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Chapter X - Hurts so Good

"... mysterious cloud has moved northeast into Russia where citizens are being evacuated for their own safety. There are, however, large numbers of civilians who voluntarily remain within the path of the cloud or even camp out at its projected trajectory. They appear to carry with them little more than their camping gear, music players, cult classic films and an excessive amount of Cheetos."

Caleb grimaced, running a paw down his face as he listened. The news reports coming in from all over the world were far from flattering. While certainly not as bad as a nuclear explosion, his 'mushroom cloud' had triggered what some were already calling a 'Flying Woodstock'. The cloud was ultimately deemed harmless and would dissipate after a few days. That only meant that some of the most dedicated stoners had just two or three days to fly to the miasma and get bonged out of their gourd.

The members of Assault_had to be taken into the medical wing of the _Cornucopia, of course, until they came down. So did the members of the Gimp's Alpha, Delta and Gamma Teams. The Gimp, himself had been confined to the most secure section of the mobile base with powerful anti-super fields in effect to keep even Dragon Knight away. Doctors estimated that the effects of the psychedelic spores would end within an hour or so. Some were already coming down. Supers like Lance and David crashed much faster though they had a serious headache afterwards. Elliot was out of commission entirely and last he heard, the orca had to be restrained as his dick was starting to get raw from all the rubbing.

AEGIS itself was already heading straight to Toronto. They extracted what they could from the Gimp's base and then moved on before Indian authorities could move in and identify the source of the disturbance.

"In other news, the legendary Grinning Buddha seems to have been located. Authorities are already poring over the site and -"

He switched off the monitor, groaned and slapping his paws against his face while leaning back in the chair. Alone in his spartan room, he was left with only his thoughts and the Gimp's haunting words. The bastard had stabbed him with a knife and twisted it over and over again, laughing while he suffered. Everything they had done was for nothing since Arsenal hadn't been at the base. At least that's what Wilhelm Whip would have him believe. Caleb refused to go down that path. They had captured the Gimp, got allies in Trent and some other defectors from Delta Team and were now on their way to Toronto.

Now, he was just waiting for the call too -

A beeping came from his monitor and he immediately jumped to press the 'receive' button on the internal chat app.

Jacob's features appeared on screen.

"You doing okay?" asked the No One.

"Okay all things considered," he admitted, offering a brave smile. "Honestly more exhausted than anything. I really didn't know what would happen when I used my powers on that nuke."

"You did well. Sorry I couldn't be of any help."

He leaned forward and frowned. "Actually, about that. Why didn't you help? What was with that 'banana' shit?"

Jacob smiled and gave him a helpless shrug. "Just a little 'in' joke between me and the Gimp. And honestly, I had faith in you. Just as I have faith in the members of Arsenal lasting another day or so as we get to Toronto and kick the Gene Stealer's ass." He jerked his head over his shoulder. "Speaking of which, we're ready to have the meeting about that. Head on over."

This was the call he had been waiting for. Though it had only been a few short hours since they had left India and he was bone tired, Caleb was eager to understand what the plan was to assault the Legion of Pain's base in Toronto. With all the data that AEGIS had gathered from the Gimp's base, they hopefully had an idea of what was to come.

"I'll be right there," he announced, already out of his seat before he finished talking.

With a flick of a finger, the screen went blank and Caleb hurried out of his room towards the conference.

Which member of the Legion of Pain would be next? Running through his mental checklist he wondered if it would be the nefarious Traumatiser, the villain capable of forcing people to relive their most traumatic experiences. Would it be the Scalpel, the vigilante-turned-supervillain who cut people with surgery-themed weaponry? Could it be Migraine, the genius villain capable of inflicting crippling headaches upon people? Maybe it would be Pins and Needles, the puckish twins whose only power was really to give their targets that uncomfortable feeling after having blood circulation cut off to a limb temporarily?

Their abilities and powers seemed a little on the weaker side of the spectrum - a reason they were classified as D-class villains - but Caleb remembered that both the Gimp and Tibia were similarly categorized and yet they had caused so much pain to Assault_and _AEGIS as a whole. Who would be their next opponent and would they have Lars and the others imprisoned at their location?

With a grim cloud following him with every step, Caleb reached the conference room. There was so much less tension compared to when the Elemental Alliance was present but in its place was a dark depression that sucked the energy from the room. Samson and David stood on opposite ends of the room, arms crossed in an almost mirror-like stance. Leon was perched on one of the tables, cleaning his rifle in a militaristic way while his twin brother, Lance, had his head buried in his four arms next to him. Elliot stood next to the holographic display that was showing the profile of 'Migraine'. Nathan Rage stood stiffly beside the orca, hands behind his back while Jacob stood off to the side, far away from the projection and seemingly in his own corner. Caleb shuffled over to his best friend while Elliot fired off some half-assed comment at his expense.

"Now that everyone is here," sighed the orca, "let's talk about Mattias Marigold Mariposa Matthew Matthews. AKA Migraine."

Caleb frowned at the name, trying to lighten the mood. "'Matthew Matthews'? Really? Did this guy really need any more M's in his name?"

Elliot shot him a foul look. "Apparently, Mattias is a Christian. In fact, he practices a form of Christianity that celebrates the rite of Confirmation. Part of this, in his belief at least, this involves them taking on Saint's name. Not legally_of course but Mattias' parents were _super-_Christian to the point where the had his name changed to match. Thus, the fourth 'M' in what has got to put the _M&Ms brand to shame." Their resident super-genius turned back towards the screen which showed a dour looking man with heavy bags under his eyes and a rather enlarged forehead. Appeared to be of Caucasian descent with strawberry blonde hair and deep, sunken, brown eyes.

"Migraine came to his powers right about when he was fourteen," continued Elliot. "However, he was one of those supers who developed his powers in stages. They first manifested in a near-constant headache. At first, his parents dismissed it as a child wanting attention however, when the annual super-test came around, they discovered that Mattias was indeed a super."

Samson grimaced. "His parents wouldn't happen to be Ultilarians would they?"

"They are, actually."

The werewolf king shook his head and grunted. "I was afraid of that."

"Ultilarians?" Caleb asked. "You mean those ultra-conservative Christians that don't believe that Jesus Christ came down as a wolf fur to bridge the gap between fur and humans, consider furs 'nonhuman' and supers as deviants?"

"Not to mention being against abortion, gay rights, female equality and_anti-extraterrestrial expansion." Samson was counting off the offences with his fingers. "They seriously believe that any good Christian should remain on Earth and anyone who tries to leave is basically as bad as the people who built the Tower of Babel. They _encourage_euthanizing any child _born on another planet."

The rather violent reaction from Samson was surprising. "You're really worked up about this."

"Yeah," David grunted. "What? Don't tell me you're Christian too."

"Of course not," scoffed Samson. "I'm fairly sure that if I so much as step inside a Church, angels would come down from Heaven and 'quietly ask me to leave'." He huffed and averted his gaze. "I just despise Ultilarians for the simple fact that they keep sending their 'Inquisitors' after us every now and then. Seriously, I can't take my family out to one trip to Rome without Ultilarians trying to lynch us."

Elliot pressed a button on the remote he had, switching to another image of Migraine. "Moving on," he muttered. "As much as you can expect, Migraine's parents immediately disowned him and threw him out of the house. He went into the 'Fostering the Future' program which was just a front by the villain, Shadow Hand, to recruit up-and-coming supers and train them to be part of his Shadow Guild."

This story was already told many times before. Migraine probably trained under Shadow Hand, became an elite fighter or something and eventually tried to strike out on his own. Didn't quite make it so now he was classified as a D-level villain until the Gene Stealers got to him. Likely turned to Chimera's crew after he realised he couldn't make it without the help of others.

"This is where the story gets good," Elliot said, trying to force a smile but it was clear he was tired and nervous about the upcoming fight. "Migraine's powers continued to evolve as he grew older. His headaches grew more and more intense until they eventually developed into full-on migraines. They were so bad, he couldn't sleep. Then, when he was eighteen, his powers began affecting those around him, giving them a fraction of his pain. Shadow Hand saw the potential in this and trained Migraine to be able to better control his own powers to the point where he can transfer all of his pain to someone else." Elliot lifted a finger. "But then came the problem. Migraine's headaches only grew more and more intense as the years went by. Before, if he focused all of his pain on one person, he would finally be able to sleep. However, as time went on, he would have to transfer the pain onto two people, then three, then four and so far and so on. It became so bad that whenever he _wasn't_focusing his powers on someone, he would feel the full-blown migraines of up to twenty people at a time."

Caleb winced at the thought. He had never suffered from a migraine in his life but he had heard it was like someone was squeezing down on the front of his face really hard. To have that inflicted on one person over an extended period of time and multiplied by twenty must have been utterly crippling.

"Shadow Hand could no longer support Migraine as, devastating as his powers may have been, he had other recruits that needed training. So he just tossed Mattias out on his ass."

"Typical villain for you," David grunted. "Uncaring and selfish."

"Talking about anyone in particular, Dave?" Samson asked snarkily.

David's hackles rose and he bared his fangs. "What did you say, bitch?"

Elliot held up his hands. "Whoa! Save the testosterone for after the presentation. We're only a few more hours until Toronto and then we'll be facing this guy."

Just a few more hours. Fresh from having fought the Gimp and his mind games and they would be facing another member of the Legion of Pain. No wonder everyone was tired and on edge.

"Migraine started branching out to find ways to amplify his powers," Elliot said, hastening his speech as David and Samson continued to stare daggers at one another from across the room. "He raided research centres, stole technology and funds and tried to build some device that was meant to transfer all his pain to other people at a constant rate without him having to consciously do it."

"Why is this guy a D-Level villain?" Leon asked. "Sounds like he's done a lot of damage and is actually pretty dangerous."

"He's D-level because he literally can't work with anyone and is a solo act," Elliot responded. "Plus, you really just have to leave him alone and he'll knock himself unconscious from his own migraines." The orca lifted a finger. "Think about it. He comes into your lab and tries to steal the super-expensive technology. He's not really strong apart from the standard super-level baseline powers so he might be able to haul a few more crates out than everyone else but as soon as he's out of range of literally anyone else, he'll fall over from pain and eventually black out. That's it. Plus, no one wants to work for him as it's guaranteed that he's going to force some people to take the brunt of his headaches just so he can think."

What a pitiful existence. In constant pain, no one willing to be near him and cast out from both the lawful and villainous societies for being a danger to everyone else. Caleb couldn't condone what Migraine was doing but he also had to pity the poor guy. Had Mattias been raised in a more accepting household, maybe he could've ended up with the Elemental Alliance or some other superhero organisation and found some way to control his powers. He didn't have to live the solitary life of a loner villain. That constant strain couldn't have been good for his mental health.

Come to think of it, this constant fighting couldn't be good for minds of everyone in the room.

"So how do we stop him?" Lance asked. "Sounds like we can't get anywhere near him."

Elliot began going over strategies which gave Caleb a change to shuffled closer to Jacob. "Hey Jake," he began in a whisper, "I was thinking... Do you think we can stall the _Cornucopia_a little before we hit Toronto?"

Jacob stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you going to kill me and eat my flesh to get my powers?"

The accusation made him backpedal a little. "Wait... What?"

"Sorry," answered the black-furred wolf, holding up a paw. "Mushrooms make me maudlin in this body, apparently. I'm still fighting to get it out of my system."

"Didn't you _make_this body? Why would you... erm... program something like that in there?"

"Actually, my husband was the one that made this for me. He likes to put little kinks in each physical form I take when visiting a reality. There was this one time" - Jacob broke into a little grin - "he actually gave me two bodies. Whenever I would fall asleep, my consciousness would jump from one body to the other and he totally didn't tell me about it. One body was awake Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The other was awake Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. He would keep sneaking one body into the place of the others just to mess with me." A lewd smile crossed his features. "Man, when I figured it out, we had so much fun..."

Caleb inched a little away from his friend. "Erm... Okay." Lowered his voice again, he said, "Listen, everyone is a little down right now and I think they're still exhausted from the Gimp thing. Do you think maybe we can put the brakes on the _Cornucopia_for a bit? Maybe just for a night to give everyone a break?"

Jacob gave him a point-blank stare. "If I pull the brakes on the Cornucopia this huge-ass starship is going to plunge into the Pacific Ocean and probably go up in a radioactive explosion big enough to take out half of West California Island. One of the reasons the Elemental Alliance was so opposed to us hovering around the place." He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry... sorry... mushrooms." He lifted his eyebrows and sighed. "Okay... A little break sounds like a good idea but aren't you worried about Lars and the others? I mean, we've tried to contact the Elemental Alliance and they've told us that they've lost contact with the team that they sent to Toronto."

