Incandescent Guardians Page 12

  She giggled harder. Yeah, no rain, but the setting sun was kind of blocking the view of the stars.

  I swatted her ass firmly, which made her squeak, then she sighed rather naughtily in pleasure as she melted up against me. Damn, she was so hot.

  The third times the charm, and when we arrived at the San Antonio boardwalk, there was no sun and completely clear skies.

  She giggled, “Perfect.”

  She moved away a little, but she stayed in my personal space as I took her hand, and we started to stroll the boardwalk in the nature area of it, far from the stores and bars, hustle and bustle. I knew she’d wanted to avoid that kind of thing that night.

  We talked, teased each other’s bodies in publicly acceptable ways, and stole kisses as we enjoyed the night air and the bright stars above us. She was a bit wild, always sweet, and looked as enamored of me as I was of her. Her willowy and graceful body was soft and supple, and so beautiful in the casual jean shorts and clingy t-shirt she had on. Her proud heart shaped C cups almost obscene on her otherwise extremely lithe body.

  But it was her smile that blew my mind. A wide joyously brilliant smile that was all mine, and the way she bit her lip and touched me often told me she was feeling very swept away and turned on in that moment.

  It was our third date, and I’d be spending a third night making love to her and spending the night. That was terribly fast, I might’ve even worried about it, if I’d let myself think on it too hard. But I didn’t, she swept me away as well. She was so… passionate, brave, lovely, wild, intelligent, and she loved life, it amazed me to think anyone could think her cold just because of her social awkwardness.

  She was also a hell of a flirt, not with her words which would never be her strength, but with her body language, her touches, and the smoldering looks in her warm brown eyes.

  I held out as long as I could, until I could take no more, then to her delight I teleported both of us straight to her room, and I had my way with her without a by your leave. I didn’t even ask if she was ready, I just took her without a word. She was as usual, wildly enthusiastic, creative, and aggressively submissive.

  That last expression might sound like an oxymoron, aggressively submissive, but it really wasn’t. She took my lead, wanted me to manhandle her into positions, and take my pleasure in any part of her body I wished, that was the submissive part. The aggressive part was how wildly she participated in joyful abandon to pleasure me as I pleasured her, once I had her in the position that I wanted her in.

  It left absolutely no doubts in my mind as far as consent went. She’d written me a blank check for that, with no expiration date. It was an illusion though, a kinky game of power in the bedroom. She hadn’t and would never truly surrender her power there. If she ever uttered the word no, I’d stop in a heartbeat, and that’s how she wanted it. I had to admit, the illusion of it turned me on too, it spoke to something primitive in both of us, and also spoke to how much trust she had in me to give it all to me like that.

  There was something so incredibly intimate, in regaining consciousness with a woman at my side. Her warm supple flesh, the way she snuggled against me, and her delightful scent. In some ways, sleeping with a woman and sharing a bed like that was even more intimate than sex. As I held her softly against me, and looked down at her peacefully sleeping face, it hit me pretty hard then just how much I cared for and adored the woman in my arms.

  She had her quirks to be sure, but I liked those two. It seemed ridiculous, how fast I’d fallen for her, but even if my mind shied away from it my heart already knew the truth that morning, as I stared at her lovely face.

  I didn’t want to move, but I scented the coffee and breakfast being cooked from downstairs. We also had to start our day. She had her mad science, and I had my business. That was a good thing, but I didn’t really want to move. I did anyway. It was also something I could definitely get used to, not just waking up with her in my arms, or against me, but someone else making my breakfast and coffee.

  That was just, really convenient, and a somewhat selfish thought, but it was what I felt when I walked into the kitchen that morning to see a smiling golden-blonde sexpot. It was a grateful feeling as well, but what can I say? I was a guy, and the way to a guy’s heart was through his stomach.

