing. No response at all. I find myself wishing for the dream again. Tears start to flow, and I touch my forehead to hers. "Please!! For the love of the Gods, Mistress... Please Wake Up!" "..." "Mackenzie," I say sniffling, "get up. Get up." Nothing. I try to mimic her posture, but the sobbing undercuts my authority. "Mackenzie, you awful slut get up!" "..." I slap her. Her head whirls to the side and remains there, as if staring in that direction is no more or less important. "Mackenzie!! Please!" I slap her again. I cry. She just sits there mumbling. Maybe... perhaps if I can get her out of here and into more comfortable settings, then I can... Possessed with the idea, I wrap her arm around behind my neck and hoist her up. Dragging her along with me is slow going as we make our way out into the hall. We limp to the platform. The area still seems empty, and I laugh lightly. "I'll bet they're still running, Mistress!" She cooes like a baby in response and drools a little. I'm going to have to find something; I can't carry her all the way to Tournesol's like this. We round the corner, and my heart skips a beat. Baron Rasputin is slowly descending down the massive marble staircase, clapping sarcastically the whole while. There doesn't appear to be anyone with him, but that doesn't comfort me in the least. "Well, well well, now! It looks like the trash has somehow managed to do what we couldn't." He comes to a stop at the base of the stairs and laughs cruelly. "Do you have any idea how long some of us have been trying to do what you just pulled off? I mean, how do you deal with someone who can kill with a thought, or make your assassins reveal who they work for?" I say nothing to him as I watch him. All I see is someone who needs to die. "You know, there used to be ten noble houses here in New Verdia. Powerful families, all of them. He eliminated two of them outright, and over the course of a year purged another four as they tried to rebel against him." He shakes his head and chuckles a bit. "It was a bloodbath all around." "And this was what it was all about." He spreads his hands wide to encompass everything around him. "Not just this place, mind you. The power vacuum his death would leave behind. The resources to turn the weak and ordinary into those magnificent machines you got only the smallest taste of. The access to true power. And it's all here, just waiting for me to pick it up and make it mine." Nothin' can be left for anyone else like him to use. Mackenzie's voice echoes in my head. At the time, I didn't understand what she had meant. It has to end here. This stranglehold they have on everything must be broken. I ease her down and prop her up against the wall before turning to face him. He sneers at me and laughs contemptuously. "You know, I didn't think the little pyromaniac had it in her to be able to kill him." He unsheathes his bastard sword and holds it to his side at the ready. "I mean, it had to be her, right? It couldn't possibly have been you. You're just a toy; a pathetic little shit who can't even do it's own thinking for itself." I unsheathe my blade and twirl it up into position over my head. He boggles for a moment and starts to laugh uproariously. "Oh, please! You mean to tell me it thinks it can fight?" He wipes a tear away from his eye and sighs. "Let me tell you what's going to happen, creature. I'm going to run you through without breaking a sweat. The firebug is going to die painfully after that, and then I'm going to claim what is rightfully mine." He grins and brings his sword up in front of him. "I should thank her before I do, though. She gave me quite the gift when she took him ou-" I sprint, shrieking, at him, my sword flaming brightly and trailing fire. He barely manages to parry the attack, shock written all over his face as he backpedals quickly away. The advantage is mine to take as I strike again, this time with a thrust meant to gut him. He spins out of the way and brings his blade up and around to take my head. His strike catches nothing but air as I duck under the swing and pop right back up, slugging him in the face and staggering him back a bit. He leaps backwards in order to create some breathing room between us. "You're... you're shitting me." He wipes the blood trickling from his mouth and starts to smile. "Well, now I know how Amaranth died. Maybe it wasn't that red-haired bitch that killed him. Maybe it was you." I pull the shotgun out of the holster and take aim. His jaw drops as he frantically grabs at a device hanging on his belt. The round ricochets off of some kind of shield and whines off into the distance. "You dishonorable sack of shit! You would use a gun in our fight?! Have you no honor?" "I'm interested in killing you, not fighting." The shotgun stays out as I charge him yet again, both weapons held out to my sides as I