DNabikiTHC8 Nabiki 1/2 "A Very Scary Thought!" THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS! By Jim Robert Bader (Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others, with special thanks to the creative genius of such talents as Siegel & Schuster, Larry Niven and Robert Black---and no, I didn't ask their permission to do this, how could I?) Part Eight. HENTAI ALERT---YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON PLEDGE ZONE WHERE NORMAL STANDARDS OF GOOD TASTE DO NOT APPLY! THIS WORK CONTAINS EXAMPLES OF BONDAGE, SADO-MASOCHISM, BISEXUALITY, INCEST, ANAL, VAGINAL AND ORAL PENETRATION AND UNLAWFUL ACTS PERFORMED WITH THE SERVICES OF A TENTACLE-RAPE BEAST CALLED THE KRAKEN. MADAM LAO IS A VILLAINESS OF MY OWN CREATION AND ANYONE WHO IS CONFUSING HER WITH A SOCIAL WORKER HAD BETTER SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP AT THE NEAREST OPPORTUNITY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! "I dunno, Sham-chan," Ukyo remarked, "Nabchan's been gone for a while now...what do you think could be holding her up?" "Shampoo not know," the Amazon replied as the two of them sat side-by-side, each suckling their infants, who had been drawing sustenance from their respective mothers for well over two hours, "Think maybe Nabiki lose temper and maybe push Cousin Lanocane too far?" "Could be," Ukyo frowned, wondering faintly why she did not feel more self- conscious about being completely naked beside the purple haired girl, to whom she was now---at least technically---co-married, "The question is...what do we do about it if Lao decides to break her word and detain her? Not exactly like we can fight our way off this ship while we're out to see and still protect our kids from possible danger." "Is true," Shampoo concluded sadly, "We no in good position for this. Cousin know that we know she had advantage, and even if we want fight, anything we do risk safety of little ones. Even Ranma no risk that, so maybe only choice we have is to wait for right time and act when is best chance, yes?" "I dunno, Sugar," Ukyo grumbled, "There's something about that lady that I just don't trust. She's too slick, for one thing, too smooth the way she can justify just about anything she wants to do on the slightest technicality. You weren't with us the last time we were here, when Lao took everything we had and just laughed it off. The only way Nabiki was able to beat her was by a combination of the Nekoken and the Hiryu Shoten Ha, and even then we all came close to drowning. I don't think even Nabchan would risk that this time around...but still...I know I shouldn't feel this way, but...I do kind of feel like I owe her a favor. If wasn't for her meddling...Perchan and me would never have had this baby." "Aiyaa," Shampoo softly sympathized with her fellow wife, glancing from the half-drowsy Fragrance to her own equally well-contented Lylac, "Is big dilemma, yes? Is what Airen call a...catch twenty-something?" "Catch 22," Ukyo replied with a faintly rueful smile, "I owe Lao for helping us to have this baby, but because of the baby I don't dare stand against her in a fight for our freedom. Some difference." "Aiyaa," Shampoo nodded faintly, "Is no use even pretending we fight her. But Shampoo think we maybe wait and see what cousin is really up to. Shampoo no think she simply take prisoners to make do bidding." "Of course not, Sugar," Ukyo half-leered at the well-endowed Amazon, "She wants to have sex with us, probably try and turn us into mindless drones like she's got populating this seraglio of hers..." "Shampoo no think it so simple as that," the purple hair girl cocked her head and coyly added, "But can see why she maybe want Spatula Girl to be sex-toy. She maybe want you to eat bush while you on all fours...maybe even you like it?" "Hah," Ukyo scoffed, leering back, "More like she wants a taste of those jugs of yours...can't really blame her for that...the little nipper there seems to think that they're the next best thing to haven." "Look who talking," Shampoo smiled with a kittenish expression, "Think maybe Ukyo's bosom taste just as nice as Shampoo. You want try later?" "You got a date on that one, Sugar," Ukyo grinned, then tossed a glance over her shoulder and added, "A sure bet you'll be more available than those two rutting Tom-cats. For someone who used to profess that she was only into girls, Perchan sure seems to be making up for lost time, eh?" "Aiyaa," Shampoo averred for the third time, this time sounded both impressed and appalled at one and the same instant, "Perfume-cousin always say she no like men, but make big exception for Ranma...and is wonder he still going!" "Like an Energizer Bunny," Ukyo agreed, shaking her head slowly, "Don't know where he gets his energy...I thought for sure he'd be too pooped to pop after the first hour..." Unbeknownst to both women, Ranma was---at that very moment---wondering much the same thing about himself, though if pressed to answer the question would have protested that it was Perfume who was prolonging the whole experience, turning it from a simple act of copulation into a cram marathon-type session. Just watching her bounce up and down over his still-stiff rod while her huge breasts bobbed in an almost hypnotic fashion was an experience by itself, and just having a pair of silken thighs be wrapped around him to hold him pinned against the bed was a yet-arousing experience that kept him erect in spite of him having twice shot a load into deep into her vulva. His hands were steadying her and stimulating her hip and side nerve-clusters to insure that the pleasure was definitely mutual, but it was Perfume who