by Kory Shen
Violet screamed and pointed to the building. HumiliT followed with her eyes and froze. Three bodies hung from the iron gates at the entrance to the Institute. She knew those figures, intimately. When she had joined Alan, she had accepted that there would be consequences. That didn't stop the sudden swell of emotions at seeing Pain, Nail, and Flex's dangling corpses.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end. HumiliT fought back the urge to shed a tear. She wouldn't show a hint of weakness. Not here, not when he might be watching.
"Someone's coming!" Alan whispered urgently.
It was too late. "Running's useless," HumiliT said. She already knew who was coming.
"Ah. The prodigal child," a deep voice boomed in a mocking tone. "Have you returned home?"
HumiliT shivered. Sire had done this. They hadn't fought or killed themselves. Sire had killed them. "Why? Why did you kill them?" HumiliT asked, pain in her voice.
A bright, blue blazing figure appeared several yards in front of them. The blue shield surrounding Sire flared even brighter to illuminate the surroundings.
"Oh shit!" Alan yelled. Red shackles appeared around Sire's arms and legs but immediately shattered as he shifted position.
"A mental projection?" Sire asked. "Interesting."
"Stop it," HumiliT ordered. "You'll just make him angry. None of us are a match for him."
Alan and Violet gave her frantic looks, waiting to see what she would do.
Sire turned to address her. "I performed a preemptive pruning. They were a distraction. Now they are lessons." He raised a hand towards the three bodies. They erupted into flames. Soon, only smoking ash remained.
HumiliT stood up straighter. "We came for Cover Girl," she said as confidently as she could. Sire was a predator. Showing weakness only made him more likely to pounce.
"Of course," Sire said. He vanished, then reappeared, holding Cover Girl in one hand. Cover Girl screamed and convulsed as the collar around her neck sparked. It was some kind of restraint. "It appears that she is in pain. Would you like to assist?" Sire gestured towards the screaming woman.
HumiliT had moved six inches at super speed but Sire already held up a hand to stop her. "Not you." He looked at Alan. "Please. I'd like to see for myself."
Alan froze in shock, staring at Cover Girl.
"Alan!" HumiliT barked. "The collar!"
He shook his head. "Right." He focused his eyes on Cover Girl's metallic collar.
The sparking stopped, and Cover Girl went limp. Sire tossed her at them. HumiliT crouched to catch her carefully.
"Fascinating," Sire said, studying Alan. "You are welcome to stay here, son. Make this your home."
Alan huddled over Cover Girl. He raised his head. "With you? Hell no. So are we going to fight or what?"
Sire chuckled. "If you insist."
"Wait!" HumiliT shouted. Sire was acting strange. Something was off. "Can we leave now?" she asked.
"Yes, I have seen enough," Sire said.
"Why?" HumiliT asked.
"Godmother and I promised each other not to interfere tonight. If anything, I've helped you." He gestured at Cover Girl's unconscious body.
HumiliT understood. They had made a bet or other agreement to prove who was stronger. That was the type of thing Sire would do. She was the same.
Alan was whispering to Cover Girl. She made indistinct noises in response.
HumiliT nodded. "We'll be leaving, then." She turned to the others. "Come on."
Violet hadn't said a word since seeing the dead bodies. She nodded. The three walked to the car.
HumiliT fought the urge to glance backwards and check what Sire was doing. Her heart was still thumping, but she straightened her back even further. Showing Sire weakness could be fatal. She wouldn't end up like her former beta circle members. And where was the fourth body? Was Whip alive?
* * *
They piled back into the car. HumiliT drove again, while Violet sat in the passenger. Alan held Cover Girl's head in his lap in the back seat.
Alan gazed at the beautiful woman before him. How long had it been since he had seen Cover Girl? How long had it been since this roller coaster ride had begun? All from an online hookup. Alan shook his head.
Cover Girl opened her eyes. "Alan?"
"We've got you know," Alan said. "Don't worry. We're heading back to Godmother."
Cover Girl pushed herself up, sitting in the seat next to Alan. "HumiliT? What are you doing here? And who's that?"
