I blinked rapidly, shaking off the brief daze from the new power. Spying constructs were definitely useful, but now wasn't the time to experiment with them. I had more pressing matters to deal with.
Grue's inky darkness surrounded me from all sides, cutting off my sight and hearing almost completely. This was bad. I couldn't teleport if I was essentially blind to my surroundings.
I turned my head just in time to catch a massive, hulking shape mere feet away - one of the monstrous dogs, its jaws gaping wide as it lunged towards me. Oh fuck!
My heart leapt into my throat as I instinctively reached for the Grimm transformation that would save me. But before I could transform, something unseen struck the dog.
The beast let out a silent roar, its maw snapping shut as it was violently hurled backwards. I caught a faint glimpse of it crashing to the ground, legs flailing helplessly in the air. Despite Grue's smothering veil of darkness, I could've sworn I saw its mouth still hanging open, as if frozen mid-snarl.
Then a powerful shockwave slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. The blackness surrounding me dispersed like a curtain being thrown open, sounds and sights flooding back in a dizzying rush.
"Whoa there!" a deep voice boomed right beside me.
I barely had time to register Triumph standing above me before his hand clamped down on my upper arm. With seemingly no effort at all, the young hero hauled me upright. A startled yelp escaped my lips at the sudden, effortless display of strength. That's right, Triumph had minor super strength, didn't he?
Triumph didn't even look at me. His gaze was locked on the downed beast struggling to regain its footing a few yards away. Planting his feet in a wide stance, he threw back his head and let loose an earsplitting roar.
The sonic blast slammed into the mutant dog like a physical force, sending it careening backwards again. Its flailing limbs scrabbled frantically for purchase as it crashed straight through a crumbling brick wall in an explosion of dust and debris.
"Brutus!" one of the Undersiders - Bitch, I realized - cried out in dismay.
I glanced over to see the remaining three villains still perched atop the other two monstrous canines. They were clutching their heads as if in pain, and that was when I realized Menhir must've used a psychic wave to save me.
Thank you, Menhir, I thought gratefully towards the telepathic stone monolith. Your timing was impeccable.
We are always here to protect you, child, Menhir's deep voice resonated in my mind.
In the next instant, a great swarm of insects fell upon the Undersiders from every direction. The air filled with an angry buzz as bugs swarmed their bodies, crawling into every crevice and gap in their costumes.
Tattletale let out a shrill shriek, her words cut off as flies poured into her open mouth. She gagged violently, spitting and coughing. "Wh- need- retre-" she choked out between retches.
Grue's darkness billowed out, trying to ward off the insects, but they kept coming. His helmet swiveled towards the unconscious Regent. "We can't-" he started, but was interrupted by Bitch's sharp whistle.
The monstrous dogs lurched into motion, running away from the fight. Grue hesitated for a split second before grabbing tightly onto one of the dog's spikes.
I smirked beneath my mask as I looked down at the unconscious Regent. Taking down another villain, even it's a minor one, would surely help boost our reputation.
Triumph's golden lion-themed helmet bobbed slightly as he turned his head to address her. Breathing a little heavily, he said, "Aletheia, tell Arachne to call off her minions. We've already apprehended one – pursuing the rest is too risky at the moment."
I nodded at Triumph's request, then vanished in a red flash. I reappeared atop Menhir next to Arachne, gently touching her shoulder.
"Hey," I said softly. "Time to call off the bugs. We got Regent, but Triumph says chasing the others is too risky right now. I'm fine with it as well, we don't need to chase the rest on our third patrol."
Arachne's masked face turned towards me. "Are you sure? We could probably track them with my bugs and your teleportation..."
I shook my head. "Not worth it. We've already made an impact by taking down one of the Undersiders. Let's not push our luck."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The swarm visibly began to gather back above our heads.
I gave her arm a playful nudge. "Hey, you'll spoil me later, right?" I purred, guiding her gloved hand down to brush against my groin. "I got so scared down there, and I'm feeling very… tense."
Arachne sighed, gently pushing my hand away. "I literally just went down on you for like twenty minutes. How can you possibly be horny again already?"
I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear as I whispered, "Who knows? But I do expect some... special attention tonight."
Before she could respond, I grabbed Arachne's waist and teleported us both down to street level beside Triumph. The young hero started slightly at our sudden reappearance.
"Do you need help transporting Regent anywhere?" I asked him. "I can teleport him easily."
Triumph hesitated, tilting his head as he considered my offer. "Actually... yes, that would be helpful. Is it possible for you to teleport Regent directly to the entrance of PHQ? I'll let them know you're coming."