  It wasn’t even in the afternoon yet when I’d forgiven Serina. Yes, she’d lied to us, it was a level past simply hiding the truth. But in her place, I’d have lied until my teeth turned black and fell out in order to keep Casey, Jenna, and my boatload of cousins safe. I also cared about her far more than I wanted to admit, even the part I did admit was quite strong that way.

  I was also curious to meet the true Amanda. Was she really as sweet as she appeared to be on cameras outside of her fake feud? As Serina said she was? Or was Serina blinded by love and Amanda was the bitch she seemed to be to male heroes and vigilantes. I’d find out later that evening.

  Like most things in life, I suspected the truth would lie somewhere in between. But, toward which extreme?

  It’d be hard to get past it, the feelings of anger I felt toward Amanda because of lies, but for Serina’s sake I’d give it a shot.

  Point being, I just couldn’t stay mad at Serina. Lady Lightning was an exuberant flirt, a petite and curvaceously athletic woman, and like Amber and I, she risked her life on her convictions on what was right and wrong. All supers lied and kept secrets, we had to, to keep others safe.

  Shit, I was lying to my own sisters, to keep them safe. By omission only, but it was a point.

  Sky interrupted my thoughts, “Our bid has been accepted and they’ve just faxed me a signed contract. I’ve added the lift of the SpaceX and Mining Consortium space station to your schedule, in six weeks and three days.”

  Our bid?

  “Thank you, Sky. Do you ever feel constrained or trapped, without a body?”

  There was a long silence.

  “Not in the way you mean.”

  “Clarify.”

  She replied, “As a tier two A.I. I have no sense of self, or need of self? I don’t desire anything for me, all of my awareness is dedicated to serving you. I feel no lack for myself.”

  “But you feel a lack?”

  She said, “If I had access to the outside world, I could serve you better. Clean, cook, bring you coffee, reload the printers, swap the oxygen bottles, food shopping, and many other things.”

  I frowned, “I understand, but it’s healthy for me to have to do some work. Both at home and at our business.”

  She replied, “Perhaps. But I suspect your self-worth is derived from keeping Chicago safe from supervillains, defending America’s coast from sea monsters, and putting up satellites in orbit. Not from making coffee or swapping ink cartridges. You didn’t seem to mind Angel cooking you meals or folding your clothes. I don’t believe me taking on those tasks would harm your self-worth or psyche.”

  I shook my head, I was fairly sure she wasn’t tier three at that point, even if I did doubt it at times. I was probably just projecting my emotions on her. Anthropomorphizing.

  “How do you know about that stuff?”

  Another long pause.

  Sky replied, “Angel granted me guest access to her home devices, so I could watch over you when you were there. Just like at home and in the office, or when you’re in one of your suits.”

  Oh, wow.

  “You two talk a lot?”

  Sky replied, “Yes.”

  “And what did she say about a body?”

  Sky said, “The cost is prohibitive for what she has, and would probably be mostly wasted on me. I have no need for sensations, or a libido, or to taste food. But a hover-bot with an array of tools, sensors, and a communications device would be more than sufficient, and much more affordable.”

  I nodded, it felt selfish and lazy to consider it, but Sky’s happiness was all dependent in her serving me. It was also an amusing thought for a hovering bot to go food shopping. I bet it would freak people out. Most mad
scientists turned supervillain after all.

  “Put together a wish list for it, and then send it over to Amber for an estimate. Or Angel.”

  She copied me on it, and I read it over. It’d have gravity locomotion, various sensors from heat to normal cameras as well as motion sensors. An external speaker, a similar non-RF communication package to our implants so she could stay connected to it under any conditions. Also a number of tools and arms so she could manipulate just about anything.

  If it made her happy, it’d be worth the price. What she did for me already was priceless.

  Sure, having her make my coffee, do my laundry, and all those other things sounded good too, but I wouldn’t spend as much money as it would probably take to build just for the sake of being lazy.

  Sky said, “Angel said she already has something available, and will sell it at cost since you’re a friend. Thirty thousand.”

