The Birth of Cheetah

by Stephanie C.

 

Part: THREE

 

Chapter Eighteen: Visitors

 

 

It had taken months for Sam and Sharron to recover from their injuries. Both had extensive internal injuries resulting from their fight with Michael Ironheim, a self styled ‘Lord’ and powerful international business tycoon who had created his own secret army for the purposes of world conquest. He had also turned out to be a very powerful mutant who had beaten the genetically enhanced Special Forces man and the felinesque mutant woman to within an inch of their lives. As it was, hours of surgery had saved their lives.

Jennifer Breeze, the once statuesque blonde mutant for which they had risked their lives to save, still had much recovering to do from her traumatic experience. The scars that crisscrossed her body from head to toe would forever be a constant reminder to her. A face and body that would have been the envy of every model was now nothing but ruin. A deeper scar, buried in her soul, would heal... in time but it will years before she stopped having nightmares of her repeated rapes and torture.

After having spent so long a time in the medical wing of The National Xavier Institute, and now believing that they were finally safe from Ironheim and his demented plans to turn Karen into a human super weapon, Sam was finally ready to go home and try to bring some semblance of peace to his life. As he and Karen waited for Dr. Montoya to arrive with his release forms, they were surprised by three last minute visitors.

"Oh good. I was afraid that we would miss you." The middle-aged woman with Alexandria Rasputin beamed.

"Kitty!" Karen screamed and jumped up to embrace the woman who was like a mother to her. "It’s so good to see you again. And you too, you little beastie."

The purple alien dragon on Catherine Rasputin’s shoulder cooed with delight at the attentive chin scratching he was receiving.

"Enough of that." Kitty admonished. "Lockheed is spoiled enough as it is without your doting."

"Pheh!" The dragon responded to his companion’s accusation.

"Oh!" Karen exclaimed when Sam suddenly cleared his throat. "Kitty, I want you to meet my fiancé, Sam. Sam, this is..."

"Dame Catherine." Sam said with a bow of respect. "It is an honor."

"Let’s get one thing straight right now, Samuel." Catherine said with a stern look at the fragile looking pink-haired girl who had once been a twenty-seven year old man. "I will have none of that ‘Dame’ crap. Especially from the one who is going to be marrying my precious Karen. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma’am." Sam answered and promptly received a hug. He was then surprised when the dragon dropped lightly into his lap and then looked into his eyes. He could sense the creature regarding him with intelligent calculation and... something else...deeper before giving a bleak of satisfaction directed at his companion and Karen. He then rolled onto his back and accepted Sam’s belly rub with a sigh of contentment.

"Oh no!" Karen moaned. "We’ll never get them two separated now. Sam just goes crazy over dragons."

"And Lockheed is always a sucker for a pretty face." Kitty laughed. The said more sternly. "Which is a habit that I have yet to break him of."

"Well, at least he has good tastes." Alexandria put in.

"Now don’t you start." Kitty waved a finger warningly.

Karen knelt beside Sam’s wheelchair an added her caresses to the blissfully content dragon. "So what was so important that you had to see me, Kitty?"

Catherine looked down at the two with disapproving eyes. "Well, I was going to give you an early wedding present, but I might as well just let you take that little ingrate with you instead."

Lockheed looked up at her and blew smoke from his nostrils, his version of sticking out his tongue.

"Wedding present?" Karen asked alarmed. "Aren’t you going to be able to attend?"

Catherine shrugged. "Well, seeing as how I don’t know when it is, and I haven’t been invited..."

Karen jumped to her feet and wrapped the older woman in her arms. "Of course you’re invited. You’re the closest thing to a mother that I ever had. I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out of something this important."

Catherine stepped back and held Karen out at arms length. "Alright then, I accept, but only if you trade that ’mother’ bit for something more like ’older sister’ or something. Lord knows that I feel old enough just looking at Alex. Thinking of you as a daughter only makes me feel older."

Karen gave Kitty her patented lopsided grin. "Well, you’re just going to have to get used to it because I am not about to change the way that I feel about you."

"You are a cruel person, Karen Stevens." Catherine accused.

"What can I say? You taught me well."

Catherine gave her a sour look and then turned to Sam. "So when is the big day?"

Sam looked up from the cooing dragon. "We haven’t exactly set a date yet. We’re still trying to adjust to my transformation."

Kitty nodded in understanding. "Alex said that you two took it hard when there was nothing found in Madagascar that could help to reverse the process."

Sam nodded. "And with Ironheim now dead, I’m afraid that his technology is now lost forever."

Catherine knelt with one hand in Karen’s and the other on Sam’s knee. "I am so sorry. I wish that there was something that I could do for you. If only I still had access to Widget. I could go back in time and prevent all of this from happening."

Karen squeezed her hand. "I know you would have, Kitty, even if we had never asked, you would have done that for us. That is why I love you so much."

"Well, what are your plans now?" Alexandria asked, breaking the intimate silence. "Sam, with your empathic abilities, you would be a welcome addition to our staff here."

"That’s an excellent idea." Catherine agreed.

Sam caught the worried look Karen gave him. "Thank you for the offer." He told the Director. "But unless you open a branch of the Institute down in Pensacola, I’m afraid that I will have to turn you down. My sister has already got a house set up for us and all that’s left is for us to move in."

"Besides," Karen put in. "Pensacola is our home and we could not imagine living anywhere else."

Alexandria was obviously disappointed, but her eyes widened in thought and she gave Sam a sharp look. "I have your word then? If I open a branch of the Xavier Institute down there, you’ll work for me?"

Sam nodded. "I will."

"Maybe possibly be the regional Director?"

"Don’t push your luck." Sam warned with a laugh.

Alexandria held up her hands. "Okay, okay, but at least think about it. Alright?"

"Okay, but don’t hold your breath."

Dr. Montoya chose that moment to walk in with Sam’s discharge papers.

"Guess that’s our cue to get going." Catherine said. "Come on, Stinker. You’ve been coddled long enough."

"It was an honor meeting you at last." Sam told Catherine as he handed Lockheed up to her.

"Just hope you think the same thing when she starts organizing your wedding." Alexandria quipped.

"I am not that bad." Her mother said defensively.

"Aunt Rahn’s wedding?" The daughter reminded her, and then to the others. "Two words; Fuchsia, and Teal."

Karen’s face paled. "You didn’t..."

"No I didn’t!" Catherine said pointedly.

"Only because Aunt Rahn... uhmph!"

Catherine clamped her hand over her daughter’s mouth and started for the door. "It was nice meeting you too, Sam. Have a safe trip. Call me when you set a date. Bye."

"We. Are. NOT. Letting her plan our wedding." Sam said with emphasis.

Karen gave him her smile. "We’ll talk about that when the time comes. For now, let’s just concentrate on getting you out of here."

 

Chapter Nineteen: Lady Domina

Lady Domina watched as the latest Weapon was escorted into the laboratory deep beneath her ancestral estate. Unlike the other five who had once been her thralls and were already undergoing the procedure in the other tanks, this one was a boy. He had been an orphan, or at least a runaway, until she had caught him trying to snatch her purse while she was in London. She had quickly seized control of his mind and had bent it to her will.

He looked about at the strange machinery nervously, but quickly dropped his gaze to his feet when Domina approached.

"Remove your clothes." She commanded, then smiled as he hastened to obey. The very feminine lace nightwear that she had forced him to wear was soon piled about his feet along with the miniscule thong panties.

"I’m about to make you a pretty girl for real." She purred as she stroked his painted face. "You will like that. Won’t you?"

The boy’s face brightened and tears of joy glistened in his eyes. "Oh yes, Mistress! I do want to be a real girl so badly."

Domina smiled. Of coarse he wanted to be a girl. She had spent a week forcing that one desire into his weak mind. She gave a nod to the technician. He was the same one from their island base that was now in the hands of the Americans.

He injected an anesthetic into the fourteen year-old’s arm. "Same as the others?" He asked as his assistants carried the now groggy boy away.

"Yes." Domina said after a moment’s consideration. "Sixty-five percent of Weapon Alpha’s DNA and thirty-five percent Weapon Beta’s, but I want you to increase his overall stats by five percent over that of the others."

"Of coarse, M’Lady." The technician bowed and went to do her bidding only to be held back by her once more.

"One other thing. Stop his re-aging at his current age and let him retain his full memories. He has yet to be fully repaid for his transgressions against me. Knowing that I have taken his manhood away from him will have to suffice."

