A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol. 2

by Brandon Varnell

Alex followed the directions that he’d been given, striding through the twists and turns of the lower city. It took longer than expected to reach his destination. From the outside, the power distribution plant looked like a rundown and disused building. The durasteel was aged and worn. The door, an old-fashioned sliding model with a basic security console, sat in the center. There were no windows.

  Pressing his back against the wall right next to the door, Alex leaned down and fiddled with his IDband. Unlike most ID bands, his had been heavily modified. It had a lot of extra features. Many of those features were illegal, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone about them.

  He attached a cord to his IDband, plugging the other end into the security console. The console’s holographic screen lit up, and then became filled with ones and zeros.

  So, the security to this building runs on binary. That will make this a lot easier for me.

  Efficiently hacking into the system, Alex accessed the building’s security cameras. The holographic image changed from binary code to a shadowed room. There were a lot of power boxes inside. However, there was no bipedal insect. He frowned and changed to another view. This one showed a different room, which was empty save for a few pieces of trash.

  There was still no giant bug.

  Changing the view several more times, it wasn’t until switching to the sixth security camera that he found the jāhilīyahn. It (he?) was kneeling over what Alex recognized as one of the puppets that had attacked him. The jāhilīyahn’s hands were buried deep in the puppet’s chest. It was probably trying to repair the damage that he’d done.

  What room is that?

  Alex tried to verify which room that was by flipping through the security cameras some more. He had to correlate all of the cameras with what he knew of the building’s layout. Pulling up a holographic map and positioning it alongside the camera feeds, he quickly determined that the jāhilīyahn was on the second floor in the room farthest from this walkway.

  At least he’s too far away to hear me enter.

  The door slid open after Alex bypassed its security. Unplugging his IDband, he slipped through. Darkness engulfed him as the door closed, but he activated the LCD light on his IDband to illuminate his path.

  Scanning his surroundings, Alex crept along the floor, being mindful not to make any noise. The walls were rusted. Mold grew along the bottom, spreading between cracks in the durasteel. There was likely a pipe leaking somewhere.

  There was a staircase at the end of the hall. There was also an elevator, but it wasn’t working. As Alex ascended the stairs, his thoughts wandered toward the coming confrontation.

  He knew nothing of the jāhilīyahn other than what he’d been told. It had a hard exoskeleton that protected it from the harshness of its home planet. While its main purpose was to keep it cool, it also acted as armor. Jāhilīyahns possessed incredible sight that was nearly ten times better than a human’s, and their hands had ten triple-jointed fingers, which allowed them to manipulate numerous puppets at the same time.

  Fortunately, it looked like his opponent only had one puppet working, and it looked like the puppet was still broken. That said, Alex didn’t plan on underestimating his opponent just because they didn’t have their full armory available. For all he knew, the jāhilīyahn could have several backup puppets ready to fight.

  The door that his foe hid behind was old, covered in marks and stains. Alex grimaced as he studied it. The old-fashioned door had rust running along the edges.

  This is going to create a lot of noise if I open it.

  And he didn’t want that. Since he didn’t know this creature’s full capabilities, he wanted to keep the element of surprise. If he could knock the jāhilīyahn out with a single blow, that would be best.

  Unfortunately, this was also the only way in or out of this room. The building had no windows, and this was the only door. There might have been a ventilation shaft somewhere, but going through that would create even more noise.

  In that case, maybe I just need to be flashy and quick.

  Alex rummaged through his pouch, poking out his tongue as he searched for something that he could use to blow open the door. He’d brought several homemade bombs. He was sure that the chemical balance between them was correct now, so it should be fine if he used one.

  When he found what he was looking for, Alex pulled out the explosive. It looked like a tiny pin attached to a suction cup. He affixed the explosive to the door, and then he pushed down on both ends of the pin, waiting until it began beeping before running around a corner. He crouched down and covered his ears.

