Heroic

by H D Forth

  Then she started crying. I panicked. I full on panicked for about 5 seconds, before she wrapped her arms around me. She clung hard enough that I could feel the muscle on my back move slightly.

  “Thank you.” She sobbed. I thought she sounded a little happier.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Are yuou okay?” I asked after a few minutes of sitting in quiet silence. When I had first sat down, leaning agaisnt he cvhair I hadnt realized it, but it felt uncomfortable. This was such a human and normal experience that I almost smieled again. The onylthing that stopped me was looking at Kani’s aface, shge looked miseranble and horrified.

  “I had a seizure.” She said, quietly. I rocked her sofgyl baclk and forth, I didnt know what to do to comfort her. I had nevcer been very good at that part of human interaction. To be honest there was very little I had been good at, when it came to social interaction. I had an embarrassinglyu sohrt list of friends. Tarra wasnt even on it, and she was my best friend’s soon-to-be-fiancée.

  “If you dont want to talk about we dont have to.” I decided not to push her, to just give her spacne and what comfort I could offer her. It wasnt much, but it was better than nothing. I hjoped.

  “It started when I was 5.” She said suddenly. I didn’t say anything, just kept quiet. “At least thats the first incident I can remember. As I grew older, they started coming more often and they made me feel owrse afterwards.”

  “Im sorry that this happened to you.” I said.

  She didnst respond, just continued talking. “It doesn’t seem to happen as much, when I’m down here in the workshop, that’s why I work so much. When I’m down hewre and working veryday, I’m down to something like bi-weekly seizures.” That still seemed horrible to me, that was still twice a month. “It’s just my luck that I had to get one, while you’re down here.” She tucked her face into my chest, trying to hide from me.

  “I don’t hold it against you,” I said. “This isnt your fault. There’s nothing that you do that causes this.” I squeezed her tighter to me, and I could feel some of the tension that had been buildign in her shoulders dissipate.

  “Thanks.” She mujmbled. “I understand if you dfont want to work with me, theres no reasson that you should be held back by someone thta’s sick like me.”

  This I took offense to. I pushed her out so I could look her in the eye. “This is not your fault.” I said firmly. “Anyone who would shun you for who you are doesn’t deserve you. I just met you, but I can tell that you have a lively spirit and good humor, current situation not withstanding. Anyone hwo wouldnt want to work with someone like that, doesnt deserve the kind of happiness adn exuberance that you display. Nothing’s changed. In my experience, everyone’s at least a little broken, you just don’t know how yet.”

  Then she started crying. I panicked. I full on panicked for about 5 seconds, before she wrapped her arms around me. She clung hard enough that I could feel the muscle on my back move slightly.

  “Thank you.” She sobbed. I thoiught she sounded a little happier.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kani seemed to calm down again after a few minutes. As if sensing that I realized this, she clutched me even tighter. It was a little painful. Still, I extricated myself from her arms, causing her to look up at me with a hurt look. I got to my feet, then bend down and picked her up.

  When I first started lifting she seemed just a tiny bit heavy, but then new Power Core reacted. Energy flooded my limbs, and I straightened easily, Kani’s weight in my arms, little more than a footnote.

  I sat down in the dentist chair again. It might have been a novel experience to feel uncomfortable sitting against it, but it had gotten old rather quickly. As I lay down in the chair, she curled up into a ball and lay on my chest and stomach.

  The previous spark of sexual energy that was between us had if not extinguished, then dimmed. I was surprised to find that at the moment, it didn't bother me that much. I hadn’t realized how nice it felt to just lie down and cuddle with someone. It almost felt more intimate than when we had been kissing. And it was far more comforting, no anxiety about performing adequately.

  That was how Valerie found us. I heard the door open. The workshop was big enough that my senses couldn't reach all the way over to the door, so I had no warning.

  “Uhh…” She said, stepping into the room. I could feel Kani turning her head to look at her, before hiding her face in the crook of my neck. “What kind of work is this?” She said saucily.

  Val put down a bag of what I could only suppose would be the breakfast. “I hope you saved some for me.” She purred, as she prowled through the workshop.

  “It- it’s not like that.” Kani managed to stutter. I was feeling too stunned to really react. Before when I had interacted with Val, it had been filtered through a remote connection, without a sense of touch, smell or feeling. She wasn’t merely arousing like I’d felt about her yesterday.

  “Then what is it like?” She asked. Her voice was low and husky, sending a thrill through my body. “Because to me, it seems like you’re laying atop your conquest.”

  She reached the chair, and she was seduction incarnate. The way she smelled, I couldn’t accurately describe it, partly due to my new senses. There was an aura about her, I could barely perceive it, but it was still having a strong effect on me. Kani was still hiding her face in the crook of my neck, so Val looked me dead in the eye. She lifted one hand, slowly but inexorably towards us.