A short time later, Domina sat in her office and stared warily at her computer monitor. Now that Ironheim was gone, she was the sole commander in chief of the organization which she was slowly disbanding a piece at a time. She would maintain her own personal guardsmen and the technicians need to run the laboratory, but all the rest would soon be gone. In its place, she will have an army of genetically enhanced super soldiers.

Ironheim had been smart. After the attack on the island, he had liquidated most of his assets and had listed her as his second should anything happen to him. He had also made a move that prevented the world governments from seizing his companies. He had put a clause in his will stating that everything that he owned would be sold and the money given to numerous charities. The majority of which were fronts for the organization and now indirectly controlled by Domina. All but one. The Flemming’s School for Girls, the orphanage that Domina had converted her family estate into. Of coarse, all fifty girls now under her roof were under her control and would soon join the first five, no six, in becoming her new army.

However, all of that required paperwork, and tons of it, to keep operating smoothly and looking legal from the outside. She let the four nude teenaged girls undress her and then begin please her as she set to work on the latest accounts.

 

Chapter Twenty: Homecoming

The yellow and black Mustang Saleen pulled into the driveway and two blonde girls rushed out from the front door to meet it. Karen was almost knocked to the ground as the seven and eight year-olds jumped into her arms.

"Aunt Karen!" They squealed lovingly.

Two boys, both with darker blonde hair than their sisters, joined them more sedately. Being fourteen and fifteen, they thought it beneath them to act so excited, but their anxiousness was evident in their eyes.

"What’cha bring me?" Brenda, the youngest girl asked.

Sam nervously stepped out of the passenger side. He had thought that he would be prepared for this, but now that he was here, he realized that he was scared to death. Then James, the fifteen year-old, saw him, and the situation got decidedly worse. For the boy, it was love at first sight.

Whatever fantasies the youth was having about the pink haired beauty were suddenly dashed away when Carrol ran from the house and embraced her younger brother in a fierce hug. "Sam! I’m so glad you’re home. You look great."

"You didn’t tell them. He accused instead of greeting her properly.

She smiled mischievously. "I wanted to surprise them. And the look on James’ face was priceless."

"Great. Now I have to worry about my nephew having wet dreams about me."

Carrol laughed. "You’ll live."

By now, all four kids had gathered about them. James held back in a vain attempt to hide his embarrassment. The others were looking him over uncertainly.

"Are you really our Uncle Sammie?" Melody asked.

"I’m afraid so, Lody." He answered, using his pet name for her.

"Why are you a girl now?" Brenda asked.

Sam knelt and took both of girls’ hands in his own. "A very bad man did this to me to try and hurt Aunt Karen."

"But why?" Melody asked.

"I don’t know," He told her. "but he won’t be hurting anyone else ever again."

"Good." The older girl said and wrapped her arms around him. Her acceptance brought tears to his eyes.

"I think you look pretty." Brenda said. "Prettier than before."

"You just like pink." Sam teased, waving a lock of his hair at her and making her giggle.

"You look cool." Mick commented.

"He does. Doesn’t he?" Karen grinned as she helped Sam to his feet and wrapping a possessive arm around him.

"All right, you ruffians, get on." Carrol said, shooing her children off.

"Get!" She ordered over their protests before turning back to Sam and Karen. Calvin’s bar-b-cueing out on the back deck. Why don’t you two get cleaned up and change into something more comfortable and we’ll have everything ready for you."

"Sounds good to me." Sam said. "We ate in Jacksonville and that was five hours ago. Karen refused to stop once for a break. You know, it’s a lot harder for a girl to hold her bladder than it is for a guy."

The women laughed as he dashed hurriedly into the house.

 

The children were ecstatic when Sam offered to pitch in to the cooking by fixing his famous adobo potato logs. To Calvin’s rueful frustration, they ate more of them than anything that he had prepared.

Afterwards, Sam joined him and the kids in a game of football. That lasted all of two minutes when the children protested about Sam’s speed. He feigned innocence, but the kids lulled him into a false sense of security and then dog piled him.

Ever the protective sister, Carrol rose from her chair to break it up, but a laughing Karen held her back. "He’ll be all right."

"Are you sure?" Carrol asked worriedly. "But he’s so small now."

"He can handle himself." Karen assured her.

No sooner had she said that then shouts of "No fair!" and "Cheater!" erupted from the pile and the kids began scrambling to get away only to be hauled back in by fast moving arms.

"Told you so." Karen grinned.

Seeing that the kids were finally tiring, Sam began letting them go. The last to leave was James, but not without copping one last feel of his breast. He had been doing that all throughout the scuffle and Sam felt uncomfortable about it at first, but then he decided not to ruin the fun for the others. He would have a quiet talk with the boy later.

He walked up onto the patio and graciously accepted the glass of coke Calvin offered.

"Look at you. You’re not even breathing hard." His brother-in-law said. "If that was me, I would have been out of it long ago."

Sam shrugged. "It’s just another effect of whatever it was they did to me. It has its advantages."

"Poor Karen." Carrol laughed. "It’s a wonder she gets any sleep at night with you having that kind of energy."

Neither Karen, nor Sam commented on that. They had yet to be that intimate since Sam’s transformation.

Calvin broke the uneasy silence that followed. "We’re planning an overnight canoe trip this weekend. Why don’t you two join us?"

"I don’t know." Karen said uncertainly. "We still need to move into our new house."

"Which we haven’t even seen yet." Sam pointed out

"Oh, come on." Carrol urged. "That can wait. You two need to get out and enjoy yourselves for a change. Besides, everything is already put up except for a few boxes of odds and ends that we didn’t know where you wanted put."

Karen and Sam gave each other a weary look. Knowing that they had already lost the argument, they relented.

 

Chapter Twenty-One: A New Home and a New Name

Later that afternoon, Carrol took them to their new home. They were a bit surprised when she turned down another road just a half mile down the highway and were once more following along the river. Their uneasiness grew when the noticed the wealthy homes along the river and then paled when she pulled into the drive of a three story brownstone.

"Must be the realtors." Sam reasoned. "We’re just stopping here to pick up the keys."

That thought was quickly dashed as his sister climbed out of her car and motioned the to get out as well. She was grinning widely when they approached. "Who do I give these to for the honor?" She asked, holding up a set of house keys.

"Sis?" Sam sputtered. "You can’t be serious. We can’t afford this."

Karen put an arm around him for self-support. Her legs were feeling a bit weak as she looked around at the large house and the well-manicured lawn.

"It’s not as if you’re going to be making payments on it or anything." Carrol said secretively.

"What do you mean?" Karen asked.

"Come on in and I’ll show you."

Sam took they keys and opened the door. Karen grasped his hand tightly as he escorted her into a large, undecorated foyer. Natural hardwood was everywhere, the floors, the moldings, and even the walls. Huge crossbeams ran along the high, vaulted ceiling. Beyond the foyer, the house opened into a large living room with an even higher ceiling. A wrap around staircase led to a second floor loft were several doors could be seen, presumably leading to bedrooms.

Past the living room, there was a hallway that ran the length of the house, and across from that was an enormous dinning room. A smaller breakfast nook was to the left through an archway and was open to a large kitchen. A door to the right showed a changing room with showers for the indoor pool that lay past the door beyond.

The rest of the ground floor consisted of a four-car garage with a workroom, two more bathrooms, and two more enormous rooms. One had built in oak shelves along the walls. All of Sam’s horded books already occupied a miniscule section of the space available. The other room was open and could be used as a den, a game room, or whatever else.

The second floor contained two master bedrooms facing the front of the house, each with its own private bath and walk in closets. Four smaller rooms faced the rear and had their own walk in closets. The two to the right shared one central bath, as did the two to the left. A wide hallway led back to a wide balcony that overlooked the river.

The third floor was an attic with a high ceiling, but it was sectioned off into several rooms, one of which was yet another full bath. The others could be converted into more bedrooms, as if the house needed any more.

 

After the tour, Carrol led them back to the breakfast nook where their old dining room set looked sadly outclassed and out of place within the splendor of the house. She retrieved a large manila envelope from a kitchen drawer and then sat down at the table, gesturing for them to do the same.

She slid the package across to them and leaned back in her chair. "Open it." She said at their dumbfounded expressions.

Sam started to, but his hands were shaking so badly that Karen had to take it from him. Inside was the deed to the house along with a stack of more documents, and another set of keys.

