Plasia groaned quietly as her eye gently flickered open. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep for, but her eyelids felt heavy as she forced them apart. Her vision was blurred and unfocused, and the white ceiling lights overhead were harsh and piercing, as she struggled to wake up. She slowly blinked away the black, pulsing splodges in her corners of her vision. She pushed her palms down and tried desperately to push herself up, before quickly sinking back down in defeat. There was a deep, thumping pain in her head. She gently reached up towards her face, clasping her warm hands around her cheeks. It was starting to come back to her already… the tests, the experiments, that girl, and then…

 

Her stomach wrenched. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with a sudden rush of emotion as the memories came flooding back. Her survival instincts were starting to kick in, hard, but she didn’t have any fight left. There was no anger, or rage, or even adrenaline.

 

She was terrified.

 

Tenderly, she teased the fingers of her hand upwards, towards her eye…

 

The side of her head had been bound tightly, and her eye was covered. Which was probably just as well, if her memory was correct...

 

Slowly but surely her eyesight came into focus, revealing a grey, featureless ceiling above her. 

 

This isn’t the E-Lab… Where… am I?

 

As she rubbed her hands gently up and down her face, the realisation suddenly hit her that she could move her hands. She gasped loudly and stared at her unrestrained limbs in amazement. She rolled her wrists, checking every inch of skin just in case there was some sort of subtle restraining mechanism, but she couldn’t see anything. She could move, at her own leisure, something she hadn’t been able to enjoy in a very long time.

 

Plasia closed her eye for a few, long moments, and worked on controlling her breathing. Calm, we need to keep calm… we’re not in danger, we’re not there anymore… We’re okay… Carefully, she struggled again and managed to pull herself upright. A deep ache seared through her body, and she winced as she slowly looked around her new room. She was sitting, alone, in some sort of medical room, laid out on a table that had been pushed off to the side. The room was unremarkable, just grey walls mirrored cabinets, although a number of them looked like they had been raided recently, with various bottles and medicines still strewn over the floor.

 

Now that she was sat up, Plasia cast a hesitant glance down at her body. 

 

She was tightly wrapped in high quality nano-bandages, shimmering silver strips of fabric that concealed her wounds, and had a comforting warmth to them. She could just about see the blue medi-gel that had been sprayed on her skin underneath the bandages, gently pooling at the edges of the wrapping.

 

Her remaining foot touched the cool tiles below the table, and she sighed softly. She was alive.

 

Tired. But alive.

A heavy set of footsteps approached from behind the only door into the room. Anxiety jolted through her body, and she tilted her head to try and see who was approaching.

 

The smell hit her first. It was sweet, alluring, like a whisper in the dark, tempting her to join hands with the unknown. There was comfort in the candied murk, but an unsettling sense of danger always permeated the back of her mind. She knew this scent well. 

 

But something seemed different...

 

The door creaked open and the aroma intensified, reaching its sickly sweet climax as Leech stomped into the room, looking just as tired and worn-down as Plasia felt. Her left arm was severed at the bicep and wrapped in the same nano-bandages that Plasia was wrapped in. She had big black bags under her eyes, and was wearing a heavy frown as she carried a box full of medical supplies into the room by one of its handles, and slammed it down on a work surface on the opposite side of the room. She didn’t notice that Plasia was sitting up.

 

Plasia’s heart was in her mouth. Her eye widened in shock, and her clenched fists began to shake. Her whole body tensed and she waited, waited for her vision to go dark, waited for that spiralling loss of control she always felt when… the other one came out.

 

But nothing happened. The pain in her head throbbed, a little harder than before, but other than that…

 

Oh my god. I’m still here.

 

Plasia watched her closely, working desperately to get her heart rate down. 

 

Am I… dreaming?

 

She blinked rapidly as Leech huffed and rummaged through the box with her one remaining arm.

 

“For fuck’s sake, for fuck’s sake, for fuck’s sake, for fuck’s sake! Where the hell is the regen powder when you need it?! I swear I didn’t use it all on the Slave experiments, I MUST have kept some!”

 

She continued to rummage loudly through the box with her back to Plasia, swearing from time to time as she failed to locate her medicine.

 

“L-Leech?” Plasia’s throat was sore and dry as she spluttered the word out. She stared at the Controller, with a vast cocktail of feelings coursing through her.

 

Leech froze. She straightened up and slowly turned around. 

 

“Plasia?”

 

Their eyes met, Leech’s narrowed into an expression of deep confusion as Plasia’s eye stayed its usual soft, glass orb.

 

The toxic giant pursed her lips, holding her hand out in front of her as she tried to understand what was going on.

“You’re… not… changing?”

 

Plasia shook her head, but held her gaze. “I… don’t think It’ll last long. I can feel her…” Suddenly she winced and broke eye contact, pressing her hand up against her forehead. “But… yeah! I’m… still here. For now, at least.”

 

“I imagine it's the shock. That and maybe the various different painkillers I’ve given you. You’re coked up on some pretty strong stuff right now!” Leech tried for a light chuckle, tried to diffuse the abhorrent awkwardness that was quickly starting to fill the room, but it came out more as a half-assed, tired sigh. “You were in a bit of a state when we found you! You, uh, actually had me worried for a bit.”

 

“Worried?” Plasia knotted her fingers together and raised an eyebrow at her. “I… T-That doesn’t seem right.”