That was terrible news. Active supers from the Alliance falling into the Gene Stealers' hands was bad enough but he recalled Samson's warning to the Alliance. There were so many supers in the Elemental Tower and if an outbreak occurred, that would mean thousands_of either well-trained supers or hormonal teenagers aspiring to be supers running around, enhanced as Gen 4s all over West California Island. He couldn't imagine any career super willingly stepping aside because they were infected or letting him cure them, not after all the animosity between the _Arsenal and the Alliance.

"I'm sure they can last one more night," Caleb said. "I mean, if we head in there without all cylinders blasting, then we might end up getting captured. What good will that be then?"

Jacob gave him a proud smile. "That's a really mature and considerate idea, Caleb." He clapped Caleb's shoulder affectionately. "Good job. You're really growing up to be one hell of leader."

"Hey!" David barked suddenly from the other side of the room. "What the hell are you two whispering about? Care to share with the rest of the class?"

Caleb's ears folded back, that awful feeling of being chastised in class bubbling in his stomach again. "Uh... Well, see..."

"Caleb was just suggesting that we actually delay our approach into Toronto at least until tomorrow morning," said Jacob, taking a step forward. "We're all tired. A little rattled form the Gimp's mind games and there's clearly something that happened between you two." He pointed a finger between David and Samson. "Now apart from Leon, you two were the only guys that we didn't see at the missile so I'm guessing you two ran into each other or something. I'm also thinking you guys fucked."

The Hale sons immediately went rigid with Leon accidentally discharging his stasis rifle while Lance was suddenly sitting up, staring at his dad in terror.

Caleb's jaw hit the floor and he jumped away from his best friend. "Jake!" he cried. "What the hell!?"

Jacob's eyes were squarely on the two alpha males. Then, the two men quickly shared a glance and Caleb knew something had happened.

"Oh fuck..." he groaned. "You guys did have sex! Dad!"

"What the hell, old man!?" Leon roared. "What about mom!?"

"Who was on top?" Lance asked quietly.

David, thrown into a panic, exclaimed, "It was the mushrooms! The mushrooms made us do it!"

"The hell it was!" Samson roared, slamming a fist against the metal wall and causing a sizable dent. "You wanted it, Hale! You were begging for it! You were begging for my dick!"

"Fuck you, Samson! Oh wait, I already did!"

Caleb felt Jacob's paw around his arm and he was steered away from what quickly erupted into a verbal brawl. They slipped out of the conference room and the sounds of shouting ended when the door sealed shut. He turned towards his fellow wolf with a desperate need for understanding. "Why..." he whined. "Why would you do that?"

"If you want to be a good leader, you've got to look past what people say and see exactly how they feel," Jacob said sagely. "This is clearly eating them inside and it wouldn't do to have that explode on the battlefield. Besides, this gives us time to set up the party you were planning."

He jerked back in surprise. "Party? I wasn't planning a party. I just wanted a few more hours before we got to Toronto and faced down Migraine."

Jacob pursed his lips and shook his head lightly. "Not going to be enough. If you leave people to just stew in their stress with nothing to do, they're just going to get worse. We need to get them to take the load off."

"You want to have an orgy?"

It was Jacob's turn to give him an incredulous look. "What? No! Why - How - No!"

"Sorry. I'm just... still picturing Samson on top of my dad and..."

"You think Samson was the top?"

His lifted an eyebrow. "You think he wasn't?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Jacob said with a shrug. "It could go either way, to be honest. I mean your dad could chain up Samson, hold him down with some metal. Samson could knock your dad back with some stored kinetic energy. It's a rich topic that I'm honestly a little uncomfortable to explore."

There was a loud crash from the other side door.

"Yeah, me too," Caleb said. "If we're doing this, we need something to really calm them down."

"Booze?"

"Lots of it."

Jacob placed his paws on his hips and gave him an awkward smile. "Unfortunately, Nate doesn't like keeping any alcohol on the ship. I've got my own stash in my room but I don't think it'll be enough to keep a bunch of wound up supers sloshed for very long." Legion glanced off to the right, away from the sound of another crash and a faintly muffled scream. "Where can we get more booze in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?"

Caleb snapped his fingers. "Hey, don't you have that key that lets you open a literal door into any place you want?"

"My Key to Infinity? Yeah. I suppose I do. But it's kind of tricky to use. The deities of this world didn't like the idea of adding omnipresence to my already large arsenal so they're only letting me use it to get to and from the Cornucopia. I won't be able to use it to go back to West California if I'm already_on the _Cornucopia."

"Damn..."

A mischievous spark entered Jacob's eyes. "Although... you just gave me an idea." He turned and gestured for Caleb to follow. "Come with me."

There was another loud crash from the conference room, causing Caleb to flinch. With every reason not to be in the immediate vicinity of his dad and Samson, he eagerly followed Jacob down into the depths of the carrier-class starship. A quick elevator ride later and they were in the very same prison cells that had once contained Lars and the rest of Arsenal. With Felix and the rest of Tibia's Boneheads now loyal to AEGIS, the cells were reserved for those amongst the Gimp's Bondsmen who were still on the fence.

And, of course, the big man himself.

Wilhelm Whip sat in the cell farthest from the entrance, crouched in one of the corners of the hexagonal, vertical prison and stripped of his revealing leather clothing. Jacob strode confidently across the gangway until he was right over the Gimp. A sardonic smile touched the villain's features as he caught sight of Legion.

"Come to gloat, Reaper?" asked Whip, his voice easily carrying up the tall walls of the cell. "Come to finally hold up your end of the bargain and kill me?"

Caleb was surprised at that statement. "When did you agree to kill him?"

"When he says the safe word," Jacob answered dismissively. "And no, Wilhelm, I'm not here to kill you. You said 'banana' while you were not of the right frame of mind. So I'm giving you a free pass."

Whip let out a single, bitter laugh. "Are you sure that isn't just an excuse so you do not have to bloody your own paws?"

Jacob gestured cordially towards the leather-themed super. "Please, go ahead and say it again. I'm more than willing to end your life now that you're of the same state of mind. It'll help put a theory of mine to the test."

The Gimp rose from where he was seated. Even though they had at least fifty feet of sheer, unscalable walls between them, Caleb still felt like the Gimp was looming over him. "Theory? What theory would this be?"

Legion folded his arms thoughtfully. "The Gene Stealers aren't dumb. Tibia, in particular, is someone who is extremely adamant about not adhering to the clichés that comes with being a super, hero or villain. Yet I find it fascinating that even though we had you on the ropes for a long while, Dragon Knight didn't open up a portal and send Tibia crashing in at any given time. I have this inkling that you were doing exactly what the Gene Stealers wanted from you by keeping us occupied but if Tibia had come in to further distract us, maybe that nuke would've gone off after all."

That was painfully true. Dragon Knight had apparently snatched Tibia from AEGIS just mere moments before the pachyderm's dropship had been taken. What was stopping the draconic Gene Stealer from just dropping in and out, rescuing or reinforcing the forces that were already there at Grinning Buddha?

"We were also down to the wire," Jacob continued. "Unless the Gene Stealers were completely confident in your ability to delay us and survive a nuclear explosion at point blank range, I'm wondering why Dragon Knight didn't come in to save you."

The Gimp cocked his head to the side and smirked, his dark eyes gleaming past his monstrous horns. "Perhaps they're just willing to let me die so that I may haunt your dreams."

"No. I don't think that's it. The Gene Stealers are evil, no doubt, but I sincerely doubt that they're willing to let you blow yourself up. Not after the effort they put in to ensuring Tibia didn't do exactly the same thing. You still have a use to them. Not enough, however, to risk their entire operations but enough that I'm willing to wager Dragon Knight is consistently trying to open a portal here and rescue you. Which is why..."

Jacob reached out with his right paw. A holographic display sprang into existence in front of him and with a few tabs of the keys, the sound of a machine winding down filled the chamber. Caleb's fur stood on end and the Gimp lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"What are you doing?" demanded Whip.

"I'm disabling the anti-super fields," Jacob responded, tapping a few more keys.

"You fool!" laughed the Gimp. "That means I can do this!" He thrust his hands forward, making Caleb immediately flinch.

Only nothing happened.

"No _your_anti-super fields. Dragon Knight's."

Before Caleb could protest, a bright blue shimmering portal suddenly appeared behind the Gimp. The large, elliptical ring of energy shimmered for a brief moment as the immense form of Dragon Knight stepped out. One of the original Gene Stealers was shorter than the Gimp, coming only about seven feet tall - technically eight or nine with his folded wings - but he was lean, muscular and had this aura of menace about him. Tight-fitting black and silver armour clung to his chest. The accentuated muscles on his cuirass seemed more like they were caused by the sheer size of his muscles bending the metal from beneath than actually being crafted to appear like a sculpted torso. His arms were free of armour save for a pair of bracers. A plaid red and black kilt hung around his waist, teasing at the package that was hidden beneath. Caleb could only guess whether he wore the kilt as a tribute to some Scottish heritage or because it would be easier given the presence of his long, muscular tail and wing.

The Knight glanced at the Gimp and then up at the two wolves looking down upon them. "You know," he began lazily, shooting the Gimp a bored look, "I suspected this might be a trap but I had held hope of hopes that you had actually been somewhat competent and managed to escape."

"Then congratulations are in order," snapped Whip. "You're just as trapped as I am now. The moment Reaper switches on those anti-super fields, you're trapped here as well."

Jacob lifted a finger a waggled it while clucking his tongue. "Oh Wilhelm, you've missed the point." He beckoned for Dragon Knight. "Come up here. I'd like to make a deal."

"A deal with the Reaper," Dragon Knight scoffed. "This should be entertaining."

Another portal opened in front of him as the one behind him closed. Dragon Knight stepped through as a third orange one sprang up in front of Caleb. The wolf staggered back as Dragon Knight stepped through.

One of the first ever Gene Stealers bowed elegantly towards Jacob. "I don't believe we've formally been introduced. I am Aloysius Crow. Otherwise known as Dragon Knight."

Jacob returned the bow. "Jacob Samuel Reaper. In this world, I also go by the superhero alias of 'Legion' though I'm also known as 'R3 the Writer of Reality' in some circles."

Dragon Knight lifted one scaly eyebrow. "Good to know." He straightened and folded his arms behind his back just as the portal behind him closed. "So what is this deal you wish to make."

A sheepish grin crossed Jacob's features. "Well, after having just beaten the Gimp, we're heading to Toronto to go after Migraine."

"Jake!" Caleb exclaimed. "Why the hell are you telling him our plans!?"

"Please, they probably already know," Jacob said with a shrug. "Remember, he opened a portal here within seconds of me deactivating the anti-super field so he can probably guess where we're heading." He inclined his head at Dragon Knight. "Tell me, how'd you track us? Is it that you were actively pinging every location in the Pacific Ocean for any places you can't open a portal into?"

Dragon Knight seemed impressed. "Exactly right."

"Thought so." Reaper shrugged. "Anyway, Caleb here had the brilliant idea to delay our approach into Toronto and assault Migraine because, let's face it, we're all a little tired."

Caleb was utterly horrified. "Jake!" Why was Jacob telling him that they were weakened? He was basically opening AEGIS and Assault to a full-on attack from the Gene Stealers.

"You are very trusting with your information," Dragon Knight mulled. "You should take heed of your young apprentice's surprise. You have just revealed that you are very much open to attack."

"Yeah, I know." Jacob sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, I don't know if I can fully control my powers if I'm this tired. I mean, I could accidentally kill someone. Or everyone. I mean, you guys_do_ know that the only thing keeping my weapons from destroying the entire world is my control over them, right?"

That made Caleb take a step back in shock.

"No... I did not," admitted Dragon Knight.

"Oh yeah. I mean just imagine what would happen if I didn't regulate Sturmspalter's power with my own thoughts. Imagine a world-wide_catastrophic lightning storm mixed with crippling EMP blasts and dragons made out of electricity rampaging across every city centre, electrifying the oceans and killing _everything in there while blocking out the sun in a near-constant thunderhead that just will not go out." Jacob held up a finger, looking absently off to the side. "Or imagine Mugen Kosetsu heralding a new ice age. I_did_ mention that the blade stores power and if I hadn't directed the power of the weapon into making that awesome storm of ice lions, I probably could've covered all of India, maybe even all of_Asia_ in a hundred feet of snow. I had to expend some of Mugen Kosetsu's power to shape the ice like those lions, after all."

Caleb paled and even Dragon Knight seemed a little terrified.

