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"Oh! You're back!" Clay nearly shouted, before composing himself. "Where did you go, Bruce? I was worried..."

"Oh just walked around a lot. Got kinda lost I think?" Bruce said, still unsure himself. Whatever stress he began feeling quickly dissipated though, and he smiled. "Sorry to worry you, babe."

"You didn't..."

"Pass out? No. I feel better than ever, actually," Bruce laughed, feeling full of life. "Maybe that oil helped?"

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay," Clay said, finally relaxing his shoulders. "Enjoy your walk? Get up to any... fun?"

"...I think I did?" Bruce said, vague images and memories coming back to him. "I do remember a lot of naked guys but other than that... it's kinda fuzzy. Feels hot to remember though."

"Probably someone with a hypno fetish," sighed Clay, laughing. "We'll have to check for triggers later. Who knows, if they're fun then we might keep them. Spice up our sex life, you know?"

"Babe, you're more than enough spice for me," Bruce said, pulling Clay closer. The wolf-ram smiled as he allowed Bruce to wrap his big strong arms around him. While the anthro wasn't exactly a lean twig himself, Bruce was just a head taller and double his size in muscle. Bruce placed a hand under Clay's chin and guided his lips to his own, and before too long they were kissing passionately. After a while they broke the kiss, simply standing there in each others' arms.

"...Hey, more of your tattoos showed up," Clay said, smiling. Bruce didn't even need to look to know it; now his entire left arm was tattooed from wrist to shoulder, the inky mass of symbols and images leading over onto his left pectoral and wrapping around his nipple.

"They're all there now," Bruce said, before sighing. "I know it's fine now, but I still can't help but feel nervous."

"If you don't take it off now, you never will," Clay laughed, but Bruce could tell he was sharing in his anxiety. "...It'll still work if you put it back on though, right?"

"Yeah. But before you get any kinky ideas, it won't work on more than one body."

"There goes my idea of a Bruce harem..." Clay joked, but then he grew quiet and pulled away. "...You ready?"

"...Yeah," Bruce said, reaching a hand up to his hat. He slowly began lifting it off his head, and for a moment he felt dizzy... but then he was holding it in his hands and smiling.

"...How do you feel?" Clay asked warily.

"I feel fine, babe," Bruce said, smiling. "It's permanent, now."

"...and Uther...?"

"He's me too, remember?" Bruce said, winking. "But him being a bearer and all... guess that makes me some kinda superhero huh?"

"You were always good with magic, but still..." Clay said, still impressed. "I guess I worry too much, though. He'd have every right to be angry, but... well, I did warn him."

"You sure did," Bruce said, embracing Clay once more. "But enough about him. You're making me feel jealous..."

"Tease," Clay said, resting his horned head on Bruce's chest. "You smell nice... though it's a little different than normal..."

"It is?" Bruce asked, lifting an arm above his head to take a whiff of his armpit. A pleasant scent filled his nostrils as he froze in place, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head. "Mmmm..."

"Yeah..." Clay said, unable to help himself as he buried his own face into Bruce's armpit. Breathing deeply, he began licking as he grunted in pleasure. As Bruce stood there enjoying the attention, he felt his mind begin to wander as his scent grew stronger; it was like it was pouring out of every one of his pores now, along with all his thoughts and worries. He felt like a statue almost, though once Clay had his fill he began to kiss and lick his way down his torso.

'Let him taste you,' he heard in his mind, before his eyelids drooped and a wide smile spread across his face. The haze from before returned in full force as he felt his arms rest on Clay's shoulders and gently began to push him down towards his engorged cock. Taking the hint, Clay dropped to his knees and began to lick up and down his shaft. Bruce may have been a bottom now, but he still enjoyed a good blowjob so it wasn't at all strange to him. If he'd been able to see past the mortal's chest, Clay might have noticed the change in Bruce, but his glands were now producing enough of the lust haze to keep them both sedated and horny.

"Mmm... you taste so good..." Clay moaned, before placing his mouth over his tip. Immediately, his cock pulsed and a bit of precum spurted into the wolf-ram's waiting maw. He froze for a moment before swirling his tongue around Bruce's shaft, his long tongue rough but gentle. As good as it felt to him, Bruce felt as if he were a million miles away as the voice kept whispering to him, encouraging him to keep going. It was different than the voices of the blade; these felt more alive and didn't shout at him. He allowed himself to get lost in it as his body moved on its own, his hands grabbing onto Clay's horns as he began to slowly piston in and out of his mouth. As much as his body was enjoying it, he was simply happy to be fulfilling his purpose.

"Mmf... swallow it all, babe," he said, eliciting a moan from Clay before he increased the pace. The closer he felt to climax, the more he felt like something was coming out the pores of his tattoos and oozing up his skin. Staring straight ahead, he waited until something closed over his eyes and formed a makeshift visor; he wasn't blinded for long before light and images began to flash before his eyes as an update bar slowly began to fill. "Won't be... long now..."