 

“What? Why not?” Leech quickly turned her attention back to the box, hiding her face behind her dreadlocks.

 

“Well…” She wasn’t quite sure where it had come from, but suddenly Plasia felt a fire in her chest. Her stomach was thick and heavy with anxiety, but she gripped onto the edge of the table and finally, finally, for the time since she’d been dragged kicking and screaming into this horrific mess, she spoke her mind.

 

“Well, considering you were the one who did this to me, I didn’t think you really cared about me at all! Figured I was just an experiment of yours! That’s why you kept me around, right? Leech’s little lab assistant.” Plasia hissed as a fresh wave of pain hit her head.

 

“Well, if you were an experiment, I fucked up royally!” Leech snapped. Her hand stopped rummaging about in the box, and she sighed loudly, her shoulders sinking as her face twisted into a sharp frown. “That… came out wrong. I didn’t… mean…”

 

Plasia felt another intense surge of pain deep in her head, this time followed by a brief dizzy spell, but she continued to stare at Leech, with a forced, indifferent look.

 

“How did you even find me? I don’t even know where I was.”

 

“A XITD research station.” Leech replied, with just as much forced indifference. “Don’t you remember calling out to us?”

 

“I…” Plasia struggled for a moment, racking her brains. “I remember… something.” She groaned slightly as her iris flickered, and sparks and light flashed across her vision… She quickly rubbed them away. She fought to compose herself, and then continued to stare, back across the room at Leech. “Okay. Why did you rescue me?” Another wave of dizziness hit her, more intensely this time. She shuffled on the table and lay back down.

 

“Because there was no way in fuck I was going to leave you in the hands of the Draconic Alliance. Making the rest of us look bad and weak, and giving them precious data on the corruption.” Leech feigned. She hunched over the box, pretending to be looking for something.

There was a very long, very awkward pause.

 

“You’re a bad liar, Leech.” Plasia sighed after a while, closing her eyes. “But… T-Thank you for r-rescuing me. I think I'd be dead now if you hadn't turned up.”

 

“Eh, Moltezz did most of the work, I just hauled ass and lost an arm. Bah, I can’t find this stupid regen powder!”

 

“Don’t worry, it’ll grow back by itself. Trust me.”

 

There was something in the way that Plasia replied… It was so… casual. And lifeless. Leech turned back around and stared at Plasia’s form, her missing leg and eye, and the various surface wounds, and those were just the wounds she could see. A deep uncomfortable pang vibrated through her chest.

 

“They really did a number on you, didn’t they?”

 

“Yeah, they did.”

 

“She burned them alive for it, Plas. Moltezz killed hundreds of them. For every inch they flayed off you, she took a kilo of ashes in return.”

 

“I don’t care.” Plasia replied instantly, feeling another sharp spike deep in her brain. “It doesn’t matter. I hurt people who trusted me, who I cared about!” She stifled back a sob, her hands clasped against her chest.

 

I just want Diego back.

 

“Oh. I thought you might take some comfort in knowing the people who did this to you are thoroughly burnt to a scaly crisp.” Leech scratched the back of her neck and shifted about on her feet.

“I know the other you would have. I guess I don’t know this half of you very well.”

“It’s not like you’ve ever spoken to me before.”

 

“No. We might never speak again.”

 

“Then… I guess we should make it count?”

 

“Yeah. I guess…”

 

There was another awkward silence as both Controllers thought about what to say next. Leech eventually opened her mouth first.

 

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

 

“....W-What?”

 

“I’m sorry. For fucking you up. I never intended to turn you into this fractured creature. You deserved better, both of you.”

More silence followed, broken only by the occasional half-hearted rummage through the box. Thoughts were flying through Plasia’s brain at a million miles an hour as she tried to process what Leech had said, what she’d meant. But there was something more pressing first. She needed answers.

 

“W-What did I do here? On Barru X? I remember waking up in a room full of corpses, and I was covered in blood, but…”

 

“I mean, I should be asking you that really!” Leech went for another laugh. “Although, I suppose you wouldn’t know, would you, thinking about it. Well, from what we could make out from the CCTV footage, and from Tani and Mina’s accounts, you turned up at two whore houses with a sack full of dies, bought them both out and fucked over fifty prostitutes in less than an hour.” Leech suddenly broke in a tired giggle. “Which I have to say, is an absolute power move. I did not expect either of you to pull off something like that.”

 

Plasia remained silent, but clenched her eye tightly, and kept her hands close to her chest.

 

“After that, you and your troop just spread over the station. Although… I do have a question to shoot back at you. What the hell made you turn? I was nowhere near the station!”

 

“I think I was provided with rigged gear when we first arrived. I can remember being led into a room, and putting this protective suit on. It’s all black after that, until I’m in the room with the corpses.” Plasia’s voice trailed off, and she shivered at the memory.

 

“Rigged?! Rigged with what?!” Leech exclaimed, suddenly alarmed.  “Is there something else that triggers you?”

 

“No. There was a vial filled with… your fluid.”

Leech frowned again, resting her chin on her hand as the pieces slowly slid together in her head.

 

“The DA were there too. I mean, duh, you probably put that together already. But there was only one DA agent who made it out from their assault on the dungeon… He anchor-stoned out of my lab, he is literally the only person that could have stolen my samples!”