insisted on prolonging the experience, and working her charms over Ranma with an arousing touch that would put shame to a gallon of Viagra. To be certain, it was far from the first time that he had mounted her...that was yesterday, of course...but he already knew Perfume's body in infinite detail, having explored her entire nervous system while working out with her to perfect the Kamasenken. At times such as these he was amazed by her beauty, wondering why it had taken him so long to even notice that she was beautiful, and why it had taken the near equivalent of statutory rape on her part before she could get him to lay hand on her in a manner much to her liking. All the suspicion and resentment that he had once directed her way was gone, replaced by a tender appreciation of what a special kind of person Perfume was, and how her higher- sensitive nervous system could be turned into an asset, giving her a thrill beyond anything that might be experienced by a woman with a less heightened state of sensory awareness. But---even given all of that---there were limits to what any man could be expected to achieve, even given a wife this desirable and...vivacious. He had nearly reached his limits the previous evening when trying to please her, Nabiki and the others, and now that he had only a few hours to recover from that, he was being called upon to satisfy the appetites of a "born-again Bisexual," and one who seemed to subscribe to the Amazon creed of "Take no Prisoners" when it came down to her man-milking! He was privately hoping that she would let up soon, or at least be content with him turning his attentions back to a little harmless foreplay. He would have welcomed the chance to spend more time working on her "breast-meat," or maybe using his mouth to pleasure her loins...or go to work on her legs...yes, Perfume had excellent, well-turned and finely muscled legs that a man could delight in savoring for long hours...and well-shaped feet that cried out for a little toe- sucking. Indeed, everything about Perfume was worth a long and languorous session...anything but to "go where no real MAN had gone before," doing things that even Mousse in his wildest sex-fantasies would have found shocking! Thus distracted as he was, it was with a bit of amazement that he came to the realization---half consciously no less---that he had barely had time to think of Nabiki---or anything else---for the better part of two hours! It was incredible to think that Perfume could so utterly monopolize his attention so that he barely registered the fact that Nabiki was no where in evidence. He half expected to see "Kaneda" creeping up behind the deliriously sex-crazed Perfume to service her in the "rear entrance," (assuming, of course, that anal sex was not too painful for the hypersensitive Enforcer to endure) or---failing that--- Ranma would gladly service her from either end----fore or aft---while Nabiki took her on the opposite pole, all the better to enjoy a tasty "Perfume Sandwich." Yes...so many possibilities indeed that were worth exploring, but...not when he was the sole exclusive victim of her rampant nymphomania! He definitely would have preferred reinforcements, and half-considered calling out to Ukyo and Shampoo to come to his rescue. That was why he felt hope---rather than despair---stir up within him when he thought that he heard Madam Lao's voice as the Pirate Captain appeared on the scene beyond the curtained partition. Since Ukyo and Shampoo had opted to suckle their daughters on a bench just beyond this filmy barrier, he could easily hear every word that was spoken as a familiar , "Nihao...how are you lovely ladies doing, Cousins? Is everything here to your immediate satisfaction?" Of course there was an odd quavering sound to Lao's voice, but it definitely sounded like her as he continued to listen in, even as Perfume herself paused atop him. "Well...more or less," Ukyo replied, "Your people are sure friendly and helpful and all of that, but then again...I guess that's how you trained them..." "My girls are indeed well versed in the domestic arts," Lao replied, "And we are used to post-natal care and handling within my harem. There are few jealousies among us here, and all are equal in my eyes..." "But some more equal than others, yes, Cousin?" Shampoo countered. "Well, that goes without saying," Lao shrugged, "So...does motherhood suit you as much as you thought it might? You do look very good with a baby in your arms...and the same should be said as well for you, Kuonji-san." "Thanks," Ukyo replied somewhat cautiously, "But I guess I owe it to you for that, huh?" "Not entirely," Lao replied, "I may have helped arrange for Cousin Perfume to get you with child, but the actual acceptance of my gift was your doing, as was having to put up with a few months of accelerated pregnancy. I am sorry that I had to inconvenience you, and I know it was rude of me to force you both into making a choice that might have been better postponed until a later date..." "Hey, it's done, right?" Ukyo replied, "No sense crying over spilled okonomiyaki." "Cousin," Shampoo said with more caution in her tone, "Where is Nabiki, and why she no with you?" "Ah, yes..." Lao began slowly, "That is the other reason why I came down here to seek you out. Nabiki is...quite well, and I give you my word that no harm has come to her, nor will any harm befall any of you while you are guests within my sanctum. Unfortunately I have discovered something...rather significant that compels me to ask that Nabiki be temporarily isolated from the rest of you...a regrettable but necessary detention that should in no way adversely affect your