I pressed Taylor back onto the thick blanket we'd laid out on Menhir, our lips locked in a passionate kiss. My tongue battled against hers as I straddled her waist. Far below us was an endless sea of clouds, the city of Brockton Bay hidden from view at our extremely high altitude.
My hands roamed Taylor's body as we made out heatedly. I broke the kiss, trailing my lips down her neck as I ground my clothed pussy against her thigh. Taylor let out a soft moan, her back arching beneath me.
"I hope you enjoyed our date so far," I whispered against her flushed skin. "I want to touch you..."
We had talked about it yesterday, and I knew she was about ready now. I slowly slid my hand beneath the waistband of her loose shorts. Taylor gasped as my fingers found her damp folds through her panties. I rubbed firm circles against her clothed slit, feeling the silky wetness seeping through the fabric.
"L-Lara..." Taylor whimpered, her hips canting upwards instinctively. "Oh god..."
I captured her lips in another intense kiss, muffling her cries as I increased the pressure of my petting. Taylor squirmed and writhed beneath me, her thighs trembling as I worked her towards climax.
When she finally came with a muffled scream against my mouth, I swallowed each desperate sound. Her inner walls pulsed against my fingers as she rode out her explosive orgasm. Only when her shudders subsided did I finally pull my hand free, licking her arousal from my glistening fingers.
"Mmm, you taste good," I purred, licking my lips slowly.
Taylor was visibly overwhelmed from the pleasure as she tried to catch her breath. I took pity on her, rolling off to the side and gathering her into my arms. She cuddled against me gratefully, resting her head on my breasts.
For a long while, we simply held each other in comfortable silence. The only sounds were our mingled breathing and the faint rush of wind against Menhir. Eventually, Taylor shifted to press a soft kiss to the side of my boob.
"That was... wow," she mumbled, sounding slightly dazed. "How am I supposed to focus on patrolling after that?"
I laughed lightly, stroking her hair. "Don't worry, we'll give you time to recover." I smirked down at her. "Unless you'd like me to get you all riled up again?"
Taylor blushed at that, ducking her head. "Maybe later," she mumbled.
Chuckling, I reached for where I'd dropped my purse earlier, taking out my phone. "Why don't we see if there's any talk online about our debut on Thursday?" I suggested.
Taylor perked up at that, peering at the screen over my shoulder as I navigated to the Parahumans Online forums. We'd already verified our accounts yesterday during our second patrol, and the latest local thread caught my eye - "New Capes in BB? Stormtiger Taken Down!"
■
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♦ Topic: New Capes in BB? Stormtiger Taken Down!
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay (Public Board)
Software_Alex (Original Poster)
Posted On Apr 7th 2011:
Guys, you won't believe what I just saw!
I was chilling in my hotel room when I heard some commotion outside. Looked out the window and saw Stormtiger with some E88 goons in the alley next door. They had some poor guy tied up, and I was about to call the PRT.
Then out of nowhere, this massive swarm of bugs just attacks them! It was insane!
I started filming (link to video [here]) but it's pretty dark. You can see Stormtiger trying to fight off the bugs with his air claws.
Then there was this red light, and the tied-up guy just vanished! A minute later, two figures appeared. Couldn't see them clearly, but one was definitely controlling the bugs.
They took down Stormtiger and the thugs, then called the PRT. I overheard them talking to the agents when they arrived. Looks like we've got two new capes in town!
EDIT 1: Just rewatched my video. At around 2:13, you can faintly hear one of the new capes call herself "Aletheia" when talking to the PRT.
EDIT 2: PRT just released a statement confirming two new independent heroes were responsible for Stormtiger's capture. They're calling them Aletheia and Arachne.
EDIT 3 (Apr 8th): There's more! Aletheia and Arachne were spotted again! Multiple people saw them riding on those giant floating stones that have been appearing around the city. Still not clear if one of them is controlling the stones or if there's another cape involved.
(Showing page 1 of 28)
►iceball22
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
First! New capes taking down an established villain on their first night out? That's pretty good!
►Evanescelon
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
@iceball22 Seriously? "First!"? What are you, twelve?