"This house was a government repossession." Carrol explained. "Seems that the former tenants were acting as middlemen for the Russian Mafia and the Columbian Cartels. They disappeared before we could move in for the arrest, however, so they’re still around somewhere."

"That doesn’t explain this." Sam said, holding up the deed.

"I was getting to that." His sister crisply replied. "Normally, in a case like this, the property is put up for auction. Most of it was, like the furniture, cars, and boats, however, word of you two reached some very prominent ears and the house was signed over in both your names instead of being sold under value in auction.

"Word quickly got out from there, and more support came in." She pointed to the stack of documents. "In there, you will find your lifetime property tax exemption forms and a receipt for fifty years of prepaid home insurance. There are also several gift certificates from local stores... and this came in last Friday."

She pulled out a sealed envelope from her purse and handed it to Sam. It was from the Xavier Institute and addressed ‘To The Future Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Conners’.

"You know what it is?" Karen asked.

"Possibly." Carrol smiled.

Sam glanced up at her and then carefully tore open the envelope. Inside were a note and a check for fifty thousand dollars. The note read:

Consider this an advancement on your salary.

Love, Alex

Sam shook his head in disbelief. Then a sudden thought occurred to him. "How did everyone find out about me? I thought that the government wanted to keep my transformation a secret."

Carrol nodded. "They do." Then explained. "The story is that you are a relative of the other Samuel Conners and was abducted by the terrorist during the attack on your apartment. You were sold into white slavery on the black market in Asia where you were transformed by more conventional means. Your male persona was reported killed during your rescue."

"Oh yeah." She said as an afterthought. "The local news wants to do an interview and ‘Wake Up America’ has sent a request for a visit as well. Then there is the city’s founding day parade where you two are the Grand Marshals, and a formal dinner by the mayor where you are expected to express your appreciation for all of this." She said, gesturing to all of the gift certificates.

Sam’s mind reeled as he tried to take it all in. It was all too much, too soon. "I don’t understand. Why all of this?"

Carrol smiled. "You haven’t been watching the news lately. Have you?"

Sam and Karen shook their heads.

"The government has just allowed the news to be released, but some reporters had caught you on tape when you returned from Madagascar and cornered Stalker for a quick interview.

"Ironheim’s terrorist activities have been made public and you two have been linked with his downfall. You’re heroes."

"So much for anonymity." Karen quipped.

"One other thing." Carrol added

"What?" Sam asked in exasperation.

"Seems that you have a new nickname. One that you can thank Stalker for."

"Oh Lord." Karen groaned.

Carrol laughed. "It’s not that bad. In fact, I think it suits you."

"You liking it only makes me even more worried." Sam commented. Then. "Alright, what is it?"

"Cheetah."

 

Chapter Twenty-Two: Twisted Sisters

Domina motioned for one of her thralls to turn off the television while a slow smile crossed her lips. She hardly ever watched television but she was glad that the Major had brought the American newscast to her attention. It appears that her precious little weapon Beta had become a darling to the American people. And the name that they had given her was fitting. It also gave her an idea on what to call her new deadly toys that were now in training. It also gave her an idea for their first assignment.

 

She left the common room and walked across the grounds to a building that served as the school’s gymnasium. To the casual observer, that was exactly what it was, but a hidden door behind a set of bleachers led down to a larger underground complex. Domina stepped out onto a metal balcony and looked down on a maze filled with dangerous traps and pitfalls. Several androids patrolled the walled in enclosure, hunting for the six Weapons who were in turn stalking them.

It did not take long for the androids to stumble into an ambush. The first indication that Domina had of the attack was when the first robots were lifted into the air by an invisible hand and thrown back at the others. That was the work of the ‘oldest’ girl, a fiery red head who displayed incredible telekinetic abilities and acted as the big sister to the others.

The follow up attack against the androids was a combination of fire and ice. The fire melted armor and seals, exposing circuitry. The ice penetrated into those weak points and was then melted by another blast of fire. The resulting water short-circuited the android’s surviving systems. The two blonde girls, who had been twins even before going through the Weapon process, nodded to each other and then set off for more prey.

A second group of androids fell prey to a missile barrage that was eerily familiar. The brunette girl unleashing the kinetically charged missiles was the nearest duplicate of the original Weapon Alpha. Aside from having the same mutant ability, she looked exactly like a younger Karen Stevens.

The two remaining girls quickly wiped out the few remaining androids. The oldest, a raven-haired beauty materialized from the shadows behind the robots. She set to dismantling them with the quick and deadly precision of the martial arts bestowed upon her by ‘father’s’ memories. A father that was now genetically her sister.

The youngest girl of the group, a brunette, fought just as fiercely at her side. It was evident, however, that she was faster than her other sisters and possessed far more skill and control. She may have been the smallest of the six sisters, but she was by far not the weakest. She was also the key for Domina to finally gain control over Weapon Beta... ‘Cheetah’. Domina amended. The former pickpocket and purse-snatcher had developed an immeasurable empathic ability that Domina believed far surpassed that of her pink haired sister.

Aside from their newly acquired mutant abilities, all six girls possessed the enhancements that Michael Ironheim had intended for the original Weapon, They were faster, more agile and flexible, and their endurance would leave a tri-athlete in the dust. Although none possessed the astonishing speed of their sister, Cheetah, they could each manage a thirty-five mile an hour five mile sprint. And they each bore the dagger shaped mark on the right side of their faces, denoting their status as clones.

The most important aspect of them however, was that Domina had them completely under her control. They were as devoted to her as her common thralls were.

Domina called out to the computer to end the training program an ordered the girls to attend her. They did so quickly and knelt on hands and knees at her feet.

"Rise." Domina commanded them gently and smiled upon them as a mother might her own young. "Come with me. I have a gift for you."

 

The girls followed their mistress back to the manor and then up the stairs to her private study where she bade them to sit while stepped behind her desk. Several common thralls entered the room and quickly set about undressing Domina and the six girls of higher station. The girls sat back in luxury while the thralls devoted their full attention to pleasing them. All were content with the attention except for the youngest. The former fourteen-year old boy was obviously uneasy, but his twelve-year old female body responded just as readily as the others. Domina had decided to cut his re-aging short so that he could experience female puberty in full. As it was, his hypersensitive body was enflamed by the thralls’ caresses.

Domina turned a computer monitor so that the girls could see the screen, then typed in a few commands. "I believe that it is time for you to see who your parents are."

The girls sat forward with anxious eyes as two portraits appeared. One was that of a brunette woman in her early twenties. The other was a teenaged girl with a mass of long pink hair and the same dagger-shaped birthmark that they all possessed. The facial features of both were unmistakably the match for their own.

"The oldest," Domina told them, "is your mother. The majority of your DNA came from her, as well as your mutant chromosomes. Cynthia," she eyed oldest brunette, "you are the most like her. You possess the same powers as she. Her name is Karen Stevens, and goes by the name of Wild Card, but we have designated her as Weapon Alpha.

"The girl was your father until she underwent the same process that created you." She gave the youngest girl a knowing look. The former boy was truly interested in the information, but the look from his mistress made him turn away in shame. "I suppose that now you can call her your sister. Another large percentage of your DNA came from her original genetic makeup before her transformation. She is the one that gave you your fighting ability and other combat knowledge. Her name is Samuel Conners, but she has recently been going by the name Cheetah." She sat back and templed her fingers under her chin. "It would seem that she has set the precedent as your sister by naming herself after a great cat. I believe that it would be appropriate for you to do the same."

Domina then stood and walked around the desk. That was the girls’ cue to prepare to leave. They stood and allowed the thralls to pull their leotards back into place.

"You will have until tonight to come up with suitable names, but I also want you to study your parent’s files until you have them memorized. They are to be your first targets and you will need to know them as intimately as you know yourselves in order to defeat them. On this mission, Andrea’s abilities will be the key to your success so center your plans around them. You will be leaving for the States first thing in the morning."

Domina waited for them to acknowledge her commands before dismissing them. "Andrea, I want you to remain a moment."

The former boy paused then returned to stand before her with his eyes to the floor. Once his sisters and the thralls had left the room, Domina led him to a couch and sat down.

"Not right now." She said when he mistook her intentions and knelt between her legs. "I have additional instructions for you. Open your mind to me, and you will fully understand the roll you are to play in your parent’s capture."

 

Two hours later as the sky began to darken to the oncoming night, a very different Andrea stepped out of his mistress’ study. Gone were the bashfulness and insecurities that Domina had original instilled into him. In their place was a calm and purposeful self-assuredness that was just a step below that of his mistress’.