close the distance. I leap at him and bring my sword in a downward strike, expecting it to smash into his shield. Instead, he parries my attack with his sword before bringing his knee up into my gut and doubling me over. He reverses his grip on his sword and tries to stab me through the back, only to miss as I roll forward and behind him. I kick out at his legs but miss when he leaps over the attack, spinning as he lands and swinging in a vicious arc at my left side. I have barely enough time to parry the attack with the shotgun, his sword's edge biting into the barrel of the weapon and rendering it useless. "So much for the gun, peasant!" I skitter away from him and throw the weapon at him to force him to duck. When he comes back up, I am running back at him with my sword held high over my head. This time my attack does bounce off of his shield, but the device on his belt overloads and fizzles out. The power of Mackenzie's imbuement was too much for it. He backs up a few steps before dropping back into a defensive stance. "It looks like we're going to face each other on the field of honor after all, assassin." I'm sure he meant that to be an insult. We circle each other warily for a moment, searching for an opening in the other's defenses. His lips curl cruelly as he banters with me. "Killing her was actually rather enjoyable. You know... Professor Tournesol? That little bitch took something that was mine by right. I can tell you right now, payback felt good." My eyes narrow. He shifts his weight onto his back foot, the subtle move telegraphing his intent to me. I drop my blade just a little to give the indication that I am taking for the bait, and he snarls in triumph as he leaps forward for the strike. He thrusts directly out, and I spin away as my sword arcs around to take his head. It's only at the last moment that I see my mistake. His weapon is double edged, making it deceptively faster than what it looks like. I manage to take a step back, but I can feel the tip of his blade bite into my left arm. The sting of pain races up my shoulder, and I can feel the wet warmth of blood running freely down my arm. "Got you," he whispers as he doubles back and strikes again, but all he gets is empty air as I roll away from him and open up some distance. I bring the flat of my sabre over the wound and activate the imbuement, searing it shut. I scream from the pain (Mackenzie always made this look so easy!), but at least I don't have to worry about bleeding to death. "Well now. Perhaps not as skilled as we had hoped?" He smiles and brings his sword up in front of him. He circles in slowly, like a cat closing in on its' prey. "This is what happens when lower class trash tries to become more than it actually is." He feints before darting in for my left flank, hoping to take advantage of my injury. I can see the tip of his blade arcing in as he swings hard with both hands. He means to finish me off here, but he's overestimated how badly hurt I am. I'm a fencer; I only need one hand to swing my own sabre. It's almost too easy as I sidestep the slash and cut across his face, producing a wicked gash from the top of his left cheek all the way down to the base of his jaw. He backpedals immediately, his hand raising in disbelief to touch the wound. It's not a serious injury, but it is meant to insult his skill as a swordsman. His eyes flash angrily at the slight, and his jaw twitches in rage. "You should have bought better teachers." The ice in my voice could freeze beer as I smirk at him mirthlessly. He rounds on me, charging full tilt and screaming. "Enough! I've dealt with you for long enough, trash!" He's overextended! I must strike now! I barely dodge the overhead chop before swinging low and hard. The blade cuts deep into the back of his knee, severing ligaments and destroying the joint. He drops onto it, screaming in pain as another sword strike cuts into his arm, slicing his hand off at the wrist and sending his broadsword clattering to the ground. The screaming stops as he clutches his wrist and starts to tremble in shock. He looks up at me, and I see disbelief and fear in his eyes. It warms my heart to look upon him like this. "In... in the future, I'll know to stay away from you and yours," he says pleadingly. I walk around behind him and bring my sword up. He's actually begging for his life. The 'hero' of New Verdia, champion of the ruling class, is grovelling to live. How pathetic. "What future would that be?" His face freezes in unadulterated terror as he looks back at me, his mouth moving in an attempt to say something else. He never gets the chance, though. One vicious swing of my sabre, and his head flies off. His body falls forward and slams into the ground. "Tell Amaranth I said hello, bastard." The flame imbuement winks out as I sheathe my sword and make my way back over to