HUG: Apocalypse princess

// Sara's rage and trauma got the best of her, and she ended up getting revenge on them.  Warning: it's going to be graphic.

xxxx

Sara knew she was walking into a trap when she went to her family's home. After seven years, her aunt was still living in the same damp little house. None of her cousins wanted to host the family meeting for fear of having their perfect little lives disturbed by the presence of their super-famous cousin. Melanie thought that bringing Sara back to their childhood house would put her in the right mood. It would remind her that she once belonged to them and would probably soften her heart toward them. They sat at the kitchen table, a large circular piece of wood that could welcome the family.  Sara was sitting in what could be considered the center of the table. On her left were sitting Melanie, Charles, and Kendra. 

On her right were sitting  Ralph and her aunt Tabitha. All were staring at her with fake concern and sugary smiles on their faces. Sara held her head high, still hiding behind her sunglasses, her hands resting on the table. Her eyes averted from one face to another, and she slowly started to tap her fingers against the wood. Since she arrived, the mega star had not said a single word. Her silence started to unnerve Melanie, who cleared her throat and slapped the table with the flat of her hand.  Sara tilted her head, and a slow smirk crept onto her lips. 

"Sara! You haven't said a word since you walked in. Why? Say something!"

"I am not sure you want to listen to me more than you want to talk. So please, be my guest and talk to me. Tell me all the things you've been eager to say to my face."

Melanie furrowed her brows and crossed her arms against her chest. She was upset at Sara's calm demeanor and wanted to tear the grin off her face. Why wasn't she afraid of the meeting? Why wasn't she breaking down like she used to when she was younger? Did she really become stronger? She refused to believe that Sara had grown a spine, so she cleared her throat and nudged her elbow at Charles' side. The man looked at his cousin, a mix of stress and anger. If she simply listened to them, there would be no need for a family meeting.  He cleared his throat and tried to speak in a firm but "nice" voice.

"Well, first of all, Melanie came to see you and explained the dire situation we are in. Our mother is dying, and she needs money. You have money, plenty of it. A mere million is nothing but sweat to you, and yet you refused. How selfish can you be?"

"Yes! Mel took some time off work to come beg you for money. And what did you do? You threatened her. We welcomed you when you were a little girl, and you were always part of the family, and this is how you repay your debt?"

"My debt?" -Sara scoffed at Charles and lifted a brow that peeked above her sunglasses- "Oh, you consider that doing the bare minimum as a family makes me indebted to you? You want me to feel grateful for the abuse you subjected me to? How laughable." -She chuckled and brought her hand to her lips to try and contain her laughter.-

Charles growled when he saw his cousin chuckle at them. She mocked them, spoke with a tongue full of disdain, and the man hated it. He hated that Sara was not as pliable and gullible as before. She was not as defenseless as he imagined her to be after her two very public breakups and the pressure to perform. Instead, she acted as if she was backed up by powerful forces or that she considered them to be lesser than her. Whichever it was did not sit well with her older cousin. He swallowed a lump, ready to lash out at her, but Kendra beat him to the punch. 

"Oh, now that Miss Ma'am is popular, we are nothing but ants to you?"

"It has nothing to do with money. I just find it very amusing that you bring up family to me years after you rejected me from said family. I wasn't as useful to you before when I was an orphan, right? One more mouth to feed, a supe you all despised for having powers. As soon as I started to make a name for myself, remind me what you did?"

"We... did not do anything to you. What are you talking about?"

"Oh? I knew you'd bring it up. let's see..." -Sara grabbed her phone and typed a few words on her Google search bar.- "Here it is. Kendra Richardson said that the artist known as Unnamed Girl is a fraud and a child of satan. Oh, and there is another one: Melanie Richardson, a cousin of Unnamed Girl, who claimed she was rejected by her whole family for being a supe and cursed. She claimed that Unnamed Girl's bad luck was responsible for the death of her parents." -Sara dramatically paused and looked at her cousin. Her head slowly moved from left to right so they would specifically know she was staring at them. Kendra blushed and bit her bottom lip, trying to find a rebuttal to the accusations. 

"Yes... We did it. We can't deny it; it's all over the internet. We genuinely misunderstood what being a supe meant back then. We truly believed that it was a curse and against God. We--"

"We wanted to save you from yourself."  

Finally, her aunt Tabitha spoke. Her voice was softer and sounded ill, raspier than she remembered it to be. It made sense since she was sick. Sara looked at her, and she could feel it, rage bubbling at the surface, threatening to spill like a ruthless wave. Not yet. She had to hear them say their piece before she did anything drastic.  Her lips twitched and curled up in a sneer. 

"Pray tell..... Exactly what did you think you could achieve by slandering me in the media?"

"We thought you would either give up or try to repent by welcoming us into your inner circle. We wanted to guide you, so you would not become what most of the supes are."

"Brilliant!" 

Sara applauded and laughed at the same time. It was such a ridiculous plan, but she could tell that they believed it would work. Bullying Sara into giving in to them, into welcoming the wolves in her safe haven so they could suck her dry. It was about money after all. It always was about money. Her attitude irritated her aunt even more. Tabitha growled and hit her cane against the floor, hard enough to draw attention back to her.

"You can laugh all you want, Sara, but we are telling the truth. Supes are unruly little beasts, and we didn't want you to become just like them. So yes, we slandered you in order to get your attention, but we never heard from you. You never wrote. You never called."

"So, it's my fault. Is that what you are saying? You've been such a good family for me that you refused to take me when I /needed/ you?  I wanted to know how you would try to wiggle your way out of that shit, but it's funnier than I expected. You are shameless, all of you. Shameless and disgusting." -She snarled at them, hitting the table with the palm of her right hand- "You won't get a cent from me, not one. You thought that bringing me here, to your childhood home, would make me break?"

"Sara, this is also your home. You came over for the holidays; did you forget it?" Ralph said, with an indignant expression on his face.

"Come over? Wow, you really managed to rewrite history, didn't you? Allow me to remind you how it was.  Starting with you, Ralph.  You used to pull on my hair to the point of making my scalp bleed. You also cut my hair and watched as I was wailing on the floor.  You knew my parents would beat me for changing my appearance without asking permission first. You knew I would be punished for something you did, and you did not care about my tears or my screams. Did you forget?" -She bitterly laughed and then averted her eyes from Ralph to Kendra, who was swallowing hard.- "And you, Kendra? Poor little Kendra who thought I had stolen her life. You did not break out in the business because you were a talentless act, but instead of acknowledging it, you took it on me.  Oh, you enjoyed stomping on my stomach and slapping me. Among all of these people here, you were the one who injured me the most. How could a big kid like you think it was okay to brutalize a child? uh? I wonder."

" I'm not proud of that, Sara. I was ruthless when I was a kid. I did not..."

"Oh, but you did. You wanted to hurt me, and you used me like a rag doll without having second thoughts."

"We get your point, Sara, perhaps--" -Melanie tried to intervene, but Sara used her power to increase the gravity on her body. She could not move and could barely speak. Panicked eyes stared at Sara, whose voice went a pitch lower.

"I am not /done/ talking. Charles. You were never one to physically harm me, but you were a bastard manipulator.  You kept telling me how my parents hated me and could not wait for me to fucking die. You kept me miserable, believing that no one could ever love me when it was not true. And you, Melanie? The Ringleader. The Alpha bitch who led the others into hurting me. You always had that twisted grin on your face the whole time they were tormenting me, and you always stood by, cold, emotionless, when I was begging for your help. How dare you talk about family when you were monsters? How dare you come and try to leech off me??"

"Enough, Sara! We heard you."