 

“S-Scyler.” Plasia’s lip wobbled at the mere mention of his name. The memories of his anger and torment flashed across her face. “He said he was the one who took me from Barru X… He must have rigged the mask. He would taunt me about it, he knew everything that happened here.”

 

“So, he followed you, maybe, from the dungeon to Barru X… Oh fuck. This is bad… we’re barely into Nomad territory and we’re getting targeted by DA agents already?!? We just raided… destroyed one of their research stations! There were a lot of people on that station! We’ve painted a giant ‘ASSASSINATE ME’ sign on our backs!”

 

“What do you mean?” Plasia asked quietly, processing Leech’s words carefully.

 

“So you know our dungeon was raided, right? That Scyler guy, if he is the same person who was at the dungeon, that means the DA is gunning for us already, even back then! H-How did they discover us so quickly?! WE NEVER EVEN LEFT THE PLANET! He hits our dungeon, steals data from my lab, follows you to Barru X, fucks it all to hell and experiments on you for months! It's all based around us!” Leech’s eyes darted around the room as she monologued her inner thoughts in a rising panic.

 

“Hmm…” Plasia hummed quietly, seemingly unconvinced.

 

“Hmm? The fuck you mean, hmm? One of the biggest empires in the universe is tracking us down and all you can say is HMM?!”

 

“It's not that! I just think you might be wrong.”

 

“Oh yeah? Care to share your thoughts with the rest of us, Plasia? You cannot just drop several fucking bombshells like that and then refuse to elaborate!”

 

“What if it's just… bad timing?”

 

“OH THAT IS AMAZING, PLASIA! IT'S JUST BAD LUCK, ALL OF IT! WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT!” Leech was practically shouting now, and her volume made the sapphire czarite wince. 

 

“Ugh. Can you be a little quieter, please? You can be very loud sometimes.” Plasia asked quietly, rubbing her fingers on her temples. And Leech actually stopped talking. She stared at Plasia for a few stunned moments before, slowly, a small, almost proud smile flickered across Leech’s lips. 

 

“Sorry. You were saying?”

 

“What I mean is… when we were escaping, D-Diego… he recognised the DA instantly.” Just saying his name out loud unleashed a fresh wave of sadness and regret over her whole body. She choked back a sob as her heart rose into her throat.

 

“Right. And?”

 

“And he seemed to be quite certain that they were there for him. His reaction when he saw them felt very… I don’t know, genuine? He looked worried… But if that’s right, then that would mean the DA weren’t there for you at all. You were just caught in the crossfire.”

 

“That doesn’t explain why that lone agent went after you on Barru X though…” Leech went to continue but stopped herself, the gears turning in her head as she processed Plasia’s thoughts. “Unless it does… Diego seemed to go MIA after everything went down here.You both did. Could it be both? It would be much better for us if the DA were there for him. I need to think about this. New question though, what the fuck did that lizard do to get a pair of strike teams sent after him?”

 

While Leech had been contemplating her thoughts out loud, Plasia had started to fidget, obsessively, writhing her hands and clawing at the air almost, as hot tears rolled out of the corners of her eye. 

 

“Sounds like he could clear quite a few things up for us, although I doubt Queen Moltezz would even let me have five minutes with him to ask -”

 

“S-Stop!” Plasia shuddered loudly. Her breathing was heavy as she fought desperately to keep control of herself. “P-Please s-stop talking about him like th-that!”

 

“Wha-what’s wrong?” Leech stopped, and looked over at Plasia with concern in her eyes. “What did I say? I… I wouldn’t hurt him or anythi-”

 

“HE’S DEAD!” Plasia wailed, and with shuddering breaths buried her face with her hands. “Scyler told me everything! How I went crazy, how him and Seeth tried to stop me, and I killed him! I KILLED HIM, LEECH! HIS BLOOD IS ON MY HANDS! Stop talking about him like he’s still alive!”

 

Leech’s face softened, but she glanced around awkwardly, as though she didn’t quite know what to do. Slowly, she went to reach out to Plasia, just place her hand at the foot of the table, but then quickly pulled it back. She could feel her heart aching in her chest as she watched Plasia fight with every ounce of strength she had left.

 

“They really put you through hell, didn’t they? What the hell was this guy's problem with you? It’s like you were his fucking nemesis or something!” She sighed loudly, rubbing her chin. “Listen, Plas… I don’t think Diego’s dead. Or, if he is -” and he better fucking not be, or Moltezz is gonna lose her fucking shit - “it wasn’t you.”

 

Plasia was still breathing heavily, her entire body trembling, but she parted her fingers and looked over at Leech with her wide, misty eye.

“I’ve gone through all the security footage, from the moment you guys stepped foot on Barru X. I’ve gotten accounts from the Nodes as well. From what I can gather, you and Diego disappeared at about the same time; the DA launched some kind of drone attack on you guys, and we lost you both after that. But I definitely didn’t see you do anything to him. There is nothing that points to you harming him at all.”

 

“R-Really?” Plasia wiped her tears away shyly with the back of her hands.

 

“Yeah. Honestly, hand on my fat cock and balls, that's the chances truth! Hand, singular. That's all I got right now.” She joked, feeling her own smile rise as Plasia giggled softly in between gentle sniffles. “We think at the moment that…”

 

Plasia’s smile was growing a little too wide. It shed its hesitation as the corners of her lips, and kept rising. The milky white tips of her fangs poked out between her lips. Her iris shifted, rapidly morphing between orb and slit. Briefly, it settled back into an orb as the Controller’s entire body quivered, her fists clenched tightly.

