The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

I stood by the edge of the bed, smirking down at the writhing, filthy, scum-soaked worm lying tied and bound before me. His bloodshot and tear stained eyes followed my every movement... as if I were the most important thing in his universe. Which, of course, I was. His biceps, huge and powerful, strained aimlessly at chains holding him down. His naked body was covered with welts, bruises, cuts and small burns, lasting little reminders of my ‘loving attention’ so far. And despite all the abuse, his cock, locked tight inside its little cage, was still stiff and rock hard.

“You need me, don’t you, Billy Boy?” I asked rhetorically. Not that he could answer me with the ballgag in his mouth. Plus, I already knew his answer. He needed me more than he needed food to eat, water to drink, or air to breathe. I’d made that perfectly clear to him when I’d taken him, and my constant attention only reinforced the fact. He needed me... just as deeply as I needed my Goddess. The thought made my heart sing. This filthy wretched... man... was a gift from Her. He’d proven himself too useless and unreliable when we’d gone to abduct that Albinn guy from the mayor’s home. All those muscles... and absolutely no brains. Still, wretched worm or not, he did have his uses. Torturing him, hurting him, making him SCREAM for mercy that never ever arrived... got me so fucking hot—

Wait. No. NO! That’s not... not me...

I was dreaming.

I shook my head a bit, stepping back, taking a moment to reorient myself. I knew now that I was caught in another nightmare, the punishment bequeathed to me by that damned bitch, Skuld. I was experiencing someone else’s life, their ‘worst moments’... though I was a bit confused. From what was unfolding, I would have thought I would be living out the torture of the man strapped to the bed, not his torturer. Still, I’d been through enough of these to know that the worst was yet to come.

“Worthless little bitch,” I spat, literally and figuratively, at the man, and I swear his cock jumped with excitement. “Perhaps I should just leave you here,” I said casually as if actually considering it. “After all, you’re completely useless. You had one job to do for our Goddess... and you failed miserably. I told you then, that if you managed to please me enough to make up for your mistake, that I might actually let you cum again. You remember how good it felt the first day, when I allowed your worthless self to spend your disgusting seed, don’t you?” He nodded his head vigorously. “And yet... despite all my hard work and effort, you remain such a disappointment.”

I sighed heavily, turning away to glance at the TV. “And your unworthiness is why I am here, babysitting you, instead of celebrating our Goddess’ day of triumph with her,” I told him, pointing out the parade showing on the screen. I paused, a momentary feeling of deja vu making me dizzy. I... remembered this. This was that day... THE day, the moment when I first fought Parker and lost myself and my sanity. The sense of disconnect, of dichotomy, only intensified as I watched the parade descend into chaos, Supers attacking, people screaming and running for cover, seeing the man I loved fighting a past version of myself, intent only on destroying him.

And then... then came the gunshot. And the aftermath. I gasped aloud, both as myself and as the woman watching, brushing aside a lock of short blonde hair, staring in disbelief. A strange feeling swept through me... like something was being torn from me, pulled free... and suddenly I gasped, sinking to my knees. She/I was gone! My Goddess... I was freed... I was... free—

THAT FUCKING BITCH!

It suddenly hit me, then, how deeply I’d been conditioned by that bi... by myself. How deeply under her sway I’d been! I was a goddamn lesbian... and she’d made me seduce and bed a fucking MAN! The same man still lying in my goddamned bed right now! He’d been... inside... me... uuughh... I nearly vomited from the memory. And, I’d served as her servant, her gopher, her spy, following Parker fucking Albinn around for days... I hadn’t even been to my JOB in weeks! I was probably fired... no. I was DEFINITELY fired!

Angry, incensed, completely and utterly pissed off... I turned to the only one available to vent my rage on. Billy Boy looked dazed as well, no doubt confused about what was happening once that bi... once MY spell over him was broken. Saying nothing, I climbed onto the bed, staring coldly into his eyes, feeling him begin to writhe and shift beneath me as I straddled him. “You’re not the one I want to beat the shit out of,” I told him, as I removed the gag from his mouth, wanting, no, NEEDING to hear his screams, “but you’re sure as fuck going to have to do!”

The next several minutes were a blur, a scattered confusion flash of images and sounds, pain and screaming and blood. And sickeningly enough, arousal. The woman whose body I was inhabiting was a true sadist—her sexual pleasure was inexorably linked to the pain she caused in others. When the red haze faded and I came back to myself to find the police surrounding me, called by my/her neighbors from the noise, it was almost a relief that they stopped it...

“V! V? Are you awake?”

I gasped, sitting up to find myself stripped naked, sitting in a large metal and glass tube of some kind. I grunted, glancing around, then sighed finding that I wasn’t alone. “I’m awake,” I managed, my voice muffled somewhat but audible through the glass. “All things considered, seeing where I am, I’m honestly not sure whether I’d rather have stayed asleep or not.”

Parker sighed, shaking his head. “Glad to see you’ve kept your sunny disposition,” he quipped. “Are you okay? Are you hurt or injured?”

I shook my head no. “The only thing truly bruised is my pride... especially since I’m the only one they decided to strip search. Then again, seeing all of you here, I guess I can’t feel TOO bad about being ambushed. Did Siphon get the drop on all of you as well?”

“Siphon?!?” Veronica exclaimed. “She’s mixed up in this too? No... we were captured by Ms. Machina. She set up some elaborate death trap and we stumbled right into it.” She sighed softly, staring down at her feet. “Or rather, I stepped into it. If I hadn’t insisted on coming along—”

“Now, now, Roni,” Parker said gently, “you can’t think that way. If I’d been on my own, I’d probably still have ended up right where I am right now. In fact, having you here was probably the only reason I wasn’t beaten to a pulp first before being tossed in here.”

