"The videos do not do her justice, Salem. I am in awe."
"Indeed they do not…" Salem's voice drifted away as his shell's optics locked onto the Molten Mistress' regal form. She was currently surrounded by admirers who had come from far and wide, ORG top list clients who had no doubt paid top dollar just to be in the same room as her. Her presence was unmistakable and completely dominating. She towered above everyone, her dreadlocks bounced and curled with her every movement, alight with dancing flames. Her dress was immaculate, black and daring and dangerous, clinging tightly enough to her body to show those tort, powerful muscles and more… obscene details, such as the enormous bulge that ran down the length of her thigh. Although they were technically concealed, there was little left to doubt in the room's collective mind, and the thin black fabric gave enough creative tapestry to leave people ever more hungry.
Just an hour ago, the Molten Mistress had been giving Salem an absolute earful. And now she was here, gorgeously dressed and flaunting her talents like butter wouldn't melt.
The entire hall was enthralled. It was as if a goddess had strolled into the room. Her aura demanded worship, and his patrons were close to granting it…
They were in one of the sweeping, grand halls within Sunset Rook's Diamond Plaza, reserved for only the most exclusive events. Glittering prismatic tiles spanned the length of the room, which was easily the size of two football fields. The walls were lined with glamorous seating pods with on-tap drinks of every variety, and food was just a flick of the hand away.
"Where did you say you found her again?"
Salem's company was a sharply dressed, well spoken marble fox. His suit was deliberately darker than his fur to help accent the few colours present in his natural palette, except for his red tie, which matched his eyes. He too was lost in Moltezz's presence but was trying to stay clear of her, keeping to the far side of the ballroom with Salem's stand in.
"Just outside of the DA borders on a derelict dreadnought. I dare say she was about two days away from being hunted down and nuked to hell and back. What a waste that would have been."
"That would've been tragic." The fox agreed. "For all of us."
"Indeed. She drove a hard bargain too, but... ahem, assets like these can afford to push for such bandwidth."
Salem's not-so-sly comment smuggled a devious grin onto the fox's face.
"How's her numbers doing?"
"Magnificently." Salem announced proudly, his words accompanied by a brief roar of flame from Moltezz's palm, the heat billowing through the room. It was almost as though she had heard him. "She appears to have skipped the shy millions and gone straight into the strong billions. I expect by the end of the year, she'll join the hall of a trillion famous."
"I know my clients are desperate for more." The fox murmured, taking a sip from his champagne glass. "God, I can't stop looking at her. She's just…"
"Incredible." Salem finished the fox's sentence. "I didn't think this type of woman would have such a wide appeal, but she appears to have struck a chord with the masses… or perhaps, started a fire?"
"Psh, puns do not suit you, Salem. Tell me you've had a chance with her yourself?"
"I have not." Salem replied shortly, the disappointment in his voice palpable despite his best efforts to conceal it.
"What?!" The fox visibly recoiled in shock. "That's… What's the situation here? That's not like you at all. You always, always get your hands on the latest product."
"I've not been physically present in the system for some time due to pre-arranged commitments. Besides, she… she only has eyes for one man."
The fox paused as Salem's frame jolted slightly on the spot. He'd revealed more than he'd intended.
"You… want more than something physical with her…?"
"It's not right to get involved in that way with such valuable assets."
"Right…" The fox's voice dropped low and he leaned in close. "But since when has that ever stopped us?"
"… Good point. Still. She's impossible to convince and only does what she wants. And she has never expressed a shred of interest in me."
"Hardly a surprise, Salem. Do I need to spell it out? It's because you haven't shown your face yet! You've already waltzed into her life once and… left a lasting impression. Do it again, but this time, actually show up. Hiding behind your suits will do anything but impress her. Besides, a woman of that magnitude, I doubt just one man will do."
"Hmm. Thanks, Milo. I appreciate the advice." Salem's subtle nod of thought came through his shell's posture.
"Don't mention it. Just promise to keep me in the loop. I want to be the first to hear about the immunity project. I need time with her too, or failing that, that sizzlingly hot bunny gal with the green eyes."
"Hah. Of course. You're not the only one waiting on that development." Both of their eyes fell upon the horde of fans flocking around the Molten Mistress. "Not by a long shot."
Just a few weeks ago, any other of these people would be the person. A high-flying CEO, a terra-corp chairholder, a merc company commander, a family business inheritor. They were the ones in charge, and they the ones adored, listened to and respected. But now? The Mistress commanded everything, everyone. It wasn't supposed to have been like this, mind you. Moltezz had been a last minute invite to the ORG social event, somewhere where she could network her products and get the Rewritten's name more known. After all, the stronger their brand was, the better.
But that had changed the second she entered the room.
This wasn't the Rewritten competing for marketspace, she'd already won that battle. This was the room, competing for her.
Even though the Mistress was known not to give compliments, nor even to be respectful of the attention she was given. She was outright dismissive of most, brushing off small talk and turning away from light conversation. She favoured directness. And strength.
She maintained a careful balance. Overeagerness was punished with a scathing glance. Direct, but not desperate. Forward, but not aggressive. Few had managed the balance, but those who had were rewarded with the Mistress' attention and a smile, much to the jealousy of everyone else. But they were learning how to play the Mistress' game.
But just as the room was beginning to melt, a commanding, sultry voice called out from behind the crowd, addressing Moltezz directly.
"This is pathetic. Salem's new toy thinks she owns the place. I'm just about done with you."
