The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Oh man... that was amazing,” Parker replied with a sigh, rubbing his stomach. “That was the best meal I’ve had in ages! You ladies really outdid yourselves today.” Rose and Chloe preened slightly at the compliment.

“Oh, well, thanks,” Rosella replied, blushing slightly. “It was nothing much... just something Chloe and I put together... an old recipe that my grandma used to make back in the day...”

“Nonsense, lass!” Eugene protested. “That meal was truly exceptional. I dare say it could compare with some of Lorenzo’s fare, and he’s a professional.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Venus spoke up tartly, glaring at Eugene. “It seems someone convinced the Italian chef to make me persona non grata at his restaurant.”

Ignoring her, Eugene continued. “When did you learn to be such a great cook?”

Rosella glanced down at the table. “That was... um... during my time as one of your agents. One of the targets was holed up in a heavily fortified bunker. The, um, only people allowed in and out were the ones that, well... prepared his food. So, I took a few courses, studied up, practiced, and made my infiltration.” She shrugged. “So, I guess I picked up a few useful skills besides the whole assassination set.” Everyone glanced away uncomfortably.

“Ah, um, so... I guess I’ll go get started on cleaning the dishes,” Chloe said during the silence, standing up, but Rosella shook her head.

“Actually, since I’m the one that killed the mood, I’ll go take care of cleanup,” she said, forcing a smile. “Everyone... I’m sorry. Excuse me,” she said, retreating to the kitchen.

“Well, don’t just sit there,” Lacie hissed softly, hitting her husband’s shoulder. “Go say something to her!” Sighing heavily, Eugene rose to his feet and walked into the kitchen after her.

Rose glanced up as the door opened, then sighed silently, turning back to the sink. “Step aside, lass,” Gene murmured, moving up beside her at the sink. “In my household, the cook doesnae do her own cleaning up. One of the diners does, to show their appreciation.”

Chuckling ruefully, she handed him a washcloth. “Well, this isn’t your household,” she reminded him gently, “but I appreciate the sentiment. How about we compromise—you wash and I dry?”

“Deal,” Gene replied, taking a soiled dish, beginning to scrub it clean. “You know,” he said after a moment, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you back there, earlier. I was merely trying to pay you an honest and sincere compliment.”

“I know,” she murmured back, accepting the cleaned dish, wiping it dry. “And really, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have said all that in front of everyone. I don’t know why I blurted it out like that...”

“Ach... I guess I just bring out the best in ye, lass,” Gene replied softly, focusing his attention on the glass he was cleaning. “Seriously, though. You have every right to feel bitter. I tried my best to do right by you and Chloe... and I failed spectacularly. So much that happened... so many things that occurred during those years to distract me, divide my focus...” He sighed softly. “Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. If I could go back in time, and do it all differently, I would. But that’s not possible... at least for me. All I can do is move forward, and try to do what I can for the both of you now.” He turned to face her then. “If you’d let me, that is.”

Rose blinked, taken aback. “I... um... Eugene,” she said, flustered. “I, I appreciate what you’re saying... but it’s okay, really. I’m past... okay, mostly past my issues. And Chloe, thankfully, doesn’t even remember most of that time, so she’s moved past it.“

“And... yer both okay with how things turned out? This arrangement, with Satore and the Albinns?”

Rose smiled serenely. “Yes.” Her expression saddened a little. “I mean, I know there were consequences to my actions. I betrayed you and others, people got hurt, two of your agents died, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life.” Then the smile returned. “But, on a selfish level, it’s turned out perfectly. Chloe’s mind is healed, we’re together and have our youthfulness back, we can indulge our physical desires without becoming lost in them, and serving our Goddess gives us a true sense of purpose.” She sighed contentedly. " And... yes, I’m perfectly happy with things as they are.”

“Are ye, lass?” Gene asked her pointedly, causing her to meet his gaze. “ARE you happy, lass? Or is it merely a side effect of being under that woman’s spell?”

“T-that woman?” Rosella replied, scowling. “That woman, as you call her, is my Goddess, and my Owner! And that question is entirely inappropriate!”

“Considering that ye were in MY care before she snatched ye away,” he retorted, “I consider my question entirely appropriate! Especially considering the state ye were in when wee Chloe brought ye to me a few months earlier! Or do ye not recall yer friend dragging yer catatonic arse to my house, begging me to help ye by tracking down yer ‘beloved’ Goddess?”

Rosella colored at the reminder. “Yes, okay, fine. I admit it... but... I...”

“I dinnae ken how ye could simply turn back to the woman again after all that she put you through!” Gene continued, scowling, scrubbing the dishes furiously, stacking them inside the other side to be rinsed and dried. “First, she tricks you, rewards you for rescuing her from that hospital by taking away your will and making you her slave!”