"HumiliT's with us now. And that's Violet. She's a new alpha." Cover Girl looked dazed. "Sorry, I know this is a lot for you to take in at once. How are you doing?"
Violet waved. "Hi." She had an odd expression on her face.
Cover Girl burst into tears. "I can't believe I'm free." She looked up at Alan. "I was thinking about killing myself," she whispered. "How did you get me out of there?"
"Actually…" Alan said.
"Sire gave you back to us," HumiliT said.
"Why would he do that?" Cover Girl asked. "He never interferes with beta business. Maiden will be furious."
The muscles around HumiliT's jaw tightened. "He killed my beta circle. At least three of them. I don't know about Whip."
Cover Girl gasped. "I'm so sorry. Wait, when you joined Alan, what happened to them?"
"She made a choice," Alan said, interrupting, "but Sire's the one that killed them, not her." He noticed that Violet had been quiet. "Hey Violet, you okay too?"
"I'm fine," Violet said.
Was she shell-shocked over the dead bodies? Well, he had puked the first time he killed someone by accident, but he hadn't thought Violet was the fragile type. Once they got home, they could relax and sort things out.
Cover Girl reached out and took Alan's hand in hers. Despite everything that had happened that night, a slight thrill rippled through his body at her touch. Cover Girl looked ragged and tired, but she was still gorgeous. The other women were beautiful in their own right, but Cover Girl was different. She was glamorous.
Violet glanced backwards. Her eyes flicked to their hands. She faced forward again. Damn. This was going to be complicated, wasn't it?
They crossed the bridge to reach the safety of The Strip.
"We did it," Alan said. "All we have to do is download the files and—"
Alan hurtled forward in his seat as HumiliT slammed the brakes. Violet's scream mingled with the squeal of the braking tires. He used his strength to counteract the forward momentum and focus on keeping Cover Girl safe. Neither of them had been wearing seatbelts.
"What's going on?" Alan looked forward. His mouth fell open.
Electrophile was standing in the middle of the road, along with three other figures, presumably his beta circle.
Four more figures appeared in an instant at Electrophile's side. He spotted flaming red hair. It was Maiden with her own beta circle.
"The fuck?" Alan screamed. "They're back in The Strip? Get Godmother to kick their asses!"
Violet turned in her seat with a look of horror. "Remember what Sire said? Godmother won't interfere. We're on our own."
CHAPTER 33
The alphas waiting for them didn't attack immediately. Alan exchanged glances with the others.
"I guess we should talk to them first," he said.
HumiliT grunted and opened the driver's seat to get out.
Cover Girl huddled on the car's floor, hiding. "I can't," she said in a panicked voice. "Maiden will kill me. She'll kill you." She tugged at Alan's hand.
Violet muttered something that Alan couldn't hear as she got out of the car.
"It'll be alright. You can stay here." Alan squeezed Cover Girl's hand one last time and joined the others outside. The street was deserted except for the alphas.
"Electrophile, Maiden." HumiliT nodded at her former comrades. "So it's come to this?"
"Give me that man," Maiden said, pointing at Alan, "and you're free to leave. I have no reason to fight you."
"Speak for yourse
lf," Electrophile snarled. "I've been waiting for this." Electricity arced between his two hands with a loud crack.
"You know Sire wants him alive," HumiliT said to Maiden. She turned to Electrophile. "You're going to let her defy Sire?"
Electrophile shrugged. "He poached one of my betas too. Right, Stalker?" He turned to glance at the slim woman to his side. Stalker took a half step away. "Right, Stalker?" Electrophile repeated. Stalker screamed as electricity arced through her body. She fell to her knees, gasping for air.
"Yes," Stalker said between gulps of air.
Alan stared in shock. Jesus. That's how they treated their own betas? It was partially his fault, but they had left him with no choice. Sire and the others had forced him to follow Godmother's plan.
"Stalker," Alan said.
"Quiet," HumiliT hissed. "You'll make it worse."
Electrophile's face twisted in anger as he spoke. "Maiden and I had a little chat before you arrived. She forced Stalker to tell us everything. Everything."