A tall demoness was standing at the back of the hall, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. She had a distinctly human, highly attractive face with a pair of tall black horns protruding from her temples. Her skin was a faded magenta, her face heavily made up with long, defining jet-black mascara and eyeshadow. Her white hair was pulled into a stylish long braid, tousled over her shoulder, contrasting boldly with her form-fitting sable dress and heels. Her smouldering plum eyes stared at Moltezz furiously. Normally she would have been the tallest in the room, with a slender but curvy frame that placed her comfortably into strider height, but the Molten Mistress towered above even her, as she did most people.
"Oh?" Moltezz raised an eyebrow, the room falling into a nervous hush as space cleared between the two dominatrixes. "What's this? The madam of yesterday feeling the heat already?"
"Yes I damn well am! It's like a sauna in here!" The demoness retorted, fanning her face. "All because of your stupid fire psyonics. I have products to embellish and your blimp of a figure is swanning around the room like you own the place."
"I do own the place." Moltezz smiled, glancing around at the crowd gathered around her. "Look around you."
The demoness rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the wall, strutting over to Moltezz without so much as a hint of fear or intimidation.
"Please. I've survived bigger gimmicks than you. But most have the sense not to piss off the one with the horns on their very first meeting."
"Gimmick?" Moltezz chuckled, resting one of her clawed hands across her chest. "Interesting way to describe your superior. What does that make you? The great-value mistress? The budget dominatrix for those with tight pursestrings?"
"I see you're uneducated as well. Expected. You've got more breast than brain." The demoness' eyes sharpened, her stare intensifying.
"And yet, more of both than you." Moltezz snickered, with the slightest, condescending cock of her head.
"Enough." The demoness retorted, flicking her arms out to her sides. Her flourish was followed by a bright flash of lilac light and a bright pair of translucent butterfly wings shimmered into existence behind her. Her clothes, eyes and figure twinkled with the same mesmerising hue, battling with the dancing flames opposite her. "I am Daedalust. And you will show me some respect."
The display seemed to halt Moltezz in her tracks, and the demoness tilted her head in the same fashion as the Mistress had prior.
"Ahh. Now you're paying attention." Daedalust smirked. "Rude, entitled women like you only stop when someone makes you stop. How about you show some decorum?"
Moltezz's eyes narrowed as the demoness continued her speech with a judgemental flick of her hair.
"You're bathing in the attention like a pig in mud. It's primitive behaviour and unbecoming of someone of your supposed calibre - ERK."
The demoness was forcibly choked out of her sentence as Moltezz spat directly into her mouth, a glob of saliva landing straight on the demoness' tongue. Before she could react, the Controller had snatched her by the mouth, pinching her cheeks between her claws and lowering herself so she was eye level with her competition.
"Swallow."
The demoness froze. She tried to force the spit out, but the tight pinching of her lips made only a defeated, undignified dribble possible. Her gaze met with the Molten Mistress', and a flush of heat rippled through her body. Her pride called out for any number of retaliations, but in that moment, there was only one thing that her body would let her do…
"Good girl." With her point made, Moltezz let the demoness go and stood to her full height again. "See? Was that so hard? Second place isn't so bad, is it?"
The other patrons began to back away. Daedalust said nothing, her eye twitching. Hands squeezed around champagne glasses nervously as shoes squeaked against the shining floor tiles, offering the two powerhouses as much room as they dared afford.
"You are… unbelievable." Daedalust finally spat, her lips curling in fury, showing a peak of her vampire fangs. Psyonic energy rippled over her skin, and the room shuddered. "I ought to reduce you to nothing but slag, but I'll have more fun breaking you into a mindless cuck!"
"I can't wait for you to try." Moltezz grinned tauntingly, rolling flames engulfing her arms. "Give me everything you've got."
One half of the room was alight with great, rolling flames, the other with crystalline lilac shimmers, drowning everything near their core in their glow. But as the psyonic displays intensified, Kay-Ex surged between the pair, throwing out her arms.
"Ladies! Please, you're damaging the floor!"
But the mistresses refused to disengage, staring at one-another in a beyond heated contest of will.
"Back off, alien!" The demoness growled, her voice distorted.
"You first, demon. It's only right you get a chance at first place, even if it is first to surrender."
The demoness raised her hands into the air, her psyonics intensifying further. Kay-Ex's chassis began to crack, the metal paint peeling off like wood shavings. The patrons around them backed away further as the sheer brightness became too painful to look at.
"I will not be humiliated by a newcomer on their debut!" Daedalust snarled as electrical crackles zapped between her limbs and wings.
"That ship has already sailed, demon. Every word that leaves your tongue has me all over it." The flames enveloping the Mistress suddenly absorbed into her skin then, a bright shimmering hue just beneath the surface. A vibrant, amber outline encompassed her entire body, and she a dark silhouette at its core.
"ENOUGH!" Kay-Ex shouted. A pair of nozzles unfolded from each of her forearms, pointed at both psykers. "You're putting our guests in danger and this display has gone too far!"
A jet of nulliphine blasted both of them straight in the face, sending Daedalust stumbling backwards, coughing loudly as her psyonics waned. But the damage had already been done to the room, tiles curled and buckled around her, blackened, peeling and scorched, much like Kay-Ex's chassis. On the other side of the room however, Moltezz stood completely unaffected, her body a dark shadow surrounded by her solar lining. The flooring under her was, surprisingly, relatively unscathed. She strolled forward towards Daedalust, brushing Kay-Ex out of the way as the bot attempted to spray her down with more nulliphine, but the orange gas swirled around her and burst into flames, fizzling out into nothing.