One particularly bright flash caused him to cry out in ecstasy, pulling Clay tightly onto his crotch as the daemon began swallowing the immense load spurting from the mortal. Struggling to keep up, he tried to pull away but Bruce kept a firm grip on him, forcing him to continue to swallow despite the fact it felt like he was emptying a reserve tank of some kind into his lover. It didn't matter to him, though; he finally remembered what he was. He was a drone; most of his internals had already been converted and streamlined, though most notably his infection mechanisms had been specialized and enhanced for just this situation. His mission had been to find his lover and begin his conversion as well; every mortal that had been taken to the processing center had been converted into a similar drone. Bruce had easily given in to the programming, and now that his memories were coming back he felt the connection to the hivemind return in full force. Bliss filled him from head to toe, a reward for fulfilling his purpose.

Finally finishing his orgasm, Bruce's head slumped forward as his hands let go of Clay. The daemon pulled himself off and coughed, trying to catch his breath from the rough treatment. Bruce could hear as he moaned and belched as the corrupted seed began to go to work inside him. A small part of him felt a pang of remorse for what had just happened, though the hivemind was quick to comfort him. He'd done the right thing. This would be for the best. When the fear of being separated from Clay again began to surface, he felt it make him a promise so long as he complied fully.

"Yes... drone will comply," he said, before his body went rigid and stood at attention.

"The... the fuck?" Clay said, before Bruce felt someone grabbing his body and shaking him. "What's wrong with you? Wake up!"

While the subliminals never stopped, Bruce found himself able to see through his visor as Clay's face snapped into existence. He looked very out of it, and his grip felt weak... but the drone simply smiled as it held him tight. Scanning him, the drone reported the status of conversion, and another wave of pleasure rocked Bruce's core. Already, physical signs of Clay's conversion were showing, his skin and fur being covered with a thick, gooey latex that began to spread and cover anything in its path... including Bruce. Clay's resistance began to melt away, but not before he tried to claw at the visor on Bruce's head. It was all in vain, of course; it had already fused permanently to the drone's head and tapped into the audio and visual centers of its brain. Listening to the voice inside its mind instead of Clay's weak protests, the drone began leaking more ooze from its tattoos as Clay's own conversion began speeding up. It wasn't long before an identical visor formed around Clay's eyes and ears.

"What? Who..." Clay began saying, before looking as if he was listening to something. "...Oh. I see... I... no, of course not! Just... don't take him from me... please... I can't..."

"Join us," Bruce said, though his voice had begun to take on the monotonous robotic voice of every drone. "Be with Bruce. Be with us. Never alone. Never apart."

"...I..." Clay hesitated, his resolve already weakening. The programming was in full force, but even then the drone that was Bruce could tell he was already caving. "Okay... just let me be with him... please... I'll do anything."

"Give in, and you will be with him forever," the hivemind promised through Bruce. That seemed to be the last straw; Clay instantly slackened, and a new voice began to join with the hivemind. It was fearful at first, but when it recognized Bruce was among them it relaxed and let go.

"Yeah... forever..." Clay said, his voice speaking in and out of Bruce's mind. It didn't really matter where it came from as the two drone began to explore each others' bodies as the black material spread. Bruce's erection hadn't gone down after the impromptu blowjob; if anything, it was harder than ever as his lust helped to power Clay's transformation. Being encouraged by the hivemind, Bruce leaned over the nearby counter while Clay began to massage and kiss his muscular bubble butt. Wherever he touched, more of the latex came off and spread as if leaving pieces of himself behind. As Clay knelt and buried his face between his cheeks, lapping and moaning as he fell deeper into their control, Bruce didn't need to see to know Clay's body was completely covered and now expanding to match his own body size. While normally the two may have spent a long time in just this act, Clay stood once Bruce was properly lubed up. Lining his hips up with Bruce's, he slowly penetrated the mortal and began to piston in and out.

"Executing bonding process," Bruce and Clay said together, their voices nearly identical now. Reaching climax, Clay gave one final thrust before burying his shaft deep into Bruce and unloading his now corrupted seed. Instead of stopping, however, he continued to press into and over Bruce as his gooified body slowly slipped around every part of Bruce's exposed body. No wonder they had felt so incomplete; more nerves and synapses connected the more Clay spread, and before too long Bruce's body was completely covered save for his head, though even that was slowly starting to be covered up. Just a little more.

The two became truly one as soon as Clay's head slipped over Bruce's like some strange latex hood, its wolf head and ram horns the only defining feature as their visors merged into one. If they had already not been connected to the hivemind, they would have had trouble telling each other apart as they began testing their bodily functions. Sigils and runes etched their way into the suit as their fusion came close to finalizing, and the drone could feel both the magic of the mortal and the power of the daemon at its command. Instead of losing its tail, it reshaped into something more useful as it grew longer and thicker. Coming to a point, a barb formed on its end as a stinger emerged from it, dripping with sedative and corruptive nanites. As if some sort of engine had just turned on, it began to float a few inches from the ground as its magic pulsed and throbbed around it in an aura of desire.

