The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

6:21PM

Alpha Agency Headquarters – Boston, Massachusetts

“I’m ready,” the woman said softly, consciously keeping her voice down as she spoke into the tiny hidden microphone that she had pinned to the inner surface of her trench coat.

She looked up and down the street. There was a homeless man rifling through a tin garbage can in the alley opposite the one where she stood. Down the street, an Indian man was closing up shop, pulling down the steel gate to his electronics repair shop. Few witnesses, and there were no cops in sight. The conditions are perfect, she thought to himself, as she silently drew a single cigarette stick from her pocket. Checking again to make sure no one would see, she pulled the brim of her fedora lower to hide her face. Confident that there was indeed no one around, she snapped her fingers, producing a small flame, lighting the cigarette in his mouth.

As she blew out smoke, she checked his watch. 6:21PM. It was almost time. The others were almost at their positions. She took another puff from her cigarette before disappearing down the alley. She crept around a garbage dumpster and some boxes that were piled high.

On the floor, sleeping inside a large empty TV box, another homeless bum was asleep. The woman shook her head. Normally she wouldn’t have cared if there were any casualties…her benefactor surely never did, but she was under explicit instructions to make sure that this would attract as little media coverage as possible. It would be enough of a media circus for three fires to simultaneously pop up.

That meant casualties had to be kept down to a big flat zero…at least, outside of the Alpha Agency, anyway.

The woman tossed the cigarette aside and kicked the man awake.

“Get out of here, old man,” she said angrily, “this place isn’t safe.”

“Wha—?” The man stuttered. His breath smelled of alcohol…and the cheap kind.

The woman in the trench coat rolled her eyes, before giving the bum another swift kick. “I said get out of here.”

Drunk, the homeless man stood, eyeing the woman in the coat warily with one good eye while the other remained half open. “Whaddafuckarye—hey—shonofa—you’re a chick!!!”

The homeless man staggered as he felt the woman in the heavy coat grab him by the neck and throw him out of the alley in a swift move that left the bum dizzied. “Get out of here, you drunk bastard,” she exclaimed as she gave the poor fellow a kick in the rear.

She fished out another cigarette as she watched the inebriated man stumble across the street. Probably to find himself another box to roll over and die in, the woman thought silently. She didn’t care. Her alley was clear. The others were probably near their intended targets as well. All she needed to do now was wait for the signal.

She fixed her earpiece.

Static was coming in.

Someone was trying to get through.

“This is Graves,” came the garbled voice. “I’m in position, is everyone else ready to begin?”

“Yes,” came a deep voice over the communications line.

“Ready here,” the woman spoke.

“I’m at the fire station now,” another female voice added.

“Good,” Graves said, “Sir Freeman, we’re ready when you are.”

There was a short pause. Then Matthew’s cool and calculating voice came over the intercom, “Operation: White Bishop, execute.”

“Roger,” Graves replied. “Execute.”

“Roger,” the man echoed.

She threw her cigarette to the side. Looking about one more time and satisfied the coast was clear, she took a deep breath. The building beside her was a small office building. It was too bad, she thought to herself, as the first floor held a decent-looking furniture shop, and their merchandise seemed so expensive. Mostly imported, by her estimation. Ah, well, for so long as the owner had insurance. And if the owner didn’t have insurance, it wasn’t any concern of hers.

She held up her arms, and flames began to ignite in a twisting and winding pattern around them. Soon the flames turned into a veritable inferno, lighting up the alleyway in the cool night sky.

The woman gave a small yell as she launched the columns of fire at the side of the building, melting through the walls and reaching the inside. She was aiming for the storage room, which, according to the plans that they had procured, would be right there…and she poured on the firepower, as the wall began to crumble and melt away at the intense heat she was producing.

It was only a matter of seconds, and soon she saw the interior of the building erupt into a good flame.

She stopped, then stepped through the hole she had created. The blaze she had started was massive. She had one thing left to do. She had to hurry, though, as the large fire she had started was not going to wait for her to finish. She concentrated again, this time pointing her arm straight up. In a single concentrated blast she fired, tearing a good-sized hole straight through the roof.