"No problem," I replied with a nod. But could I teleport with more than one person, or rather human at the same time? I hadn't experimented with that yet, so…
Planting my boot firmly on Regent's stomach, I wrapped one arm around Arachne's waist and teleported us both a single foot to the side. When we reappeared perfectly fine, I looked back at Triumph.
"It seems I can teleport with multiple people just fine. You want me to bring you along too?"
Triumph shook his head. "Not yet. Let me check something first."
He turned away slightly, raising a hand to his ear as if adjusting a comm unit. I could just make out him murmuring something, but the only word I caught was "Armsmaster."
After about a minute, Triumph faced us again. "Okay, yeah, I'll come with."
Menhir? I sent the thought towards the telepathic stone. Can you go horizontal for me?
There was a faint rumble, and then the massive monolith slowly began tilting over until it lay flat, just a few feet above the street. I grinned, grabbing Arachne and Triumph by the arms.
"Hold on tight," I told them with a wink.
I teleported us up onto Menhir's broad surface, Regent's unconscious body included. Once we were all securely aboard, I focused my power and teleported us all skyward in a massive flash of red light.
We emerged just below the cloud layer, high enough for an unobstructed view of the city below us. Menhir's levitating ability kept us safely suspended in midair as I turned my attention westward.
The waters of the bay went on far beyond my sight, and I could clearly make out the oil rig that served as PHQ - the Protectorate's local headquarters. A large forcefield dome covered the rig, with a bridge extending from the shoreline.
I made sure to keep a tight hold on Arachne and Triumph, teleporting us to hover mere feet away from the forcefield's barrier. Triumph let out a soft grunt of surprise, clearly not anticipating such a long-range jump.
"Where's the entrance?" I asked him, gesturing towards the rig.
Triumph blinked a few times, his gaze flickering between me and our surroundings. Then he seemed to collect himself, pointing off to the right. "That way. The bridge leads right to the main entrance."
I nodded and within a second we reappeared on a wide platform directly before the forcefield entrance.
Then we teleported off Menhir and onto the platform itself in a final burst of crimson energy.
Triumph let out a low whistle, clearly impressed as he looked back at the city across the ocean. "Damn, that's... really something. Thanks for the lift, Aletheia."
"No problem," I replied to Triumph's thanks with a casual shrug. "Happy to help out a fellow hero."
A blur of motion caught the corner of my eye. I tensed, ready for potential trouble, but it was just a red figure zipping across the small gap in the forcefield. The blurred shape resolved itself into the form of Velocity, one of the Protectorate heroes that had a nerfed version of superspeed.
He came to an abrupt stop right in front of us, the wind from his passage ruffling my coat slightly. Up close, I could make out the racing stripes down either side of his costume.
Velocity's eyes flicked from Triumph to us, then down to Regent's unconscious form. "Right, Triumph, if you could take our guest to the holding cells?"
Triumph nodded, hoisting Regent over his shoulder with ease. As he headed inside, Velocity turned back to us.
"Aletheia, Arachne," he said warmly. "Thanks for the assist. Always good to see new heroes stepping up."
I could almost feel the recruitment pitch coming. Sure enough, Velocity launched into it. "You know, the Wards program offers excellent training and resources for young heroes like yourselves-"
"Actually," I cut in smoothly, "we're already in talks with the PRT about joining the Wards."
Velocity's eyebrows shot up behind his mask. "Oh! Well, that's great news. I really hope you both decide to join us. The Wards provide a safe environment to learn and grow as heroes."
I nodded absently, twisting slightly as I held my side. "Thanks, we'll keep that in mind. Anyway, we should probably get going..."
"Of course, of course," Velocity said quickly. "Thanks again for your help today. Stay safe out there!"
I gave a little wave, then wrapped an arm around Arachne's waist. Red light covered us as we reappeared atop Menhir. Another teleport took us high above the clouds.
As soon as we were alone, I collapsed onto Menhir's surface with a pained groan.
"Lara!" Taylor cried, dropping to her knees beside me. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
I grimaced, pressing a hand to my side. "Think I might've cracked a rib when Regent knocked me off that dog. Didn't hurt much at first, but now..." I hissed through clenched teeth.
Taylor pushed me onto my back, making me let out a soft "oomph". She fumbled with the pouch at my waist, pulling out the bottle of Lon Lon Milk.
"Open up," she ordered, uncorking the bottle. I obliged, and she poured about half the contents into my mouth.
As I swallowed, Taylor launched into a scolding. "You should have said something earlier! Why didn't you drink this right away? You can't just ignore injuries like that!"
I couldn't help but smile as she ranted. She was cute when she got all worked up. Warmth spread through my body as the milk's healing properties took effect.