"Fusion and immersion successful," they said, speaking as one. "Corrupter drone online and awaiting orders."

Instructions filled its mind as coordinates popped up onto the display of its visor. Its mission was clear: find and corrupt all mortals or daemons within the area and join them to the collective. Depending on its level of success, the hivemind was willing to make more Corrupters to soon join this drone in its purpose. For now though, it focused on its task as it floated out of the shop, its wares forgotten in the wake of its unwavering devotion and focus.

*******

"I appreciate you coming to at least support me, even if I had to argue about it..." Seth said, still a little hurt even as he hugged Orias. They were in a more private corner of the bar itself, a veil of silence around them to prevent eavesdroppers.

"I still would prefer you just come home with me," Orias said, a small frown on his face. "But I'll be here until you change your mind. The thought of you going alone and not coming back is... well, I'd rather not think about that."

"Yet you won't come with me."

"It's... not because of you, or Envy..." Orias said, sighing. They'd had this argument at least three times in the past twelve hours. "Liam made it pretty clear where we stand, and the thought of helping Davin is just... I can't bring myself to do it. Even for you. I'll keep my promise in not hurting him, but nothing says I have to help him. Especially if it's a problem he caused all on his own."

"...I know, it just sucks is all," Seth said, weary of arguing the same points. Besides, it was a lot to ask of him. "I really hope they're all okay."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I haven't felt any calls to become a new Lust. And we both know I'm about the most powerful lust daemon next to your bosses now, all thanks to you," Orias said, flashing that cocky grin of his. "So Liam is still Lust, for whatever that's worth. Just promise me you'll get out of there if things go south, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Seth chuckled, giving him a hug. "I promise. Just make sure nothing gets through to the bar... not that I think it'll come to that, but if Liam's been taken..."

"Yeah, I have it covered, beautiful. Don't you worry," Orias said, kissing him on the forehead. "Sorry for being angry with you earlier. It's not your fault, what happens to others."

"It's fine. I knew it was a lot to ask, but I had to ask anyway. You know all about that 'drone' stuff, you know?"

"And I know enough to stay away from it unless I have direct control of its influence. Which in this case, I do not," Orias reminded, though his tone was soft and tender. "We're lust daemons, you and I. We're extra susceptible to that sort of thing, especially if mortals are involved. Perhaps once this is all over, I can give you a taste of what it's like...?"

"...Heh, maybe," Seth said, getting horny despite his stress. "But I'll be careful. You've laid enough wards on me that I might as well be a Temperance daemon at this point, and I'll be with Maeryn and Vance."

"Hm. Vance is still very new, both to existence and his aspect," Orias said, but he still seemed to approve. "Still, Fortitude is very powerful against many 'sins'. You could have worse company. You sure you don't want to bring more with you though?"

"Liam made sure to order me not to get the other elders involved... at least, not on purpose," Seth said, rolling his eyes at his own mistakes with Maeryn. "I guess it doesn't stop them from coming along themselves, but I can't exactly go and ask Pride or Wrath for help directly. I still don't know why he decided to go alone."

"He's headstrong, and eager to prove himself as an elder. He probably thought he could order them around and they'd stop whatever they were doing," Orias laughed. "But that doesn't always work. Especially if there's a daemon at the core of it who is willing to challenge your authority. But you'll know more once you get there, won't you?"

"...Yeah, I guess it's useless to speculate," sighed Seth, not wanting to let go of Orias. "I'd rather be in your coils though."

"Come home, then," Orias said, taking one last shot. When Seth sighed and shook his head slowly, Orias simply held him tighter. "Alright. I tried. But after this, you and Davin need to be square. You can't give everything to him just because he changed your life. The debt has to stop somewhere."

"...Yeah. After this... we're square," Seth said, gritting his teeth as he reluctantly said the words. As much as he hated to admit it, Orias was right. "He's my friend, but I can't bail him out of everything can I? Not for eternity at least."

"That's up to you," Orias reassured him. "A friend today can be an enemy tomorrow, or vice versa. That's just how daemon life is. We're immortal, remember? But as much as I love twisting your mind around my little finger, I'm not going to turn you against anyone even if it would benefit me."

"Why not? You've had plenty of chances already," Seth said, genuinely curious.

"...I love you, that's why," Orias said, a more serious tone in his voice. "I've said it before, but I mean it."

"...I love you, too," Seth said, realizing he meant it as well. He'd been treating it as some kind of fling before, but honestly maybe he was just fooling himself. "But... what does that make us then?"