She smiled. Mission accomplished.

The woman stepped outside before she could be overwhelmed by smoke. She ran to the other side of the alley and fished out a couple of coins. She took one last look at the column of smoke that now billowed from the hole in the roof. “Perfect,” the woman said, admiring her handiwork, “just as Sir Freeman wanted…flashy and dramatic. Lord Azazel would be proud.”

She stepped up to a payphone and chucked in the coins. She dialed calmly even as a few passersby stopped and gasped at the raging fire.

“Hello?” she said, cradling the receiver in between her head and shoulder as she calmly cracked her fingers, “yes, I’d like to report a fire.”

6:45PM

“This is Angel, the fire brigade has departed. All units have responded to the fires. Fifteen minutes have passed since the last fire truck left. You’re good to go,” Angel reported, as the loud sirens of the fire trucks wailed into action.

“Gotcha. I’m making my move now,” Matthew said. He stepped down from the van, then turned to look at Delilah and Kimberly, who had sat in the back with him while Sharon drove. “Wish me luck,” he said.

“Good luck,” Delilah and Kim said simultaneously.

Matthew smiled, then concentrated. Soon he began to feel the sensation of lightness, as if he were floating in invisible water. He looked at his hands, and they began to gain translucency. He was intangible. He took one last look at the van and then took a deep breath.

Soon he began to descend into the alleyway, ending up in the sewer below. Traveling through the brick and metal was like swimming. Everything around him had the same texture, the same weird feel. He had never attempted to go intangible and travel through so much before, but he was doing it now, and so far, so good.

He gave a light kick to propel himself in the right direction. The building was a whole block away. He passed through one basement, and then another, and then another. Finally he reached the Alpha Agency basement.

Becoming tangible, he landed on the floor with a small thud. He stood quickly, focusing his energies, ready to deal with any threat. The basement was empty. He checked his watch. 6:47 PM. On schedule.

He made his way to the auxiliary power line, hidden behind several false water heaters. Stretching out his fingers and then shaking him loose, he took a deep breath.

“Cutting power,” he said into his tiny microphone.

He grabbed the power lines and could feel the electricity surging through them.

Matthew took another deep breath, and yelled, his eyes glowing as the electricity began to flow through his arms, bathing the entire basement in white hot light. The power breaker shorted and Matthew ripped the lines right out. His entire body was smoking.

“Power is cut,” he said sharply into the microphone. “What a rush,” he said softly, as he looked at his hands, crackling with arcs of lightning.

“Are you alright?” he heard Sharon ask.

“Fine,” he answered, as he made his way to the stairs that led up to the back storage room of the building.

Before he could get to the door however, it opened.

A burly agent stood in his way.

“Freeman!” he screamed.

Damn it, Matthew said to himself. The agent knew his name. He was one of Jeffries’ Vassals.

In the split second it took for the agent to reach into his pocket for the gun, Matthew had launched himself high into the air, his hands enveloped in electricity. Before the agent could even take the gun out of his holster, Matthew was already standing on the rails, his hands grabbing the agent by the collar, and tossing him up and over to the cold stone floor below, at the same time feeling a jolt of pain straight down his spine as Matthew’s lightning hit him like a stun gun. The agent landed on his head with a thud. As he attempted to stand, the last thing he saw was Matthew Freeman jump off the stairs, driving a boot to his face.

Matthew made his way up the stairs, leaving the dead agent on the cold stone floor of the basement.

Matthew turned himself invisible, determined not to be detected again. Taking extra precaution, he snuck around the back of the building, until he finally made it to the loading bay of the building. He snuck into one of the storage rooms, and found the one he was looking for.

Boxes in the room were piled high on steel shelves. Looking about and seeing that no one was around, Matthew stealthily and quietly clambered up one of the shelves until he was within a few feet of the sprinklers.

Looking around one more time, he then held out his hand. A small jet of flame erupted forth, and soon the sprinklers were activated.

The fire alarm sounded.

“Fire alarm tripped,” Matthew said over the intercom.