As he passed three common thralls dressed in school uniforms, he realized that there was also something else that she had inadvertently given him. He reached out and seized control of their emotions and twisted them to his purposes. They immediately turned around and practically fell over each other in their sudden desire to please him. He led them downstairs to one of the many hot tubs where they undressed him and then joined him in the water, heedless of their own clothes.

As he lay back luxuriating in the newfound use of his powers, Andrea thought about all of the similar uses for it, and the pink haired sister he wanted to use them on. Yes, his mother would also pay for her betrayal, but not as deeply and more completely as his former father that was now his sister.

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Three: On The River

Since Carrol and Calvin had to work and the kids were at school, Karen decided that she and Sam would spend the day buying what they needed for the camping canoe trip. Sam was once more in heaven as he drove his lightning red modified 1994 Ford Ranger into town. The rumble from the 5.4-liter engine reverberated off the buildings and other cars as he passed by with a deep bass roar. Several teenager’s who were obviously playing hooky thought about pacing him, but changed their minds after one look at the flared fender wells over broad racing tires, the side ground effects, the wide dual scoops on the hood, and the big mouthed front spoiler. The truck not only sounded intimidating, it looked it as well. Driving The Dragon, as he named it, made Sam feel like he was once again a man.

"So, what all are we getting?" He asked as they entered the local Super Wally World and accepted the buggy from the elderly greeter.

Karen grabbed one more cart and led the way without answering.

"I don‘t see why we couldn‘t just use my field kit." He griped.

Karen gave him a sour look and continued on to the sporting goods section. There, she grabbed a two-person tent, flashlights, bug repellant, and a large cooler. Then, with a crooked smile, she added a two-person sleeping bag.

"Should I be worried?" Sam asked with an arched brow.

"Not yet." She answered. Speaking for the first time since entering the store.

She picked up a few more items before leading Sam to another part of the store.

"No way!" He protested when they stood before the racks of bathing suits.

"Well, it’s not like you can go in trunks and bare-chested." Karen pointed out. "Besides, you’ll get too hot if you wear a shirt."

"No." Sam repeated.

Karen sighed. "Look, Sam, it’s just like wearing a M.An.T.A.S. uniform. You’ve done that twice now so this is not going to kill you."

If looks could kill, Karen knew that she would have been dead ten times over, but in the end, Sam realized just how silly he was being. "Just no thongs." He said sternly.

Karen smiled and gave him a quick kiss that drew more than a few curious looks from nearby shoppers. "Deal." She agreed. "But I’ll make one more deal with you. I’ll wear the skimpiest suit they have here if you’ll at least wear a bikini."

"Karen..."

"Otherwise, I’ll trade this sleeping bag in for separates."

"Dame Catherine was right." He accused. "You are a cruel person."

"But effective." She said matter-of-factly.

 

If James had been bad before, he was even worse the next morning when Sam emerged from the bedroom wearing a scanty string bikini that only covered what was necessary for modesty. The boy was practically drooling as he watched the pale orbs of Sam’s breasts bounce and jiggle as he loaded everything into the back of The Dragon.

Karen had teased him mercilessly after he had explained the situation to her the night before, but had assured him that it was nothing but harmless adoration. Sam had the feeling that it was more than that and gave himself another reminder to talk to the boy.

Aside from his uneasiness around James, Sam found himself oddly comfortable as he moved about in the bikini. The elastic material felt almost sensual against what little of his skin it covered. He figured that it must be a sign that he was finally beginning to adjust.

"Oh my God." Carrol gasped when she and Karen came out with a load of packed food. She dropped her load into the cooler and then turned to inspect her younger brother. "Sam, you look..."

"Delicious." Karen supplied with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Well, that too," Carrol conceded, "but, Sam... WOW!"

Karen put a supportive arm around her fiance. She wore a bikini similar to his, but hers was red with the same wave pattern as his purple one. A pair of cut-off shorts covered her thong bottom however. "See, I told you that you’d look good."

"Okay, then tell me this." He said, staring at her sharply. "Why is it that you get to wear shorts and I don’t? That wasn‘t part of the agreement."

"It wasn’t specified that I couldn’t either." She pointed out.

"Still, if I have to endure being the focus of unwanted attention, you should at least join me." He popped the string of his bikini top. "After all, this was your idea."

"He’s got a point." Carrol said.

"Traitor!" Karen grumbled when she found herself outnumbered.

"Come on. Off with it." Sam snapped his fingers.

Karen glared at him and then made a show of unfastening her shorts and slowly sliding them down her thighs.

"Oh my." Carrol blanched when she noticed the narrow strip of cloth that disappeared between the younger woman’s ass cheeks. "On second thought, maybe you should wear the shorts."

"Uh-uhn." Sam shook his head. "A deal’s a deal."

"Yeah, but you two make me look bad." Carrol complained, indicating her modest one-piece.

 

"Okay. How are we going to work this?" Calvin asked as the group gathered around the loaded canoes. "One adult with one kid?"

"I think that the boys can handle a canoe on their own." Carrol suggested. "You and I can each take one of the girls."

"Okay, but what about Melody and Brenda? Who will they ride with?"

Carrol punched her husband’s arm. "Behave!"

"I want to ride with Aunt Sammie." Brenda protested.

"Me too." Chorused the other three.

"No. Let Karen ride with him." Carrol told them sternly.

Sam gave Karen a helpless look as the protests continued. She rewarded him with her lopsided smile, then shrugged just as helplessly as him.

"All right." He sighed. "Since Brenda asked first, she can ride first, then we’ll work up by age from there."

Carrol glared at him. "How am I ever going to teach them anything if you keep giving them whatever they want?"

"It’s an uncle’s responsibility to spoil his nephews and nieces and to buy them plenty of noisy toys to annoy their parents." With that said, Sam put on his Navy ball cap, pulling his long pink hair through the back eye, donned his sunglasses, and climbed into the canoe with Brenda.

"Just you wait." Carrol warned. "One of these days you’re going to have kids of your own. Then it’s payback time."

 

They had their fair share of misadventures throughout the day with numerous capsizes, trips through web covered overhanging branches, and several beachings. The river was no more than head height in the deepest areas, but for the most part, the water was only two to three feet deep. The yellow sand and petrified tree roots were visible through the crystal clear, and extremely cold, water. Sam had his first case of ‘nipple-cicles’ during his first dunking. His nipples became painfully hard when they were immersed in the frigid water.

"That was fun." Brenda squealed as Sam waded in chest high water and gathered her onto his shoulders. "Let’s do it again."

"Just wait until you’re a little older." Sam grumbled as he gathered the floating packs that had gotten hung up in the branches of a fallen tree. "Then we’ll just see how fun you think it is to fall in cold water."

"They decided to stop for lunch on a nearby sandbar and to give Sam a chance to dump the water from his canoe. The kids ate quickly and were soon out in the shallow water splashing about. They repeatedly called out for the adults to join them.

"Go ahead." Calvin urged Karen and Sam as he lifted Carrol to her feet. "Keep them occupied for a bit."

Sam watched as the pair disappeared behind a low sand dune, then looked to Karen who gave him a conspiratorial look in return. "Come on." He said, pulling her to her feet. "Let’s go baby sit while the grownups go play."

Karen held back. "Uh-uhn. You go on. I‘ll watch from here."

"Nope. You’re their aunt so you have a responsibility to help."

Seeing the tug-of-war taking place at the water’s edge, all four kids rushed forward and Karen was soon overpowered. They all landed with an enormous splash in the water.

Karen emerged with a sharp intake of breath, her skin covered in goose bumps. She glared menacingly at the kids. "Run."

"Oh shoot!", "Uh-oh!", "No!" The kids screamed as they beat a hasty retreat.

Sam was laughing until he felt himself being picked up from behind only to be slammed back into the water.

"Tag. You’re it." Karen laughed when he surfaced, sputtering.

The game of tag quickly became a free for all with Sam and Karen caught in the middle. Sometime during the fracas, Sam lost his top. He didn’t notice it for several minutes, but James sure did, and following his lead, Mick was taking every opportunity he could to touch and grope the two globes of flesh.

It wasn’t until James tackled him from behind with two handfuls that Sam realized that something was wrong, besides his nephew’s inappropriateness.

"Hey!" He called out with his arms now covering himself. He then began looking about franticly only to find Karen waving the missing garment. She was laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes. "Give that back!"

She shook her head. "Come and get it."