"Nothing more than what we already are," Orias said, smiling. "We are dating, after all. But it's good to hear you feel the same way..."

"...I better go," Seth said, much to Orias' visible disappointment. He knew if he let himself get into it right here and now, they probably wouldn't stop for hours. "But we should definitely continue this later..."

"I'll be here, beautiful," Orias said, sitting down as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a quick flash of his lighter. "Try not to become a drone without me."

"Now you're just teasing me," Seth said, laughing as he slowly walked away. Though he did have to wonder; if by some chance he did get turned into a drone, would Orias come save him? Or would he join him? Either thought was enough to get him hard, and instead of pushing away those instincts he simply lit a cigarette of his own, smoking sections be damned.

"Seth, no smoking in the-" Vance said, once Seth had found the group starting to assemble near the bar.

"Who's gonna stop me? Liam?" Seth challenged, and Vance sighed before letting the issue go. He felt like he should apologize for a moment, but he simply turned to Maeryn and crossed his arms. "We doing this or what?"

"Ready when you are," giggled Maeryn, in full lush mode. "God, it's already boring here. Let's goooo already!"

Looking over at Vance, the fox simply shook his head and rolled his eyes as Seth placed a hand on either of their shoulders. Just as he'd done so many times in what seemed a past life already to him, he quickly formed the spell of transportation around them as purple sigils and ripples of magic emanated forth from him. Sure, he could've done it the 'daemon' way, but Maeryn had insisted on a more 'mortal' approach. When he wasn't making a fool of himself in the bar, at least. It was actually easier for him to do it this way than just a simple daemonic shift, seeing as how close the two realms were to each other... but he didn't let Maeryn know that his idea was actually a good one. He wasn't in the best mood to admit the elder was right about anything, and he definitely didn't want to start an argument with him. Just as the spell was ready to go, he gave one last look over to Orias and smiled before they were taken out of this plane and into the next.

*******

The man felt like he was floating in a sea of eternal rest. Darkness was all around him, yet he craved it as he allowed himself to get lost within it. He could stay like this forever, sleeping in peace and quiet. While it wasn't anywhere close to 'heaven', it was the next best thing. But of course, all things must come to an end. Gasping awake, the now disoriented man smacked wildly until the loud sound stopped before gathering his wits about him. Was it really time to wake up already? Opening one eye, the dim light of the alarm clock was like a burning laser to his retina as he read the time. Six in the morning, as always.

Still tired, he sighed and rose, pivoting his legs until he was sitting on his bed instead of lying down in it. Pulling up the pair of week-old jeans from the floor, he slipped his legs through one at a time before realizing he hadn't put on underwear yet.

"Fuck it," he said, deciding to go commando for the day. After making sure his belt was secure, having never left the belt loops from the night before, he pulled on a random shirt from the laundry basket of clothes he hadn't bothered to fold yet. He had work to do, even if his body desperately wanted him to sleep just five more minutes. Sniffing his pits, he shrugged as he found his boots and pulled them on before heading to the bathroom to 'freshen up'. It wasn't a large apartment, and he owned very little seeing as how he was always so busy, but it was still home. After splashing water on his face, he looked up at the mirror with his haggard face and debated shaving before deciding it was too much effort.

"Another day, another dollar... huh Aeron?" he asked himself. His reflection obviously didn't reply, but he still cracked a small smile at allowing himself to be even just a little silly. He made sure he has his keys, wallet and phone already in his jeans before he decided he was ready to head out. It wasn't unusual for him to skip breakfast as he headed out the door and locked it behind him, but at least he could get a bagel from the coffee shop on the way to work. Walking over to his car, which wasn't really anything special, he hopped in before turning the key in the ignition. Looking over to the passenger seat, he noticed his camera was there... that wasn't good. If someone had seen that last night and decided to bust out his window, he'd have been screwed. He made a mental note to bring it in tonight as he pulled the car out of the lot, turning the radio on as he waited for traffic to let him in.

"It's gonna be another cold day today in the city, so stay warm out there and drive carefully, folks. In other news-"

Aeron kept flicking through the stations until he finally found a heavy metal station, turning up the volume as he finally turned into traffic on his way to work. Covering the concert last night had reignited his love for the genre, but he hoped he'd at least gotten good enough pics to turn in before getting completely wasted. Partying with anthros and daemons at an event like that was just too good to pass up. He was singing along to one of the songs before some static interrupted, and for a moment he thought he could hear some kind of voice... but a quick bash of the radio and it was back to normal.

"Piece of shit radio..." he muttered. He was going to have to replace the car someday soon. If it wasn't falling apart in some areas, it sure felt like it was going to. How long before he'd have to replace an expensive part in the engine? Or god, what if the heater went out? It was the middle of winter for fuck's sake, but he wouldn't be able to replace anything very quickly. He barely made enough to make rent and pay bills, and groceries were a joke. You'd think daemons would promote healthy living if they wanted mortals to feed from, but all he saw was more of the same unhealthy crap... yet it was the cheapest, and what he had to spend money on. Gotta eat to live, after all.

