by Jamie Hawke
She glanced over, offered a bit of a smile, and nodded.
A tingle in my mind told me Aegriss was checking what had happened, then she gasped and stepped past me to kneel at Harp’s side, hand on her head. “You poor dear. If there’s anything I can do.”
Harp frowned at her, then to me. “There’s not. I’m good.”
The way she said it made me uncomfortable, and when Aegriss glanced back at me, the confusion in her eyes showed she had sensed it, too.
“Come on, let’s let her rest.” I held out my hand again, but this time Aegriss didn’t take it.
“Yeah, sure,” she said, walking past me, back to the main room. Just outside the entrance, she turned to me, pursing her lips. Waiting.
“I don’t know what that was, honestly.”
“We both do,” she countered. “That was straight-up discrimination. Plain and simple.”
“She’s tired, she—”
“Breaker, don’t. My sensors can analyze over five thousand movements in a person’s facial expression. Sorry, but you can’t honestly believe I don’t know when someone’s looking down on me, or treating me like I’m less than human.”
“I… don’t know. To me you’re—”
“I know. But before that fight, I wasn’t quite. So, maybe you’re feeling something for me now, maybe it’ll go away. Who knows. But… don’t.”
She turned and entered the bridge, all smiles as if nothing had happened, me at her side.
“That’s badass!” Gale said, giving Sam a high five, then pointing at me when we entered. “You need to hear what the hell Sam’s been doing while we were twiddling our thumbs.”
“Twiddling our…?” Andromida eyed her, then laughed. “Fuck you.”
Gale grinned, checking out Aegriss. “You okay, girl?”
“I’ll survive, apparently. Thanks to you all.”
“Any one of us could’ve died down there,” Twitch noted, stepping over and circling her to make sure she was mostly in one piece. “You took a lot of damage for the team, and we’re all grateful.”
“Next time,” Charm said, leaning against the seatback of her chair, next to Laurel, “let me take it, though. I can’t stand to see others hurt.”
“Difference is,” Aegriss countered, “I’m dispensable.”
“Fuck that,” Charm said.
“Aegriss, please…” I reached for her hand, but she took a step away, watching the display. After a moment, she turned to Sam. “So, you did it? The gateway or door or whatever we want to call it… is closed?”
Sam nodded. “The personal guards to the Great Deceivers have been pushed back, but they will always be out there, unless we go into their world and end it for good.”
A shared look of concern passed over everyone on the bridge, but Shimmer was the first to speak up. “Having been on the other side for some time,” she clearly tried not to look at Twitch with those words, since it had been Twitch’s fault, more or less, “I can safely say that idea doesn’t interest me in the slightest.”
“But if there’s a chance to end it—” Charm started, interrupted by a hand held up from Shimmer.
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t. Only if there were no other way.”
“A last resort,” I agreed. “And only if completely necessary. For all we know, there are innocents on their side as well, people—aliens, whatever, who would be hurt by our invading their land.”
Twitch nodded in agreement. Charm shared a look with Laurel, who stood now, pushing away from the wall she was leaning against.
“When Hadrian returned,” Laurel started, “he generally avoided talk of the other side.”
“He was there?” Aegriss asked.
“Him and Lamb, yes. Part of the sacrifice needed to stop the assault on the Citadel. While it destroyed some, others had to cross over. Issues with the Per-Neter and—”
“Ah, those things,” Charm said through clenched teeth.
My gut clenched up at the word, so I knew what she meant. Weird pyramid-shaped devices that allowed us to fight the enemy, but also had been the key to them crossing to our side of the universe, or our world, as it was more fun to think of it.
Laurel’s antennae shifted, glowing slightly. “He has spoken of a time when we might need to go over, but always as if it would be last resort. I certainly hope so, because as much as this team of yours kicks ass,” she glanced my way, “I’m not sure we’re ready for that.”
We all let her words sink in. Part of me wanted to shout that she was crazy, that our record spoke for itself.
“I’m going to check on Harp,” Charm said, excusing herself. I started to follow, but Laurel went first, with a look that said they would be okay.
