Disclaimer:
This work is fiction. The work has no (intentional) relationship with any person existing at any time anywhere whether real or imaginary or copy written.
Feedback will be read, processed, and if it’s a flame it will be given the finger, then I will burst into hysterical laughter. Constructive feedback, be it criticism or praise, will be read, processed, given a smile, and filed away. To contact me, please send an email to socom.seal@(SPAM)yahoo.com. Remove (SPAM) for a valid email.
You should not read this if you are not of legal age where you reside. This work can contain rape, BDSM, cannibalism, and probably anything else my sick, twisted mind can come up with.
Note: All times are in a mix of military and standard times. For example, 1AM = 0100 hours = 1:00, while 1PM = 1300 hours = 13:00. I hope this will make it easier on readers to understand the timeline while leaving me in a format that I understand better. If it causes too much of a problem I will switch to standard.
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“<<Text>>” Means that it is being spoken in a language other than English.
“This is telepathic thought”
Chapter 23
<20:00, Wilderness>
“So the spell is wearing off.”
Draken nodded. “More or less. Vampire venom is nasty stuff – it’s been trying to take over the rest of my body for over ten years. The more I use it, the worse it gets.”
Andrew winced. “Why did you come to me?”
Draken reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial. “This is some of my last remaining untainted human DNA. I was hoping you’d be able to help.”
Lyn reached over and took it. “If you mean help with the spell, I can try. Why not just go to the original mages, though?”
Andrew spoke up. “The original team isn’t around anymore, right? Dead or moved on or whatever.”
Draken flashed him a grateful smile. “Yea, something like that. So, can you do anything?”
She peered at him. “Well, I can see the magic. Being able to do anything with it is a different story.” She looked back to the vial. “The easiest way is to cast a new spell that allows you to shift into your male form, but I don’t know how that will mix with the current spell…” She thought for a moment. “I might be able to enchant an item or something…”
Draken shrugged. “If you can’t do anything, that’s alright.” He sighed. “Ten years has gotten me used to the idea of not being able to go back.”
Lyn’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. The spell that holds your two forms has a clause. Purging one will also purge the spell, allowing a new one to be cast. If we can purge the Vampire venom, you’ll be human, and we can recreate the Vampire spell!”
Draken shook his head. “It’s not venom. It’s as if I was bitten. The time limit for a cure is long, long past.”
Andrew glanced at him. “Then you know what we might have to do.”
He shuddered. “I might lose my humanity.”
Andrew snorted. “You’d still be human. You’d just lose your masculinity.”
Draken sighed. “I guess you’re right.” He stood. “Thank you for your time. I’ll get going. I still have a job to do.”
Andrew rose and shook his hand. “Good luck. We’ll do our best to help you – it’s the least I can do after you saved our skins back in Shrewsbury.” He watched Draken leave before turning to the rest of the mess. “And we’ve got our own job to do.”
The harem had mostly finished eating, and a few had already drifted off to pursue their own evening activities when Andrew banged the table for attention. “Listen up! Teams have been decided. If you will turn your attention to the video screens behind you…” On the wall the screens lit up with a chart. “There we go. Tomorrow you will begin operating in your teams. Familiarize yourself with your new sisters.”
|
Alpha Team:
Claire – Armsmistress (Alpha) Ashba – Rosebreasts Lyn – Enchantress Nial – Assasara Six – (Red) Longfly Constance – Tank Vixxen Nine – Wet Lass
|
Beta Team:
Adria – Groaning (Alpha) One – Night Nurse Ten – (Flying) Mecha Musume Nineteen – Dark Kitsune Shamira – Goldina Kary – Gunvalkyrie Seventeen – Ice Maiden
|
Delta Team:
Fu – Dracass (Alpha) Eight – Seabra Twenty – Myobu Thirteen – Sharptits Juel – Matratya Five – Scorpiagirl Aella – (Hunter) Naga
|
|
Epsilon Team: |
Sigma Team: |
Omega Team:
Cristina – Ophanim (Alpha) Fifteen – Guntit Grace – Mini-Top Lucina – Shadowcat Yin – Nereidame Yang – Nereidame Phial – Gravelgal
|
Andrew gave them a few moments to review the board before calling for attention again. “No, One, I have not forgotten about your question.” He said, holding up a tan shirt. “Uniforms are considered ‘dress’ attire. You are not required to wear them at all times, but they are a symbol of unity. If we ever hold an event that requires them, I will let you know.” He flipped it over, displaying a patch on the arm. “Alpha team is also known as Red team, Beta is Orange, Delta is Yellow, and so on, following the pattern of Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.” He held up a com unit. “You will also receive a com unit tonight. Alpha team’s channel is channel one, Beta is two, and so forth. My unit is always tuned to channel seven. These should allow more effective communication in the field.” He lowered his arm and gestured at the table in front of him. “When you’re ready to pick up your gear, come on up.”
Constance vaulted over the other ‘girls who started towards his table, skidding to a halt in front of him. “Mine. Where’s mine!”
Andrew snickered and handed her a uniform and com. “I forgot to mention. They’re wear and battle resistant. Not exactly armored, though.”
The Tank Vixxen produced a knife and tore off her shirt and shorts, quickly pulling the uniform on with a sigh of relief. “Never coming off. I’m never taking this off.”
Andrew shook his head in bemusement but turned to the next pokegirl, repeating the process until the rest of the harem had their gear. “Phial and Thirteen, report to my bedroom when you are done here. The rest of you, see Claire for the rest of the initial taming schedule.” He began walking out the door but was stopped by Fu.
The Dracass watched him. “There’s a mistake in the teams.”
Andrew glanced at the board. “Oh? What is it?”
She pointed at her name. “You have me listed as the Alpha of Delta.”
Andrew grinned. “Yup, I do.” She gazed at him expectantly. “That’s not a mistake. Congratulations.”
Fu blinked. “But… You hate me.”