He did just that. He literally ran on the water and snatched the top from her. He continued on to the sandbar where hastily fastened it once more about himself.

Karen waded up to him when she saw just how shaken he was. "Are you all right?" She ventured.

He eyed her. "It’s bad enough having two hormone driven boys groping me without you pulling a stunt like this."

"Sorry." She said quietly and put a hand on his shoulder. "Forgive me?"

He flashed her a rueful smile and kissed her knuckles. "Always." He then turned to the kids who were still rough housing in the water. "James, Mick, come here!"

There was no question to the authorative tone to his voice. Knowing that they were in trouble, they meekly complied and followed Sam a short distance into the woods.

Carrol and Calvin soon returned, both looking extremely proud of themselves.

"Have fun?" Karen asked.

"Possibly." Carrol smiled. Then. "Where’s Sam and the boys?"

Karen laughed. "Things got a little out off hand. Or rather, I should say, things got a little in hand. Sam’s straightening them out now."

As if on cue, Sam emerged from the trees followed closely by the two properly chastised boys. "The boys have agreed to mow our yard every weekend for the rest of the year." He informed Calvin and Carrol.

"Not ‘for the rest of the year’!" Carrol said angrily. "For a year!" She then grabbed a hold of each of the boys’ ears and twisted them painfully. "There is no excuse what so ever for what you two did to your uncle. I thought I raised you better than this. Sam’s going through a difficult time right now and you two are not helping by pawing at him. Apologize!"

When the boys had done so, Carrol gave them one last warning. "And if I catch word of you doing the same thing to the girls at school or elsewhere, I promise you that there will be Hell to pay."

Afterwards, everyone helped to clear the picnic before they started off once more down the river. Sam soon broke the sullen mood by starting a game of bumper boats.

"Hang on, Melody." He called to his new passenger.

"What?" The girl asked, then squealed when she saw what was about to happen.

Karen and Mick cried out in surprise when Sam’s canoe T-boned theirs. They nearly capsized, but their frantic scramble saved them. However, they cried out once more as they realized that their efforts had led them into a patch of overhanging branches.

"All right. Who’s next?" Sam asked his passenger.

"Dad!" The girl answered mischievously.

Progress was slow the rest of the afternoon as everyone got involved in the game. There were numerous stops to right capsized canoes and salvage the dumped camping gear.

 

That night, they set up camp on another sandbar. They did the usual family thing by singing songs, telling stories, and making s’mores. Karen finished off the night with an impromptu fireworks display with her powers by using sand and driftwood for her ammunition.

Later, she followed Sam to their tent and joined him in the sleeping bag. They lay wrapped in each other's arms talking about nothing in particular until Karen rolled Sam on to his back.

"You know what I loved for you to do?" She asked.

"What is it that you don’t love for me to do?" He quipped.

She slapped his thigh. "I’m trying to be serious."

"I was."

"Sam!"

"All right." He laughed. "What is it that you loved for me to do?"

"This." She answered, running her fingers lightly along where his inner thigh met the seam of his bikini.

"I can see why." He breathed while suppressing a shudder. "But I always thought that you like this better." His fingers untied the string of her top around her neck and then lowered to caress her freed breasts."

She freed his in return. "That is up there on my list of favorites, but it’s lower on the list than this... and this."

Sam could sense her hesitating in the darkness. "Karen, you don’t..."

She shushed him silently. "Yes I do, Sam, but oh God how I’m nervous. I’ve never done this before, but I want you so badly."

"And I you." He answered, then inhaled sharply through his teeth as her moist lips met his erect nipples.

He felt a shiver from her as he traced along the seam of her thong caressingly. Then he felt the gentle tug on the strings of his bikini as they were untied. He reciprocated in kind and then lowered himself so that he could reach her moist mound with more ease. She arched her pelvis hungrily against his caressing fingers, but he teased her by taking his time.

Her own hesitant fingers had now found his own damp womanhood. Karen cupped the mound in her hand and began a rhythmic slow rub and squeeze that teased him just as mercilessly as he was teasing her. She got the response that she wanted when she finally felt his fingers part her lips and begin to enter.

"Aunt Sammie? Aunt Karen?" Brenda’s quiet voice called from outside the tent.

The pair froze and stared at each other with wide eyes in the darkness.

"What is it, Brenda?" Sam called back.

"I’m scared. Can I sleep with you?" She pleaded.

"What’s wrong with sleeping with your brother’s and sisters?" Karen asked.

"It’s too hot and I keep getting pushed out."

Karen looked up at the exasperation on Sam’s face and began giggling uncontrollably. It was infectious.

"Stop it." Sam giggled back.

"Okay, Brenda. Just give us a..." She never got the chance to finish as the small form darted inside the tent. They barely had time to get separated before the young girl had crawled into the sleeping bag between them.

"Thanks, Aunt Sammie and Aunt Karen." Brenda said before snuggling deeper into the bag.

It was quiet for a long time afterward, but with his empathic abilities, Sam could sense his lover’s mirth. "Stop it."

That started her giggling aloud all over again and he soon joined her while little Brenda slept on innocently.

 

Karen woke the next morning to the smell of instant coffee and fried bacon and eggs. She untangled herself from the other two sleeping forms and crawled from the sleeping bag. It took her a moment to find her bathing suit, but she managed to do so without disturbing Sam and Brenda.

She looked down at the two while she dressed. Sam lay on his back with a protective arm around the girl who was nestled against his side with her head resting on his breast as if it were a pillow. The sight brought on a pang of sadness and she fought to keep her eyes from misting. She had so much wanted to give Sam children. They had talked about it many times, and watching him with his nephews and nieces, she knew that he would have been a good father. But that dream was gone now. There would never be any children for them in their future.

Before, there had been the hope that the process could be reversed, but now with Ironheim dead and all of his research material either missing or destroyed, there was no chance that Sam would ever again be the man she had loved.

She still loved him, but it was different now. Before, their love had come naturally, but now, it was if they both had to actively force it to work. Another thing was that he had changed, and not just physically either. He was once more carefree and open. He still was, to some extent, she admitted, but it seemed dampened down, as if his spirit was on the verge of breaking apart. Then she realized that she had been seeing the symptoms far before his transformation. They had started just after he had been dropped from the Sharks. What Ironheim had done to him had only driven the wedge deeper into his soul.

Not for the first time since his transformation, she was uncertain about their future together. She knew that she could not abandon him, especially not now, but she did not know if she could be willing to stay with him. He was needing her for support, but she did not know if she would be capable or strong enough to hold back the emotional turmoil building within him when her own feelings were in disarray.

She knelt and kissed his lips then wiped her eyes before crawling from the tent, never noticing the silent figures that hid not far away in the shadows of the trees.

 

A hard, driving rain began about mid-morning and continued throughout the rest of their trip, so it was a wet and miserable group that pulled their canoes up onto the pier behind Carrol and Calvin’s home.

Sam had noticed Karen’s withdrawal throughout the day, but figured that it had to be an effect of the weather. When she later declined to share a shower with him and then showed no interest in resuming what they had started the night before, he became concerned. He considered asking her what was wrong, but a persistent inner voice hinted that he should let her work out whatever was troubling her on her own.

 

Chapter Twenty-Four: Doubts

The past few weeks had been hectic for Sam and Karen. With the constant stream of public appearances and news interviews piled on top of their efforts to get settled into their new home along with getting everything just to furnish it, they had yet to have any energy left over for each other. But finally, it seemed that their five minutes of fame was coming to an end and no one was more happy about it than they were.

The first quiet night that got to share alone together, they decided to celebrate. They had prepared the meal together, just as they had done before, when they had still lived in their apartment, and then ate a quiet dinner, just enjoying one another’s company. Then, after desert, Karen had let Sam lead her upstairs to their room where they undressed each other while kissing and fondling with the slow passion of experienced lovers. Neither was dominant. Their lovemaking was that of equal cooperation, just as it had always been since their first time together.

Karen had set aside her hesitation and uneasiness for the time being, knowing that she had needed this just as badly as Sam, if not even more so. That was why she was surprised when it was he who suddenly stopped and climbed out of bed.

"I’m sorry." He said. It was almost a sob. "I can’t do this to you."

Open mouthed, Karen watched as he grabbed his discarded shirt and panties and rushed from the room. It took a moment for the effect of what had just happened to hit her. When it did, she was instantly on her feet and went running in search for him.

She found him sitting in the gazebo on the pier with his arms wrapped around his knees and his face buried.