Sam sighed, eyes meeting mine. “She’s right, of course. You’re not ready. We’re not ready. But then again, I don’t think anyone ever will be. That doesn’t mean we don’t fight, it doesn’t mean we don’t try.”
“A suicide mission?” Gale asked.
Sam shook her head. “A mission against the odds. Has anything you’ve ever done felt otherwise?”
I chuckled, but then frowned as I turned to Twitch and Shimmer. “Wait, what about before? Didn’t we go over then?”
“Actually, no,” Twitch said.
Although Shimmer looked like she was going to argue, she simply said, “Explain.”
“When I accidently sent Harang through, it was in their territory, yes. But not their world, or dimension, which,” as she spoke, she used her screens and then swiped to put an image on our display, “as you might recall, is all really part of our universe but so far away, thinking of it as another dimension almost makes sense. But, to be clear, it’s not.”
The map she was showing us scaled way out from the Milky Way, showing Oram momentarily before scaling back and moving around.
“You can’t show their side in a linear fashion,” Twitch went on. “Or you could, but it wouldn’t make sense or be accurate. Instead, what you have is what I think we should refer to simply as the Dark World, an area beyond the wall, as Sam likes to say,” she smiled at a nod from Sam, “and which I think sounds pretty badass.”
“So, this Dark World—none of us have been into it?” Shimmer asked.
“To my knowledge, the only ones of our kind to go over are Hadrian, Lamb, and,” Twitch addressed me as she added, “your brother’s team.”
“And me,” Sam added.
I ran a hand through my hair, frowning. “Wait, what?”
“When I closed off the gate, or put the wall back up,” Sam continued. “However you want to say it—that stopped them from coming over. I was on their side for that fight, intercepted the one called Droka, the leader of the Redbacks… and took care of it. So, while I didn’t spend much time there, yes, I was on the other side.”
“There you go,” Shimmer said. “We wouldn’t be the first through, at least.”
A hard glare from Sam. “I have no intention of going back.”
“But if we need to…” Shimmer started, but Sam shook her head and went for the door. “Where are you going?”
“To lie down, think all this through.” Sam paused at the doorway. “You have your team, and must go your way. I have to find mine.”
She exited just as Charm entered again, looking distraught.
“The other two…?” I started.
Her eyes met mine, filled with sorrow. “They wanted a moment alone.”
Those words hit hard, considering all they had been through. My understanding was that the trio had sort of been lovers, or at least involved in some way during the short time Charm knew them back at Supralines, back before she sacrificed so much for us—for the cause. Now they were excluding her, but it was a confusing situation. Was she sort of excluding them, by being with me? Not necessarily, because we wouldn’t likely to say no to either of them, or both, being involved, but it didn’t seem to be entirely their thing.
Gale was frowning at the now-closed door. “Think Sam’s okay?”
“I do
ubt it,” I said, considering Sam’s situation. When they scowled my way, I shrugged. “Not trying to be a dick. What I meant was, she’s been through a hell of a lot. Most people wouldn’t be okay after that.”
“But she’s the Shadow Mystic,” Charm said. “The way Hadrian made it sound, she’s practically a god.”
“Goddess,” Shimmer corrected her, staring after the Shadow Mystic.
“Oh no, you all aren’t going to try and recruit her, too, are you?” Gale said.
“What?”
“I mean, we’re getting a bit crowded is all. Gotta make sure Breaker here doesn’t break, if you catch my drift.”
I chuckled. “Not something you all have to worry about.”
“Still, she has a point,” Twitch said. “Some of us haven’t had a chance to release our tension as much as others, lately.”
My eyebrow arched, my crotch shifting. “Oh?”
“If you feel that way, and since we’re kind of in celebration mode,” Charm grinned. “Want me to take away a bit of our inhibitions?”
“Not necessary,” Twitch said, eyes moving over me.
“Still,” Shimmer said, looking intrigued but a bit off her game, “I’m still shook up from all that action back there. Maybe a tad?”