“Hmph. Tell me about it,” Chloe murmured, sitting up from her cell. “We ran afoul of Fluidia, of all people,” she informed us, “and she was working with Voltaire. The two of them tag-teamed us, and were none too gentle about it.”

“So... does anyone else find it strange that we were all ambushed by a group of Supervillains and heroines with virtually nothing in common, yet all working together?” Rosella interjected thoughtfully.

“Actually, no,” I answered, slumping back down to the floor of my cell. “I’m pretty sure this is all about me. And no, that’s not me being narcissistic. The woman with Siphon pretty much confirmed it.” I sighed. “She’s someone from my past. This was all a plot to get revenge on me for some imagined slight I dealt to her years ago. She told us...” I suddenly stood up, glancing around again. “Wait a second! Where’s Hannah? She was with me when they ambushed us—”

“Your little friend is perfectly safe and sound,” the blonde woman stated serenely as she stepped inside the holding area, her four flunkies accompanying her like bodyguards. “Basically, she wasn’t as much of a threat as the rest of you, and frankly, she was really annoying. We left her back in the alley.” Her grin turned evil. “But if I were you, Red, I’d be more worried about yourself.” She nodded to Ms. Machina, who let out a weary sigh and approached my cell, tapping a bunch of keys on a small panel on its side. The door clicked, signaling it was unlocked.

I stepped out slowly, glancing around the room. The path to the doorway was clear, though I doubt I’d get there before the others caught up to me. My powers were still on lockdown thanks to Siphon. Besides... my friends and loved ones were still trapped here. Self-preservation be damned, I wasn’t leaving them. When Fluidia and Voltaire grabbed my wrists, leading me to the center of the room, I didn’t resist. I glanced briefly at Parker, and he nodded, his expression grim. Rule Eight: Don’t give up. Just because things look hopeless, don’t throw in the towel. It’s always possible to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as long as you stay positive and keep your eyes open.

My positive attitude faded a bit, however, when they brought me to a large metallic slab with restraints bolted on.

“Well, guess I’ll be heading back to my lab now,” Ms. Machina stated, causing the others to glance at her. “You don’t need me for this, right?”

“What’s wrong, Larissa?” Kinestia taunted. “Don’t have the stomach for what’s about to happen?”

Ms. Machina stiffened. “My stomach is just fine, thank you. But I’ve already fulfilled my obligations to you. I have other matters to attend to in my workshop... plus someone needs to monitor security, just in case someone comes looking for these guys and shows up unannounced.” She turned on her heel for the door.

“Not so fast,” Janet barked, causing her to pause. “Fluidia, go with her... to assist her, as needed.” Larissa merely rolling her eyes. The implications were clear enough: Even after everything, I don’t trust you.

“Machina!” Echo growled, slamming a fist against his cell door. “You’re just going to walk away now? After all this? You said—”

“Yes, I know what I said,” she snapped, glaring back. “I said I’d take care of you myself,” she said stressing the words, “but its really out of my hands now. I’m not running this show—my boss is. You’ll just have to settle for her not-so-gentle ministrations. As for me... I have other projects in the works that I need to attend to.” Smirking, she walked out of the room.

“Well, that was mildly entertaining,” Kinestria replied with a shrug, before turning to face me. “But now it’s time for the main event. I have to be honest... I’m going to enjoy what happens next a whole hell of a lot.”

“Oh, I’m quite aware... Janet,” I spit back, smiling slightly at the look of surprise on her face. “Believe me, I know JUST how much enjoyment you’ll derive in my torture.”

Janet blinked, then sighed, pulling off her mask, revealing her face clearly now. “Well, aren’t you a clever one,” she said with a bit of an edge.

“Janet... Janet Shaw?!?” Parker blurted out in disbelief. “Shit... I haven’t seen you in ages! YOU’RE the one behind all this? Why? Why the hell are you doing this?” Rather than respond, she gestured to me, still smirking.

“It’s just like I said before,” I explained. “It’s revenge. She seems to have taken exception to me enslaving her and making her into one of my thralls all those years ago.” I said, as if bored. “Honestly, I’m not sure if she’s more upset that I brainwashed her, or that I kept her out of my ‘inner circle’, that she was snubbed by me and used for petty jobs like spying and keeping tabs on people—”

“SHUT UP YOU FUCKING SLUT BITCH!” Janet roared, slapping me hard enough to snap my head sharply to the side. Fuck! That was definitely going to leave a bruise. “You arrogant cunt... don’t you DARE belittle me! You ruined my fucking life!” She snarled, shaking her head. “The things you’ve done... that little walking talking light stick Luminaire takes over the city and everyone hates her guts... even after a public apology, she still has people doubting her. But you... you do the same exact thing, TWICE... and just because you put on a mask and save a girl from a fucking CAR CRASH they want to give you the key to the city!”

Putting on a brave face, I took a moment to lick my lips. “Ruined your life? Being a bit overly dramatic, aren’t we? Yes, I’ve been a bad girl. But I owned up to it. I faced my punishment. Hell, I’m still paying for my misdeeds! Believe me... no one has given me a free pass. But you... I hypnotized you and made you run deliveries for me, and keep tabs on someone. It’s not as if I told you to rob a bank, or kill someone... or, say, kidnap some unsuspecting guy, rape him and beat him to a pulp all for your own sadistic pleasure.”

“HOW THE FUCK DID YOU—” Janet began, wide-eyed, before clamping her mouth closed. “It doesn’t matter,” she growled a moment later. “The fact of the matter is, I was only in the situation I found myself in because of you! You’re the reason I lost my job! You’re the reason I was arrested! You’re the reason why I was put on a fucking watch list as a ‘sexual predator’—” I couldn’t help myself, I laughed out loud. And... as expected, she slapped me again. Hard. The other goddamn cheek... FUCK! “You think this is fucking funny?!?” she hissed, eyes blazing in fury.

