Chapter 41.1
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I had almost forgotten about the intermission chapter after 41, sorry dear readers. This isn't my usual lengthy chapters as it is targetted to upcoming characters and to setup storylines who will develop after the Svartalfheim arc.


Planet Phantasia

Central continent
Ice Song Mountain 1289 Kilometers from Storm Advent
9th day of the 7 month of the 10299th year of the Phantasian Calendar

In an underground workshop, a man was facing a metallic altar covered in runes, his hands glowed in the orifices where he placed them. It almost looked like a musical organ that you would find in a church. It was, in fact, an advanced mana forge coupled with a fabricator, one of the rare magitek machines that still worked on the planet.

Kratos Sidera was a man of focus and sheer will; a weaponsmith and a father. Currently, he was focused on forging blast spears, a high-power, anti-personnel energy weapon. It was the primary weapon of Phantasian soldiers. Kratos was mass producing them for the members of the resistance movement he inadvertently created when he had begun to take in refugees in the fortified bunker in his family’s mine in the Ice Song mountain.

Kratos sighed as he focused his will into shaping the staves and lining their cores with the mithril acceleration capacitors and the energy ducts at the butt of the spears. Then the intelligence of the Mana Forge began to inlay the molecular enchantment to make it so that the blade at the front end became nigh unbreakable. Kratos wasn’t satisfied with this work as he had to lower the quality of his weapons because of the lack of resources and energy; what he wouldn’t give to have a mana reactor to charge his mana-forge and create artifact level weapons.

The weaponsmith had to rely on primitive magical weapons to arm his people. After the last ‘fuck you’ from Empress Daphne when she activated the Prometheus protocols disabling Magitek for everyone but the Dwerm Kingdom, who sheltered the resistance army; it had become harder to find everything an artisan like him needed. But Kratos wasn’t a man who easily gave up on life, he had a goal and he intended to realize it: Freeing his people from the Dark Lord’s tyranny.

Mentally connecting to the forge, Kratos checked if he had sufficient material to start fabrication; he did, so he assembled the weapon’s schematic in his mind and transmitted it to the intelligence of the mana forge that began fabrication right away.

Kratos sighed heavily, finally done with his last batch of weapons for the day. He staggered back, almost falling on his butt, but was caught by strong and steady arms. He turned his head and saw that it was his first wife Vama.

She was a tall and statuesque redhead, with hazel eyes, a heart-shaped face and a small refined nose; she was the first love of his life. Vama wore a short green dress with Pronga -a magical earth attuned giant deer species- leather boots. She was still a stunning beauty.

*I wish to see her in her elegant dress once more. I had worked so hard to make my family one of the richest in Storm Advent…* Kratos thought.

Kratos was one of the richest men in Storm Advent, the capital of the Phantasian Empire; he had built his own smithy after fifty years of apprenticeship. He married Vama and Vara who were his master’s daughters. They were twins and had fallen in love with him and his roguish looks. His work ethic, dedication to his craft and honor had been taught to him by his father in law. “You are selling partners to people, they should be solid and reliable, it wouldn’t do if the weapons you made broke in battle.” Old Tor would tell him each time his work was subpar.

“Kratos, you are pushing yourself too hard my love.” Her soprano voice was tainted with worry.

“No, Vama this is… this is for the future.” Kratos straightened himself, but his wife still held onto him.

“Yes, but I want you to be there with me when that future happens. Go take a shower and sleep, no work for you for two days! Understood?” Vama glared at Kratos who held her gaze for five seconds before lowering his eyes.

“Yes, Vama.” Kratos said.

He had never been able to win an argument with his wives. Vama let go of him and made him leave, now that the process of fabrication was underway thanks to its automation. Kratos left his workshop and found himself in the hidden level between the lowermost floors of the bunker. He spotted the lift and shambled toward it blearily.

Tapping on the button number six on the pad, Kratos leaned against the wall, only briefly closing his eyes. Then he felt someone shaking him and when he opened his eyes he saw Vala, his second wife, and Vama’s twin. She looked worried. Vala was virtually a clone of her sister, but he could always notice who was who - it was all in their eyes, their scent and body language. If Vama was a bold and no-nonsense woman, Vala was a caring and soft one.

“I will help you, you worked too much today too.” Vala took his arm and propped him against her.

“Hi beautiful, nice meeting you here.” Kratos began to flirt and kissed her on the cheek.