where Mackenzie is propped up. I kneel down and gently drape her arm around my neck. It's only then that I collapse onto the floor in a heap. I feel so drained, physical fatigue combining with a building sense of worry that saps my spirit. She's barely made a sound the whole time. She just sits there with that vacant look in her eye. What if... What if she doesn't get better? What if... no. First things first; I have to get her someplace safe. Once that happens, I can move on from there. I close my eyes to rest, and the dream replays in my head again. The happiness, the warmth... I can still feel it. It was a lifetime, a moment ago. I cling desperately to that feeling, even though it was only an illusion. I can discard it once she is okay, but I need a refuge from the despair that's gnawing at my chest. I won't need it when we can work on building the real thing. Somethin' like this can't be left alone. Nothin' can be left for anyone else like him to use. Mackenzie's warning echoes in my mind, and I know it to be true. How long will it be before someone else finds this and uses it for their own purposes? We will never be safe until it all is destroyed. Not just us, but all of New Verdia is in peril so long as it all exists. My home. I prop myself up on my elbows to look around. The question is, how am I to do it? Everything is here, just as it was in the dream. The fuel car, the explosive materials... even the trolley we had used to escape is sitting on the tracks. There's only one thing that is missing from it all; Mackenzie. Nothin' can be left for anyone else like him to use. I know, I know! But I don't have a way of setting up the explosion. I need you, Mackenzie. I crawl over to her, then kneel down beside her and stroke her hair. "I need you so much. Why won't you come back to me?" No matter WHAT the cost. I don't understand. I can't set this off without her. How am I sup- "Me..." Did she just... "Mistress, did you just say something?!" I grab her by the shoulders and look her in the eye. "Mistress, speak to me! Oh, Gods! Everything is going to be okay!" "Me... fuse." Slowly her eye rolls up and looks at me. There's a faint glimmer of the person I love there, but she seems... fractured. If feels like I am looking at an echo of who she is, but there is something of her still there. That can be enough. I can fix her, just like she fixed me. Everything is going to be ok! I smile as I brush a lock of her hair away from her face. "Yes, yes! We'll get you out of here, and you can set it all off from a distance. We c-" "Me... fuse. Timer." My face scrunches up in confusion. "I don't understand. What are you trying to say?" She just sits there, looking at me when it... My blood runs cold. She wants to die here! My heart plummets into a pit in my stomach and I wilt there in front of her. My hands start to shake uncontrollably as I look in horror at the person I love. "No..." She nods ever so slightly, staring just slightly past me with that transfixed gaze. "Yes. Me..." I reach out for her, cupping her face in both hands. "No! Nonono! There has to be another way! I can help you... make you better just as you did for me. We can still go home and build the life we want together. We've been through so much. We deserve that!" She whimpers in a low, soft voice as her lip starts to tremble. "Broken. Hurts..." Sadness clouds her eye, and I can see a tear start to well up there. I hear her voice from the dream again, whispering quietly to me. No matter WHAT the cost. But, there has to be another way. There just has to! Maybe if I can find some fuse wires and somehow rig it all together, then I can set it off and get her out of here. Something... anything other than what she's asking of me. I look frantically around in search of an answer, but in my heart, I know it's not possible. The whole station has to be detonated, not just set on fire. And the only way we have of doing it... "Then I'm staying with you. I am NOT leaving you here to die alone, Mistress. Do you hear me? I won't leave you here!" "Kids..." A tear rolls down her cheek as she stares unblinking at me. I crumple in front of her and grab her hand, holding on as though for dear life. I can't let go of her. I won't let go of her! She's everything good about my life... she always has been. "Please... please don't ask this of me. I can't do this. I just can't..." I sob uncontrollably, my shoulders shaking violently as I sit there, staring down at the cold metal floor. "I need you, Mackenzie. Please don't send me away! Please!!" "Fading..." There's an almost desperate quality to the way she says. It forces me to look up at her, and I know it to be true. As much as that realization hurts me, forcing her to live a life trapped within her own mind like that would be hell for her. Her soul would snuff out, just like a candle's flame with