"I see," murmured the draconic Gene Stealer. "So what do you plan to do?"

"Well, like I said, Caleb wants us to take a bit of a break," Jacob continued. "We're thinking of throwing a surprise party but the thing is, we're currently in the middle of the ocean and we don't have any portal tech on board that wouldn't immediately alert everyone that we're off doing something if triggered. So I got to thinking. Who do I know can manipulate portals?" He beamed and gestured with both paws at Dragon Knight. "And then I remember, Dragon Knight! He has the ability to open portals!"

"So..." Dragon Knight inclined his head slightly. "You want me to open a portal for you...? Where?"

"Just to my apartment in West California Island. I can take it from there. We just need to sneak some supplies onto the Cornucopia and set up the party. You don't have to worry past that. Unless you want to come?"

"Don't invite _him_to the party!" Caleb exclaimed, waving his paws in horror. "He's the enemy!"

"I would rather not attend anyway," Dragon Knight huffed. "And what exactly do I get from this favour?"

Jacob grinned and there was a sinister edge to it. "The Gimp."

Caleb couldn't believe his ears. His best friend - his_possibly insane_ - best friend, was just offering up the best leverage they had against the Gene Stealers for a trip to his apartment! They could extract all sorts of information from Wilhelm Whip! They could discover the Gene Stealers' plans or even their base! But here was Jacob, trading all of that potential to throw a party!

Even Whip seemed opposed to the idea.

"What the hell!?" roared the Gimp. "You're going to trade me off just for a trip back to your own home!?"

Jacob quickly glanced down at the still-imprisoned Gimp. "Hush now, Willie, the adults are talking."

Incensed at being dismissed and talked to like a child, Whip raged but was ignored.

"An... interesting proposal," Dragon Knight murmured. "This will be a one-way trip. I will not be you chaperon and wait for you to return with what you need. You will need to take care of your return trip."

"I got that covered. It's getting there in secret that I need help with."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Caleb howled. He seized Jacob by the shoulders and forcibly turned his friend to face him. "Jake, think about what you're doing!"

Jacob smiled at him, a spark of... something in his deep, blue eyes. "I have. Just trust me, Caleb."

Though it pained every inch of him and every fibre of his being, Caleb slowly released his friend and took a step back.

"Are there any other terms I should know about?" Dragon Knight asked.

"You have to drop us off exactly in my apartment," Jacob said. "No dropping us off in the middle of the air, into walls or anything funny. No cutting off the portal midway either."

The draconic Gene Stealer held up his hand. "You have my word that you will arrive safely in your apartment and depart this place unharmed."

"Great! You sure you don't want to come to the party? There's gonna be booze!"

"I'll pass," rumbled Dragon Knight. Then he held out his clawed hand. "Do we have an agreement?"

"Yep!" Jacob enthusiastically shook Dragon Knight's offered hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, Aloysius."

"Same with you, Jacob."

The Gimp banged his fists against the walls of his cell. "Don't I have a say in this!?"

Dragon Knight shot the rhino a withering look. "No."

A portal immediately opened beneath the Gimp and without further ceremony, the leather-themed villain dropped right through and disappeared from view. The dragon then turned to his left and waved a hand absently into the air. Another portal sprang up, revealing Jacob's bedroom beyond.

"I will take my leave of you now," said the honourable knight. "The portal will remain open for all of a minute. I suggest you pass through it before it closes. There will _not_be another opportunity." Dragon Knight then opened one last portal behind him and disappeared through it.

Jacob, beaming, tapped a few buttons on the holographic display, seemingly setting a timer for when the anti-super fields would reactivate. Just a short ten seconds. Realising the rush, Caleb jumped through the portal and found himself solidly in the same bedroom he had spent the night just a few weeks ago. Jacob followed a short while later. When ten seconds were up, the portal winked out of existence.

He turned towards his blonde-haired friend, wincing with his ears folded. "Please tell me you've got an explanation."

Jacob's grin became a dark, almost malicious one. "I've just planted the biggest bomb in the middle of the Gene Stealers' operations."

"Huh?"

"Think about it, Caleb. The Gimp is obsessed with me. The Master of Pain has declared himself my nemesis. Quite fitting considering how I can't feel pain. Now, I've just traded him off for a party. How do you think that'll make him feel?"

Were he in Wilhelm's shoes, he would feel utterly humiliated. His nemesis, the powerful Legion, had literally looked down on him from on high and treated him like a child. Worse, Reaper had just sold him off back to the Gene Stealers for little more than a wave of Dragon Knight's hands. If someone treated him like that, he'd be really pissed and eager to get back out there and prove himself worthy of his nemesis' attention. Recalling Samson's words about a nemesis, he could see the Gimp going out of his way to defy the Gene Stealers and making sure Jacob suffered.

"You bastard..." he whispered softly. "You expect the Gimp to do whatever he can to get back at you. Maybe even go through the Gene Stealers."

Jacob tapped the side of his muzzle lightly. "Exactly." He gave Caleb a light punch on the shoulder. "Thanks for playing along, by the way. I don't think I could've gotten away with it had you not been constantly objecting."

Not that he was really 'playing along' with anything but Caleb was at least glad to be of some use. "Uh... Your welcome, I guess." He quickly averted his gaze. "So... What do you think we need to get for this party to get off the ground? Alcohol is one thing. Food is another."

"Entertainment," Jacob concluded. "We don't want everyone drunk and eating without any purpose. There's obviously a lot of aggression in the team so we need to make sure people throw their punches at something else instead of one another."

"What're you thinking? Maybe grab an entertainment system? Watch a few movies?"

"I don't know about you but I really don't imagine either your dad or Samson sitting around a couch and watching the same movie. Plus we don't really know what movies they both like. Samson strikes me as a sort of 'historic piece' or 'based on at true story' sort of guy."

Caleb shook his head while his tongue was stuck out. "Yeah, my dad would hate that." An idea sprung to mind and he snapped his fingers. "Oh hey, why don't we get them a NintendoXii? That's always fun for parties!"

Jacob lifted an eyebrow. "I've always wondered how that's pronounced. Is it like 'zshee', 'twelve' as in the Roman numerals or 'ecks-see'?"

"It's actually 'sai'. Apparently it's got something to do with 'keys' or something but I can't remember. Their whole purpose was to make controversy around the pronunciation so people would be more inclined to buy it. All news is good news, apparently."

"At least when it comes to publicity. I'd also rather not start a flame war between Xbox, Playstation and PC enthusiasts."

"Dad's Playstation_all the way. I'm thinking Samson would go _Xbox just on principle." He smirked to himself. "And you know Elliot is all about PC-Master-Race." His ears perked forward. "What's your favourite console?"

"None. Back in my original world, we had the fully-immersive simulation games. You guys are still a long way away from that sort of tech especially since this world seems to breed a lot of obsessive people. The moment you build an MMO into something like that, you won't see people for days. Plus the power requirements were astronomical compared to what you guys currently output."

Caleb inclined his head slightly. "Really? You don't talk about your home that much. What was it like?"

"There's a reason to that. Spoilers."

Suddenly, the door to Jacob's door burst open. Felix came charging in, swinging a frying pan and letting out a roar. Both wolves let out mirroring cries, holding out their paws in surrender. The huge elephant stopped short of leaving a pan-shaped indentation in Caleb.

"Jesus Wolf Christ!" Felix cried, lowering the pan. "It's you two! I thought we were being burgled!"

"It'd take some really special kind of idiot to burgle a super's apartment let alone one in the middle of AEGIS Central," Jacob said.

"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were both off in India facing off against the Gene Stealers."

"We were," Caleb said, trying to calm his heart. "We beat the Gimp but Lars and the others weren't there. The Cornucopia is headed to Toronto to support the Elemental Alliance but I thought the guys needed a bit of a break. Everyone is a little high-strung right now." An idea sprang to his mind. "Hey Felix, you're into parties right? We're organising one on the ship. Think you can help?"

Felix gave him a quizzical look. "Uh... Sure. I guess. What kind of party are we talking about?"

"Just something to get everyone to relax a little before heading off to face against Migraine. We'll need food, drinks and entertainment. Think we need anything else?"

Relaxing a little, Felix said, "Shit... if it's that kind of party..."

"No illicit drugs!" Jacob exclaimed suddenly. "Nothing to 'enhance perception' or anything like that. We just came out of a cloud of psychedelic mushroom spores. Not doing that again."

"That was you?" Felix shrugged. "And I wasn't thinking that. People are going to have sex, man. You need to make sure everyone is protected. Gotta get some rubber!"

The blood drained from Caleb's features. He hadn't thought about that. With alcohol in the mix and stress at all time highs, he was fairly sure someone would find some reason to literally 'take the load off'. The last thing he wanted was some unwanted pregnancies running amongst AEGIS or awkward mornings after.

"AEGIS has a lot of trained men and women who are professionals in every matter of the world," Jacob said. "I'm sure they'll conduct themselves in a manner fitting a celebration. But just in case, I suppose that would be wise. Can I trust you to procure that?"

"So long as I'm invited," answered Felix, grinning cheekily.

"Might as well."

"Sweet! You're the best roommate I've ever had! I'll wake up the rest of the guys. We'll grab snacks, drinks and probably some basic supplies. Where do you wanna meet?"

"Just back here in an hour. I'll get us back to the Cornucopia. In the meantime..." Jacob turned back to Caleb. "Let's see about getting that Xii."

******

Even before the hour was up, the Boneheads were already pooling into Jacob's apartment with the supplies they needed. Using his_Key to Eternity,_ Jacob opened a white door straight back to the Cornucopia particularly to an unused hanger. He mentioned that the hanger was supposed to store some fighters that a normal carrier-class starship would be able to deploy at a moment's notice but since AEGIS never resorted to open warfare, the hanger was left unused. Beers and wines of all sizes and flavours were brought in through the door alongside tables, chairs and various kinds of food that Felix and his men could get in short notice. It didn't take long for AEGIS to notice, however.

"Care to explain?" Nate Rage asked, having stormed the hanger with about ten, heavily armed _AEGIS_operatives.

"We're throwing a party!" Jacob announced, throwing his paws into the air. "Grab some boxes from my place and help set up."

Rage pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why in the name of all that is good and holy would you want to throw a party at this time? Also, why did you let the Gimp and Dragon Knight get away!?"

"All that will be explained later. Right now, everyone just needs a second to breathe and relax. So help out or grab a beer. Your choice."

With a groan, Rage eventually moved to help out. The order was given to halt the Cornucopia's_advance after he and Jacob spoke while setting up one of the many entertainment systems around the hanger. Just a short hour later, everything was set up and Rage then made the announcement for all _AEGIS_members and guests to report to the hanger. The party went into swing well before then with music and food already being consumed before the rest of the _Cornucopia flooded in.

There were very confused looks from the members of Assault especially from Leon who seemed a little annoyed that they were partying_while everyone else was in danger but after a few beers, he was being held upside down at the beer keg, chugging its contents to the sounds of riotous cheers. David seemed the most hesitant to join in the festivities but then Samson jumped on a multiplayer game known as _Dance Eternity Fusion and he just had to compete against his rival. They ended up both being beaten - by Elliot on a controller.

Caleb mingled, getting to know members of AEGIS. He was a little surprised when members of the Bondsmen who had been allowed onto the Cornucopia were amongst the celebrants.

He found Trent and wandered over, a cup of beer in his paws and a pig-in-a-blanket in his muzzle. "Hey Trent!" he exclaimed.

The big rhino turned, revealing he had been talking to Felix. The Bondsman smiled at him wanly while Felix draped an arm over his broad shoulder. "Caleb. This was a great idea, by the way. The tension between my men and AEGIS was rather high. No better way to break down barriers than with a little party like this."

"Little?" Felix scoffed. "Ain't nothing 'little' about this." He winked slyly at Trent with one eye and then winked the other eye at Caleb. "As you both well know."

It took a second for Caleb to realise exactly what he meant and he blushed beneath his fur. "Oh... So you and Trent were together?"

"Fuck no. We just had sex!" He hiked a thumb over his shoulder past the big hanger doors. "Just around the corner."

"That quick!?"

"Ain't nothing 'quick' about it. We just got back, bro!"

It had only been an hour since the party started leaving him in awe at Felix's sexual prowess.

Trent, on the other hand, blushed lightly, putting a cute rosy colour on the rhino's grey cheeks. "Let's just say that Felix and I know one another from Gene Stealer bootcamp. The other team leaders like him and I tended to hang around one another only because Dragon Knight kept telling us that distance helped maintain our authority. Of course that hardly ever lasted after we got deployed. I mean, we fucked. A lot."