“Yeah. Actually, I do,” I replied after a moment, once my teeth stopped rattling. “One. I never told you not to go into work. I enslaved more than a thousand people back then, all of whom had no problem keeping up their normal lives as well as serving me. Two. You were arrested because you went on a berserker rage and tried to kill a man you’d tied up naked in your bed. Of which, again, I had nothing to do with. And Three? I didn’t turn you into a sexual predator. I’m no saint, and never claimed to be. I held huge orgies with my thralls, and even rewarded the more promising ones with other thralls.” My expression darkened. “A little rough sex can be fun. But even I had my limits. The reason why I started excluding you was that I sensed how unstable you were... all that pent up anger and rage in you. Case in point, see number two, the reason you were arrested.”

Janet opened and closed her mouth a few times, hands clenching and unclenching. The vein on the side of her forehead pulsed and her left eye twitched. She was beyond pissed. Hell, she was probably only one step away from ripping my head clear off my neck and shoving it up my own ass at this point. And was I scared? Fuck yeah. I was staring into the eyes of a maniac, someone who was clearly insane, with known and proven violent tendencies. But well... I still had my pride. I was pretty sure she planned to kill me no matter what I said, and begging and groveling didn’t suit my style. Besides... as morbid a thought as it might be, while Shaw was busy with me, she was at least leaving everyone else alone.

I was still holding out on Parker coming up with some kind of last-ditch plan to save us all.

“Well,” Shaw said after a moment, recapturing my attention, “this has been a very enlightening conversation, but I think I’m done talking now.” She snapped her fingers, and Voltaire stepped forward, a knowing smirk on her lips. “Now we’re going to communicate in a more... primal way. And since I’m not adept at sign language, my dear little pet Voltaire is going to translate.” The aforementioned villainess lifted her hands, which began to crackle slightly with tiny arcs of electricity.

“Admittedly, my own conversational skills aren’t the best,” Voltaire added with a glint in her eye, “so I may have to repeat the message a few times before I’m sure you understand.” She chuckled softly, raising those glowing hands towards her helpless naked body. “Now then... let’s converse!”

“So... what do you think?”

Josie moaned and tilted her head back in pleasure. “Oh my gaaawwd,” she managed around a hastily chewed bite of chicken marsala. “You were not kidding! This food is so good, it’s almost better than sex!” She took another bite, then considered. “Okay, that might be an exaggeration, sex with you is really really good. But yes, the food here is amazing!”

Megan giggled. “Well, we do aim to please,” she said with a lazy drawl, earning a giggle from Josie as well. “And I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Just, um, don’t expect to eat like this on a regular basis while you’re here,” she said, head ducking slightly. “It’s actually pretty hard to get in here. Most people have to make reservations months in advance.”

“Ahhh! Now I’m intrigued,” Josie said, leaning forward, fingers steepled. “How did you manage to get on the restaurant owner’s good side?”

Smirking, Megan tapped the side of her head. “And here I’d thought I didn’t have any secrets from you anymore. Couldn’t you just read it from my mind?”

Josie crinkled her brow. “Well, I can now, because you’re thinking about it, and it’s in your surface thoughts. I can’t exactly turn it off yet, but I won’t read deeper unless I specifically focus on them. But for the most part, I try not to purposely dig into other people’s minds unless it’s ... for ‘work’.“

Megan nodded, catching her meaning. “You know, we could pay Dr. Snow a visit while you’re here in town,” she said gently. “I know, I know. You don’t like the idea of going to a shrink. But trust me, Eva Snow is not like your average psychologist. For one thing, she’s a Super, a card-carrying heroine like us,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “And she’s also one of the most powerful psychics in the country, maybe the world. If anyone could help you learn how to control your own powers, it’s her.”

“Yes, I know,” Josie murmured, stirring the remains of her gnocchi in garlic butter sauce idly with a fork. “It’s just... I didn’t come here looking for a tutor.”

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea what you came here looking for,” Megan replied in a low husky voice that sent shivers up Josie’s spine. So distracted by her words, it was an actual surprise when she felt a warm soft pressure stroking lightly along her leg. A quick mental peak showed the rather naughty thoughts percolating inside Megan’s mind despite her innocent visage, the bare foot lightly stroking Josie’s leg under the table climbing slowly higher and higher. Before she could think of a reply, however, a loud ‘THUUUMM’ sounded from somewhere outside, loud enough that it caused the entire building to shake.

“Dammit!” Megan griped, sliding her foot back into her shoe as she and Josie stood up and ran to the window, glancing outside. “And just when things were getting goo—oooh what in the HELL is that?!?” she asked, staring wide-eyed at the night skyline. A large brightly colored ring of light hovered several hundred feet up in the air, like a hole in the sky. More disturbing, however, were the large number of... creatures, was the best description that came to mind, issuing forth from the hole.

“What are those things? I can’t read their thoughts.” Josie asked, stepping back as several people outside began running past, screaming in terror at the wave of creatures descended upon the city.

“I don’t know,” Megan replied grimly, turning and heading past the startled onlookers back into the restaurant, towards the bathroom, “but I do know that we need to do something.”

“We?” Josie asked, following her into the women’s room. “I’m all for helping out, but just from the glimpse we had through the window, I’m not sure how much good we’re going to be able to do.”

Megan slipped off her dress before activating her Neuroweave costume. “Don’t worry. I doubt we’ll be doing any hand to hand with those things. And I’m almost certain that the majority of the real heavy lifting will be handled by the city’s Big Guns. I’m more worried about the ones that may slip through the cracks and attack the innocents while Omega Girl and Armor Man are occupied elsewhere.” Opening her belt pouch, she tossed Josie a black spandex copy of her costume that Megan had intuitively packed “just in case.”