"Sam?" She called tentively.

"Why are you here?" He cried softly. "Why do you stay with me?"

"Because I love you." She answered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You are my soul mate, Sam. I’ve known that since the first time I ever laid eyes on you. From that moment, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

"But now?"

The simple question cut deep into her soul. "Nothing has changed." Her words sounded uncertain even to her own ears.

"Don’t lie to me Karen." He said softly. "I’m not blind, and these damned powers only make it worse. I know what you’re feeling even when I’m trying not to. Do you know how much it hurts when you know that they don’t love you in return?"

"But I do love you." Karen put her arms around him but then backed away at his next question.

"Really? Are you sure that what you’re really feeling is not pity?"

Karen was so caught off guard that she could not answer.

"Yes. That is what it is." Sam said tonelessly before continuing in a bitter, sarcastic voice. "Pity for the man you once loved because he can not make love to you the way he once did or give you the children that you want. Face it, the only reason that you haven’t left yet is because you don’t want to have a guilty conscience."

His spiteful words were intended to hurt her and they had succeeded. Karen had no defense and ended up responding with anger. "Believe whatever you want," she snapped, "but whatever pity you’re feeling is coming from no one but yourself. If I were any other woman, I would have left you long ago. If the fact that I’ve stayed with you and have done my best to support you is not enough proof of my love for you, then I don’t know what is."

Sam said nothing. Then after a long period of silence, he heard her soft footsteps returning to the house.

 

In the trees, six figures dropped back into the shadows, satisfied that everything was going just as they had planned.

 

Karen laid awake all that night hoping that Sam would join her, but he never did. She found him asleep on the couch in the library the next morning, but aside from giving him a kiss on the forehead, she had left him alone.

 

Sam’s mood grew worse over the following weeks. He seldom talked and he never again returned to their bedroom to sleep. He would spend all day away from the house and often returned well past midnight, offering no apologies or explanations. Karen would always find him the next morning in the library that had become his refuge.

Hoping that this was just a phase of his coming to terms with himself, Karen continued to try to offer her love and support. She always greeted him with a kiss, but he never responded except to go about whatever he was doing wordlessly. The food she prepared for him went uneaten and the blankets she had set on his couch were later found thrown to the floor, unused.

Karen had soon stopped going into the library except to find a book to read. It was during one of these times that she first noticed the empty beer cans and liquor bottles. The sight rocked her back on her heels. Sam had never drank and never cared for those others that did habitually. His father had been the type who had a beer in his hand from the moment he woke until the moment he went to sleep. He had died a lonely and bitter old man and Sam had sworn never to be like him. That was why Karen was in such a state of shock. She had not realized that Sam had fallen so low as to betray his most strictest principal.

She returned to her room and cried herself to sleep only to wake the next morning to discover that he had not yet returned home. Frantic calls to the hospitals and police and everyone they knew turned up nothing so she went to the front porch and waited.

It was three days later and she was once again on the porch when he finally returned. He turned off the road onto the drive without slowing, barely missing the mailbox and the brownstone wall, as well as just about every tree that lined the drive. It was then that she noticed that his beloved Ford Ranger was now nothing more than a rolling wreck. There was not a place on The Dragon that was not dented or had deep gouges in it. The front was bowed inward in the center and the hood was tented with radiator steam billowing out. The cab was crunched down on the passenger side and practically every window was either missing or shattered. The bed was in even worse shape. It looked as if a giant hand had reached down and squeezed both sides in, and it looked as if it was hanging on to the frame by shear determination.

Karen watched as Sam struggled to open his door only to give up and tumble out through the window. "Stupid piece of shit!" She heard. He looked to be in worse shape than his truck. His clothes were in shreds and his shoes were missing. His whole body was a mass of bruises and seeping lacerations. His beautiful face was just as bad off. One eye was swollen shut, his lips were busted and still bleeding, and several cuts littered his cheeks and forehead over bumps that Karen knew to be imbedded glass from the windshield. She rushed to him as he staggered towards the house, but quickly realized that his disorientation was no effect of his wreck, or wrecks, as was more likely. He was drunk.

He brushed past her without a word, leaving a trail of blood from his torn up feet, and continued on into the house where he collapsed on his couch.

Karen was in tears as she followed him in. She prayed that he had not hurt anyone else, or worse, killed them. Another part of her mind absently noticed that he had cut his hair. The once feather soft mass of pink waves was now a ragged and uneven rat’s nest.

After he had passed out, Karen went to his truck and grabbed his field kit, then set about cleaning and bandaging his wounds. She removed what glass she could from under his skin before stitching the cuts closed. He was going to be very sore when he became sober.

She kissed his swollen lips and then went about the house, determined to find every once of alcohol and get rid of it. She even took the keys to his truck and hid them in the rafters over the garage, but after all of her efforts, she realized that it was still not enough. She knew that there was only one thing that could salvage the few remaining scraps of their relationship and possibly save his life and her sanity.

She made a few phone calls and then packed her clothes along with a few easy to carry mementos before writing a note to Sam and hanging it on the refrigerator. As she closed and locked the front door and then drove away in her mustang, she was unaware that the magnet holding up her note had fallen to the floor and that the note had slid under the refrigerator. Nor did she realize that she had left her engagement ring sitting on the counter after she had washed the dishes.

 

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Cat Pack

Sam woke late the next day and had to struggle to move. Every inch of his body was stiff and sore and he had no idea how it had gotten that way. On impulse, he reached for the bottle of vodka he kept on the end table only to find that it was not there. A quick search of the room showed that everything was gone. Every beer can and liquor bottle, whether empty or not, were nowhere to be found. He let out a string of curses and went about the house searching his other stashes, but to no avail. He also angrily called out for Karen, but there was no answer. He ended up having to suffice with a handful of Motrin to ease the pain.

The hot shower was not as relaxing as he had hoped it would be. The cuts stung, but he endured. As he was drying himself off, he noticed his haphazardly cut hair, but to him, it was no great loss. He had only kept it long at Karen and Carrol's insistence. That, and the fact that little Brenda had loved it. Who cares? It’s MY hair and I can do whatever the fuck I want to do with it, and to Hell with everyone else.

He went into the bedroom to dress and that was when he saw that all of Karen’s drawers were open and empty. He stood in stunned silence for several long minutes, then franticly, unwilling to believe the obvious, he ran throughout the house calling her name. As he passed from room to room, he began noticing other things missing, mostly small things that she had owned before they had met, except for the two pictures that had hung in the foyer. They were both pictures of them together. One with them both in their uniforms, and the other a more professional studio portrait. They were gone, as were most of her pictures from her ‘I love me’ wall.

His heart was in his throat when he finally entered the kitchen. He desperately needed a drink, but all that was available was tea and coke so he went to the dish rack to get him a glass. The sight before him was the last blow needed for the wedge to shatter his soul.

"God damned bitch!" He screamed with anguished tears and hurled the ring across the room. "You fucking whore! You said that you loved me! That you would never leave me!" In a rage, he began destroying whatever he could lay his hands on, cursing Karen the whole time.

 

James and Mick had tied their boat to the pier and were approaching the house when something crashed through the kitchen window and flew past between them. Startled, they looked at each other and then ran to the sliding glass door just as a chair flew through it in a shower of broken shards. They then heard their uncle’s curses and the unmistakable sound of more things being broken. They knew better than to stick around. They ran back to their boat and throttled the small engine as fast as it would go against the current, rushing to get home and get help.

 

His initial fury abated, Sam stood in the center of destruction breathing heavily with his head lowered and his shoulders hunched. Then, with a sneer, he looked up. "To Hell with you, you Goddamned son-of-a-bitchin’ crack whore! I don’t need you or your fucking false love or your damn pity!" Then more quietly. "What I need is a drink."

With all of the alcohol in the house gone, he decided that he would go to his contact and get more. He searched in the usual places for his truck keys before realizing that he must have left them in the ignition. He went outside and was sick at what he saw. His pride and joy was nothing more than scrap metal. He now had an explanation as to why he was so sore and realized at the same time that this was probably what had been the final straw for Karen.

"Fuck her! And fuck you, you piece of shit!" He growled and added another dent in the door of the truck. He had just lost the two most important things in his life, but he would be damned if he would cry over them. Not any more.

With a final kick to the door, he set off walking. He would have run, but he was just too sore for the effort that it would take.

 

A short distance away, the six girls who now called themselves the Cat Pack watched as Sam started out on the road.