"No, you did not. You are not listening, the lot of you. You're just hearing me to deflect, excuse, and dismiss my feelings. Guess what, Tabitha, you don't get to escape this time around. You will have to listen to me whether you want it or not. I used to believe that you were clueless about what your wicked children were doing. I used to think you would protect me, but I realized, as I grew up, that you were the worst of them all. I was a kid. A KID! And you tortured me. You always protected your monsters, always tried to humiliate me any chance you got. I won't even list all the shit you did to me, but I can tell you something. Before I had words to explain how you made me feel, I felt it: the fire in your eyes while you spewed your venom at me. You hated me; you have always hated me, and now you dare face me with lies in your mouth about family?"

Scared but convinced Sara would not turn on them, Melanie tried to appeal to her good side in one last-ditch effort to turn the tide. 

"Please, I beg of you, Sara. Don't let anger overtake the rest of ---"

"Enough, Melanie! We tried things your way, and she never yielded.  I had enough of her pretentious, filthy mouth. Fine! Sara! You're right. I hate you. I hated you before you were even born."

"But I was a kid! I was an innocent kid!" She lamented, and her aunt laughed bitterly. Hitting the bottom of her cane against the floor.

"You were /her/ child!" -There it was, the root cause of her problems- "Your mother stole my fiancé and took him away from me. She slept with him when I went on a trip and trapped him with you."

"You could have told her, you could have cut ties with her. Why did you keep us around? Why did you hurt me?"

"I could not let him go. I could not stop loving him. If I couldn't be his wife, I wanted to stay in his life. The only way I could do that was to allow your mother to carry you to term and take you in so you could bond with your cousins. I tried, kid. I tried to turn my lies into truths, but I failed every single time. Whenever I set my eyes on you, I was reminded of what happened. I was reminded of her because you had her face. It filled me with rage, and I had to make you suffer. So I turned a blind eye to what my kids were doing. I did not care as long as they did not kill you or maim you. I did not care as long as he thought I was taking good care of you."

"So, let me get this straight. For some lousy dick you decided to torture a kid?" Her rage was growing inside her. Her hair was starting to float in the air, her fingertips turned purple as well as her eyes. The walls were shaking, the table was unstable, and her cousins were scared. 

"Sara, stop... You're scaring us. You're... You're scaring us..." -Melanie tried to calm her cousin down, but it only fueled Sara's anger. She calmly stood up and outstretched her hand towards Kendra.  She used her powers to make the woman levitate above the ground and tilted her head to the side. "Sara! Please! Don't hurt her."

"I was a kid, and the only thing your pathetic ass was able to do was to bully a kid. You thought that it would make you feel better about yourself, Tabitha, but it only made you more pathetic. I cried, and screamed, and asked for help, and you only stood there and watched."

"You're a fucking pussy, Sara! You think I'm scared of you?  You were just a pathetic little worm begging to be loved. And now? Now you're just a washed-up celebrity everybody abandons. Nobody loves you. Nobody cares for you, and whatever you think you have with your fans is nothing but pure lust."

"You are not scared of me? Oh, but you should, Tabitha." -She used her powers to lock the door and keep the windows shut. Charles stood up and ran to the door, only to realize that he could not open it. He ran to the windows and tried to open them, but they did not open. "You thought you were trapping me in that house of horrors. You expected me to crumble and beg for scraps? You expected me to throw myself at your feet for what? acknowledgment? Love?" -Her laugh was sinister, and Kendra screamed. 

Sara's rage grew even bigger, and along with it, her body transformed.  Her eyes were now angry pools of purple light; her usually jet-black eyes had a purple reflection. Her power was unleashed, unrestrained and unapologetic as she used it with ease. Her aunt did not care about her; even worse, she hated her guts before she was even born. Unable to solve her issues with Sara's mother, she decided to latch onto her daughter. An innocent child. A defenseless child. It was enough to make her lose her mind and the anger and disgust she felt for Kendra. She focused on her body, curling her fingers. It made Kendra's body break and twist on itself, instantly killing the woman who was now a bloody pretzel. 

The sight of the blood spilling on the floor was enough to make her aunt scream and cry. She then tried to hit Sara with her cane, but the supe made her freeze on the spot. She then turned her attention to Charles, who was still trying to find a way out. He was not aware of Sara's power that had engulfed the whole house. She could control absolutely anything in that house and used her power on the chair he was sitting on. She lifted it up and then threw it at him with such force that it ended up stabbing the man on his chest.  He let out a scream before fainting because of the shock.  She then used the forks and knives and drove them into Ralph's face and neck. The knife cut through his artery, and that made him slump on his chair. Tabitha screamed in pain. She could not believe that Sara was actually killing them. Her defiant attitude was giving way to fear now that she realized just how serious, powerful, and dangerous Sara was. She tried to move, but her body was still frozen by the supe. 

Melanie watched in horror as her siblings were all dead. Sara did not hesitate to kill them and was not done just yet. She did not want to move, afraid that Sara would notice her and would try to kill her. Sara grinned at her and at her aunt. She manipulated Melanie's body to force her to float towards her and cut her airflow. It made the woman stare at her with eyes wide open and desperately try to breathe again by clawing at her throat. It did not work, and the harder she was wiggling and squirming, the harder it was for her to breathe again.  Sara watched with a satisfied grin on her face as her cousin was quickly turning purple and her kicks became more erratic, slower even. Charles grunted as he regained consciousness, and Sara threw a knife that stabbed his head, killing him instantly. Melanie was terrified, and as life was slowly draining out of her body, it started to release itself on the floor.  Sara patiently waited for Melanie's body to stop its spasm, and once she was sure that her cousin was dead, she dropped her body on the floor like it was nothing but a sack of potatoes. 

"They are all gone, Aunt Tabitha. Now who are you going to send to do your bidding?" She released the control she had over her aunt's body, forcing the woman to drop to the floor and try to catch her breath. She coughed and wiped the tears off her face. Her knees could not carry her, so the woman started to crawl away from Sara.  The singer watched, bemused at this pathetic attempt at escaping. She lifted a brow and mockingly said. "And where do you think you are going, old hag?" She landed on the floor and started to follow her aunt, who was wailing, screaming, and pointing her finger at her. "Oh, now I am scaring you. I can't tell you how many times I have dreamed of today. I was this close to tearing you apart when I knocked on your door, and you rejected me once again. I thought that maybe if I ignored you, you would leave me alone. But you did not ignore me. You had to go on TV; you had to slander me! You had to fucking force me to acknowledge you. I hated your guts. I hated you so much that I wanted you to be gone.  I wanted you to be GONE!" She screamed and used her powers to force her aunt to lie on the floor. 

"Please... Sara. You already got what you wanted. Let me go. Let me.. Let me live."

"I can't do that." Sara slowly knelt on the older woman's chest. She used her powers to make her heavier. Gravity crushed Tabitha's chest, pierced her lungs, made her chest collapse, and blood rushed into her mouth. Tabitha's mouth spat the blood that had filled her chest and mouth, and after a few gargles, the life of her cruel tormentor ended. 

Sara did not move. She simply looked at the body underneath her. At long last, she was dead. At long last they were all dead! Nobody could hurt her ever again. The realization made the woman give a nervous chuckle that quickly turned into full-blown laughter. She then stood up and looked around, taking in the consequences of her rampage. Her last remaining family was dead, killed by her own hands. Flashes of what they put her through: the abuse, the mockeries, the hateful words hurled at her, the indifference, the abandonment, and the mental anguish they put her in. She blamed them for the years spent at the orphanage, but with hindsight, she would have had it worse if she had stayed with them. Still, it was the first time Sara took a life, so her mind was breaking down. She took her phone and texted Homelander to come and get her. She dropped her phone and fell on her knees. The anguish kept growing in her chest, overwhelming, brutal; it was so much that she could not contain it any longer. 