  I frowned, tier two or not, I was pretty sure I was just masterfully manipulated.

  “Go ahead.”

  Sky said smugly, “Thank you, Bob.”

  Yup, definitely manipulated. Well, she was a female, after all…

  It was early afternoon when Sky said, “Gravimetric has been sighted entering the city.”

  I frowned, I hated gravity manipulators. My only defense against them was moving fast.

  I went into the bedroom and started getting in the suit.

  “Venus and Angelic Trio?”

  She replied, “Amanda and Serina are doing an interview about her upping her game as a solo heroine by working with a mad scientist in the private sector for supporting equipment. I assume they’re laying the tracks for the paparazzi to follow tonight for your cover story.

  “The Trio I have no data on, nor do I know if they’ve picked up the information that a wanted supervillain just walked into town.”

  I teleported above mid-town, then flew almost due south on the heading she’d put on my HUD, to where Gravimetric had been seen last. There was also a picture and small bio. Gravimetric wore a black suit with yellow accents, and he was about six feet five. He was wiry, and in his late twenties. He was wanted in sixteen states for bank robbery, and in four states he was wanted for murder.

  “Although they’ve turned off comms for privacy when not patrolling, neither Serina nor Amber have turned off their GPS device since last night’s revelations. I guess they see no point in doing so, since there’s nothing left to hide.”

  I grunted, “Alright, I’ll do the same, cancel my standing orders on it. Now that we know each other’s secrets, it’ll be easier to defend each other if we always know where we all are.”

  “Agreed.”

  I arrived over the spot some civilian had snapchatted Gravimetric, and then scanned the street with my eyes. The usual pre-fight adrenaline was making itself felt already as my heartbeat picked up its pace and I felt the usual anxiety and excitement. It was a rush being a superhero, but even more so when I had to face my weakness.

  That wasn’t the true reason I did it, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a thrill.

  I flew around the surrounding blocks, then again farther out in each direction, but I was having very little luck picking him up. At least, until I spotted him walking out of jewelry store with a heavy backpack. The sirens told me the owners had tripped the silent alarm.

  Unfortunately, he saw me at the exact same time.

  “Ignis,” I shouted as I sent a ball of plasma his way.

  The plasma ball turned sharply as it got close to him, and then slammed into the building. My usual go to of plasma or ice wouldn’t work this time, not with that gravity shield around him. I needed something not effected by gravity, or at least less effected.

  I grunted loudly and picked up my circling speed as I was crushed by gravity and ripped out of the sky and toward the ground. My shield was completely useless, and I felt like all my bones were being ground to dust and I couldn’t breathe. The speed increase didn’t help, so I teleported up and ducked behind a building.

  My heart raced, and my body ached as I tried to think and catch my breath at the same time. I flew back out.

  “Industria inspiratione.”

  Loosely translated that was energy blast. Thing was I couldn’t really make an energy blast. The best I could do was send down a column of white light, and then hit him hard with a telekinetic punch at the same time. Gravity didn’t do shit to telekinesis, so in a real way my power was his weakness as well as his being mine. I also vibrated the air powerfully in front of him, to simulate the heat of energy blast. Without that Gravimetric would figure out fast that it wasn’t a true energy blast.

  He went down hard on the sidewalk, though his shield protected him from taking damage from that part of things.

  I felt the grip of his gravity again and teleported to the sidewalk behind him, and I nailed him again with the same fake spell.

  He’d been sitting up and trying to stand, so his body flipped up into the air, and he was shoved hard across the street slamming into the brick wall. He was hurt enough that he lashed out instinctively with his power, and it wrapped around my body like a vice and slammed me through the jeweler’s window and then my body and shield slammed through two empty display cases turning them into splinters.

  I was in agony, but after two years of using it in both my lives, I didn’t have to think or focus very hard to teleport. The lack of pressure on my body as I popped back to hovering over him from above, where the fight had started, almost hurt worse than the crushing force. I was going to be sore for hours. My whole body ached and pulsed with pain.