Andrew shook his head. “I don’t hate you. If I recall correctly, you hated me. I fought back. You’re still being put in the position. Have fun.”
Fu’s mouth worked for a few seconds before she dropped into a deep bow. “Sir. Thank you.”
Andrew chuckled and patted her head. “That’s still not earning you a different name.”
She looked back at him and her mouth twitched into a smile. “I didn’t expect any less, sir. I won’t disappoint you.”
Andrew grinned. “I know you won’t.” He continued out the door and hailed Ashba, who was walking back to the mess. “You missed a few announcements, as well as anyone else who was out of the room. Teams are posted and uniforms and coms are at the head table. Ask Claire for the details.”
The Rosebreasts nodded. “Thank you. I’ll go tell the others; they’re in the training arena.”
Andrew waved at her as she turned around and headed upstairs to wait for the two pokegirls to make their way up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<13:00, Near Naas>
“Sir! Beta team on approach.” Came a voice in Andrew’s ear. He glanced up as the Mecha Musume came around above him, Kary hanging out the side in her combat form. As she came down for a landing he could make out the rest of the team in the back and waved, Adria waving back. “Beta team on station as requested, relieving Alpha.” She continued, nodding to Claire who stood beside Andrew.
Claire nodded back. “Alpha standing down.” She switched to her team channel. “Alpha, regroup on me. We’re being relieved.” She trotted off as the Longfly zipped up to her first, the rest of the team emerging from various points around them.
Andrew walked up to the helicopter as the blades began to spin down. “I’ll admit. That looked damned impressive. You all figured that out in the few hours I gave you this morning?”
Adria giggled and hopped out, glomping onto him. “Yessir. I took a look at the terminology thing you had on your dex. Did you like it?”
Andrew grinned. “You sounded like a real unit. Well done.”
Kary nodded and dismissed her armor, stretching slightly. “Noira had the idea of carrying us for deployment, and it works really well.”
The Mecha Musume’s voice came from some speakers inset into the helicopter. “Yessir. Although I would suggest leaving Kary on overwatch, since she can’t spin up her blasters.”
Andrew frowned. “You can’t?”
She sighed. “No, I can’t. Evolving using an e-medal causes a single weapons system to short out. In my case it was my blasters. I wish it had been the swords.”
Adria patted the taller girl gently. “Don’t feel bad, Kary. I’d rather have a sniper watching my back than another loose cannon beside me, anyways.”
Gale snickered. “Yes ma’am. Apologies ma’am.”
Andrew glanced between the Groaning and Night Nurse but shook his head. “Not even going to ask. Ready to move on past Naas?”
Adria nodded and waved the rest of the team off Noira. “Noira, Kary, overwatch. The rest of you fan out. Shamira-“ She paused when the Goldina edged towards Andrew. “Fine, you can be on Tamer duty. I know how you get.”
She nodded enthusiastically and turned to him, bowling Andrew over when her unfettered breasts continued the swing and smacked him in the face. “THIS IS WHY I SUGGESTED THE UNIFORMS!” Andrew cried in mock anger, accompanied by laughter from the rest of the team as they helped him up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<Undisclosed CSOPS Location>
The General turned to a technician. “Where the hell is the tracker?”
The man shook his head and tapped at his keyboard. “I don’t know, sir. We lost it when they went into the subspace pocket, as expected, but it appears to be damaged now. It’s very intermittent.”
He growled and turned to another man. “Where did we lose contact?”
The tech pulled up a map. “London. But it’s been nearly 24 hours since then – there’s a very low chance they’re still in the area.”
The first tech cried out suddenly. “Sir! We’re receiving telemetry. They’re… In Ireland?”
The General looked at the flashing dot on the map. “Why is he not in Capital. What is going on?” He shook his head. “Do you have any idea why it’s intermittent?”
The second tech was looking at a printout. “She’s no longer a Guntit. The evolution could have hurt the bug we planted on her.” He swore as red lights began to flash. “We’re losing it again!”
The General grit his teeth as the dot slowly faded away. “We need eyes on. Get a team out there, now.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kary shifted back to her battle form and hopped on Noira when Cortney’s voice came over the headsets. “Sir. Urgent. I’m intercepting a signal from this area. It’s a locator of some sort.”
Andrew frowned. “Where’s it coming from? And where’s it going?”
“It’s coming from this area. Ten yard radius. I can’t find where it’s going – they’ve got a Videogirl of their own and I can’t get through without alerting her to my presence.”
Andrew nodded and glanced around. “The only ones in that area are me and Beta team-“ He stopped. “Kary.”
The Gunvalkyrie cocked her head. “Sir?”
He crossed his arms. “Why are you sending my location to somebody?”
She blinked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.”
He motioned her over and began to search her armor. “And I believe you. I really do. But,” He stopped and held up a small device. “That doesn’t change the fact that you’re bugged.”
She stared at it. “…What?”
Andrew resisted the urge to crush the bug. “Cortney, manifest. I want you to look at this.”
The Upgrade shimmered into being and took it from him. “Sophisticated. It’s designed to withstand plasma.”
Andrew sighed. “So it was an intentional plant. Kary, you said the PLC designated Braxton as KIA?” She nodded. “They lied. He’s still alive and was attacked by a PLC team under the command of the same people who want me. How loyal are you to your old employers?”
Her face flipped between confusion and anger before settling on rage. “I am loyal to two men. You, and Braxton. My old boss can eat shit.”
Andrew chuckled. “Good to hear it.” He tuned his com unit to the blanket frequency. “All teams report in. We’ll be having company soon.” He turned to Cortney. “Can you make it send an SOS?”
She studied the bug. “It seems damaged. It’s not transmitting right now.” She turned it over and poked at a crack. “It sparks when I do that, but that’s about it.”
He nodded. “Can you fix it?”
She grinned at him. “Easily. I’ll have it sending loud and clear in no time.”
Andrew nodded and watched the rest of the harem materialize around them. “Alright. Make it happen.” He grinned. “Whoever responds is in for one hell of a surprise.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Sir, the locator is transmitting again. The position is stable.”