Nobody argued, and I had to admit the recent fighting along with how Harp was acting had thrown me, too, so the idea of Charm helping us out wasn’t a bad one, as far as I was concerned.
Charm smiled wide, held out her hands, and said, “Embrace the love,” in a joking tone, then spun as she blew out a pink breath that misted over us all, sparkling and landing on our skin, absorbing into us. Her powers were clearly more powerful than they had been before, and I instantly felt my anxiety vanish, replaced with pure lust and adoration for these women.
Before I could even make a move, though, Twitch was on me, undoing my pants, and kissing me fervently.
She had her hand down my pants, grabbing my shaft and stroking it. She had just pulled it free when the door slid open, and we turned to see Sam standing there, eyes undeniably focused on my cock.
7
Sam coughed, looked away, and then coughed again.
“Hey,” I said, stupidly.
“At least cover up?” Sam glanced down again, then away, using her hand to block the view. “You know, never mind. Go ahead. I just stopped by to say I’m going to my ship. Easier that way, and I was thinking I needed some alone time. Now, I’m certain of it.”
“Alone time, huh?” Charm said, voice full of seduction.
“Not for that,” Sam countered, already turning. “Just… God, you all are freaks.”
Gale chuckled, then Twitch laughed, starting to stroke me again. We were all laughing and moaning as the doors slid shut and clothes came off. It was only then that I noticed Aegriss still there, standing in the corner, fully clothed and watching. Looking down, I realized Charm was now at my side, kissing my hip and upper thigh, hands on my ass. My pants were around my ankles, shirt gone. Damn, the charm she had used was working well.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Charm’s power isn’t as effective on me,” she said, frowning. “And…” Her eyes moved to her missing arm, and I got the hint. She was self-conscious.
I was about to go over to her, to try and tell her how none of that mattered and to seduce her, but Andromida beat me to it. She stepped over as Charm’s tongue found my balls, Twitch on my tip. My eyes went back and forth from them to Andromida disrobing with each step toward us. Gale met them, hand moving along Aegriss’s waist, down between her legs as she whispered, “You’re beautiful.”
“Stunning,” Andromida added, disrobing Aegriss, massaging the undersides of her breasts, fingers finding her taut nipples.
Aegriss’s eyes never left mine, as she cocked her head.
I reached out to her, and she took my hand, the two at my crotch moving aside for her to come to me, body pressed to mine as they kissed her instead. This was a team, and when one of the team felt the need for affection, we were damn sure going to shovel it on.
“You’re all of that and more,” I said, pressing my lips to Aegriss’s neck, up to her ear, where I whispered, “I love you as you are, and no matter what happens.”
“We all do,” Shimmer said, brushing her long, white hair over her shoulder, undressing. The rest finished undressing while I pinned Aegriss to the wall, arm up over her head, and kissed her breasts as I lowered my hips to get a good angle, and allowed Charm to guide me in while she kissed my back and Andromida slapped my ass.
My eyes met Andromida’s over my shoulder and she reached her hand between me and Aegriss, fingers spread around the base of my cock as I slid in and out of Aegriss, whose tongue was tickling my ear. Another hand went between my legs and found my balls, and I turned to see Shimmer there, one hand caressing her breasts. I leaned back to kiss her, then the other way for Andromida, as Aegriss moaned—that fast—and she pushed me off, saying she didn’t want to cum yet.
Andromida took my cock like a leash, guiding me toward Shimmer, and said, “Today, I want to watch, to touch… we’ll have our chance soon.”
I nodded and met Shimmer’s hungry gaze, watching as she moved up and down me, running her breasts along my cock and then she pulled me down so that we were both sitting on the cold floor. She pushed up and then lowered herself onto my cock, letting me lick the sides of her breasts as I slid all the way in. I nibbled on her nipples as she started riding me, up and down, loving it, even laughing with the excitement of it all. She pushed me back and I yelped at the cold of the floor on my back, but liked it.