Anyway, this is big news. The Empire's gonna be pissed. Anyone want to bet on how long before Kaiser sends out Hookwolf for revenge?
►Sypho.aud
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
That bug control is terrifying. Imagine being swarmed by thousands of insects... shudders
But hey, at least they're on our side, right?
►Ngunh2
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
Am I the only one wondering about that red flash? Teleportation maybe?
►JaneWolfie35
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
@Ngunh2 Good catch! I didn't even notice that at first. Teleportation would explain how they got the hostage out of there so fast.
Does anyone know if the hostage is okay? The video doesn't show what happened to him after he vanished.
►Turncloak
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
Great, more "heroes" to make a mess of things. Bet you anything these two will be causing more problems than they solve within a week.
►Onxia
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
@Turncloak Don't be such a downer. They just took down a freaking Nazi! How is that causing problems?
►Rima
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
I'm more interested in their names. Aletheia and Arachne? Sounds like we've got some mythology buffs. Aletheia is the Greek goddess of truth, and Arachne was the weaver who got turned into a spider.
Pretty clever, if you ask me.
►Phrexius
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
Okay, but can we talk about those floating stones? How do they fit into all this? Are they projections? Some kind of tinkertech? It's driving me crazy not knowing!
►DaChillEntity
Replied On Apr 7th 2011:
Yo, this is lit! New capes taking down Nazis and riding magic rocks? Sign me up for the fan club!
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 26, 27, 28
(Showing page 14 of 28)
►ulkapind1
Replied On Apr 8th 2011:
@Shiro5678 Villains who turn in other villains to the PRT? Seems unlikely.
I'm more curious about their powers. We've got bug control for sure, and maybe teleportation. Any other theories?
►Iver
Replied On Apr 8th 2011:
Don't forget the floating stones! That's gotta be one of their powers, right? Unless there's a third cape we don't know about.
►XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied On Apr 8th 2011:
Guys, I've got it all figured out! Those stones aren't controlled by either of them - they're alien artifacts! Aletheia and Arachne are just puppets being controlled by them. It's all part of a bigger conspiracy to destroy the world!
►Brocktonite03
Replied On Apr 8th 2011:
Ignoring the tinfoil hat brigade, I'm just glad to see some new heroes in town. Lord knows we need them with all the gang activity lately.
►White Fairy (Veteran Member)
Replied On Apr 8th 2011:
I'm reserving judgment until we see more of them in action. Taking down Stormtiger is impressive, but let's see how they handle the inevitable Empire retaliation.
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Taylor cuddled against my side as we scrolled through the Parahumans Online thread on my iPhone. A soft giggle escaped my lips as I read XxVoid_CowboyxX's delusional ramblings about us being alien puppets. Greg seemed to be awkward both in real life and online. I almost felt pity for him, but I truly didn't really care about some random socially awkward guy.
"Can you believe this guy?" I asked Taylor, tilting the screen towards her with an amused grin.
Taylor lifted her head from where it rested against my shoulder, squinting at the bright display. She groaned as she took in the conspiracy theory.
"Wow, that's...certainly creative," she remarked dryly.
I hummed in agreement. I was about to introduce myself to PHO when Taylor shifted beside me.
"Um, Lara?" Taylor began hesitantly. I glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly. She worried her lip.
"I was...I was w-wondering if maybe..." She stammered, avoiding my gaze shyly.
I reached out and gently lifted her chin so our eyes met. "What is it? You know you can ask me anything."
Taylor swallowed hard. "C-Could I...return the f-favor? From earlier?"
"You mean you want to...?" I let the implication hang.
Taylor gave a small nod.
"Well then," I said, shifting onto my back and parting my legs invitingly. "By all means. I'm yours."
Taylor stared for a long moment. Then, she crawled between my parted thighs. Her trembling fingers grasped the hem of my skirt, bunching the fabric up around my waist to expose my wet lower lips.
I bit back a moan as the cool morning air caressed my heated flesh. Taylor settled on her stomach, positioning herself mere inches from my aching sex. I could tell that she was just a bit hesitant now that she was this close to my pussy.