Josie’s eyes widened. “Omega Girl? Wow... okay, sign me up,” she said slipping into her costume. “I’ve actually always wanted to meet her in person.”

“Oh, you’ll love her,” Techna said, sliding her goggles into place as Josie put on her mask. “She’s the nicest, most down-to-earth person I know.” She paused. “Just one thing. If she offers you anything to eat, whatever you do, decline!” Josie raised an eyebrow. “I’m serious,” Techna continued with a chuckle. “Lady is a terrible cook.”

“Okay, sounds like you’ve got a story to tell me when this is all over,” the heroine Focus said, making a few last minute adjustments to her costume. “For now, let’s get out there and kick some weird alien creature ass!”

“Sounds good!” Techna agreed, tossing Josie a pair of metal lined gloves. “And these electro-stun gloves should help.” Pulling a modified pulse blaster from her side, she flicked on the power, charging it up.

“Once more into the breach,” Techna said, leading Focus out the side exit door.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Rosella yelled, furiously, banging hard on the glass walls of her cell. “GODDAMIT, leave her alone!” she screamed, collapsing against the smooth surface in defeat, tears running down her cheeks. Despite all her protests, however, the torture of the redheaded heroine strapped to the slab continued unabated.

“Ghost Girl, calm down!” Veronica barked, shaking her head. “I know this is... hard... to watch. But we have to stay in control here. Venus is still alive. They’re just toying with her for now. And the best chance we have of helping her is to keep our wits about us. We just need to be ready to move when the opportunity arises. These bitches aren’t perfect. They’ll slip up, and when they do, we’ll turn the tables on them!”

“Hmph! Easy for you to say,” she snapped. “Do you have any idea what it’s like watching my Goddess tortured before my eyes and not being able to help her?!?”

“She DOES, Ghost Girl,” Chloe said from the cell on her left, causing her to turn. “Did you forget about their bond? She and Echo are hurting every bit as much as we are, if not more.” She sighed, wiping her own tears. “But she’s right. There was a reason we were set up this way, made to watch all of this happening. Its what Shaw wants! We can’t get swept up in our emotions! We have to stay clearheaded. Goddess Aphrodite is counting on us.” She shook her head. “I just hope we can find a way out of this situation...”

“Echo’s working on it now,” Shinobi murmured, gesturing lightly with her head to her husband, who stood pressed up against the glass door like all the rest of him... only his left hand clutched a small metal lockpick, with which he was stealthily probing at the door’s electronic lock. “How’s it coming, love?”

“Slowly and damned annoyingly,” he murmured back, his face grim. “Ms. Machina designed these damned cells to contain us, and they’re doing a damn good job of it. Maybe if Techna were here, she’d be able to bypass the damned thing... but I’m not nearly as good at this as she is.” He sighed. “I’m not sure whether or not Machina will keep her promise about all of us making it out of here in one piece or not, but she certainly isn’t giving us any help getting out of these cells. There’s a slim chance I can pick the lock before one of them notices what I’m doing, but honestly, I’m starting to think it’s going to take an act of go—”

THUUUUMMM!! BZZZZZZT!!

Everyone gasped in surprise as the room was bathed momentarily in darkness before the emergency lights clicked on. “Huh. Ask and ye shall receive,” Parker murmured with a smirk, flicking open the lock. “Now all I need is the cavalry to ride in and take these guys down for us... oh, and maybe have the Swedish Bikini Team stop by for a visit, while you’re taking requests...”

“Wha... what the fuck is going on here?” Kinestria yelled, glancing around in alarm. “Machina! What’s happening? Report!”

“I’m not exactly sure myself,” she yelled back over the speakers. “Don’t worry about the power, though. The containment cells are tied to a backup generator just in case something like this happened. But I need Voltaire up here to help me get the mains back up!”

“And you’re SURE the cells are still locked down?” Janet asked, staring dubiously at her captives.

“Absolutely. They all have triple redundancies,” she replied, sounding offended. “Besides, you still have your ‘ultimate weapon’ with you,” she reminded her. “Even if they all managed to break free, it’s not as if they could do anything with Siphon around.”

Parker, his hand on the edge of the door, paused at that, cursing silently. He’d just prepared to make his move when her reminder gave him pause. Siphon was still a very credible threat. Her ability to selectively de-power a hero or heroine while letting Kinestria retain her powers was an obstacle they had to overcome. Plus, she’s damn good in a fight, he ruminated. Maybe not at Veronica’s level, but she’s definitely trained just as long and hard. And her insane obsession with trying to kill Lacie with her bare hands only increased her drive and dedication. Shit... I’ve got an ace up my sleeve, but it’s still too soon to play it...

I let out a soft groan, my head lolling to the side weakly as consciousness returned. I’d kind of... faded out a bit off and on during my ‘conversation’ with Voltaire. To give the girl credit, she was keenly ‘articulate’ with her electricity. She knew just the right amount of voltage to use to cause the maximum amount of pain without doing any real or lasting damage. I felt a little like a hot dog in the microwave, but I was relatively sure I had no internal organ damage. Not that it much mattered to them, I suppose. I was under no delusions as to how this was all slated to end. The only issue was that Janet Shaw wanted me to last as long as possible, and to end my life with her OWN hands, not through anyone else’s. This was all just the warm-up.

That thought was both equally hopefully and extremely frightening.

As my surroundings came back to me, I noticed that something had changed. The lighting was much dimmer... the emergency lights were on. And Volty was gone—it was just Shaw and her power sucking vacuum, Siphon, left in the room. Something unexpected had definitely happened. I just needed to find a way to use this to my advantage.