"You're an impressive subject, Daedalust. I admire your tenacity." Moltezz smiled, holding a hand towards her face. The demoness retreated backwards, coughing violently, her eyes briefly full of fear as her psyonics continued to flicker and fail.
A burst of flame roared from Moltezz's palm, engulfing Daedalust's head. The entire room erupted into hysteria for a brief moment as fear and confusion took hold, mostly from the demoness herself. But she appeared unscathed when the flames flickered out, her psyonics resolidified, and her wings reformed. The sticky orange dust blasted over her mouth was gone, allowing her to breathe clearly once again.
"Please. If we're going to show down, I mustn't have you hindered by such foul… trickery." Moltezz's face strunched in disgust before she refocused her attention back on Daedalust. The demoness slowly got back to her feet, watching Moltezz closely as the Molten Mistress offered her a hand. "I want to see you at your best." Her amused eyes flickered with a hint of suggestion, her grin softening ever so slightly.
Rolling flames blanketed the entire ceiling, setting off the sprinklers. sowing more chaos across the hall as the hiss and fizzle of water surrounded them. The panic was brief however; not a single drop of water hit the floor. Steam billowed and rose, the ceiling now a smokey orange backdrop for the Molten Mistress. With Daedalust's wings and lilac psyonics crackling around her, she was a beautiful splash of colour in the Mistress's display. A storming sunset...
Daedalust stared her up and down, her shoulders relaxing as a smile broke through her furious veneer.
"You are…" The demoness started, but quickly found herself lost for words. Her mouth hung open in the silence, and for a moment, she looked just as enchanted as everyone else. Finally she let out a shy giggle, and with a shake of her head, accepted Moltezz's hand.
A pleasant, warm breeze swept the hall as Daedalust's wings embraced Moltezz, wrapping around the two of them.
The room echoed with the thunderous rumble of applause from the audience as the pair disappeared in a flash of lilac light. As quickly as it had started, the entire display ceased. The only remnant of their encounter was the smouldering, blackened tiles where they had stood. Written in the ash was the demoness' signature, her name sprinkled with several love hearts…
A renewed sense of awe stole the room's affection. At the back, Salem and Milo both applauded, both utterly captivated.
"Like I said… she's just… amazing." Milo nodded, biting his lip as his imagination ran wild. "I only wish I could see what they're getting up to."
"Indeed. It's just a shame that they're no longerhere." Salem uttered the last words with a significant undertone of frustration. He pointed straight at Kay-Ex and beckoned her over with a single, curling finger.
**Sunset Rook - Salvadore Plaza**
Anxiety gripped at both Bubblegum's and Plum's stomachs as the doors ahead of them rolled open. They were dressed modestly by their usual standards, with Bubblegum opting for a hoodie and jeans, and Plum a long summer dress. Their hands shyly felt for the other's, and gently linked as they stepped inside.
"What if we don't recognise her?" Plum asked quietly, her voice slipping away from her.
"No chance. Those eyes will stay with me forever."
Ahead of them was an open, classy space in Sunset Rook's working Salvadore Plaza, reserved for mid to high ranking agents to get on with whatever tasks they had assigned whilst visiting the station. It wasn't too dissimilar to Barru X, featuring an open dining area with plenty of shops and services, only sporting a substantially higher budget to splash out of expensive décor. Several comfortably-lit booths ran across the length of the far wall, along with a string of free-to-use market stalls for food. All in all, it was a generous, comfortable, inviting space which, currently, was rather quiet.
Their eyes landed on one of the booths, where a single elven woman was sitting, her back so stiff and upright against the leather cushion that it almost looked painful. Both their hearts rammed into their throats as they saw that emerald-sapphire sparkle of her eyes, even at this distance. She was flanked by two ORG enforcers, currently standing motionless at each side of the pod.
"You were right, that is absolutely her." Plum whispered, squeezing Bubblegum's hand tighter.
"Shall we?" Bubblegum replied, puffing her chest out.
She had always been a pretty woman, dressed in a devilishly sharp black and white suit, her short black hair slicked over to one side in a stylish emo fringe. She still wore her trademark necklace, a single silver coin on a dainty matching chain, where both sides were heads. Several layers of make-up adorned her pretty face, but it didn't look cakey or heavy; rather the opposite, it enhanced her eyes, easily the captivating feature on her. It appeared she'd changed her look just slightly since the pair had last seen her, as her make-up regime now featured faux black freckles dotted over her cheeks and under her eyes… those large, sharp, all-seeing eyes, swirling with a mixture of emerald green and sapphire hues, with all the glimmer expected of a gemstone. She glanced up as they approached, watching them with a serious but otherwise blank expression.
A goth elf pixie bitch… You haven't changed one bit, have you, Morista?
The warden of their past. Slim in figure and six feet tall, her appearance was flawless, as it always had been. They'd never known a single hair to be out of place on her, even when they'd been forced to watch her beating or electrocuting someone. Her confusion only seemed to intensify as Bubblegum and Plum sat down opposite her.
"I…. I didn't order czarites. Has there been a mix-up?"
"No." Bubblegum replied coldly, folding her arms defensively in front of her.
"We're here for your apology." Plum said, her voice as smooth and silky as always.
"Ohhhh! You must be…" The elf paused, threading her fingers together in front of her. Her quiet carried an air of expectation rather than thought.