It caused his spouse to step on his booted feet which elicited an ‘ouch’ from him. Vala was red as a tomato and generally didn’t like to do anything outside of the bedroom; that’s why this bout of violence was enacted. Kratos simply laughed at her and his arm slid to his woman’s posterior and he groped her, threw his arms around her and began to kiss her senseless.

Vala succumbed to the temptation and gave back as much as she received. This impromptu show of love ended up in the bathroom, where the couple helped each other get cleaned up. Then after twenty minutes of relaxing the two found themselves in bed and were soon joined by Vama.

The two sisters began to talk about their eldest daughter, Mila; she was a spy for the Phantasian resistance front; her role was to write a report on all the known collaborators on the continent. She had an important mission at the moment and they were worried about her. Kratos fell asleep while they were still speaking as if their voices and caresses lulled him to sleep. It had become quite a trend lately.

I was dreaming, and I was in a white space floating around. I didn’t panic, because there was something relaxing about this place. As I floated a dark and purple light speared the white space before me  and when it dissipated in its place the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen appeared. She had black hair with tiny stars shining lustrously in them, and wore skin-tight armor that reminded me of the one used by the spies of our resistance cell. She was vaguely familiar.

Taken aback by the suddenness of her appearance, I ask,“W-who are you?”

A crystal bell-like laugh rang in the white space. “You pray to me everyday, but you don’t recognize me?”

The image of the golden statue of Hekate in the Prime Temple of Storm Advent came into my mind, and I realized they looked shockingly alike! I couldn’t kneel, I truly wanted to, this woman was our Deity.

“Goddess?!” I said head half bowed.

Hekate smiled at me, but quickly returned to a neutral face, her dark eyes were like abyssal pools. “We don’t have a lot of time, I have come to give you a prophecy.”

Frowning, I stared at her. “A prophe-”

The goddess waved her hand, interrupting me and then, suddenly, pictures appeared in my head: they were images of a young girl with platinum blonde hair and green eyes; she was tall and fair, wearing silver armor and battling a red-skinned demon. Their fight produced shockwaves because of the speed they were moving at and the strength they were exerting. Abruptly, the image changed and the girl was surrounded by hundreds of Fallen. I almost cried a warning to the girl, but suddenly the air shimmered gold around her and then every fallen was engulfed in blue-white light; they were all frozen.

The girl began to laugh, her aura flared and she punched the block of ice before her and every Fallen turned into dust. Wings of blue light flared at her back and she flew into the air and turned into a giant blue bird made of mana.

“A phoenix?”

The girl turned phoenix emitted a shriek so powerful that it caused shockwaves and destroyed everything before her.

Arcs of lightning bathed the bird’s form and everything became so bright, it almost blinded me though I still used my hand to shade my eyes.

Then I was back before the Goddess, who was looking at me. I blinked at her for five seconds as she stood there stoically waiting for me to speak.

I obliged.

“Who was that?” I asked bluntly.

This girl had all the markings of a woman from the Snow Imperial line: she was powerful, ruthless, and dangerous.

“The Lost Princess.” Hekate said simply.

Mouth agape I stare at her with surprise. “Her Highness Elissa Shaera Snow Phantasia?!”

Princess Elissa has been foretold to be coming back to free Phantasia from its oppressors. The young woman I saw in those visions Hekate gave me had so much power that she could lay waste to an entire army that defeated Phantasian Battalions. Seeing the Princess’ power gave me hope, I had been weary of the constant combat.

Hekate seemed to read me like a book, well obviously! She’s the creator deity of this planet. Not like that Demon god parasite that those Fallen are trying to proselytize everywhere.

Hekate raised her hand and showed me two fingers, her face looking grim and her voice echoing in all directions. “You have two years to prepare the resistance. But take care, and rest when you can. I have plans for you Kratos Sidera.”

*Women… all of them giving me orders.* I tried really hard to not roll my eyes.

I simply answered with a, “I am at your service, Goddess.” Then I bowed my head low.

After recovering my position I noticed that Hekate was smiling upon me and then touched my right arm and she used some kind of magic that my senses couldn’t register and a tattoo of a blue phoenix appeared on my forearm. “You aren’t the only one I contacted this way, when you meet someone with this tattoo, help them, shelter them.”

“Okay.”