Sharon’s voice came back over the communications line. “Acknowledged. They’re starting to evacuate the building…coming around for you now.”

“Good,” Matthew said. “Graves, what’s your status?”

“I’m en route, should be there in a minute or less,” Graves responded.

“Likewise,” Solomon added.

“Me, too,” Fox replied.

“Good,” Matthew said. He dropped down to the storage room floor and exited to the loading bay.

No sooner had he done so than a black, unmarked van pulled up. The side door opened and Matthew jumped in. “Gun it!” he ordered.

Sharon nodded. She rammed her foot down onto the gas pedal and the van lurched forward with screeching tires. She made her way to the street and the van swerved and almost fishtailed, but Sharon remained in full control. She headed for the parking area, where barriers had been set up. Two security guards attempted to stop her by standing in the way. Sharon called out. “Do I run them over?”

“You won’t have to,” Matthew said, sitting in the seat next to her. “Keep going,” he said, as he closed his eyes to focus.

“What?!” Sharon asked.

Matthew didn’t answer. Sharon shook her head as she floored it.

The two security guards weren’t budging. One held a shotgun and trained it at the van, while the other drew a pistol and prepared to fire. “STOP” they screamed.

“Shit,” Sharon muttered.

As the van came closer, suddenly the two guards flew up and out of the way just in time, slamming into the roof of the parking area with a loud thud, and knocking them both out.

“What the—?” Sharon said in surprise.

Matthew opened his eyes and smiled at her. “Telekinesis…gotta love it.”

Sharon returned his smile as she drove the van up the ramp.

They soon reached the top parking level on the eighteenth floor and they scrambled out of the van, guns drawn.

Almost immediately they were greeted by two agents who had their pistols trained on them. Without even breaking a sweat, Matthew launched two bolts of lightning at them, sending them flying across the garage.

“Angel!” Matthew said into the intercom, “what’s your status.”

“Almost there,” she said.

“Graves!” Matthew called out.

”We’re all at the entrance now, most of the building has been evacuated.”

“Push through,” Matthew ordered.

“Roger,” Graves responded.

All of a sudden, the building shook. From below, a low rumble came. Matthew knew that the Pyromancers had blown through the lobby.

The siege had begun.

7:11PM

19th floor, Alpha Agency Headquarters

Gunfire raged overhead as Delilah, Kimberly and Sharon stayed within the confines of the green force field Matthew was maintaining over them. Despite the protection, they still huddled behind a tipped over conference table as they were being peppered by full-automatic weapons.

“Do you think he needs help?” Delilah asked.

Almost to answer her question two agents came flying over their heads, crashing into the brick wall nearby with such force upon impact that the masonry they hit was completely obliterated. Their charred, dead bodies dropped to the floor, like smoking husks.

Kimberly looked at Delilah. “I think he’s fine.”

Delilah nodded in agreement as she heard a few more agents scream in agony.

Soon the gunfire stopped and the force field dropped. The lady Knights stood and looked over the table to where the dozen or so agents had once stood. They saw a few more of them cooked to a crisp by Matthew’s lightning and fire, another was frozen to the spot, while a couple of them had been tossed through walls. As they made their way through the carnage, they even saw one agent had been punched straight through the ceiling, and his lifeless legs now hung in a rather comedic way above them.

Without warning they heard another agent scream from the other side of the room. The man was on fire as he ran past the agents, eventually knocking himself as he ran into the brick wall in agony, and dropped dead, still burning.

Matthew stood straight and took a deep breath on the far side of the room. “Well, that’s the last of them,” he said as the lady Knights approached.

All of a sudden a massive fireball exploded, sending the door to the stairwell flying across the room, while three more agents came tumbling out, only to fall dead. Immediately after them, the Pyromancers climbed into the room. Angel was following them, carrying two massive duffle bags.

“It’s about time,” Matthew said.

“Sorry, sir,” Graves responded. “We ran into quite a bit of opposition on the 6th and 11th floor.”

“That’s fine,” Matthew said. He looked over the special forces soldier’s shoulder at Angel.

