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Thundercrash (w/DeviousFish)

Silver Soul chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her earlobe. "Why, to set your mind at ease, silly girl." He gestured to the machines in the room, which were all interconnected. The hands on Sparkler's arms let go and drifted over to a control panel; Silver Soul tightened his grip on her breasts to hold her in place, pinching at her nipples while he was at it. The glowing hands tapped at some buttons, and one of the largest machines, a big black box sitting in the middle, began to hum. Its exterior appeared perfectly smooth, save for where a few cables stuck out of its base, and if anything it looked like an old server. It certainly didn't seem hollow, but the sound of running water splattering against inner walls made it seem that way. The water stopped and there was a slight hiss; a carefully hidden seam parted and one entire side of the box slid to the side.

And there was Larksong, her forearms and feet hidden in bulky mechanical restraints. Her still-wet olive skin glistened, and droplets fell from her trembling body. She looked up as the door opened, and although it was hard to make out her expression through the damp tangles of hair that fell over her face, her eyes seemed blank, barely registering the world around her. However, her face was not so badly bruised as it had been in the video, and her groin did not look as thoroughly abused--although perhaps that was the result of the blood being washed away.

"You did seem worried for her, Sparkler, so here she is, alive and well." He walked towards the chamber, his member still bumping about inside her as he moved, and then with a jerk of his hips and a push of his hands, he shoved Sparkler forward, pressing her face into Larksong's slick bosom. His hands settled on her hips again. "Aren't you relieved?" Then there was a shift in his voice, as he addressed Larksong. "My little bird... guess who... I've brought you a playmate..."

The heroine's blank eyes slowly turned down to the blue-haired woman pressed against her chest. There was a glimmer of recognition in them. Her mouth parted, and although no words came out, her lips clearly formed the word, "Sparkler."
 
Set my mind at ease? Sparkler wondered at what he said and flinched as he kissed her ear. She didn't have time to think long, because the hands suddenly released her and she felt her body shift back down. A groan escaped her lips as he clutched her breasts and the full weight of her body now seemed to rest on his erect member, her ass pressed tightly against him. It was painful, and with her now free arms she tried to reach back and push off of him some to ease the discomfort, but could not get a good grip. She tried to support herself with her legs, but he was taller and her toes barely touched the ground. Her shifting stopped however when she saw the machine open in front of her.

"Oh my god," she muttered. It was Larksong. And yet, it did not seem like her at all.

He was moving again...towards Larksong. Sparkler squirmed against him. No. she thought, panicking. She couldn't be seen like this. Couldn't be seen naked and possessed by him. If she had felt any pleasure from his member shifting around inside of her, it had drifted away now. Her body had gone numb and rigid as soon as she had laid eyes on the fellow hero. The lust had been replaced by cold fear and shame. There was nothing she could do, however. Soon, she felt herself lurch forward and her face smacked against the hot, wet chest of the woman. Her cheek pressed against Larksong's skin, she slowly turned her gaze up to meet hers.

"Oh, Lark..." she choked, her eyes tearing. "I'm so sorry..."

Sparkler wasn't sure what she was apologizing for. For not coming sooner? For not doing... something? For secretly despising Larksong's weakness behind her back? All she knew is that she had never seen such dead eyes. So devoid of will and hope. Was that her destiny as well? Would Silver Soul drain the life from her just as he drained her powers? Fear and despair gripped her solidly as she stared at the woman. Tears streaked down her cheeks and mingled with the moisture on Larksong's breast.
 
"What are you apologizing for? You couldn't have done anything to help her. You couldn't have done anything at all. It was always going to end like this." New manacles formed around Sparkler's wrists and ankles, and a collar materialized around her throat. The latter held her head against Larksong while the former drew her arms out behind her and spread her legs out to the sides. Combined with Silver Soul's grip on her hips, her back was forced into an arch. "Don't you understand yet? It's destiny."