 

“T-Tell me again. Tell me I didn’t do it!” She begged, barely clinging on.

 

“You didn’t kill him, Plasia.” Leech nodded, half in admiration at Plasia’s determination, but also deeply intrigued by the battle playing out in front of her.

 

“A-Again!”

 

“You didn’t kill him. You didn’t kill Diego.” Leech smiled softly again.

 

“Thank you, Leech. M-Maybe you’re not so bad…”

 

Plasia went to reply, but as she opened her mouth, her long, wet tongue flopped out of the corner of her mouth. Her head slowly turned to look at Leech directly. She bared her set of sharp pointy teeth at her in a wide, manic grin.

 

Leech quickly looked away, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She moved towards the door.

 

“I’ll… let you rest up now.”

 

She twisted the door handle and pushed it open. As she stepped out, she glanced back, to see her monster still watching her, with those sharp, beady eyes.

 

“Goodbye, Plasia.” 

 

*

 

“So… you understand my concern about this, Moltezz?” Leech was speaking with a level of urgency in her voice as Moltezz drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne. 

Ink was sat on the other side of the room, watching the pair quietly as her tentacles toyed idly with her surroundings. Does she have a throne in every meeting room on this station? Ink thought to herself, as it occurred to her she’d never seen Moltezz sit in anything less.

 

“Mhmm.” The Molten Mistress' eyes drifted to Leech’s missing arm with the slightest hint of smirk on her face. “I suppose I do. But I must say, your conclusion regarding the DA seems to be incorrect, if only from their response. If the DA had considered us such a threat before we even took control of the freighter, surely they would have sent something at us since? I understand the time-line, but there is something significant about this we’re missing. We’ve been at Barru X for six months and we’ve not been hit once by them.”

 

“I know, I know. Plasia’s given us more questions than answers apparently…”

 

Moltezz leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Leech’s pupils. The toxic Controller suddenly became distinctly aware of a soft clinking in the background, emanating from Moltezz’s psyonic enhancer which she had been wearing during their attack. It was currently cooling down on a rack mounted on the far wall. Despite having been removed nearly a day ago now, its black metallic frame was still glowing with heat, and was scolding to the touch.

 

“Did Plasia give you anything useful? Does she know anything?”

 

Leech froze as a barrage of thoughts shot through her mind. Ink immediately spotted the change in her demeanour. Confusion and jealousy briefly flickered across her face.

 

Shit… If I tell her that the DA potentially has Diego, she’s gonna march us straight to our doom to try and find him! But I can’t not tell her because she’ll know I'm lying! FUCK! Plasia’s right, I am a terrible liar. UGH! Please don’t shoot my other arm off, you overgrown fireplace.

 

“She… did. But I'm not sure what I think of it.”

 

“I could always speak to her.” Moltezz’s smile curled just enough to show her fangs. “You know I'm exceptional at getting the truth out of people.”

 

“No - no. That won’t be necessary. She’s barely alive as it is, and I don’t want your spicy ass wandering in and working her up even more...” Leech sighed, defeated for now. “She seemed to think that the DA weren’t after us at all. At least, not at first.”

 

“And why does she think that?” Moltezz’s stare intensified, draining the light from the room as the glow of her eyes dominated Leech’s vision.

 

“She… thinks they were after Diego. She doesn’t know why -”

 

Moltezz’s shoulders visibly clenched, her eyes wicked with fury. She bolted up from her throne and spun to face the windows behind her, glaring out in the direction of DA space.

“- IF THEY HAVE SO MUCH AS TOUCHED A SCALE ON MY PRINCE, I WILL INCINERATE THEIR EVERY LAST COLONY TO THE GROUND!” 

 

The ground beneath her feet began to glow amber, her dreadlocks were floating in the heat that was suddenly rising from around her.

 

“Moltezz, I get it, but we need to be smart here?” Leech suggested, somewhat sheepishly. “We just committed an act of war, and I don’t think barging straight back into DA space to pick a fight at random is a good idea.”

 

Moltezz spun around again, half-growling with every furious breath she took, but as her eyes narrowed on Leech, she nodded and returned to her throne. She was still visibly furious, but seemingly able to take on Leech’s advice.

 

“Fine. What do you suggest?”

 

“The DA is a big place, and we don’t stand a chance just manually searching. After speaking with Plasia, I think the person who sabotaged her at Barru X was the same dude who anchor-stoned out of my lab in the dungeon… Say, you were there right? In the dungeon?”

 

“Yes. I was the one who splattered that filth across our floors.” 

 

“Did you catch sight of the last guy?”

 

“No. I did hear his voice however.” Slowly, the heat around Moltezz began to fade. Leech couldn’t help but notice that the gentle clinking of Moltezz’s psyonic equipment seemed to be intensifying as her temper calmed.

“Do me a favour will you? Have a quick look through Mook’s memories, and see if anyone she met on the XITD station matches his voice?”

 

Moltezz huffed in protest, but did as she was asked. She settled back into her throne, and after a few seconds of intense silence, she continued.