“Ah! You’re awake again, I see,” Shaw stated, walking over to stand in front of my face. “Good. As you can see, Voltaire has left, but that’s fine. We’re past her stage of the game now, anyway. Now it’s time to make things a bit more personal.” She made a show of cracking her knuckles loudly before me. “But don’t worry sweetness,” she said with a bit of huskiness in her voice, “I promise to leave your face alone... for now. Like any good boxer, the key to victory is to work the body first,” she said, delivering a hammer blow to my guts, causing the breath to shoot out of me, “to weaken your opponent for the eventual knock-out blow.” She followed up with a hard shot to the kidney, making me wheeze in breathless pain. My head lolled to the side again, and I got a glimpse of my friends, my lovers, staring at me through their reinforced glass prisons. Parker’s eyes met mine, and he shook his head imperceptibly. He had a plan... some way of saving us from this. I knew it. I just had to hang on until then...

Pain. Pain. More pain. Janet was rather chatty during the whole episode, which kept it from getting too boring. I’d actually have preferred silence, so I could have zoned out to it, or just let my mind and body go numb to it. And really... her talking and taunting me, only played up to my own weakness, causing me to give biting retorts and snide remarks, which only egged her on to hurt me more. A vicious cycle... with emphasis on the vicious part.

“Ahem...”

I was panting deeply, or as deeply as my bruised ribs with allow me to breathe after the relentless beating, when I glanced up, seeing a calm and slightly smirking Ms. Machina standing by the door. “Far be it for me to interrupt such an... intimate moment,” she said with a chuckle, just as the lights flickered back on in full. “As you can see, we’re back up to full capacity again. And it’s a good thing, too. I figured out what knocked out the power... and you’ll have to see it to believe it.”

“What?” Janet asked, scowling. “It’s not some foolish attempt at a rescue mission, is it? Are we being attacked by a bunch of Supers?”

“Not quite,” Larissa replied, activating a large viewscreen monitor on the far wall. The image of the night sky showed, with a large glowing portal of some kind hovering several hundred feet in midair. “I have no idea who or what caused that rift, but those things pouring out of it are attacking anyone and anything they come across. And every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a cape is out there fighting them, trying to find a way to close the portal.” She shrugged. “Kind of sucks... but at least we’re secure here for now. So if nothing else, we don’t have to worry about any well-meaning do-gooders interfering.”

“Huh. Good enough. You can head back to your lab then, Larissa,” Kinestria replied, turning back to face me. “You don’t want to see what’s about to happen, anyway. It would probably spoil your... delicate sensibilities.”

“Actually, I think I’ll stay, if you don’t mind,” Ms. Machina replied, pulling a gun from her belt holster. “And, I think I’ll take over things from now on as well. You’d had your fun, Janet, but the senseless torture and beatings stop here.” She smirked. “Oh, and don’t expect your other two cronies, Fluidia and Voltaire to come to the rescue, either. I took care of both of them before I came back up here.”

The mohawked blonde turned, staring up at her subordinate as if she’d gone mad. Personally, I was just as surprised, but again, a quick look at Parker nodding, told me that this was it. This was the chance they’d been waiting for. I had no idea how he’d managed to set all this up, and I’d love to hear the details later, but for now, I was just happy this was all coming to an end!

“Are you... are you seriously betraying me here and now?” Janet asked, laughing at the gun-wielding villainess. “And here I thought you were supposed to be the smartest woman in the room.” Sighing heavily, she took a step towards her, only to pause as the gun discharged, narrowly missing her head, scoring a burn mark in the wall behind her. “Damn you! What do you think you’re doing? If you’re serious about a fight, then fine. It’s your funeral! In case you’ve forgotten, I’m not alone here, Larissa!”

“Actually, it will be YOUR funeral, ‘Mistress’,” Siphon said suddenly, walking over to stand beside Ms. Machina, causing Janet to gape in stunned surprise. “Do not expect my help in this endeavor any longer. You are on your own.”

Janet merely shook her head in denial. “But... no... how... you’re... you’re supposed to be...” she babbled, not understanding what was happening.

“Ah, still haven’t figured it out, eh?” Ms. Machina replied with a knowing grin. “Sorry if it is a bit confusing, but I’ve always preferred to play the long game rather than go for the easy win. So let’s see... you’re wondering why Siphon here isn’t your obedient pawn? It’s because the serum you injected her with when we returned back to the base wasn’t the Confectioner’s little drug.” Janet’s eyed widened in shock. “ Remember back in the cell when I tossed it to you after helping you back to your feet? That was a fake I came up with. I pocketed the real serum to study and see if I could recreate it in the lab. As for why Siphon pretended to be your obedient little slave all this time... well, we had a little chat while I carrying her out of the prison. I told her what you intended to do to her, and she agreed to go along with my plan in return for my help locating and flushing out Omega Girl for her once this was all over.”

Janet scowled at her, hands clenched into fists. “But why do ANY of this? You said it yourself in the jail cell—if you’d wanted free of me, all you had to do was stand by and do nothing and let Siphon or the guards take me down! Why help me, save my life, and go along with everything only to betray me NOW?”

“Because I wanted you to PAY for humiliating me!” she shouted angrily. “Letting someone else take you down? Heh. No. No way. Not an option. The same way you insisted that you mete out your revenge against your little-redheaded friend, I insisted on being the one to flip the script on you!” She sighed softly. “Using me as a mere henchman? A gofer? A damned MECHANIC?!? Inexcusable. Besides,” she said, glancing again at the containment cells, “you were planning to kill all of those heroes in cold blood. I’m a pretty heartless bitch myself,” she said, shaking her head, “and there’s certainly no love lost between me and them... but even I draw the line at taking out a pregnant woman!” Janet merely glared at her. “Uh huh. I thought so,” Machina muttered. “I thought you already knew. You said you’ve had the lot of them under surveillance even before putting your little plan into action.”