a jar placed over it. She has to be free. I tilt my head back and scream for all I am worth at the ceiling. The sound echoes off of the walls and reverberates down the corridor, and still I go on. It's my rebellion against a world that offered me the body I always wanted, then punished me every step of the way for taking it. One that showed me the person I was to belong to, only to snatch her away from me and delight in my pain afterwards. After what seems like forever, my head drops to my chest, my voice raw and tears streaking my face. I am broken and spent, and I have no more will left to fight. I lean over and give my Mistress a kiss on the cheek before wrapping my arms around her neck. "I will do as you ask, Mistress. I belong to you... now and forever. I love you so very much, Mackenzie" And with that, I get up to make the final preparations. *** I'm standing on the back of the trolley as it speeds along, looking back. The top of The Grasp dominates the skyline, even from the outer edges of the city. I grip the railing tightly, waiting for the sound of the blast I know will be coming any moment, announcing I am truly alone in this world. Memories of her float to the surface; some of when I was Tony, others as Charlotte. Battles fought, heartfelt conversations shared and love made to each other swirl about and around, and I can't help but smile bittersweetly. I knew her for 13 years, and was her lover for one. Oh, but that one... I wish so desperately I had more. I once thought that having a body that fit my sense of self was the greatest blessing I could ever hope for. I was such a fool. She was the greatest blessing. I feel the earth shake as a low rumble rolls in the distance like thunder. Something dies within me as I slowly drop to my knees and cry. Through the tears I see the brand on my hand, and I collapse, crying uncontrollably. That was only last night. *** It's been a long, long time since I lost the most important person in my life. It still hurts so badly when I think about it. There's a hole in my soul that I just can't quite seem to fill without her. In many ways, it is just like the days when I was Tony... living a life that isn't entirely true to what I am. But, I have found ways to adapt. And I found new purpose in the world after my beloved died. Our actions so long ago had a profound impact on New Verdia and the land around it. Most of the city's leadership had been in his pocket. Had been under his thumb. Had been in The Grasp, and lay dead. With the land's sudden resurgence, the ones that remained lost their stranglehold over the resources they had kept for themselves. New Verdia itself dwindled away into nothing, with most people moving away and the city being picked apart for raw materials to be used elsewhere. The ones that stayed built a small but prosperous agricultural village in it's shadow, naming it simply Verdia. The other city-states divided up the land not claimed by Verdia's inhabitants, which rapidly changed from a desert to gently rolling arable land. Law enforcement for the city proper lay in chaos for some time, and the 'crimes' of two women that briefly captured the attention of the city's populace were all but forgotten as political realities shifted and power brokers left for other venues. With no one really paying attention, I staked out Professor Tournesol's old property and set up a small orphanage there. Children who were lost in the confusion came to my door. Young adventurers, who braved New Verdia's ruins to make a name for themselves and found only hard times, would help me with the day-to-day operations of the place. The children from the original gang stayed with me for some time, with most of them moving into farm work when they got old enough. Tubbins stayed the whole time, though. I came to love that delightful child as my own, and watched with pride as he grew up into an honorable man. He married a wonderful woman by the name of Adelaide, and they both became my helpers in running the orphanage. A Clockwork Green Ch. 12 "Hello Charlotte. It's a nice day today, isn't it?" Adelaide smiles as she puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Are you doing okay out here by yourself?" "Oh, yes. The pain isn't that bad today, so I thought I'd come out here and enjoy the weather for a bit." I take a small sip of lemonade and then smile at her. "Did that husband of yours come along with you as well?" "Sure did, Momma!" Tubbins' arms wrap around me from behind and pull me into a bear hug. Dear Gods, how I love that boy. "Thought we'd come by and take a look at your tomatoes, see how they're doing. Not to mention you, too." "Oh my sweet boy! An old lady like me is lucky to have someone like you to look after her." I pat his cheek affectionately before turning around to look him in the eyes. "How are the others?" "Oh, they're