"Plum and Bubblegum…?" Bubblegum raised an eyebrow, looking for any hint of recognition within the elf. But her eyes remained cold.
"Plum and Bubblegum!" Morista snapped her fingers. "Sorry, it seems obvious now you said it, can see why you picked them. You do look very different from the last time I saw you both. Much bigger. Much more impressive."
The elf took a few seconds to eye up both the Controllers, taking in their every detail, before drumming her fingers across the table and relaxing back against the bench.
"I'm astonished. That corruption really has done a number on the two of you. It's a shame Cherry isn't here, I would have loved to have seen how she turned out. Is she not coming?"
"She is not." Plum replied, her voice as soft as ever, but firm too. "She… didn't think it was worth the time. She'd rather move on."
"Damn." Morista grinned. "The only time me and Cherry agree on something and she's not even here. Whelp, here goes."
The elf cleared her throat and somehow sat up even straighter than she had been before, laying her hands flat on the table.
"I am very sorry for the way I treated you whilst you were… under my command." She forced the words out with all the sincerity she could muster - which wasn't a lot. "It was unfortunate but I can assure you, it was entirely professional. There was no personal element to your treatment, it's just the way things are done."
Neither Controller had expected anything particularly sincere, but this? The only way it could have been more insulting and hollow was if she offered them their old positions back! Plum glanced a disappointed look at Bubblegum, but the other Controller only had eyes for Morista, who shot her a steely glare. The elf continued on, unabated and uncaring.
"With that said, I've procured an account to the sum of a hundred thousand gold dies and attached it to this card." She withdrew one of her hands from the table and reached into her blazer, pulling out a small gold credit card. As she did so, the pair caught sight of the fingertips on her right hand. Although they showed no physical reaction - they'd learnt to hide that a long time ago - a primal shudder ran deep along their spines. In the middle of each of her distal phalanx was a small, clear spike, nearly invisible to the eye. Her veins running through her wrist would occasionally pulse with a dim blue flash. "Please accept this gift as compensation and spend it in your betterment."
She placed the card carefully into the table, just in front of her, and slowly slid it across to the girls, dragging the spikes on her finger tips across the table's surface with a quiet but distinctive scratch.
"That's… very generous of you." Plum replied, choking back more apt words that were threatening to spill forth.
"You're welcome. That concludes our old business, I feel. Onto the new!"
"New business?" Bubblegum muttered, feeling her stomach churn in disgust.
"Absolutely. New you, new opportunities. I must know!" Morista chattered excitedly, the most energy she'd had since their conversation began. The Controllers already knew exactly where this was going. "Am I immune?" She asked, her eyes filled with hope.
Oh my fuck. She really hasn't changed at all. If anything, she's worse..!
"I-Is that… You're just…? No. You're not." Plum sighed loudly, gritting her teeth. "I think we'd better take our leave."
"Well now that is a shame. Nevermind. Perhaps in the future if the immunity project yields any results." The elf sighed, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.
"So, what are you going to do now then?" Plum asked as casually as she could, feeling Bubblegum's temper rising next to her as the Controller's shoulders rose and tensed up.
"Well, I have a suite on the Rook for the night, I have a couple more meetings after this but after that, I'll retire for the evening and head back north towards the UC border tomorrow morning. Why are you asking? Am I enticing you despite the corruption issue?"
"I… No. I think it would be best if we steered clear of one another going forward. I just want to ensure we're not going to bump into you and risk a conflict."
"You always were the diplomat, Plum. In this instance though, Salem is already ahead of you. He's moving me to fresh territory right to the north of the UC, between them and the Oneye corp. So I very much doubt you'll ever see me again." Morista gently flicked her fringe back.
"New territory?" Plum asked, uncomfortable. "You spent years… erm… cultivating your old territory, didn't you?"
"Yes. How observant of you!" Morista seemed genuinely delighted and surprised at Plum's recollection. "I was initially furious at his orders but quickly came to relish the idea." Her fingertips pulsed with blue light as she spoke. "A whole new land to explore, people to meet and assets to capture. I absolutely live for this. So in a way, I'm grateful. In another way, I'm beyond furious. But such is life within the ORG. You know me, Plum, I don't survive, I thrive." Morista said with a wink.
"Okay, well, that's good. I don't think we have anything further to say. Thanks for your time, Morista." Plum nodded, glancing over at Bubblegum as her sister said nothing. She merely stared at the elf in quiet rage.
"Brilliant. Glad we got that cleared up. Bye-bye now. Spend your money wisely."
The Controllers stood from the table in unison and began to shuffle out. Before they departed though, Bubblegum snatched the credit card from the table and flicked it back at Morista.
"Keep your money. We don't want it, and we don't want you!" Bubblegum declared with a feisty twirl. "Stay away from us, you nasty piece of work!"
The pair hurried off before giving Morista the chance to respond, back through the same double doors they entered though. Plum looked back over her shoulder as Bubblegum led the way out. The elf was completely unbothered. She unfolded a laptop out of her bag without so much as a second glance at them.
~You were right. That was a complete waste of time.~
~Do your fucking thing, Cherry. And make her suffer!~
**The next morning – Sunset Rook**
A quiet alarm beeped alive on the bedside table, stirring the occupants from their sleepy haze. Tucked in luxuriously thick sheets on a bed bigger than most people's entire bedrooms, Morista rubbed her eyes and slapped the device silent, dragging herself upright. She sat quietly for a couple of minutes, her eyes falling on the two lumps either side of her in the sheets, gently rising and falling under the duvet.