Still grinning, I reached up and dragged Taylor down on top of me. She let out a startled squeak as I tugged off her mask, then lowered my own.
Our lips met in a deep, passionate kiss. Taylor melted against me, her earlier anger forgotten as we made out atop Menhir, high above the world. My tongue darted out, seeking hers, and soon we were lost in a heated battle for dominance.
But the Celestial Grimoire seemed to like to interrupt me at inconvenient times, because I froze in the middle of making out.
[Virtual Sweets Deal No Damage To Your Waistline - Bofuri] – 100cp, 50cp remaining
NWO players don't need to eat, drink, or use the restroom while playing. They can still benefit from eating and drinking, though. (I will take this opportunity to remind you that eating has psychological and social benefits, so remember to eat.) Thus, the same is true for you all the time.
Though buying virtual sweets from a virtual shop will still deplete your virtual wallet. You have to grind to get that gold back.
You also maintain any physical, magical, or skill gains you've made. No backsliding into a couch potato for you!
Taylor 's tongue left my mouth, and she pulled back. "Lara? What's wrong?"
I did my best to shake off the daze. "Sorry, just got another power. It's... a bit weird. Apparently, I don't need to eat, drink, or use the bathroom anymore. But I can still enjoy food and stuff if I want to."
Taylor's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? You don't have to pee anymore?" She pouted slightly. "That's so unfair."
I couldn't help but laugh at her jealous expression. "Aw, don't worry. I'm sure I can help you in the future with some kind of power."
The moment felt a bit ruined, so I tugged Taylor down to lie beside me. Cuddling her close, I whispered, "Actually, I got another power during that fight too. It lets me create ghost-like constructs of an animal I choose. I can see through them, but I'm limited in how many I can make initially. The more I use this ability, the more constructs I'll eventually be able to create."
Taylor lifted her head, eyeing me with curiosity. After witnessing my transformation into a massive dragon, new powers were becoming almost mundane. "Did you choose an animal already?"
Shaking my head, I replied, "No, not yet. Do you want to help me pick one?"
She nodded eagerly, and I pulled out my phone, the two of us huddling close as we began browsing through images of various creatures.
"Well, first off, I don't think we should consider any non-flying creatures," I said decisively. "Mobility is key here. I want something that can cover a lot of ground."
"Makes sense," Taylor agreed. "What flying animals did you have in mind?"
Over the next little while, we tossed out and discarded numerous ideas. Ravens were immediately dismissed - too closely associated with mythological figures like Odin. Owls suffered a similar fate, feeling too derivative of Athena's sacred animal. I wanted my animal spies to be unique, something that would represent me in a distinct way.
Doves and pigeons were briefly considered for their symbolism of peace and love, but ultimately rejected as too mundane. Falcons and hawks had potential with their predatory nature, but I worried they might come across as overly aggressive.
As our debate continued, I pulled up images on my phone, and we started researching more obscure creatures that could work as my ghostly scouts.
"Oh, what about butterflies?" Taylor suggested, her finger tapping on a vibrant image of a brilliant blue butterfly.
I hummed thoughtfully, considering the idea. "Butterflies... They do represent transformation and rebirth. Very fitting for my ever-increasing powers. And I can literally transform into a giant dragon, and probably other things in the future as well."
"Exactly!" Taylor said excitedly. "And in some cultures, they were seen as representing the souls of the dead. The ancient Greek word 'psyche' meant both 'soul' and 'butterfly'."
That drew my interest. "Soul imagery could be cool. Plus, your insect control means you could surround my ghostly butterflies with real ones for camouflage."
We spent the next few minutes researching various butterfly species, evaluating their potential symbolism and practicality. Most were quickly discarded for one reason or another - too bold in color or too closely tied to specific cultures.
Then an image of a peculiar butterfly popped up, and Taylor's eyes widened. "Lara, look at this one!" she exclaimed, angling the screen towards me. "The glasswinged butterfly!"
Leaning closer, I studied the picture intently. True to its name, the butterfly's wings were almost completely transparent, with just faint streaks of red along the borders.
"Whoa..." I breathed, captivated by the ghostly appearance. "That's perfect. The transparent, spirit-like look, but still recognizable as a butterfly."
Taylor nodded vigorously. "Right? And butterflies are found all across the world, so they wouldn't seem out of place here in Brockton Bay."
The more I thought about it, the more the glasswinged butterfly felt like the ideal choice. Symbolically rich yet subtle, unique but not overly obscure, and perfectly suited to my new power's ghostly nature.