“So?” Janet yelled back in defense. “Like getting knocked up is some shield, some golden ticket that keeps her off the chopping block?”

Larissa sighed heavily. “You’re one twisted piece of work, lady. I have to say, it will honestly be a pleasure kicking your fruitcake ass and turning you over to the police. Heh. Maybe they’ll even give me a pardon for my own misdeeds for turning you in.” She took a step towards her, and Janet backed up a step. “Siphon, be a dear and grab her for me, will you? I want to slap the handcuffs on her to make this easier.”

“Sorry, no. I don’t think so.”

“Wait... what?!?” Ms. Machina glared in surprise as Siphon turned and walked calmly towards the door. “What are you doing? Where are you going? We... we had a deal!”

“Yes, and I delivered my part,” she stated calmly. “And with everything going on outside right now, I don’t really need to hang around for your part, do I? Every hero and heroine worth their salt is out there fighting these demon invaders, right? So, I don’t really NEED your help to find Omega Girl anymore, do I?” She gave Machina a smile. “Good luck with your little coup. Something tells me you’ve got your work cut out for you.” With that, she turned and left the room.

We were all silent for several seconds at that point. The term ‘unexpected development’ didn’t even begin to describe this turn of events! And then, as the ramifications of what was happening suddenly sunk in, everything happened at once. Parker, sensing the pendulum about to swing back the other way, kicked open his cell door. At the same time, Ms. Machina brought her gun back up, cursing loudly. I yelled out as well, pulling at my bonds, not sure what I was even yelling for—someone to free me, or a warning about Shaw, or just yelling out in anger. But what happened was perhaps the worst possible combination of said events. Parker, for whatever reason, stumbled, his speed and sonic powers not fully returned. Machina’s gun struck true, blasting Kinsetria in the chest... but instead of taking her down, her powers merely absorbed the blast. And Janet herself, rushing forward, collided with Ms. Machina, slamming her back into Parker, sending them both crashing hard into a wall...

“Parker. Parker! Are you okay?”

The dark-haired hero groaned a bit, shaking his head. “Ughh... I’ve been better. I’ve been walloped by Stonewall and hurt less...” He blinked, taking stock on his situation, only to groan. “Well, I’d say things just went from bad to worse, huh?”

That was putting it mildly. I was still strapped down naked on this damned metal slab, only now Parker was likewise restrained as well, chained to a wall across from me. Even with Siphon gone, I was too battered and bruised to do much more than groan weakly, let along try and fight back. Ms. Machina was now slumped down, unconscious, in the cell, Parker had broken out of, while the others, still locked in their own cells, watched anxiously. Janet, meanwhile, had retrieved her two minions, who stood flanking her on either side. And despite having come out on top, the blonde bitch was not pleased at all.

“This wasn’t supposed to work out this way,” she said in a low deep voice, pacing idly back and forth across the room. “I had a very specific plan on how this was all going to work out. I was going to hurt you, and hurt you some more. I was going to torture your friends while you watched, make them cry and beg for you to save them, just before I ended their lives one by one. And then, finally, when you were broken, when you had nothing more left to lose, I was going to take from you the thing you valued the most. Your beauty.” She grunted, walking over to a nearby monitor, smashing it with a kinetic fueled punch so completely that all of us winced.

“But no... you couldn’t let me have that, could you? You, and you,” she said, glaring at Parker, “and YOU,” she spat, whirling around to glare at Ms. Machina, “you all had to ruin it. Ruin all my hard work! Fine. FINE!” she shouted, turning around and punching another wall. I winced again. This girl was seriously unraveling. Yes, a lot of people had to deal with unexpected complications. My own current predicament was a fine example of that. It was part of life. Hell, it was a cliche that no good plan survives the first encounter intact. But most people didn’t go completely nuts and throw a hissy fit when things went wrong!

When Janet approached me, pulling a switchblade from her pocket, I was honestly afraid. Crazy was unpredictable, and I had finally gotten an inkling of just how disturbed this girl truly was. “New plan,” she said, grinning at me like a madwoman. “I’m going to cut you now. Slash your face.” She held the edge right up to my cheek, and I stared at it, eyes wide. She laughed at my obvious fear. “We both know what will happen then, don’t we, Goddess Aphrodite? You’ll go away... fade into madness, descend into the depths of your own mind, unable to deal with the loss of what basically defines you.” The blade inched forward, and I held my breath, staring, helpless. She laughed again.

“It doesn’t take much, does it?” she taunted me. “Just a nice little nick.. and the great Aphrodite is reduced to a five-year-old girl crying for her mommy! Yeah... I read all the hospital records. I did the research about you. But before I let you slide away into your own inner hell, I want you to take one more little nugget of pain with you.” Her grin widened. “I’m still going to kill all of your little friends. And I’m going to unchain you, and let you just sit here and watch. The last thing they’ll see before they die is their so-called GODDESS lying here, drooling like a brain-dead mannequin, watching helplessly as their lives are slowly snuffed out!”

SNIKT!

It’s strange. In that instant, I didn’t feel the pain of the slash. I felt pressure and dripping, the drip-drip-drip of blood, from the knife back down onto my cheek. And I heard it too, of course, that sickeningly familiar sound of flesh being rent, of skin being separated from skin. But the thing that stood out the most, was the smell... a sharp tang, that coppery scent of freshly spilled blood. And then... THEN came the pain, the knowledge of what had happened, the knowledge that I was no longer complete, no longer intact. My face... my beauty... my essence. It was gone. It had been taken from me. I... I... felt myself withdrawing... the world... color fading from everything around me...

“NO! DAMMIT!” Parker yelled, struggling in his bonds. His voice sounded weird, though... like he was underwater. “Divine... Venus... C’mon! Don’t do this! Fight it!”