“You have everything?” he asked, just as Delilah took her place beside him.

“Yup,” Angel responded.

“All right, set up the recovery system on opposite sides of the building,” Matthew ordered.

Angel nodded and handed one of the duffle bags to Delilah.

They went in opposite directions, carrying the bags to the observation decks. Matthew turned to Graves. “Ready for the final push?” he asked.

“Always, Sir.”

“Let’s go.”

7:33 PM

21st floor, Alpha Agency Headquarters

The agent screamed as he writhed in pain on the floor. Matthew stood over him, arcs of electricity traveling between his hand and the agent’s body. It took no more than a few seconds…and then the agent was dead.

Yet another agent came running at him, but before he could even get close, bolts of fire and lightning came and riddled his body, dropping him instantly. Kimberly and Sharon stepped forward, their guns smoking.

“Is that the last of them?” Sharon asked.

“I think so—” Matthew said, but then held their arms, “WAIT! I feel something.”

“Balthus?” Kimberly asked.

“No…” Matthew answered.

From the far end of the hall, Graves came running. Solomon and Fox were trailing behind him. “Sir, we’ve cleared the rest of the floor—”

“LOOK OUT!!!” Matthew shouted.

Before Graves could respond, however, a massive shadow dropped from the air conditioning vent above him, grabbing his head and pulling him upwards. In a microsecond, Graves had disappeared.

“NO!!!” Solomon and Fox screamed, raising their HK MP5’s into the ceiling and riddling it with fiery bullets.

They emptied their magazines, punching burning holes through the ceiling panels.

Sharon and Kimberly trained their pistols to the ceiling and crouched down. Matthew did not move an inch, his eyes darting back and forth, checking for any sign of movement. His right hand was crackling lightning, his left hand was a burning inferno. He was ready for anything.

First there was silence.

Then, they heard Graves screaming.

Then they suddenly felt as if the entire ceiling above them were creaking. Solomon and Fox reloaded.

Without warning a portion of the ceiling gave way, and the lifeless body of Darius Graves fell onto the floor in the middle of the waiting room where Matthew, Sharon and Kimberly had been standing.

Solomon and Fox ran to him.

“Check him!” Matthew said coldly, his eyes never leaving the huge gap in the ceiling.

Fox knelt down and placed two fingers at the anterior border of Graves’ sternocleidomastoid to check for his carotid. “He’s got a pulse, but it’s weak.”

Matthew leaned forward and checked for it as well. “Thready,” he said. He placed a finger over the radial pulses. “Irregularly irregular pulse,” he muttered, “damn it, he’s in atrial fibrillation…but he’s alive. We need to get him out of here. Fox!”

“Yes?” she asked.

“I need you to get Graves back down to the nineteenth floor. Get him strapped to his basket,” Matthew ordered. “Do it now.”

“But—”

“NOW,” Matthew said sternly.

Fox looked at Solomon, and then to Graves. “Yes, sir.”

She dragged him off.

“What was that thing?” Solomon asked as he stepped closer to the hole in the ceiling.

“Pseudo-Collector…” Matthew said, checking every which way for any sign of the beast. “Looks like Balthus used the ritual himself to make another one.”

“I thought he needed Zarastopheles to perform the Dark Anointment?” Sharon muttered under her breath.

“Looks like he did it himself this time,” Matthew said, “which means that this one is probably more flawed.”

“Flawed? It nearly killed Darius!” Solomon exclaimed.

“I said flawed, I didn’t say ineffective,” Matthew answered.

Before Solomon could answer the shadow attacked again, crashing through another portion of the ceiling, and this time going straight for Matthew. It hit him with such force that the two of them were knocked through the wall into another room.

“MASTER!” Kim screamed.

“MATTHEW!” Sharon exclaimed.

The two Lady Knights and Solomon followed. Matthew was beneath the shadowed creature, pinned to the ground by tendrils of shadow.

“GET OFF OF HIM!” Kim screamed.

The shadow turned.

Then it spoke in a horrific perversion of a human voice.

“Kim-ber-leeeeeee?” it said.