"Go ahead, Tay," I encouraged gently. "Take your time, do whatever feels natural. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you can stop right away."
Taylor seemed to relax slightly at that, and leaned in closer. I shivered at feeling her warm breath against my slit. Then her soft lips brushed ever-so-lightly against my labia.
"Oh fuck..." I moaned, my head falling back against the blanket. "Yes, just like that..."
Taylor's tongue darted out to taste me fully. She lapped at my arousal with broad, flat strokes, taking my arousal into her mouth and swallowing it down with a quiet mewl of pleasure.
I tangled my fingers into her dark hair, guiding her mouth more firmly against my throbbing sex. Taylor responded beautifully, increasing the pressure and intensity of her licking. Her tongue swirled and flicked, driving me steadily towards the edge.
Desperately needing something to focus on beyond the pleasure, I snatched up my phone with one hand. The other remained buried in Taylor's hair, occasionally giving a gentle push to direct her tongue where I enjoyed it most.
I navigated back to the Parahumans Online thread about our debut as Aletheia and Arachne. I began typing out a new reply with my thumb, my breath coming in shallow pants.
Just as I went to hit 'post', a pulse of energy disrupted my mind. I froze, my entire body going rigid as the Celestial Grimoire activated once more.
[Megaton Hammer - Legend of Zelda: Hero of Worlds] - 300cp. Failed to purchase, 150cp remaining.
I blinked rapidly, shaking away the failed purchase attempt. Megaton Hammer sounded cool, but it didn't seem like it suited me so I was glad it failed.
Refocusing on my phone, I finished typing out a new post on PHO's thread.
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►Aletheia (Verified Cape)
Replied On Apr 9th 2011:
Hello everyone! Yes, it's true - my partner Arachne and I were responsible for apprehending Stormtiger the other night. As for those floating stones around the city, I can confirm that I'm the one controlling them. They're one of my powers, and I call them Menhirs, which is another word for standing stones. Another one of my powers is the ability to teleport, which is also how I saved that guy from the E88.
Arachne and I are still getting used to being independent heroes, but we're excited to prove ourselves further in the days ahead. It might sound arrogant, but we don't intend to stop with just Stormtiger. Don't be surprised if you see villains being taken down regularly from now on.
■
I hit 'post' with a satisfied smile, letting my phone rest on my stomach as Taylor continued lapping at my dripping pussy. Her warm tongue drove sparks of pleasure through my core.
Mmm yes, that's it Taylor. You're doing so well…
I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed it for a few blissful minutes. Up here, it was just Taylor and I - the rest of the world melting away into insignificance.
Eventually, I brought my phone back up to check for any new responses on the thread. There were a lot already, mostly just excitement that a verified cape had posted. One reply in particular caught my eye.
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Glory_Girl (Verified Cape)
Replied On Apr 9th 2011:
Hey Aletheia, it's Glory Girl from New Wave. I just wanted to apologize for attacking one of your stone...things a while ago. I was having a really shitty day and those creepy monoliths popping up out of nowhere set me off. In hindsight, I totally overreacted and made things worse.
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you and your partner are on the side of good! Welcome to the hero scene in Brockton Bay. It's always great to have some fresh blood joining the fight against scum like the Empire. Can't wait to meet you both properly!
■
"Seems Glory Girl had a bad day and overreacted when she saw the Menhirs last week," I said, stroking Taylor's hair. "She thought they looked ominous."
Taylor hummed softly in acknowledgment, biting my clit lightly. I shivered at the sensation before tapping out a quick reply to Glory Girl.
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Aletheia (Verified Cape)
Replied On Apr 9th 2011:
No worries at all! I can understand how the Menhirs might seem strange at first. If you ever see us out patrolling, feel free to fly up and we can chat properly. An in-person meeting would be great.
■
I set my phone aside and looked down at Taylor between my parted thighs. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her tongue flicking over my engorged clit.
"Taylor," I purred, my voice thick with desire. "I just had the greatest idea..."
She glanced up at me with heavy-lidded eyes. I reached down and gently pushed her head back towards my dripping slit.
"Keep going," I told her. "But you can't look up, okay? Trust me, it'll be a fun surprise."