After taking a bit longer than he'd have liked to find a parking spot close to his workplace, he finally was inside rushing to clock in. Rudely pushing past some people but shooting an apologetic glance at them, he quickly clocked in just before the minute hand would have made him late. Sighing, he walked back toward the dark room; he needed to develop the film, since his boss didn't believe in the miracles of modern technology when it came to pictures. Luckily it was one of the few things Aeron had an interest in, so he didn't complain too much about it.

He didn't emerge until much later, sighing in frustration. He'd managed to snag enough photos that he wouldn't be fired, but they were definitely not his personal best. Still, he'd set the negatives aside in the previously labeled folder... it would have to do. He was still adjusting to the light outside the dark room when he realized he was pretty hungry. Right. He hadn't picked up his coffee and bagel, huh? He could be pretty forgetful sometimes. Heading to the break room, he poured himself a cup of cheap coffee into his personal mug before he found himself in front of the vending machine. Junk food would be better than no food at all, at least until he could get a proper meal later. A proper meal probably being whatever he had in his cabinets at home, of course.

"Hey, Aeron!" a woman greeted him, and he merely nodded towards her direction before sipping more coffee. "What'd I tell you about eating that crap? C'mon, I brought extra."

"I really couldn't-" he began, but sighed in resignation as she insisted on sharing her lunch with him. God, it was really lunch time? Sitting down across from her, he noticed her new haircut framed her cats-eye glasses in style. "Nice hair. But Rosalind... pastels?"

"Yes, Morticia Addams," Rosalind chuckled, giving an exaggerated head bob before taking an extra sandwich out for him from her lunch bag. "Eat up."

"Heh. Thanks Roz," he said, trying not to appear to eager to eat. "But seriously, nice hair. Pink looks good on you."

"Thanks. You should think about doing some color yourself."

"Pink, though?" Aeron asked, causing Rosalind to laugh a bit.

"No no no, I just mean... I like the reddish orange look you got going, but don't you ever want to change it up a little? Get some excitement in your life?"

"Eh, not really," Aeron said, sipping more of the crappy coffee. As long as it did its job though, he really didn't care. "I'm more of a status quo guy, myself."

"Is that why you keep passing up promotions and getting shit-faced?" Rosalind asked, before blushing. "Ah. Sorry."

"Nah, don't apologize. That's why I like you Roz; you're not afraid to call me out on my shit," Aeron chuckled, putting Rosalind at ease. "But yeah, I haven't really been making 'good life decisions' lately. I'd go to a gym but half the time I can't find one that's strictly for humans."

"Why just humans? You, ah..."

"Oh! No, I don't have anything against anthros. I'm just tired of trying to use equipment that's too large for me," Aeron said, realizing how he'd just sounded. "The city kind of overdoes it in trying to be inclusive though. They keep forgetting not everyone's the size of a massive rhino man. Though, I do have to wonder sometimes how it'd feel."

"Oh? As in...?" Rosalind said, a mischievous smile on her face as she gave him a look.

"...Roz! Not like that!" Aeron said, blushing. "I meant like, being that way. Big and strong and... you know. Geez, get your mind out of the gutter! We just had training on this!"

"Oh, right. HR would have a fit huh?" Rosalind said, sighing. "Gotta watch my tongue while we're at work huh? Though... how was it last night? The concert I mean? Get into any trouble?"

"I mean, a headache and sore muscles reminding me that I'm not as young as I used to be, but if you mean like, did I have some company? Nah. Though I can't say I wasn't tempted to hit on a few. I just prefer not to get hit back. Literally."

"Can't always play it safe, though," Rosalind said, smiling. "But hey, maybe next time. Did you enjoy the music at least?"

"Hell yeah," Aeron laughed. "I mean, even with the earplugs I'm probably gonna have tinnitus afterwards, but you know what they say. If it's too loud..."

"You're toooooo old!" Rosalind finished, before looking at her phone. "Fuck. Break's over already?"

Looking at his own phone, Aeron sighed and nodded before shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. Rosalind laughed as he gave her a face; they both quickly got rid of their trash and cleaned up their respective dishes before parting ways. They'd been good friends for a while, but they worked in different departments of the newspaper: he took photos, she proofread the stories before they made it to print. She was very good at her job too, otherwise they'd have never let her get away with crap like dying her hair pink. She was irreplaceable, and they knew it. Himself, on the other hand... well, he tried not to think about it. Sure, he could do a much better job than he'd been doing, but lately he just felt like something was missing in his life. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts as he mindlessly went over other work tasks at his desk, that he didn't notice his coworker until they snapped his fingers at him.

"Ah! Sorry," Aeron said, shaking his head before giving him his full attention. "What can I do you for, Jack?"