“Eugene, I—”

“And then, you miraculously regain your freedom again,” Gene grunted, still cleaning, stacking more and more plates and glasses. “And rather than be happy, or—admittedly selfish on my part—return to me, you sit at home and pine after yer lost Goddess! Lost, not because she’d been taken from you, but because after she’d been beaten, she simply LEFT... run off with her tail between her legs, leaving you and her other former slaves to fend for yerselves!”

“Eugene—”

“And me, against all logic or sanity, I actually HELP you get back together with her!” he growled. “Granted, she’s cleaned up her act recently, playing the heroine, helping the people she not so long ago considered beneath her notice or concern. Ah, but when it comes to taking thralls such as you and Chloe, I guess old habits die hard! I have half a mind to ask Lacie Anne to sever yer bond again, not that she WOULD, mind, but—”

“EUGENE!” Rose all but shouted, finally getting him to pause.

“Eh? What?”

“Goddess can hear you, you know,” she said, tapping her temple lightly with her fingertips. “We’re linked. She knows what I know and hears what I hear...”

“She’s right,” I said, speaking from the doorway as they both turned to face me. “Rosella, sweetie, I think you’ve done enough in the kitchen for one night. Why don’t you go rejoin the others while Eugene and I have a little... talk?” My Rosella’s eyes widened and she glanced back and forth between us, biting her lip. “It’s okay, sweet one, I promise,” I added, still smiling, purely for her benefit. “We’re just going to have a little chat.”

“As... you wish, Goddess,” she murmured. Rose nodded, glancing back at her former Master before leaving. The aforementioned Scotsman merely huffed, rolling his eyes as he turned back to the dishes.

“A chat is it, then?” he spat. “I have nothing to say to ye, Satore. Thus, we’ve nothing to talk about.”

“Oh, don’t we?” I countered, the smile fading to a look of utter scorn. “‘I have half a mind to ask Lacie Anne to sever your bond again’, was it? That actually sounds about right... because if you try, HALF of a mind is about all you’ll have left once I’m through!” I smirked as he turned back to face me now. “That fearful look Rosella had just before she left? She was afraid for you, Frasier. Both of the girls in your little ‘harem’ should have warned you—I don’t much care for it when people try to take away my possessions without my permission!”

Eugene scowled, crossing his arms. “Ach, so ‘possessions’ are they? I shouldn’t be surprised that that’s how you see them—as mere objects for you to own instead of living breathing PEOPLE!”

I blinked, then scowled. “I... that wasn’t what I meant!” I growled back, fuming. The bloody bastard was twisting my words around. “I DO value both of my girls—more than YOU ever did! And anyway, you’re one to talk about keeping slaves! Or do you deny the ‘special relationship’ between you, Lacie, and Eva?”

“That’s none of yer concern!” Gene growled. “And it’s completely different!”

“Wrong on both counts,” I replied with relish. “You keep insinuating that I seduced my Rosella and my Chloe into being with me. And yet, again, as you yourself pointed out, I was actually avoiding them in the beginning, to the point that you had to help them find me!” I crossed my arms. “Whereas you, on the other hand... I seem to recall your loving and devoted wife Lacie started off as a brain-damaged victim of the Mind Five, so emotionally and psychologically distraught that she was utterly dependent on you for her well-being.”

Gene’s eyes widened in shock. “Ye... ye DARE to call anyone ‘brain damaged’, ye escaped mental asylum patient!?!”

Okay. That one stung. Although technically, I hadn’t escaped, I’d been rescued. “And,” I continued on, growling, “I also seem to recall your darling Evangeline is only with you due to a bit of mental manipulation as well, during an incident caused by the bimbo virus.” His face turned a shade of dark red closer to violet, but he didn’t refute my claim. “So, basically, the two women that are with you are ONLY with you because of mind control, yet you criticize me when MY slaves chose to be with me voluntarily!” I made a phone cradle with my fingers and placed them to the side of my head. “Hello? Kettle? Pot calling...”

“Hmph. Cute,” Gene grunted. “Verra well, I’ll concede the point. We both have slaves that were given to us through circumstances, not of our choosing. There’s still a difference in how each are treated. I never abandoned MY girls and left them to their own devices! I’ve always done my best to make sure they were all well cared for—”

I couldn’t hold back the laughter at that one. “Wel... well cared for? The main reason we are having this little TALK right now is because of how ‘well’ you cared for Rosella when she was under your charge! You apparently thought the best way to care for a poor girl who’d lost everything, her entire WORLD, was to patch her up, send her off to boot camp, and train her to use her powers and abilities to be your own professional assassin! And I won’t even go into the two years your wife alone after she lost her baby! ” I stomped a high-heeled foot down in disgust. “Still, I suppose it was still better than being locked away in a mental hospital watching cartoons every day!”

Eugene scowled. “So you admit to being an escaped lunatic. I won’t dispute you on that much... But again, you talk about matters of which you have no inkling. Still... it’s not yer status as a crazy whore that concerns me as much as yer predilection for the wee ones...”