The General nodded. “Good. Get that team out there. I want no less than ten operatives. No chances. This man is highly dangerous and has a skilled harem. We need to outnumber him.”
A tech nodded and began pulling names off a list. “I’ll call in three Tamers with their teams. Twelve operatives total shouldn’t attract a lot of attention, but will outnumber him two to one.”
The General grinned. “Excellent. Remember to tell them to take the Tamer alive. I don’t give a shit what they do to his pokegirls.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<17:00, Near Naas>
Andrew lay in the grass above the clearing where Cortney had set up the bug in the spare tent. “Teams, report in.”
“Apha team ready to engage.” “Beta team ready for support.” “Delta team ready to engage.” “Omega team standing by.”
Andrew sighed as the evening air started to turn. “Cortney, any traffic?”
“No sir. I am picking up no other radios in the area.”
Andrew nodded and continued his watch.
Half an hour later, Adria’s voice came over the com. “Kary is reporting movement in the clearing. Multiple bodies. Are we cleared to engage?”
Andrew squinted into the gloom. “I don’t see anything, are you sure?”
“She has eyes on two pokegirls.” Her voice grew urgent. “She says they have uniforms. Are we cleared to engage?”
Andrew still couldn’t see anything below him but nodded. “Take them out.”
A plasma bolt pierced from Kary’s hide and through a shadow, which screamed and revealed itself to be a Shadowgirl with her hand on the tent. Another shadow broke off and began moving towards the treeline but a second shot from Kary dropped her too. Adria’s voice confirmed it. “Two hostiles down. We’ve got movement in the treeline. Kary, move position, now.”
The Gunvalkyrie grunted her compliance as a fireblast erupted from the trees, engulfing the tent and illuminating the area. “Cortney. Anything?” Andrew hissed.
The Videogirl’s voice suddenly returned, filled with excitement. “They’re there alright. Holy shit. One of them cursed when the Shadowgirls fell and gave me a way in. I’m in their systems. We’ve got three tamers and nine pokegirls, including the two Shadowgirls. None of the pokedexes are registered. They’re a black team.”
Andrew grinned. “Alpha. Delta. Move to engage. Delta, let Alpha lead.” His eyes sparkled in the light from the burning tent. “Constance. You are weapons free.”
A maniacal laugh began to echo from the field and the Tank Vixxen rose, clad in her uniform. “Oh, baby! Let the world buuuurn!” She cried, pulling a gas mask over her head as the Longfly zipped over her head, showering the treeline with a flame shot attack that quickly showed Andrew the extent of their enemy. The Tamers were backing away from the frontal assault, and he could see multiple pokegirls diving away from the fire that now spat from the Tank Vixxen’s flamethrower as she waded into the burning vegetation.
“Nine, make me an entrance. Delta, we are done.” Claire responded, charging through the trees behind the Wet Lass, who doused the flames in front of her Alpha, allowing the Armsmistress to crash into the side of the surprised enemy. The rest of Alpha followed her, coinciding with Delta’s arrival on the opposite side, turning the previous hunters into the hunted.
Fu and Aella tore through the first Tamer who wasn’t fast enough to react to their attack before being stopped by a few pokegirls, one falling to a carefully placed shot from Kary, who had quickly relocated. The Sharptits, Nami, was close on their heels, vaulting over the surprised combatants and ripping through the middle of the group which was trying to refocus on the three-sided attack. A Golden Elf was the first to fall to Claire, while Nami took out a Starmystic, her teeth ripping out the unprepared magic user’s stomach. Behind her Fu and Aella dropped their off-balance opponents, Aella grabbing one of the remaining enemy tamers and teleporting back to where Ashba waited, the Rosebreasts incapacitating the man while Aella rejoined the fight. Within minutes most of the enemy was on the ground, Nami and Aella pursuing the final two.
Andrew’s eyes danced as he surveyed the battlefield. “Nami. Aella. Report.”
Aella responded. “Nami is on a blood scent. We’re on the trail of the last Tamer and one of his pokegirls.”
Cortney piped up, her voice heavy with excitement. “He’s making an emergency call. Do I let it through?”
Andrew nodded. “Trace it if you can. Oh, and Nami – I know you can hear me. I would appreciate if you could rip his throat out as he pleads with his superiors for backup. It’ll make a nice touch.”
The Sharptits responded with a guttural laugh as she launched herself into the running Kung-Ewe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The General watched the screens in front of him. “Time to contact?”
The tech pulled up a counter. “They should be sending in the scouts right now. Of course they’re still in radio silence.”
He nodded and jumped when a voice came out of the speakers. “SHIT!”
The tech blinked. “Unit 3, repeat?”
“Blast the tent! I don’t give a shit, blast it!”
The General leaned forward. “Unit 3, report!”
The voice returned, this time overlain with yells as Constance’s flamethrower crackled in the background. “They knew we were coming! It’s a trap! I repeat, it’s a trap-“ The man cut off with a scream.
The General roared. “Units 1 and 2, give me a sitrep!”
A new voice came in. “3 is down. He’s dead. We lost both scouts to a sniper and we’re being taken apart from both sides, it’s-“ The contact dropped.
“It’s a fucking massacre!” Cried a third voice. “I just lost 1. He was here a moment ago and now he’s gone. I’m retreating, almost all of the pokegirls are dead!”
The General held his head in his hands. “He fucking knew we were coming. Son of a bitch!” He cried, smashing his hand into the table.
A tech looked up. “We’ve got an emergency call coming in from 2. He had to disengage the secure line.”
The General growled. “Put him through, damnit!”
The voice came back through. “-Outnumbered. We never stood a chance.”
The General frowned. “Say again, 2. Outnumbered?”
“Yes sir. I thought we were up against a single tamer?”
The General nodded. “You were. One man and six pokegirls.”
“Well with all due respect, sir, you fucked up. We were hit with at least a force the same size as us.”