From there I watched her moving on me, breasts swaying with each thrust, and also had a good view of Charm and Twitch, the latter going down on the former, while Andromida went to Gale and they, too, started exploring each other’s bodies. Aegriss leaned in and kissed Shimmer, then started massaging the woman’s clit. Shimmer didn’t last long, climaxing in a burst of illusionary fireworks that caught me and Gale off guard, causing Shimmer to laugh as the last of her orgasmic spasms hit.
“Stay there,” Twitch said, moving over to me with Charm, guiding Charm to ride my face while she slid onto my cock. I was slurping up Charm’s love potion, feeling Twitch’s tight pussy moving along my cock, when a sharp pain hit my ribs.
“Fuck,” I said, pushing Charm off, and everyone turned, frozen, except for Twitch. She was still going, and to my astonishment, had a fist and this time hit me on the other side.
It stung like a baseball going full speed. She was strong as hell, and not holding back, apparently.
“What the hell, Twitch?” I said, and she reached back, grabbing my balls, eyes fierce. I backed off at that, sliding out of her, though her grip stayed—tight, but not yet painful. “Stop! Too far, too far!”
She cocked her head, then started caressing my balls, angling her hips to slide back onto my cock. With a slow, steady motion, she eyed me, while the others still watched with curiosity.
“Okay, your turn.”
“What?” I frowned, glancing around. “I’m not going to hit you.”
“Pinch me then, scratch. Something.”
I stared, looked over to Andromida, who shrugged.
“She wants it, so…” Charm moved over to Twitch’s side, taking the woman’s hand and thrusting it down between her legs. As Twitch’s fingers slid into her, Charm put a hand on her shoulder to steady herself, and let the claws dig in.
My mouth moved to curse again as blood started to form around the claws. Twitch’s face distorted in pain—but it was pain with pleasure. She moaned, rotating her hips, which caused my back to arch with pleasure, and then Charm said, “Yes, yes,” and scraped four lines across Twitch’s belly.
“You can heal that, right?” Charm said, eyeing me. I nodded, still not sure how I felt about it, but then closed my eyes with intense satisfaction as Twitch worked my cock.
“More,” Twitch said, and then gripped my chest with force, her fingernails digging i
n. “And you.”
I was still fairly shaken up, but I reached out and grabbed her thigh, hard, with such a grip that I thought for sure I would tear skin. She moaned, totally into it. Still hesitant, I ran my hands along her body, cringing as I smeared the blood on her stomach, and then my fingers were on her nipple, squeezing and twisting.
Her mouth fell open and she drew a deep breath but kept going, eyes taking me in with hunger. When we had sex on the prison ship she had gotten a bit frisky with slapping, and just like then, she came at me with a hard slap that left me stunned… and kind of into it. She must’ve seen this in my eyes, because she did it again.
“That’s right, fuck me!” she said, grabbing my pecs and digging her nails in. “Fuck me and make it hurt!”
Charm tried not to giggle, pulling away and being taken over by Aegriss as I grabbed Twitch by the ass, awkwardly stood, and then slammed her hard against the wall. The other ladies were enjoying the show, back to touching each other and watching, giving us plenty of room.
“You want to feel me?” I said, sliding out with all but the tip, eyes on hers. “You want me to fuck the hell out of you?”
“Do it!” she shouted, green hair falling around her face as she narrowed her eyes in a way that made her look like an evil clown.
“Aghh,” I let out, thrusting in hard and squeezing her ass, slamming her against the wall as I rammed her over and over. Each thud echoed through the room, and soon I was sweating. Twitch was whimpering and moaning and shouting and biting, and I was biting the side of her breast, and then dropped her to turn her around and slapped her ass before pulling her hair and sliding back in. She stood, pounding the wall and moaning, “Breaker, Breaker…” and then they were all chanting, saying my name over and over, as she reached down, massaged her clit, and pushed me back as she collapsed to the ground in one long moan.
“Shit, are you—” I started, kneeling to check on her.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, pointing at Charm.
I was hesitant, but Charm had me, grinning, and put one foot on Twitch as if stepping on her, getting in a position to take me.