It was a peaceful couple of minutes, with nothing but the quiet hum of the room's air conditioning as the morning ambience slowly warmed with the walls via amber-coloured fixtures. Her eyes landed then on the pillow next to her, freshly smudged with make-up.
"Ugh! Damn it!" She hissed, prodding the two sleeping lumps. "Time for you two to go! Wake up and fuck off!"
The two lumps jumped and scrambled for the edge of the bed, quickly revealing themselves to be two of the ORG's Lovers in Lime. Morista buried her face in a pillow as the femboy goblins scrabbled for their clothes on the floor and quickly ran from the room.
Like the plaza, her suite was a lavish and comfortable affair, suitable for someone of her standing. After the soft click, close and lock of the main door she let the pillow fall, revealing more make-up smudged over it. She rolled out of bed, snatching a suit from the wardrobe and trudging over to the enormous ensuite bathroom.
With a soft, tired yawn, she hung the suit up on a hook and went to the sink. She started with some cleanser, a generous amount of the jelly-liquid gel on a cotton pad, and lathered against her skin. She cupped her hands together underneath the waterfall tap and splashed the cool water against her face, washing away any remaining bubbles. After a quick pat-dry she added a thin layer of lotion, and massaged it gently into her skin.
Now that her make-up was removed fully, she took a moment to observe her wrinkles. It wasn't fair. Many elf sub-species were ageless, but her particular brand had mixed with human genes at some point in their lingage and brought this fucking curse. Crow's feet creased the corners of her eyes, along with a handful of forehead lines. She scowled as she pulled her skin tort, left and right, taking in every little detail, before sharply pulling open her jade-coloured make-up bag and grabbing her brushes.
Her routine was intense but done remarkably well. She was well practiced and it showed in every flick of her brushes. Within minutes her wrinkles were completely concealed, her eyes boldened with sharp, black wings, and her cheeks decorated with perfect, black freckles, in the exact same pattern as before.
With her make-up complete, she quickly brushed her teeth and hair, sprayed herself with deodorant and unhooked her suit, dressing herself with the same expedited spirit as the rest of her morning routine. Fast, efficient and effective, she was ready to start the day.
She gave herself one last check in the mirror, straightening a couple of stray hairs and pressing them into place. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was yesterday again, for how immaculately replicated her aesthetic was.
Suddenly, she felt a shift in atmosphere, a cold breeze swept into the room and she turned to see the bathroom doorway obstructed by a breathtakingly tall, muscular silhouette.
Morista flexed her hand, an evil grin spreading over her face.
"I knew you couldn't stay away, Cherry. Although I am curious how you got in without my knowing…"
Cherry remained silent, her face cloaked in shadow.
"Still, you have some cheek, coming into my suite, uninvited, after you failed to show up for our amicable resolution. At least you turned up after I finished getting dressed… I can only hope you're dumb enough to keep making more mistakes, so I can have the delight of breaking you in again."
Cherry threw herself across the bathroom with a wild, frantic punch aimed straight at Morista's head. A sadistic grin stretched across the elf's face. She sidestepped the charge and slapped her right hand onto Cherry's back. The spikes on her fingers immediately dug into Cherry's skin and crackled with power, and Cherry collapsed to the floor.
"You remember this, Cherry? You remember how it feels?! I had to taser the hell out of you under my command. You were so headstrong and resilient. Such a pain in the ass. You were the reason I had these implants fitted, and I can assure you, they have served me well ever since!"
Morista's cold hand slammed against her bare flesh again and again, discharging volt after volt right into Cherry's muscles. She curled into a ball, hissing in pain.
"You really thought you could just come in and attack me?! That I wouldn't handle your ass like I handled you before? What made you think you could get away with this?!"
Her sneer widening, the elf pulled back her hand only to kick Cherry, hard, in the stomach.
"Or maybe you secretly liked having me kick the crap out of you, and just wanted one last kicking for good measure. You didn't have to play it like this, Cherry. You could have just asked! I would have happily tied you up and used you as a punch bag! Just like old times!" She giggled hysterically, her eyes alight with pure joy as she brought her hand back down and Cherry continued to convulse. "You know, once we're done, maybe I should pay Plum and Bubblegum a visit! Seeing as the 'tough girl' went down so easy!"
The Controller's eyes flickered open and panned over to the elf, sharpening like blades. Morista raised her hand once more, and prepared to bring it down -
Suddenly, the convulsing across her body just… stopped.
- And the Controller snatched Morista's wrist out of the air.
"You know… This doesn't hurt as much as I remember." Cherry growled, pressing her fist against the floor as she began to rise.
Morista's attitude immediately changed. She grasped and clawed at Cherry's hand, her fingers coursing with energy. Panic surged through her as she felt her back bump into the sink, and her other hand grasped onto the ceramic for support as the Controller stood upright, baring down over the elf. In one last desperate attempt, Morista kicked at Cherry's legs. Her toes crunched against the carapace on the Controller's shins, and a hollow cry of pain left Morista's throat. Cherry, on the other hand, stood strong and unphased, staring down at her with pure hatred. Pain flooded through Morista as Cherry snapped her wrist like a twig.
"I'm gonna savour every second of this, Morista. Every. Fucking. Second."