Taylor nodded and continued licking.
I drew upon a moderate portion of my magicka reserves and created one of my new decoys into existence beside me on the blanket.
An exact replica of my nude body formed out of thin air. I studied my illusory double carefully, noting some flaws - it didn't breathe for one. Its chest remained unnaturally still, and its hair didn't move in the wind in a consistent manner.
Still, the decoy was convincing enough to fool anyone who didn't scrutinize it too closely. I smirked, reaching out to caress its cheek.
"Stay quiet," I mouthed, leaning in until my lips brushed the decoy's ear. "I want you to finger Taylor. Get behind her and slip those digits inside her pussy. But go slow, build it up."
The decoy gave the barest of nods in understanding. I grinned mischievously, glancing down to ensure Taylor remained oblivious.
Keeping one hand tangled in Taylor's hair, I watched with heated anticipation as my illusory copy slid behind her. The decoy grasped the waistband of Taylor's panties and tugged them down over the swell of her ass, exposing her pussy.
Taylor tensed, sensing the movement. Before she could pull away, the decoy slipped two slender fingers into her dripping entrance.
A muffled moan vibrated against my pussy as Taylor's hips jerked involuntarily. She tore her mouth away, twisting to look over her shoulder with wide, confused eyes.
"Shh, shh," I soothed, cupping her flushed cheek. "It's okay, it's just my decoy. You remember that new power I got, right? Creating illusory decoys?"
Taylor's eyes flicked between the decoy and me. The decoy maintained a steady rhythm, pumping its fingers in and out of Taylor's soaked channel.
"Oh god..." Taylor whimpered. "Lara, I... fuck..."
"That's it," I whispered, tenderly brushing her dark curls away from her flushed face. "Just relax, enjoy it and go back to licking me."
Taylor trembled slightly but turned her attention back to my dripping slit. Her warm tongue flicked out, dragging through my slick folds and pleasuring me. I held her hair tight, guiding her eager mouth against my swollen clit.
"Mmm, yes... just like that," I groaned, rolling my hips against Taylor's face. "You're such a good girl, licking my pussy so nicely."
Taylor whimpered into my sex, the vibrations only heightening my arousal. The decoy continued working its fingers in and out of her at a steady pace, the lewd sounds of her wetness filling the air.
I could feel my climax rapidly building, that delicious knot of tension coiling tighter and tighter within me. Taylor's tongue went deeply into my pussy, driving me ever closer to the edge.
"Oh fuck, Taylor!" I cried out, my legs straightening and toes curling as I thrashed against the blanket beneath me. "I'm c-cumming!"
Intense spasms of blinding pleasure wracked my body. I squirted my release all over Taylor's face as a long, throaty moan tore from my throat. She eagerly lapped up every drop, her own muffled moans vibrating against my oversensitive flesh as the decoy brought her to her own powerful orgasm.
With three fingers buried knuckle-deep in Taylor's clenching pussy, the illusory copy used its free hand to rub circles around her clit. Taylor's entire body went taut as a bowstring, her back arching almost painfully as she climaxed.
I clamped my thighs around her head in a vice-grip, holding her in place as I rode out the pleasure. Only when the last tremors finally subsided did I release her, gulping down air in harsh pants.
Taylor collapsed bonelessly beside me while the decoy disappeared at my mental command. Her face glistened with my release, eyes glazed over in a look of pure, sated bliss.
Before she could catch her breath, I rolled on top of her, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. I didn't care about tasting myself on her tongue - in fact, it only made me hornier. My hands roamed hungrily over her body, groping and caressing every inch of exposed skin.
When we finally broke apart, Taylor was gazing up at me with a dazed, happy expression. Her cheeks were flushed, lips swollen from our heated kisses.
I smirked down at her, feeling immensely satisfied. Taylor definitely seemed to enjoy eating pussy - a fact I planned to take full advantage of in the future.
Reluctantly, I clambered off of her and rose to my feet. With a casual wave of my hand, my clothes changed - the tight bodysuit, flowing red coat, and small ornate pauldrons all returning in a flash of light.