All sense of levity left me, and the room physically went cold as I glared at this man. “What exactly are you trying to say?” I demanded, my tone clipped and sharp. “And I’d caution you to watch what you say, or else your wife might very well end up a widow tonight!”

“Ooooh! Color me concerned!” he said mockingly. “I guess my barb actually managed to strike a nerve there! Well, sorry, but I refuse to give up the moral high ground to a full-grown adult that lusts after underaged girls.” What the FUCK? He was calling me a pedophile?!? “Or have you forgotten about Patty Grimalde?” he added, causing me to back down before I could even start.

Patty Grimalde. Of all the mistakes I’d made in my life, that was the one I was perhaps the most ashamed of. Not that taking her as my sex slave all those years ago was truly a pedophilic act—the girl had been seventeen years old, a high school senior, though honestly I hadn’t known her age—she’d had the body of a young adult, a penthouse pet, even! It was little wonder that she’d proven so popular among my other thralls, that she ended up being traded around as a ‘prize’ for my most loyal servants that had served me especially well. And... when Parker left, when I felt betrayed, it was she who felt the full weight of my wrath. I’d regretted it immediately afterward. And even though we’ve sort of made our peace, I still regret it.

But being reminded of it now, this way, by HIM? It stung. A lot.

“You judge ME for taking Patricia as my sexual thrall? Tell me, what grade was poor Tawnya Parkinson in when your good buddy Grimalde did the same to her?”

I had the satisfaction of seeing his self-righteous display falter for a moment. Then he spoke up. “Nigel Grimalde and I disagree on as many things as we do agree on. But at least HE came to treat his girls well, like family.”

I saw my chance to stab deep and took it. “Oh? And you’d know how to treat family, wouldn’t you? Why don’t ask your brother Duncan? Oh, right, we can’t, because you murdered him.” His expression didn’t change, but I could tell from his eyes that I had crossed a line, and I relished in it. I closed my eyes, giving him a grin that would put the Chesire Cat to shame. “Fratricide is a major sin, you know, you cold-hearted bastard!”

“Aye! And ye’d ken all about THAT, wouldnae ye, ye lan dhen cac!” Gene spat back, walking up to get right in my face, unaffected by my glare or my beauty. “I never claimed to be perfect! Aye, there’s blood on my hands... just as there is on yer own! But in my case it was to save someone else’s life! You on the other hand... Stepmother and father passing under ‘mysterious circumstances’?” He snarled. “Unlike some, I’m not an ancient Greek divinity older than dirt who is above the law, or at least THINKS she is! I dinnae even have special powers like the others. All I have is my mind, my wits, and my bloody inventions! And maybe THAT’S what has yer sagging old tits in a twister, eh? The fact that a mere mortal considers himself yer equal! That despite all yer heavenly gifts, he’s capable of doing anything ye can and more—”

“Anything except give both Rosella and Chloe what THEY needed!” I pointed out savagely. We were both shouting by this point, but I no longer cared. “You arrogant smug little bastard! You think you’re my equal? HAH! I seriously doubt that! As a matter of fact, not only have I been with Rosella and Chloe, I’ve bedded the lovely Eva and her sister. And while Lacie Frasier might not be the exact same identity as Verdandi, I’ve shared her bed more than a time or two as well!” My smirk was back. “I’ve even got the chance to sample that lovely daughter of yours while I was under her spell. And trust me when I say, your very best could NEVER measure up—”

SLAP!

My head twisted to the side from the impact. Had I been a mortal woman, his strike would have knocked me on my perfect ass. I opened my eyes and looked at him. The hand he had struck me with was still raised, and his expression dark. My anger own spiked. In all my lifetimes, NO MORTAL had every struck me like that! I was so pissed that small arcs of lightning began to dance lightly around my body.

“You know what, Frasier?” I yelled. “I’m done talking to you! I didn’t come in here to start a fight, but you seem bound and determined to pick one! So I tell you what. We have a training room downstairs. If you’re as much of a MAN as you claim to be, you’ll follow me down there and settle this disagreement with our fists!”

“Fine by me!” Eugene replied, walking over to the basement door. “I’d normally make a comment about not hitting women... but you hardly qualify, so my conscience will be clear!”

I laughed derisively, following him down the stairs. “And normally my conscience would eat at me for beating up a defenseless old man,” I quipped back, “but I make exceptions for arrogant Scottish assholes! I hope you still have a wheelchair from before because when I’m done, you’ll be using it again to get around!”

Lacie, Eva, Parker, Rose, and Chloe all glanced at each other after listening to the heated exchange in the kitchen. “Well, this is going about as well as expected,” Eva said drily.

“I agree,” Rosella murmured, shaking her head. “Seriously. How did we think this would be a good idea? And why did I let you all talk me into it?”