  Covering his ears did absolutely nothing. The explosion that went off blasted his eardrums apart. Alex’s scream was lost in the fierce roar of the detonation, which, due to the enclosed space and power of the explosion, was loud enough to be potentially debilitating. Warm blood trickled down his ears, seeping between his fingers. Even after the explosion ended, Alex’s ears were still ringing.

  He stumbled to his feet and rushed out from behind the corner, making for the door as quickly as his wobbly legs could carry him. The entire wall was gone. Nothing remained. The floor was also gone. Alex almost fell into the hole, but he stopped himself at the last possible second.

  As he peered down the hole, which he couldn’t see the bottom of, Alex realized that maybe, just maybe, his explosives were a little too powerful. He would have to experiment some more to create a less powerful bomb.

  The gap wasn’t too big, so Alex leapt to the other side. He looked around. The room was empty. Several boxes lay scattered around the room, and the puppet was still lying on the floor, but the jāhilīyahn was gone.

  Alex groaned and rubbed his forehead. He groaned again when he realized that he was smearing blood from his ears all over his forehead. Today really wasn’t his day.

  3

  Jasmine’s parents were not home, and neither was her brother. Her mother was at a function, her father was away on business, and she assumed that Jameson was off doing whatever it was that he did on weekends.

  She didn’t want to know what her brother did on weekends. She really didn’t want to know.

  Alice had come to spend the night. Her friend liked to act unenthusiastic about everything, but Jasmine knew that Alice actually enjoyed having fun. She was just lazy.

  “How is the food?” Jasmine asked as she and her friend ate a gourmet meal cooked by her personal robot nanny, Madison.

  “It’s fine,” Alice said as she took a bite of her food.

  “I am glad to hear that. We’ve got strawberry cheesecake for dessert.”

  Alice perked up, though she pretended not to. Jasmine smiled. Her friend had a notorious sweet tooth. She didn’t know where it came from, as her brother wasn’t as big a fan of sweets, but then, they weren’t related by blood. Genetics probably played a big part in Alice’s likes and dislikes.

  “It is too bad that Alexander could not come over for dinner,” Jasmine sighed as she finished off her food. It was delicious as always, though secretly, she liked eating Alexander’s food more. “I do so wish he would allow himself to enjoy my hospitality on occasion.”

  “Bro would never do that.” Alice also finished eating and set her fork down on the table. “He’s an idiot who takes gestures of kindness like favors meant to be returned. If he came over, he’d feel like he owed you and try to make it up to you.”

  “Oh ho ho ho ho! Alice, do you not understand? That is exactly what I desire. If Alexander came over and experienced my hospitality, then he would feel indebted to me and do whatever I asked of him. Oh ho ho ho ho!”

  Alice’s deadpan expression bored into her, but Jasmine was used to those looks. It was her friend’s default face, after all.

  “So, what? You’d offer him your hospitality and then make him do all sorts of perverted things to you?”

  “O-of course not! Do not mistake my pure intentions for something wicked like that! I am not like Jameson!”

  Despite saying this, Jasmine
could not help but imagine what it would be like if she did ask Alexander for favors of a more intimate nature:

  “Oh ho ho ho ho!”

  Dressed in a black outfit made from leather straps that wrapped around her breasts and crotch, Jasmine loomed over Alexander. One of her high heeled shoes was on his back. The heel dug into his skin. He was on his hands and knees, wearing nothing but a blindfold and a ball gag. She was holding a whip.

  “Oh ho ho ho! Now then, Alexander, I, the Queen of Dom, shall tenderly give you my love. Please accept it.”

  She cracked her whip, laughing all the while.

  “Oh ho ho ho ho!”

  Jasmine shook her head as if attempting to shake off the heat burning her cheeks. “T-t-there is no way that I, the Queen of Purity, could possibly use Alexander in such a way.”

  She did not appreciate the sly smirk on Alice’s face. Not at all.

  “But you were thinking about it just now, weren’t you?”