Opening his eyes, Kratos was looking at the rocky ceiling that had become familiar during the last sixteen years. He had been having a weird dream, and to prove to himself that it was one he raised his right arm, where he expected to see pale skin there was an exquisitely defined blue phoenix tattooed on his forearm. 

He sat in surprise, the sheet cover falling from his body. “Hekate’s tits, it was real!”

 


 

Planet Earth
North America - State of Washington
Mercer Island
Pocket Realm

Malicia had never felt so helpless in all her life; after losing Daphne and Elissa’s kidnapping, she had strived to be more in control of her environment. But right now she was looking in her giant scrying mirror to seek Elissa’s last known position. She had a tracker on her daughter, but it seems that it had either been discovered by her or destroyed.

The sorceress had to resort to using the secondary beacon placed in the glamour choker necklace she gave Elissa before sending her to Svartalheim.

In the giant mirror, Malicia zoomed in the planet. The last known position of Elissa was in this region with a big lake, on an island. The sorceress tried to zoom in further, but something strange happened as the scrying mirror’s surface blurred until grey mist covered the entirety of its surface. Little by little golden-green eyes appeared through the shroud. Malicia wasn’t the kind of person to be afraid of such tactics but those eyes pierced her in a way she didn’t like; as the one who owned those eyes was appearing the sorceress cancelled the scrying spell.

Her hand trembling slightly, Malicia spoke out loud, “What was that? Who is powerful enough to block me on this backwater planet?”

She had chosen Svartalfheim because it was a planet full of monsters that would serve as a foil to give Elissa the edge she lacked; all she had to do was use the considerable level of skills she has shown when Nerine reported her daughter’s achievements as a storm mage. Malicia was proud of her, she hoped that Elissa was safe and kind of regretted sending her there now that she felt the bond between their joint familiars break.

But now? Now she regretted it; something was happening on this planet and she didn’t like it one bit. Malicia calmed herself down and tried to teleport to the area through the power of the Sanctum. Everything creaked and shook inside the space and Malicia had to abort the attempt.

“Impossible! Who is this powerful? Damnation!”

Malicia stayed before the mirror for three days and nights, attempting at different intervals to see if the anti-scry protection would let up. It didn’t, Cassandra came to give her drinks and food to sustain her; the little girl was always surprised to find her mother at the same place she left her each day.

“Mom?” Cassandra called her.

“Yes, treasure?” Malicia said without looking at her youngest daughter.

Cassandra frowned, she didn’t like when her mother didn’t pay attention to her. “Why do you stay before the mirror like this? You are the prettiest, everyone knows it.”

Malicia stopped briefly looking into the mirror, turned to Cassandra and said, “I know treasure, but mother is looking for Elissa.”

Cassandra stood up from her chair with big surprised eyes, jumped to her mother’s side and looked into the mirror, where she saw a giant lake surrounded by verdant lands. 

“Eli!! Where, where?” Tilting her head she almost saw something.

Malicia’s lips quirked into a sage smile as she saw how exuberant her daughter was. Suddenly, it struck her how much she missed having Elissa with her or working on her alchemy in her lab or out training in the yard doing sword katas or playing with her animals. How she wished they were just a simple family with normal problems and no prophecy hanging over them.

“Do you miss her?” The sorceress asked Cassandra. 

The young girl looked at her mother, sadeness clear to see.

“Κάθε μέρα (Every day).” Cassandra said sadly in Phantasian.

“She’s going to come back in ten days, be patient treasure.” Malicia said to her youngest daughter to reassure her, and in her heart of hearts herself too.

However, Malicia had a foreboding feeling that made her doubt what she just said. She didn’t heed it though as she still thought she was in control of the situation.

“But she will have school when she gets back!” Cassandra whined sending her arms up.

Malicia reached out to her daughter and stroked her head. “Then… then we will have a family outing. What do you think of that?”

After a moment, Cassandra let her mother spoil her for a while as she was thinking about Malicia’s question, “Where? You know we can’t go anywhere with too much hot weather, Eli hates deserts or tropical islands!”

Malicia chuckled at Cassandra’s enthusiasm. “Maybe somewhere cold? Like Alaska? Your godmother’s husband has lands there.”

With big eyes, Cassandra looked at her mother and said with happiness, “Yes!! Eli would love it! Though, she would have prefered Antarctica.”

Malicia shuddered, “It’s too cold there for us two.”