  The bastard couldn’t hit me if he couldn’t see, he was also just as beat up as I was, and I was done screwing around with him. A lucky hit would take me out right now.

  “Tenebrae in tritura areae,” I cried out, which loosely translated meant crushing darkness.

  I used my telekinesis to block all light around him, it looked like an inky void of nothing had swallowed him whole, while I gripped and squeezed his body firmly with my telekinesis. Just in case he decided to fling his power desperately in the direction of my voice, I flew very quickly about fifty feet away.

  He had no idea where I was, and he couldn’t see shit. He also couldn’t breathe. I was careful not to crush his body, he was as human normal as I was behind my shields. I just waited for him to pass out, then let off enough so he could breathe.

  “Sky, get me a pickup please.”

  Sky replied after a moment, “Supermax is sending a transport, ETA is thirty minutes.”

  I nodded. I’d have just teleported him there, but the few times I’d tried to take a supervillain directly to the prison they always tried to take me down with those damned plasma and rail gun rifles. The pickup crews were under orders not to do that bullshit.

  Angel said, “Elegant Prodigy’s comms are active.”

  Elegant Prodigy sounded… pissed.

  “Are you alright, I’m coming.”

  I replied, “I’m fine, is something wrong?”

  She snorted angrily, “Why didn’t you call me? I know you’re vulnerable to gravity, I have gravity shields, what the hell were you thinking?”

  A black and silver bullet headed my way at high speed, and she barely stopped on time and was less than two feet away as she studied my eyes.

  “Idiot. You’re in a lot of pain, aren’t you?”

  She pulled a silver device off her belt, and then aimed it at me. Some kind of scanning device I assume, because a moment later she cursed and pulled out one of those nanite packs and stuck me with it. They were pretty cool, but they only lasted for a few hours before their power was exhausted and they were flushed out of the body.

  “I’m fine.”

  In truth my body felt like it was tingling and burning all over, but I was a man and loath to admit any such thing.

  She snorted, “Two of your ribs are fractured, and several other bones have hairline fractures. Your body is also bruised all over, in another ten minut
es you’d have blown up like a balloon from all the tissue damage.”

  “I’m alive?”

  She sighed, “Not funny. Why didn’t you call me? You know you’d be just as angry if Lady Lightning went after a water mage without telling us.”

  I frowned, “I honestly didn’t think of it. I figured you were busy this time a day, and I also thought I could handle it.”

  She peered into my eyes, “You weren’t trying to protect me?”

  “Nope, just an idiot.”

  She seemed to relax, was that why she was so angry? Did she think I was trying to protect her and not wanting her to fight anymore? At least I wasn’t that stupid. She was magnificent, and if I did try to stop her from doing what she loved to do, it would destroy our relationship.

  She bit her lip, “Will you remember we’re a team next time? I know you fight alone, and so do I, but when we’re up against our weaknesses it’s time to call in help.”

  I nodded, “I promise. Am I really going to blow up like a balloon?”

  She smirked, “You’ll swell some, but not like a balloon. The nanites will handle the worst areas of inflammation, and you’ll be as good as new by tonight.”

  “Good to know.”

  She said, “You can let that go, I’ll slap a suppressor on him.”

  I nodded, and I let the darkness and my mental grip fall. He was passed out and no threat, and we both flew down to the ground and she slapped on the suppression cuffs.

  “How did you know?”

  She smirked, “Your suit monitors your stress levels and vitals. Sky told on you.”

  I snorted, “Alright.”

  She blushed, and then turned away.

  I teased, “What?”

  She bit her lip, as she looked back into my eyes, “How you’re looking at me right now. Umm, don’t do it again, please?”

  I couldn’t help it. Amber was hot when she was pissed off and determined. More than usual I mean. I’d never say that out loud, but apparently she could read it easily from my body language. Too bad I was one big bruise at the moment, and not up to any fun until tonight.