stay here." "What's wrong?" Ukyo said sharply, "What did you do with Nabiki?" "As I said," Lao replied, "I have been forced to...detain her. She has a medical condition that was quite recently discovered by my people...nothing serous, I assure you, but definitely something that does bear a more detailed examination. I am putting her on a forty-eight hour quarantine just in case what I suspect to be true might require more extensive research..." "Is Airen well?" Shampoo asked, getting to her feet, "Shampoo go to Nabiki..." "I will allow that...but only after forty-eight hours," Lao insisted with a hand raised to still her cousin's outburst, "You must understand...her condition is complicated by her possessing a Jusenkyo curse. I am taking what steps I deem necessary to help stabilize her condition, but for now complete rest and isolation are necessary. Besides, you don't want to be exposed to anything contagious that might adversely affect your daughters, now do you?" "Ah...well..." Ukyo hesitated. "Cousin," Shampoo growled dangerously, "If you is lying about Nabiki..." "Lying?" Lao acted surprised, "Why would I be lying?" "Because Shampoo see lips moving," Shampoo's nostrils flared, "And way you talk sound too much like great-grandmother." "Ow," Lao winced, "Now that was a low blow." "Is true, no?" Shampoo said flatly, "You no telling us full story." Perfume---by this point---had left off on her bouncing session and was paused to listen in while remaining imbedded on Ranma's "flag pole." Ranma was himself torn between shock, surprise and outright exhaustion, alternately worried about Nabiki while simultaneously thanking the Kami that his ordeal was (at least temporarily) suspended. "You're right," Lao admitted, "I'm not telling you the full story...but there is a good reason, and it has to do with your wife's current...state of health, shall we say?" "And what that mean?" Shampoo asked her. "Well, if you insist on knowing before all the tests are in," Lao sighed, "Then I might as well tell you what I and my people have already determined, which--- to put it in layman's terms---means that Nabiki, your senior co-wife, is pregnant." There was a suitable pause while the implications of those words trickled in, and then Ranma heard Ukyo and Shampoo echo the word, "PREGNANT?" He only had to think about it himself for a few more seconds and then he rolled up his eyes and stopped resisting the urge to faint. Perfume noticed that he went abruptly soft within her and sighed, then did her own double-take and then she too echoed the word, "PREGNANT?" and collapsed like a nude human blanket atop him... Madam Lao heaved a sigh from the deck upon which she was actually standing at that moment, allowing her Avatar to sigh as well and murmur aloud, "Ah...men, they tend to be such predictable darlings...but then again, so do us girls, if you want to be completely honest on that subject..." "Mistress?" Lotus asked, drawing her attention back to her actual living body. "Um...excuse me, darlings," Lao said again, "But I'm being called away to other business. I'll drop by later and give you more details about Nabiki and her condition. Ciao." She physically turned to regard her pink-haired lieutenant, even as her Avatar dissolved and reformed back into the Undine spirit whom had been so graced as to house a part of her essence. Lao addressed herself to Lotus and said, "What is it?" "You wished to be informed when the Kraken was finished working with your other guest," the shorter pink-haired girl replied, "Granted that I don't know his moods as well as you, but he seems to be flashing the point that he is ready to release her." "Ah," Lao turned her focus elsewhere and said, "Yes, I do see him waving the tentacle now...yes, indeed...she is ready to hatch out. Have you seen to the preparations, as I've instructed?" "But of course, Mistress," Lotus replied, indicating a pair of human attendants who carried in their hands the requested items, "The special chains are ready, as are the other items that you wished us to procure while in port." "Good," Lao nodded, then paused as she sensed a pensiveness in her lifelong companion, "You are worried that I am going too far this time, I know that look well...you think that this time may be the one where I bite off more than I can swallow." "Mistress," Lotus replied, "I would never think to criticize your decisions, but...are you certain that it is wise to play with this one? Considering what she could do if she gets loose..." "Actually, I'm much more concerned about the implications that may result if I should attempt to keep her longer than necessary," Lao averred, "But never mind that now. Let us proceed with the program." Lotus bowed and stepped back away from her lady Captain, then watched as a swelling mass rose up from the blackness of the pit to one side, which opened out to the mass that was the Kraken. The gelatinous column swelled to burgeoning heights, towering over their heads like a luminously translucent shadow, and then it curled down, orienting its mass over Lao's head and paused for a moment before opening up at the end and ejecting a human body. Lao caught this womanly form as it literally fell into her arms, then cradled the nude Martha Kent as gently as the proverbial baby. The demi-Kryptonian woman proved to be a lot heavier in her arms than even Lao would have reckoned, but she managed the extra mass well enough as she eased Martha down and set her out upon the wooden ramp upon which she and her crewmates had been all this while standing. Though appearing to be a slime-slick mass of limp human flesh, Martha quivered slightly and drew a deep