“Oh god…” Kimberly said, as her gun fell to the floor. “Tom…”

“DIE BASTARD!!!” Solomon yelled, unloading his magazine of fiery bullets onto the creature.

It screamed, backing away from Matthew and reeling from the hail of gunfire.

“NO!” Kim screamed, launching herself at Solomon and knocking his aim upwards.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU—” Solomon snapped angrily. But before he could finish his sentence the Pseudo-Collector was upon them. He crawled across the roof and launched himself at them, unfurling like a dark cloak, letting loose a bloodcurdling cry.

Solomon, Kimberly and Sharon stood there in shock, like deer caught in the headlights. Solomon’s eyes opened wide as he stared at his death coming right at him, powerless to stop it.

But Matthew was not powerless.

He had reacted as soon as the Pseudo-Collector that was once Agent Rogan was off of him.

A flash of lightning came, and the creature fell to the ground. Becoming less and less like shadow, it stood and turned, its red eyes angrily looking for the source of the lightning that had hurt it.

Matthew stood there, looking at the shadow form back into the vague shape of Agent Thomas Rogan. It screamed and came at Matthew, swinging like a madman, its hands taking the shape of gigantic scythes of shadow and darkness.

Matthew, a trained martial artist, dodged the blows effortlessly. It was swinging wildly. No method to its attacks and no cunning in its assault. It was angry. Matthew saw no glint of humanity in its eyes as it burned with rage and hatred. He sidestepped another wild swing and sent an elbow into the creature’s face.

Distorted into hatred, the creature reeled back, but renewed its attack with greater vigor and speed. Matthew was ready, though. He counterattacked. Stepping into the monster’s wild swing he easily blocked it at the shoulder, sending a series of elbows and punches into the monster’s face and gut, before finally delivering a lightning-charged fist into the side of its head, knocking it straight back through the wall into the room they had originally come from.

“THOMAS!” Kim yelled as she followed the creature.

“KIM! DON’T!” Sharon called out, following her with her gun at the ready.

Solomon and Matthew followed them. The creature was on the floor, flailing wildly in pain.

Kim didn’t hesitate to put an arm around it. “Shhh…” she cried, her tears streaming down as she held it close. He felt cold…so cold.

“Kim—ber—leeee” the monster said, stopping its movements and looking down at the beautiful redhead that was now holding it so gently. “Kim—ber—leeee…” it cried, in a voice that was chilling to the bone, but at the same time so full of sorrow.

Matthew approached. He saw the monster’s eyes soften. It wailed out in a horrible scream. Matthew knew that Thomas was still inside that dark and shadowy shell. He raised his hands and lowered Sharon’s and Solomon’s guns. He had seen Thomas Rogan’s eyes.

“Mon—ster…me…mon—ster…” the Pseudo-Collector said, as it cried.

It was a sorry sight.

“What is—why is it doing that?” Sharon asked.

“An imperfect Dark Anointment,” Matthew answered. “Unstable, incomplete. The other Pseudo-collectors were inferior versions of the Soul Collector, but at least they were designed to be unthinking, unfeeling killing machines. This—” he made a gesture towards the tortured creature that Kimberly held in her arms. “Thomas Rogan is still in there. Every moment is torture for him…”

“Is there anything we can do?” Kimberly asked, her arms holding her partner and friend tight.

Matthew shook his head slowly. “No, he has been twisted.”

“So—reee,” the creature spoke painfully, as if every word it said as Thomas Rogan was a painful experience. “Ro—gan, so-reeee…”

“Oh, Tom, I know you are!” Kim said, holding him even tighter.

The creature turned to Matthew, it’s eyes filled with sorrow. “Free—man…Free—man…” it called out.

“Yes, Agent Rogan?”

The creature looked back at Kimberly, and managed a smile of sorts, or at least the best one it could produce, before looking back at Matthew. “Pleez…Free—man…” it paused, “Kill—me…”

“What? NO!” Kim screamed, bashing Rogan on the chest. “NO! Nononononononono!” she cried.