Stalker was still kneeling on the ground. Her eyes darted up to meet Alan's stare, then flicked away. Alan had bared some of his most private memories and thoughts to Stalker, but that was the least of his worries. Right now, he was trying to figure out how they would survive a fight against eight alphas with just the three of them. Four if you counted Cover Girl.
"Enough talk," Maiden said. "HumiliT? Stand aside."
HumiliT hesitated. Alan and Violet both turned to her.
"HumiliT," Alan said. "You're with us, right?"
HumiliT looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."
"Oh, come on, you bitch!" Violet shrieked.
Electrophile laughed. "The new girl's right. I thought you were his bitch now."
HumiliT met Alan's eyes as she spoke. "There's too many of them. I'm sorry, Maiden." Her eyes locked with Maiden as she spoke her name.
Before anyone could respond, HumiliT had crossed the distance between herself and Maiden's group. Maiden reached for her beta circle, and they flickered ten yards away. She had been too slow, though, and one beta member remained behind. Pearl's body fell to the ground, her neck snapped. Only Electrophile had reacted fast enough, sending a torrent of electricity at HumiliT, but she picked up Pearl's broken body and hurled it into the attack. The body burst into flames, and the smell of burnt clothing and flesh filled the air.
In less than a second, one of the alphas was already dead. Alan couldn't believe it. This was real. Even with his alpha powers, he had never felt so vulnerable. And what about Violet? Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of purple light. When he turned his head, Violet was gone. In her place was Toybox in her so-called purple Doll Armor.
The others stared while Maiden screamed. "You fucking bitch! I'm going to kill you!"
HumiliT shrugged. "I thought that was the idea already."
"Get Idol out of here," Maiden screamed to Escort.
Maiden flickered and appeared next to HumiliT, reaching for her with a hand. HumiliT twisted away in a blur and rotated, swinging a deadly punch at Maiden's head, but Maiden had already teleported back to safety. She teleported in again, then back out, still unsuccessful in her attempt to place a hand on HumiliT.
Maiden could rip open even HumiliT with a touch, but the slightest tap from HumiliT would also destroy Maiden's ordinary human body. HumiliT had super speed, but Maiden could respond with the speed of thought. It was a deadly game of tag.
Electrophile looked for an opening, but gave up, turning instead to face Alan. "That leaves you for me." He shot an arc of electricity straight at him.
Alan braced himself to receive the attack. Even with his enhanced endurance, the electrical attack stung. Ouch. He should have dodged that with his speed, or used his red projections to block it. He tried dodging the next attack, but his speed couldn't match the near-instant discharge of an electrical attack. He grabbed his side where the attack had struck him. This one had hurt even more.
Another electrical streak shot out, but this time from someone else, and aimed at Violet. It was Shocker, Electrophile's beta. The tall bronze woman poured a torrent of electrical energy at Violet, but the attacks had no effect against her Doll Armor.
"Use your projections!" Violet shouted. "Your projections don't conduct electricity."
Suddenly, Maiden's teleporting beta, Escort, appeared next to Violet. She lunged for Violet.
Alan couldn't see what happened next as Streaker, Electrophile's third beta, raced past him at super speeds, firing a handheld blaster.
Alan lacked the skill to manifest complex armor like Violet. Instead, he made a simple circular shield for his left arm and used it to block the blaster shots, then turned and blocked Electrophile's incoming electrical attacks.
Electrophile accelerated in one direction, circling Alan, while Streaker went in the other direction. Each fired at Alan with their own attacks, and each moved with enhanced speeds. Alan made a second shield for his right arm and blocked both assailants.
Although they were moving faster than a human, Electrophile and Streaker weren't attacking or responding with the same heightened speed that Alan and HumiliT possessed. If he had to guess, their speed boost only affected movement and wasn't a generic enhancement. Could he use that as an advantage? Alan snuck a glance at his band between dodging attacks. SPD 14. He'd have to make whatever speed powers he had left count.
He remembered his first encounter with HumiliT. If it had worked on her, it should work on these two, right?