Sara let her emotions explode in fury that tore apart the house. Her powers created a shield that stopped the debris from falling on her. The supe cried; her hot tears rolled down her cheeks as the weight of what she did finally fell on her shoulders. She felt everything. Pride, relief, anger, heartbreak, liberation, fear...Everything that she kept inside, every memory from her childhood that she blocked, resurfaced, and her powers simply destroyed everything; it tore the bodies into shreds, the house into a pile of dust, and Sara, alone, in the middle of it, could not hear anything or see anything as grief took over. Homelander landed a few steps away from her and gently closed the distance between them. He put his hand on her shoulder and helped Sara stand up. She turned her head to look at him. She looked so pitiful with her quivering lips and tearful gaze. He cupped her cheek with his large left hand and gently wiped the tears off her face.

"I've got you, babygirl. I'm here." 

He quickly noticed what a mess she left behind her and concluded that the *negotiation* did not end well for Sara's family. He frankly did not care about these awful cocksuckers and was rather pleased to see that Sara really had what it took to kill them all. That pride swallowed him whole, and all Homelander could do was grin from ear to ear and pull her into a tight hug. In time, he would talk to her and would make sure that she knew he would never leave her behind and would make sure to cover her tracks so no one would know what she did. She hugged him so tightly, so desperately that he could not help but hold her tighter. He would take her out of there, back to their safe place. 

Back home. 

-TBC-

Nixus: gossips

Teacher's room, Wednesday morning. 

Phoenix walked into the teacher's room at recess. She was visibly more exhausted than usual, yawning and stretching as she walked to her desk. She did not notice the group of gossiping divas that had gathered near her.  Four of them were talking, smoking, and drinking coffee, with Thomas Lincoln at the center.  Thomas was the oldest veteran teacher at the school and one of the cattiest and gossipiest people in the whole block. Everyone knew that no matter how well you hid something, Thomas would eventually find out and throw it back in your face, so it was best to simply tell him what was going on and pray he took pity on you and didn't gossip to the rest of your colleagues. He always spilled the beans; therefore, everyone knew about everyone's love life, family issues, and sometimes even health issues. The only things he refused to gossip about were traumas, Serious diseases like cancer, and domestic violence.  He had some ethics, and perhaps that made him a beloved teacher and a pillar of that school. At least he loved to believe it did. 

Thomas disliked Phoenix when she first came here. He tried to dig into her socials only to find nothing about her. All of her accounts were created the year she came to Detroit, and he could not find anything about her on the internet. Not even a comment left somewhere, a restaurant review, or pics of her past travels. He also wondered why she got a titular position if she had not been a teacher before, but she pirouetted her way out of his questions, and her attitude helped soften him up. Phoenix was eager to learn, a quick thinker, and on top of it all, excellent with children. She was humble and acknowledged Thomas as the Queen B. of the school. She put him at ease, and quickly enough, he treated her like he treated everyone else, a source for gossip and bets. Thomas lamented her unremarkable fashion sense and always jabbed at her about how plain she looked when she should be looking hotter. He also teased her about the lack of romance in her life.

"If it's not Miss, I am going to feed Thailand slums herself? What are you wearing today, Nix?"

"Sorry, Diva. I like my plain jeans and plain sweatshirt. They're comfy. I've just arrived, and you did not even spare me a little?"

"Well, usually I would ignore you like usual, but the teacher's room has been placing bets."

"Bets? Let me guess... You're roasting my looks again?"

"Ah, I will keep on winning those if they were the only ones. You dress so badly, honey. But it's not about that. We've noticed the change of attitude lately. We've also noticed that you finally took those wednesday afternoon off. It tickled me, so I placed a bet. We know that you're seeing someone. What we don't know is if that guy is hot or not."

"What???? Ho--Why???" -Gobsmacked, Nix looked at Thomas, who was grinning from ear to ear like he had discovered a dinosaur's bone in his backyard-

The other three women chuckled and shook their shoulders as if to say “well, you can’t blame us for going on with this.” Phoenix blinked and shook her head in disbelief. They got bored of her gossiping on her clothes already and decided to move on?  She rolled her eyes and tilted her head to the right. Marjorie, a 45 years old blonde short woman with neck-length hair cleared her throat. 

“Nix, everybody is in everybody’s business. Last month they were all focused on me when they learned I wanted a divorce. We haven’t seen you talk about a significant other, of course we would speculate about it.”

“To be honest, I thought you were asexual.” Linda, a 50 years old teacher who dyed her hair brown (but we could always tell it was a dye) spoke up. She was perhaps the meanest of the gang. “You wouldn’t dress up so badly if you were interested in dating.” 

“Wh—what? I mean, could you not have asked me about it instead of assuming shit about me. I like being plain. I like it even more when I have to work…. With kids! And what if I was asexual? I can’t believe you.” -she pointed  at her with forefinger and then rolled her eyes-

“Can’t blame me for not knowing you had game. And who is your so-called boyfriend?”

“Finally! Some sense entered your thick skull! Well, hold on you because my boyfriend is a hot and handsome cop. He’s so hot that he turns heads wherever we go. He’s so hot that I can’t keep my hands off him. And he’s so kind that he will come over to meet with my students and you mean girls will finally see that your venom was ridiculous.” 

“You don’t need to be so aggressive, Phoenix. Jeez!” Phoenix didn’t even acknowledge her. She put her bag on her desk and eyed Thomas and the gang. They were surprised by the comeback but it meshed well with their usual cattiness so they didn’t bother with her.  Linda rolled her eyes and gossiped to the hen group with her. “I am sure that she said that to save face. Until we see the guy in person, I refuse to believe he’s hot. And if he is, I will ask him why he picked such a boring woman as his girlfriend.” 

“In her defense he might not be as superficial as we are.” Admitted Cathy. A short haired brunette in her 40’s. “I mean I know what I am and I love me some good fashion sense. But maybe he doesn’t care.”

“The gag would be if he dress like a beggar.” 

“You know I can hear you right? Please keep digging your graves and  when you meet Marc you will eat your heart out.” 

Cathy scoffed and took out a 50 dollars bill. She put it in the bet jar and pointed at Phoenix. The latter gave her a bratty grin and  shrugged. Phoenix was a woman who knew her worth. She knew her beauty could not be tarnished by the clothes she wore (as plain as they could have been). She knew how lethal she was in her assassin days. How she turned heads and made her targets (and non-targets) fall for her. Her beauty was undeniable no matter how much these bitter gossiping souls wished it. 

On top of it. Phoenix was very confident in her relationship with Marc (and his hotness). Marc brought light in her world. Balance. He was a trustworthy lad with a good heart. He was caring for her, for the woman she was rather than the body she inhabited. She could rely on him, feel comfortable in his presence and even better in his arms. She could trust him with her sensible heart and vulnerability because he would never take advantage of her. And to top it all off, he was handsome as sin. 

No matter what these assholes could say, box new that the second they would lay their eyes on him, they would fold. Marc was handsome. Not in an otherworldly way (that would make him too beautiful to be true) but in a conventional way. He was tall, with a great built, beautiful eyes and a smile that made her melt away. He had his hair cut short but the hairstyle enhanced his features. A sharp  jaw, accentuated by his infamous scowl, intense blue eyes and beautiful eyelashes that drew her gaze to his face. He was taut, muscular but not in a grotesque way. Instead his body was strong, appealing, and devastatingly turning her on.  Surely the sight of him would bring others to their knees. Surely she would be very smug about it and would walk the school like she owned the place. Surely this would be a little victory she would share with her friend Debbie. 