"Boss wanted to see you," Jack said, looking kind of nervous. "He didn't look happy."

"Of course..." sighed Aeron, before standing back up. "Wonder what he wants this time?"

"Hey, I'm just the messenger," Jack said, shrugging apologetically as he walked on to his other business.

"It's fine, Jack. It's my problem. Thanks for telling me though."

Sighing, Aeron rubbed his tired eyes before finally standing. Walking with confidence, he headed back toward the office his boss was in. He ignored the nameplate, as gaudy as it was, and simply entered without knocking.

"You wanted to see me, Bob?" he said, shutting the door behind him. Taking a seat across from the portly mustached man, he watched as his boss swung his monitor around. Aeron's stomach dropped as he saw pictures of himself on his social media account.

"Mind explaining to me why you're taking pictures of yourself instead of the concert?"

"...I guess I just felt like taking some selfies," Aeron said, becoming defensive. "Is that a crime?"

"No, but it's highly unprofessional to be taking 'selfies' on the job," Robert said, clear disdain on his face for the word. "Also, I pay you to take photos of stories, not how many men and women you can make out with while you're drunk off your ass."

"I took the photos and decided to enjoy the rest of the concert on my own time," Aeron said, before Robert simply shook his head.

"You're on my time when you're on assignment, Aeron. That doesn't mean you can spend five minutes taking pictures and then blowing off the rest of the night. I'm going to have to write you up."

"You haven't even seen the photos I took yet," Aeron began, before Robert tapped his monitor once more.

"I've seen enough. Don't argue with me and make it worse for yourself. You're already on thin ice as it is. The only reason I haven't fired you outright is because Rosalind vouches for you, and I trust her instincts on these things. But this is your last warning."

"...Fine," Aeron said, suppressing what he really wanted to say to his boss. He wanted to tell him to fuck off, to shove that warning up his ass, to... taking a breath, Aeron simply gave a false smile. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"See that it doesn't, Aeron," Robert said, though his eyes told him he didn't believe Aeron would be able to keep that promise. "Can you let us in on your way out?"

"I'm sorry?" Aeron said, turning around with a look of confusion. He'd already been halfway to the door. "I... didn't quite catch that last part."

"I said send them in on your way out," Robert said, motioning out the window. "And make sure those photos are on my desk by Friday."

"Right. Will do," Aeron said, still a little disoriented. He thought he'd heard something else, but... maybe it was just his lack of proper sleep. That must be it. Sending in the next person waiting to meet with the boss, he went about the rest of his work day without incident. At the end of the day, he clocked out before heading back to his car. Resting his head on the steering wheel, he tried to calm down; having to deal with his boss so early in his day had thrown everything off, and he'd been stewing all day. How dare he go through his profile when it wasn't related to work at all! It was obvious he was just being targeted by the man, though he wasn't sure why. Even if he was sabotaging himself, Aeron knew that Robert had had his eye on him from day one after replacing his old boss. He'd decided he was a troublemaker from the beginning, and Aeron had had to be on his toes ever since. Though the stress was getting to him now. He wasn't sleeping right, he wasn't eating right, he'd been docked on hours for no reason... hell, he was pretty sure he was getting an ulcer at this point.

He needed a change. Instead of going home and getting dinner like he usually did, he turned the opposite way and began heading downtown. He had the day off tomorrow anyway, so why not get fucked up tonight 'on his own time'? Sneering at the words his boss used all the time, he imagined himself in all sorts of scenarios in his fantasies of quitting, and of course in each of them he was the hero who finally stood up and said what was on his mind. Instead of making him feel better, he just got angrier and angrier as the night went on. He got kicked out of several bars after getting drunker at each one and making an ass out of himself, and at one point he lost his keys or someone had taken them. Continuing on foot to the next bar, he was stopped by two anthros dressed in leather.

"Hey, look at this one. I knew mortals couldn't hold their liquor," said one, his eyes appraising him up and down. "Though he's a looker, at least."

"He looks like he hasn't slept in a week," the other one argued, before walking around him. "Nice ass, though."

"Excuse me," Aeron drunkenly said, trying to stumble past them before the first stopped him. Looking up at the anthro, he could see they were some kind of goat... maybe. He wasn't sure in the darkness, though the horns and scruffy chin seemed to be dead giveaways.

"Not so fast," he said, his hand resting on his arm. "You look like you know how to party. How much've you had to drink, anyway?"

"Fuckin'... a lot," Aeron said, not really sure himself. "Just wanna get shitfaced tonight..."

"I think I can do you one better," the goat anthro said, pulling himself in a bit closer. "My friend and I were headed to a... private party, let's say. If you're up for it, you could JoiN uS... though it's just going to be us men. Fair warning."

"Fuck it, why not. I'm bi anyway," Aeron said, ignoring the tiny voice of reason that was left inside of him. This was a terrible idea. He didn't know these guys. Whatever doubts were left were quickly smothered when the goat gave him a sudden, yet passionate kiss.