Cassandra laughed at her mother, “Mom, you know she said that she would conquer it one day.”

Malicia stopped moving, frozen by the confession of her daughter. She was afraid that her daughter was turning like Ersha, the sorceress had seen it occasionally when she was fighting or defending her friends; that ruthlessness and feeling of wanting to toy with her foes before making them wish for death. 

“That’s Elissa alright…” Malicia mumbled.

The little redhead gushed, “She said that I would be made a princess and that we would have all the ice cream we want.”

“When did she plan all that?” Malicia asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cassandra tilted her head cutely, thinking. “When I was four years old?”

*The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree, I see.* Malicia knew that the Snow bloodline was full of conquerors. Even when they are young when they looked at something and wanted it, later in life they’d strive to get it.

After some time, Cassandra returned home while Malicia continued her vigil looking for Elissa and it wasn’t until a week later that she saw her out of the area that was not shielded from scrying. Elissa was going towards a mountain where she entered the Under Dark, accompanied by Reinatiel and Fenirael who reneged on their bond with her in favor of the one they had with her daughter.

Malicia wasn’t sad about the loss, and now she knew that Elissa was safe she could relax her vigil; before that she strived to look at the new base of operations for her daughter, which was some kind of outpost that didn’t have the same level of shielding as the one over the lake.

“Intriguing.”

 


 

August 28th 2018
USA -Seattle
Bureau of Superhuman Affairs

“We have a new case for you agent Fong.”

It was the fifth case assigned to them without a break. If Agent Olivia Dunham was still there instead of being transferred, she would have given Ada a break between cases to let Ada catch her breath and not risk a mental collapse. But the man who replaced her, Agent Knight didn’t understand why it was done like it was before and worked the superhuman investigators to the bone.

Ada had finally had enough of this shit! Her new superior has been sending her through the most dangerous cases, risking her sanity to lower the crime rates. Jill looked at her best friend worriedly, the naked anger on the asian woman’s face wasn’t her normal state of being; Ada was a really sweet woman with a steel core and principles, who didn’t see the world in black and white.

“I am done!” Ada shouted as she slammed her hands on the desk of the newly promoted director, a bald black man of african descent in a black suit reminding her of one of the vaunted men in black.

With a baleful glare, Ada looked at the puny man. “I am not a tool! How dare you brush off my concerns for my own sanity?!”

This was the third time that Director Knight showed no empathy or concern for his agents, if she could Ada would have read up on him long ago to see what was wrong with him, but she had signed a contract to not look into the life of her fellow agents. Oh, she regretted having signed that piece of paper!

“Calm down agent Fong!” The bald man raised from his seat, anger clearly visible on his face.

How could this woman raise her voice to her superior, he will show her! He will-

“I quit!” Ada said surprising Jill and the newly appointed head of the BSA of the state of Washington, the asian woman slammed her badge and weapon on the desk.

Her friend followed her lead and did the same.

Jill shrugged and said while smiling.“Sorry Agent Knight, but where she goes, I go.”

Director Knight's eyes raised in alarm. “No, wait! Please, you are the best agents in this…”

The two ex-agents left and tuned the man out. Ada stormed through the B.S.A’s building, went to her and Jill’s office and began to systematically take her items and laptop computer.

At the same time, director Knight was making a call.

“Ma'am I am sorry, subject Oracle-1 is leaving the B.S.A.”

Knight kept the cellphone away from his ears when his mistress began to swear about emasculating him and killing his family. After calming down, the woman ordered him to discreetly capture Jill and Ada.

“Yes madam Harvey, it will be done.” The woman hung up on him and the man shuddered in fear.

“I should have stayed in the army.”

Meanwhile, Ada and Jill were finally done emptying their office, desk, and bookshelves; it had become a second home away from home and the two women had a forlorn expression on their faces. As they were marking their boxes for delivery after sealing them, a drone appeared outside the window, entered and loaded the two cardboard boxes full of their items and left.

They walked towards the elevator, people around them came to tell them goodbye or not to leave, Ada and Jill had been good for this branch of the B.S.A and they were sad to see them go. As Jill punched a button to get down to the underground parking garage her partner spoke to her.

“Do you still have your car?” Ada asked as she smoothed her red top.

Jill flipped her ponytail behind her, smiled and said, “Yeah, I bought the armored B.S.A car, it’s mine.”