“What’s going on here?” Debbie’s voice forced the gossip girls to scatter away like kids caught in the act. She blinked and rolled her eyes before shooing them out of the teachers room. “I bet they were trying to get into your head again.” 

“Leave them be. The spit of the toad does not reach the white dove. I don’t care really, but I can’t wait for them to see Marc and eat their hearts out.” 

“They were gossiping about him?” Nix shrugged. “Aha! What do they know?  Well, I heard you got your Wednesdays free now. Are you going to visit Marc at the precinct?” 

“Yep. I intend to visit after a while. And since I know how much you like planning things, how about we plan that together?” 

And the two friends went on to talk about what Nix should bake for her first visit and what she should wear and when it would be most appropriate. Debbie loved planning things and she loved watching Nix and Marc’s relationship flourish everyday.  So it helped make the day a much better one than the start suggested. 

Nixus: Rich in life

Phoenix tied her bathrobe around her waist and stretched her arms as she walked into the kitchen. It was early in the morning, but Marc was already awake. He was sitting on her couch with the remote in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.  He was watching sports and was completely focused on the game. Phoenix made herself a cup of coffee, and while the machine was working, she leaned against the counter. Phoenix crossed her arms against her chest and allowed her eyes to wander around. Quickly enough, they found their way back to Marc, who was enjoying himself. He heard the machine, turned his head to look at the honey-haired teacher, and smiled.

"Hello, gorgeous. I did not want to wake you up, so I slipped away as silently as possible."

"Hello, mon coeur." -She said with sleepy eyes and waved at him- "It's okay. I needed to sleep longer today after the week I had." -She pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned a bit harder against the counter- "Who's playing?"

"Red Wings vs Tampa Bay Lightning. Hey, when your coffee is ready, why don't you come here and watch the game?" -She had already watched a few games with him, so Marc believed it would not be an issue if he asked her directly to join him. She smiled at him and nodded. "Good. Come whenever..." He waved at her and returned to watching the game. 

Nix was comfortable there. In her kitchen, with the pleasant smell of brewing coffee and the sound of TV mixed with Marc's comments on the game.  She was right where she wanted to be. Her blue eyes set upon his frame, and she smiled softly. She could feel her heart beat harder against her ribcage and felt blood rush to her cheeks as she was blushing. Why did it take her two years to talk to that man again? God only knew because Phoenix had no idea why it took her so long. Marc was not like all the men she met since she moved to Detroit. He was honest and kind. He was reliable. She always knew that no matter what happened, she could always rely on Marc. He would do his best to be there and protect her. The idea of being protected, so foreign at the start of their relationship, quickly helped her find a soft sleep. It helped her lower her guard and fully give in to him. Someone was looking after her. 

After decades spent in pain and darkness in the Guild, someone finally saw her. The real her. The soft romantic soul underneath all of that darkness. The real her who needed the world to be soft and safe. The real her who wanted to be held and to feel the warmth of another soul. Marc trusted her. He gave her his heart. He knew that it made him vulnerable, but he trusted her to take care of it. Phoenix realized that Marc's love opened her up to the idea that her hands, sharpened blades meant for killing, were also capable of nurturing. She was capable of nurturing. Her heart was not blackened and unredeemable. Phoenix was still able to love and protect others. Marc made her realize that she needed more from life than just surviving. She wanted more than just to torment herself and punish herself for choices that were made for her. 

Marc was safe. Marc was comfortable. Marc was home. It was easy to love him. Easy to be loved by him. Marc was like a sunny Sunday afternoon with a fresh breeze. He was like Dawn, when the sun is rising, and the world is quiet. When there is nothing in the world but the two of them. She blushed harder and felt her heart skip several beats as love was almost choking her. With Marc, there were no mind games. No disrespect. He never judged her or looked down on her when she did not know something or had never experienced it. He did not laugh when she asked him to pick a birthday for her because she wanted to be born on a day he thought suited her best.  He did not laugh when he saw the scars on her back, nor did he recoil like she expected him to. He did not laugh when she told him that the first man she fell in love with would rather fake his own death than respect her enough to break up with her.  

He never judged her blue eyes, so odd for an African woman, nor did he make fun of her tooth gap. Elements that made her who she was, and she refused to change. He welcomed her need for affection; he welcomed her desire to give him that affection. He would wrap his arms around her frame like a safe and soft blanket to protect her from the coldness of the world.  Deep down, a part of her regretted not knowing her real name so she could hear Marc call her with his beautiful voice. A part of her wished she was not an assassin so she could confide in him and tell him all of her secrets. Yet, she was also grateful for that clean slate. Yes! She was grateful for being able to finally break free from the mold she was raised in. She could be herself. She could reclaim her name. Phoenix was no longer an alias but a bona fide name... identity, the one that suited the woman who escaped her abusers and former employers. A woman who was reborn through the cleansing fire of Love. Most of her soul was happy he got to meet the real Phoenix. 

Marc was genuine and spontaneous. Phoenix did not know what she did to be lucky, but she was.  He would romance her with a homemade dinner, would take her out, would treat her like a proper innocent woman. He would love her- He loved her- she knew he did. She knew it because he said he was not yet there after her Big L incident. Her lips formed the letters, but no sound escaped her mouth when she mouthed "I love you." To the man who was turning his back on her. She loved him. All of him. Including the darkest parts of his soul. Nix knew, instantly, so when she walked into his apartment. He was as traumatized as she was by the violence he witnessed and had to dish out to others. He was a soldier, and she knew just how deeply it ate at your soul to participate in such activities. She knew he experienced violence at the hands of the one person who should have protected him. 

Marc knew what it was to feel helpless while growing up. He knew what it was to both be scared and yet still hope that everything would be better, that his caretaker would end up loving him and stop hitting him. Marc knew what it was to stop believing after a while because the person never changed, and instead grew increasingly more violent towards you. He witnessed it. He experienced it too. She could relate to it. To the violence and helplessness. She could relate to the anger and the desire to get revenge on this person and then feel that the only way to escape that was to run away (in her case, lose herself in her missions). he knew pain when he was still at a tender age and should have known love.  Sometimes when he was upset or angry, he would shut down completely, and it would take a while for her to bring him back. Sometimes he would panic, especially when he would worry he did something wrong or something that could jeopardize their relationship, and she would do her best to reassure him.  Every single time.  

She heard stories. of what he did during the war and his nickname. She knew he saw the deepest pit the human soul could dig, where despair thrived, where humanity died. Yet despite all of this, Marc remained a gentle soul deep inside. Despite all of this, he was the light in her darkness. The rock to her turbulent sea... The love of her life. Here, in this little apartment, Phoenix felt like a million bucks. She felt like she won at life because she met her soul mate. The noise of the coffee machine tore her from her thoughts, and she grabbed her cup, walked towards the couch, bent forward to give a kiss to Marc, and sat next to him.  He smiled at the teacher and gently rubbed his arm against hers before he resumed watching the game. He was rich in life because she was there. 

They both were. 

Nixus: questionnaire

Q: Left-handed or right-handed?

Nix: Right-handed.

Marc: Right-handed.

Q: “What place do you call home?” 

Nix: Detroit. My apartment. Marc. I cheated with the answer 😭. I gave 3 things.

Marc would say Detroit.

Q: “Do you have any bad habits?” 

Nix: I smoke when I am under pressure. Not during the job. Not when I have to face violence. But when I have a mental breakdown. I am working hard on quitting, but that means I need to find things to put in my mouth to compensate. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Marc: The way he shuts down when he gets upset or frustrated. He knows it’s not the greatest response. But it’s just what happens. He doesn’t know how to stop it at this point.