"Come along now, Taylor," I said, giving her naked body an appreciative once-over. "Time to get your costume on. We have more patrolling to do."
Taylor blinked slowly, as if snapping out of a trance. She pushed herself upright and limped over to retrieve her spider-silk costume from where it lay crumpled on the other side of Menhir.
As she began pulling the skintight fabric up her legs, I considered Taylor's dynamic personality. Sometimes she was meek and submissive, content to let me take the lead. But other times, a dominant streak appeared - one that I secretly hoped to see more of soon.
Once she was fully suited up, mask and all, I gestured her over with a crook of my finger.
"We're going to try something new this time," I explained, wrapping an arm around her waist. "With my Space Time Distortion Sense, I should be able to detect any parahumans in the area. We'll do a flyover of the major areas of the city and see who pops up on my radar."
Taylor said something, but an energy pulse struck me.
[THE SIN MACHINE - Helltaker] - 600cp. Failed to purchase, 250cp remaining.
"Lara?" Taylor's voice broke through my momentary distraction. "Did you get another power just now?"
I blinked, refocusing on her masked face inches from mine. "Ah, no, not exactly," I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand. "It tried giving me something new, but it failed. What were you saying before?"
Taylor tilted her head slightly, the yellow lenses of her mask glinting in the morning sunlight. "I was just wondering... if we do find a random parahuman out there, what's the plan? Ambush them? Try to make contact?"
I hummed thoughtfully. "It really depends on the situation, we won't attack anyone if they're not in their cape persona and not doing anything illegal. But if we come across a hero on active patrol, trying to make friendly contact could be worth a shot." I smirked beneath my own mask. "But I guess we'll just have to see what happens, won't we?"
Giving Taylor's waist a gentle squeeze, I asked, "You ready to go, Arachne?"
"Ready for what, exactly?" she replied, a hint of wariness creeping into her tone.
"For a little free-fall into the clouds," I whispered, liking the way her body tensed against mine. "It'll be an experience, right? Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. You just have to trust me."
Taylor stiffened further. "Free-fall? As in, jumping off this Menhir with no safety measures?" Her voice took on a slightly higher pitch. "Lara, that sounds incredibly dangerous!"
I lowered my face mask and pouted at her, making it very clear that I was 'hurt'. "So you don't trust me to keep you safe?"
"What? No, of course I trust you," Taylor said quickly. "But can't we just, you know, use the Menhir to go down normally?"
Letting my shoulders slump, I averted my gaze as if I was depressed. "I see. You don't like me anymore. And here I thought we had something special..."
"Lara, what are you-" Taylor began, but I cut her off with a sad sniffle.
Suddenly, her arms were around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. "No, Lara! That's not it at all!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against my shoulder. "I love you, so of course I trust you!"
Taylor immediately froze. Slowly, she pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, her eyes wide with panic behind the yellow lenses of her mask. One trembling hand rose to cover her mouth, as if she could force the words back in.
But I simply smiled at her and reached up, carefully removing her mask to reveal her blushing, embarrassed face. Cradling her face gently, I leaned in to brush my lips against hers in a soft, lingering kiss.
"I love you too, Taylor," I whispered against her lips.
A shuddering sigh escaped her, and she melted into my embrace, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I held her close, nuzzling the soft skin just below her ear.
With no further warning, I leapt backwards off the edge of Menhir, taking Taylor with me. We plummeted downwards together, her startled scream piercing the rushing wind while I burst into adrenaline-fueled laughter.
The wind whipped at our hair and clothes as we fell rapidly, the clouds seeming to rush up to meet us. After nearly twenty seconds of freefall, we pierced through the thick layer of fluffy white clouds. A fine mist clung to our exposed skin, but it was a brief, cool feeling.
Ten more seconds passed before we emerged from the cloud layer entirely. I twisted in midair, allowing Taylor and I to get our first clear view of Brockton Bay laid out far below.
"You okay?" I yelled over the rush of air, tightening my grip around Taylor's waist.
She gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up, her dark curls flying around her face. I grinned, pulling her mask from where I'd tucked it into my belt. Taylor's eyes widened, but before she could protest, I captured her lips.