Her gaze practically licked the gorgeous asian woman, she had been in love with Ada Fong since they reconnected in High School and since then they have been inseparable. Ada placed a hand into Jill’s and they walked up to a big and black armored SUV.

Jill’s baby was fully pimped out and was one of the last upgraded armored BSA cars from Tesla motors that she paid with her trust fund - Jill Muir came from old money - It had a hover and amphibian system and the armor could resist tank fire. There was a deployable Gatling gun turret on board. The blonde checked to see if her personal weapons were still there - two semi-automatic heavy pistols, effective against armor and highly accurate at mid-long ranges. They were safely in the glove box compartment of the car.

As they entered the vehicle and Jill checked the preflight of the vehicle in hover mode, Ada began to say to her friend, “Y-you didn’t have to leave with me, Jill.”

Jill chuckled, “Did you forget? We will always be together forever.”

Ada whipped her head to Jill’s smiling face, she was red as a tomato. Jill, took out one pistol and placed it in Ada’s lap and the asian woman began to reflexively check the ammunition, the charge level of the battery and if the targeting computer linked to her CLO received the latest update from the Tesla Play.

“But we were kids when we promised that!” Ada protested.

Jill raised a perfectly penciled eyebrow, “So? I have never failed to uphold a promise. You had even promised to marry me. I am still waiting for you to answer me.”

The blonde began to remember the events that led Ada into her life; Jill was raised in Canada, where the Muir Estate was situated. Ada’s mother and father are ambassadors from the Kun-Lun mountain in China, a magical realm protected by a pocket dimension only accessible by the Fong descendants. When Ada’s parents were assassinated by shinobi garbed in black, she triggered at the same time as Jill who killed them all by taking their weapons from them and fighting at a supernatural level.

They were found passed out, and Jill’s parents had raised Ada with their daughter as if they were sisters until they sent them into separate private schools when they were ten years old.

“I-I, can we speak later about that?” Ada stuttered.

Ada didn’t want to lose her friend, she certainly loved her but she wanted kids later in life. The asian woman wanted to have her cake and eat it too. *Maybe… maybe a solution will present itself?* She thought.

“You are so cute when you are embarrassed.” Jill teased.

Ada harrumphed and ignored her. Jill activated the car and they were finally out of the parking garage, leaving the federal agent life behind them. Forty-five minutes later they were on Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge en route to Mercer Island where they had bought their new house back when Ada and Jill hoped to get in contact with and enter the new school of magic for Ada to learn how to control her Imager ability.

However, the superhuman life took up the slack from the life of a public servant; Jill noticed they were being followed by a white van with the same kind of hover system as her car, but it was slower. When a man with an RPG appeared from the roof of the white vehicle. And fired. 

Jill ordered, “Computer, more energy to the shield! Ada take your pistol we are being attacked!”

Kinetic Shield engaged

The grenade flew towards Jill’s car and exploded harmlessly against the shield, the blonde woman accelerated avoiding the cars before them, but the people in the white van didn’t let up and began to shoot at their vehicle.

“Fuck!” Ada shouted. “Computer deploy gatling turret.”

Opening her eyes wide in surprise, Jill countermanded Ada’s order and warned her, “No Ada there are other people in vehicles around us! Fire at them with your gun from the roof window.”

Ada took her pistol and put it in armor piercing mode. Jill stopped her with her hand and told her, “Wait, we are going to get them on the island on Mercer Way, we will call for backup.”

The other drivers at the van’s side saw the danger and stopped their cars, creating a congestion but there were still other cars following them trying to pass them. They continued to be fired upon by assault weapons and additional rockets.

“Call Lady Luck!” Jill shouted in her CLO synchronized with her car. 

On the windshield, a photo of Selenba Serebriakov appeared. She had short hair, hazel eyes and a devilish grin on, and this picture seemed to have been taken from prison. The computer dialed the number of the russian woman.

Calling...

Jill had a more advanced Communicator Locator Organizer that was distributed to the law enforcement people by Tesla Industries, she could even access the people who are members of the Assembly in New York. Jill avoided a rocket that landed on the asphalt and made a hole in the bridge, after which the pursuer stopped shooting RPGs at them not wanting to destroy the bridge and them with it.

*So we must be taken alive huh.* Jill guessed.