Q: “Who is the person you despise the most, and why?”

Nix: “My ‘ex’ Anton. If I cross paths with him, I might want to kill him and try to. The way he hurt me left an open wound. But would I sacrifice my newfound happiness for revenge? No. Never!”

Marc: My “father”, Marcus Sr. He’s a mean bastard. There’s nothing there to like. You can take my word for it.

Q: “What is your best feature?” 

Nix: “my ass. I know the looks I get when I wear jeans. And I think my tooth gap.”

Marc: shrugs

Q: “What do you think is your partner’s best feature?”

Nix: “his smile! I mean, as soon as he smiles, I fold. Every time! And his arms. When he crosses them I just…. Unf.”

Marc: “I like the way her face scrunches up when she smiles. Her very happy, genuine smiles. The way she always smells like jasmine. And her ass. I mean… damn. That woman has curves that don’t quit.”

Q: “How high is your libido?”

Nix: “Well. Before Marc, it was average. I could spend months without jerking off. But since I met Marc? Oh, I can’t stop touching myself. I can’t stop wanting Marc. I can’t stop wanting to get fucked. He ruined me eheh.”

Marc: “I would say average? But I don’t exactly know the stats on that. Probably average.” 

(With a hot girlfriend though, above average here we come)

Q: What is the wildest thing you did during sex?

Nix: “I—will only speak of the two years spent in Detroit. I was free, and the sex was willful. Okay? No performances or circumstances I didn’t choose. So I had that one guy who was obsessed with humping me. I mean we did it classically, but he wanted to rub himself between my legs. Then he was obsessed with cumming on my tits. Which he did twice that night. He refused to let me swallow him because he needed to see his work of art on me.” Laughs. “With Marc it’s being fucked deep and cummed inside. And err the roleplay too.”

Marc: “Hey now. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. Nice try, though.”

Q: Are you shy? (Casual settings/ sexual settings)

Nix: “Not really. The only moment I can get shy is at the start of my relationship with Marc. As a first-time girlfriend, I blush easily when it comes to introducing myself as such. But it’s a matter of a few days, tops.  Sexually? Not at all.  Never. Especially not when my boyfriend is hot like Marc.”

Marc: “No. Definitely not shy.”

Q:. What trait do you find most admirable in your partner?

Nix: “ his tenderness; he has a wonderful ability to be tender around people who need it. Be it a kid, a kind neighbour in need, or me. He was so sweet to me, talked to me with such tenderness after I squirted on him for the first time…. When we made love for the first time. He is tender, and I admire it and treasure it too.”

Marc: “Her courage and her spontaneity. She’s brave and full of life. She goes for things without hesitation. I love that. I admire it a lot.”

COPG: reviewing the troops

COPG: reviewing  the troops

With a wave of her wrist, Elpis summoned a portal to Tartarus. With the new ring Pride forged for her, she was able to travel through Hades without being rejected by it. After spending such a long time trying to hone her new skills and powers, Elpis felt the urge to see what beasts and other creatures existed in Tartarus. She wanted to have a legitimate army to go after her pantheon, and while Pride respected the end of his bargain with Hecate. As soon as she crossed the portal, she was welcomed by a sinister creature. It was a slender, grey-skinned wraith with a thin veil covering its body. It had no eyes, and its mouth was sewn shut. Its feet were constantly bleeding, but the creature seemed unfazed by it. 

"My queen, welcome to Tartarus." She tilted her head to the side, wondering if the creature was talking via telepathy or if its mouth moved, but then shrugged, as it did not really matter. - "What brings you before the dreadful sight of your humble servant?"

"I have come to see the creatures locked within Tartarus. I am sure that you know a war is coming, and I want to see who could be willing to serve your kind and me when the time is right."

"Then your humble servant is going to fulfil your wish. Please, follow me, my queen."

It felt strange to have the title Queen said to her. She noticed that she enjoyed it when they referred to her as such. Pride had logically spread the word to their subjects so they would address his beloved properly, and it warmed her heart to see that he spared no effort to make her feel like the rightful queen of the Underworld.  She followed the wraith through a long corridor until they finally reached immense stairs that led to a deeper level. 

"Are the most powerful of them held down those stairs?" -He nodded, and she closed her eyes- "What were their offences?"

"Most of them tried to overthrow their respective pantheons. Most of these are Olympian rogues, but we have Sumerian criminals, Indian monsters, and the other lot of them."

"I see. Had your king Pride ever met these wretched creatures before? Do they acknowledge his authority?" - The wraith shook its head as they kept walking down the stairs.-

"He had. He established dominance, but they are still trying to fight it. They believe  in the strongest, and for a while, they believed our King was the strongest, but during the Seven Sins War, this belief was shattered, and they are now defiant."

"I see... Well, I will have to face them and remind them who their king and queen are.” 

“Yes, my queen, please follow me.” 

The trip down the stairs lasted a while, in complete silence. Elpis wondered if she should change her attire and dress more like royalty to make an even better impression on these creatures. She changed her mind and decided to look as “plain” as possible. She wanted them to underestimate her and even actively made her aura less threatening so they would show their hand, and she would be able to beat them at their intimidation game. She braced herself for the upcoming confrontations, wondering what type of creatures she would face and how old they were. 

The wraith claimed that in the underbelly of Tartarus, monsters from all pantheons were locked in eternal torment, but she was wondering if the oldest creatures could be found. The first thing her mother created after birthing her siblings. Monsters with names long forgotten but predating any man-made pantheon. Her heart started to beat harder, and the goddess noted the excitement that was clinging to her bones. Now was not the time to marvel at the creatures she was to encounter. Instead, she had to focus on what was to come. Finally, they reached the end of the stairs.  The wraith lit up several floating fireballs that opened their eyes to the huge hall, welcoming them. She allowed her eyes to observe her surroundings and noticed that there was a huge circular room at the end of the main hallway, faintly lit up but with shadows moving. Perhaps she could find what she was looking for if she walked to the end of the hallway. 

Suddenly, as she stepped into the circular room, she heard a noise akin to a deep rumble.  Something was breathing, something huge. She could feel its breath brush against her body and make her hair and fluffy dress. Despite the wraith fire lights, there was still an immense shadow.  She looked up, defiant and regal. Whatever that was, she realized that it was a heavy creature. Elpis wanted it to see that she was not easily impressed. After all, why would she be? She was a primeval goddess, and existed before any creature that populated the universe. She was the love child of Chaos and Life and would not feel intimidated by anything...or anyone. Kur stirred in the shadowed depths where the earth met the primeval sea. 

A monstrous dragon embodying chaos and the underworld itself. Feared by gods and mortals alike, his story spoke of floods, divine battles, and the fragile balance between creation and destruction. She knew of him, but she was not impressed. The first dragon of the Universe bent his head forward, and she noticed the chains that bound him to the depths of Tartarus. Elpis lifted her head to stare at Kur's maw and the two glowing blue-green orbs he had for eyes. His warm breath was whipping her skin harder than before, but the goddess did not flinch. 

"And who dares disturb my slumber? Speak jailer. Is it another monster you are bringing here?"

"I am standing right before you, Kur. Perhaps you should address me if you want an answer." -Elpis spoke with a solemn and calm tone-

"Address you? How amusing you are, little creature. Humor me. Why should I address you?” 

“Because of all the creatures locked in the depths of Tartarus, none of them compare to me.” 