Our tongues tangled together briefly before I broke away, swiftly securing her mask back over her head. Taylor let out a huff of mock indignation, but I just winked at her as we continued our controlled descent.
Because we were still high in the sky, I could make out all the major landmarks with ease. The Boat Graveyard, a rusted boneyard of half-sunken ships along the coastline. The Docks, lined with cranes and warehouses. Downtown was in the middle of it all, a collection of office buildings, banks, skyscrapers and more surrounded by residential neighborhoods.
Farther out, I spotted the Commercial District - malls, restaurants, and shopping centers. Beyond that lay the Trainyard, an industrial sector filled with rail lines and manufacturing facilities. And out in the bay, a large oil rig jutted up from the waves - clearly the Protectorate ENE Headquarters, surrounded by a forcefield dome. I could even make out the faint outline of a forcefield bridge connecting PHQ to the coastline.
I teleported us both in a flash of crimson light on top of another Menhir that was already hovering over the Commercial District. The sound of screaming reached my ears immediately.
Menhir, what's happening down there? I thought urgently.
We sense distress and panic from the humans below, child, came Menhir's deep telepathic voice. Some masked individuals are robbing merchants.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing my Space Time Distortion Sense. Almost instantly, I detected not one, but five distinct distortions - five separate parahumans.
"Arachne," I said sharply, gripping her arm. "We've got incoming."
She tensed beside me. "Villains?"
Before I could respond, the screaming grew louder as people began fleeing the area in a panicked stampede. Several storefronts had been smashed open, glass littering the pavement.
In the middle of the chaos stood a group of capes. One had a gladiator-esque costume with a golden lion helmet, shoulder pads, and belt over a skintight bodysuit. He seemed to be facing off against four others surrounded by three massive mutant dogs. The beasts were grotesque - covered in bony plates, spikes, exposed muscles, and calcified flesh. Their prehensile tails whipped back and forth menacingly.
One of the four villains, clad in motorcycle leathers and a skull-visored helmet, had darkness spreading from his entire body, slowly beginning to cover the street in inky blackness. The other three consisted of a girl in a skintight black-and-lavender outfit, another in a heavy jacket with fur trim and a cheap dog mask, and a boy wearing renaissance-style clothing complete with a Venetian mask and silver coronet. They clutched bags of what was likely looted goods.
The lion-themed cape – Triumph - was shouting at them to stand down and surrender. It was right in the middle of this tense confrontation that I made my move.
"The Undersiders are fighting Triumph," I told Arachne, making sure to keep a strong hold on Taylor's waist. "We'll help him, make sure to gather a swarm and harass the Undersiders."
In a flash of crimson light, Menhir appeared in the street between the two opposing groups. Taylor and I stood atop the massive stone monolith, suddenly towering over them all.
Bugs slowly began swarming towards the Undersiders from every direction, causing some of them to curse.
"Triumph!" I shouted down at the hero. "We'll help you deal with these guys!"
Triumph whipped his head towards us. "Backup is appreciated!" he yelled back.
He turned and let out a concentrated sonic blast from his mouth. The powerful sound waves tore through the inky darkness spreading from Grue's body, dispersing it in all directions. The Undersiders flinched, clearly disoriented by the assault on their senses.
Arachne's swarm closed in, and they batted and swatted ineffectually, unable to fully ward off the attack. But they were lucky that Arachne didn't have the time to gather a good-sized swarm and had to rely on whatever was available in the nearby surroundings.
I heard Tattletale's shout, the urgency in her voice clear as day. "Get on the dogs! We need to move!"
My grip on Arachne tightened as the Undersiders scrambled to obey, clambering onto the monstrous canine beasts. I didn't particularly care about catching most of them - there was only one target I had in mind.
Regent.
I was fully aware of his identity as Heartbreaker's son, a "funny guy" with a sense of humor. But underneath that relaxed facade lurked a dangerous sociopath, a rapist who thought nothing of hijacking innocent people's bodies for his own hedonistic desires.
His traumatic childhood meant little to me. Those violated by his power had their own lives, their own traumas. Did their suffering matter any less?