“Hey, it had to be done, Rose,” Parker stated. “You, Chloe, and Venus are going to be a part of my life for the foreseeable future. And I can’t just keep tiptoeing around Eugene every time we meet or talk. He and Venus need to air out their differences and settle things once and for all. And well, what better way than to have the two of them locked up together somewhere letting it all hang out?”

“Very true, Parker,” Lacie replied with a smirk. “And I’m SURE it wouldn’t have anything to do with getting back at Gene for doing the exact same thing he and Nigel did to you and Patty a year or so earlier?”

Parker’s grin only widened. “Hey! This is all about clearing the air between Gene and V so that we can all be friends and move on with our lives. The fact that this will likely be extremely annoying and aggravating for the old man... it’s just a nice little bonus.”

Several of them chuckled at that. Chloe, however, shook her head. “Okay, well, I’m glad everyone finds this so amusing,” she said, scowling, “but didn’t you all hear what they said? They’re heading down to the training room to fight! Aren’t any of you, I dunno, worried about Eugene? Without his high tech armor, he’s just a normal human! I’m linked to my Goddess, and I can tell how pissed she is right now. And while I doubt she would actually KILL him, she would have no problem beating him to a bloody pulp!”

“It’s okay, Chloe,” Rosella stated, gently. “No need to worry there. Eugene Frasier is just a human, but believe me, there is nothing normal about him. You were in the hospital all those years back, so you wouldn’t know, but Eugene actually has some pretty formidable fighting skills. He might not have superpowers, but he can more than handle himself in a fight.”

“She’s right, dear,” Lacie confirmed. “You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but my husband is no pushover. Besides, despite all of their angst and harsh words to one another, neither of them actually hates the other. There’ll be a few cuts and bruises here and there, but that’s all. They’re both just mad at the situation. And once they work past that anger, they’ll be ready to actually talk to one another.”

Chloe sighed nodding. “Well, I hope you’re right about that,” she said dubiously.

“Trust me, I am,” Lacie replied confidently, glancing meaningfully to Eva. At least, I really really HOPE I am. I trust Venus... she’s come a long way in a very short time. And I know my Gene. He’ll push, yes, but he won’t go too far. At least... I’m pretty sure he won’t...

«True enough,» Eva thought back, telepathically. «But just in case, better keep those Goddess powers of yours at the ready, in case you need to teleport down there to break things up...»

Eugene took a moment to glance around at the underground dojo, nodding. “Not bad. Functional, yet stylish. I can see a lot of Veronica’s Japanese influence in its design.” He calmly removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie and cuffs, leaving everything else in place. “Not exactly traditional fighting apparel, but then again, neither is what yer wearing—”

CRACK!

I smiled grandly as my punch to the face sent the smug arrogant bastard stumbling back several feet. I’d hoped to bloody his nose on the first shot, draw ‘first blood’ so to speak, but at the very last second, he’d adjusted his position slightly, turning my straight jab into a glancing blow at best. “Maybe you should worry less about what we’re wearing and more about getting through this fight in one piece!”

“Hmph... a cheap shot at the verra beginning,” he murmured, adopting a standard boxer’s stance. “I shouldnae be surprised. But seeing as I dealt ye one in the kitchen upstairs, I guess we’ll call it even. Before we fully engage, however, I think we should lay down some ground rules.”

“If you’re worried about me using my powers to end this quickly, don’t,” I snapped, edging towards him, as we slowly circled each other. “This isn’t about seduction or enslavement. This is purely about kicking your fucking ASS and wiping that smug expression off your face once and for all!”

“Oh, and you give yer word, do ye?” he retorted, hopping up and down on the balls of his feet. “Well, I feel SO much better now! Obviously, I can trust ye to follow through and keep this a purely physical fight!” He smirked. “But just in case things dinnae go the way ye plan, and ye start to feel tempted, just ken that I didnae come unprepared either. My body’s nanite network closely monitors my heartbeat and vitals. Ye try any of yer deviltry, and my armor’s automatic defense systems kick in and will respond in kind!”

I growled, raising my fists. “The same to you, then... we’ll see how long before you end up hiding inside your little tin suit, begging for mercy!” I surged forward then, closing the distance between us in less than an eye blink, lashing out with a hard kick, catching him squarely in the chest, knocking the bastard completely off his feet. Rather than stay down, however, he rolled to the side, bouncing back up to his feet, seemingly none the worse for wear, surprising me with a wild haymaker that could have done some real damage—had it connected! “Hmph... so you’re obviously in better shape than I gave you credit for,” I grudgingly admitted, backing off again, watching him carefully.

Eugene laughed. “Really? Did ye think me soft, Satore? Some armchair quarterback that sits in a chair and barks out orders to his men all day?” Grunting, he began unbuttoning his dress shirt, tossing it aside. I couldn’t help my reaction as my eyes widened, taking in the chiseled physique of the man! Beneath the suit and tie lay the body of an Adonis! I’d known Heracles personally, and intimately... and I’d honestly be hard pressed to tell the difference between them by their physiques alone!