He began to move inside her again, not as forcefully as before, but still hard enough to rock her body back and forth. Larksong in turn shook with each thrust; the heroine screwed her eyes shut and bit her lip. Once again a legion of hands appeared to tease Sparkler, but this time they were not content with her body alone. The two women might as well have been one conjoined mass of flesh, for all that the hands distinguished between them. They would crawl along Sparkler's back before tumbling over her shoulders and sliding down Larksong's belly, settling at her groin.
 
Nothing? Nothing at all? Was it really true that she couldn't have done a thing? It would almost have been a relief to believe that. She could release the guilt, the burden of responsibility. But she couldn't shake it. Everyone, even Larksong had looked up to her, and she had let them down. If only she had given into that brief murderous impulse before, it would have been over. No, she had failed. This was all her fault. She was supposed to be the hero. If she wasn't, then what good was she?

"No!" she growled against the other woman's chest. "This isn't the way... the way things are supposed to be!"

The tingling pressure of the rings ensnared her limbs again and slid around her neck. She groaned miserably as the collar pulled her backwards, forcing her back into a curve. The roving hands made her shudder and she saw as they began exploring Larksong's body as well. Her milky breasts pressed against the the light golden flesh of the bound hero. Each thrust pushed her against the body of the immobilized woman, the feel of her a constant reminder that her degradation was being witnessed. From her position she could do little else but stare at her face. When she closed her eyes, Sparkler did the same. There was no need to watch this.

"D-damn you," she choked between breathes. "Damn you!"

Her voice was trembling as she cursed him, both from her emotions and an internal struggle. It had only been a little while since her climax, and in spite of her emotional distress, her body was very sensitive and seemed to be reaching for the next one. Her insides were reluctantly springing to life again, his movements slowly but surely evoking responses from her. More than anything, she didn't want to cave in front of Larksong, though. The sting of her humiliation being the only thing holding her body back.
 
Larksong began to make little whimpers--burts of sound escaping from behind her clenched teeth before being captured and dragged back down her throat. Whether they were sobs, screams, or moans was difficult to say, as she seemed intent on holding them back. But she squirmed as much as her restraints would allow. Her eyes remained tightly shut.

Silver Soul clucked his tongue chidingly. "That's no good, my little bird. You have to watch. Sparkler has something she wants to show you. Don't you, Sparkler?" His thrusts became more insistent as one of his constructs made its way to Sparkler's opening and began to poke at her most sensitive spot. "Show her how weak you are. Tell her how helpless you feel." He slowed down again, but each deliberate thrust pushed deeper into Sparkler. "Tell her how good you feel. And look her in the eyes when you do it." Two hands wrapped around Sparkler's head and tried to pry her eyes open, forcing her to gaze on her fellow heroine, who by now was looking down at her with a flushed face and tears in her eyes.
 
It was barely audible, but Sparkler could hear the strangled cries coming from her fellow hero's throat. Clearly, fighting this as hard as she was. The woman squirmed beneath her, rubbing her damp body against her own. She'd never admit it, but the feel of her hot skin sliding on hers was subtly arousing, and she flushed with fury and embarrassment.

An angry growl slid from her throat at Soul's scolding of her fellow captive. Wasn't it enough for him that they were both bound and helpless to his perverted desires? Why did they have to play along with his fantasy? She was about to snap at him, when she felt a hand groping at that so very sensitive bundle of nerves. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the last of her resistance being massaged away. The slick walls of her passage quivered in anticipation of the imminent storm, gripping at his increasingly deeper penetration. She groaned lustily against the other hero's warm breast, unable to contain herself.

When the hands gripped her head and forced her eyes open, she gasped. His demand pounded into her skull, suddenly jerking her back to reality. Through tear blurred vision, she could see the flushed face of Larksong staring down at her. Shame and rage once again boiled over. She was near her peak, her body begging to be pushed over again, but she would never say as much to the woman. One of them had to be strong, right?

"I'll. do. no. such. thing. BASTARD!" she choked between his deepening thrusts, her trembling voice betraying her weakness.
 