 

“Hmm. Found him. Mook knew him as Scyler? He was a XITD employee. It was him in your lab. So, you think he also attacked Plasia here, and had something to do with Diego’s disappearance?”

 

“Shit… I think I do… I need to talk to Mook. Plasia said she was given equipment that was rigged with a vial of my goo, and that anchor-stoning asshole was the only one who could have taken product from my lab before it was incinerated.”

 

“So, what next?” Moltezz mused, ignoring Leech’s jab at her.

 

“Well, Ink managed to haul back around four tonnes of servers from the XITD space station, there has to be something useful in there.” The giant Controller did a subtle flex in the background, rolling her muscular shoulders. “I reckon that Scyler guy is the key to finding out what’s going on with your… prince.”

 

“Then rest. Recover and begin excavating the data when your mind is focused. But don’t take too long.” Moltezz stood from her throne, taking a slow, long breath. Her exhale warmed the room considerably, but she looked visibly more relaxed. “I will allow Plasia some time to heal before we begin her behavioural corrections. I have not forgotten her direct betrayal of us, and I will ensure she will not attempt anything of the sort again. Notify me when you think she can take the heat.”

 

As Moltezz strode towards the door, Leech slowly took her place at the window, staring out as to hide her expression from the Molten Mistress.

 

“Sure... Just… maybe go easy on her? She’s spent the last six months being tortured on the daily by the DA, maybe the ‘Seeth treatment’ isn’t the right way to win her back?”

 

“Please, Leech. I don’t tell you how to operate your lab or conduct research. I would appreciate the same level of trust when it comes to instilling obedience. She may not require any breaking in, but she needs to be punished, first and foremost. Irrespective of any correction, I have a score to settle. Like it or not, that mopey layabout is heavily responsible for us losing my prince.”

 

“Gotta get your pound of flesh, huh? Fine. But if I give her to you and find her head on a pike, I’ll be fucking pissed. We did not drag her back here just to kill her ourselves...”

 

“I’m not going to kill her, Leech. I’m not wasteful. You think me a savage of some sort? A barbarian?” As always, Moltezz’s tone was full of self-confidence. “No, I'm just going to set things straight and get her on board. The right amount of heat and pressure can mould anything -”

 

“- Oh my god, the head! I forgot the head!” Leech suddenly pressed her palm dramatically against the window. She stared wistfully out of the large bay windows, deep into the depths of space, in the direction the DA’s space station had once stood.

 

Ink looked over at her and stared quizzically. Moltezz rolled her eyes, but paused in the doorway and glanced back.

 

“What? What head? What are you on about now?”

 

“The head! My Slave head! I put it down when I went to get Plasia out of the E-Lab, and I just left it there…” Leech’s voice trailed off, and her toxic green eyes creased at the corners, and almost seemed to go glassy… Of course, it might have just been the room’s bright LED lighting, glinting off of her reflection.

 

“Sure you didn’t leave your own head behind, too?” Moltezz muttered, raising an eyebrow at Ink. Ink didn’t say anything, but couldn’t help but glance back and meet her gaze. Her eyebrows furrowed with a very slight concern as Leech raised her arm in a slow, long salute. Moltezz sighed.

“Right, well, I’ll leave you to it, whatever it is... I want an update on Plasia’s condition first thing in the morning!” And with her words still echoing around the room, Moltezz flicked her dreadlocks dramatically over her shoulder and waltzed out the room. Once her footsteps had faded down the hallway, Ink stood slowly from her chair, pushed it aside and leant back against the table.

 

“Are you… doing okay there? You seem a little out of sorts.”

 

“Out of… what d’you mean?”

 

“I mean… you’re normally crazy, I’m used to crazy, in fact I absolutely love your crazy…” Ink started to babble nervously as she watched Leech’s eyes in the reflection of the window narrow at her. “It’s just that… well… since we’ve got back, you’ve spent all your time with Plasia which I get, I know, she did almost die yesterday, but…” Her mouth was running before her brain had even had a chance to start trying to process what was coming out of it, and Leech’s stare was only getting more intense as she rattled on. “I just… do not understand why you are getting so sentimental over a Slave’s head.”

 

“I… what?” Leech’s reflection glared across the room at Ink, but she couldn’t quite mask the break in her voice. “I am not getting… sentimental, it’s simply that… well, that was my project and I spent hours working and perfecting it and actually getting something that functions and an awful lot of Slaves had to die in its stead and it feels like such a waste and now it’s been blown into smithereens and that’s a lot of work and time I can’t get back and I’ve had a long day so excuse me for being a little emotional Ink!”

 

“Alright, alright!” Ink grinned but held her hands up in surrender. “I apologise.”

 

“Good! I have had a long few days! Please do forgive me if I’m not my usual unfeeling, eccentric self!” She practically spat the last part of her sentence as she turned around, and stared over at Ink directly. “Don’t think that just because I’m a limb down that you can sass me!” Leech flicked her armless sleeve at her. “You think that I can’t fuck your ass with only one arm? I will dominate your fat ass!”

 

“I don’t doubt you.” Ink replied. After a few moments, Leech’s shoulders started to visibly relax. She turned back around to face the window, but kept a hard and watchful glare on Ink. Ink stared right back, and her grin spread across her face.