Kur’s sinister laugh echoed through the room, but the goddess did not flinch. She did not even close her eyes as the wind created by the dragon's laugh whipped her face.  She lifted her head, allowing her gaze to meet his.  Kur stopped laughing once he realized that the woman was not impressed with him. He was one of the most ancient creatures trapped within Tartarus, one from which monsters and gods originated. Who was she to be this bold and unimpressed? Who was she?  She heard the hisses and rattles of the monsters locked in there with Kur. They were growing restless. Elpis tilted her head to the side and cleared her throat to urge the dragon to speak. It was as if she could not hear the ruckus caused by the other monsters. Kur growled with a low voice.

"Who are you?"

"I am your King's wife." 

She decided to introduce herself as Pride's wife to the rest of the world. While they did not have an actual bonding ceremony, she decided that naming him was tantamount to actually being married to him. Kur sneered and blew air from his nostrils. The mere mention of Pride was enough to fill the creature with an unprecedented rage. He hated the King of Hell. He hated this smug little bastard who thought he was better than the God before him. Kur respected Hades but had contempt for Pride. He took advantage of the Seven Sins War to undermine Pride's authority among the monsters locked in Tartarus, and it worked. Pride was aware of that, but he decided not to intervene because he had more pressing matters to deal with.  Kur and the other monsters chained in the darkest pit of Tartarus would be met with his scourge much later. 

"I have no king! And you are /not/ my queen."

"Oh? Are you saying that you do not recognize Pride as your rightful king? He defeated Hades and slew his siblings. He's been ruling the Underworld and had it flourish way better than Lord Hades ever could. Interestingly, you speak as such when you are the one in chains." -Skur's eyes turned red with rage. She hit a nerve, and he wanted to make her pay for her sharp tongue. He screamed at her face; the wind made her hair and dress float and whip the air, but the goddess did not flinch.-

"He was not the one to put me there. And you have quite the mouth, little one. I could kill you if--"

"Oh, but you won't. You can't.  I was giving you a way out to save face, but I see that you are an unrepenting serpent. You disrespected my husband, and I cannot let it slide. Since he is not here to punish you, I will gladly do it on his behalf."

"You talk a big game for something so frail."

"Frail?" 

Elpis scoffed at the word and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes, now two orbs looking like suns against the darkness of her black sclera. Her skin was covered with little stars, and her hands were now glowing white. Her hair was constantly floating around her frame. The air around her grew colder, making the monsters wail and rattle louder.  Her aura grew large, intense, and effortlessly engulfed the room. Her aura was crushing them. Kur felt the shift in the air and the overwhelming aura of the creature before him. He recognized her as a goddess, and it triggered a long-forgotten fury inside him.  He opened his maw, but Elpis increased her aura and forced it shut. She yanked her head back (for theatrics) and opened her hands. 

Suddenly, Life started to burst inside the darkest pit of Tartarus. Hellish flowers grew and pierced the walls, broke the bricks of their prison, and started to cause mayhem. Elpis commanded the vines to wrap around Kur's maw and neck and forced it to hit the floor. Kur tried to shake off the vines, but the more he struggled, the tighter the vines held onto him. Elpis walked a couple of steps closer to the dragon. She was small, yet she felt infinite. She was so powerful that Life was able to manifest in the realm of Death. She was able to cause anguish to all the monsters inhabiting the prison, and even worse. He felt fear cling to his bones, and it only fueled his anger. Kur screamed and kept struggling against the vines until Elpis stopped a few inches from his muzzle. 

"Who...Are...You?" -He managed to mumble despite the vines tightly wrapped around his maw.- "What.. Do... You... Want?" -He stopped struggling, reasoning that it would only worsen the situation-

"You assumed I was weak long before I even opened my mouth. I can feel it, your fear. I can feel it cling to your bones. I can feel you wondering who I was. Don't fret, Kur. I will tell you right in a moment. See, I am a goddess, but not just any goddess. You've seen it already.  Life brimming in a place that was not designed for it." 

Her voice went lower, almost unnatural. Her voice reverberated throughout the whole room.  It was deep, suffocating, and ancient. He realized that she was not a young goddess, not one he was aware of. She was older, perhaps even older than him. The dragon blinked, and his front claws scratched the floor. Who was she?  Elpis grinned and put her hand on his snout. This simple touch, which he wouldn't have felt if he were in front of a human, felt like the weight of the world for the dragon.  He could not move and felt that she was not displaying her full potential. Her golden orbs suddenly turned red, and all the Life that burst into the place decayed and turned into dust. Kur was no longer restrained, but he could not move because of her domineering aura. 

"Are...You...Gaea?"

"No. I am better. I am stronger." She took a deep breath and spoke in such a loud and menacing voice that it made the creatures recoil in their cells. Kur writhed, but he did not speak. "Hear me out, all of you who held my husband in contempt. Pride is your rightful king, whether you like it or not. He defeated Hades and took over the Underworld. He emerged victorious in the Seven Sins War. He is what comes after the gods. He is what you should fear because his very essence can influence even the strongest creature locked in there. As his queen, I will always support my King. I will help him conquer the universe and rule over everything. Allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Elpis. Primeval Goddess of Hope, Light, and Despair.  I am Elpis, Daughter of Gaea, the Life Bringer, and better than her because Life bends to my very command. I can create it. I can control it, and I can destroy it.  Hope and despair are my very essence as it exists in every sentient creature, including you. I can lift you up to heights you are not used to, and I can bring you down to depths you never could imagine. I am Elpis! Daughter of Khaos. I have destruction in my veins, and I can level any city, any empire, and any civilization and bring them to nothingness. I am Balance.  I am Power. I am eternal and limitless. And this power, I will use it to help my husband be the best version of himself." -She paused for a brief moment- "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Kur realized what Elpis was saying. He finally understood that the creature before him was no mere goddess. She was a primeval goddess, the love child of Khaos and Gaea. A being of supreme power that was still unheard of to this day. He could feel that if she wanted, she could simply erase him from existence. If she wanted, she could destroy the universe. If she wanted... His gaze became far more humble than it was at the start of their encounter. She came to visit him; that could only mean she wanted something. In this world, only the strongest were respected, and Kur had to admit that in this room, the most powerful was Elpis. He had no other choice but to submit. She vouched for Pride, and her endorsement of the Sin forced Kur to submit to him too. Perhaps he misjudged him. Perhaps he was far more powerful than he let on. If her words were to be believed, then Pride was powerful enough to influence him too, and he could not risk losing his mind for a misplaced ego. So he stood up again but lowered his head in an act of submission. 

" To what do I owe your visit, my queen?"

Satisfied with his submission, Elpis's appearance returned to her normal one. Her skin lost its glow and freckled stars to return to her natural brown hue. Her eyes returned to being bumblebees, and her hair dropped on her back. She humbled herself before the dragon, who respected this appearance of her the same as he did her previous one. 

"There is going to be a war. Your king is going to march upon the Prima Donna. We are going to war against the Primeval Gods, and I need to have an army. I want the most powerful creatures to command. I want to kill them all and destroy the pantheon and the Prima Donna to build on top of its ashes. Kur, my child. I know you are eager to be free, and I came to offer you that freedom in exchange for your loyalty. If I release you, would you lead the other monsters in the upcoming war?"

"Your desire is my command, my queen.  If it is carnage you desire, I can give it to you."

"Fine. I will return later. If you behave well, I might ensure a more comfortable existence in your jail. You have perhaps a chance at redemption and freedom, if you serve the King and I well. Think about it carefully, and when I return, I would like to see the army you are promising me." 

She turned on her heels and quickly left the  Pit. Her eyes were glowing with excitement. She was going to have an army, loyal to her, scared of her, and eager to fight her wars for her. Her eyes glowed with satisfaction, and the goddess was taken back to the entrance of the celestial jail. She could not wait to see her beloved and to watch his reaction as she would tell him that she managed to secure an army for them. 