Silver Soul laughed at her. "As amusing as your protests are, don't you ever get tired? Tired of fighting, of pretending to be strong? It's not like you're fooling anyone. Your voice betrays you. Your body betrays you. Why even bother?" The construct began to gently swivel her clitoris, tugging it in slow circles. "Give up. Give in."

By this point, glowing silver fingers were pushing their way into Larksong's pussy and anus, and the noises had been holding back were starting to escape--short, panting cries that suggested both shock and pleasure, loud enough to pierce through Soul's melodious voice as he continued his rant.

"See? Larksong is being honest with you. Shouldn't you reciprocate? Doesn't she deserve at least that much?"
 
It was exhausting. Keeping up the facade of strength and purity was taking every bit of willpower she had. What a relief it would be to just let go and allow herself to be swept away in the tide. Her body was going to do what it wanted anyway, what was the point? She was afraid of the cost to herself. Giving in meant losing something important, something she couldn't name. Those last bits of pride made her hang on and resist him. But she could feel herself unraveling beneath him.

The fingers teasing her clit were spurring stronger and stronger waves of pleasure, building up to the release. She bit her lip, trying to distract herself with pain. Through her struggling, she heard the cries of Larksong, as her own resolve was melting away.

"Honest? But I am...I am..." she gasped weakly, clearly losing it.

She couldn't finish. Between the attention of his fingers and the deep rhythmic thrusts of his cock, she began to shake. With an agonized moan she came, her body trembling and convulsing against the naked woman in front of her. Her inner muscles contracted and gripped at his rigid cock violently, releasing even more fluid into her already flooded cavity. This one was deeper and more intense than the one before and her eyes rolled back in her head, lost to the sensation. No difficult thoughts could filter through now, there was only sliding wet skin and sensual pleasure and overwhelming ecstasy. Reluctantly, she welcomed the escape.
 
Once more, her body's eager response spurred Silver Soul on, although she might easily have missed it--in contrast to her more intense orgasm, his was considerably more muted than the last two she'd experienced. It hadn't barely been ten minutes since their last climax, and he was all but spent. He came with a shudder and a tiny spurt of fluid. The pleasure he experienced wasn't even enough to break his concentration, leaving his constructs intact.

But that was alright. This wasn't about his pleasure--it was about Sparkler's, and to some extent Larksong's, and their shared humiliation. He was rather fascinated, though, by the explosive force of Sparkler's second coming. I'll have to remember that... He leaned forward to better see her expression, and couldn't help but laugh at her blank eyes.

The myriad hands vanished, provoking a gasp of relief and disappointment from Larksong. He left the bands holding Sparkler in place and simply stood there, waiting for her spasms to stop. When she was finished, he let go of her hips and stepped away, letting her slip to the ground. The manacles slowed her descent, but not by much; he didn't want her bruised, but he definitely wanted her to fall, to feel discarded. Although, as deep as she had retreated into the pleasure, he wondered if she would care, or even notice.
 
When he came, she did not in pay any mind. She was too lost in her own convulsions, her own rush, to pay any attention to him. Just so long as he kept moving, kept caressing her insides and driving her on, she didn't care about anything. Nothing else mattered but that feeling. When he pulled away, the tide ebbed, her shivering body coming down quickly from its high. His member removed, her still pulsing entrance released the thick, milky liquid that had been plugged inside. Their mingled fluids dribbled down her leg in a slow, thick stream as she panted, still held in place.

The cool of the floor beneath her brought shocked her back to reality. She became aware of a dull pain between her thighs, her pussy having been overused. Her body felt spent, completely exhausted. There was nothing she wanted more than to curl up and go to sleep. But she couldn't. Not here. Not with him around. It wasn't safe. She had to...she didn't know what she had to do.

Slowly, she pushed herself up from the floor and looked up. Her eyes first met Soul's, with that self satisfied expression on his face. Then her gaze drifted to Larksong, and her face paled. Oh, what had she just done? In front of her. Against her. Groaning and keening into her flesh with him behind her, using her like a fucktoy. Her stomach knotted up and for a second she thought she would vomit. Instead, she just bowed her head to the floor, covering her face with her hands, unable to move or look up or speak.
 