breath that indicated her semi- conscious, near-exhausted status. "Quickly now," Lao said after checking to insure that the naked woman's vital signs were as strong as she had anticipated, "The chains if you will please?" Lotus nodded and ordered her people to step forward, and at once a crewmate knelt down and placed a pair of golden manacles around the naked Martha's ankles, another doing the same with Martha's wrists, pausing to wrap a chain around her waist before affixing the other manacle around her other wrist, thus insuring that her reach and stride would be effectively hobbled. More objects were placed on the unresisting victim, and finally a leather collar was fixed around her neck, sealed with a lock shaped like a heart, thus adorning the half- Kryptonian as a "properly" outfitted member of Lao's harem. "Very good," Lao said as she did a quick inspection of the handiwork of her people, then she gathered Martha into her arms again and said, "Now...we need to get you cleaned up so you will be fit and ready to join me for dinner. I am certain that this time you won't be quite so reluctant to accept my hospitality." With that in mind she turned and lead the way down the ramp and towards the living quarters of the vessel, in the process passing through one of the chambers in which new "recruits" were dangling from the ceiling in a number of rope-bound, awkward poses. One in particular watched Lao pass by and frowned, her eyes conveying the mark of her displeasure. Nabiki was hardly all that surprised upon discovering that her captor was a Mistress of the Japanese art of Nebu Shibari, or Rope Bondage. Indeed, some objective portion of her mind could appreciate the cunning way in which she was herself now bound with lengths of nylon cord that were wrapped around her body in such a way that she was being held totally immobile without any significant loss of circulation. If anything she was almost...comfortable...in her current position...she just could not move anything but her eyelids, and she had been frozen like that for the two hours that had transpired since her altercation with Lao. To be absolutely clear about it, those two hours had been remarkably...uneventful. However, as awkward as her present posture might be, some of the other nude girls whom she could observe sharing the chamber with her were---if anything--- even more uncomfortable looking. There were a dozen of them in all---including Nabiki---her fellow "classmates," as Lao had put it. They were being stored (there was no more delicate way of putting it) in the hold like dangling cargo, like ripe fruit hung from the rafters to preserve their freshness, an exotic lot who ran the scale of feminine beauty, from oriental to western, from brunette to blonde and even one redhead. Physically fit and at the peak of feminine perfection, they were each rope-bound in a different position that collectively shared the trait of being quite awkward and definitely exploitative! Lao had left her there among these already-captive girls with no more thought than it might take to park a car in a garage, and in her manner-of-fact manner she had made it seem as though she were doing Nabiki a considerable favor. That Nabiki would have argued the point was moot as her could not so much as grunt though the red rubber ball that was presently fastened in her mouth by a leather harness. For all the care and attention Lao had devoted to her rope binding, Nabiki had to silently compliment her artistry in her craft for there was not an inch of slack by which she might use to work herself free, no leverage and no advantage to be found in freeing herself from her synthetic rope prison. Lao certainly knew her business, and that was a most annoying thing to Nabiki, who had never been trapped up this way before and did not much relish the thought of remaining like this for any great span of time. It amazed her that she even had circulation with all the lengths of cord that had been employed to the task of holding her immobile, but in a way it made sense that Lao would bind her in a manner that was only faintly uncomfortable and not actually threatening to her health...aside from a light breeze that she could feel playing across her otherwise naked body. Two hours of being held like this was most...annoying. Nabiki could not recall a time when she had been forcibly incarcerated for that length of time, or even a quarter this long during all her years of traveling with her "Uncle Genma." Having her freedom taken away from her in such a forceful and dramatic fashion was jarring to her sensibilities, and yet so far this was the worst to which she had been subjected. Not so with the other girls, who were being periodically attended to by both human and Undine attendants. Every now and then Nabiki would see one of the slithering aqueous shapes sliding down some ropes to surround and engulf a girl, and them moments later drop out of sight once again with the girl shivering slightly, but not---one would assume---from a cold draft. No doubt the elementals were checking up on these girls while servicing their needs (and Nabiki had more than a little idea of what that might consist of, having experienced it directly the previous morning) to see to it that the girls did not "spoil on the vine," which would be upsetting to their Mistress. Of course the elementals ignored her, being warded against contact with her skin thanks to Lao's elemental magic. That meant that her bladder would no doubt begin to fill and before too long need serious relieving, at which point she did hope that Lao or someone would come to her rescue, or even Ranma! As much as she did not