Slowly, the blades on Rogan’s arms morphed back into hands, and he held Kimberly in his arms. “Ro—gan…so—reee, Kim—ber—leee,” it spoke, “Ro—gan, mon—ster…”

Rogan looked back at Matthew. “Take—care—of—Kim—ber—leee…” it said.

Matthew nodded. “I will.”

Sharon knelt down and took Kimberly’s arm, pulling her away from her former partner. “Come, dear,” Sharon said softly, hugging Kimberly as she cried.

Rogan looked up at her. “Tell—Ka—ren—” it managed with difficulty, “I—love—her…”

He looked to Matthew and nodded. Matthew took a deep breath and drew his gun. He aimed for Rogan’s head. “I’m sorry,” Matthew said.

“Thank—you—” Rogan replied.

Rogan closed his eyes.

Matthew pulled the trigger.

Kimberly screamed.

Rogan was gone.

8:01PM

22nd floor, Alpha Agency Headquarters

“Are you sure you can still push through?” Matthew asked.

Kimberly took a deep breath. “Yes, Master.”

“Okay.”

Matthew turned to the heavy oak doors and took a deep breath. His hands glowed with electricity as he kicked the doors clean off their hinges.

The office was very large and spacious. Numerous sofas and chairs dotted the room, and fine wooden shelves and other such trappings adorned the walls on both sides. At the far end of the room was a large glass table with but a phone and a lamp on top of it. A large office chair was also there, but it was face away from them, looking out the glass windows that overlooked the Massachusetts Bay area.

They heard a clapping noise, as the chair slowly swiveled to face them. Matthews hands crackled with lightning, while Solomon, Sharon and Kimberly trained their guns on the individual who now face them.

He stopped clapping, and smiled.

“Balthus…” Matthew said.

“I should congratulate you, boy!” Jeffries shouted. “You figured out my plan. You killed my lackeys. You foiled me! At every turn, you foiled me. No matter what I threw at you, you had an answer, you found a way.”

Jeffries gave him another mock applause.

“I must say, I am impressed,” Jeffries continued, standing up slowly. He walked to one side of the room, to a waiting bottle of Cognac. He poured himself a glass, and drank it all in one shot. “I suppose you want me to come with you quietly now…” he said, swirling the ice cubes in his drink.

“After what you did to Agent Rogan—” Kimberly said angrily.

“Agent Rogan? Oh, yes, the Dark Anointment,” Jeffries said calmly, as if he were talking about something so trivial that it bored him. “A disappointing try, I should say. But, hey, that’s what I get for trying to do something only a genius like Zarastopheles can do. It was worth a shot, though.”

“You sick bastard!” Kimberly spat angrily.

Jeffries raised an eyebrow. “Oh don’t blow this out of proportion you bitch. Rogan was nothing more than an experiment gone wrong.”

“BASTARD!” Kimberly screamed. Her finger pulled the trigger.

The flash of her gun was bright and powerful. Lightning blasted forth, hitting Jeffries right between the eyes.

He dropped to the floor, his head smoking.

They relaxed.

Suddenly they heard laughing.

To their amazement, Jeffries began to stir. He stood, a wide, evil smile on his face. “That hurt, bitch,” he said, almost in an amused way. “Good try, though.”

The spot where the lightning-enchanted bullet had hit him right between the eyes was still smoking, and yet he seemed like it had done nothing to him. They all looked at him in surprise.

“Shocked?” Jeffries asked mockingly. “FOOLS! I can shapeshift! I can modify my body to mimic the properties of any solid substance! Including marble and rock…and rocks don’t burn.”

He laughed again. “Did you think you would just come in here and kill me? DID YOU?! YOU CAN’T—”

BANG.

Another lightning round hit him once more in the head, knocking it back. This time it had come from Matthew’s gun. “You talk too much,” Matthew said.

Balthus shook off the blow, his face distorted in anger. “You’ll pay for—” BANG!

Matthew smiled.

“STOP DOING THAT!” Balthus screamed.

Suddenly the ground began to shake, as Balthus seethed in anger. Matthew and his team could do nothing but watch as they saw Balthus grow. His skin began to morph into a hard, diamond-like substance, encasing him in hellishly thick armor.