Larksong was staring down at Sparkler, her mouth hanging open, eyes overflowing with frustration. Although her tears were silent, they were not still, and her body shook slightly as she wept. She was breathing heavily, each breath shuddering its way out of her throat.

Sparkler was not given much time to contemplate her humiliation, as Silver Soul walked over to the control panel for the assorted devices. There was a hissing sound, much like the one made when the door to the chamber had opened, and several loud clanks, before Larksong's restraints opened up and she collapsed on top of Sparkler. A loud slapping sound accompanied the collision of the two heroines' wet skin. It seemed that Larksong was content to lay there, disregarding the awkwardness or discomfort of her position, but Silver Soul had other plans. He walked back to the two women and knelt down. "What a mess you two have made... come on then." He reached for Sparkler's wrist and dragged her into the air, dropping Larksong on the floor in the process.

"More good news, Sparkler. You've saved Larksong from this contraption! She won't have to hang in these shackles anymore... because you're going to take her place." He tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Don't worry, though, I won't keep you locked up for days at a time like I did her. After all, how could I ignore all this," his eyes roamed her pale body and his grin widened, "for more than a few hours?"
 
Sparkler was wallowing her misery, trying to control the urge to sob. In spite of all that had just happened, she wanted to keep herself together a little. She could feel Larksong's eyes on her, and imagined what disappointment she must feel. The one who was supposed to save her had collapsed under the will of the enemy. Had caved under the carnal sensations. There was no need to see her fall to grief as well.

A pained grunt escaped her lips when Larksong fell on top of her. They must look like a couple rag dolls, sprawled on the floor like this, worn out and limp from use. His hand closed around her wrist and Sparkler offered him no resistance. She only looked away, fighting the tears in her eyes. Days. Larksong had been locked up for days. That thought burned in her, and she felt both fearful and angry.

"You'll live to regret this," she said, a sob choking her words. "I swear you will. I swear it..."

She didn't really believe it and she couldn't meet his eyes as she spoke. But what else could she do? Lie on the floor defeated like her fellow hero? Some day. Someday she would get him. She didn't know how or when, but she had to believe that. It was the only thing keeping her from going insane right there. Larksong was there. She'd endured so much already. For her, Sparkler had to try and pull herself together. She was needed. That gave her the will to fight.
 
"Yes, of course my dear. I'll regret it, I'll pay, I won't get away with this, et cetera, et cetera, and so forth. Keep telling yourself that if it helps... just remember that the longer you deny reality, the more it will hurt when it finally catches up." He locked Sparkler's hand in the manacle. "I'm just looking out for you, my pet." While she still hung from one arm, Silver Soul stripped away her remaining glove, then her boots. Almost anything would get in the way of his machine. Once her limbs were bare, he locked them all in the restraints, he reached up to peel the mask away from her face. "I wish I could let you keep this. I really do. The person you were, the person you pretend to be when you're trying to blend in with the vermin, she doesn't interest me. I'm only interested in the real you."

He walked over to the control panel again. He would have used a construct, rather than leaving the side of his prize, but he was spent in more ways than one. He had devoted so much of his power to teasing his girls that he had almost nothing left to fight them. Of course, Sparkler was drained as well, and without their respective powers, he was confident that he had the size and strength to take her. As for Larksong, well, she was far too broken to attack him now.

The front of the machine slid shut, leaving Sparkler in complete darkness, but it was only for a moment. The interior of the box began to glow a dim red. Liquid sprayed from the corners, pounding against her already abused skin. At first it was water, then some sort of disinfectant that stung her eyes, and then water again; the machine cleaned her with all the delicacy of a car wash. Finally the water stopped and the door slid open again.

Silver Soul was right outside, though he was currently occupied fastening a web of leather straps and metal hoops around Larksong. It was hard to say whether it was supposed to be a system of restraint or some sort of garment, although it could have been both. Silver Soul smiled up at Sparkler. "Don't be jealous, my pet. I have one for you too. You just can't wear it while you're in the box. You understand."
 