 

“You do look a little pent up though.” Ink pushed herself off of the table and walked slowly across the room, stopping just a few inches behind Leech. “Maybe that’s what’s going on with you. You just… need a release.” She reached out with two of her tentacles and very gently wrapped them around the top of Leech’s thighs. She didn’t squeeze, or apply any pressure; she just let them rest there, the tips of her tentacles even more gently teasing and stroking along Leech’s inner thighs. 

 

“Hmm… I guess you might have a point.” She was almost ashamed at how quickly the blood was rushing down to her groin, and up to her cheeks. Is that all it takes for me these days, a tiny fucking tease?! Leech tried not to respond to Ink’s little tenta-caresses, and focused on keeping her body still and seemingly disinterested, but she did have to bite down, hard on her bottom lip, and concentrate on stifling a moan. The little lip-bite didn’t go unnoticed. “It… has been a few days for me.”

“Oh you’re right, it has!” Ink suddenly wrapped her arms around Leech’s torso and pressed her chest up against her back. “Did you fuck at all on the Radon? Or were you too busy throwing up?” She teased, trailing her other tentacles along Leech’s shoulders and arm.

 

“I don’t travel well!” Leech protested, and tried to resume her steely glare, but the attempt was half-hearted at best, and she could feel her body submitting under Ink’s touch. “Wh-why do you think I set up my lab on the basement levels of the freighter?”

 

“Hmm. I thought that was because you’re an edgy son of a bitch.” Ink laughed as she crouched down and buried her face into Leech’s dreadlocks. 

 

“I am an edgy son of a bitch, thank you for noticing.” Leech mumbled back with the edge of a smile, as Ink’s lips nibbled across her neck. A long shiver ran up her spine. 

 

“So, why don’t you tell me what you have planned for me?” Ink’s bottom tentacles trailed across Leech’s crotch, which was bulging tightly against her trousers. “You’ve always got something planned for me.”

 

“Well, you’ve been lording around like an absolute fucking bitch since we got back, so we’ll definitely be getting the ball gag out. See how well you can sass me with a mouthful of silicone.” Leech slowly let herself lean back against Ink’s muscular, but surprisingly soft and curvaceous body. “Maybe I’ll tie you down to the milking table, we haven’t used that for a while - ooooor, maybe… maybe I’ll just pin you down instead, so I can feel you struggling underneath me, I’ll grab your dreadlocks and force your head back and breed the fucking life out of your - OH MY GOD, INK!” Leech had fallen back completely against Ink now, had gently pushed Ink’s head up, and was now resting her own on top of Ink's breasts.“You are so fucking comfy!” 

 

“Wha-what?” Ink, who had been standing with her eyes closed, picturing the scene clear as water in her head as her own bulge appeared in her trousers, was suddenly back in the room, and feeling a little confused. She stuttered uncertainly as the Controller nuzzled into her cleavage.

 

“Oh, this is really nice…” Leech’s voice was muffled as she twisted and shoved her head in between Ink’s boobs. “You never said your tits were this comfortable!” 

 

Ink blushed and her tentacle tips flickered in embarrassment. “Um, thank you? M-Maybe if you weren’t so busy trying to milk them all the time, you’d have noticed sooner!.. Um… Leech?”

 

Ink was practically holding Leech upright now. Her body had sagged against hers, and her tentacles were working to keep Leech standing up. Leech herself hadn’t replied; her eyes were closed and was seemingly in a state of bliss, nestled between Ink’s giant breasts.

 

“Leech!” Ink laughed and shimmied her chest. Leech groaned in protest. “What were you saying, about tying me down and fucking me?”

 

Leech mumbled something incoherent in response; suddenly, she felt absolutely exhausted. After a few seconds, she sighed and begrudgingly pushed her face out of Ink’s cleavage, and her body out from Ink's embrace. “Yeah, I know I know, it’s just…” Leech’s mouth opened wide as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve slept at all since we left here. That was what, four days ago?” Leech was still yawning as she spoke. “Listen, I’ll fuck your brains out tomorrow, I promise, but right now, I think I need to sleep.”

 

“No way.” Ink’s smile widened with feigned shock. “Leech is turning down sex?! Surely this is a first!”

 

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Leech mumbled as she turned and half-walked, half-stumbled towards the door. “Just give me a few hours, then I’ll - ah fuck!” Leech slammed straight into the doorframe and staggered backwards as the room shook. Ink leapt forward and managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Where Leech’s head carapace had impacted the doorframe, was now a good-sized dent. 

 

“Okay, maybe let me help you.” Ink wrapped her tentacles back around Leech’s body - for support this time though - and carefully propped her friend up, steered her out the door, and down the corridor. “I bet you’re a nightmare when you’re drunk.”

 

Unlike the other Controllers, who had for the most part opted to take an entire apartment complex or hotel suite as their sleeping quarters, Leech’s bedroom was just that; a bedroom. She’d taken one of the spare rooms down by her lab. Despite how well acquainted Ink was with her personal quarters, i.e. Leech’s sex chamber, she’d only ever caught a passing glimpse of Leech’s bedroom. Luckily for Ink, this meant that Leech’s room wasn’t far away; and, as strong as she was, Leech wasn’t exactly co-operating as she tried to walk her down the corridor. 

 

How can someone missing an arm be so fucking wriggly?!

 

Despite numerous minor protests, lost grips and stumbling-over-her-own-feet, they finally made it to Leech’s room. Ink shoulder-pushed the door open and staggered inside. Leech collapsed onto the bed as Ink let go, and closed the door behind her. Now that Leech was okay, she took a moment and leant back against the door, taking in the room.