“For yer information, my armor weighs an average of between fifty to a hundred and fifty pounds, depending on the model,” he stated, rolling his neck around lightly. “Mock me for going out fighting crime in a high tech ‘tin can’, but know that merely operating it requires MORE strength and fitness that normal, not less. And since regaining the use of my legs, and my youth, I’ve doubled my normal physical workouts to get my body back into shape again.” He smirked. “Ye may want to wipe yer chin before we continue the fight, Satore... yer drooling.”

“I...” I started, only to growl, wiping the moisture from my chin. Okay, I could admit it. He WAS actually a hot specimen of man. He was also a total asshole, and he’d tried to have me killed! I wasn’t going to let myself get distracted! “You’ll be the one drooling after I finish bashing your face in,” I snarled, surging forward again. Physically fit or not, I was still a Goddess. Even without resorting to seduction or enthrallment, I was physically superior to him in every way. I was faster, stronger, and tougher than him. And I’d studied and trained in different fighting techniques even before meeting Roni and Parker. There was no way he was going to win!

And yet...

I couldn’t help but feel my frustration mounting as each kick, each punch, each chop and slash, every attack seemed increasingly ineffective. They all struck true... at least in the beginning. But aside from that kick at the start, I failed to knock him off his feet! Worse, even the strikes that made it past his increasingly effective blocks somehow managed to all be glancing blows, none of them hitting with full force! It was aggravating and annoying... and it was starting to seriously piss me off!

“Goddammit! Stop dancing around... and let me fucking HIT you!” I snarled as I switched styles in mid-punch, dropping low and going for a foot sweep—which he JUMPED over—and rolled back, lashing out at him with a somersault kick, which again, he somehow saw coming and ducked!

“Let you hit me? Hah! Not bloody likely!” he snarled, coming in to attack himself, lashing out with a barrage of fast punches at my face and midsection. Despite my superior speed, he managed to connect twice, and both shots hurt like fucking hell, forcing me yet again to back off and regroup. “Not so much fun, is it, Satore? Not being in control? Not having the upper hand? Get used to it! The people of this world are no longer yer personal playthings!”

“I know that!” I snapped back, dropping style and technique and going for sheer speed, trying to overwhelm him with a barrage of hits and kicks instead. “And... you’re one to talk... Mr. Plan Out Everything! The point is... you’re just... fucking pissed... because I ruined... YOUR perfectly... uhgnn... crafted... plans... for Rosella... and Chloe!” He stiffened again at the reminder, and I actually got in a solid hit, forcing him back again. “That’s all this is, Frasier! You’re mad because I fucking did what YOU COULDN’T DO!”

THAT got another rise out of the Scotsman. Moving quicker than I would have thought possible, he closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, trapping my arms and lifting me off the ground.

“On the contrary,” he hissed, “I’m HAPPY as can be they’re healthy and together again.” Despite my struggles, he squeezed tighter, making it more difficult to breathe. “What I WANT is for them to be more than yer twenty-four-hour booty call and magic batteries!”

Biting my lip, I drew into my strength reserves and broke his hold on me, shoving him off. As I landed back on the ground, I struck him with a gut blow followed by an uppercut that staggered the asshole.

“You think that’s how I treat them!?” I shouted as he regained his composure. “They only spend part of the day attending to me. The rest of it, I encourage them to live their own lives, form new relationships, other ways to be productive!”

In that instant with my guard being down, he suddenly struck again, grabbing me by the straps of my dress, slamming me against the wall, HARD, holding me there. “Only because Parker bloody well makes ye,” he snarled in my face.

Anger peaking again, I slammed my forehead against his face, stunning him into releasing me. “Parker doesn’t MAKE me do anything. Despite the way I used them for my own ends, they came back to me! Pledged themselves to me.! I treasure those two, and only want what’s best for them!”

“If that were true, ye’d break yer hold on those two, and send them on their merry way!”

Snarling myself, I grabbed Frasier and spun him around, pinning the non-struggling man against the wall, my forearm against his throat. “Back to you, you mean! And I actually considered that,” I hissed. “But your words just go to show how poorly you understand them. The mental trauma done to them by the Confectioner CAN’T be undone, not even by me! They NEED to serve something, someone, anyone. Verdandi, Skuld... those Goddesses bring you and your son boundless happiness. Would you deny Rosella and Chloe the same?” I spat in his face in disgust. “One of the reasons you piss me off so much is because of how badly you broke my Rosella’s heart, denying her a place in your love life for two decades, and then giving that role to Evangeline while she was in earshot!? You only started caring about her when she left you for me!”

Frasier broke my hold, reversing it, and tossed me, flipping me to the ground, assuming a new fighting stand. Growling, I got back to my feet. “What’s wrong? No snappy comeback this time? Or did I actually strike a nerve?”