The Controller launched into a vicious assault, throwing a heavy punch into her tormentor's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Morista's diaphragm seized, her lungs completely incapable of drawing breath as Cherry snatched her up and lifted her into the air. In one furious heave, Cherry hurled the elf straight into the mirror. The glass cracked and shattered, sending shards showering across the sink and the bathroom floor. They crunched fruitlessly under the Controller's feet as she stepped forward, blocking any minute chance of Morista escaping. The elf tried to scramble to feet as pain coursed through her, but suddenly found herself face down in the sink, hot blood trickling from her freshly pierced fingers as she gripped onto the edges for dear life.
A rush of cold air enveloped her skin as Cherry tore through her clothes, ripping her suit in angry handfuls, and exposing her.
"I'd give you a fifty-fifty chance of Node to Slave. Either way, you'll belong to us. How does that sound, Morista? A true coin-flip, one no-one can rig."
"N-No!" Morista cried out, her throat wheezing with air as her lungs finally began to work once again. "D-Don't! Please!"
"What, don't like the thought of being an ugly, mindless zombie?" Cherry sneered. "No power, no control, no make-up? Trust me Morista, that would be the better option. You think you'd get off scot free as a Node?" Cherry bent over, spitting into the elf's ear. "I could make your every second a living nightmare."
Morista was shaking. She twisted her head, staring at her freshly cut hands. Cuts that would scar.
"N-No! I can't be seen like that… I'd rather you just kill me!"
"Shut up." Cherry growled, pushing her hips against Morista's. One of the Controller's hands grabbed the girl's hair, pressing her face down against the cold ceramic. "You have no control here. And you never will again."
"NO! PLEASE! CHERRY!" Morista burst into tears, flailing her arms wildly and trying to push off the sink, but the Controller was far, far too strong to move. She was pinned and helpless as tears flowed down her cheeks, mascara and foundation trickling down the drain. "I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! STOP!"
She felt something big and hard pressing against her nethers. Nothing she could do could shake the Controller surrounding her.
"CHERRY! NO! T-THINK OF THE ORG! YOU'LL BE JEPODISING THE FUTURE OF OUR ALLIANCE!S-STOP!"
Cherry could feel the corruptive urge drawing her towards Morista's trembling, naked body. Her essence demanded the sacrilege of her tormentor's flesh.
The elf's voice dropped low as she stopped flailing, her body stiff as a rock in Cherry's grip as the pressure against her nethers continued to grow, threatening to penetrate her at any moment.
"Please… Stop…I can't…" The words were choked out by an intensifying sobbing that broke into hysterics. Her entire body shuddered over and over again as the pressure below squeezed her harder.
Suddenly the Controller flipped the elf over, bringing them face to face. One hand was gripped around her neck, the other was a tight balled fist, pressed against her pussy.
"I wouldn't. Not that." Cherry growled. "I'm better than you, Morista. I would never sink to your level."
Morista panted heavily, her eyes darting between Cherry's fist and furious eyes. She swallowed loudly, her face now a complete mess of smudged make-up and tear trails.
"I-I always knew you had a kind heart. You were special!" She nodded desperately, forcing a smile onto her face.
"And you treated me like shit anyway!" The Controller's grip on her neck intensified with the fury in her eyes. "You would string me up, blindfold me and beat me, wouldn't you?"
"I-I… It -"
"And you would fucking finger me at the same time." Cherry growled, uttering every word with a wild hatred. "I can remember you giggling, loving every moment as I squirmed in the bindings." Cherry's fist rose from the elf's privates and splayed out in front of the girl's face, brandishing her claws deliberately. "You would hit me with bats, lumps of wood… fucking anything you had lying about, and you would shove your boney fingers inside me…"
Morista's tongue balled at the back of her throat as the Controller's claws floated towards her face.
"But you know what was the worst part? It was the darkness." The heat from Cherry's breath was like a flamethrower on the elf's skin. "The fact that I couldn't even look you in the eyes as you violated me... I couldn't confront my torturer as she tried to rewire my brain for her own benefit. That… That is what fucked me up the most. And you knew that, didn't you?"
The elf could only croak in response, her body shaking from head to toe.
"So here is what I'm gonna do… I'm gonna leave you a scar that's gonna stare you in the face, every single day. Every time you wake up and do your make up, I want you to think of me, and how much more I could've taken, but didn't. I want you to remember that grace I showed you, grace that you don't deserve. Because I'm better than you. And if there's a next time, by the Gods I will not show it again."
Cherry plunged her claws straight into Morista's eye socket. She screamed, loud - but it was quickly muffled as the Controller clamped her hand over her mouth and squeezed her jaw shut. Morista could hear the chitin clawing inside her skull, shredding and scrapping the flesh like a cat clawing at the insides of a tin. In one, long, sustained pull, she wrenched the eye free with a fleshy rip and briefly held it in front of Morista's mortified, ghost-white face.
It dangled down by the optic nerve, like a dead rat…
Before the Controller crushed it in her fist.
Bits of eye squeezed out between the Controller's fingers like hard boiled egg white, and once sure it had been thoroughly obliterated, she smothered it across the elf's face.
Her claws darted towards Morista's other eye, but she stopped a hair's breadth away, gritting her teeth.
"No. I want you to see what I've done to you."
The elf collapsed into the Controller's grip. Gasping, wheezing, crying, shaking. Words all but lost.
Bloodied hands snatched up her once again and shoved her gaping face in front of the mirror. Fingers clawed and forced her remaining eye open.
She didn't recognise the nightmare staring back at her, from between the broken shards. Shattered, cracked remains. Her mouth fell open in horror, but no sound came out.