Caleb frowned a little. "If you don't mind me asking, but were you always gay when you joined?"

"Nope. I had a wife and two kids but they both died when a supervillain attacked years ago. Then I had a girlfriend just when I was rebuilding my life but then the opportunity to make a difference came up. So I joined the Gene Stealers."

"And you still have sex with men..."

Trent shrugged absently. "It's just sex. Maybe there's a little bit of romantic feelings there but it's mostly built around a foundation of camaraderie." He smacked Felix's broad, sweaty chest with the back of his hand. "This fucker and I spent the last ten years training with one another. We went through the same drills, same exercises, same simulations. It was natural that at one point or another, we'd share the same bunk. Dunno why all the Gene Stealers made sure that we were all men but all men have got needs and if you can't trust a guy after ten years of training, then there's no one you can trust."

"You were training for ten years?"

Felix gave him a nod. "Some of the guys were with the Gene Stealers for longer. I'll admit, sometimes it felt like we weren't doing anything for those ten years but we were growing stronger and had a purpose to fight for."

Could ten years of working towards a goal just be banished in a single day? These men had been training so hard for so long towards the Gene Stealer's goals and then, all of the sudden, they abruptly turned away? A spark of doubt flickered in Caleb's chest and both Trent and Felix were not nearly drunk enough _not_to notice.

"You're wondering if we're loyal, huh?" Trent said.

"Erm..."

The rhino held up a hand. "I get it. But look at it this way. For me, I had been working for ten long years thinking that I would get to avenge my wife and children. I thought that after all my training, after getting this form..." He gestured at his broad frame with the strong pectorals and slightly rounded belly with the shadow of abdominal muscles pressed out against them. "... that I would finally_be able to change the world into thinking that we shouldn't be praising supers as much as we do. That they aren't celebrities. That people's lives get _ruined when they are careless or that not everything just goes back to normal when the villain is defeated." Trent shook his head grimly. "But then, in the span of a few moments, the Gimp decides to nuke the whole place. All that work. Ten years worth of hate and anticipation..." He snapped his fingers. "... all to be incinerated in a fucking mushroom cloud."

"The Gene Stealers don't care about us," growled Felix. "We're just their fodder. Sure they trained us but I honestly think it was just so that we could be better prepared to accept the powers when we eventually transformed. They didn't want a group of Originals like Tibia or the Gimp. If they did, they would've given each of us an Original Serum. No. What they wanted was just a bunch of fucking grunts." Then a soft smile touched his lips. "But you know what? Reaper doesn't treat us like that." His hand clasped around Trent's shoulder tightly. "You and your boys will see. He actually cares about each of us and will spend time with us."

"I'll see it when I believe it," laughed Trent, trying to pull away from the elephant but finding that he could not.

Felix, unwilling to let the brawny rhino go, said, "Trust me, man. You can move in with me. I was thinking of moving out of Reaper's place anyway. I take up way too much of his time anyway."

"You're asking me to move in with you?" Trent asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Dude, I've got a girlfriend."

"Sasha was a bitch and she doesn't have a trunk." Felix began twisting his trunk around Trent's arm. "I can get pretty freaky with this thing."

Without warning, Felix pulled Trent towards him and their lips suddenly collided. Caleb jumped forward as he feared the abundance of spiked body parts would lead to someone getting impaled - and not in the good way - but somehow, neither Felix's tusks nor Trent's horns pierced any flesh and the two began passionately kissing in a rather intricate and intimate display of tonguesmanship. Almost like two pieces of the puzzle falling together; two tusks to the left and right and one horn right down the middle. There was a romantic edge to it.

Then Caleb realised he was staring.

"I'm... Uh..." He gestured off to some random direction. "I'm going to over here. Leave you two alone."

Trying not to stare, he tried to look for someone else to mingle with. Off on the 'gaming section', David and Samson were now playing Call of Duty: Mars. They were roaring at one another and it seemed fate had decided to put them on the same team. From a distance, it looked like they were trying to kill one another 'accidentally'. David would 'mistakenly' throw a grenade in Samson's direction while Samson would call down an orbital strike in the same place that Samson just happened to be. Their rivalry at least agreed that Elliot would not be allowed to participate as he sat between them, currently restrained by duct tape. Not too far away, Leon let out a shout as he pumped his fists into the air. His brother was at the beer pong table and he seemed to be winning. Nathan Rage was standing off to the side, speaking to some of the Boneheads and Bondsmen, a glass of red wine in his hands and seemingly quite casual.

Lance, was perched on a couch all by himself, a phone out and seemingly texting.

Curious, Caleb headed over.

"Hey Lance. Who're you talking to?"

His enormous brother gave him a faint smile and a little bit of a blush. "Corey."

Of course it was Corey, Lance's Australian boyfriend who had the power to control sand and currently training with Lance at the Elemental Tower.

"How's thing goings with him?" Caleb asked. There was no room to sit down next to his brother so he parked his butt on the armrest of the couch. "You haven't brought him over."

"We're just really busy with training, you know. Finals are coming up and since I'm still_in college as well as training with the _Alliance, that's double the exams."

That sounded more of an excuse than an explanation. Some part of him warned not to get involved. This was none of his business and anything he said would sound somewhat catty given that he was technically Lance's ex. The semi-forbidden sexual interaction between them had been Caleb's first introduction to the world of physical relationships with another person and his brother would always hold a special place in his heart. At the same time, he was curious why his four-armed brother gave the most generic excuse in the history of relationships second only to 'Not tonight, I'm tired.'

"That was really_lame, Lance," he accused. "Honestly, if I had Lars with me and _wasn't under constant threat of dad trying to give me pointers or Leon pulling us into some debate against dad, I'd be so far up Lars that you wouldn't be able to tear us apart." He placed a paw encouragingly on his brother's shoulder. "What's going on, bro?"

All four of Lance's arms slumped forward and he stared blankly forward. Over all the noise of the party, he could still hear his brother's heavy, defeated sigh. "Do you remember what it was that had us fucking in the first place?"

"You mean from _my_perspective or yours?" Caleb said. "Because honestly, for me it was because you were one half of the pair of dicks that made the first eighteen years of my life hell."

Lance gave him a sour look. "Jake is really rubbing off on you."

Caleb decided to take that as a compliment and shrugged. "Like father like son."

The four-armed wolf's hackles rose and he was suddenly alert and attentive. "What!?"

"I'm kidding," he laughed, nudging his brother's shoulder lightly. "At least, I think so. Jake admitted that I'm not his husband but I've got this theory that I might actually be his son. You know, strange powers that can somehow manipulate matter on an unexplainable level, orphaned pup then he comes along with similar powers. I've got no proof but it's a working theory."

Lance blinked a few times and averted his gaze. "Okay... well, I'll be honest and say that the reason it was so fucking hot when we did it is because it was kind of 'forbidden'. I mean when it wasn't the fact that you're my brother, it was the idea that we were going behind dad's back. I was Feral Fang, Feral Steel's protege and you were Weapons Master, the guy Feral Steel was out to get. But with Corey..."

Caleb frowned a little. "It's... too vanilla for you?"

"Well..." Lance let out a soft wince.

He reached out and seized his brother's wrist. "Lance, listen to me, when you find that special someone, you can't let go of them. It's cliched, I know, but you cannot give up on Corey just because you can't have forbidden sex anymore."

"It's not that. I mean, we fuck all over Siren's desk all the time. I get a stiffy every time I hear her complaining about sand in her office." Lance lowered his voice. "We once did it in dad's old office. Corey pretended I was dad, he was my secretary and -"

Caleb made a loud buzzing noise and lifted his paw, releasing Lance's wrist at the same time. "Nope. Not willing to picture that, thanks. Moving on." He gave his brother a concerned look. "So if it's not that, then what is it?"

Lance locked gazes with him, a soft whimper leaving his muzzle. "What if I'm exactly like the Gimp? What if I just keep looking for more and more extreme 'forbidden fruit' until I go nuts like him? I mean, did you hear what Jacob did to the guy that basically broke him?"

With the memory of Jacob's manipulation of Wilhelm Whip in his mind, Caleb could only nod.

"What if that's me in the future?" Lance rumbled softly. "What if fucking in _Alliance_hero offices won't be enough for me? What if I keep chasing that thrill of forbidden sex until I do something _really_stupid like fuck in the middle of the street or something?"

"Is... is that what you really want?"

Lance clutched his head in two of his paws. "I honestly don't know. There's this part of me that wants to be this goody-goody hero like dad wants. Then there's this primal, feral part of me that's screaming to get out. Seeing the strain being against him puts on Leon and the family, I can't help but think if I gave in to those urges, it'd be like that all over again. But I've been this model son for so long! I want to let out the beast and every time Corey fucks me on Shockstrom's couch, I just feel so alive!"

Caleb decided he'd advise Lars' dad to burn that couch just as a precaution. "I kind of wish Jake was here right now," he mumbled. "Or Mary. She'd know what to say..." With a sigh, he dug deep into his personal feelings and pulled up some advice he hoped would be sound. "Look, remember what Jake said? About people living a life that they end up regretting and never being able to be happy because of it? I know you're the kind that doesn't want to burden anyone so think of it like this: if you keep hiding yourself away, trying to squeeze yourself back into the normal, two-armed Lance Hale, you know you're going to regret it. Then you'll have to get some uber-cosmic entity like Jake to come in, sort your shit out and then you'll only feel worse because you couldn't resolve your own issues and had to get a god to do it for you. Is that what you really want?"

Lance's ears folded back against his head. "No... I guess not."

"Then there's no harm in letting out the beast." He slapped his brother's chest with the back of his hand. "Be true to yourself. Only way you'll get your happy ending."

"Well actually, I've had multiple happy endings. Corey was training to be a masseuse and he -"

"Thank you, Lance," Caleb interrupted, smiling softly. "So you good?"

His brother gave him a bright smile and a nod. "Yeah. I'm good Caleb." He leaned forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Though can I confess something?"

"Sure."

"I'm _really_looking forward to being fucked by werewolf-dad."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "Of course you are."

He was just happy that wouldn't be for a while yet.

Of course, as fate would have it, the moment he said that, there was a loud crash from the gaming section. He sat up just as one of the screens went flying across the hanger and crashed into the wall. David was at his feet, eyes flashing red and his hackles raised. His dad was visibly hunched forward, paws forming into claws and fangs bared. Samson was behind him, for once not the source of his ire. Instead, it seemed that Elliot was the source of his scorn.

"W - W - Whoa!" the orca cried, holding up his hands. "I - It's only a game!"

"You cheated!" David roared. "I'll fucking gut you, you fat little fuck!"

Alarm bells began ringing in Caleb's mind and he immediately sprang to his feet. "This is bad."

Samson was suddenly in front of David, holding out his arms. "David, calm down."

"Don't you tell me to fucking calm down, bitch!" roared Feral Steel. "Get out of my fucking way! I'll -"

Suddenly, Samson lashed out, his palm striking David's chin. The blow would've knocked out the average fur but for a werewolf-empowered super like David, it only annoyed him. Feral Steel turned his burning red eyes back to Samson.

"Big mistake, Samson."

"I really don't think so." Samson's eyes went to David's shoulder... where a syringe was embedded deep in there, his thumb on the plunger. "Good night, David."

"Wh...?" Suddenly, David's eyes cleared back to their usual colour and his eyelids grew heavy. Feral Steel suddenly slumped to his knees before letting out a groan and collapsing onto his face.

"Dad!" Caleb cried, immediately rushing over. "What did you do to him!?"

"Injecting him with silver nitrate," Samson answered. "Deadly to werewolves. And normal people, actually."

"What!?"

"Don't worry. He's a super and a werewolf. Not to mention he's Feral Steel. All it'll do is knock him unconscious." Samson dusted his big hands dramatically. "But this does raise a very important problem that needs addressing immediately."

Even without asking, Caleb knew exactly what Samson was going to say next just by the look he gave Lance.

"We need him to fuck you soon, Lance."

******

The party served as a very good distraction not only for the weary minds of everyone on _AEGIS_but because it meant that all the suspects were preoccupied and Jacob was free to talk to the one person he trusted.

Gwen sat on his bed, one leg over the other and watching him lean against the far wall, arms crossed.

"So you think it's someone in Assault?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Absolutely," he replied. "When we first faced the Gimp, he was clearly prepared to fight Sturmspalter. The mole fed them information expecting me to pull out that particular weapon. I only chose to change my weapon on that day just mere moments from meeting Caleb at the cafe."

"So it isn't Caleb, unwitting or no."