  It landed on Kani’s neck and ran up into her hair, massaging her scalp and turning her head to look at Val. She leaned closer to me, her scent, her movements, the way she looked had me straining in my pants, as she came ever closer. Her other hand traced its fingernails, lightly up my arm, towards my shoulder up to the neck on the opposite side of Kani.

  She leaned so close, for a moment I thought she was going to go for the kiss, but she veered off in the last moments. Lowering her mouth to my ear.

  “You’re finally ready.” She breathed onto me, sending shivers down my body. I could feel her hand, slithering into my hair, lightly grabbing a handful. “I’ve decided that I will have you.” Her voice was whisper quiet. I doubted even Kani could hear her. “I will have you first before she does.” I felt movement on my other side, as Val pulled a little on Kani’s hair. Kani let out a soft moan onto my neck.

  I could feel Val’s body pressing against my arm, as her fingers worked through my hair. It was heaven and hell at the same time. I knew, I already knew that she was going to do nothing about it, I could feel it. This was about marking her territory. I didn’t know if she was marking me, or both of us, and I didn’t care. I just wanted her.

  She started pulling her away from me, lifting her head. I reached up to grab at her before she could get too far. I saw a flare of purple light flash in her eyes. The hand in my hair was gone, it was now holding my wrist just a few centimeters from her body. The light in her eyes vanished, and they returned to normal brilliant emerald color.

  She quirked one eyebrow, then she stepped away. For one moment I couldn't believe she had just done that. She couldn't just do something like that. Her hand slipped from Kani’s hair, and she turned around walking towards the bag she left at the door. She rolled her hips as she walked obviously aware of my—our staring, I noticed Kani was also watching her.

  “She’s so fucking hot," Kani mumbled.

  “I will start preparing breakfast," Valeria called, once she reached her bag. “You have 5 minutes to put yourselves together.” Then she walked away, towards another door one that seemed to lead further into the building.

  We lay completely still for at least 10 seconds after she left, just staring at the door she went through. I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't. I had thought that I was strong-willed and determined not to let her affect me, but I had just been experiencing her through so many filters that I couldn't even compare them.

  “Let’s get going," Kani said. Finally shaking out of her reverie. She climbed off
me, noting with a quirked eyebrow the stiff member in my pants.

  “Like you’re not wetter than a lake," I growled at her. She giggled at my comment. That one action did more to alleviate the tension in the air than anything I could've done. Whoever had blessed Kani with such a pure and innocent laugh, should be blessed by the gods.

  I rolled off the chair after her. I took some searching, but I found my shirt and put it back on. It was almost odd moving regularly again. It was almost like I had already forgotten what it felt like to walk and talk before. I shook my head.

  “Can you hand me that?” Kani asked, pointing to the tablet. After she got it in hand, she pulled out the camera app and looked at herself in it. “It does look like I’ve been having sex.”

  She wasn't wrong, her hair was all out of sorts, tufts of hair escaping her ponytail and pulling it off to one side. But with all that had been happening it really wasn't that unexpected. She took a few minutes to try and fix the worst parts of her hair, before handing the tablet to me.

  I stared for a moment at what the camera showed. The face was familiar, but only because I had spent so much time looking at it in the last few days. It was the face of a model, not a runway model, but a literal one made to look Val’s idea of sexy. It was nice and all, but it wasn't me.

  This person was not who I was. I knew rationally that looks did not make a person, but I couldn't correctly separate what I should look like from my personality. So when I looked in the camera, I winced and shoved it back on the table. Kani noticed.

  I reached down into my Foundation, to try and calm myself and order my thoughts. For the first time since I was a child, the experience was slightly uncomfortable. When I was finally able to envision my bunker, the walls, while not cracked, seemed thinner, less substantial somehow. I did my best to strengthen them, before allowing them to absorb as much of my emotions as possible.

  It was much less than I was used to. With a reluctant sigh, I withdrew from the bunker.

  Kani looked at me with sympathy on her face. Then a new dawn rose in her eyes. She darted off into a closet. She pulled out a box of random things in it. “Where is it?” She repeatedly mumbled to herself, as she crouched over it pulling various items up before putting them down again. I walked over to her as she searched the box.

  “Aha!” She exclaimed. She retrieved something that looked like a skin-colored mask.

  “This.” She said, turning to show it to me. “This is what we call a template. Very few things are already decided on when they bring a new MagAI into the world. This made it incredibly difficult for them to prepare equipment for the children. This was their solution!”

  As far as I knew, calling any of the MagAI children was a bit of a stretch. They were made not born. They were smarter than the average human, though they could only be made through a bond of Magic and AI technology.

  “This is a template.” She said, lifting the mask. “All you gotta do is have it scan your face from pictures from a few different angles. Then it will produce a fairly close copy, then you just need to manually adjust a few things, and you should look good as old.”

  “Thank you," I said smiling at her.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kani seemed calm down again within a few minutes. As if sensing that I realized it, she clutched me even tighter. It was a little painful. Still extricateed myself form her arms, causoing her to look up at me with a hurt look. I got to my feet, then bend down and picked her up.