want to be found in such a compromising position, it would be worth enduring a little ribbing just to be let down from this mess! Whatever fiendish schemes Lao had in mind for her, this hanging about with nothing to do was the ultimate kind of monotonous torture. The only way it could get any worse, in her opinion, was if they were playing elevator music in the background, but even Lao was far from THAT evil! Ranma...how long would it take for him and the others to discover what Lao was doing and to come after her, hopefully to her rescue and not seek out a direct confrontation, because of all her immediate family, only Ranma stood even a shadow of a prayer in a direct encounter with Lao, and NO WAY did she want Ranma anywhere near Lao with her wanton ways and sexually predatory habits, and so what if she professed to only love girls these days? She had a husband once...er...twice...well...no question that she was Bi and not exclusively Gay, and with Ranma showing all the signs of a healthy libido... Ranma! It suddenly clicked with her...something to do with Ranma and his Kamasenken! Lao had obviously been keeping an eye on them from afar---no doubt with that "Lens of Magellan" thingie---there was no question whatsoever that she knew about Ranma and his training with the Senken, so why not the whole package? That meant she knew what a "sex machine" Ranma had turned into recently, maybe she wanted to know more about him "up close and personal like," in which case...NABIKI WAS GOING TO KILL HIM---UH-HER---WHATEVER!!! Seething as she was with a sudden burst of jealous rage, she still had enough presence of mind to harbor fears and doubts for the rest of her loved ones, who might not even know what had happened to Nabiki as yet, though surely the revelation of Lao's treachery would be forthcoming...if they were not already dangling in chains or ropes in some other part of this vessel! Not knowing about their welfare was torture in itself, though she did have some assurance that Lao would not harm their children---the Kami knew what else she had in mind for them! If that was the case, then no rescue would be immediately forthcoming, and if anything her would-be rescuers would themselves be in need of a rescue! It was impossible to predict what Lao would do with Nabiki now that she had her at her mercy and in her clutches...her previous experiences were but a foretaste of the likely mischief that Lao would put her through, especially with her pledge of "convincing" Nabiki to "turn" and accept her as her Mistress. Nabiki silently vowed that this would never happen, but she knew Lao's cunning well enough to expect that the slaver would use every means at her disposal to work her will upon Nabiki's person. The same would go for Ranma and the others, and there was nothing that she could presently do about that. All that she did know for certain was that Lao meant serious business this time, and---playful or not- --she was a definite menace who could neither be ignored nor avoided! What was taking her so long? Did Lao intend to leave her like this until she had to beg for release? Oh yes...Lao had that other lady to play with now, the one Nabiki had seen being "pleasured" by the Kraken. A Kryptonian... Alison's... sister? Was that it? She did recall Alison mentioning that she had an older sister from her father's...or was that her mother's...first marriage? How the heck did Lao gain the upper hand with a Kryptonian? Weren't they supposed to have god-like abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals? And...this was the kicker...what was Nabiki to make of the recent revelation about her possibly being...pregnant? The very word caused Nabiki to swallow thickly, realizing the implications, with her curse and with the likelihood that Ranma was the father (that is, assuming Beatrice didn't encode her own DNA with that nanobot, in which case Nabiki was going to seriously SPANK HER!). The idea of being possibly pregnant was...stunning...and even though she had recently turned eighteen, Nabiki was---at least technically---still in High School with another year until graduation...how could she be having a baby when she had not even yet been accepted into college? College...if she could have laughed at that moment, she would. Here she was thinking about her education when that was exactly what Lao was threatening to give her! At this rate she would be lucky to escape winding up in a Turkish Sultan's seraglio instead of becoming one of Lao's own personal gaggle of carefully cultured and mind-controlled hens, and never mind that talk about Lao abstaining from using her mind control powers on Nabiki! This would be an education all right, and Nabiki would learn one way or another! And---damn! There was an itch along the side of her nose that she could not even scratch, but which was driving her crazy! Bad enough to be hung out like a piece of meat, but if Lao was going to torture her, then she might as well get down to it because this waiting was turning out to be...well...REAL torture...which...was probably the point all along...and wouldn't that just suit Lao's own perverse sense of humor? What was she doing with that other woman? Lao had said something about her being an older version of Nabiki, but what the heck did that mean...and why was she feeling so warm all of a sudden? Like a...tingling was in the air...like her body was starting to get prickly all over...not like with the loss of blood to her limbs, but more like a feeling...as if her nerves were starting to slowly wake up and demand attention... Oh Kami-sama---she was feeling horny all of a sudden! No doubt more of Lao's foul