I blinked... and blinked again. The color was still fading, everything turning shades of grey. I couldn’t... couldn’t do this... fight? Fight what? I was a goddess... a goddess stripped bare... I was nothing. Less than nothing. All was pain. And sadness. And loneliness.

I wanted... I wanted my mommy...

“Venus! Goddammit listen to me!”

That voice. Wasn’t mommy. It was a man’s voice. Sounded angry. And sad.

“VENUS! We need you here with us... now! Come back to us!”

Man’s voice... and shouting. Screaming. People being hurt... and someone laughing. But... I didn’t want that. I just wanted to rest. To get away from the hurt... from the bad...

“You’re more than just your beauty! You’re a goddess of LOVE! And we love you! I love you! And you love us! And if that’s not enough to sustain you... to keep you here with us... then nothing is!”

That... voice.

Parker.

Parker Albinn.

Master’s voice.

“Come back to us now!”

“Aaaaarrrrgghhhh!” Echo raged, pulling at the chains holding him pinned. “You bitch! You fucking bitch!” he yelled, straining, pulling with all his might, as he stood helplessly, forced to watch as his wife and loved ones choking to death, coughing and gasping as poisonous gas was pumped into their cells. Outside of the capsule, with Siphon gone, his powers had returned in full, yet with his hands chained above his head, he had no useful way to direct his sonic blasts. Indeed, the walls and ceiling were cracked and damaged from his vain attempts.

”Yes, I am!” Kinestria replied with a laugh, grinning sadistically as Fluidia continued to pump the toxic smoke into each capsule. “But right now, I’m the Bitch that’s in charge!”

“Fuck! Stop this! You’re killing them!” he pleaded again, even knowing it was useless. Shaw and her minions were ignoring him completely now. He sagged in his bonds, defeated. How... how could this have happened? Wasn’t there something, anything, more he could do? Scowling, he glanced up at his wrists, chained above him.

Only way, he thought grimly, gathering and focusing his sonic energy into his hands. Gotta focus all my power into my fists and just... break through these goddamn chains. It’ll most likely shear my arms clear off at the elbows... if I don’t pass out from the pain, I’ll probably bleed out in two minutes. But I might just be able to manage one last sonic blast and break open their cells before I go out... Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, preparing to make his sacrifice—

«ENOUGH!» a loud, ethereal voice shouted, shaking the room, seeming to come from all around. Parker’s eyes flashed open, turning to stare at Venus. Or... someone resembling her, at any rate. An utterly beautiful woman with long blonde hair stood in the spot Venus had been kneeling in moments ago. The woman, however, was clad in a sheer translucent white wrap, very much resembling a toga, walking that fine wire between revealing and concealing her more erotic areas. Her hair moved, fluttering idly as if in a wind, and her eyes glowed, two yellow orbs as if a miniature sun blazed away just beneath her skin.

In short, I looked utterly captivating and utterly terrifying.

My enemies gaped at me in astonishment. Rather than speak again, I gestured with a hand, letting my powers flow forth freely. Voltaire and Fluidia were both flung back into the wall, slamming hard enough to knock them unconscious. Kinestria, however, was made of sterner stuff. She merely grunted as she hit the wall, struggling to push free. But I wasn’t about to let her go. Holding her pinned in place, I gestured again, and the capsules shattered, glass flying free, giving my loved ones their freedom and their lives. Now I could focus my attention directly onto Shaw.

«You tried to take away what was mine,» I told her, walking slowly towards her, bare feet walking unmarked despite all the broken glass. «You tried to hurt me by hurting those I cared for, those I loved! I understand your anger. I know all too well how what I did to you in the past caused you pain. But that DOES NOT excuse your actions!» She grunted slightly, the pressure holding her pinned to the wall slowly increasing. «I was willing to let you vent your anger and pain on me. I deserve it for the part I played in your downfall. But you went too far when you threatened the people that I care for!» Janet gasped, wincing, unaccustomed to the pain, her power unable to absorb the attack of being telekinetically crushed and compressed. My expression darkened, and the room shook slightly. «You, Janet Shaw, have angered your goddess. And now, you shall feel my WRATH!»

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!” Janet screamed, struggling, pushing hard, rendered just as helpless as she’d made all of us feel earlier. Her face began to turn red, the blood starting to pool up in her. It would be so easy now... so easy to crush her utterly, to grind her bones into literal dust! A small part of me felt a sense of satisfaction at this, at having her suffer this way at my hands after all she’d done to us. In all of my years, I’d only unleashed my true Goddess Wrath a few times. This, however, was probably the first time I truly felt justified in doing so.

“G-goddess?”

A timid voice, Rosella’s shook me out of my dark thoughts. I turned to gaze at her, and she, and the others, actually took a step back. In fear. Of... me.

“Don’t kill her,” Chloe said, panting still, coughing, no doubt still suffering the effects of that gas. “Don’t do it. Please.”

«Don’t kill her?» I repeated, incredulously. «She tried to kill all of us. She’s shown that she has no regard for human life... for ANY life other than her own! Why should I spare her?»

“Because you’re not a killer,” Veronica said weakly, panting as well. “It’s not up to us to judge her actions or play judge and jury. Our job is just to bring her to justice.” Justice? The girl could barely stand, and she was talking about justice? Just the sight of her enraged me again. Shaw hadn’t cared that she was with child; she’d even taunted us with the fact that she hadn’t cared!

«Giving her the slow painful demise she deserves would be justice!» I snapped, righteous fury rolling off me in waves. «I do not care what your HUMAN laws say on the matter. This woman tried to destroy us. Destroying her in kind IS just! Let the punishment fit the crime» I turned back to face Shaw, my gaze intensifying, the pressure upon her increasing, causing her to gasp and wheeze, beginning to turn purple as the life was crushed out of her.