"Mmm... yeah, you definitely are," the goat said, flashing a smile. "I'm Ray. The trash panda is Tim."

"They're called raccoons, Ray!" the shorter anthro protested, rolling his eyes. "And besides, I'm a tanuki! Stop introducing me as a trash panda, for gods' sake!"

Laughing, Ray wrapped an arm around Aeron's shoulders as the tanuki clung to his waist. As odd as the situation was, he was enjoying the attention as they constantly teased and groped at him on their way to... wherever they were going. As drunk as he was, he recognized a seedy part of town when he saw one. This was definitely not where he'd been before, though before he could get even a little concerned he was distracted by yet another nibble on his neck.

"Relax... let go of your inhibitions," Ray encouraged, and Aeron simply nodded. "Good mortal..."

"I've been looking forward to this all month," Tim said, practically giggling with glee as he opened the door to a rundown building. "Bet he tastes great..."

"Hush. Let's not spoil the surprise," Ray said, glaring at Tim as he guided Aeron inside.

"What... surprise?" Aeron said, smiling drunkenly.

"Oh... you'll see..." Ray said, his seductive words echoing in his mind. It was easy to go along with what he said, and before he knew it they were entering some sort of apartment. As soon as the door opened, they were quickly let inside and the sounds of what could only be some kind of loud party hit Aeron's ears. Though instead of the heavy metal or rock he'd been listening to lately, this was more sensual and hypnotic. It wasn't long before he was completely out of it and allowing the two anthros to guide him more toward the back of the room. There were various groups there as well; some were one-on-one, some were like him with two, and one seemed particularly distracted with several.

"What kinda party is..."

"Don't worry about them," Ray said, sitting him down on top of his own lap. "Focus only on me and my friend here. We're your entire world right now, aren't we?"

Whether it was the music or the honeyed words of the daemon, Aeron found himself falling deeper and deeper into a trance as he simply nodded. Everything after that simply fell away as time lost all meaning; in one memory he was riding Ray's cock as Tim watched... in another he was being spit-roasted. But no matter what positions he was in or what kind of release he got afterwards, he found himself craving more and more until all he could think about was sex. Whenever he felt at his limit, he simply listened to whatever Ray said and drank some kind of tablet down with a swig of whiskey, and soon he was feeling full of energy and drunker than he'd ever been. Whether it was hours, days, or weeks he couldn't tell, but at one point he collapsed from sheer exhaustion soon after taking another tablet.

"I think... that's all we're getting out of him..." Tim panted, gathering his clothes from the floor of the bedroom. Hadn't they been in some kind of living area before? Aeron's head spun as he felt something fall on top of him.

"Here, get dressed," Ray commanded, and as quickly as he could Aeron obeyed. "Good thrall. I think our little party here has just about ended for you, so why don't you head home? You can find your way home, can't you?"

"Yeah, sure I can..." Aeron said, though every word felt like daggers in his throat from how dry and parched he felt. Hell, his entire being felt like a wet sponge that had been wrung out for every last drop. He could barely move.

"Then go. Tim, let's go find us another mortal. I'm sure there are plenty left to choose from..."

That was all Aeron heard as he left the room. He ignored everyone as he went out into the hallway; unsure of where he was going, he randomly picked a direction and stuck to it. Getting out of the building wasn't too hard but once he was out on the streets everything looked the same, covered both in darkness and snow. It had begun snowing, and a chill wind caused him to shiver violently. He felt like he had a hangover, but he was still very drunk and dizzy as he stumbled forward. Every step felt like moving through wet concrete, and he couldn't go more than a few feet before he felt out of breath. How long he wandered like that, he wasn't sure... but sooner than later he collapsed in the snow. He thought it felt nice as he laid there, and he had the vague sense of shapes occasionally moving around or past him. His weak heart pounded in his ears, as if trying to rouse him from his dangerous sleep... but his addled mind didn't care as he began feeling very warm. It was just like in his bed, when he was floating in that infinite blackness... all he had to do was sleep. Then maybe he could find his way home...

Infinite choice. Infinite will. Infinite life. Those words seemed to pound their way into his skull; snapping his eyes open, he was shocked to find himself floating above his own body. What was infinitely more shocking was that he was surrounded in light, a searing orb of holy pain hovering before him. He was dead; that much he knew now as the orb seemed to deliver all kinds of information to him directly. They were... words, but they weren't. Images sprang to mind; bloody battles, historical moments, forbidden romances... there were too many different things to count, and it was all so overwhelming. Withdrawing, it left him with a choice: proceed to whatever afterlife awaited him, or take up the sword and fight daemons.