His gentle mocking stung. Especially since she had hardly believed a word she'd said anyway. As he strapped her into the contraption, she felt strangely calm, contemplating her situation. Twice she'd faced off against him, and twice he'd won. Sure, she'd suffered a few losses over the years. But she'd always managed to escape, regroup, and eventually triumph. There didn't seem to be an obvious way out of this one. For the first time, in a very long time, she felt quite overwhelmed.

When he reached for her mask, she jerked her head away. A pointless move, but it was instinctive. It was really surprising to her that he hadn't tried to remove it before. That was usually the first thing the criminals went for. Removing the mask to reveal her identity being the way to get to her, the real her. As the adhesive peeled away from her skin, slowly relinquishing the mask to his hand, she puzzled at what he said.

"The real me?" she murmured as the doors closed.

The darkness was a relief. Her position was uncomfortable, but maybe she could sleep. Then the red light hummed to life and she squinted against the glare. When the water came, she jerked in her restraints from surprise. She should have expected it, Larksong had been damp after all. The water gushing at her from all directions choked her, and her mouth gaped open, gasping for air. Suddenly, the acrid taste of some kind of chemical, a cleaner or soap of some kind, invaded her mouth. Spitting, she tried to get it out and looked away to protect her eyes, but it just kept coming. As cruel as the jets of water had been, she was relieved when they returned to rinse the sting from her eyes and taste from her tongue. Just when she was beginning to wonder how long she would have to endure this, the flow of water stopped and the doors slid open.

Through the rush of steam, she saw Silver Soul, worrying some kind of belted contraption onto Larksong. Was that supposed to be clothing? And why didn't Larksong struggle? The full extent of her brokenness dawned on the hero. It was going to take a lot if either of them were ever going to get out of here. Something that she was newly determined to do. She didn't want to wind up like that, an empty doll for Soul to dress up.

Peering at him through her strands of tangled, wet hair, she wondered again about what he had said. The real you. What did he actually know about her real self? Weren't Dawn and Sparkler both equally important parts of her psyche? He didn't know a damn thing about her, she decided. That idea gave her something to cling to. There were still aspects of herself hidden from him, even if it was only a matter of time before he found out. And what about the real Silver Soul? Was what she saw in front of her the real him? She knew he hadn't always been this person. He, too, had another name. Another life.

"Cute," she said, sarcasm and hate oozing in her tone. "You should have been in fashion, James."

She was exhausted beyond reason, she didn't know where she was finding the strength to speak. The little shower had done her no favors, either. Water typically wasn't her friend when it came to her electrical powers. It tended to short them out or stunt their generation - a fact that she hoped to keep from Soul as long as possible. Still, she felt the urge to dig at him. He insisted on exposing her, she might as well return the favor.
 
He flinched at the sound of his name. For an instant, he froze, and for once it seemed like he didn't know what to do. But it was only a moment; he regained his composure quickly enough. He dropped Larksong, now fully bound, to the ground, and stood up. He smiled at Sparkler. "If you're looking for James, I'm afraid he's not here anymore. I don't need him anymore, except as a mask.For all his intelligence and ambition, he was still only human, after all. Actually, I barely have any use for the identity anymore. But you..." He reached up to stroke her face. "You're still clinging to the human you used to be, aren't you? Oh, this is going to be so hard. Like convincing a child to give up their imaginary friend. But Dawn is all in your imagination, my pet. She can only hold you back."
 
There.

She saw it. She saw him flinch. For just a moment, he'd been stumped. A very small victory in a day full of losses, but she took what she could get. He hadn't expected her to know that and that gave her a glimmer of satisfaction. So much so, that it didn't even bother her when he touched her cheek. Not until she heard her name, that is.

Fuck.