"Exactly. Further, no one outside of Arsenal and Assault knows that my true power is my inability to feel pain. The fact that the Gimp deployed anti-super fields geared to target my powers specifically proves that it is someone on the team." Jacob held up another finger. "And then there's the fact of Mugen Kosetsu."

Gwen nodded grimly. "You told Assault about it in the security of the truck. The Gimp couldn't have known about it even if he spied on you from that point on. Yet he geared all of his traps to get you to unleash that power prematurely so you couldn't stop the nuclear missile." She glanced off to the right, nodding darkly to herself. "I want to suspect Samson but despite his villainous past, he is actually a fairly decent person. Strong familial ties. Plus, his entire criminal empire rests on the idea of the Alpha Pack remaining superior to everyone else. Allying himself with the Gene Stealers would mean that he would be equalising everyone else and thus the Pack would lose authority. I don't think it is him."

"David would never go for it either considering how much pain they've caused his sons. I don't suspect Lance either purely on the fact that, let's face it, he's a _little_too innocent to plan a deception like this."

Gwen gave him a sardonic smile. "Wouldn't that just be the twist that'd make the reveal more painful?"

"True but it'd have to be a twist with a solid foundation and not just out of left field." Jacob shook his head. "No. I purposefully revealed _Mugen Kosetsu_to help smoke out the mole and I don't think it is either Lance or David."

"Then that leaves Leon or Elliot," she surmised.

Jacob nodded grimly. "I'm more inclined to suspect Leon given his powers but I've learned not to judge people solely on their abilities. Not that I'm ruling him out. It's still possible. Elliot is also a possibility given his vast access to AEGIS's_resources. He could be communicating with the Gene Stealers at any time. I was a little concerned that he modified the power armour I gave him and it makes me question what _other things he messed with. Still, he's bitter and sarcastic but I can't imagine a motive."

"And there's motive for Leon?"

"Potentially," Jacob answered with a shrug. "Spite against his father?"

"But he is very much like David. He would not dare to hurt his family."

"True. At the same time, Elliot has stood beside Arsenal from the very beginning. I can't imagine why he would turn on them now of all times."

The No One of Life nodded and rose from the bed. "I'll keep an eye on both of them. See what I can find while they're out there at Toronto with you."

"Thanks, Gwen." He gave his fellow No One a faint smile. "Sorry I can't offer you a lift back to West Cali. You know my Key only works one way and I don't think I can sneak you back in through the box of 'candy' that I had Felix's crew carry. I get the feeling that box is ruined by now. Or turned into a fort."

She gave him a soft smile and shook her head. "Well, this you can't."

There was a sudden rip in space and time a short distance away from her revealing a pure, white emptiness beyond.

"Don't let the gods see you doing that," Jacob snorted.

She flicked her hair behind her and placed a foot past the barrier. "You're the only one they're watching, remember?"

******

Samson had used his connections to get them a nice, isolated cabin out in the middle of the woods well outside of Toronto for 'the main event'.

While Caleb felt a little... awkward at the thought of standing guard while his werewolf-dad fucked his four-armed mutant brother, he understood that it was for the safety of everyone involved. David had apparently gone too long without proceeding with the first part of the ritual. Now, his feral side was threatening to break loose and apparently exposure to the mushroom spores hadn't helped matters either. If David did not get control of his werewolf side, he would...

"Turn into a Lycaon," Samson explained.

The Alpha Pack leader, Caleb, Leon, Elliot and Jacob stood in the living room of the large cabin. Lance was in the 'mating room' as they had referred to it which was really the master bedroom. David was getting ready on the opposite side of the cabin in one of the farther rooms. It was a nice cabin that reminded Caleb a lot of that one that Ben had taken them to almost a year back; the one with the not-safe-for-work attic and where Minos' goons had attacked them.

"I assume you're going to explain to us what a Lycaon is?" Elliot asked. "And don't bother asking me if I know the origins of the name. Yes I know. In Greek mythology, Lycaon was a king who tried to trick the gods into eating human flesh. As punishment, Zeus turned him and his sons into wolves."

"Very astute," Samson replied, a flash of irritation in his eyes. "Once bitten, any person must undergo the rituals or turn into a Lycaon. Each stage of the ritual reaffirms the three parts that make a well-rounded werewolf; the self, primal instincts and the pack. A wolf's strength comes from their pack and social standing. Lone wolves are not as strong as literature would have you believe. If a werewolf does not undergo the rituals, they will become isolated and become a lone wolf. We call these Lycaons."

"Anything particularly special about these Lycaons?" Jacob asked.

"Consider a werewolf as a mortal having tamed their inner beast and having gained the ability to shift from one form to the other seamlessly," Samson explained. "A Lycaon is the opposite. It's the beast controlling the man. They will attack indiscriminately. Kill without hesitation. Their bites are similarly infectious and anyone bitten will automatically turn into a Lycaon. It's like a rapid spread of rabies. Outwardly, you can tell a Lycaon apart from a werewolf by fully black eyes with red irises, their thumbs having devolved into dew claws and their distinct lack of fur."

"They're furless? Even if they started out a fur?"

"Yes. They're rather hideous to look at."

A door opened and David stepped out, dressed in a black and silver silken robe and clearly little else.

"I feel completely stupid," Feral Steel muttered. "Do I really have to wear this shit?"

"It's a robe that we designed just for you," Samson said. "Every member of the Alpha Pack has their own colours and robes. You're free to change it in the future but right now, we don't have the time. You must mount your son."

"Never thought I'd hear those words and agree with them," David mumbled. "Does everyone _really_need to be here and watch?"

"No!" Leon protested.

"Yes," Samson countered. "You're too far gone, David. Lance may be strong but in the throes of lust and passion -"

David grimaced and held up his paw. "Please don't use those words when talking about me having sex with my son."

"You will have to as it is the stark reality of the situation." Samson coughed softly. "As I was saying, there is a chance that you will lose yourself to the ferocity of the moment. You could very well hurt Lance or even kill him. We're here to stop that."

Caleb looked to his father with a wince. "Come on, dad. You caught me with my dick up in Lance. This... uh... This really isn't that different."

David groaned and ran a paw down his face. "Let's not talk about that, Caleb, please? You're making me wonder if we'll all devolve into familial incest at one point..."

"Realistically speaking," Elliot began, "if you want your family to stick around even after their normal lifespans, you won't really have a choice but to infect them. If they have to go through the same rituals as you, then it would mean..."

Caleb hissed at the orca. "Elliot. Shut the fuck up."

"I'm not sticking around to watch this," Leon said, holding up his paws. "It's disgusting." He made for the door. "If dad breaks out or goes nuts, signal me and I'll snipe him from outside. If not, I'm going to stay well away from the howls and cum, thanks."

Leon slammed the door shut behind him.

David's shoulder sagged. "Does anyone else have anything useful to say before I go..." He swallowed hard. "... go fuck my son...?"

One paw slowly crept upwards; Jacob's. "If it helps, I have three dads. Four, technically." Everyone gave him a puzzled look. "Biologically, Isaac Reaper. When my mom died, though, he went into depression and kind of had sex with me at least every year because it made him feel close to her."

That... wasn't so weird, Caleb thought. A little touching and depressing but not so weird after all.

"Then there's Jason Wolfe and Brett Sykes. They're the fathers of my soul. Only Brett was possessed by a shapeless entity of pure evil that embodied the sin of Envy when Jason had sex with him, thus extracting some part of Jason's purity, melding it with Brett's essence and Envy's darkness to form a sort of amalgamation of light and darkness and everything in between. That's what makes up my soul. Then there was this temporal causality shenanigans where a future me took my own soul from Envy and put it in biological me to create the then me which would be compatible with Realmbreaker_because only an entity that not only originates from different realities could hold _Realmbreaker but also because only one that had all the infinite possibilities and powers that my soul possess could fully comprehend it's power. So technically, I'm my own father as well."

And there was the weird part.

David stared at Jacob incredulously. "I have no idea whether to believe you or punch you for wasting my time."

Jacob offered a helpless shrug and a cheesy grin. "It got you to forget about ploughing Lance for a second, right?"

He got an exasperated sigh. "I suppose. Thanks." David rolled his shoulders. "Alright. I'm ready. Let's do this."

"Do you need me to fluff you up a little?"

"Hell no."

With David at the head of the column, the party headed into the master bedroom. Lance stood awkwardly next to the bed, the curtains drawn. When Elliot shut the door behind him, the room became completely soundproof; to prevent anyone from hearing the emerging werewolf, according to Samson. Lance was dressed in a simple shirt and shorts, looking sexy as hell with all four of his arms tensed and shaking like that. His tail was between his legs. Though David was shorter, there was no denying who was the dominant male in the room. It was clear that some part of David wanted this as when the door shut, there was nothing keeping David's pheromones from wafting into everyone's nostrils. Even Caleb was halfway tempted to lift his own tail and offer it to his dad.

"O - Okay," David rumbled. "Lance, here I come."

Lance could only nod shakily. "Uh... Okay... uh.. Daddy..."

"Don't call me that."

"Y - Yes sir."

There was a little stir in the robe's crotch region.

Caleb shut his eyes, trying to fight the urges within him. "Jake. Is any of that shit you said outside true?"

"Absolutely."

"Is that why they call you 'R3'? Because you have three dads?"

Jacob suddenly seized his paw, making him open his eyes and stare at the No One in surprise. His best friend was staring straight at the scene before him. "You could interpret it in many different ways. 'Resurrection-3', 'Reality-3', 'Retcon-3'."

Elliot's head jerked towards them. "Retcon?"

"Yes. I've been retconned twice so technically this is my third iteration. Thus the name. Sort of." Jacob glanced to his left at Caleb. "Listen, Caleb, I know this is weird. I mean, how often do you watch your dad plough your own brother except in rather perverted online fantasies? But remember, this is to protect both your father and brother from themselves. You would never forgive yourself if David snapped Lance's spine or accidentally bit your brother in a mating bite."

Both David and Lance suddenly spun around, facing Jacob. "Mating bite!?" they exclaimed in unison.

"That's something we're here to stop as well," Samson said firmly. "David, your bite is not infectious at this stage but as wolves, you both hold a lot of significance to mating bites. If I recall correctly, a mating bite followed by three licks is akin to marriage."

"The Fanged Ring," Caleb said in awe. Then he spun to face his father. "Dad, I swear to God, if you marry Lance, mom is going to tear off your balls and feed them to you! She'll probably reach up your ass and yank them out of your stomach as well!"

David gulped loudly, looking visibly pale. "Uh... You're probably right. I'll try to control myself." He took a deep breath and stepped towards Lance. "Alright... ah... here goes..."

Lance, ears folded back, began fidgeting with his paws. "Should... I... erm... Start kissing you or something?"

"Ah... No. That'd be... awkward." The Hale patriarch shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He began fumbling for the belt of his robe. "Maybe I should start by taking this off..."

"Y - Yeah." Lance reached for the hem of his shirt. "Me too."

A short distance away, Jacob grimaced. "You know, I think if the Gimp were ever to try torturing me again, I think I'd suggest him trying to get you two to have sex with one another." He reached forward, making a claw with his hands. "Come on, David. You need to have some passion! You're a wild animal! A budding werewolf! Get right in there!" He turned to the four-armed wolf who was just halfway out to removing his shirt. "And Lance, think about it this way; this is some really forbidden shit. You're seriously about to get fucked by a werewolf that just so happens to be your dad! That should get you going!"

"Not with all of you watching!" Lance grimaced. "It's better if I think no one is watching..."

David gave him a curious and a little worried look. "Really?"

Samson rolled his eyes. "I know what'll get you going. Caleb, come over here."

A hesitant smile on his muzzle, Caleb shuffled over to Samson. "You're not going to rip my clothes off and suggest I jump in there are y -?"

Before he could finish, Samson suddenly seized the back of his head and shoved his muzzle right into his armpit. The powerful odour of citrus and a flowery musk filled his nostrils. It was so strong that his eyes began to water. Though he struggled valiantly, Samson was still a werewolf and a super making him leagues stronger than an Outsider. He coughed, spluttered and protested but Samson's grip was firm and commanding.

"Yeah!" roared the werewolf king. "How you like this, David? I'm making your son _my_bitch now! I'm marking him as my own!"

David's eyes instantly flared up red. "You son-of-a-bitch!" He lunged at Samson.

Caleb was flung back by the Alpha Pack leader in an almost protective manner. At the same time, Lance seized his dad with all four of his arms.

"Dad! Hold it!" cried his older brother. "Calm down!"