 

For all the weird and wonderful stuff that Leech got up to, her room was surprisingly ordinary, almost a little plain. It looked a bit like a university student’s room; her large, strider-sized bed had been pushed to the side against the wall, and the duvet was scrunched up at the base of it, half-drooping onto the floor. Her wardrobe doors were wide open, although most of her clothes were in a pile on the floor in front of it, a mixture of black leather trousers and jeans, corsets, and hoodies, to Ink’s surprise. She certainly didn’t wear those when she was around. There was a large desk pushed up against the far wall with her computer, a beefy-looking tower PC with three wide display monitors. Other than that, the room was both empty, but cluttered at the same time. There were various bits and bobs scattered about on the floor, bedside table and chests of drawers, half-finished electrical circuits and various pieces of various experiments Leech was currently working on. Pizza boxes and plates were stacked up close to the door, as though an attempt to clean up had been made. It didn’t look like she let anybody in here, not Marks, not Slaves, not even to tidy up.

Ink just stood and stared for a few moments, lost in thought as she looked around the room. She didn’t really know what she’d been expecting, but it hadn’t been this… She was interrupted however, by the sound of Leech struggling on the bed. She’d rolled over onto her back, and was currently fighting (losing) against the numerous little buttons on her lab coat. Her weak hand plucked and fiddled with the buttons, but to no avail. She threw her head back dramatically on the pillow. 

 

“Ink… can you help me please?” Leech looked up at her with those large tired eyes, and pouted. Ink sighed and frowned sternly down at her, but on the inside, she was positively beaming. She bent down, and started unbuttoning her coat. Her tentacles aided in the task, slipping around Leech’s form to better handle her body.

*** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level Amber \\\-/// Caution Advised***

“Well, seeing as you asked so nicely…” Ink sat down on the bed and gently lifted Leech into her lap. A few seconds later, her coat was undone and Ink was threading the sleeve through her arm. “See, that wasn’t so difficult…” She placed the coat down on the floor beside the bed, and moved on to her shirt, which she noted was the same undershirt that Leech had been wearing under her armour when they’d stormed the space station. She can’t have had the chance to change it… Ink thought as she gently pulled it over her head. “Shall we take this off, too?” Ink’s fingers fumbled about clumsily with Leech’s bra straps, and after what felt like an eternity, finally managed to get the clasps undone.

 

“Is, uh, that better?” Ink asked, still a little flustered as she gently rested Leech’s head back down on the bed, stood and moved onto Leech’s trousers. 

 

“Mm-hmm…” Leech moaned softly in response.

 

Not wanting to waste any more time, Ink pulled Leech’s boots and socks off and quickly unbuttoned her trousers, pulling them and her underwear off together in one swift movement. Her tentacles flickered and traced along Leech’s tall and elegant figure, as her eyes stared, hungrily. They came to rest, as usual, on her massive cock. Leech’s figure was always pleasant to behold, but she was at half-mast already, and it was plump and just begging for attention. A small, glistening crown of pre had formed at its thick tip, likely from their earlier sauciness.

 

“It’s just a shame you’re too tired to do something about this…” Ink crawled onto the bottom of the bed and rested on the knees, positioning herself just below Leech’s hips. She leant over and placed a soft kiss on her stomach, just below her belly button. Her tentacles wrapped back around her legs gently, and started to tease. “Hmm… maybe I could take of this for you, if you’ll let me.” She said softly, stroking her fingers around the tip of her penis. 

 

“Ink…” Leech murmured, half asleep, and struggled to raise her head. “Ink, what are you -” Leech gasped suddenly and her head fell back down on the pillow, as dick slipped smoothly into Ink’s warm, wet and waiting mouth. Her lips moved slowly, up and down along the tip of her shaft. Her tongue pushed gently against her urethra, as Ink worked her way down Leech’s length. Her tentacles continued to work her lower body, stroking against the inside of Leech’s thighs, and gently playing with her balls. 

 

“Oh, you’re such a good girl.” Leech closed her eyes and grabbed the bedframe tightly in her hand. Ink could taste Leech’s lube in her mouth, and it made her lips and tongue tingle. She was tired, yes, but she was getting excited now, and was desperately trying to thrust up into Ink’s mouth… but Ink stopped, and slowly let the rapidly hardening dick slip out of her mouth. She squeezed a little harder with her tentacles, tightly around her legs. 

 

“No no, you just lie down, and let me work. I’m in charge now.” Before she had even finished speaking Leech’s dick was back in her mouth, eager to continue pleasing her friend. She sucked gently and went, slowly and deliberately, further down her shaft. Her lips were wet and warm, and tight. Even for a Controller as big as Ink, getting Leech’s proud cock into her mouth was a challenge, its monstrously long and thick body was nothing short of throat-stretching. Ink pushed herself hard to slide her glossy ebony lips down to the base, humming in delight as she managed to swallow all of it.

 

Finally, she had Leech’s entire length down her throat, and was sucking gently. Leech moaned and shuddered underneath her, as Ink’s tentacles traced along her legs, and teased at her pussy, nestled neatly under the Controller’s large, swollen nuts. She shivered. And Ink just couldn’t resist.