mischief at work, breaking down at the barriers of her resolve with the power of arousal, but OH! Did Nabiki want desperately to pleasure herself, or to feel the hands of Shampoo caressing her skin, or Ranma plying his own brand of masculine magic...anything but to just...wait here and feel increasingly frustrated! (Lao---whatever you do, whatever you have planned, you'd better get back here and get me down from this, or so help me---I WILL KILL YOU!!!) That impotent threat mentally echoed into the spaces that surrounded them, to which only the demands of her own flesh gave reply as she continued to dangle there waiting...alone amid the other slave 'recruits', horny, angry...and ever more increasingly frustrated... Martha fluttered her eyelids and slowly came back to full awareness of her surroundings...or such as those surroundings were, what with all sorts of curious stimuli that were belatedly registering upon her much aggrieved senses. She had been...where? It was difficult to focus...and yet now she felt...remarkably fine, all other things being considered equal, equal being the cold metal she felt over portions of her body, including a curious...pinching sensation around her nipples. She felt nothing but warm air against her skin, which suggested an absence of clothing, which was...alarming...however...she did feel that her bare rump was sitting on a chair against whose back hers was currently resting. Her feet were similarly set against the smooth surface of a wooden floor, and as her eyes fluttered open she saw a table laid out before her. To be more accurate, a table weighted down with platters of food, and at the other end of said table sat her hostess, Madam Lao, who was similarly naked but unencumbered by any restraints or bindings, unlike Martha, who discovered the fetters around her wrists and ankles. The Captain was resting her elbows on the table, hands folded together with her chin resting upon them, a knowing smile written on her face as she gave a pink-eyed stare that was frank and in some odd sense even friendly. "Did you have a nice nap?" Lao asked her, "Perhaps now we can pick up where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted. Oh, and feel free to eat...I am positive this time that you will have the appetite." "What...?" Martha stared down at her wrists, seeing the gold chains linking her hands together with one end looping around her waist before connecting to her other wrist. She balled her hands into fists and tried to rip those chains apart, but all she got was a mild twinge in both her wrists and kidneys as the chains stubbornly remained intact, resisting her best efforts. "What have you done to me?" she asked in dismay, sensing that the rest of her superpowers were also somehow missing. "Orichalcum chains," Lao explained, "There was a set kept in storage on this ship when I first took it over. It's an Alchemical alloy of gold and copper that was discovered in the long-ago past by wizards who crafted the metal for its special property of being able to absorb the Mana energy from anything in which it is in contact. Those bracelets and chains are dampening your natural biosolar absorption ability, and as long as you wear them you will be---for all intents and purposes---mortal." "Mortal?" Martha repeated as if unable to comprehend the meaning of that word. "Well, more than human but less than a god anyway," Lao shrugged, "Mind you, I've met gods before, and they can be pretty..." "Overbearing?" Martha finished for her, "Tell me about it...so...why are you doing this, chaining me up like this?" "Isn't it obvious?" Lao replied, "You had just discovered what it is that I do for a living and were about to overreact, so I took what steps I could to avoid an unpleasant situation, putting a damper on your would-be hero act. Sorry about that, by the way, but I think, if you hear the full story, you'll understand why it was necessary..." "Necessary," Martha rattled her chains, both on her wrists and her ankles, "And I suppose stripping me naked is also your idea of necessary?" "Weeeelll...it is for me," Lao's smile deepened, "Seeing you like that...does bring a smile to my face. Don't worry, though, I am not going to hurt you..." "Hurt me?" Martha replied, "Shouldn't you be more afraid of what I'll do to you when I get loose? And, for that matter, why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance?" "Kill you? I would sooner deface a Rembrandt than harm a hair upon your head," Lao responded, sounding genuinely offended by the notion, "You are much too beautiful and rare a flower for that, nor would I do anything to permanently remove your Kryptonian powers...they are too much a part of you, and your branch of the human family is endangered enough as it is. Have no fear on that end, I have no intention of harming you...I only wanted to slow you a down a bit so that you might be willing to hear me out and...talk a little." "Talk?" Martha replied, vague memories flooding back to her, "After what you did to me I ought to kill you..." "But you won't," Lao replied, "Code against killing...I've scanned your memories...several times, in fact. While you were under the influence of the Kraken I had a very good look at your life and I know better now what sort of person you truly are. It's another reason why we're having this talk in my private quarters." "Kraken," Martha glanced down, then a peculiar expression crossed her lovely features, "You fed me to that creature...I was in its stomach for over ten hours!" "Seventeen-point-nine hours to be exact," Lao corrected, "Congratulations, a new ship record." "Never mind that...what was that...thing...?" Martha