The General shook his head. “Unbelievable. Un be fucking lievable. Who survived?”
“Me and my Kung-Ewe. We’re running but I can hear pursuers.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cortney shimmered into view in front of Andrew. “Sir. I have a trace on the call. It’s an unsecured line that leads to a CSOPS facility.”
Andrew frowned. “CSOPS?”
“Council SpecOPs. The PLC’s military branch.”
Andrew nodded. “We suspected as much.” He blinked. “Wait, unsecured line?”
Cortney grinned evilly. “I can get through it.” She saluted him. “Permission to go absolutely rogue, sir.”
Andrew laughed and nodded. “Permission granted.” He smirked. “Fuck them up.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The tech swore as every screen in the room went black. “We’ve lost power. What the hell?”
Cortney flickered to view on the screens, holding the other Videogirl by her neck. “Greetings, gentlemen. I do apologize about the power situation; your cohort here insisted on trying to stop my entrance.” She grinned and snapped the girls neck, casting her aside as her body dissolved into a data stream. “And while I could kill her completely, I am not that cruel.”
The General stood. “Who are you?”
Cortney winked at him. “Not going to get anything from me. Would you rather hear your agent again?”
The tech glanced at the General, who nodded. “…yes?”
Cortney opened the line again. “I apologize, but we’ll have to listen to a recording.”
The General’s face paled as the man’s last words came out of his mouth, followed by a crunching scream as Nami ripped his throat out and swallowed it, the Sharptits laughing into the open line. “Nighty night.” She crooned and killed the connection.
The General stared at Cortney. “What do you want?”
Cortney smiled back. “Want? I want nothing. What my Commander wants, however, is entirely different.” Electricity arced across the various keyboards in the room as she appeared to grow larger. “He wishes to be left alone. And to that end, he has decided you must be taught a lesson.” She raised her hand. “Gentlemen, I have been given the explicit order to fuck you up.” She grinned. “I would suggest you run.”
The General bolted for the door as she dropped her hand, every screen in the room exploding and shooting shards of glass into anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path. Technicians screamed as the glass cut into them, and one dropped to the floor dead when a shard sliced into his throat, severing the artery and bleeding him out in seconds. Outside, the General sat staring at the wall and listening to the techs cry in pain. His com unit rang and he picked it up with a trembling hand. “Yes?” He listened for a moment. “No Ma’am. We were not.” He shuddered. “It all went wrong. Oh god, it went wrong!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<18:30, Near Naas>
Cheers erupted from the harem when Nami and Aela ducked into the mess, and Fu strode forward to clap them on their backs. “Well done you two! Thanks to you, our record is pristine. Nobody has yet to escape from The Unit!”
Andrew looked up. “Yes, yes, well done. But anyone can defeat a surprised enemy. Don’t get cocky.” He muttered.
Cortney materialized next to him and rolled her eyes. “Let them celebrate, sir. They’re all veterans, now.”
Andrew sighed but nodded. “You’re right, of course. Did you get much information before you had to pull out?”
Cortney shook her head. “As soon as the other Videogirl realized I was going to get past her, she fried the mainframe. I wasn’t able to pull a thing.”
Andrew shrugged. “Too bad, but kudos to her.”
Cortney nodded. “She was a worthy opponent. I was simply better.”
He chuckled as Constance ran by, chased by the Red Longfly. “We won a large battle tonight.”
Cristina walked up to him. “Omega team. Standing by.”
Andrew chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that. We didn’t need Omega after all.”
She stood still for a few seconds before beginning to laugh. “Omega will happily remain on standby. Let’s crush them, sir.”
Andrew grinned and nodded. “Indeed. Cortney, send a message to Braxton that we’ve taken a prisoner from an official Black team. He’ll probably want Ashlon to root through his head.”
Cristina raised her hand when he started to turn away. “I am worried about the mortality tonight.”
Andrew sighed and turned back to her. “They would have done the same to you if the roles were reversed. This is not a fun war, Cristina.” He winced. “But I appreciate your sentiment. And as long as your sentiment does not injure a teammate, I will respect it.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome. Cortney, please tell me I’m slated for a much gentler night than last?”
The Upgrade giggled. “What, was Nami too much woman for you to handle?”
Andrew chuckled. “I think she had the most confirmed kills tonight. Usually only a happy ‘girl would push that hard, yes?”
Cortney laughed. “Fair enough, sir. Seventeen and Fifteen are slated for tonight. I think Claire knew you’d want a calmer evening after Nami.”
Andrew mentally ran down a list. “Seventeen is the Ice Maiden, yes? Shouldn’t she be on a night with a fire-type?”
Cortney frowned. “Your room is equipped with a Harem Master’s bed. Don’t tell me you never checked all of the settings?”
Andrew shook his head. “I didn’t even know there were settings. Settings for what?”
Cortney grinned. “Anything that would make taming easier, or possible, in some cases. One such feature is a heat pad.”
Andrew nodded thoughtfully. “That would definitely make sense. Well, I guess I’ll go find that setting and get it heating. Tomorrow I want to discuss training schedules.”
Cortney nodded. “Yessir.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<12:00, Wilds West of Naas>
“Why do pokegirls wander around on Sadie Pokens with evolution items?”
Phial shrugged. “Makes us more desirable to a tamer, sir. Why?”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Oh, just that I now know of three in the harem who did it. Kary, with her E-Medal, Ann, with her Ice Crystal, and Erren has a Diamond Stone.”
Phial nodded. “But once Ann evolved, you immediately passed her in the first round of judging.”
Andrew nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true. So it worked out for her.” He jumped when Lucina teleported in front of him.
The Shadowcat grinned and bowed. “Sir, I am aware that you are enjoying this hike, but I would like to peek with you.”
Andrew blinked. “Peek?”
She disappeared and he grunted when she landed on his shoulders, her tail wrapping around his eyes. “Peek-a-boo!”
Andrew laughed and staggered at her added weight. “Was that really necessary?”