 

 Ink rocked her head back again and let Leech’s throbbing penis slip out of her mouth with a wet pop. Leech whimpered in protest. 

 

“Oh, you feel a little wet down there… Do I make you wet, Leech? Do you want me to fuck you?” Ink started to crawl slowly up Leech’s body. Her hand grabbed hold of hers and pinned it against the mattress. Her tentacles continued to play and tease along Leech’s labia, and the tip of her penis. The ebony Controller's massive tits pressed down against her friend’s, squishing her and Leech’s smaller but still mighty bust. She pressed her forehead too up against Leech’s, and felt butterflies in her stomach as her fingers clamped around hers, and her breathing intensified.

 

“Are you horny for me? Do you want my giant cock inside of you, stretching you, breeding you, and filling you up with my seed?”

 

It was a clumsy attempt at best, and Ink knew it - she knew that Leech would have said it a thousand times better than she did, and it would have sounded so much sexier coming out of her mouth, and, for a moment, she felt a wave of nervousness flood her body. 

 

But she didn’t have anything to worry about tonight. Leech sighed softly. Her emerald eyes flickered open, and met with Ink’s bright, honey-coloured orbs. She squeezed her hand harder, and Ink felt pre-cum squirt over her tentacles. 

 

Ink stared down at Leech in awe and exhilaration. Her nerves were gone, and suddenly her chest was filled with a newfound confidence.

 

“Hmm… maybe not tonight. I’d like you to be able to appreciate me fully.” 

 

Ink teasingly retreated back down the bed, the tips of her nipples tracing lines down her friend’s body as she ensured that, for the briefest of moments, Leech’s cock was engulfed by her bust. But she pulled her immense, soft breasts away and immediately clamped her lips back around Leech’s dick. She was going down fast on her now, sucking hard and her mouth moving quickly down the entire length of her shaft. Her tongue continued to play with the tip of Leech’s penis, and her tentacles stroked along her labia, teasing and lifting her balls, urging them to dump their load into her waiting, hungry throat. Leech let out a cry and her breaths came faster as Ink’s blowjob suddenly intensified. She moved her hand and gripped tightly, desperately onto Ink’s dreadlocks. 

 

Leech’s breathing was getting heavy now. She was panting hard and every exhale was a delicate little moan, a sound which Ink hadn’t heard her make before. None of this was like anything they’d had before. Leech sounded almost soft, sweet… vulnerable. And Ink wanted more.

 

Come for me. Please. Ink went down on her faster. Her jaw was starting to ache, and saliva was dribbling out of the side of her mouth, but she didn’t want to stop, not yet. She moved her hands and placed them over Leech’s hips, squeezing them hungrily before pressing down firmly on her front. Leech’s entire body shuddered at the pressure.

 

“Oh fuck, Ink…”

 

Oh my god. That was her name, coming out of Leech’s mouth, like that… Leech wasn’t the only one shivering now, and Ink continued her blowjob with a newly found vigour. She felt Leech’s entire body tense up, her fingers clamped hard around her dreadlocks.  

 

She’s close.

 

Leech was moaning, loud. Her back arched and she pushed down on Ink’s head, forcing her dick as far as she could inside her throat.

 

Cum for me…

 

Leech cried out and came, straight into Ink’s waiting mouth. She came long, and she came hard. Her hips jolted up and down against the mattress. Ink’s tentacles toyed and squeezed the Controller’s balls, trying to milk them of every drop she had. And Ink gratefully received, sucking down and swallowing as much of her Controller’s cum as she could. She drank it down, shot after shot, careful not to let any trickle out between her lips and go to waste. It threatened to spill free of her seal between her lips and Leech’s thick dick, but she swallowed it all with several loud, audible gulps as Leech shot several litres of goo into her stomach.

 

Ink wasn’t sure how long she rested there like that, head in Leech’s lap, gratefully receiving her reward. Slowly, she raised her head and sat upright,rocking back onto her knees. She knelt there for a few seconds, trying to get her breath back. Her breasts heaved. Her lips still had that pleasant numbing tingle to them. She looked down at Leech, who had been unusually quiet, and laughed quietly to herself.

*** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level Amber \\\-/// Advisory End***

Left unstimulated for only a few brief seconds and Leech was flat out. Her mouth was parted open slightly, and she was making little snores, her head tilted to one side. Her hand was resting on her stomach, where it had flopped being handled lovingly by Ink.

 

Not even a thank you. Ink shook her head slightly, but was smiling as she climbed off the bed. She unwrapped her tentacles carefully from Leech’s legs. She stood and stared at her for a few moments, before taking the duvet, and gently throwing it over Leech’s body. She pulled the covers high over her chest, and tucked her feet safely underneath. Leech mumbled in her sleep as Ink tucked her in, then rolled over onto her side before quickly setting back down. Ink’s eyes flickered between her best friend, the bedroom door, and then at the newly opened spot in the bed next to her - it was just begging to be slept in.

 

She’s going to lose her shit when she wakes up tomorrow.

 

Ink quickly pulled her clothes off and slipped into bed next to her. She pressed her naked body up against Leech’s, and curled around her into a spoon. Her arms wrapped around her waist, and her tentacles wrapped around her body. Leech moaned again, softly, as Ink pulled her in close. Ink closed her eyes and nestled her face into the back of her neck. 

 

But that can be tomorrow’s problem.