asked. "The Kraken?" Lao mused as she seemed to glance off into space for a moment, "It's a mystery wrapped around an enigma, although someone once told me it was related to the Angels. I wouldn't know myself...I only know that it is very ancient and very powerful, and it is under my complete command. Actually, we have something more akin to a partnership, I give it purpose, it protects me. The original owner who was something of a major-league eccentric...a Taoist Wizard no less...who bound it to this ship, but...that really isn't all that important. What you're really asking me is why I fed you to him. Well...simply put, that was only one of his stomachs, and you weren't being digested either. The Kraken doesn't eat human flesh unless I tell it to...for the most part it lives only on plankton. But it does have...other needs...and on occasions I sometimes supply them." "Needs?" Martha's eyebrows arched at the realization, "You can't possibly mean...?" "What's the matter?" Lao leered, "Never dated an octopus before? Or are you the type of girl who never goes as far as a kiss on the first date?" Martha frowned again, "I don't see why I should trade words with someone who put me through the kind of paces you...eighteen hours did you say?" her tone took on a faintly appalled note at that realization. "That's right," Lao replied, "Usually a girl never lasts more than two hours before she yields to the Kraken's will. That you held out for so long is quite remarkable and a fine testament to your willpower, or perhaps you are even harder up for it than I had originally imagined. I did think that you were suffering the pangs of unrequited lust long before I introduced you to my silent partner, and as evidence that you have not suffered any ill effects at his hands...um...tentacles, I ask you now...how are you feeling?" "I'm..." Martha frowned, "I'm fine..." her expression became more puzzled, "I don't feel...bad at all. It's strange but...it's like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders..." "The burden of your life, that great weight of emotion that has been weighing you down and eating away at your self-esteem like a silent cancer," Lao explained, "You were carrying a lot of baggage when you came here, some deeply withheld and unexpressed issues that needed to be vented. Cleaning out the cobwebs of your mind, as it were, has helped you to relive and come to terms with many past mistakes and regrets that you've been harboring unexpressed. The Kraken let you experience those issues, and now you no longer feel them to be quite so much of a...burden." "Did you brainwash me to forget them...or something?" Martha asked, then glanced down to see that it was a pair of nipple-clamps that causing her to feel that odd pinching sensation. She tried to lift a hand to remove one of them, only to discover that her chains prevented her from lifting them high enough to accomplish this feat. "Nothing so crude as all that," Lao assured, "You have forgotten nothing of your past, it is simply the jumbled clutter of your thoughts that needed streamlining. Now you have achieved a level of inner peace and calm that would normally take many years of psychological counseling to attain... congratulations." "But you've still violated my privacy and my thoughts," Martha glowered, "I should be furious with you for that...you've done things to me that are obscene and unforgivable..." "And yet you don't hate me, is that it?" Lao replied, "Your logic and reason are telling you that I am the enemy, that you cannot possibly forgive what I have done to you, let alone condone my methods...but instead your emotions are saying something entirely different, something not quite logical to your way of thinking." "Yes," Martha scowled, "Why don't I hate you?" "Human nature," Lao replied, "It is perverse and full of paradox. The mind says one thing, the heart pulls in a different direction. The war between these two is the reason why so many people are unhappy. For years you've been fighting your own desires, burying your emotional needs beneath an avalanche of contradictory beliefs and ideals. You have been subconsciously fighting again that idea, perfect image of yourself that you have clung to so tenaciously, an image of your mother." "THAT'S---!" Martha started to declare, then hesitated before speaking again at a lower level, "That's ridiculous...I'm not trying to be like my mother!" "Oh no?" Lao asked shrewdly, "Denial is a vice more terrible than any sin, often mistaken for temperance rather than willful self-avoidance. Far too many fools praise it as a virtue...and yet now you are in a position to see the truth that lays hidden beneath this contradiction." "Are you saying that I ENJOYED what you just did to me?" Martha asked. "I am not saying anything," Lao replied, "You tell me. You are the only real expert when it comes to understanding the real you. What I say is just an observation...what you tell me has greater value, coming from the source of your emotions." Martha remained skeptical, but she chewed her lower lip for a moment before pouting, "I don't believe this...I'm not a masochist! I don't harbor hidden desires to be captured and dominated..." "Are you so certain of this?" Lao asked, "Because I was given to the impression that most heroines in your line of work are closet masochists. The Gods know that you put up with enough abuse on the sidelines, undervalued by your male compatriots, put down with crude jokes, viewed more for your sex appeal than the valuable contributions that you make to the system..." "That's..." Martha hesitated then said, "Um...a very good point, but still..." "But