“Malyshka (little) Jill, is that you?” A sweet voice tinted by russian accent asked.

Jill’s eyes gleamed, she was now sure that her adoptive aunt would help them. “Aunt Selenba, we need you! We are being chased by baddies on the memorial bridge!”

A throaty laugh rang on the line, “Da, I see you on news, you got new car?” The russian expatriate asked conversationally.

“Yes, aunty. Uncle Nikolai modified it for me.” Jill said.

Nikolai Tesla was the tenth son of Nikola Tesla and Lyla Tesla. He was a genius, a married man and a vigilante who ruthlessly put down crime in Seattle. His codename was Crusader and he was an armored hero that used his experimental and advanced weaponry to take out criminals and supervillains alike. Jill heard Selenba walk somewhere, there was the telltale noise of VTOL engine in the background.

“I am in helicopter and I will jump and kill them on my Catti.” Selenba shouted eagerly on the phone.

The channel of communication was still open and a baritone voice said, “I am coming too, драг (chérie).”

Jill and Ada froze when they heard the voice of Nikolai, looked at each other and shuddered. This problem is going to become an even bigger one when Crusader was coming to slaughter those people in the white van. “Oh great she was bored and now I unleashed them.”

“Ada they are firing at us with energy projectors now! I don’t care if they die!”

ZAP! ZAP! ZAAAP!

Shield Integrity at 50%

Jill zig-zagged between the trucks and other cars before her to avoid the energy discharges. A car caught fire and exploded behind them as it was hit by the red energy beam.

“Those guys don’t mess around. But they fired first, we are authorized by the law to kill them. Break out the gatling turret Ada!”

“With pleasure.” Ada said as the joystick control appeared from the dashboard.

The asian woman pressed the red button and the cylinder of the gatling turret began to turn and it exited the ceiling to position itself on the roof and Ada began to fire on the white van. The driver saw what was going to happen and tried to swerve right but the weapon fired full-on the hood of their vehicle.

Ratatatata.

“Burn bitches Burn!” Ada shouted as she fired on them.

The white van exploded. BOOM!

Jill stopped the SUV and saw that from the wreckage an armored man got out and he roared in pain as Crusader arrived and landed on him. The vigilante pointed his plasma rifle behind the head of the strong man who survived.

“Don’t move, son of a bitch.” The harsh voice of the armored Crusader ordered.

Jill cried. “Crusader!”

The man looked in the direction of the two running agents. “Little Jill, how are you? Should we see what color is this man’s blood?”

“Yes!” Ada said. 

ZAP!

The armored man was now headless, his brain and blood spread on the asphalt. Selenba came on her hoverbike, as usual, super late. “Did I miss fireworks?”

Ada and Jill looked at each other and snorted in laughter at the russian woman. The panel behind them said, WELCOME to Mercer Island, The Capital of Magic.

 


 

New York
The Fortress
1st September
Achilles’ room
06:59 PM

 

Brianna DuClair was finally back. She had finally finished her latest stunt contract with the Warner studio and felt free after six months of toiling for macho directors who had no idea on how to throw a punch or make an action scene realistic without CGI. Thankfully, Brianna was a superhuman and could jump, bend and fight all day, but she still had her limits.

Now Achilles & DuClair was closed for good, their little enterprise was done and they didn’t have to get called everyday by two-bit directors from hollywood. Though, she didn’t have the courage to sell their house at Malibu.

She arrived in New York just now from Paris and decided to surprise her man with her return. Entering his room in the Fortress. Strangely, Annya Tesla knew about her and let her enter the base. Brianna began to unpack her luggage and placed herself on Achilles’ bed and began to sniff the sheets and pillows. There was only her man’s smell and no one else’s.

*Good, he isn’t cheating on me.* Brianna told herself.

Brianna took off her white dress and shucked it into the clothes bin near the bathroom door. Smelling herself, she noticed that sitting for twelve hours near that old fat woman in the plane she almost had the same scent; it made her go take a shower in Achilles’ bathroom and she liked how spacious it was.

In the meantime, Achilles, his two teammates Belle and Ishtar were invited in his suite for a private dinner. This was one of the team building activities that the speedster had decided to practice. Ishtar and Belle were looking at each other with feelings of enmity; trying to one up each other into deciding who will be Achilles’ girlfriend.