She flipped off his back. “Of course, sir. I’m here as the combined envoy of multiple pokegirls.”
Andrew nodded. “And?”
“We were wondering why the week-long hike is necessary. I especially would like to know where we are going, since I could just teleport there and take the Unit with me.”
Andrew frowned. “First of all, we’re giving it an actual name. Second of all, have you been everywhere on Blue?”
Lucina shook her head. “Nope. But I can.”
“Explain.”
She glanced at Phial but shrugged and continued. “My Mistress granted me a gift. Bunnyyy, bang bang please!”
Andrew jumped as a shot rang out. “I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!”
Andrew stared in shock at Lucina as she crumpled to the ground. “The fuck?!?”
She winced but showed him the wound on her leg. “And…” She muttered, disappearing and reappearing next to him. “Better.”
He blinked and stroked her leg that just a moment ago had had a hole through it. “How?”
“Mistress referred my ability to some human named Schrodinger. I do not know what she meant, but I am what I believe I am.”
Andrew nodded slowly. “She was referring to a pre-Sukebe thought experiment called Schrodinger’s cat. He reasoned that if you put a cat in a box with a deadly substance, and cut off all forms of observation on the cat, the cat would be both dead and alive until observed.” He shook his head. “So she made you that cat. Does this mean you can be wherever you want to be?”
Lucina nodded. “I Fade, and think of where I am, and then I am wherever I imagine.” She shook her leg. “I can heal when I do it, too.”
Andrew shook his head in amazement. “Wow. But, uh.” He glanced at where Grace was probably hiding. “Was that really necessary?”
Lucina giggled. “No, but the look on your face was priiiiiiicelesss!”
He sighed. “Yes, it probably was.” He frowned. “Can you get us to Tralee?”
She blinked and vanished. After a few seconds she teleported back. “Is Tralee on the ocean?” Andrew nodded. “Then I thiiiink I just did.”
Andrew laughed and called the harem in. “Oh, and if anyone else has some sort of special ability that they want to share, that would make my life a lot easier.” He added. “Thanks!”
Lucina grinned and began teleporting the others as they made their way in. Finally she stood next to him and saluted. “Alpha, Beta, Omega, and Delta teams successfully transported. You and I are the last ones.”
Andrew nodded and held out his hand, stopping her when she moved to take it. “You know, I’ve made a handful of promises in my time here. And I just realized I’ve kind of forgotten to uphold yours.”
Lucina tilted her head. “Sir?”
He grinned. “Work hard to be promoted to the Beta position. I’d hate for you to be unsatisfied with your taming schedule, especially with Macavity in the loop.”
She nodded solemnly and they teleported, coming out with the rest of the harem. He disengaged himself from Lucina’s grasp and surveyed the area. Tralee sat almost on the water’s edge and he could see handfuls of pokegirls along the shore. “We’re heading west from here, onto the peninsula. There’s supposed to be a small town in there somewhere, and we’re looking for a certain house nearby it.” He glanced back at the shoreline. “I think we can afford a few days here, though.”
Gale cocked an eyebrow. “Doing?”
“We need to do some serious team training. We’re nowhere near where I want us to be.”
Fu frowned. “Delta did their job and did it well, sir. What was wrong?”
Andrew motioned at Claire. “Alpha was more what I was talking about, but Delta and Beta too. For instance, Kary nearly shot you. Your communication was lacking.”
Kary laughed nervously. “I hit my target, sir.”
Andrew grinned. “You hit all of your targets. But why didn’t you shoot more?”
She grimaced. “Because Alpha and Delta were in the fray and I didn’t know what was going on.”
Andrew nodded. “Yep. And in regards to Alpha, great job on adapting to the situation, Claire. Having Nine clear the fire in front of you was well done.” He glanced at Constance. “But it was still something that shouldn’t have had to happen.”
Constance rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Next time I’ll make sure my flamethrower doesn’t spit fire.”
Andrew sighed. “No, you’ll make sure you don’t start torching your team.” He shrugged. “Mistakes and adaptations happen. You need to be ready for them. But I would much rather if, for example, Nine’s entrance had been planned. Or if Kary could have had the opportunity to take a few more shots before Nami dove into the middle of the enemy. We only did so spectacularly because they were surprised and off guard.”
Constance snorted. “They were weak. Even if they had been ready for us they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Andrew nodded thoughtfully. “You could be right. It is highly likely that the Planetary League Council sent a bunch of nobodies to terminate us.” He replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
The Scorpiagirl gasped. “PLC??”
Andrew nodded. “They were an official Black team. Constance, that means they didn’t exist. And they specialized in making sure their targets didn’t, either.”
The Tank Vixxen blinked. “Ehm. I think we should work on our timing.”
Andrew snorted. “Glad you agree.” He looked back over the ocean. “I want to spend a few days in the area training and such.” He pointed down to the water’s edge. “And that looks like a good start.”
The team Alphas gathered around him and followed his gaze. “What are we looking for?” Adria asked.
Andrew grinned. “I can see at least two Krabbit. That means more are probably on the way. I also see multiple other water pokegirls and at least one Asprey in the air. So, here’s what we’re going to do.” He said, handing handfuls of pokeballs to each of them. “The team with the most ferals by the time I call a halt wins. Dead ones don’t count. In addition? The one type I want dispersed through each team is water. We have two more teams to create. So, the team to capture the strongest pokegirl will also be recognized.”
Adria crossed her arms. “Beta is at a heavy disadvantage.”
Andrew grinned. “Don’t like it? Adapt.” He turned back to the ocean. “Go!”
He chuckled as everyone began speaking at once and the entire harem poured off the cliff towards the beach. The water types led the charge, bypassing the shore and plunging straight into the surf. Nami was sighted moments later erupting through the waves, the Sharptits having grown to nearly twenty feet. Near her circled Yin and Yang, the twins using their harem sister’s presence to pick off frightened pokegirls she missed. On another stretch of the beach he saw a handful of pokegirls drift to the surface, the Wet Lass surfacing after them. Soon the air was suffused with red as capture beams stabbed out.