"Daemons..." he said, though it wasn't really speaking. Rage filled him as he was able to remember what happened to him with crystal clarity... no. That couldn't happen again. It wouldn't. He reached for the orb almost on instinct, and the light erupted as it flowed around and inside him. If he'd thought the images from before were overwhelming, he was swept away in the torrent of memories and past lives that began to fill and instruct him. With a final thought, he simply let go and joined the current.

Uther Pendragon snapped his eyes open, before slowly rising from the snow. People gasped near him; no doubt he'd been covered in snow by now, so seeing someone rise so casually from it must have been alarming. Without a word, he began to make his way back to that rundown apartment, where the 'party' was.

"Wrth fy llafn, byddant yn marw," he muttered, a blade forming in his hand from thin air. "Let us mete out justice, Caledfwlch."

"So... you killed them?" a voice asked him, and Uther shook his head as a room came into focus.

"...I did. I killed every daemon there before I lost my memory. But... what was I..." Uther said, closing his eyes in confusion as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right. The shop... but where is this? Who are you?"

"Where we are is a digital space constructed to interact with those not within our collective mind. As for who we are... well, as a whole, you may call us Oublis," the sabertooth tiger said, sitting across from him at the table. When had they been sitting at a table? "Though Eon is the name of this particular proxy, should you prefer that. But, what is your name? Is it Aeron?"

"...No," Uther said. He wasn't sure why, but Aeron just sounded wrong to him. Even though clearly in his memories that had once been his name.

"Then what is your name? Please, tell us..." Eon said, tilting his head in curiosity. Though it was stiffer than Uther would have liked, almost as if he were part machine. Closing his eyes, the image of a strange anthro sprung unbidden to his mind, though it was as if something was obscuring his face and making him unable to remember who it was.

'... I think you'll remember who you were, eventually," the strange anthro said, reassuring him despite his serious tone and posture. "Though your old name will sound dead and hollow in your ears. Whatever you once were, you are now...'

"Uther," he said, nodding as he completed the sentence. "Uther Pendragon, bearer of Caledfwlch."

"The One of Many," Eon said, some semblance of amazement on his face. "Like us, but not us. An honor to meet one such as you."

"Cut the crap, daemon," Uther said, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Why am I here in a 'digital space', anyway?"

"You were integrated into us, made one with us," Eon said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "However, we soon began to sense discord within the one named 'Bruce' and, after a great amount of time and effort, we were quite surprised to find another consciousness buried deep within his mind. It would have been easier to simply rip through the enchantments to speak with you, but we were uncertain if that would... compromise you."

"Thanks for being patient then, I guess," Uther said, not sure he was believing what he was hearing. And yet, everywhere he looked around the minimalist room, he could almost sense some kind of strange symbol or disturbance flicker briefly into existence. Almost like a glitch. "...So, what... I'm some kind of drone now?"

"More or less," Eon said, smiling at Uther. It seemed he was almost glad to be understood so easily. "Bruce serves our greater will through what was once your body, and to undo that would severely compromise his current role and function. But, we have a solution. If you are willing to hear it."

"Do I have a choice?" Uther said, causing Eon to shake his head sadly. "Then let's lay our cards on the table here. What've you got for me?"

"If you were to join us, fully immerse yourself into our combined mind and will, we could make you a newer, better body with which to operate in," Eon said, waving a hand over the table. A model of some kind of strange creature coated in rubber or latex emerged, covered in runes and sigils. It had a scorpion-like tail and two rams' horns, though the rest of the body seemed to be wolfish instead. "You would have full command of your power within a body such as this. You would be helping us to expand and evolve."

"That's a funny way of saying 'invade and conquer'," Uther laughed, though the bitterness far outweighed any mirth.

"We prefer to think of it as 'saving' rather than 'conquering'," Eon countered, the blissful smile never leaving his face. "If you wish, we can show you what it is like to be one with us. Even temporarily..."

"Fuck off," Uther said, a flash of steel and light the only sign Uther had moved. The table, along with the model, slowly fell apart as each revealed they had been sliced cleanly in half. "Heh. Wind resistance doesn't exist here, who knew?"

"You've grown stronger," Eon said, though he kept sitting. "But you should reconsider our offer. It's that, or you fall back to sleep. To relive that sequence of memories, over and over again."

"...How many times have we done this, then?" Uther asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Does it matter?" Eon asked, an almost sad look to his eyes. Yet, they caused Uther to shiver with dread with how 'off' they looked. "You are clearly not ready. Though we thank you for telling us your name this time, Uther Pendragon. We will use this new knowledge for our next encounter. Now, sleep..."

"What the fu-" Uther said, before the blade fell from his hands and he felt like he was being plunged back into some alien darkness...

The man felt like he was floating in a sea of eternal rest. Darkness was all around him, yet he craved it as he allowed himself to get lost within it. He could stay like this forever, sleeping in peace and quiet. While it wasn't anywhere close to 'heaven', it was the next best thing. But of course, all things must come to an end...