  “I was not!”

  “Yes, you were.”

  “Jasmine,” a voice said from the kitchen, interrupting them. “Are you two finished with your dinner?”

  “Oh, yes. We are. Could you please take these and wash them?” Jasmine asked.

  “Of course.”

  What appeared to be a beautiful young woman strode out of the kitchen. She wore a standard maid outfit; a black and white dress with lots of frills, white stockings, and a bonnet. The outfit fit her like a glove, a second skin. When combined with the way she moved, that natural grace, one would almost think that she was human.

  Of course, Jasmine wasn’t fooled. Madison might have looked like a pretty young woman with russet hair and amethyst eyes, but she was actually an android of the highest caliber. She had been a gift from Alexander, who’d built her with his own two hands. He’d made it for her because, “It must be lonely living at home by yourself.” His words. Not hers.

  Jasmine treasured Madison more than anything else she possessed. Madison was precious, not only because she was a gift from the person she loved, but also because she made all the lonely nights spent at home more bearable.

  Madison came up to the table and grabbed their plates. Her skin held a pearlescent sheen and looked soft to the touch. Even from up close, it was hard to tell that she wasn’t human.

  “I’ll be back with dessert after your stomachs have had time to settle,” Madison said, gracing them both with kind eyes and a polite smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “You two are most welcome.”

  Madison went back into the kitchen, leaving Jasmine and Alice alone. She looked at her friend, who sat on the opposite side of the ridiculously long table. Alice was staring at her.

  “You were so imagining what it would be like to have Alex as a sex slave just now. Admit it,” she teased.

  Jasmine’s cheeks became inflamed once again. “ALICE!”

  4

  Alex exited the shuttle and stepped onto the road that would lead him home. Exhaustion seeped into his bones. His entire plan to defeat Gabrielle’s suitor had gone up in smoke, which had totally been his fault. He was probably going to be scolded by Karen and Caridna when they found out about what had happened, though he wouldn’t be the one to tell them.

  As he walked home, he felt something odd behind him. Blinking, he turned his head to check his surroundings. There was nothing there. Shrugging, he continued on his way.

  5

  It was the day after her sleepover at Selene’s, and Gabrielle was sitting in a shuttle that would take her back home.

  She’d had tons of fun at Selene’s house, looking at pictures of a younger Alex, staying up late, and having a pillow fight. However, although it had been fun, Gabrielle wanted to return home. She missed Alex.

  After hopping off the shuttle, she made her way back home. The house appeared empty when she arrived. There wasn’t a sound to be heard. Shutting the door behind her, Gabrielle called out, “Hello? Alex! Are you there?”

  “I’m in here!” came a call from the living room.

  Gabrielle ran into the living room. Alex was sitting on the couch. He looked a little stiff, like a robot who needed to have their joints oiled.

  “I’m back!” She announced with a lunge.

  Alex didn’t even seem to react as she wrapped her arms around him. That was odd. Normally, Alex would’ve at least patted her on the head. Instead, his body just seemed to tremble in her arms.

  “Welcome back,” he said.

  Gabrielle shrugged off her concern and beamed at him. “It’s good to be back! So, Alex, I was thinking, after I take a shower, I want to finish Mr. Scanner and see if we can find out what those Angelisian symbols inside of your core mean.”

  “A shower?” Alex’s cheeks grew red. His lips trembled. “Do… do you want to take a shower with me?”

  “A shower with you?”

  Gabrielle’s eyes grew wide, bulging until they practically fell out. Alex had never taken a shower with her before. He said it had something to do with propriety. She didn’t really understand, but she also didn’t want to force him to do something that he didn’t want to do. Could it be that he’d finally come to realize how much fun taking a shower with someone else was?

  “Do you not want to?” Alex asked, his voice trembling. He must have been worried that she would say no, which was, of course, stupid. He should have already known her answer.