After a few minutes it was clear Delta and Omega were taking charge of the beach, the combination of the airborne Cristina, the four water pokegirls and the rest of the heavy hitters pushing the other teams out. But further away Andrew noticed Noira flying circles, Kary leaning out of the side of her flight form, and Shamira powering through the waves, the Goldina’s powerful muscles allowing her to compete in the same territory dominated by the other teams. Backing her up was Ann, the Ice Maiden using her abilities to corral fleeing pokegirls into Shamira.
But it was Alpha team that drew Andrew’s attention. They were sitting away from the action, and while they were still picking up the occasional pokegirl thanks to Nine, the Wet Lass – No, thanks to Melody, he corrected himself. That was a good fitting name. Thanks to Melody they were still picking up a few pokgirls, but they seemed to be waiting. He grinned. Claire was allowing the other teams to tire themselves. She was in it for the long haul, and probably for the strongest feral.
It took almost an hour, with the action beginning to die down since most of the ferals had been captured or fled, for them to begin to move. Andrew watched the Longfly zip over a section of water and Melody swam after her, the two appearing to be corralling something in the water. After a few seconds he could see what it was. They were pushing a Queenler, the first he had seen, onto the land. He glanced at the other teams, but they were too busy searching for additional ferals to pay attention to what was easily the strongest feral on the beach.
Lyn started casting her spells, Claire, Ashba, and Nial preparing themselves to tackle the Queenler, who was now on the beach and sufficiently annoyed. Andrew watched her launch a water spear at the circling Longfly, who ducked it and pushed her further onto the sand with a quick Flame Shot. Once she had gotten far enough away from the water the three moved, Ashba sending vines twisting through the ground to root the Queenler in place, Nial and Claire leaping in. The Queenler’s mouth began bubbling and she screamed in rage, cutting the vines at her feet and smashing her claw into Nial, who fell backwards, dazed. Before the Queenler could press her advantage Ashba took her place, the Rosebreasts dashing forwards with her Rose Rapier seeking the Queenler’s skin where her armor jointed. Claire pressed her attack as well, using Feather Shuriken and her own sword to whittle away at the Queenler. Though they took a few hits, after a few minutes the Queenler was definitely injured. Limping, it tried to return to the ocean but was stopped by another Root from Ashba. Claire threw a pokeball, which rocked twice before splitting open. The Queenler dove for the surf, only to be hit by another hastily thrown ball. This one rocked for a longer time before finally settling and indicating a successful capture.
Andrew checked his clock and spoke into the mic. “One hour left. Now’s the time to pick up the pace.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<16:00, Outside Tralee>
“Thank you, Andrew. We will send you a message when we get something important out of him.”
Andrew nodded to Ashlon. “Thank you. Good luck.” He watched her teleport away with the prisoner in tow before turning back to the tent and ducking inside. Inside he dodged around the milling pokegirls and entered the mess, where the team Alphas were waiting with their catches piled in front of them. He turned to Cortney, who was standing and scanning one of the pokeballs. “Do we have a winner?”
Cortney turned to him and nodded. “I have determined both winners. How would you like them announced?”
Andrew looked back out to the full lobby. “Let’s get everyone in here and I’ll make the announcement.” They waited while the harem filed in and watched Andrew anxiously. “Alright. Here’s how this is going to work. I will be holding these kinds of small contests regularly. Winning the main objective earns your team two points; second place one. Winning a secondary objective earns you one point. In this case there was one secondary objective; the strongest water pokegirl. Cortney, if you would?”
The Upgrade flickered to life on the large screen and pulled up a tally board. “The team with the most ferals captured was Omega.” She said, accompanied by cheers and two tally marks appearing next to their name. “But second place was decided by only two ferals. Second place went to Beta team!”
Beta nearly exploded in cheers as a tally was put next to their name, Nami looking on sullenly. “I’m sorry that I was so efficient.” She muttered.
Fu clapped her on her back. “You did fine, Nami. Just because you accidentally killed most of the ferals isn’t necessarily a bad thing!”
Andrew cleared his throat and nodded to Cortney, who continued. “Today’s only secondary objective was the strongest water type feral. And it was a clear winner.” She said, pointing to Alpha. “The winner is Alpha team, for their Queenler.”
Claire nodded and congratulated her team, Andrew standing. “I’m still considering the idea of team standings, but for now these points will just start adding up. Although today’s exercise did show me one thing.” He said, grinning at Delta. “Delta doesn’t like to take prisoners.”
Fu saluted him. “We get it done right.”
Andrew chuckled. “Can’t argue with that. Now, I understand throwing you all into battle like that without letting you acclimate to your teammates was a bit cruel. To counteract that, the coming weekend is free.” He grinned as a few cheers started. “I’ll let Claire explain to the Alphas what that means.”
Claire began laughing. “I won’t keep you all in suspense. There are no vacations around here – a free day means it’s tamer-free. So we’re in charge.” The cheers quickly diminished at her predatory grin. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<06:00, Wilds West of Tralee>
Andrew sat up and listened. Nothing. No sound. He frowned and began to get dressed. Every day for the previous week he had heard pokegirls moving at nearly all hours of the day, but for some reason it was silent. He slowly pushed open the door and swept the area. Nobody.
A low chant from the pokegirl quarters stopped him. He carefully pushed open the doors and walked into the new common room. As he did, the chanting seemed to increase in pace, so he continued towards Alpha’s doorway. Before he could reach it a red x appeared on the door, the chanting now reaching a nearly frenzied pace. He quickly pushed open Beta’s door and strode towards the only door he could see. Shoving it open, he froze at the spectacle in front of him.
The Dark Kitsune was kneeling in front of a shrine, drenched in sweat and trembling as her chant battered against Andrew’s ears. He winced and stumbled forward. “What are you doing?!?” He tried to cry, but was drowned out by the words flowing out of her mouth. He dropped to his knees, clawing at his ears.