It was a terrible struggle, but she managed to keep the rising panic out of her eyes. How long had he known? And why hadn't he acted on this information? If he really knew her identity, why not just knock down her apartment door in the middle of the night? No, don't jump to conclusions. Just because he knew her name, didn't mean he knew everything right? It was a big city. It was hard to find one girl in the swarm. And she did take great pains to stay below the radar, using a post office box, staying out of phone book listings, and as many public records as possible.

"I am still human," she said slowly, locking her gaze with his. "We both are. You can't just sweep who you used to be under a rug. Its a part of you. I'm not the one who can't tell what's real from what's imaginary."

Not that Sparkler was particularly proud of everything about her "real" life. Dawn was a nice girl, but her background was a tad shoddy. A lush for a mother and an absent, criminal father, her grandparents had been the only stability in her life. She'd grown up under the shadow of that heritage, and as Sparkler, had done everything she could to erase it. That didn't mean she abandoned her identity, though. Why, if not for Dawn, Sparkler would never have existed.
 
"You don't believe that. If you really believed you were a human being, you would live in their society, live by their rules. Instead you chose to rise above them and stand as a champion. You ignore their system and defy their laws to impose your own sense of justice upon them. But more than that, in the basic biological sense..." Silver Soul pressed his fingernail into her cheek until he drew blood. "You're not human. This blood isn't human anymore. Shall I put it on a slide, show it to you under a microscope? Do you need a reminder of what's in your cells, your DNA? You might be able to fool the witless masses, but I know what you are... because I'm exactly the same."
 
"Just because I chose to bend a rule or two here and there, doesn't mean I'm not human!" she objected. "That's the dumbest argument ever."

This conversation wasn't going quite the way she'd planned. It was supposed show that he wasn't so special. He was still human. Still with weaknesses. That, no matter what he said, he was still vincible. Instead, it had been directed back to her in a way she wasn't quite sure how to handle.

The truth was, it had been a long time since she had considered herself on the same level as everyone else. As Sparkler, she did live outside of society, but as a way to protect it, not subvert it. Break the law to enforce the law. Of course, realizing full well the irony of this. It was necessary though, wasn't it? Still, at the end of the day, when the mask came off, she was just an ordinary citizen again. The idea that she was something completely alien was vaguely horrifying. She'd never even explored that possibility with her mind.

"M-my DNA?" she stammered. Then as he drew blood with his nail, she winced and refocused. "It doesn't matter. We're still... we're still from the same..." Oh, what was the word she was looking for? "...genetic pool. We're not different. Not really. We're flawed and weak like everyone else. Just...we have...gifts."

She hated saying "we", when she spoke to him. It sounded like she was relating herself to this scum in front of her. But she had a point she wanted to make, not so much for her sake as for Larksong's. That's why this whole conversation had started, really. If she was going to get out of here, she needed the woman's help. She needed to dig her out of that stupor. She didn't know if anything was filtering through to the hero, but if it was, she wanted to make the message clear. Silver Soul was the mask, underneath he was James. Just like underneath, she was Dawn. He was human, beatable. There was hope.
 
"You still possess the flaws of a human, that is true. For all your power, you are still weak. But then, if you were stronger, I would have killed you by now. That's what this machine is for, you know." Silver Soul cheerfully patted the side of the box in which Sparkler was bound. "Well, sort of. I originally built this to separate the power core from your molecular structure. Your death would have been a side effect, and one I was perfectly willing to live with. But the more I studied you, the more I understood that you didn't pose a threat to me. I don't have to kill you to take back my power. You will never defeat me, Sparkler, and you will never escape me. And that is quite a relief, Sparkler. After all, I'm quite fond of your... structure." He chuckled as his eyes once again ran over her naked form. Would he ever get tired of it?

"Of course, I finished the machine before I realized I wouldn't need it, and at that point it seemed like such a waste. All those hours down the drain... but rather than abandoning the project, I decided to take it even further. I've developed all sorts of wonderful features, variant uses for the base technology. Would you like to see some of them?"
 