  “Of course I do!” Leaping to her feet, Gabrielle grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled him along behind her. “Let’s go! Yay! I’m going to be taking a shower with Alex!”

  6

  Alex didn’t know what was going on.

  He’d gone to bed last night, and then the next morning he’d been unable to move, or rather, his body had moved irrespective of his wishes. It was like someone else was controlling his body while he watched from inside of a cage. He moved in ways that he didn’t intend, and he said things that he didn’t mean.

  Something was seriously, seriously wrong.

  Oh, frack! Oh, frack! Oh, frack!

  Matters had only become worse when Gabrielle had returned home. She’d hugged him like she usually did, and he’d felt his hands trying to grope her rear. Somehow, he had managed to keep them from actually touching her. He thought it was because of what he’d been going to do. His desperation to not grope her had given him the strength to resist whatever was controlling his voice and actions.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have much willpower right now.

  And that was because he was in the shower with a naked Gabrielle.

  Alex was sitting on a small stool, trying to figure out how this had happened—actually, he was trying to make his body move so he could run away. Yet nothing he did could make him move. Perhaps it was fear, perhaps it was desire, perhaps it was something that he couldn’t fathom, but Alex remained rooted to the stool as Gabrielle washed his back.

  H-her hands are so soft…

  His skin was hypersensitive to Gabrielle’s touch as she rubbed soap all over his back. Every time her hands rubbed his body it made him want to squirm, every time she dipped lower made him nearly squeal. Only his inability to move kept him locked in place.

  “Isn’t this fun, Alex?”

  “Loads of fun.”

  “See? I told you it’s more fun to take a bath together than it is by yourself.”

  When Gabrielle finished soaping up his back, she used the removable shower head to wash it. Then she had them trade places.

  “Okay! Now you wash my back.”

  “… Okay…”

  “Oh! Also, before I forget, make sure to use shampoo for my wings. Soap makes my feathers become coarse.”

  Wings… right, those aren’t fake…

  It was something that he hadn’t focused on until getting in the shower with her, but her wings were real. They were legitimate, honest to goodness wings. All Angelisians had them.

  Alex tried to resist his body’s movements,
but his trembling limbs still weren’t responding to his commands. He grabbed the soap and lathered up his hands. Then he placed them on Gabrielle’s back, moving them up and down, creating trails of soap along her unblemished skin.

  Gabrielle hummed as he rubbed the soap on the skin around her wings. The area around her wings looked odd, stretched. Her pinions jutted out of her skin, which shifted from fair flesh to silver feathers. When he finished washing the soap off and began rubbing shampoo into her wings, something unexpected happened.

  She produced a loud moan.

  “A-ahn! B-be gentle, please!”

  Hearing her moan somehow gave Alex enough strength to gain momentary freedom over his mouth. “S-sorry!”

  Gabrielle turned her head to smile at him. Her pink cheeks made his already stiff lower half become even harder. “It’s all right. Just be a little more gentle.”

  Alex gulped.

  7

  What was going on? This had not been a part of his plan. When he’d attached his energy threads to Gabrielle’s fiancé, he’d done so with the intention of using Gabrielle’s trust in the boy to kidnap her. His plan wasn’t to have that stupid boy take a bath with her! Now he was stuck listening to what was happening from outside of the room.

  Is he actually resisting my puppeteering technique?

  That shouldn’t have been possible. While ensnaring another life form with his energy threads was difficult, for a puppet master like himself, such a task should have been well within his capabilities. He’d taken control of creatures far more powerful than a measly human boy. Controlling him should have been simple.

  So why weren’t his puppet techniques working?

  8

  Maybe it was because of her words, but Alex felt a semblance of control return. He still couldn’t move his limbs the way he wanted to. Actually, they were still moving in the exact opposite way that he told them to, but he could exert a form of control over how gentle or rough he was.

  Of course, all this meant was that instead of roughly rubbing shampoo into Gabrielle’s wings, he was doing so gently.

  It really wasn’t that much better.