"You've convinced me," I declared, shifting to press a quick kiss to Taylor's lips. "Glasswinged butterflies it is."
Holding out my hand, I focused my power, and an almost transparent butterfly appeared, its delicate wings tinged with streaks of crimson. It fluttered into the air, spinning lazy circles around us.
I reached out with my senses, brushing against the butterfly's faint consciousness. It felt... tranquil. Peaceful. Content to simply exist and observe.
I directed my perception through the butterfly's ghostly body, and I found myself gazing down at Taylor and myself from above, still cuddled together on Menhir's broad surface.
"Oh wow..." I murmured, blinking rapidly. "This is trippy."
Taylor met my eyes from where she was cuddling my neck. "What? What is it?"
"I'm seeing through the butterfly's eyes," I explained, feeling a bit weirded out by the experience of looking at the butterfly while simultaneously perceiving myself from its eyes. "It's like... I'm looking down at us from up here."
Taylor's eyes widened as she watched the ethereal creature dance through the air. "It's beautiful," she said. "But... I can't sense it at all with my powers."
I nodded, not surprised. "Probably because it has no nervous system or anything like that. It's just a construct disguised as a butterfly."
I directed my ghostly butterfly to fly down towards the city below. Creating more butterflies, I scattered them to provide coverage over as much of the city as possible.
Eventually, I hit my current limit. "Damn," I muttered in mild frustration. "Looks like for now I can only make ten of these things. And I can only see through one set of butterfly eyes at a time. I know the limit will increase over time, but hopefully I can get another power that lets me divide my attention in the future."
"Tay, rest your head here." I caressed Taylor's arm and patted my lap invitingly.
Taylor hesitated for a moment before laying her head in my lap. I started gently massaging her scalp, working out the tension from our earlier fight. She let out a contented hum, her eyes fluttering closed.
I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Taylor's forehead. "I want to try something," I murmured.
Her eyes blinked open, curious. "What is it?"
Instead of answering, I focused on one of the butterflies I'd sent out earlier, calling it back towards Menhir. When it was flying above us, I peered through its eyes, taking in the butterfly's-eye view of Taylor and myself on top of Menhir.
I teleported myself about a foot behind myself.
Taylor yelped in surprise as my lap suddenly vanished from beneath her head. She twisted around, eyes wide. "Lara! What the-"
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, my heart racing with excitement. "It worked! I can teleport through the butterflies' sight!"
Taylor's jaw dropped as she scrambled to sit up. "Are you serious? That's... that's incredible!"
I nodded eagerly. "Think about it, Tay. Once I can make more of these little guys, I could have them spread out all over the world. Then I'd be able to teleport basically anywhere!"
Taylor's eyes lit up as she caught on. "You could go to Paris for lunch, then pop over to New York for dinner!"
"Exactly!" I grinned, pulling her close. "And it's not just for fun stuff. Imagine how useful this could be for hero work. If there's a disaster happening halfway across the world, I could be there in seconds to help out."
Taylor's eyes suddenly blazed with an intensity I'd never seen before. Her voice dropped low. "Lara, we could clean this city up for good. No more Lung, no more Kaiser, and no more Coil. We can keep a constant watch over everything, and whenever you notice a disturbance, we can teleport over and see if there are any capes nearby with your power to detect parahumans. They won't know what hit them!"
I felt a shiver run down my spine, partly from excitement and partly from... something else. Taylor's confidence was doing things to me.
"With your powers," she continued, her voice gaining strength, "we could take down every last criminal in this city. No more gangs. No more drugs. No more innocent people living in fear."
I couldn't help the way my breath caught in my throat as Taylor outlined our potential with such intensity. This commanding, almost ruthless side of her was incredibly arousing to me. "T-Taylor," I stammered, feeling my face flush with desire. "This talk is... um... really turning me on."
Taylor blinked, her focused demeanor breaking as she processed my words. "What?"
Suddenly feeling shy, I squirmed under her gaze. "I'm...I'm feeling really horny right now," I admitted, unable to meet her eyes. "Could you maybe...take care of me?"
Taylor's face went beet red. "Lara! What are you talking about?" she sputtered.
Rather than responding with words, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her body flush against mine. "Please Taylor," I murmured against the shell of her ear. "I want you to take charge. Use me however you want."
She stiffened in my embrace. "B-But we were just discussing cleaning up the city! What does that have to do with...with this?" Her voice cracked slightly.
Not releasing my grip, I tilted my head back to gaze up at her with heavy-lidded eyes. I made sure to bite my lip in that way I knew drove her crazy. "You got so commanding and...mmm...assertive when you talked about taking down the gangs. It made me so wet for you, Tay."