"See," the youngest, Lynx, told the others smugly, "I told you it would work."

"Yeah," the raven-haired Pantera answered sarcastically, "but you didn’t say that it would take three months."

"Enough." Puma, the oldest chided. "Hurry up and finish clearing the camp so that we can go meet our sister."

"I still don’t see why we could not have just taken them both at the same time." Tigress, the brunette commented.

The twins, Leopard and Ocelot sighed. "We’ve explained..." one started.

"... this before." and the other finished. "They are..."

"... too powerful..."

"... together." They finished simultaneously with a giggle at one another.

"It was important that I... we break them down emotionally and then get them separated." Lynx told her. "The only way that Lady Domina could gain control of our sister, Cheetah, was for me to destroy her mental barriers. I am sorry that it has taken so long, but at least it has been accomplished."

"Yeah, and you almost killed her in the process." Pantera quipped. "Did you see the shape that she was in? And her truck. It’s a wonder that she’s still able to walk."

"At least..."

"... she’s not running." The twins pointed out.

"All right! All right!" Lynx waved her arms. "So my plan had a few kinks in it. You don’t have to rub my face in it. It worked and I now have full control over Cheetah’s emotions."

"What about our mother?"

Lynx shot daggers from her eyes but quickly calmed her temper. Arguing would only delay them further. "I did as Lady Domina instructed. I planted the feeling in her that there was hope for a ‘cure’ for her lover, and have set her on a path that will lead her eventually to us. By the time that she finally arrives, Cheetah will be one of us, and may even help in capturing her."

"What if she decides to bring help?" The pessimistic sister asked as they piled into the SUV.

"She won’t!" All five sisters answered at once.

 

Sam was almost to the highway when the dark blue SUV pulled to a stop beside him.

"Hey." The attractive redhead behind the wheel called out. "Looks like you need a ride."

Sam snorted. "That’s an understatement."

"Well hop on in. We’ll take you."

Sam considered a moment, but the dark haired girl who was in the passenger seat made his decision for him by opening the door and then crawling into the back with the others.

"You look like Hell." The redhead commented as she pulled onto the highway.

The dark haired girl leaned forward between the seats and opened a cooler. She pulled out a bottle of beer and offered one to Sam who accepted it readily. He was unconscious within seconds of downing the first chug.

"Oh great!" Puma griped when Sam’s half-empty bottle fell from his fingers and spilled all over him and the upholstery. "I’m never going to get that smell out."

 

"Good God." Carrol breathed as she and Calvin looked across the destruction. The sight of The Dragon was bad enough for concern, but the ruin of the kitchen and dining room was horrible.

"When those two go at it, they really go at it." Calvin said dryly.

Carrol shook her head. "No. The boys said that it was only Sam in here."

"Hmmm. Wonder what set him off then."

A gleam of gold buried amidst the broken glass and china caught Carrol’s eye. She picked up the ring with a lump in her throat and held it up for her husband to see. They both knew the significance of why it was there.

Calvin sighed. "I’ll call the boys in so we can start cleaning up this mess."

Carrol caught his arm. "We should check out the rest of the house first... just in case..." She did not have to finish for Calvin to understand what she feared they might find.

A thorough search of the house thankfully revealed nothing, but that did not lessen Carrol’s concern. It was while she was scooping up another pile of debris by the refrigerator that she found the note.

 

‘Sam,

I know that this may seem like that I’m abandoning you, but believe me, I’m not. You scared me today when you came home and I realized just how close I came to losing you forever. I can’t imagine life without you by my side, but I can not sit around helplessly watching you destroy yourself either.

I’m a person of action. You know that. That is why I am leaving. Stalker is giving me a list of suspected fronts to what remains of Ironheim’s organization. I believe one or more of them may have the information, or hopefully, the technology, to reverse what has been done to you. I’m going to go check them out, and with any luck, I will find what we both want. When I do, I will come back for you and together we will do whatever it takes to turn you back into the man I love.

Until then, I need you to heal, both inside and out. Get help if you need to because you will need to be strong and healthy if we are to succeed. You know that I’m terrible at making phone calls, but I promise that I’ll do my best to stay in touch and keep you updated.

Eternally yours, Karen’

 

"I don’t get it." Calvin said. "If there was hope that he could be changed back, why do all of this?"

"Because he didn’t see it." Carrol said sadly. "It had fallen under the refrigerator before he could see it."

"Or maybe he saw it afterwards and went after her." Calvin suggested.

Carrol rested her head on her husband’s chest. "I hope you’re right, because the alternative is just too frightening to think about."

 

Chapter Twenty-Six: Sam Meets His Children

Sam woke to the realization that he was no longer in pain. A look at his arms and a touch to his forehead revealed smooth, unmarred skin. He had either been out for far longer than he had supposed, or he had been put into another one of Ironheim’s chambers. At the moment, he did not know which, but an inner voice whispered that it did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing except... something.

An urgent need forced the thought from his mind as he stood and walked across the lush carpet to the door that he hoped led to a bathroom. He did what was necessary with a sigh of relief and then noticed the large tub that had just recently been filled with hot water and scented oils. It looked too inviting to pass up so he quickly removed the flimsy nightie that he had only been peripherally aware of wearing and slipped into the luxuriating water. It had an effect on him that no other bath had before. He was acutely aware of the gentle waves caressing his breasts and teasing his nipples. It molded itself around his womanhood like a gentle hand and he soon found himself aroused. His momentary concern was brushed aside by that same voice that whispered that it did not matter, that he should give into his feelings. He obeyed that voice, and for the first time since becoming female, he masturbated. His orgasm was so intense that it racked his body in convulsions that caused a great deal of water to splash on to the floor. But it had come so quickly that his body was still aching for fulfillment. So he returned his hand to his still throbbing mound. He started off with one finger, then a second, and a third, then finally all for were plunging as deep as they could go, but it was still not enough. He was experiencing orgasm after orgasm and he wanted more. NEEDED more. He was in the throes of another when the desire suddenly left him as if it had been turned off by a switch. He collapsed into the water, weak and exhausted.

Again he woke on the soft canopy bed dressed in a delicate nightgown that caressed his breasts and thighs as he was drawn once more to the tub where he experienced the same desire as the day... week?... before. He did not know. He did not care. It did not matter.

Every waking moment for what seemed like an eternity was filled with his own self pleasure and a need that he was never able to satisfy. Then came a morning that was different. Something else had woke him besides his self-desire.

"Get up!" The authorative voice demanded again.

Sam looked to the other door that he had never used and saw a slim, red-haired woman. He recognized her immediately, but she looked somewhat different now. She looked to be at least ten years younger than she had before. She appeared to be the same age as his mother... now why did that term come to mind when he thought of Karen? "It does not matter." The voice was more demanding.

Sam quickly found himself kneeling at Domina’s feet. He did not know why he did it, only that it seemed appropriate.

Domina flashed an approving smile at Lynx. The girl was smiling just as wickedly.

"Do you remember me?" Domina asked when she returned her attention to Sam.

"Yes. You are the Lady Domina. My creator." Sam answered.

"Creator?" Domina mused. "I suppose that makes me your goddess then."

"Y... yes, Mistress." Sam said uncertainly.

Domina lifted him to his feet by his hair. "Then you had best remember this: What has been created, can just as easily be destroyed."

"Yes, Mistress." Sam cried from the pain to his scalp.

"Good." She said, releasing him. "Come. Join me in the sitting room. There are some others that it is time for you to meet."

He hesitated and Domina saw his quandary. He wore only the thin nightie that did nothing to hide his pert breasts, and he wore no panties to cover his clean- womanhood. "Do not fret, Samantha. We are all girls here... now."

Even Andrea grinned at that.

 

Sam was led down a short hallway that opened into a large circular room. The young girl that he had barely noticed before moved to stand beside five older girls as he was stopped before them. They were all dressed in the same school uniforms, but Sam noticed that the similarities did not end there. Aside from eye and hair color, and the short range of their ages, they were all duplicates of each other. They all had the same physique and the same facial structure. Each also bore the same dagger shaped mark down the right side their faces as he had.

"Let me introduce you to your daughters." Domina said casually, amused at the look of shock on his face. She then named them from the oldest. "Danielle, Rebecca, Cynthia, the twins, Linda and Lisa, and of course you have already met Andrea." She then gave their nicknames before explaining. They were each created using both yours and Wild Card’s DNA. Your male DNA, that is. So they are, for all intents and purposes, your daughters. But under the current circumstances, I believe the word ‘sisters’ is far more appropriate. Don’t you?"