doing okay. The kids are at home with a sitter right now, and since most of the harvest work is done we'd figured we'd come over and see what you were up to." His eyes twinkle merrily as he puts both hands on my shoulders. "It's good to see you again, Momma. I hope you haven't been getting into too much trouble out here." "Well, with the last of the children gone this place seems so empty. It feels too big for one person, but I couldn't run an orphanage forever." I straighten out his collar and smile impishly. "Besides, from what I've heard you're the one who needs to be told not to get into trouble, Tubbins." Adelaide grimaces a little at the mention of his pet name, though it drops as soon as she sees that I notice it. She is his wife, after all. She can call him whatever she likes, but he'll always be my Tubbins. She smiles as she comes over to join us. "Oh, I make sure he does exactly that, Charlotte." She arches an eyebrow and swats him on his butt. "You can be sure of that." He plays up being indignant for a moment before pulling her into an embrace and kissing the top of her head. "That's right. Anyway, we'd heard that there was some kind of blight affecting some the other farmers' tomato crops. We thought we'd stop by and check yours just to make sure. Then afterwards we could keep you company for a while. Sound like a good idea to you?" "Oh, yes. I'd like that more than anything." I hobble over to my rocking chair, taking care to move Mack out of the way and set her gently to the side. I ease into the chair, wincing a little as I pull a blanket over my lap before setting my glass down. I reach back down for Mack and pull her up into my lap, stroking the scabbard. Tubbins' smile fades just a little as he sees the sword, and a hint of sadness creeps into his eyes. "You okay, Momma? It's not often I see you with your old sword these days." He kneels down beside me and whispers quietly in my ear. "I know. I miss her too." Adelaide clears her throat and backs up a little to give us some space, becoming acutely interested in some potted plant. "I... I wonder. Did you ever blame me for not coming back with her?" I look up into his face as a lump starts to form in my throat and tears threaten to well up in the corners of my eyes. "I wanted to. I tried so hard..." He takes my hand and kisses the back of it before holding it to his cheek. "Even then, I knew you did. You loved her with everything you had, just like she did you. I never blamed you. Not even once." "Oh my boy..." The tears really do start to flow as I squeeze his hand. He smiles at me and pats my head affectionately. "Thank you. Now, off with you. Go tend to real business instead of dealing with the likes of me." I wipe them with the sleeve of my shirt and force a grin. He smiles and nods before turning to go, and I watch them head off to the far corner of my yard to look at the tomato plants. I keep up the smile until I know they're far enough not to notice anything unusual, then grimace in pain as I shift in my chair. I don't like lying to them. The pain is much worse than I had let on, and it's coupled with a fatigue that has settled deep in my bones. I'm so tired today, and it seems to take so much effort even for the most basic of things. I cradle Mack in my hand, stroking her lovingly before reaching into my pocket. I pull out the little iron rose she made for me so very long ago and bring it to my lips, kissing it lightly. You gave me so very much, Mackenzie. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about you. I miss you, my Mistress. Something in the distance catches my attention, and I set her down. A hunched and elderly woman emerges from the opposite corner of the yard. She looks so old and gray, and yet moves along with a speed I wouldn't expect for someone her age. Even older than me, I suspect. She has an old rifle strapped to her back as she makes her way towards me, and starts to break out into a wide grin as she gets closer. There's something so familiar about her, but I can't quite place where I know her from. "Knew I'd find ya out here. Knew it in my bones, I did!" She grins impishly as she sidles alongside me, patting my head. "How ya been, smooth one?" "I... I know you. You're... you're the one who-" "You and Red did a lot o' good, you know that? Righted something that had been wrong for a long, long time." Her smile fades a little as she looks at me. "I'm just sorry it cost you so much." "Why? Why did you choose us?" I shake my head slowly. Part of me feels so resentful at what was asked of us, while another part wants to thank her desperately for the chance to finally be what I am. "Because everythin' comes around, Charlotte. Especially with you two." "Why did she have to die? Why was she taken from me? I miss her..." My voice catches a little as I look into her eyes. "Oh, yer