Taylor's eyes were drawn to the motion of my teeth tugging at my lower lip. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. For a long moment, she simply stared at me, indecision written across her features. But then, slowly, she gave a small nod of consent.
Smirking, I pulled back from our embrace, never breaking the eye contact between us. I grasped the hem of my long red coat and slowly inched it upwards, putting on a little striptease just for her.
The coat parted, revealing the black corset that cupped my breasts enticingly. Taylor's eyes were fixed on my boobs with undisguised hunger. Encouraged by her rapt attention, I shrugged the coat off completely, letting it pool at my feet.
Next came the corset laces. I loosened them one by one, my fingers lingering teasingly until the garment finally fell away to join my coat. My heavy breasts bounced free, the rosy nipples already pebbled with arousal.
A soft whimper escaped Taylor's lips as she drank in the sight of me. Smirking, I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my tiny shorts, pushing them down. They joined my other discarded clothes, leaving me completely naked except for my thigh-high stockings and knee-high boots.
With a coy smile, I turned around slowly, bending at the waist to put my round ass on full display for Taylor's hungry gaze. I reached back, spreading my cheeks apart to expose my dripping pussy.
"Look how wet you've made me," I moaned over my shoulder. "Don't you want a taste?"
That seemed to break through Taylor's paralysis. With a feral growl, she surged forward, hands grasping my hips as she spun me back around. Our lips crashed together in a bruising, frenzied kiss.
Her tongue invaded my mouth dominantly as she pushed me until my back slammed against the cold stone surface of Menhir. I whimpered into the kiss, my hands scrabbling at Taylor's costume, desperate to get her undressed too.
Taylor broke the kiss, leaving me panting and dizzy. She quickly undressed herself, throwing her costume to the side to join my magical girl outfit.
She got on top of me and trailed open-mouthed kisses down my neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive flesh.
"You're mine," she growled against my thundering pulse. "Say it."
"I'm yours, Taylor," I panted without hesitation.
Seeming satisfied by my submission, Taylor kissed her way down to my breasts. Her tongue flicked out to tease one aching nipple before she drew the stiff peak into her mouth. I cried out, burying my fingers in her dark curls as she sucked my tits.
Growing impatient, I hooked a leg around Taylor's waist and used the leverage to grind my dripping slit against her stomach. She hissed at the sensation of my arousal coating her skin. Taylor quickly spun me around and bent me over, leaving my cheek pressed against Menhir's cool surface.
"Stay," she commanded roughly, giving my ass a light smack that had me clenching in need.
Before I could respond, her tongue lashed out, swiping through my slick arousal in one long, broad stroke. I jerked against the stone, a garbled moan torn from my lips. Taylor didn't let up, lapping at my entrance with firm, focused licks.
"Oh god...Taylor!" I cried out, pushing my hips back greedily to grind against her mouth. "Eat me out, please!"
I whimpered loudly as she tongue-fucked my pussy, feeling her nose nudge against my sensitive clit with each thrust.
Just when I felt that I was about to cum, Taylor pulled away. I whimpered pathetically at the loss, only to feel her hands gripping my hips and flipping me over onto my back.
Before I could catch my breath, Taylor straddled my face, her glistening pussy hovering mere inches above my parted lips. The rich, musky scent of her arousal flooded my senses.
"Make me cum," Taylor snarled, grinding her slick folds against my gasping mouth. "Don't stop until I'm screaming."
I moaned in eager compliance and extended my tongue, swiping it through her dripping slit in one long, broad lick. Taylor shuddered above me, a breathy keen escaping her as I lapped up her arousal.
I felt encouraged, so I dove in even more, slurping and sucking at her drenched pussy. Taylor ground down harder against my questing mouth, riding my face with increasing desperation. Her thighs clenched around my head.
"Oh fuck...yes! Just like that!" she panted, her fingers tangling in my hair to hold me in place. "Don't you dare fucking stop!"
I had no intention of stopping. I attacked Taylor's soaked pussy, swirling my tongue in tight little circles around her swollen clit. Her hips bucked erratically as she rapidly approached her peak.
Taylor's thighs suddenly clamped down like a vice. Her honey flooded my eager mouth as she ground her convulsing sex against my lips and chin. I drank down every drop greedily, enjoying the rich, tangy flavor as Taylor rode out her intense climax.
Only when her shudders finally subsided did Taylor lift herself off my face, her thighs trembling. Strings of her arousal stretched between my glazed mouth and her glistening lower lips. Taylor gazed down at me with heavy-lidded eyes, slowly licking her lips.
"Good girl," she purred in a sated murmur. "Now it's your turn..."