"I am calm!" David shouted, practically spitting every word. "He's dead! You hear me, Connors!? You're dead! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Blinded by his fury, David didn't see Lance slip a leg between his and trip the raging wolf. The budding werewolf toppled and Lance used that moment to hurl his dad right onto the bed. He then leapt on top of David, pinning down the howling wolf with his weight alone. It was rather impressive that even with all of David's enhancements and experience, Lance was still able to keep him down and on the bed. The sheets were twisting and curling around the two struggling supers, tangling them in a mess of cloth. Caleb peeked around Samson, eyebrow raised in curiosity as the blanket wrapped around the legs of his father and brother.

David suddenly let out a thunderous roar. A huge, metal spike suddenly erupted from just behind him, spearing the bed and nearly impaling Lance.

"Holy shit!" cried his brother, leaping back and inadvertently releasing David.

"I think we should run," Elliot squeaked.

Caleb couldn't agree more and he was leaving the room just behind the orca. Once last glance over his shoulder and he saw David leaping off the bed only for Lance to seize him by the waist. His brother lifted David high into the air and twisted his body upside down, slamming David back on his head - but still on the bed - in a rather impressive reverse piledriver.

"Go!" Lance cried. "I've got him!"

Samson shooed Caleb out of the room and shut the door behind Jacob who was the last to leave.

"Is it really wise to leave those two alone?" Caleb asked. "I mean, wasn't the whole point of us being in there to keep dad from ripping Lance apart?"

"I was under the impression that your brother was a lot weaker than I first assumed," Samson said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The fact that Lance was able to hold David down without any use of powers while your father was raging speaks volumes of his true strength." There was a calculation look in the werewolf's eyes. Caleb had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. No doubt Samson was already plotting to convert Lance into the Alpha Pack.

"Alright..." he sighed. "I guess we can still jump in if something bad happens..."

BANG!

The wooden wall next to the door shuddered and what looked like a metal spike jutted out from the twelve-inch walls.

"I could make a 'penetration' joke right about now," Jacob said only to receive a withering look from Caleb. "But I won't."

Back inside the master bedroom, Lance was fighting for his life against his own father. David was constantly trying to get to the door, trying to get to Samson. Primal rage burned within his red eyes and he wasn't thinking straight. If he had, he would have realised he really didn't need to use the door to leave the room especially after how he speared the wall so easily with the summoned metal bar. Lance stood between his dad and the lone door, David slavering, crouched slightly and heaving. His father almost looked like a bull ready to charge or even a rhino. There was little sanity in David's eyes...

... and for some reason, that just turned Lance on all the more.

His mind was plagued with the saucy scenario of his sex-addled father tearing off his clothes, throwing him to the ground and making him the omega of the pack. Wild fantasies brought on by erotic novels and his own imagination ran rampant in his mind. He had never seen David like this before. Feral Steel had always been the epitome of higher thinking; strong ideals, rarely angered and when he was furious, he was always straight-backed, rigid and had his arms folded like a stoic unmoving foundation. This was an entirely different side of him. It was not the 'Steel' part, it was the 'Feral'. And Lance had to fight to keep his twin dicks from bursting from his shorts.

"O - Okay, dad," he said, holding up two of his paws. The other two were pressed against the door behind him in the hopes of keeping anyone from coming in. "Let's... uh... let's calm down, okay?"

"That bastard has crossed the line," growled the soon-to-be-werewolf. "He marked_Caleb! Smothered his scent all over _my_pup! _No one makes a bitch out of my pups!"

'Pups'. David had _never_used that term to describe any of his sons. It brought to mind the image of a powerful lupine patriarch, ruling over a pack of strong, strapping wolves deep in the woods where no one dared venture lest they risk the wrath of the Wolf King. People would cower at the sounds of their howls, fearful that the wolves were out on the hunt for blood but in reality, their howls were one of unbridled ecstasy.

It was kind of hot.

"Samson was just trying to rile you up," Lance reasoned.

"It fucking worked!" David suddenly seized the hems of his robes and tore them clean off, puffing out his chest while an ear-splitting roar filled the air. Lance had to bite his lip as shards of black and silver cloth scattered everywhere and David was exposed. "I'm gonna fuck my pup! Claim him! Make him mine!"

"Yes please..." Lance whimpered softly. Then he quickly shook his head. "Five guiding principles of being a hero. Never fight for yourself. The moment you don that mask, you are in service to the people and never yourself." Lance crouched slightly, readying himself for the blow that was sure to come. "Dad, I... I really_want you to fuck me right now but I can't be selfish. You need to _calm down! If you plough Caleb, you'll kill him!"

"He's _my_son! I'll do whatever the fuck I want with him!"

David rushed forward, faster than he had ever been. Lance barely had enough time to cross his arms in front of his chest to avoid a blow straight to his diaphragm. The impact still hurt but part of his mutation was that his fur obtained an almost armour-like quality; becoming hard as steel but still as flexible as fur. It - and a good portion of his muscles - cushioned the blow. His dad was within arm's reach and with his second pair of arms, he seized his dad by the waist and threw him with all his might across the room. Somehow, the thick wooden walls remained sturdy and intact despite the impact. Likely something to do with being an Alpha Pack dwelling. He wondered for a brief moment if there were any other Pack-related mating rituals that had been undertaken under the roof.

The moment of reflection was fleeting, however, as David let loose another furious roar.

"Fuck! Must - fuck!"

There was a blur of grey and suddenly, Lance found his dad's paws firmly around his waist. All the training at the Elemental Tower was put to good use as he seized David's arms and pulled the two of them together. Even as his father tried to hurl him aside, he pressed himself close to the large, alpha wolf so that even when the momentum and force of David's throw tried to hurl him aside, his centre of gravity yanked his assailant off his feet at the same time. They both crashed to the ground, facing one another and David on top.

A ferocious growl rumbled out of his dad's throat. His dad's claws seized the back of his head and suddenly shoved his muzzle right into an armpit.

"Claim! Pack! Mine!" David snarled.

Whether it was the heat of the battle or some werewolf pheromones, Lance got a strong whiff of David's strong, masculine smell. He had struggled and wrestled against his father multiple times before and naturally he had gotten his dad's scent during those sessions. He was familiar with it; powerful, a little musky with a faint metallic scent. But this odour was so much more different. It was overwhelming, dominating and was overwriting all his sensibilities the more he inhaled it. Perhaps it was just the perfect storm of his inherently submissive nature and the alpha mentality building in David but Lance could not help but start licking at his father's pits, a faint saltiness touching his tongue mixed with the strong warmth that radiated from the thick patch of brown fur there.

David grunted, seemingly pleased, but still huffed and like a feral animal.

Lance's eyelids flickered. Ever since he had heard that his dad would have to mount him to become fully initiated as a werewolf, he had been fantasising about this moment. There was nothing holding back his arousal and his twin dicks were plumping up in his shorts. David seemed to notice the growing mound just beneath his tail and the big, grey wolf yanked him away from his pits. Their gazes met and for a second, Lance feared the worst. Then David pushed their lips together, a savage kiss where Lance was left with his muzzle agape in surprise while his father's tongue ferociously explored him.

Without pulling away, David snarled, "Mine," right into Lance's throat as if breathing the very command down into his son's soul and every essence.

Lance could only moan as his father pressed both paws against his shoulders and pressed him to the ground. All sense of self-preservation was gone. He just wanted his dad in him so badly. All four of his arms were splayed out to his sides, legs spread wide, leaving him vulnerable to his father's advances. David's fangs nipped Lance's bottom lip, tugging it as he directed his fangs towards his son's vulnerable neck. Fully submissive to his alpha, Lance exposed his corded neck, gulping softly as David's dripping fangs hovered just over his jugular. Hot, aroused breath washed over his fur, shivers rippling down his spine even as his cocks throbbed in his pants to the same rhythm of the blood pumping in his veins so close to his dad's jaws. David hovered there for a good long, ten seconds, leaving Lance's breath caught in his throat. A pang of disappointment hit him when David pulled away from his neck. Those powerful jaws seized the neckline of his shirt. Lance jerked in surprise but David's strong paws kept him pinned down. A whimper left his lips as his dad tore at his shirt, pulling at the neckline and ripping it right down the middle. There was nothing separating David's naked body to his own save perhaps his tenting shorts.

A banging came to the door, causing David's ears to perk.

"Lance?" Caleb shouted from the other end. "You okay in there?"

David raised his head, still with a good portion of the shirt in his mouth. Lance realised he had to keep his dad distracted, away from Caleb.

"I - I'm fine!" he shouted back. Then he let out a needy whimper, sound that sang to David's primal self. His pup needed attention; attention he was willing to give. David spat away the shards of fabric from his muzzle and then crawled down Lance's body. A gasp left the four-armed wolf when his father's wet nose prodded his heavy sack through his shorts. "I - I'm good!" he reiterated. "J - Just... Just standby!"

He gasped when David's paws seized his shorts and gave them one, powerful yank. The fabric tore away, leaving Lance's twin-half-erect members exposed to the air. The bright red, pointed rockets were oozing with his precum, dropping globules of clear fluids onto his chiselled abdominals. David prodded Lance's white-furred sack, causing the bigger, four-armed wolf to whimper in need. Like a wolf on the prowl, David slowly stalked up his son's mountainous form, muzzle travelling up the huge spheres dangling between Lance's legs until they found the lip of the wolf's sheath that was retreating inch by inch with every second of arousal. A curious sniff of the members and a hungry smile touched David's lips.

"Pup."

Lance swallowed loudly. "Y - Yeah, dad. I - I'm y - you're pup..."

David's muzzle opened wide, his fangs gleaming. His tongue snaked out, gently grazing one of Lance's members. The young wolf gasped, claws scraping against the wooden floors.

"Mine."

His dad, his alpha, dragged his tongue slowly up the right cock, tasting the precum that was dripping out. A slight shift to the left and he tasted the other member as well. Another inch of Lance's monster members slipped out of his sheath. A soft snort left David and for a second, he worried that his dad wasn't satisfied. That worry turned into surprise as his dad wrapped his lips around one member. The powerful, unhindered suction of his dad's muzzle was a powerful, pleasurable shock that had his back arching. For a second, he feared that thrusting into his dad's muzzle would be seen as defiance but David rumbled in pleasure. He was confused. Why would his dad, his alpha, suck him off? Was that not a submissive gesture. These thoughts were quickly wiped away when David's tongue traced the veins up and down his member even as he suckled the red length, drawing more and more precum out.

Lance could not stop his own body from reacting. He thrust into his dad's muzzle, cock sliding up and down the hot, wet muzzle. He became aware of his second dick when he ran up the side of his dad's muzzle and nearly jabbed David's eye. A frustrated growl rose from his dad and he let out a whimper in apology. Unrelenting, David pulled away from his cocks and then opened his muzzle wide.

"D - Dad!" he cried.

David took _both_dicks his in muzzle; a feat that even Cory could not achieve. His twin dicks, burning hot with arousal, pressed together and shoved into his dad's surprisingly flexible muzzle, was almost too much for him. His thrusts began stronger. A mixture of his own precum and his father's drool dribbled down his members. Blood rushed away from his brain and straight into his groin, feeling him with unbelievable sensations of as his dad took both his cocks like a champion. His claws dug deeper into the floorboards, splintering them slightly while his toes curled in ecstasy. The ceiling became a blur as all his focus came from the two cocks that had reached their full length and were now developing their knots. His gasps rose in pitch, becoming more frequent and desperate with each thrust.

Then it all ended.

His dad gave him one last slurp before sliding his muzzle away. Confused, he peered down between his members only to find his father's paws pushing his thighs apart. Hot breath wafted into his waiting hole. His eyes widened as he realised what his dad was planning. A mixture of saliva and his own precum was brushed up against his ass by David's hot tongue. Lance bit his lower lip, almost going cross-eyed with pleasure. Flushed with arousal, Lance willingly spread his legs as his father's tongue probed and prodded at the sensitive flesh. His dad was _preparing_him.

"Oh God..." he panted. "...Wolf Christ..."

With each breath, he relaxed his anal muscles, allowing his dad's tongue to explore a little further. The gentle licks grew more invasive, opening him up a little more while that calm, hot breath soothed him like a gentle summer's breeze. He couldn't take it any more.

"P - Please..." he begged. "I... I need you... I need you in me, dad!"

He father lifted his muzzle from between his legs, a hungry grin on his muzzle. As David rose, he got a good view of his dad's impressive, ten-inch member. It was only recently that he had dreamed of that tool in him and now those dreams were becoming reality. Lifting a paw, he slowly rose and wandered over to the bed. His father did not stop him. He had been claimed. There was nothing, no fibre of his being that would deny his dad this pleasure. He crawled onto the bed, placing himself sideways on his paws and knees. Slowly, he reached back with his lower paws, spreading his cheeks wide while supporting his weight on his upper paws. Panting with need, his lifted his tail, signalling his dad that he was ready.