Red bands appeared on the ground near Streaker's feet, but she moved too quickly. A series of red bands appeared in her wake. Then, Alan hit his target.
Streaker stumbled, spinning wildly along the ground for several yards as she broke out of a super speed sprint. She didn't get up.
Had he killed her? Electrophile and the others were playing for keeps. He couldn't afford to dwell on it if he had.
"Motherfucker! Keep your hands off my women!" Electrophile roared.
Electrophile's body exploded with a flash of blinding light. Alan squinted. Electrophile's entire body crackled with electrical discharges.
"You!" Electrophile raced straight at Alan.
Alan dropped the shields on his arms and made red bands appear around Electrophile's torso and legs. Electrophile's body glowed white hot for an instant and the bands exploded in a shower of sparks.
Alan zoomed to the side, barely dodging Electrophile's incoming lunge. A stray arc of electricity seared his side. Even that near miss was painful to his enhanced body. He didn't want to get anywhere near Electrophile's grasping hands.
Alan paused, still unwilling to resort to pure lethal attacks. Electrophile took advantage of his hesitation, delivering a tunnel of electricity straight into Alan's chest. Alan screamed before thinking to create a large circular shield in front of him to block the attack.
His uniform's chest had melted into a thin runny liquid. Red welts bubbled on his exposed skin. Damn it. His endurance couldn't handle too many more direct hits like that. He had no choice.
Alan ripped away his burnt mask and raised his hands toward Electrophile. Electrophile stopped mid-rush, as if aware that something had changed. Alan's palms pulsed with a red glow.
"My turn."
CHAPTER 34
Sweat poured down Violet's face, a result of the stifling Doll Armor ventilation, Shocker trying to cook her alive, and her own nerves.
Shocker's electrical outbursts dissipated harmlessly against her Doll Armor, but that didn't mean they had no effect. The heat absorbed from each attack was accumulating. She could regenerate her Doll Armor, but that would leave her vulnerable for a fraction of a second, a fraction of a second she couldn't afford.
Escort appeared one foot away from her. Violet immediately created a cyclone of razor-sharp purple shards in the small gap between them. Escort teleported away.
Violet gritted her teeth as another blast of electricity swept over her. One mistake, one slow reaction, and Escort would
tear her body in half. She had to change strategies.
Hundreds of tiny marbles appeared in the air around her. Violet panted heavily in the heat of the Doll Armor. This was reaching her limit. She couldn't juggle much more, even with her mental abilities.
The marbles surrounded her evenly, a two-feet-thick floating cloud of marbles centered on her. Teleporting into an object had to be fatal. It was crude, but it should slow Escort.
Another electrical blast hit her, knocking a section of the marbles aside. Violet restored the defensive matrix.
Her two opponents stopped attacking, studying her. She took advantage of the brief respite to scan the surrounding fights. Alan was busy with Electrophile and Streaker. HumiliT had her hands full with Maiden. What about the last two?
Stalker still knelt on the ground, watching Alan fight Electrophile. Her powers weren't an immediate threat.
That left Idol. Her powers didn't lend themselves to frontline fighting, either, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. Where was she?
Violet didn't have time to search further. Escort was focusing on the fight between Alan and Electrophile. It was clear she planned to attack him while he was busy with the other alpha.
Unsure what else to do, Violet dropped her Doll Armor and her defensive cloud, presenting herself as a tempting bare target. Escort's head jerked towards her. In a blink, Escort was standing next to her, reaching for her. Violet fell backwards to avoid the touch, a swirling vortex of purple shards appearing between them.
Violet had been in the middle of reconstructing her Doll Armor when Escort had attacked. A bolt of electricity struck her in the chest. A section of incomplete Doll Armor blocked the attack, but the scattering discharge burned as it touched uncovered parts of her body. Violet cried out in pain and rolled away, hastily setting up a new cloud of marbles before completing her Doll Armor.
She grimaced inside her newly constructed suit at the painful burns across her torso and limbs. She couldn't keep this up forever. She had to end this quickly, then help the others.
Escort was too fast. She'd deal with Shocker first. Purple blades extended from the back of her left and right hands.