“TAKE HIM DOWN!!!” Matthew shouted.

They unloaded everything they had at him, and fire and lightning reigned down burning hell on Balthus. But lightning glanced off of his diamond form, and fire simply slid across his smooth surface.

Balthus had become completely invulnerable to their attacks. Like an ox standing on two legs he stood, a diamond-plated monster. He smiled.

He charged.

Matthew and Solomon dropped their guns. Solomon let loose a roaring inferno of fire, sending a powerful column of hell against Balthus. But it didn’t slow him down. Matthew grabbed Sharon and Kimberly by the arms and threw them behind him. With one hand he conjured a force field around them, and with the other he sent an insanely powerful lightning attack against Balthus.

But Balthus could not be stopped.

He swung his massive arm, sending Solomon flying through the wall and back into the waiting room, before turning his attention to Matthew. Roaring wildly, he reared up and sent a double axe handle blow crashing in. Matthew raised a force field around himself in time, but Balthus broke through it easily and knocked Matthew down to a knee. With Matthew’s focus gone, the force field around Sharon and Kimberly fell.

Balthus ignored him and picked up the two ladies, one in each of his diamond-arms. Balthus laughed and licked his lips.

“PUT THEM DOWN!” Matthew yelled, standing up and launching himself at Balthus, driving him against the wall.

Balthus, taken by surprise by the immense strength of Matthew, dropped Sharon and Kimberly instantly as he got the wind knocked out of him.

He recovered quickly though. As soon as he got his wits back, he drove his diamond fists into Matthew’s face, punching him repeatedly. Matthew managed to block a few hits and send a few crashing fists into Balthus’ ugly mug, but it barely phased him. A few solid blows later, and Matthew was reeling, blood dripping down the side of his mouth.

He picked up Matthew by the throat and held him to his face, snarling as he did so. “Now, you get to watch as I kill your two bitches.”

“Not today!” Matthew shouted, blood running down his chin. Charging his hands with electricity again, he drove his thumbs into Balthus’ eyes.

“AAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!” Balthus screamed.

“YOU—” Matthew screamed as his fist crackled with lightning. He threw a massive punch that struck with such ferocity that the entire room trembled. BAM!

“YOU—” BAM!!! “WON’T—” BAM!!! “TOUCH THEM!!!” BAM!!! BAM!!! BAM!!!

Balthus stumbled backwards as the diamond armor he had formed around him began to crack and crumble from the onslaught of Matthew’s punches. Kimberly and Sharon staggered back up as they watched Matthew unload a world of hurt on Bernard Jeffries.

“This—is—impossible…” Balthus spat. “You are nothing but a Vassal!!! How can you hold so much Power?! How—” Suddenly, Balthus’ eyes flew open. He looked at Matthew in a strange and odd way as he spat out blood. “It can’t be…”

Matthew smiled. “I guess I’m special. Tell me, you sick piece of shit…” Matthew said slowly as he held Jeffries’ head with his left hand. “I know that you know rock doesn’t burn…tell me, does it float?”

Balthus shot Matthew a puzzled look, but the sight of a supercharged fist exploding against his face was enough to end Balthus’ puzzlement. The force of the blow knocked Sharon and Kimberly off their feet as the armored Balthus was launched clean off his feet. The shockwave was so massive that every single window on the building’s floor shattered.

Balthus tore through the side of the building, sending debris and glass everywhere to the street below, as his limp body was sent flying out into the Massachusetts Bay. As he flew, he screamed “TRAITOR! TRAI—TOOOOOOR!!!”

“Jesus…” Solomon said as he stumbled back into the room, watching Balthus body get smaller and smaller before crashing into the water.

“It’s not over yet,” Matthew said plainly. He took a few steps back, and then ran towards the whole in the side of the building.

Sharon and Kimberly called out after him, but it was too late.

He jumped.

The force of his massive leap sent them on their asses once more.

They watched in awe as Matthew cleared the entire distance, landing in the water approximately where Balthus had landed.