missin' something, alright." She takes my hand in hers and presses something into it with the other. It feels warm, comforting even. I look down to see a small vial of water stopped up with a cork. "But not fer much longer. Thank ye for what you've done. Ye may not realize it yet, but that difference you wanted to make in th' world? Ya made it, and in spades." She smiles and turns to leave. "Wait! Don't go! I have so many questions still!" "And the ones you really want the answers to are in what I gave ya. When yer ready, seek them out." She smiles and waves at me as she disappears the way she came. I close my eyes as a knot forms in my throat as I drop back into my chair, confused and feeling hollow. I don't understand at all. It's not the least bit fair. Mackenzie should be here, sharing in a life we made with each other. I finally open my eyes with a tired sigh. The crystal vial glints as it catches the sunlight. Memories of that first night in the desert race through my mind as I turn it over in my hand. This was how it all started, and if there's even a chance I can find some kind of answer... I look back up to see Tubbins and his wife inspecting the tomato plants. He looks up at me and smiles, waving to me before going back to whatever he was doing before. I uncork the vial and bring it to my lips, letting the liquid wash over my lips and down my throat. It's not long before I feel a tingling in my chest that slowly radiates outward. The pain... softens, and I feel warm. Content, even. My head drops back against the headrest of the chair and I close my eyes, savoring the feeling. It's been a while since I've felt this good. The fatigue seems to drain from my body, and I feel younger. Much, much younger. Whatever it was she gave me, it is making me comfortable at the very least. I could sit like this for hours. Daylight seems to fade a little, and the air grows a little more chilly. Odd, have I been sitting here that long? It doesn't feel like it. I'd best get inside, I suppose. I open my eyes and gasp; I'm not in my yard anymore. I'm in some kind of building, and it feels cold and sterile. Where am I? I get up from my chair and turn around, only to find that there's no chair at all. Gods, what is going on here? Answers, she told me. My curiosity overwhelms my apprehension as I make my way to the door ahead of me. I place my hands on the knob to open it before pausing, almost afraid of what I might find waiting for me beyond it. Butterflies flit around in my stomach, and my hands shake a little as I push on it, swinging outward and affording me a view of the other side. My heart stops as I look out over the platform. Everything looks as it did that night, right down to Baron Rasputin's body lying on the floor. I shake my head in confusion. How is this possible? Is this a dream? Or worse, another of his illusions? There's no pain like before though, and I feel warm... complete. Just like I did that night in the desert so very long ago, . Trust your instincts, Charlotte. Unlike before, that thought drowns out the doubt. I step past the scorch marks and the slag heap, past the bodies of the two Deadies I killed. My heart is pounding, and it feels like it'll burst through my chest at any moment. My breathing comes in ragged gasps as I reach the edge of the platform and round the corner. I'm so scared, more so than I've ever been in my life. But I can't turn back now. Not when I am so close. Not when I am within a few steps of seeing... Her. She's propped up against the massive concrete pillar, just as I had left her so long ago. Her hands are down at her sides, arcane fire gathering around her just as I had seen in the illusion he tried to trick me with. She's rocking back and forth, muttering to herself but unable to cast her Holy Fire spell. She even less lucid than I remember. I don't even breathe as I stand there for a moment, and I'm terrified to think she might be real. All these years waiting, and now there she is before me. I've dreamed of seeing her again so many times, only to wake up cold and alone. So close, so very close. I take a tentative step towards her, then another. Her muttering becomes audible as I get closer to her. "... lost count. I've lost count. I can't..." Now I understand. Everything becomes clear as crystal to me. I kneel down beside her and wrap my arms around her shoulders to pull her into a hug. "Hello again, Mistress." She turns to look at me, momentary shock melting into joy at seeing me. She whimpers a little and smiles. "I lost... count, Cherrrry. Can't too... soon" I sit down and pull her close to me, stroking her hair before kissing her gently on her cheek. "It's time now. Let me help you. What do I need to do?" "Be here..." She seems to be drawing strength from my presence somehow. She puts an arm around me and closes her eyes. "Kids?" "Don't