The man said nothing, however, merely standing there, weaving slightly in place. I recognized it instanly as Drunk Boxing. Hmph. Or a Westerner’s poor appropriation of it. I had to admit, though, he was doing a pretty good impression of someone drunk off their ass. Still, it was fine with me. If he wanted to go down pretending he was Jackie Chan, so be it. I was done with this. I was hurting, frustrated, and angry. And the damned bastard still refused to acknowledge that HE was the one at fault in all of this! Well, I thought to myself as I moved in for the kill, he wouldn’t be able to look smug and superior when he was lying face down in a pool of his own blood!

“Told you we should have bet on the outcome of this,” Parker replied with a chuckle. He and the other dinner guests were all sitting in the living room, watching the events unfolding downstairs on the large flat screen TV. “I mean, yeah, Gene is good. But Roni and I trained Venus, and she’s already superhuman. She has the edge in every category across the board except one—and while intelligence is important in a fight, it’s not always the deciding factor.”

“Maybe, but more times than not, it’s the tipping point,” Lacie pointed out. “That, and determination. And believe me, no one is more stubbornly determined than my husband.”

“What’s wrong with him now?” Chloe asked, frowning. “Why’s he swaying back and forth that way? Is he hurt?”

“Oh, bloody hell,” Eva murmured, shaking his head. “No, he’s not hurt. But if he’s resorting to THAT one, or possibly both of them might soon be...”

“Wait. Wait a second. Don’t tell me that old man actually KNOWS Drunken Boxing?” Parker asked in disbelief.

“Well, he did spend five years in Asia studying various martial arts styles,” Lacie pointed out. “And you’ve seen him drink. If anyone could learn to harness the power of liquor, who better than a Scotsman?”

A phone rang, and Roni picked it up, chuckling to herself. “Oh, this is just perfect timing,” she said, moving into the kitchen. “What’s up, Patty Cake?” She blinked, then groaned. “Oh! Shit, yeah... sorry. I was supposed to swing by and pick up Lucy about now, wasn’t I? Sorry... the dinner date ran a bit... longer, than anticipated.” She nodded, chuckling, “Oh, it’s more than just that. Believe it or not, Eugene and Venus got into a heated shouting match, and now both of them are duking it out downstairs in our training room!” She nodded again. “No, no joke. They’re going at it right now, toe to toe, no holds barred. We’re upstairs watching it on TV through the security cameras... what?” She laughed again. “Of course! I’ll absolutely send you and Angela a copy.”

“Hey! Tell them I want fifteen percent for the recording rights if Nigel plans to set up a pay per view event,” Parker yelled after her.

Eva smacked him in the back of the head. “Can you cut the comedic anecdotes for a change? This is serious!” She sighed deeply. “This wasn’t about them fighting it out, you know? They were supposed, to be honest with each other, and say what they were feeling without any socially dictated pleasantries or bullshit, just pure raw honesty. And, yeah, Venus is finally venting, letting out her frustrations... but Gene is still holding it all in!” She sighed, shaking her head. “I’m linked to him the way Chloe and Rose are linked with Venus... and he’s really distraught. If she pushes him... I honestly don’t know what he’ll do.”

Rosella and Chloe glanced up at that. “Should we intervene, then? Stop the fight?”

But Lacie just shook her head. “No. Good or bad, they have to finish this. I don’t think any of us should try and get between them.” She chuckled ruefully. “Hell, even I don’t like my chances going down there at this moment. We just need to trust the people we love and believe that they can work this out between themselves.”

“Hyaaahh! Kiiioo! Tyyaaahhh!” I shouted, swinging and kicking away, no longer holding back anything. I was taking this fucker down now! I swung a brutal kick straight for his face—

THUNK!

“OOOOFF!” I grunted in pain, recoiling back as I took a headbutt to the sternum. Recovering, I went for a spinning back fist... striking air as he spun with me, dodging the blow, and bumping me backward with his butt in the process.

“Ye thin’ I was just bluffin’, didja?” Eugene shot back, weaving in place. He chuckled loudly, tapping the side of his head. “The marvels o’ technology! Behold... the nanites! Can use ’em to extract alcohol when yer drinkin’ an’ need to stay sober... or can release th’ booze when ya feel like getting drunk o’ yer arse!” He stumbled towards me, and I backed away, unsure what he was going to do this time. “Betcha thin’ I planned all this out ’heada time, doncha?” he muttered, drawing to a stop. “Big bad ol’ Gene... always two, three, four steps ahead o’ everyone else...”

I nodded grimly. I certainly had nothing planned for this. Sober, he’d been a formidable fighter; drunk, unpredictable, he was downright dangerous, as my many bruises could well attest to. “Yeah. That’s you. The smartest human in the entire world. No need to rub in the fact that we’re all dumber than you are!”