"_Mine!"_David growled and pounced.

His dad scrambled onto the bed, cradling his waist with his powerful legs. He could _feel_the scorching heat radiating from his dad's balls; twin suns filled with energy that was ready to be pumped into him. Without any hesitation or ceremony, David shoved his dick right into Lance's ass.

"OH FUCK!" Lance howled.

The hot rod was deep within him, throbbing, pulsing and dripping with precum. His eyes were halfway up into his skull and he was slack-jawed with pleasure. David pulled about halfway out and then thrust powerfully back in. The force of the blow pushed Lance about half an inch across the bed. He instinctively gripped the mattress and sheets for stability and in doing so, clenched his ass. He could sense his dad's pleasure as David repeated the motion; pulling out and then shoving back in with enough force to inch Lance a little more forward. David reached down past his son's waist, finding Lance's lower nippled. His claws grazed the sensitive nubs. A pleading whimper left Lance's lips. Realising this was pleasuring his son, David squeezed down on the mounds of flesh. It was then that Lance realised why David had sucked him off; this was not just some dominant alpha that was claiming what was his. This alpha wanted his pack to love him. David was making this moment of awakening pleasurable for both of them.

In that moment, Lance fully gave himself over to his father.

"Yes!" he cried. "Fuck yes!" David growled, pulling back and thrusting. "Fuck me dad!" His dad leaned down, Lance's back pressed up against his dad's heaving chest. "Fuck me harder! My ass is yours!"

David's muzzle hovered just inches from Lance's right ear and with that declaration, Feral Steel's eyes flashed with a newfound power - unlike anything he had ever felt before. Even that moment when he first came to his powers was nothing like this. Molten, powerful blood rushed through his veins, pumping new proteins and chemicals through his body. Muscles seized and bunched only to quiver and then spasm all over again. The power rose from his connection with his son, stemming from the bridge that was his dick buried deep into the ass beneath him. The bond between father and son was broken and in its place was that of an alpha and his pack. David threw his head back and let out a tremendous roar, one that rattled the windows both in this room and the next.

Caleb jumped back away from the door into the master bedroom, one arm raised and a grimace on his face. "Is that a good sound?" He glanced towards Samson. "Please tell me that's a good sound."

"It is," said the alpha werewolf, a soft smile on his muzzle. "Your father has, at least on a primal level, severed his ties with his family. Now he has accepted his role as a werewolf and has taken the first steps to forming his own pack. Whether or not he is the leader of that pack or not remains to be seen."

"As far as I see it, he already is," Jacob said.

Samson rolled his eyes as the black-furred wolf. "An optimistic view, Reaper, but I doubt the Hales would be so quick to turn themselves into immortal werewolves for the sake of David's pride and ambitions."

"I was actually referring to the Alpha Pack."

The tall, dark werewolf's eyes narrowed. "Watch your next words carefully."

Jacob gave him a sly, sidewards smile. "Just like how you watched your ass when David is around?" Samson went rigid. "Oh yeah. I know, Samson. You may hide it well but I know David asserted dominance back in India."

Caleb recoiled in surprise. "Wait! What!?"

"I _surrendered_to him!" Samson reasoned. "I have confidence in Ben's ability to survive anything but he had Caleb, Leon _and_Lance under threat. It made more sense for him to -"

A loud roar erupted from the room again, forcing everyone to turn in the direction of the door.

"I'm not talking about him beating you in combat," Jacob said. "Those mushrooms made us all a little weird and I'm willing to wager that after he beat you, he fucked you. Why else didn't either of you join us after the nuke went off?"

Samson could not reply as the unmistakable sounds of two, large, muscled males making love could be heard even through the thick walls.

Only it wasn't _just_the sound of flesh against flesh. The power within David continued to build, rising from within his cock and pulsating outward in tsunami-like waves. It crashed against the walls of his body, pushing every muscle, bone, organ and cell into new heights. It started within his cock. The already impressive ten inches was pulled out as per his rhythm but when it was pushed back in, it breached eleven inches into his son. His knot, already fully formed, pushed Lance's ass wider and though he was desperate to shove it in, he could not as after another thrust, it only grew bigger and thicker. Twelve whole inches pierced Lance but the young, four-armed wolf was too enamoured by lust to register. Another thrust and he easily crossed the thirteen inch mark, his cock alone already as thick as a beer can with his knot twice that size. Frustration built inside of him and he jammed his cock back and forth out his son in twenty quick, rapid bursts; Lance letting out a high-pitched 'ah' with each thrust. At the twenty-first, his knot finally pushed past Lance's defences and popped into his son, pushing him a whole, mind-bending eighteen inches into his son.

With the union finally sealed, the transformation flooded into the rest of his body. Now, with every thrust, the power of the werewolf flooded backwards from his cock, each wave heralded by the loud, wet-slapping caused by the ocean of precum that was oozing past his knot and down Lance's legs.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

His balls churned mightily, bouncing back and forth with each thrust. They were constantly playing catch-up as their capacity grew rapidly. The low-hanging, furry sac eclipsed his son's own sizable balls, becoming like two, huge melons that were brushing against the backs of Lance's thighs.

Slap! Slap!

The muscles of his ass, already tightened from years of masquerading as Feral Steel grew bigger, tighter. The huge orbs of furry muscle widened alongside his his broadening hips, forming two massive mountains with that would never let anyone passed into the hole beyond. No one would claim this alpha.

Slap! Slap! CRACK!

The bones of his legs stretched and grew, sounds like thunder muffled between the expanding quads that pushed his grey fur to its limit. Thick veins necessary to feed the muscles were pressed up against his hide even though his fur thickened, giving him a more primal look. The brown fur around his crotch grew thicker, wilder, and the ones on his thighs obtained a faint, silvery edge; almost white compared to his predominantly grey fur. Blood and power pumped into his calves. Like vines growing along the trunk of trees, his veins crawled up the huge heart-shaped calves, looking permanently tensed. Those very same veins pumped into his feet even as the bones and muscles there rapidly reshaped. The balls of his feet pulled further and further away from his heel. His big toe seemingly remained behind, angling slightly outward as the rest of his feet widened. No shoe size would fit him as his feet obtained a distinct digitigrade stance.

Now with the support of powerful legs, his thrust pushed Lance further and further off the bed. A loud snarl rose from his lips, saliva dripping from his fangs. Lance's upper body was forced off the bed and the poor pup was forced to slump over the edge, catching himself on the floor while the rest of his body was pressed against the mattress. David pressed his paws against his son's back, thrusting relentlessly with his pumped cock, driving Lance deeper and deeper into the sheets that were already soaked with their bodily fluids.

The power radiating from his member crept up towards his upper body. The firm six-pack seized up, momentarily pushing the wind out of his lungs. Then they expanded, stretching wider in all directions. Each disc on his spine popped, adding inch after inch to his height while his shoulders rapidly widened. Each breath, expanded his enormous chest. His pectorals broadened, filling and pushing outward. The sudden increase in weight of his torso forced him to lurch forward. His spine rapidly reshaped to accommodate the new physique. A deep growl, almost like the rumble of an earthquake, rose from his throat. A mound just beneath his neck surged upwards, giving him a distinct hunch and almost absorbing his neck entirely in the huge hill of muscle that sloped down towards his mountainous shoulders.

Those veins pumped down his biceps. Already enormous orbs of muscle and strength hardened like steel. Each muscle tripled in size in one, enormous burst. Veins as thick as fingers pushed up against his flesh while his triceps ballooned to support the huge mountains. His arms visibly lengthened, lifting him up off the bed even as he continued to thrust and cause the supports to creak in agony. Forearms, buckling under the weight of his new form, quickly filled with muscle, each divide between groups clear to the view even as the fur grew thicker, wilder and obtained the same silvery tips as the fur on his legs. David's fingers cracked forward, each paw growing to the rapid, fervent pace of his pounding heart. Maintaining their human-like shape, they spread out in all directions, fitting the size of the rest of his body until they were big enough to easily seize Lance's head in one grip.

It was with this purposeful design that he grabbed the back of Lance's head and bent down. He twisted his son's head to the side so that he could meet his son's gaze.

That was the only warning Lance got.

David's final thrust sent all the pressure that had been building in his balls flooding out his massive cock. He tipped his head back, letting out a cry that was half-howl, half-roar. Lance was instantly compelled to join the cry and the poor pup, who had been holding in his own orgasm, was finally allowed release as his own twin dicks unleashed their payload alongside his father. Torrents of cum flooded his insides and Lance could only hold on for dear life. The quakes of his father's full-body orgasm shook him as well. The molten seed that rushed into him was matched by his own flood of seed that spilt into the sheet. It almost felt like that the cum his dad was pumping into him was flowing through every vein in his body, changing his every cell, every pore and every strand of fur until he was made anew as his father's pup only to be poured back out of his own cocks once they were done.

Lance could not hold onto consciousness for very much longer as his world became wrapped in a warm cocoon of sheer ecstasy and masculinity.

For David he was met with a heightened sense of awareness and purpose.

With his son and pack member unconscious beneath him, David ended the howl. Panting and buzzing with energy, he bent down and wrapped his enormous muzzle gently around Lance's, giving his pup a tender kiss. Though unconscious, his pup's body instinctively replied to his own and licked his dad's lips affectionately. Though his was still at full mast, David still had something to do and he pulled out of his son with a loud pop. A sense of pride filled him as a rush of cum immediately poured out of Lance's abused ass.

Then, the werewolf turned...

... and charged.

Caleb pulled his fingers from his ears. The howl had been loud enough that several windows had shattered. How he managed to remain conscious was a mystery.

"Is... Is it over?" he asked.

CRASH!

The door to the master bedroom suddenly erupted and a huge beast came charging out. It collided with Caleb, knocking him to the ground and leaving him dazed.

"David!" Samson roared. "Control yourself!"

His vision quickly cleared and he was left starting at his dad's werewolf form.

Where Ben's werewolf shape looked more feral than the average wolf fur, David's was far more primal. David had a permanent hunched figure, having to propel himself along the ground on both his huge, digitigrade feet and immense knuckles; almost like a gorilla. His chest was simply immense, taking up all of Caleb's view with large, downward pointing nipples that made Caleb blush even more so than the huge eighteen-inch red member that was dripping cum against his chest. David's fur was distinctly more wild as well. Thick fur around his thighs and forearms were tipped with silver and he had a sort of dense, furry 'mantle' of silvery fur around his shoulders. Caleb could _just_make out a shaggy, silvery mane that ran from the back of David's head, down the hunch on his back and to the tip of his tail. David's features were also more brutish with his lower lips jutting out forward and his lower canines many times bigger than his other fangs, giving him a strangely sexy underbite.

"Uh... dad..." Caleb said, holding up his paws in surrender. "I..."

David's bright red eyes turned away from him, seemingly disinterested.

Was he targeting Samson?

Nope.

His eyes were firmly on another wolf...

... Jacob.

"Uh..." Jacob began, inching a few steps back. "Why is he looking at me like that?"

David suddenly let out an ear-splitting roar. From right beneath him, the cry was downright deafening. Caleb had to plug his ears but could still see David lunge away and rush his best friend. With all that size and bulk, however, he crashed into all the furniture along the way which slowed him down. Jacob, who was smaller and nimbler, quickly scrambled out of the way.

"Why the hell is he going after me!?" cried the black-furred wolf. He gestured towards Samson. "There's only one other werewolf in here! Go after him!"

Elliot, who was hiding behind a chair, poked his head out. "Is it possible that because he already claimed Samson before that there's only one other guy that he considers an 'alpha'? As in the guy that can destroy the entire world with the snap of a finger if he wanted?"

"What!? I would never do that!"

Samson backed away, seemingly afraid. "Tell that to Primal Steel."

David stalked towards Reaper, fangs bared. No words were spoken. His erect dick said everything.

"Jake!" Caleb cried. "Run!"

Not needing any further prompting, Jacob turned and immediately leapt through a nearby window. With the glass already shattered, he was unimpeded. The black-wolf raced straight towards the Canadian wilderness. The wall beside the window shattered into splintered pieces of wood. David sniffed the air and immediately spotted the fleeing No One. He let out a loud, howl - a hunting horn of sorts - and charged.

"Leon!" Jacob screamed. "Shoot him! For god's sake! Shoot him!"