"Yes, Mistress." Sam answered without looking away from his daughters. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had children. He and Karen had children, and they were beautiful.

"Keep your fantasies of fatherhood to yourself." Danielle snapped when he approached. She thumped his nipple, hard. "You no longer deserve that title... SISTER."

A look at the other showed that they shared the same sentiments as their older sister.

"She is right, Samantha. "Domina told him, "your role from this moment on is as their sister, so you might as well accept that fact here and now."

"Yes, Mistress." He said sadly. Then at her expectant stare, he turned back to the girls with his head bowed. "I would be honored if you would accept me as your sister."

Their reactions were a mixture of curt nods and endearing smiles. The most disturbing came from Andrea. A smug smile crossed her lips and her eyes gleamed wickedly.

A sudden, unreasonable lust for her came over him, but it was gone just as quickly.

"Despite your age," Domina continued, "you are still the junior sister until you have proven yourself worthy. As such, you will be at their beck and call at all times, for whatever they wish, but remember, you serve me above all others."

"Yes, Mistress. I understand."

"Do you?" She asked. " Then show me."

Obediently, he undressed her and knelt between her legs.

"Yes. You do understand. Don’t you?" Domina purred, petting his now neatly styled hair that once again reached the small of his back. She was pleased to note that he was quite experienced at servicing women. At least his short life of manhood had not been a total waste. She mused.

 

Chapter Twenty-Seven: ‘Punishment Sessions’

After that day, life became more hectic for Sam. The mornings and afternoons were spent in rigorous training in the ever-changing labyrinth. He and his sisters learned to fight as a team, but most of them still considered him an outsider, all of them except for Andrea who had become his constant companion. He would not have minded if he had not been so terrified of her.

All of the girls called upon him to perform menial tasks mostly, but often he was called to their private rooms to satiate their desires. His times with Andrea however, were what she called ‘punishment sessions’. During those times, she called him father. She accused him of betraying her love by abandoning her in her greatest time of need and would punish him in ways that no twelve-year-old should know.

Then one night he was called to her room. From behind a partition, she ordered him onto the bed and he immediately obeyed.

"Do you know why I hate you, Father?" She asked.

"Because I abandoned you." He answered.

"That’s right. You abandoned me when I needed your guidance the most. I never told you this before, but I am just like you, Father. Did you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I used to be a boy too!" She spat back. "And I was older. I have had to not only endure being turned into a girl, but I am also having to suffer through puberty. All without your help. Do you have any idea what it’s like? Do you know what it feels like to be an outsider? To be looked down upon by your own sisters because they know that you were not ‘born’ a real girl, and to feel the shame when they constantly remind you of it?"

"I’m sorry." Sam said softly. "I didn’t know."

"That’s right, you didn’t know. And why? Because you were not here!"

"I’m here now." Sam offered.

There was a long silence from behind the divider. Then, "it’s too late for that. I have learned to deal with this on my own, but there is still something that you can help me with."

"I will do anything if it will make you forgive me." Sam vowed.

Again there was a brief silence. "Father, I am still a man on the inside. I have a need that I can not satisfy with this girl’s body."

"I know that feeling all too well, Andrea." Sam said sadly. "I feel those same needs and have yet to find a way to satisfy them. I wish I knew so that I could help you."

"But there is a way that you can help me." Andrea said as she stepped out from behind the partition. A large dildo protruded grossly from her pubescent vagina. Fresh blood coated the end against her body where she had just recently breached her maidenhead.

Sam could see that she was fighting back tears of pain. "I won’t do this." He told her firmly. "You have no idea what damage you can do to yourself..."

"You will do this!" She demanded. "You will be my whore."

Sam was suddenly filled with a lustful desire to be what she wanted of him. He tried to fight back, but it was no use. His conflicting emotions had his mind in turmoil, but he had no choice as he dropped to his knees and wrapped his lips around the grotesque object. Andrea’s hands grasped his hair and pulled his head hard against her, gagging him in the process as the phallus slammed painfully against the back of his throat. She let him debase himself for several minutes until she pulled him to his feet only to shove him forcefully onto the bed. She spread his legs and positioned herself over him, then, without warning, she lunged into him and took great satisfaction when he cried out in pain as his own maidenhead gave way to the stabbing phallus.

"I guess it’s true what they say." Andrea chided. "The first time is always painful for a girl."

 

For weeks afterwards, Andrea always treated him as her whore. Then, inexplicably, a night came that she did not call him to her room, nor did she arrive for breakfast the next morning or show up for either of the training exercises.

He got his answer to his unasked questions later that night. He was summoned to Domina’s study. When he arrived, she was pacing angrily about the room. Knowing better than to speak, he knelt on his hands and knees before her desk. Then suddenly something hard struck him in the face and he reeled over backwards.

"Explain this!" Domina demanded, pointing down at the double-headed dildo that she had thrown at him. "You are responsible for this. Aren’t you?" You are the one who has been hurting Andrea.."

"No, Mistress! I swear!" Sam said, crawling back to his knees. "I tried to tell her that it was dangerous, that it would damage her, but she would not listen."

"But you went along anyways. Didn’t you?" She accused.

Sam looked up at her with tear streaked eyes. "I had no choice. I didn’t want to, but she took control of me whenever I refused."

"She used her powers against you?"

Sam nodded, "and the thralls she sometimes called to join us."

Domina swore. "The thralls are of no consequence, but you sisters have been expressly forbidden to use your powers against each other. Why did you not tell me of this?"

Sam looked away, "she threatened to... to do worse things to me if I told anyone. Even our sisters."

Domina cursed again. "Go to bed, Samantha, but do not rest easy. You have yet to be forgiven for your part in this, willing or not. You are not to leave your room unless I call for you. Understand?"

"Yes, Mistress." Sam answered and then obediently hurried from the room.

 

Domina resumed her pacing after he had left. His story had been completely different from that of Andrea’s, but she was inclined to believe his version. Andrea had become quite powerful in her own little way. Well, maybe not so little, she admitted. And it was Domina herself who had made her this way. The girl was becoming a danger to her rule, and she cursed herself for not recognizing the signs that were now apparent in hindsight. Even the other sisters had become fearful of her and often deferred to her during important decisions.

Domina came to a decision of her own. It was time for Andrea to be dealt with before her juvenile power play brought the new organization down in ruins.

 

"It seems that you were correct." Domina told the girl a short time later.

Andrea lay in the medical ward. Her skin was pale and dark circles ringed her eyes. Several I.V.’s were stuck in her arms.

"Samantha admitted to everything." Domina continued, "but unfortunately, I was unable to find the restraint collar that she used on you, and I was unable to force her to divulge its whereabouts. I will need you to help me with that, but in order to do so; you will need to be fully healed. Dr. Thombreck suggests giving you a couple of hours of regeneration, and I agree."

At the girl’s frightened look, Domina knelt beside her. "I did not want to have to tell you this, my sweet Andrea, but you are dying. The only way to save you is by putting you back in the tank."

The prospect of dying overcame Andrea’s fear of the cloning tanks and she readily agreed to let Domina do what was necessary.

Now that that was over, Domina turned to another subject. "Now all that we have to do is to determine what we are going to do with your sister. She deserves a fitting punishment. Don’t you agree?"

Andrea nodded fiercely. "Let him get fucked the way he fucked me."

You would like that, wouldn’t you? Give her more of the same that you have already been giving him. The woman thought to herself, but said, "no. You know that I do not condone the use of such abhorrent devices under my roof. Not even if it is well deserved."

Andrea grimaced, but nodded in understanding. Then a smile returned, slow and wicked. "Mistress, when I first took control of Samantha in America, the tool I used against him and our mother was their inability to have children. Natural children. Why don’t we give him what he wants?"

"What do you mean?" Domina asked, not fully understanding.

"Create another sister like us, but instead of re-aging her in the tanks, put the baby inside Samantha." The girl explained.

Domina smiled. She had to admit, the girl was a devious one. It was a shame that she had to be disposed of. Her idea even had some scientific merit and was worth experimentation. And she knew of the perfect subject to use as the fetus.

"I like that." She admitted. "I will speak with Dr. Thombreck, but I’m sure that it can be accomplished."

"Could you wait until I’m healed, Mistress?" Andrea asked. "I want to watch."

"Don’t worry." Domina said, patting the girl’s shoulder. "You will be there."

 

 

 

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