worry, they're safe. You should see them, all grown up. Everything worked out in the end, my sweet Mackenzie." "Good," she sobs. Fire builds up all around us, swirling and twisting as it obeys her command. I can see that multi-colored orb of energy start to form above us, and I can't help but smile. The heat becomes more intense as arcane energy flows into her. It won't be long now before it reaches critical mass, but that's okay. Everything is okay, now. I pull her close and nuzzle her neck. My heart is beating so hard. "Hold on, baby. We're almost home." "Love... you, Cherry." "I love you too, Macken-" *** Timothy gingerly holds the tomato in his hand, inspecting it for any infestation or damage. He lets go with a satisfied smile and turns back to me. "Well I don't think we need to worry, Addie. Truth be told, it looks like it's gonna be another good year." "Hate when you call me that." I slap at him playfully before pouting. "I hate that name almost as much as I do 'Tubbins'." He rolls his eyes at me. "There's a lot of history with that, I'll have you know." His smile grows far away, and I know he's reliving those early days. It irritates me a little to know that I can't share it with him, but it doesn't hurt to let him have it all the same. "A lot of memories. Many good, some not so good." "Well, that's fine and dandy, but I'm not gonna call you that. You're Timothy, as far as I'm concerned." I cross my arms across my chest and flounce away. That always gets him to chase after me, which is exactly what I want him to do. He laughs and runs up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a bear hug. "I'm whatever you want me to be, just so long as I get food and lovings!" I giggle and try to twist away from him as he tickles my ribs. "Stop that! Come on, lets go check on Charlotte. She didn't look well when I left this morning." "She was OK a few minutes ago. She was just sitting on the porch with that sword of hers up in her lap." He frowns at the thought before shaking his head. "She calls it 'Mack' now." I sigh a little and look down at the ground. "She never got over her death, did she?" His frown deepens as I move to his side and pull him into an embrace. "They were my parents, as far as I am concerned. When Mackenzie died, I..." He pauses for a moment and squeezes me hard. "I know. Let's just head back.'" We both make our way back to the porch but her chair is empty, that sword of hers propped up against it. "Charlotte?" He calls out to her as his pace quickens. He gets there before I do. I look at him in confusion for moment as he bends down to pick something up in the seat of the chair. I crane my neck to look over his shoulder. He turns to me and holds up a little metal sculpture of a rose. *** Authors Note: Yeah. Us too. It wasn't supposed to end like this. We started this project in February of last year. By May, Apothecary29 and I had a clear vision of the way it was going to end. We knew who the bad guy was. We knew how they were gonna get there. We knew how they were gonna beat him. We knew how the epilogue was gonna go. Because of how I normally do things, we kept a tight, heavy lid on the end, only giving away the smallest scraps and bits, but always something moving it forward. It was then going to pull together in the final few chapters like a well-laid-out net. I thought it was pretty darn clever. Apparently, so did the people who wrote The Legend of Korra. I had seen Avatar. I was always aware that the magic systems between the original show and this world were similar and that Avatar had a whole "Air Magic returns from the grave" theme, but I thought the similarities ended there. Blood magic. Class warfare. Power stealing. Godhood. The similarities were really, really creepy. I've heard of this Korra show, but never seen it. I found out that I was about to unveil a bastard clone (at best) the night after I posted Chapter 10 (of a proposed 13 at the time). Those last three chapters would have been a whirlwind of (seemingly) plagiaristic events. There is no way that anyone who had seen that show would believe that it had come to me on my own. But it wasn't too late. We hadn't actually revealed too much. So we rebuilt. It was just a few ideas at first, ways to take the hints we'd been dropping for many chapters now and tie them up in a different shape. The further we went, the more perfect it felt. And the more awful. Just... awful. It wasn't supposed to end like this. We stand by the story as posted as the superior ending, plagiarism notwithstanding. It was a huge learning experience for us on many, many levels. If you stuck through the whole thing (which you probably did, or you wouldn't be here), you have our undying gratitude. On behalf of Ap, we would both like to thank LittleGrue for her indispensable assistance in editing, and so much more.