  When I first started lifting she seemed just a tiny bit heavy, but then new power core reacted. Energy flooded my limbs, and I straightened easily, Kani’s weight in my arms, little more than a footnote.

  I sat down in the dentist chair again. It mihgt have been a novel experience to feel uncomfortable sitting againt it, but it had gotten old rather quickly. As I lay down in the chair, she curled up into a ball and lay on my chest and stomach.

  Thr previosu spark of sexual neergety that was between us, had if not extinguished then dimmed. I was usprised ot find that at the moment, it didnt bother me that much. I hadn’t realizxerd how nice it felt ot just lie down and cuddle with someone. It almosmt felt more intimate than whgen we had been kssing. Abnd it was far more comforting, no anxiety about performing adequately.

  Thta was how Valerie found us. I heard the door open. T he workshop was big enough that my senses couldnt reach all thw way over ot the door, so I hgad no warning.

  “Uhh…” She said, stepping into the room. I could feel Kani tunrning her head to look at her, before hiding ehr face in hte crook of my neck. “What kind of work is this?” She said saucily.

  Val put down a bag of what I could only suppose would be the breakfast. “I hope you saved some for me.” She purred, as she prowled throug hthe work shop.

  “It- it’s not like that.” Kani managed to stutter. I was feeling to stunned to really react. Before when I had interacted with Val, it had been filtered through a distant connection, without a sense of touch, smell or feeling. She wasn’t simply arousing like I’d felt about her yesterday.

  “Then what is it like?” She asked. Her voice was low and husky, it send a thrill through my body. “Because to me, it seems like you’re laying atop your conquest.”

  She reached the chair, and she was seduction incarnate. They way she smelled, I couldn’t accurately describe it, aprtly due to my new senses. There was an aura about her, I could barely perceive it, but it was still having a strong effect on me. Kani was still hiding her face in hte crook of my neck, so Val looked me dead in the eye. She lifted one hand, slowly but enexorably towards us.

  It landed on Kani’s neck and ran up into her hair, massaging her scalp and turning her head to look at Val. She leaned closer to me, her scent, her movements, the way she looked had me straining in my pants, as she came ever closer. Her other hand traced its fingernails, lightly up my arm, towards ym shoulder ontyo my neck on the opposite side of Kani.

  She leaned so close, for a moment I tohught she was goign to go for the kiss, but she veered off in the last moments. Lowering her mouth to my ear.

  “You’re fainlly ready.” She breathed onto me, sending shivers down my body. I could feel her hand, slithering into my hair, lightly grabbing a handful. “I’ve decided that I will have you.” Her voice was whisper quiet. I doubted even Kani could hear her. “I will have you first, before she does.” I felt movement on my other side, as Val pulled a little on Kani’s hair. Kani let out a soft moan onto my neck.

  I could feel Val’s body pressing agianst my arm, as her fingers worked through my hair. It was heaven and hell at the same time. I knew, I already knew that she was going to do notihn about it, I could feel it. This was about marking her territory. I didn’t know if she was marking me, or bnoth of us, and I didn’t care. I just wnated her.

  She started pulling her away from me, lifting her head. I reached up to grab at her before she could get too far. I saw a flare of purple light flash in her eyes. The hand in my hair was gone, it was now holding my wrist just a few centimeters from her body. The light in her eyes vanished and they returned to normal sparkling emerald color.

  She quirked one eyebrow, then she stepped away. For one momen t I couldnt believe she had jsut done that. She couldnt just do something like that. Her hadn slipped form KAni’s hair and she turned around walking towards thue bag she left at the door. She rolled her hips as she walked obviously aware of my—our staring, I noticed Kani was also watching her.

  “She’s so fucking hot.” Kani mumbled.

  “I will starting preparing breakfast.” Valeria called, once she reached her bag. “You have 5 minutes to put yourselves together.” Then she walked away, towards another door one that seemed to lead furhter into the building.

  We lay completely still for at least 10 seconds after sehge left, jsut staring at the door she went trhrough. I couldnt belivee it, simply couldnt. I had htouyht that I was storng willed and determined not to let her affect me, but I had just been expereincing her throuygh so
many filters that I couldnt even compare them.

  “Let’s get going.” Kani said. Finally shaking out of the reverie. She climbed off me, noting wiht a quirked eyebrow at hte stiff memeber in my pants.

  “Liek you’re not wetter than a lake.” I growled at her. She giggled at my comment. That one action did more to alleviate the tension in hte air, than anythting I couldve done. Who ever had blessed Kani wiht such a pure and innocent laugh, should be blessed by the gods.

  I rolled off the chair after her. I ttok some searching but I found my shirt and puit it back on. It was almost odd moving normally again. It was almost like I had already forgottebn what it felt like to walk and talk before. I shook my head.