From his perch up in the trees, Leon fumbled for his stasis rifle and took aim. He fired but David was far faster than he had anticipated.

"Fuck!" he shouted. He scrambled down the tree as the two wolves disappeared into the forest. "What the fuck happened!?"

Samson and Caleb came running and he quickly gave chase to his dad with the other two beside him.

"Dad thinks Jake is the only threat to his role as 'alpha'," Caleb exclaimed. "So he's trying to dominate him!"

"Jake!? What about Samson?"

"He already fucked Samson back in India."

"What about Elliot?"

Caleb glanced over his shoulder at poor Elliot who - as an Outsider - didn't have the enhanced speed or endurance supers had. Though he didn't either, he was a star receiver on a high school football team and could mostly keep up with the supers. Still, he could tell both Samson and Leon were slowing down for his sake.

"He's not as fast as us but I'm holding you two back," he said. "Go! Stop dad from fucking Jake! Or worse!"

"What's worse than that?"

"Making him a werewolf!"

Just the thought of Jacob Reaper going insane like David lit a fire in both Samson and Leon's tails and they charged ahead, reminding Caleb how much he lacked the baseline powers of a super.

Not too far into the woods, David Hale caught up with Jacob Reaper. His enhanced abilities due to being a werewolf provided him with superior speed and strength than even the average super. Though his feral mind severely caused his intelligence to suffer. When he lunged at Reaper, Jacob immediately dropped to the ground, turning in midair and letting the wolf crash into him; his feet pressed up against David's massive pectorals. He used David's own momentum against him and sent him hurtling into the trees.

Jacob leapt to his feet. "David," he said, holding up a paw, "I know you're in there. Snap out of it!"

The wild werewolf snarled and immediately scrambled up a tree, clinging onto the trunk with red eyes flashing.

"Not to sound cliche," he pleaded. "But think about your sons! How do you think they'll react to you being like this?"

Another roar was his answer and David lunged from one tree to the other, his claws ripping whole chunks off the trunks. The werewolf was trying to get into his blind spot.

"I suppose at least two out of three of them would get a kick out of this," he mumbled. "Probably for different reasons." He shut his eyes as he heard David reach the tree behind him. "But fine... I'm pretty sure we're due for some fan service here."

David leapt off the tree, fangs bared and claws outstretched.

Jacob held out a paw in front of him.

"Luna Crepacuore."

There was a burst of shimmering, silver light from his fingertips. Before it even fully materialised, he gripped the weapon and flung around.

SMACK!

David let out a whimper as he was sent crashing to the ground.

In Jacob's paw was a long, black staff, at least a foot taller than he was. It was adored with silver filigrees. The base of the staff was decorated with a large, silver crescent made out of a material that was reminiscent of pearls. The head of the staff was shaped like a large, spherical disk made of the same material and with bright, blue ribbons streaming from the top.

"Reaper!"

Without taking his eyes off David, he noticed both Samson and Leon approaching.

"Stay back!" he warned. "David is really powerful right now and you do not want to accidentally get caught between us."

Leon lifted his gun, levelling it as his father who was just starting to scramble to his feet. "Just give me one shot..."

Samson gripped the edge of the stasis rifle and forced it down. "No. Your father is currently experiencing a high that transformation brings. You trap him in a stasis field and the moment it wears off, he's just go wild again. We need to let him work off that energy. Or beat him into submission."

"Then let's beat him!"

A droplet of sweat rolled down the side of Samson's face. "We would die..."

"But Jake..."

"If there's anyone who can subdue a werewolf of David's power, I am sure it would be Reaper."

David suddenly lunged forward, charging with a recklessness that Jacob had never seen of the established superhero. It was a good thing he had decided to use Luna. He suddenly jabbed the blunt edge of the staff into the ground and forced all his weight onto it. He easily _vaulted_over the charging werewolf, soaring high into the air. Just as he was above David, he plucked the staff from the ground and swung it. The indestructible weapon smacked against the werewolf's flanks, sending David reeling as he easily landed a short distance away.

Luna Crepacuore was a weapon made for intelligence and agility. A smart weapon that -

Suddenly a huge paw seized the back of his head.

"Urk!"

David roared and lifted him easily off the ground.

WHAM!

He was slammed right into the ground. Though he could feel no pain, he could still get dazed.

There was no time to remain stunned, however, and he instinctively lifted _Luna Crepaucuore_in front of him. A good thing too because he felt David's powerful jaws jam into the staff. The stars cleared from his vision a second later only for a big drop of drool to land in his left eye.

"Urgh... That's gross," he muttered. "Luna!"

His form suddenly dissolved into a flurry of dark shadows like dark, curling smoke. That same smoke slipped between David's legs where it solidified and rematerialised behind him. The silver-backed werewolf growled and spun towards him.

Jacob gave him a wink. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu."

Behind David, a black, shadow rose. It was a shadow of Jacob complete with a muted version of Luna Crepaucuore. Lifting the blunt end of the staff, the shadow slammed the orb against David's back. David yowled and fell to his knees. The feral werewolf immediately lashed out behind him, claws out But there was no slashing through a shadow. His razor-sharp claws only scraped through the shadow, leaving it unharmed.

Now was his chance.

"Alright," Jacob said, catching David's attention again. "I'm ending this, David." He slammed Luna_into the ground. "_Lunca Crepaucuore!"_Then his eyes narrowed. _"Moonlit Guillotine."

The head of the staff suddenly unfurled, a sound like a songbird chirping filling the air. The shimmering head of the staff broke into smaller, crescent pieces, rearranging themselves rapidly before locking back into place to form a single, curved blade bigger than Jacob's shoulders were wide.

It was a scythe.

Jacob adjusted his grip for the new weapon.

David, recognising the threat, let out a roar and charged him head on.

"That's it," Jacob whispered. "I've got you now!"

He charged as well, lifting Luna high into the air.

Their super-speed had them closing the gap between them within seconds.

He brought down his scythe.

David swung his claws.

Their gazes met.

...

And then a figure stepped between them.

"STOP!"

It was Caleb, holding out both his paws to bar them.

Jacob's heart stopped and he immediately veered Luna _Crepaucuore_off to the side, narrowly avoiding Caleb's left ear.

A flash of recognition entered David's eyes and he immediately ground to a halt. That flash was enough to pierce the blazing red fury of David's red irises and introduce the soft blue back. The werewolf, panting and heaving... suddenly let out a groan and fell to his knees. Whatever energy that must have been brought on by the transformation faded, now exhausted with the chase and fight. David Hale fell to his side, the enormous werewolf's eyes falling shut and his tongue slipping out between his muzzle. His flesh immediately began to bubble and shift. The huge form of Primal Steel began shifting back into a very tired, very _naked_Feral Steel.

Caleb let out a sigh of relief.

Whack!

Only to be hit on the head by the blunt end of Jacob's staff.

"Ow! What the hell -"

Suddenly, Jacob was right in his face, their noses almost touching.

"Never do that again," Reaper growled, his eyes like lasers. "You got that? You got lucky this time but this isn't a cutesy anime filled with adorable creatures whose tears can miraculously bing someone to life. Jumping in the middle of two people fighting is the quickest way to get killed!"

"But -"

Jacob seized his shoulder with his free paw, a worried look on his features. "Please just _never_do that again. Okay Caleb? Just don't."

Stunned by the sudden concern in his best friend's tone, Caleb gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Alright. I promise." He gripped Jacob's paw reassuringly. "As long as you promise not to go around swinging a goddamn scythe at my dad again."

Reaper rolled his eyes and swung the silvery scythe at him. Caleb jerked back... only for the blade to pass right through him. The only sensation he got was from when the staff itself struck his shoulder.

"Luna Crepaucuore is all about illusions and trickery," Jacob explained. He nodded past Caleb to where that shadowy version of Reaper stood. "While your dad's attention was on me with this big-ass blade, my clone was going to smack him over the head with his weapon. The blade is entirely illusionary."

Caleb sighed in relief. "Good to know." He glanced down at his dad. "Come on. Let's get my dad out of here." Then he noticed David's still erect cock. "Before my dad gets too excited again."

"Sure," Jacob said with a laugh. "Although... I feel like we're forgetting something."

Back in the cabin, Lance lay on his belly, dazed and with a goofy smile on his face, cum still streaming out of ass. Elliot stood up from where he was hiding. He looked around him, at the small homestead that looked like a hurricane had struck it.

"I am _not_cleaning up this mess."

******

Mattias didn't like to name his bases of operations. Often times, he never stayed in one place too long to be able let alone getting attached enough to name a base. Little wonder considering few people were willing to work with him given the volatility of his powers. Even now when the Gene Stealers had altered him, they refused to give him any of troops. Unlike the other members of the Legion of Pain, he was missing the Teams under his direct command. The Teams existed, of course. The moment he had transformed into the proud, strong caribou that he was now, he had been tasked with transforming eighty well-trained men with his evolved powers. Though he suspected that was only so that he could practice on the 'main event', so to speak.

Dressed in what many would consider a 'souther gentleman's' outfit, Mattias strode into the bowels of his base, striding along the metal floor with his white, leather boots softly clinking away with every step. His base was much smaller than that of the rest of the Legion and for good reason. To his right were the holding cells where the captured members of Arsenal, now sprouting proud antlers like him and howling in agony as the constant headaches ravaged their minds, thrashed and sometimes even engaged in sexual activity all in a desperate attempt to orgasm and find that moment of peace from the pain deep within their own heads.

Mattias pitied them. He had been them more often than he could count.

Slowly, his fingers gravitated towards the control panel next to the bars...

"Assault is in Toronto now, you know."

He flinched and closed his fingers. "They're a little late."

Spider Queen approached, her steps silent and her movements like the wind. Her supple fingers glided over his broad shoulders, emerald-coloured nails filed to sharp points raking his thick, coarse fur. "Dragon Knight reports that Reaper threw them a part for having successfully defeated the Gimp. Traded Wilhelm for transportation back to West California Island."

"Reaper strikes again."

"Indeed. Wilhelm is raging and ranting. Well... was until Wendigo got to him."

Wendigo... Mattias grimaced at the thought of the fate that awaited him. He turned away from Spider Queen, heading back the way he came. "Right. I should prepare then."

He got about ten feet away before she called out to him.

"Oh Mattias."

He froze. "Yes?" he replied, curtly and trying to keep the shaking from his voice. It did not come from nerves or any sort of fear. It came from fury.

"You don't like me, do you?" she teased.

"Am I supposed to?" he countered.

"I suppose not. After all, you are just a bleeding heart who only wanted to get rid of his headache, didn't you? So desperate for relief, you turned to the Gene Stealers, turning your powers to our use. But now that you've got a clear head, you can't stand the idea of inflicting the same pain you've suffered for years onto others." She twisted a hand mildly through the air. "You're really less of a villain than a... tragic character."

Mattias remained silent.

"You realise that had you release Arsenal, they would have overwhelmed you and attacked Toronto."

He did_realise that though he had hoped that he could convince them to stand down long enough so that he could get them out. "You purposefully had my base reduced in size so that there would be little resistance between them and the surface should I do that," he muttered. "It's the only thing keeping me from releasing them on _you."

Spider Queen let out a short, shrill laugh. "How astute! You are very much correct. Fenrir's profile on you was quite comprehensive. It is why he chose you."

"Fenrir?" Mattias turned slightly to face Spider Queen. He had only heard of the original five Gene Stealers and two others that were active; Shark Tamer, Dragon Knight, Wendigo, Spider Queen and Chimera followed by Gnoll and Trojan. Ursa and Minos were all disposed off or incapacitated. He hadn't heard of a 'Fenrir'. "I didn't know you had a 'Fenrir'."

"There is much you don't know about our operations, Migraine." She glided over to him, her movements silky and confident. Her fingers quietly traced the lines of his long, strong neck up to his jaw and down to his muzzle. "I wasn't the one that picked you to be part of my Legion. It was Fenrir. He picked right, of course. I should never have doubted him. Our plans have progressed much father thanks to his wise choices. He's also made contingencies for little rebellions just..." She spoked his forehead. "... like..." Again, a poke. "... this one."

"You think I'll rebel against you?" he spat.

"Would you?" Spider Queen glided past him, heading back down the hallway. "Don't be a hero, Mattias. There's a reason we didn't place the Teams under your direct command and there's a reason why you're here, all alone, watching the people you've transformed."

Migraine's hands formed into fists and he shook from head to toe. "You know they'll beat you."

Again, there came Spider Queen's shrill laugh.

"No, my dear, they will never beat me."

He could feel her sinister grin even without turning around.

"They will beat you."