Now her train of thought was completely derailed. He'd just broadsided her with a lot of information that she had not expected in the slightest. Her first thought was to jerk her head around, glancing at the machine with new fear and interest. This thing... was designed to kill her? Her first impulse had been to point out that he, too, was weak since she'd clearly had him dead to rights only a little while before. However, considering the contraption she was strapped to was apparently some kind of death trap, that seemed unwise.

"P-power core?" she said, her eyes wide. "Y-you mean that triangle. That metal...thing?"

She shuddered under his gaze as his eyes ran over her nakedness. He knew too many things he shouldn't. It clearly went well beyond just her identity. Apparently, he hadn't been bluffing or exaggerating when he'd said he had knowledge of her power, that they were connected. Just how much DID he know? When he said before that her power belonged to him, she thought he was just being a narcissistic asshole, believing whatever he laid hands on belonged to him. But was it possible he had a legitimate claim to it?

"I don't care about your dumb machine. I want some answers! Just how much do you know? About me? About my abilities?" she said, her look fierce, desperate. Strapped naked and weak into a machine capable of destroying her, she was hardly in the position to make demands. But what choice did she have? "Just who are you really? Answer me!"

There was so much even Sparkler didn't understand about her power. In the beginning she had searched, researched, and studied, only to come up with nothing. Eventually she had accepted it as something she would never fully comprehend. It was her power now, wherever that triangular shard of metal had come from, and that was all that mattered. Now, with the truth dangling in front of her, and facing someone with the ability to take that power from her permanently, she had to know. She had completely abandoned the conversation from before. Larksong was far in the back of her mind. It was impossible to live in ignorance anymore. Fear of the unknown gripped her. She had to know what he did.
 
Silver Soul stared at her for a few seconds, clearly surprised. Then he began to laugh. His mocking cackle filled the air for over a minute before he calmed down enough to speak. "You don't know? You honestly don't know. How do you not know? How could you possibly have bonded with the power core without knowing what it was?" He snickered again, and almost burst out laughing once more, but managed to restrain himself. "I'm sorry, my pet. That hadn't even occurred to me. You deserve to know the truth about what you are... although, since your request was so rude, the answer will cost you."

He reached forward and wrapped his hand around the back of her head, tangling his hands in her hair and pulling her forward in her restraints as he leaned in to kiss her. Once again, he sucked what little power she had built up in the past few minutes away from her, and once again, he held her lips captive much longer than that. His tongue teased the inside of her mouth until, finally, he had to come up for air. He pulled away from Sparkler with a grin, then withdrew his hand sharply enough to tear out a few strands of her blue hair.

"Now, where do I begin?" She had been awfully rude, and he didn't want to reward her, but it really did seem unkind to let her go on in ignorance. He decided he would omit some of the more personal details while still helping her understand what she was. "That little triangle was one of the most important components of a machine so powerful and so versatile, that any term I could use to describe it is too narrow. It is a vehicle, a weapon, it is every tool you could ever imagine, and it is, sadly, broken. I simply don't have the equipment to repair a device whose mechanisms are on the atomic level. So, I did the next best thing: I became the device. I took the converter," he held up his hand to show her his own mark, "the component which took raw power and turned it into something actually useful, and I fused with it. Its atoms are scattered throughout my body, in every cell, bound to every molecule. Just as the power core, the source of the machine's power, is bound to yours."

Although he would never admit it, especially not to Sparkler, that had been a mistake on his part. Since every other component had seemed designed to draw its power from the little triangle, he had assumed it to be the power source. Only after he had become one with it did he realize it did not generate any power at all, and that another part must have been missing. Still, the converter was more important; raw power without direction didn't get you very far.
 
He was laughing at her again. That sound made her blood boil. Oh, how she wished he'd just shut up and answer the question. Her face turned red, silently seething with anger and embarrassment. She squared her jaw, looking away from him sullenly until he was finished. How was she to know what had triggered her power? It wasn't as if she could google "triangle that grants super powers" and come up with anything useful.

"Of course I don't know! I was fourteen when I-I just..I just..."