Then he stopped.
“This is not real.” He stated calmly, amazed to hear his words clearly through the cacophony. “You are showing me the past.”
The chanting grew to a fever pitch and he shouted. “THIS IS NOT REAL! SHOW YOURSELF!”
Suddenly, there was silence. Andrew slowly opened his eyes. The room was the way he had seen it, but the Kitsune was no longer kneeling in front of the shrine. He glanced around and saw a figure seated nearby. “What do you want?”
The Kyubi smiled at him, her eyes pure white. “I am Azhara. And I am yours.”
Andrew struggled to his feet. “You did not call me here for that. What do you want?”
Azhara’s tails flicked and the room disappeared. “I have already pierced your construct. I have seen all that you have to offer. And I am telling you it will not be enough.”
Andrew looked at her. “Explain.”
“You require training. Your abilities are powerful, more powerful than I could ever dream. But your refusal to use them, your refusal to hone them, will be your downfall.”
Andrew shook his head. “You’re wrong. I’ve kept them contained this long, and I will never let them hurt anyone.” He shied away from her gaze. “Never.”
He jumped when someone laid a hand on his shoulder. “Listen to her, Andrew. You need help.”
He looked and gasped at the figure in front of him. “M….Mom? What are you..” His jaw set and he whirled on Azhara. “ENOUGH OF THE ILLUSIONS!”
Azhara merely continued to look at him. “Open your mind.”
Andrew growled and stalked towards her, pushing aside the specter. “Enough. Of. The. Illusions. Stop them. STOP!” He screamed.
Azhara’s tails flicked again and he was thrown backwards. “Open your mind.”
Andrew screamed in rage and dove towards her, desperately trying to land a blow, but she merely teleported behind him. “Open it, Master. You have given me a great gift. Allow me to return it.”
Andrew skid to a halt and stared at the wall. “You are unlocking things,” He whispered, shuddering with fury, “That you do not understand.”
Azhara’s eyes narrowed. “So, you are the piece he calls Pyktis. Time for you to leave my Master to his own thoughts.” She said, slowly raising her hand.
Andrew whirled and she jumped back. “I PROTECT HIM!” Andrew screamed, his body glowing red. “I SAVED HIM WHEN THERE WERE NO OTHERS! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN AN ANT TO HIM!” He screamed before sprinting forward towards her.
Azhara grunted in concentration and began weaving her hands together. “You are nothing more than a leech, keeping my Master down.” She cried as he impacted against her barrier. “And you have fed for far too long!”
Pyktis screamed as her movements ceased and a pure white bolt blasted him backwards. “HIS RAGE IS MINE!” He yelled, recovering from the attack. “And you cannot… What?”
Azhara’s tails began to weave along with her hands. “A mistake once made is not all giving. A drain on thee allows Master to keep living!” She yelled, thrusting her hands towards him.
Pyktis gasped as his aura began drifting upwards and coalescing into a ball above Andrew’s head. “What are you… What is this…”
Azhara grinned triumphantly. “You are being removed from where you blocked His thoughts. Your stolen power given back.”
On the floor, Andrew coughed. “What… What’s going on?”
Azhara gently lifted his head and pointed at the remains of Pyktis’ aura. “The leech was nearly strong enough to take control. Not unlike how Hatasa nearly killed you, Pyktis nearly controlled you.”
“He… Was weak…” Andrew muttered, his chest still heaving.
Azhara shook her head. “When, Master, was the last time you felt anger?”
Andrew’s mouth worked. “Anger…” His eyes widened. “Not since I conversed with Pyktis after the gym.”
Azhara nodded gently. “You gave him power, then. And even though it was unintentional, it nearly ended your life.”
Andrew struggled to sit up. “How? How, everything?”
Azhara nuzzled against him. “I pulled you into a type of Dream Time. I then baited Pyktis out and drew him away from the points where he had taken control. In here, I am absolute.” Her pure white eyes shone. “But even here, you are Master.”
Andrew sighed and awkwardly patted her head. “I think saving my life can let you call me anything you want. Tell me, Azhara,” He mused, watching Pyktis’ excess energy dissipate, “Who are you?”
Azhara giggled as the illusion faded, her eyes returning to normal. “A girl who lost her way, many years ago. One who has searched for her true caller for decades.”
Andrew listened as the normal bustle of the mornings resumed around them. “Were you a Dark Kitsune when we first met?”
She shook her head. “I was not. And now, will you accept my offer?”
Andrew turned to face her. “I am obviously in need of a mentor. I accept your offer, on one condition.”
Azhara bowed. “Name it.”
Andrew gently lifted her head until they were at the same level. “Do not shirk your duties as Alpha.”
Azhara blinked in confusion. “Alpha? Of what…” She broke off when he pulled her into an embrace, his mouth seeking hers.
He broke off after a few seconds and casually ran his hands through her fur. “Of the newly formed Epsilon unit, of course. I leave it to you, with no tamer oversight. Create a team that I can rely on for stealth and reconnaissance, in any situation.” His eyes laughed at her. “A team that rivals Darkness itself.” Azhara’s mouth dropped and she was struggling to respond when he pulled her down. “And we need to seal the occasion, wouldn’t you agree?” He glanced at the door as the sounds of the morning picked up. “Seal it moderately quickly, too.”
Azhara yelped in pleasure when he flipped her over and began to massage the base of her tails. “So good…” She moaned, thrusting her ass up, begging him for more. Andrew grinned and unexpectedly thrust into her, eliciting a scream from Azhara as her body shuddered in orgasm from the combination of the penetration and rapid stroking of her tails.
Andrew chuckled and grabbed her waist firmly. “Not getting off that easily.” He said, increasing in pace as Azhara squealed and shook beneath him. He withdrew a few minutes later after his own orgasm, leaving Azhara moaning and twitching on the floor. Composing himself, he pulled his pants back on and walked downstairs to the mess, where most of the rest of the Unit was already eating breakfast. He nodded at them as he walked in and grabbed some food.