Finally, once Cherry was satisfied, the Controller dropped Morista to the floor. She did not try to run, or fight, or even hide; she remained as she had been left, crumbled against the tiles. She barely even noticed the Controller heading back towards the bathroom door.
"Clean yourself up, Morista. You have new territory to set up."
**The ORG's Inner Sanctum - Deep in unknown space**
Twinkling stars surrounded a midnight lagoon pool. A perfect blend of orange warmth and a gentle cooling breeze swept over the immaculate decking. It was a little slice of astral heaven, serene and calm. A single occupant was lying on a poolside lounger, dressed in a modest white bikini. Clutched in her hands was a book, its cover blank, its pages covered in black removable redaction tabs. She was a squirrel, her muscular, lean body a pleasant mix of brown, black and gold hues, contrasted starkly with her white-furred face and deep jade eyes.
It was quiet. Peaceful. The gentle way she handled her tableside cocktail produced barely more than a whisper. Even her breathing was silent. The only noise that permeated the poolside was the occasional flip of the book's pages.
Suddenly, the silence was broken. She sighed to herself as her bracelet beeped quietly, as though afraid to disturb her.
But she wasn't completely unenthused to answer. Despite their differences, she often enjoyed their chats. With a soft beep, she accepted the call.
"Salem. You're disturbing my alone time. I hope it's for a good reason."
"Alexa. Indeed it is. I'm afraid I'm in need of advice. And I think you might be the best person in this instance." Salem replied with his usual charm.
"Dump her and move on." Alexa stated blankly, almost hanging up on him immediately with a roll of her eyes.
"No, Alexa. Not that type of advice." Salem chuckled. "My new project has encountered a creature that I have almost zero experience and knowledge of. But I think you might."
"Hm. Proceed." Alexa replied shortly.
"The Rewritten have been approached, or more rather breached by a young woman we think is an Azuri."
The word immediately caught Alexa's attention and she snapped her book closed, placing it to her side.
"I knew they were real," Salem continued. "Unlike most. But aside from that, I know nothing. All I have gleaned so far is that she's physically very dangerous."
"An Azuri has approached your pet project and hasn't immediately butchered them?" Alexa asked, making no attempt to hide the curiosity in her voice.
"I knew this was worth disturbing you for. Yes, she is actually bargaining for their physical attention in exchange for operating as a limited mercenary for them. They have similar arrangements with other immune individuals so the deal itself is relatively commonplace for them. But the subject is not."
Alexa was silent, her mind buzzing with questions and thoughts. Salem did not interrupt and waited patiently, happy to afford Alexa her required quiet.
After a minute or so, Alexa broke her silence.
"Do you want to know what I've been reading recently, Salem? It's highly confidential, so please don't repeat it unless you trust the company fully."
"I'd love to." Salem replied in his typical, flirtatious tone.
"The unredacted accounts of the founding of Enigma Incorporated. Their origin has a public version, a private version, and a highly confidential, off-limits version that's the actual truth. Do you know the basics?"
"They were data brokers, weren't they? Managed to subdue their local competition and convert them, before finding a super dense planet of material which they claimed and used to build their empire. The public version states the planet was mostly platinum, palladium and pure diamond. The private version is the same, but the planet actually had caches of anomalous material, I believe absolite and plasmide?"
"Precisely. Enigma are, of course, the tech giant of the terra-corps, with their hacking, armour and weapon systems being leagues ahead of the competition. And their branded technology has a 'no self-repair' doctrine, with it being nearly impossible to service and repair without sending to it Enigma themselves, who'll usually just wholesale replace it. The tech giant finding a planet full of materials ideal for super computers makes perfect sense, does it not?"
"I'd say so. No reason to question it anyway."
"Did you ever wonder why first time users of Enigma tech always feel some level of discomfort, usually a minor headache, around their new items? It fades with time but it's ever-present, it's part of their sales pitch these days. Tech so good it makes your head spin, they joke."
"I always figured it was the price. An Uzer pulse rifle costs a small fortune for the average person." Salem snickered.
"All makes sense doesn't it? But while all of these details are linked, their origin is fabricated. Or at least, covered up."
"Go on." Salem replied, his grin audible.
"The truth is, Enigma did find something. It was planet-sized. And they did use it. But it was no material cache. They discovered a corpse the size of a gas-giant. Something terrible and nearly beyond our understanding. There are theories floating around about entities that are… vast and dreadful. Most assume it originated from outside of the universe, in the 'demon broth' that makes up the otherwise intraversable space between universes. But there appear to be some within our boundaries too. Perhaps even native to it. Are you following?"
"I'm with you, do continue."
"These entities are… deeply troubling from what we've been able to gather. Just looking at them can kill you.But their observation of you is far worse, death would be a lucky escape from the fate they bestow. I hesitate to call them 'gods,' as their power certainly isn't infinite. But they are catastrophic, terrible entities, which most people will never discover, thankfully. But Enigma did indeed discover a dead one. And with some trouble, they were able to pluck apart its body and research it. It was this discovery that propelled their technological dominance, and it's why people get a headache when they first encounter Enigma's technology. I couldn't tell you what goes on inside an Uzer pulse rifle, but the essence of that entity is in there somewhere, distilled into a manufacturable component and replicated. It's theorized that the headache is your brain recalibrating itself to be more compatible with the aura that their tech produces. And of course, makes the 'no self repair' gimmick a lot more understandable."