He silenced her with the kiss. Sparkler squinted her eyes shut, squirming against his grip. Eventually, she could do nothing but submit to the advance of his lips and tongue and allowed her jaw to go slack against it. What else could she do? Her body was already on fire, throwing at him the small trickles of electricity she had left. When his lips finally relented, her head was spinning and she was breathing heavily. Whether from the need for air, the draining of her powers, or blind fury she did not know. She winced and scowled at him when she felt some hair snatched from her head.

As he explained, Sparkler found that even more questions arose from his answers. A machine? What sort of machine? Who made it? Dawn had always been a lover of natural science, she did not have a mechanical mind. But she did keep abreast of the latest technological advancements. From what she knew, manipulating atoms in such a precise manner was still somewhat theoretical and many, many years away. So, he was either lying, or he was leaving out the most interesting parts of the story.

"If... this machine is so special..." she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "How did one of its most important elements wind up in...in... the middle of nowhere? Where just anyone could find it?"
 
"Very good questions, Sparkler. It's so good to see that you are cable of that sort of curiosity... I was beginning to think you were an idiot. Intellect is very important to me, if we're going to have any sort of meaningful relationship. But I also expect some measure of courtesy. I've already told you everything you deserve to know. If you want to know anything more, you will have to ask nicely. Didn't your parents ever teach you about the magic word? Well, from what I know of them, I suppose they wouldn't have. Still, you can say please now and then, don't you think?"
 
"So pleased to meet with your approval," she said, her tone dry.

Relationship? Was he insane? For him to even call it that made Sparkler want to both laugh and scream at him. Whatever brief romantic notions that had floated through her mind during the fever of her pleasure were long gone now. They had drifted away almost as soon as they had surfaced, buried in a corner of her mind she did not go. He is and would forever be the enemy. However she might be connected to him did not matter.

When he mentioned her parents she stiffened and her nostrils flared as she let out a furious huff. It wasn't fair. Just how many intimate details of her life was he privy to? Her identity, her abilities, and even her past were all laid bare to him. She hated that he knew so much about her. While she deeply wanted to know more about the source of her power, she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of forcing her to ask nicely. No, he'd humiliated her enough for one day.

"Courtesy?" she hissed through her teeth. "You don't deserve my courtesy. After all you've done? To me? No. I don't care that much. Courtesy is conversations between human beings, which you seem convinced you are not."

Of course he was going to act like this. Let him see the slightest bit of desire for something and he would use it to torture her. Now she wished she hadn't asked or allowed herself to wonder. If truth of her powers remained forever a mystery, that would be fine. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself. Hot tears stinging her eyes, she turned away from him and pressed her lips into a stubborn line. She had to show him she didn't care. He couldn't hold this over her, couldn't hurt her with this.

"Keep your secrets. I'm not going to beg."
 
Silver Soul shrugged, seeming unconcerned with her refusal. "If you're content to remain ignorant, I have no intention of enlightening you. I had hoped for a little better. Letting your ego get in the way of learning? Maybe you're a human being after all. It's quite disappointing, my pet." He walked back to the control panel. "Since you don't feel like having a civilized discussion, why don't I show you one of my special feature? Even Larksong never got to see this one."

The door slid shut again, sealing Sparkler in absolute darkness. There was a slight whirring noise, and the metal of the restraints shifted against her skin, before needles began to extend from them, piercing into her arms and legs. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and
then there was light. It was not the dull red bulbs that had illuminated the interior of the box before but an angry red-orange point of light, affixed to the end of a thin, mechanical arm. Heat radiated from it as it moved closer and closer to her skin.

As the machine approached her, an electric current surged through her body. It was not very severe, but her body reacted strangely to it--all her muscles tensed and her body became rigid. The point of light pressed against her, searing her flesh where it touched. Not content to assault that one point, the mechanical arm began to jerk back and forth rapidly, like a printer inscribing its message across her immobile chest.

It didn't take very long, twenty seconds at the most, before the burning stylus pulled away and the current halted. Moments later, the front of the box slid open again. Silver Soul was waiting outside, smiling at his handiwork.
 
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