TBC

Nixus: Violent delights

// Phoenix always makes sure to stay sober and protects Debbie whenever the two go out at night. Here is what happened during a night out. post-meeting Marc. 

xxx

Debbie begged for a night out with Phoenix. It had been a while since Chief Wallace moved into her house, and  Debbie had a moment for herself. She wanted to dance. She wanted to drink and let loose and could only do so with her friend Phoenix. So the honey-haired teacher agreed to go with her. It would be fun after all, to dance until she could no longer stand up. So on Friday night, Debbie went to Phoenix's apartment to get ready. She borrowed a short sequined purple dress with long sleeves, put her hair in a high ponytail, and kept the high heels she wore to work. Debbie was confident and beautiful that night. She blasted some music in the living room through the Bluetooth loudspeaker and danced and drank a glass of wine to pre-game their night out while her friend got ready. 

In her bedroom, Phoenix looked into her closet. She did not know what to wear that night. She hesitated for a long time before finally putting on a white "lingerie" thing-strapped dress, cinching a silver belt on her waist, and putting on a pair of low-cut black boots. Her makeup was light: a pinkish lipstick, pink and silver eyeshadows, and a pink blush. Her hair was let down, and she left her room with a triumphant smile on her lips. She was ready. Debbie whistled at the sight of her best friend and lamented that Nix did not dress up more. The two women laughed and teased each other for a while before Nix grabbed her bag, her keys, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. It was time to go. 

The evening was cut short after a couple of hours. Debbie drank far more than she could handle, and she was sick. Phoenix decided that it would be best to take her home. Despite her best friend vehemently protesting, Phoenix managed to drag her out of the club. Debbie's inebriated rant did not faze the young woman, who held her hand tighter and helped her walk towards the metro. Unfortunately, she felt sick, and the two found a wall Debbie could lean into to puke. Phoenix stood up next to her and noticed a trio walking towards them. She narrowed her blue eyes and quickly scanned the men closing the distance between them. They were dressed in expensive suits, leather shoes, typical businessman's haircut. One dark-skinned black man, the other two were white, but all three of them had that lustful gaze on. 

"Hey, beautiful, do you need some help with your friend?"

"No. We're good. You can keep walking, guys." -She tried to keep a neutral tone, but they took it as an invitation to get closer to her. 

"Aaaww, baby, come on. We noticed you from across the street. You two look like you want to have some more fun. Your friend is hot. I'm sure that her ponytail would look good wrapped around my fist. And you, baby, that big ass of yours, damn! And your lips are so plump that I'm sure you're a good cocksucker. Come on, let's have fun."

" Fuck off! Don't fucking touch me." Debbie's drunken voice pierced the darkness. One of the guys grabbed Debbie's wrist, and she slapped him hard. "I have a boyfriend. I don't care about you fuckers."

"You bitch!" He punched her face, and Debbie fell on the floor with a bloody nose. 

Phoenix's eyes grew wide, and she reacted instinctively. Her palm hit the throat of one of the guys who was standing in front of her. He grabbed his throat and took a couple of steps back. The one next to him tried to punch Nix, but she dodged him and instead kicked his leg. It made him stumble, and she punched him hard in the face, making him fall on the ground. The third man was surprisingly fast, and he superman punched her, hard enough for Phoenix to take several steps back and be conscious enough to cross her arms in front of her face to protect her from a kick that came from the same guy. Debbie screamed and tried to walk towards Phoenix to help her, but she was too drunk to be steady in her steps and fell on the ground. Her nose was still bleeding from the punch she got, so Nix yelled. 

"Stay down, Deb. I got this." 

She shut her eyes tight and opened them again. The man grabbed her hair, but she hit his solar plexus with the flat of her hand, surprising him and cutting air from his lungs long enough for her to then continue with a kick in the stomach and another one in his face, effectively making him fall flat on his stomach. The guy whose trachea she had hit had managed to take his breath back. He ran towards Phoenix and tried to grab her hair. He missed and instead grabbed her arm, but she pulled away from him, once, twice, and finally used the momentum to throw a knee at his midsection.  He took the hit and crumbled on his knees. All three of these men were on the floor, reeling from the pain her punches and kicks gave them. 

She then punched the guy several times in the face, hard enough to make his nose bleed, hard enough to make his mouth bleed, and hard enough to make a couple of teeth fall out. She held his neck and squeezed. She wanted to choke him to death. Her eyes were red from unbridled rage. He started to suffocate and asked for forgiveness. She saw Marc's face, and his pleas snapped her out of it, and she released his neck. They were no longer a threat, and Phoenix could turn around and tend to her friend. She grabbed their bags that were on the floor, took out a tampon from Debbie's, and stuck it in her nose to deal with the bleeding. She then stood up and extended her hand to the brunette, who grabbed her hand back. The two women walked to the metro station.  

"You were amazing. I did not know you could fight."

"I got lucky. I did not know what I was doing. All I wanted was to protect you. I am sorry about your nose."

"Aaahhh, don't sweat it. I used to play sports when I was younger, so this is nothing. Thank you for having my back, babes. Thank you for being a sister to me." -She wrapped her arms around Nix's arm and leaned her head against her shoulder- "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't feel like going home alone."

"You did not have to ask. I'll take care of you. Now rest until we're home, okay?"

Debbie did not answer. She had fallen asleep against the young woman. Phoenix looked at her hands, at what she wanted to do to these men. At the rage she felt when she saw Debbie's blood. Her urges were not gone, quite the contrary. She wanted to kill again. Her hands shook, and her eyes were wide open. This time it was Debbie. What if she were acting like this in front of Marc? She refused to even imagine this situation. It filled her eyes with unshed tears, and she looked at her hands, those hands that were now soaked with blood. Panic started to take root in her heart until she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, let her tears run down her cheeks, and exhaled. Marc's gentle hug came to mind, and she told herself that she did not kill these guys like she could have. She chose to let them live. She was no longer the weapon she was raised to be. She was Phoenix, a woman who protected the people she loved. 

-TBC-

NIXUS: Hotness Galore

Marc had finished his shift and was in the locker room getting ready to go home. He had taken a quick shower to remove the grime of the city, so he would come back clean and refreshed to Phoenix.  Her face flashed in his mind, and he found himself smiling to himself. Since he was alone in the locker room, Marc grabbed his phone and swiftly combed through the contact list to Phoenix's name. He typed a fast "My shift is done, gorgeous. I am coming home soon. Are you still waiting for me?" He waited for a couple of seconds before her reply came, "I am, and I did what you asked from me. I did not touch myself, and to be honest, I am upset you asked me that because I want to do it." Marc chuckled and wrote back. "Good girl. You were very patient today, so you will be rewarded.  I'll give you five minutes to put that toy inside, then I will use the more intense program on you since you've been good. I have the keys, so you would not need to move from wherever you are. Don't fight it. Whatever comes your way, don't ever fight it." He then slid his phone in his pocket and left the locker room. 

He still remembered when they watched TV and an ad about a long-distance controlled wireless sex toy ran on TV. He looked at Phoenix and saw that she was quite entranced by the ad. He asked her if it was something she would want to try, and she confessed that she had toyed around with the idea and wanted to experiment with it with him. She wanted to give him complete control of her pleasure on nights he would come home late or during the weekends he was around, and wanted to tease her differently. He went along with the idea, and a week later, they received the toy and the instructions. It required a little bit of trial and error, but they eventually found what worked best for them. Marc enjoyed coming home to a messy and flustered Phoenix. Watching her literally throw herself at him the minute he crossed her threshold turned him on. She was akin to a vixen, an insatiable Aphrodite who was craving his cock, his touch, and his warmth. 