“Venus!”

I stiffened, feeling a hand on my shoulder. “Venus,” Parker said again, softly, gently. “You are not going to kill Janet Shaw,” he said simply, calmly, as if he was stating a fact rather than making a demand. I whirled on him, still furious, still glowing, still alight with Divine Wrath, but he stared me down, unfazed.

“You’re not going to kill that woman,” he said once more. “And do you know why? Because you’re better than that. You’re better than her. And killing her would only drag you down to her level.” He sighed softly, shaking his head. “You’ve already beaten her. And you saved us all, That’s enough. Now... let her go... and we can all go home.”

I shook my head, anger dissipating in the face of his calm and simple logic, but I held on stubbornly. «If we let her go, she’ll just come after us again. She won’t let this go. I know her.»

“It doesn’t matter,” Parker insisted. “You’re the Goddess of Love, remember? Revenge isn’t your thing. But more than that, you’re a hero now. And heroes do the right thing, even when its hard. Especially when its hard. When what you want more than anything is to give in to your own selfish wishes and desires. Venus... let her go. Now.”

What could I say to that? It was no longer a discussion. He was telling me plain and simple to let her go. And... he was right. I wanted Janet Shaw’s death so badly right now I could practically taste it. But it wasn’t mine to take. I’d given my oath to him, and to the city, to become a better person. A heroine. And I’d done a lot of good... good that would be undone if I gave in to the temptation and killed this loathsome woman.

Plus, well... Parker... Master... had ordered me to let her go. And while I was perfectly capable of fighting the submissive side of me, it really wasn’t worth the effort.

I released my hold on Shaw. and she slid to the ground, gasping frantically for air. I wasn’t quite done just yet, however. «Janet Shaw» I said wearily, «I will not take your life. But I want you to realize that these people, my friends, they are the ONLY reason you continue to draw breath. If not for their words, I would have ended your existence!»

Catching her breath, Shaw looked up at me and managed a weak laugh. “Then... you’re a fool...” she said after a moment. “You were right about me... I won’t stop. It’ll take some time... but I’ll come after you all again... and again... until I get my revenge...”

I smiled at that. «Sorry, I think you’ll be too busy dealing with other issues.» Turning towards Voltaire and Fluidia, who were just starting to stir, I held out a hand and focused my powers once again. I may not have been an all-powerful and obnoxious know-it-all Norn, but I was still a damned goddess! Finding the threads binding them to their Mistress, I pulled... then tugged, then broke that bond, freeing them from their chemical imposed servitude.

“Where are we? How did I... wait... YOU!” Fluidia growled, spying Shaw.

“Wh... what... just happened?” Voltaire said blearily.”What’s going on here?”

“I broke Shaw’s control over both of you,” I said wearily, the light fading from me as my Wrath was expended, and my hair went back to its normal red. “I would imagine that you two and Ms. Machina would have a lot to discuss with your former Mistress right about now.” Goddess Bless... now I remembered why I used that very sparingly. I was totally exhausted. When this was over, I was going to sleep for a week. “So, as much as I’d love to see how you all work this out, I think it best if my friends and I take off.”

“Take off?” Rosella asked, shocked. “You’re saying we should leave Shaw with three very pissed off villainesses?”

“Technically, two pissed off villainesses, and one pissed off retired heroine,” Fluidia barked out. “And yes, you lot should go. Now.” She cracked her knuckles. “We’ll handle it from here.”

Ms. Machina, more than a little angry at nearly dying at Janet’s hands, nodded. “She’s right. There’s no love lost between any of us here, but let’s call this a temporary truce. Given the choice between you guys and Shaw, I’d much rather deal with her right now!”

“Good enough,” Echo replied with a sigh. “I really need to get us all to a hospital, especially Shinobi, and make sure everything is okay. But just know this—after we leave, we’re informing the cops about this place. You have a half hour to deal with Shaw however you want. After that, well, if you’re still here, you’ll be facing a fully warned, fully armed police force.”

“Gotcha,” Voltaire replied dismissively. “I’m sure it won’t be much trouble to move our ‘fun’ to a more secure location anyway.”

We turned to leave, to limp and wander our way out when Veronica paused. “Just a second,” she said, leaning against Chloe and Parker for support. After a moment, she opened her eyes and nodded. “Okay, now we can go. I didn’t want to leave with them knowing our names and secret identities, so I did a little mental editing.” I smirked at that. That’s Veronica... always thinking of the little details. Satisfied, we made out escape, leaving the warehouse, heading somewhere safe to rest and recover.

Once the heroes had departed, Shaw let out a loud sigh. “All right ladies. You’re pissed at being manipulated and used. Congratulations. Now you know exactly how I feel.” She crossed her arms at her chest. “The only difference between us is that I was able to bring about my revenge. You three might be pissed off right now... but the bottom line is, you can’t hurt me. There’s nothing you can do that will affect me in any way, so you might as well step aside right now and let me leave.” As she turned to walk past them, however, she stumbled, finding her clothing morphing, flowing around her like fluid, changing into a makeshift bondage wrap.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Ms. Machina replied with a devilish smirk, nodding to Fluidia. She held out her hand, and Janet took a step back in shock. It was the missing dart containing the last dose of the Confectioner’s serum. “I think I know PRECISELY how to hurt you, Shaw. Once this is inside your body, you’ll do whatever we want you to do. And I’m sure my friends and I can think up all sorts of interesting ways to make you suffer.”

“Wait! No! STOP!” Janet cried, struggling against her bonds, as the three approached her. “You... you can’t do this to me! NO! NO!! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAAAAAIIINNNN...”

Her scream echoed throughout the building, just barely audible to a passerby outside. He paused, glancing at the old abandoned warehouse, curious... but when no further noises rang out, he continued on his way...