Eugene laughed again... but this time I could hear, could sense the mockery in his tone. “Me? Smart? Nae lass... ye have it bass-ackwards... assward... bloody fuck,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “Ach... that’s a mite better. Damned nannites... overdid the alcohol a wee bit there.” He sighed softly. “My point? I’m NOT the smartest man in the world. I’ve said so countless times, but everyone thinks I’m being modest. I’m a bloody idiot, that’s what I am.” I blinked, frowning. Was this some kind of trick to put me off guard? “I’m the biggest damned IDIOT in the entire world!”

He turned away then, walking over to the steps, sinking down onto them. “I’m a failure, Satore,” he said softly. “You want to know why I am always so angry at you... why I can barely stand the sight of you? Because you’re just another reminder of how badly I failed.” My frown deepened. This... wasn’t a trick. This was him, sharing. I walked over towards him, still wary, leaning up against the wall near him.

“You mean, Rosella and Chloe?”

He nodded. “Your little dig hit a lot closer to home than you thought. The time when I first rescued them... was a bit chaotic. I’d just returned from a near death experience out in space after more than two years following that whole ‘Argentum Project’ fiasco. I wasn’t really sleeping well. Lacie had just given birth to the twins AFTER escaping from her Nornir grandmother, who, out of the blue, decided to kidnap her and bring her back to stay without anyone’s consent, including Lacie Ann herself!” He shrugged. “Perhaps I was overcompensating... trying to make up for having so much of my life out of my control by using my talent and resources to help others who needed it.”

I sighed inwardly at that. I’d learned a bit about that from Rosella, that Eugene’s crusade had started with her and Chloe, that he’d went as far as to establish his own private special ops force to rescue others who’d been kidnapped, abducted against their will, and brainwashed into sexual slavery. Later on, she’d volunteered to join that force herself, to try and find meaning for her life in helping others the way she’d been helped. But as it turned out, Frasier’s desire to help other victims went far deeper than anyone realized.

By this point, we were both battered, sore, and going to sport numerous bruises in the morning. Standing up, he walked over to his jacket and withdrew a sizable flask from his pocket. He took a good pull and wiped his lips. “Ahhh. Much better having the real thing rather than stimulating the effect...” Glancing up, he seemed surprised to see my outstretched hand. Sighing, he handed it to me.

I held the flask to my nose and sniffed. “Scotch. Smells good, but I don’t recognize this type. Mind if I finish this?”

“Knock yerserlf out. I own the brewery. Just pace yourself, it’s really —” He cut off as I handed the now empty flask back.

“Goddess liver,” I answered his unspoken question. Without saying anything, he took back the flask and resumed brooding.

“You have to understand, Satore. To me, nothing is more important than family. NOTHING! Not my business, not my money, or my home, or my identity as a hero. And I’d give up any or all of them in heartbeat to save a loved one.” He hung his head, staring down at his shoes. “Yer a heroine now, so maybe you’ll understand this. Most people judge a hero by his successes, by how many people he or she has saved. But for me, personally... I measure myself by how many times I have failed... by all the people I couldn’t save or help.”

He shook his head. “I’ve failed so many times. As you so ‘kindly’ pointed out, I failed to be there for Lacie when she needed me after our first child died. I failed to protect her when Vurdra spirited off with her. I failed Sarah LaSilvas when she was kidnapped and taken away, and failed to help her wee ones when they went searching everywhere to find her! And I failed to protect Jimmy and Katie when they needed me most... when James was stolen away and tortured to the brink of death for months... or for Katherine when she lost the woman she loved and descended into despair so deeply that she tried to kill herself and the entire world with her.” He finally lifted his head, his expression haunted. “With Rose... Rosella, and Chloe... I was determined to at least do right by them. To save them from you, to heal Chloe’s mind, and Rose’s soul. And again... I failed. Abysmally. It’s little wonder neither of them wants anything to do with me...”

I just stood there, staring. I had nothing. I mean, just five minutes ago, I wanted to punch the guy in the teeth... now I felt like I wanted to give him a hug. And he’d said, as a heroine myself, I would understand what he meant? I had no goddamn idea! Hell, I’ve only been doing this for a few days with Parker and the others as backup. I was still coming to terms with what being a hero actually meant.

“Frasier... Eugene,” I began, awkwardly, unable to meet his eyes. “For, um... for what it’s worth? You didn’t fail with Rosella or Chloe. Yes, I might have been the one to fix what was wrong... but without YOU stepping in, I would have never had the chance!” I sighed, reaching over to pat his arm lightly. “Look. Neither of my girls hate you. In fact, they think so highly of you I’m actually somewhat jealous. I’m their Goddess, but you, Eugene, are their savior.” I sighed again. “So. You’re not perfect... and, though it pains me to admit it, neither am I. The biggest reason you and the others have had issues with me is that you’ve held me to YOUR standards of morality. But I’m a goddess. And despite easily being the most impressive man I’ve ever met, you, Eugene Frasier, are no god, so you can’t know what its like.” I sighed deeply. “Look. You don’t really hate me, and I don’t hate you. Can we just... I dunno... try and get along? For our own sakes as well as the ones we love? If you can become best friends with Nigel Grimalde, I’d think you and I could at the very least be civil to one another.”