"Fascinating!" Salem exclaimed genuinely. "And concerning. I understand why Enigma wouldn't want that spreading. Does that mean that Enigma's 'pulse' weaponry is technically a double entendre? Flowing the blood of a dead demi-god… In a metaphorical sense anyway."
"I think it may well be so. I don't think anyone would question it though, they do indeed fire bright blue pulses of energy."
"Even so, I applaud their audacity. But please, continue."
"The entity's powers were still in effect but were supposedly around five-to-ten percent of what they were when it was alive. Looking at it directly was forbidden, there were no pictures or maps of its surface. The extraction and mining was done via drone where it could be, but they had to get boots on the ground for some operations. I don't actually know what fate became of the workers, Enigma destroyed all records of it. But that isn't the important detail. What's important is that it was dead. Craters the size of cities, as well as other more unusual damage permeated its surface. There was a giant hole through the middle of it, like an asteroid had punched through it, which was likely the death blow. Unlikely, but always a possibility in space."
"Mass and speed are always a deadly combination."
"Enigma's research of the surface revealed that there had most likely been heavy combat on the surface of the entity. There were footprints, embedded into the entities 'skin' as it were. They found the corpses of what they believed were the followers' thralls all over it, long since rotted away of course. But the primary point of note here - the central hole within its structure had zero trace material left over from whatever punched through it, which would be mathematically impossible if it was a mass driver of some sort. This 'god' wasn't a victim of a random asteroid, or even an aimed one. It had been deliberately killed, by hand. And after an extensive investigation, Enigma concluded it was the Azuri who did it. Likely one of their commanders or even high commanders. But the investigation concluded with zero doubt that the entity was slain deliberately, and brutally."
Alexa sounded almost jealous as she recounted the tale with growing glee.
"... I see…" Salem murmured.
"For all of its power, the Azuri happened upon it and utterly decimated it. There was zero evidence of any Azuri losses present, but the battle damage they discovered bore their unmistakable hallmarks."
"Which are?"
"What was the quote Enigma used…? I believe they described it as 'repeated physical annihilation defiant of known limitations.' Basically describing how the level of physical damage inflicted would be impossible by any other means. You know how you were talking about mass and velocity? Those are the Azuri's bread and butter of destruction. Just imagine the prestige of slaying such a beast… I digress. Your new friends appear to have a young God Killer in their midst. I would suggest the utmost caution. The young ones aren't invincible, yet. They grow stronger with every fight they take with supposedly no upper limit on their strength and durability. Hence why no trace material was found within the entity's catastrophic wound. But even young, they're still beyond formidable. Most weapons won't hurt them. They're impossibly strong and faster than we'll ever be. Their senses are dialled up to eleven and they're trained for combat from birth. If she wants something, she'll take it. So my advice is keep anything you value away from her. Because if she decides to do something you don't like, the chances of you being able to do anything are basically zero. If something as terrible as the unknown entities are mere prey for Azuri, there's very little we can do."
"My concern only continues to grow over the course of this conversation. This will require careful management." Salem replied, his professional demeanour beginning to wear thin.
"From what I've heard they're not unreasonable, unless they're sent on a mission by their high commanders. Be respectful, match her temperament and do not demand anything. Ego will get you killed. Bragging is seen as a challenge within their culture and they do not take kindly to non-Azuri challengers, typically."
"I appreciate the advice, Alexa. Thank you." Salem replied.
"You're welcome. You were correct, this was worth my time…" A small grin found its way to Alexa's face as a thought popped into her head. "Come to think of it Salem, perhaps you are part entity… You often leave me with a headache and I refuse to look at you."
"Very true!" Salem laughed. "Although I hope not to meet my end at the hands of an Azuri."
Salem's laughter trailed off and he fell into silence, but just as he'd given Alexa the time to think, she gave it to him.
"You mentioned she isn't invulnerable yet. Do you have anything that might be able to hurt her? In case we need it."
"I might have something in the armoury. I'll have it sent over to Three-Eight, but I must warn that it's a melee weapon and there's no guarantee that even Three-Eight could land a blow."
"It's Aranych now, by the way." Salem replied. "They corrupted her."
"Aranych…?" Alexa smirked. "Hm. I see. Well, I'll have the weapon sent over. Keep it concealed, if she does decide to turn on you, you'll want every possible advantage… It seems you have quite the powder keg there, Salem. Regretting your deal yet?"
"Not one bit. I'm assuming you haven't seen the video of Moltezz and Daedalust?"
"No." Alexa grinned, picking her book back up. "Still, what happened?"
"She spat into Daedalust's mouth and made her swallow it, in front of everyone. The twin dukes nearly choked on their wine."
"Okay." Alexa paused, nodding subtly to herself. "That's a strong opener. I wonder if she'll regret pissing off Dae like that."
"Dae, huh? I didn't know you two were close?" Salem snickered.
"We were. She was a remarkable assassin, Salem. Ultra class psykers usually are. I wasn't aware she'd made her way into your circle."
"You learn something new every day. I thought you'd keep a closer eye on her, knowing you."
"I have little desire to watch pornography or listen to gossip, and we're both very busy ladies." Alexa shook her head, but the smirk was still present on her face despite that.
"I suppose I am just a phone call away." Salem responded cockily.
"Hush. I've told you, that was… Ugh." Alexa shook her head again, and finally succeeded in swallowing her grin. "Anything else you needed?"
"No. Thank you for your time."
"Begone then!"
And with that, Alexa ended the call. She took just the briefest moment to reflect, before flicking through her book, back to the last page she was on.