He liked the way she was excited about it, to give up control to him, knowing he would never abuse it or try to harm her. She was delicate, in a way, and he handled her with care, something which Nix had never experienced before. He liked the way she was ravenous in her desire for him, perhaps hotter than when she was masturbating herself, because this time it was him doing it to her. He liked the way she was hot and wet and sweating from the pleasure the toy gave her. So as promised, once he reached the parking lot, he grabbed his phone again and noticed Phoenix replied, "Yes, Officer Flynn. I'm ready, and I'll wait for you. I'll be a good girl." She was ready, so he simply opened the long-distance controlled app. He looked at the programs and picked the most intense one. 

At her apartment, Phoenix was anticipating Marc's app activation. She was on her couch, wearing her red nightgown. Her heels were digging at the edge of the couch, and her fingers were slowly running up and down her nightgown-clad breasts. She had been waiting for Marc since her shift ended and was having a hard time not giving in to her urges. It had been a couple of days since Marc last touched her. He was working on a case that had him work long shifts and exhausted him to the point that the only thing she could do was run him a bath and keep him cozy and comfortable so he could sleep well. Her arousal was off the charts, but he had told her that she was not to touch herself until he was done with his case. So she obeyed. She did not touch herself, and frustration grew over time. When he reached out to her, her heart skipped several beats, and she bit her bottom lip. 

"Come on...Mon cœur...I'm waiting.... I'm fucking waiting..."  She whispered, eyes closed, while her hands roamed over her ample chest. She had one leg resting on the armrest of the couch while the other was spread to the other side of the couch. She had closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. 

Then it hit her like a brick wall. He had activated the toy, and she knew that he would not stop until he was home. Traffic at this hour was still dense, so she knew that she had at least one hour of constant vibrations inside her. The program started with intense waves that shook her to the core and made her buck her hips against the air.  Her soft moans tore up the silence that had settled in the living room, and she tried to keep her composure and nonchalantly slapped her hand onto the couch while the other squeezed her breast. "Marc.... Haaaan... it feels so good." She barely managed to moan; her legs were shaking, but she managed to keep them open, so if he ever walked into the room, he would see her splayed shamelessly for him. He would see how ready she was for him.  

The waves of pleasure kept hitting her, relentless like the ocean waves crashing against the shore. Ten minutes in, and she reached her first climax. Unable to keep her screams from escaping her lips, she screamed while her body gave in. Her first orgasm was always powerful. After so long spent without touching herself, she could not help herself and squirted on her couch. Her hair was wet from the sweat slowly forming on her scalp, and she ran both hands through her hair while she shifted on the couch and found herself on her back, legs closed and feet on the couch. She felt hot, too hot to keep her nightgown on, so she pulled it over her head and tossed it on the floor. The program did not stop; it was now sending softer and slower vibrations, allowing the woman to take her breath back while still being stimulated.  She wanted Marc to be on top of her, to bend his head down so he could kiss her. 

She wanted his tongue to play with hers while his hips would keep pushing into her at a slow and lazy pace.  Phoenix imagined his hot seed filling her up, while his cock, now semi-erect from his own climax, was still thrusting into her. Marc was hot. His voice was hot. His laboured breathing as he was trying to catch his breath was sending shivers down her spine. Nix's skin by then was covered in goosebumps. She had a thin layer of sweat covering her soft skin, and her pussy was puffy, soaked, wanting more. She wanted Marc to keep fucking her, to keep showing her how much he loved her. Her hips swayed, and before she knew it, she was kneading her other breast, pulling on her nipple with her fingers while the other hand rubbed her pussy. 

Her grunts filled the room, and she slowly brought her hand to her erect clit. She rubbed it in circular motions, slow and lazy to match the speed of the toy, while her other hand was toying with her nipple. She loved the sensation of the toy and the fact that Marc was controlling her at a distance, keeping her at his mercy, was turning her on. Fuck! It felt good not to have to think too hard about what to do. She saw his face in flashes, the flushed cheeks when he was fucking her. She saw the smiles, the gentleness that came in the afterglow. He always knew how to care for her after he turned her into a messy puddle of nerves. He always knew how to reward her, how to comfort her, and how to bring her back to reality gently. How she loved him. Her eyes shot wide open as the thought crossed her mind. She loved him. Yes! She did! Yes, and the realization coupled with the vibrations picking up in intensity tore off a moan from the woman's lips. 

She wanted him home by then. She needed him home, and her mind was filled with the sensation of his hands running over her smooth legs and finding purchase in her hips. She imagined him helping her turn around so she could get on her knees and rest her hands on the couch's armrest. He would ask her to arch her back so he could take her deeper, and he would stretch her from behind. She liked it when he took her like this. He could have a good view of her fat ass jiggling from his thrust. She could glance at him past her shoulder if she bent a bit more forward and turned her head and shoulders around. He could make her suck his fingers while she held onto the armrest for dear life. He could grab her breasts and squeeze and play with them, and on top of it all, he could take her so deep. 

As she put herself in that position, Phoenix bounced her ass in the air. She pushed her ass back and forth as if she was the one fucking Marc. As he sometimes let her do when he stopped moving. He wanted to see her eager for him. He wanted to see her work his cock, and good god! She loved it. She could feel the delicious friction between her legs, coupled with the vibrations that were back to being hard. Nix's feet hit the couch as pleasure was starting to build up inside her. She tried to hold back, to make it last as long as possible, but she knew that she could not. His naughty words came to her mind as she remembered how he would tell her she was a good girl, that her pussy was wet for him and so hot, that she was tight, oh so fucking tight and yet she was taking him so well. She rolled her eyes deep into her eye sockets and slowly brought her left hand to her lips. She eagerly trapped the index and middle fingers between her lips and started to suck on them. Suck as if she was sucking Marc.  

It was so much that she was overstimulated everywhere. She could feel her juices seep out of her wet, tight cunt and drip on the couch. It was only a matter of time before she squirted again, so when she did, her screams were muffled by her fingers, and she could feel her legs and the couch being ruined by her juices. It made her breathe heavily, and she pushed herself back to sit on her heels.  She rocked her hips, slowly as the program changed back to a slower rhythm and low intensity again, allowing her to ride her orgasm out and take her breath back.  Her skin was wet, drenched in sweat and juices. Her hair was wet and clinging to her neck and face. Her nipples were hard and a little bit painful from her playing too hard with them. So she only stroked her belly, her thighs,  her neck and ran her fingers through her hair. The program started again, and she slid off the couch. 

Phoenix was on the floor and barely managed to stand up.  She was too hot, so hot that she needed to open the windows, but walking to them was so difficult. Her legs were threatening to give up on her with each step she made, but the teacher managed to open the windows, and the fresh air hit her skin, eliciting a moan from her while she barely held on to her feet. Meanwhile, Marc had finally arrived at the compound. He parked his car and jogged his way to the elevator. Mercifully, he turned off the app once he was inside the building so she would be able to take her breath back before he walked into her place. He was wondering how he would find her. What position, the state of her hair, the state of her skin, the eagerness in her face and the memories of the faces she used to make flashed before him. Eager to see her, tight in his pants already, he used the copy of her keys she gave him to open the door, walk into the apartment and close the door behind him. He dropped his backpack in the hallway and found Phoenix at the window. 

"You're home!" 

She dived into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. He wrapped his arms around her waist and noticed that she was shaking in his arms. The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, and a smirk crept on his lips. " You're home! You're home! You're here!" She kept kissing him, and he carried her to the couch. The night was young, and he was far from being done with her. 

-TBC-