I unsheathed the sharp machete from the leather sheath that had appeared when I altered my magical girl outfit with Vanity's Reward. The fused blade felt solid and reassuring in my grip.
Keep Taylor safe at all costs. Do not let harm come to her, no matter what.
I repeated the command to Menhir and met Arachne's masked gaze. "Keep growing your swarm," I told her firmly. "I'll try to get one of them."
The Way of Life activated, modifying all my attacks to be non-lethal yet still incredibly painful. Then, in a flash of crimson light, I teleported directly behind Regent.
He barely had time to register my sudden appearance before I struck. With all the force I could muster, I drove the machete's blade straight through his back, impaling him from behind. Strangely, no blood sprayed from the vicious wound, and no organs were pierced - merely excruciating agony.
I felt Aldritch's Sapphire, the malformed ring on my finger, provide me with soul energy. The vicious attack granted me a temporary boost of clarity from the overflow of soul energy, but it was fleeting - with nothing like Faith Points, Aura, or Reiatsu to refill or reinforce, the surge quickly faded.
Spending a moderate portion of my magicka reserves, I willed a decoy into existence beside me. A second Aletheia appeared, an illusory duplicate with negligible durability but capable of physical actions. If it could finger Taylor to orgasm, it could do something else as well.
The decoy mimicked my earlier motion, plunging its copy of the machete deep into the back of Regent's skull. His scream of agony pierced the air, but by the grace of The Way of Life, no actual damage was inflicted.
I risked a glance towards Tattletale. She was staring at me intently, clearly trying to analyze the situation with her power. Before she could speak, Regent let out another strangled cry.
Somehow, despite being viciously impaled in both his torso and brain, the cape remained conscious. With a flick of his wrist, my leg muscles spasmed violently. I tumbled off the rapidly moving monstrous dog, the machete ripping free from Regent's back. He grunted in pain, but remained on top of the dog.
Grue, riding the dog next to Regent, lashed out with a crowbar, shattering my decoy copy into wisps of fading energy. The illusory machete lodged in Regent's skull vanished along with it, leaving no mark.
Darkness began crawling over the street once more as Grue extended his power. I refused to fail so easily. Red light covered my body as I reappeared directly behind Regent. His head whipped around, but I was already swinging the machete.
The blade connected with Regent's head with a sickening thud. No blood, no wound - just the force of the blow sending him tumbling off the monster dog. He hit the pavement hard, twitching as he fought to stay awake.
Bugs swarmed around me, forming a living shield. I could barely see through the buzzing mass, but I heard the Undersiders' panicked shouts.
"We're not leaving without Regent!" That was Grue, his voice muffled by his helmet and the insect barrier.
I gripped my machete tighter, ready for their next move. The massive dogs had stopped running, their claws scraping against the pavement as they turned back.
"I know your secret, Aletheia!" Tattletale called out. "You and Arachne are more than just partners, aren't you? Cousins, if I'm not mistaken. I bet Arachne doesn't want her daddy to know you're fucking her. Leave, and I won't expose this to the world!"
I blinked, momentarily stunned. Then I burst out laughing. Was that the best she could do?
"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" I called back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "My deepest, darkest secret revealed!"
I plunged my machete into Regent's back again. He let out a strangled scream before finally going limp. Guess even sociopaths had limits to the amount of pain they could endure.
"You... you don't care?" Tattletale muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "No, it's not that you don't care. You're... proud of it? Arrogant. Selfish. You think you're above consequences."
I grinned beneath my mask. "Ding ding ding! Give the lady a prize!"
I could just barely see Tattletale's face twist in frustration through the bug swarm. But that was also the moment something inconvenient happened. The Celestial Grimoire became active and decided to send a pulse of energy through my brain.
[Spies - God Of War (2018)] – 300cp, 50cp remaining
The "All Father" is known for using ravens to spy on his enemies and the realms in general and while you cannot yet create enough to spy on all Nine Realms you can make enough to spy on one. Choose an animal, you will be able to create ghost-like constructs in the shape of your chosen animal which you can see through at your discretion. The number you can create depends on your experience with the technique, the longer you use it the more constructs you can create.