As they walked away from the elevator, they followed the man whose ass they drooled over it. Achilles stopped before the door of his apartment and found it already open. What the speedster wasn’t expecting was to find the love of his life exiting the bathroom in just a towel.

“Brianna?” Achilles pinched himself to see if he didn’t dream.

He wasn’t.

With a slow lazy smile, Brianna shouted, “Chilles!”

In one step he was already to her and the gorgeous blonde jumped on him and kissed him senseless. The two lost themselves in a fiery kiss that was a long time coming.

“Achilles, who is this?” Ishtar’s voice rang like a whip.

Achilles stopped moving, Brianna didn’t stop kissing him. But Brianna was taken out of her reunion by the voice of Belle.

“Yes, Achilles who is this?” Belle asked with narrowed eyes, the blue skinned beauty with violet eyes focused on Brianna who realized that she was practically naked.

“Hum, I am going to wear something.” Brianna said, her eyes telling him that he better have a good explanation about the presence of those women.

“Girls, this is Brianna my girlfriend.” Said Achilles, embarrassed.

Each of the women looked at the curvy tall leggy blonde with electric blue eyes strutting to the bathroom without a care. Achille looked at her rolling her hips and had his mouth agape; Belle came to help him close his mouth, the speedster embarrassingly said a thank you.

“Well, at least he isn’t married…” Ishtar mumbled but Achilles heard her.

*Yes, still got a chance!* Thought Belle.

Ishtar slapped Achilles' arm and looked at him with angry eyes. “Why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone?”

“It never came up, hum well I’m going to make some food why don’t you girls take time to know each other? By the way, I think Brianna is joining the Justicars. So it is even more important that we all get along.” Achilles ran away to go take care of the food, knowing that he didn’t want to get in between the women in his life.

He wasn’t blind, he knew that Belle and Ishtar had feelings for him; it was the same for him but he refused to act on it and he loved Brianna to bits and would never betray her. With his superspeed, Achilles disappeared from his apartment, gone to buy groceries.

Belle and Ishtar looked at each other, “I didn’t see that one coming.” The brunette strongwoman said.

“Me neither, the final boss wasn’t even here yet...” Belle answered.

The two went to sit at the kitchen table and stayed there in silence; they would never have thought that getting a man would be so difficult. But they understood because Achilles was a good catch. Brianna got out of the bathroom wearing Achilles’ blue hoodie with black leggings and her hair in a ponytail. She waved at the two women who tensed as she approached.

“So which one of you thinks they are going to steal my boyfriend?” Brianna began to speak bluntly with a bright smile on her face as she sat at the kitchen table.

None of the two teammates answered, they heard the door slam as they saw the blurring form of Achilles pass them and began to cook right away.

“We will speak of that later, now it’s time to prepare the food.” Brianna said.

She had no hope of brushing off either of those women anytime soon, they looked tenacious. But as she looked at them, the seed of a plan blossomed in her mind. Brianna put on her CLO and began to text with Annya Tesla and began to discuss about joining Achilles team and her new costume.

Techanny: Are you sure?
ClairBri: No, but I’m going to be active as a hero now. Can’t leave those two alone with my man.
Techanny: Ok, but they have been good girls. They wouldn’t jump him… well they do try to entice him to attack them.
ClairBri: I knew it!
Techanny: So when are you going to ask him?
ClairBri: Tonight, when the two women leave.

The dinner was finally ready, Achilles tried to make the women speak, but couldn’t. After eating the delicious shepherd pie baked by the speedster Ishtar and Belle left as fast as they could before glaring at Brianna who just smirked and waved at them.

“Now it’s your turn.” Brianna said.

The speedster tried to flee but the blonde tripped him, caught him with an arm and sent him flying to the bed.

“I-they are just teammates.” Achilles stuttered as he watched Brianna approach him.

The blonde climbed on the bed and took his armored boots from his feet and threw them onto the carpeted ground.

“I saw how you look at them, I am surprised that you didn’t take any of them to bed.” Brianna said, each of those women was gorgeous.

Achilles loved to be hunted in their relationship. “I love you Brianna.” He said with all his heart.

The young woman reddened. But she didn’t get distracted. “I know you do, but you like them too. But, don’t worry Achilles, we will come to an arrangement.”

Achilles asked himself. *What is she talking about?*

But Brianna kissed him and he stopped thinking, the kiss grew heated until they shucked all their clothes and got intimately reacquainted again.

37