A few minutes later he noticed Azhara slip in and approach Lucina at her table. They conversed for a while before she moved on to Lyn. Andrew chuckled and finished his breakfast before stepping outside and into the morning air, where Fu and the rest of Delta were already training.
Fu glanced at him as he exited before turning her attention back to Aella and the Myobu, who were facing off. Andrew watched for a while until the rest of the girls started filing out of the tent, Azhara bee lining to him. “Master?” Andrew inclined his head to show her he was listening. “I have some… Friends, who can help. Who can help you. One in particular; she’s a healer.”
Andrew nodded at Beta. “I’ve already got Gale. Why isn’t she sufficient?”
“She’s fine with healing physical injury. My friend can help with magical damage.”
Andrew winced. “Are you saying I’m going to hurt someone?”
Azhara clasped his hand gently. “No. I’m saying you’ve already hurt yourself. And while you have amazing mental defenses, and we’re going to be working far away from anyone else, accidents do happen.”
Andrew stared off into space. “So you’re saying I’m going to hurt someone.”
Azhara’s eyes narrowed. “If you keep thinking like that, then yes. You will. Your magic is entirely mental. If you allow it to control you, it will. Hatasa and Pyktis, as you call them, are not just aspects of your self. They are aspects of your magic, too.”
Andrew flexed his hand. “As I lock them away?”
“You also limit your magic.”
Andrew thought for a moment. “Very well. Shall we get started?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<10:00, Sanctuary>
“Everything is going as we had planned.” Morgana remarked casually, gazing out over the bustling city. “Although I had hoped the General would at least show some form of competency.”
“It would have been rather hard for him, since we set him up to fail.” A woman behind her remarked, fiddling with her uniform. “Though I have no doubt he wished he had died in that room.”
Morgana chuckled and turned to the back wall. “No doubt. Which one is he, again?”
“The one with the hat, ma’am.” The lady replied, pointing to one of the figures hanging there.
Morgana stroked the Doll’s face. “Of course. This one here.” She lifted the cap off its head and placed it jauntily on her own. “Tell me, General, do you think you made a mistake sending so few to apprehend the Author?”
The Doll trembled and tears streamed down her face. “Yes, Mistress.”
Morgana smiled. “And don’t you agree you should have sent less skilled operatives to dismantle my facility?”
She nodded again. “Yes, Mistress.” She whispered.
Morgana’s gaze grew cold and she yanked at the chains keeping the Doll suspended. “AND DON’T YOU THINK,” She screamed, “THAT YOU DESERVE THIS FOR ATTEMPTING TO KILL THE ANALYST WITHOUT MY PERMISSION?”
The Doll gasped in surprise and fear as she was pulled up and off the taming station, the dildo making a slight popping noise as it was separated. Morgana snorted in derision and let her fall back down, but merely placed the dildo against the Doll’s groin. “You can go feral and shut down, for all I care. In fact, I forbid you from putting that back in yourself. If someone takes pity on you, fine. But it won’t be me.” She turned back to the other Goth as the Doll began to weep silently. “Just get someone to make sure she doesn’t lose her memories. Otherwise torture is no fun.”
The Goth bowed. “Of course. Not me?”
Morgana shook her head. “I want you somewhere else. Socom is approaching Wolf’s tree. It’s time to reclaim him, Leah.”
Leah nodded. “I will make it happen. Will I have the guard for this?”
Morgana shrugged. “Take two. Remember, this isn’t a fight, it’s a recovery. Communicate with the plant and make sure that, even if you can’t recover the Author, you recover the bait.”
Leah bowed again. “Of course, Councilor. I remain your humble servant, and will not fail you.”
Morgana giggled and took Leah’s hand. “You’re not my servant, you’re my sister, and I love you.” She leaned in and gave her a kiss. “So very, very much.”
Leah grinned and ground against Morgana, returning the favor. After a second she broke off and gazed into her eyes. “You’re not just my sister, you’re my lover.” She said huskily. “And I love you even more.”
Morgana shuddered and pulled Leah towards a door. “You don’t have to leave immediately, right?” She implored.
Leah shook her head as she was pulled away. “The guard can wait a few hours.” She murmured, and sounds of pleasure began to echo back into the room, where the Doll that had once been known as The General hung, surrounded by other prisoners, a final tear rolling down her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew Ranger
Age: 27
Licenses:
Tamer: Y
Master Tamer: Y
Researcher: N
Watcher: N
Breeder: N
Badges:
England; Coventry, Shrewsbury
Wales;
Ireland;
Scotland;
Harem:
Hauteclere – Armsmistress, Level 43 (Alpha)
Adria – Groaning, Level 39 (Beta)
Fu – Dracass, Level 46
Cristina – Ophanim, Level 51
Azhara – Kyubi, Level 79
Gale – Night Nurse, Level 41
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Tech: Cortney – Upgrade VideoGirl |
Tamer: Andrew Ranger |
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Alpha Team:
Claire – Armsmistress (Alpha) Ashba – Rosebreasts (Beta) Lyn – Enchantress Nial – Assasara Tracii – (Red) Longfly Constance – Tank Vixxen Melody – Wet Lass
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Beta Team:
Adria – Groaning (Alpha) Gale – Night Nurse (Beta) Noira – (Flying) Mecha Musume Shamira – Goldina Kary – Gunvalkyrie Ann – Ice Maiden
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Delta Team:
Fu – Dracass (Alpha) April – Seabra (Beta) Rein – Myobu Nami – Sharptits Juel – Matratya Ishara – Scorpiagirl Aella – (Hunter) Naga
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Epsilon Team:
Azhara – Kyubi (Alpha) Lucina – Shadowcat (Beta)
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Sigma Team: |
Omega Team:
Cristina – Ophanim (Alpha) Erren – Guntit (Beta) Grace – Mini-Top Yin – Nereidame Yang – Nereidame Phial – Gravelgal
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