Eugene gave a weak nod. “Aye. I guess we can give it a try. No promises... I am a stubborn old bastard, after all,” he said with a small smile. “But aye... I’d like to be able to talk with Rose... uhn, with Rosella, and Chloe, sometimes, without the lot of us coming to blows.” He scowled, as if considering, before nodding. “Also... if yer truly serious about becoming a heroine and insisting on wearing that ridiculous red dress ensemble—” I bristled, offended, opening my mouth to say so, “—then the verra least you can do is to swing by my workshop sometime tomorrow and let me outfit you with Neuroweave.”

I blinked, mouth sliding closed again in surprise. “R-really? You’re giving me my own Neuroweave costume?” I asked again, just to confirm.

“Aye. Can’t have ye running off to play hero and getting taken out by some punk with a gun and good aim,” His grin became genuine. “After all, Parker and yer girls would never let me hear the end of it. Ye should probably bring those two along with ye. I may as well update their gear as well after all.”

“Oh. Um... well... yes. Thank you,” I said blushing slightly, again caught off guard by the sudden unexpected generosity and kindness. “Really, Eugene... thank you.” We stood there awkwardly for a moment before we chuckled, both laughing at how ridiculous the whole situation was.

“Bloody hell,” he said with a grin. “I cannae believe we actually did this. Insults, name calling, all devolving into a fistfight... as if we were children on the playground.” Walking over to the coat rack, he retrieved his shirt, tie, and jacket. “Worse, I can’t believe I fell for the whole thing, hook line, and sinker.”

I blinked. “Eh? What do you mean? Fell for what?”

“This. Us,” Gene replied ruefully. “They set us up. Parker, Veronica, Evangeline, Lacie, Rose, and Chloe. They all set the stage to get the two of us together, to ‘air out our differences’.”

“What? You can’t be serious!” I exclaimed. “My choosing to fight you here in the training room... it was MY idea! There’s no way—”

“Think about it. Rose makes a scathing remark to an offhand comment I made, then goes off to the kitchen alone, Eva and Lacie urge me to go talk to her, and when I do, you come in just in time to hear me verbally lambasting you.” He shrugged. “What else would the outcome be? Tell me this... have you felt Chloe and Rose’s link with you especially strong this entire time... as if they were carefully and silently monitoring you, in case you needed help?” I blinked, frowning. Now that he mentioned it, I HAD felt them all this time in the back of my mind.

Gene tapped his forehead. “It’s the same with me. Evangeline is usually always linked with me psychically to some extent... but from the moment I walked down the steps into this basement, her attention has been riveted on me the entire time. And notice that despite all our shouting earlier, and stomping around down here to have an actual fistfight, no one upstairs bothered to come down and intervene.” He chucked again. “I have no doubt that Parker is the mastermind behind all of this... obviously in retribution for Nigel and I setting up his and Patty’s little heart-to-heart.”

“That... sneaky son of a bitch!” I replied, half-annoyed, half-amused. “I’m going to go right upstairs and kick him in the balls!”

“Really?” Gene asked, amused. “Will tha’ be before or after fucking your Laird and Master senseless in gratitude?”

“Both!” I replied immediately, before catching myself. Ah... Dammit. Gene merely laughed.

“You and your household have a very interesting dynamic,” he stated, fully dressed again, straightening his tie. “For the first time since meeting Nigel Grimalde, I feel like my own family is actually pretty normal.” With a backward glance, he headed back up the stairs. “As I said, be sure and stop by the workshop tomorrow sometime and I’ll get ye suited up. And I even promise not to put in booby traps into the costume. Think of it as recompense for beating you so badly.”

“Sounds good, I—wait, what?” I asked, following behind him. “You’re not SERIOUSLY trying to suggest that you won this little fight? Not with your face and chest all black and bruised?”

Gene merely chuckled. “I’ve been beaten worse,” he replied easily. “And aye... the only reason ye look as good as ye do is because I purposely avoided striking YOUR face. I guarantee yer body will be sporting as many lumps and bruises as mine come tomorrow.” I merely grunted.

I suppose I could say that we’d officially buried the hatchet. I doubted we’d be the best of friends... but who knows? Fate has a funny way of taking all your preconceived notions and expectations and turning them on their ears. A year ago I could have never imagined being friends with Parker Albinn or his wife. Now I can’t imagine my life without them.

Oh... and speaking of which...

“PARKER!!” I yelled as I reentered the kitchen. “You better hope you’re wearing a metal cup underneath your pants... or you’re going to be very VERY sorry when you wake up in the morning...”