Sharon and Kimberly stood at the side of the building, their jaws dropped.

Solomon soon joined them, and looking down, he pointed to the fire trucks and police cars that even now were beginning to assemble far below. “We have to go,” Solomon said. “The Skyhooks are ready.”

“What about Matthew?” Sharon asked. “Do you think he made it okay.”

As if to answer her question, the water in Massachusetts Bay suddenly exploded in a massive blast, as if a bomb had detonated underwater. The three of them looked on. Kimberly nodded to Sharon. “I think that means that he’s okay…”

Meanwhile

Out in Massachusetts Bay

“Unggf!!!” Balthus reeled as Matthew’s fist hit home once more, catching him in the face.

They were sinking, and Balthus was helpless as his heavy diamond-like armor was pulling him deeper and deeper into the depths. With Matthew hitting him over and over, it was difficult to concentrate and try to change back into his normal form. The water pressure was also making it difficult for him to move and counterattack.

Eventually however, he was able to knock Matthew back several feet, and it took only seconds for him to change back into his human form. Ignoring the fact that Matthew was swimming towards him, Jeffries swam up to the surface. He had been underwater too long, and his lungs were screaming at him for air.

As he broke the surface, he took in a deep breath. Matthew was soon upon him however, and Freeman wasted little time in throttling Jeffries, who laughed maniacally.

“We could do this all day, Freeman,” Jeffries laughed, “you really thought you could drown me? All I need to do is change back to my human form, you idiot!”

Matthew smiled wickedly. “I know…”

Balthus looked at him quizzically.

Matthew’s eyes glowed. “See, rock doesn’t burn, but flesh does. Ever wonder why you shouldn’t put any electrical appliances near the bathtub?”

Jeffries eyes opened wide. “OH—”

“You’re in a giant bathtub, tubby. And guess who brought a toaster.”

“—SHIT!!!” As Jeffries spoke, Matthew let loose his Power.

Lightning crackled throughout the surrounding area, the waves began to churn and arcs of electricity danced across the sea foam.

Jeffries screamed as he felt the surges of lightning traveling through his entire body. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his hair began to catch fire. Matthew watched as Jeffries seized and began to convulse violently as he was literally cooked by lightning and electricity.

Balthus struggled.

He convulsed.

He thrashed.

All of it was pointless.

In seconds, Bernard Jonas Jeffries, Balthus the Brash, former White Bishop of the Order of Kings, was floating motionless. His face was paralyzed in fear, but he was still alive...barely.

Matthew looked up and saw two planes flying overhead, each one had a hook attached to the fuselage, and each one was dragging a snared weather balloon, which was in turn attached to a strong line and a rescue basket. In them, Matthew could see hands waving at him.

He waved back, to signal he was alright.

From the basket, Kimberly looked down. She knew that the figure floating lifelessly out to sea was Balthus. She knew that the figure waving back at her was her Master, Matthew Freeman. She just knew it. He had done it, he had defeated that bastard. “That was for you, Tom…” she said softly, looking down at how the ocean lit up with electricity. It was hauntingly beautiful.

As they were reeled into the plane, Sharon turned to Kimberly. “Kim?”

“Yes?”

“The name that your partner mentioned…Karen?” Sharon asked.

Kimberly nodded. “His wife.”

Down below, Matthew took a deep breath and watched the planes pull out of view. He lay on his back and floated a bit, catching his breath. He turned to the lifeless form Balthus. Swimming over, he placed a finger behind Balthus’ head. “No evidence…” he said softly.

Reaching into Balthus’ mind, he activated his Power. Balthus’ body suddenly began to grow again, encasing itself in dull rock and granite. As the transformation was completed, Matthew watched as the increase in density produced the wanted effect. Matthew silently watched as Balthus body sank. It would never be found. The transformation he had forced the body to go through made Balthus look like a normal rock...he would spend eternity in that form at the bottom of the ocean...suffering as he slowly drowned. A fitting end to a monster, Matthew thought.

Matthew took a deep breath and started to swim for the shore.

He needed a good bath and a nice cup of coffee.