still you cling to an outmoded ideal of how women are supposed to behave, even though that ideal has caused you no end of mischief," Lao shook her head sadly, "And yet, deep in your heart, is there not some part of you that is wanting to break out and explore the possibilities that lay hidden in your not- so-politically correct subconscious? Mind you, I am not a psychologist, but I have my own theories about why women in your profession put up with as much as you do in both halves of your identity, the Power Woman and the mere mortal...the one is forever making allowances for the other, and vice versa, but deep down you want to reconcile them both into one coherent being...a Power Woman who is---first and foremost---a woman." "Meaning...what?" Martha asked, "That deep down some part of me actually wants to submit to you? Is that what you are saying? "I leave that up to you to decide," Lao replied, "You are an intelligent enough woman that you ought to be able to deal with almost any situation you encounter, and yet you let yourself get captured by your enemies on occasion and often wind up being subjected to the tender mercies, and yet---strangely enough---those particular enemies never get around to actually killing you when they have the advantage. To me it seems more like a game you play with these more habitual enemies that you have built up a relationship with over the years, but...that could just be my impression." Martha was silent for a long minute, but then she grudgingly said, "Well...maybe once or twice I have gotten a little bit...careless..." "Try at least a dozen times, going by your memories, not counting this time, of course," Lao corrected, "You get careless, you drop your guard, and some villain gets in a lucky break. Somehow they fall just short of outright killing you, though, giving you enough of a chance to recover and escape from their clutches or their latest death trap. In this manner you are flirting with danger and possible death in the ultimate thrill ride, which actually excites you more than you let on and makes you feel more alive, causing the pulse to quicken and your sense of self-awareness to sharpen..." "You make it sound like some cheap bondage romance novel," Martha frowned. "Sometimes cliches do have a legitimate basis in reality," Lao replied, then pointed at the food upon the table, "By the way, feel free to indulge. There are neither chemicals nor artificial additives in what I have served to you now. I have no need to further to drug you, and I'm certainly not about to poison you in any way, not while we are coming to know so much about one another and---in a manner of speaking---bonding." Martha frowned, "Is that what we're doing, or what you're trying to do? Turn me into the heroine for YOUR bondage romance story?" "If you like," Lao conceded, "It is what I do for a living, after all...and you are presently my guest, however you might protest." "Well...I'm not saying that I trust you," Martha reluctantly eyed the dishes on the table and at long last reached out and picked up a pair of chopsticks, then began to sample the grilled fish that was before her, "But you do talk up a good argument, and I guess I don't have much choice..." "There is always a choice," Lao replied as she picked up her own chopsticks and began doing likewise, "It's what makes this game so interesting. Human Free Will comes in many different varieties, and yet we all make the best compromise that we know how to make in life when we choose to act the way we do. Our choices are limited by the circumstances that fate provides to us, and the most any of us can say is that we acted in the manner most consistent with our beliefs and desires. Do try the sauce, by the way, it gives the fish a certain extra flavor." Martha reluctantly agreed as she spent the next several minutes just stuffing her face, discovering a raging appetite and craving for food that was almost unknown to her, having come so much to rely on a lifelong ability to go for days without eating. Fortunately the chopsticks proved long enough to reach her mouth despite her restricted hand movement, and the drink cups were provided with straws. Everything she tried was harvested from the sea (except for the fruits and vegetables, of course) and all of it was quite good to the taste. True to Lao's word she detected no trace chemicals nor elements that she could not identify, her senses retaining at least that much of their edge that---for her-- -there was no such thing as an "odorless and tasteless" potion. When at last she felt some of the edge leaving her stomach, Martha slowed down and washed a mouth full of rice down with green tea, then paused and to say, "What you were saying before about Free Will...what has that to do with you and your outfit?" "It's quite simple really," Lao answered, having paused to drink some of her own cup of ginseng, "Free Will is the ability to make choices given to all of us at birth...a bit of a joke, that, since very few of us come with an in-built instruction manual that tells us how to use it. Most often people live their simple lives of quiet desperation without ever really knowing that they have a choice. Most people tend to believe that they are the victims of larger impersonal forces that shape and guide their every step, and few ever get the chance to truly understand what their real choices are until they make a decision at some critical point in their existence." "Such as?" Martha asked. "Whether to turn left instead of right," Lao explained, "To go up instead of down, or to take a stand defiantly in opposition to an oppressor, or whether to back down in the face of superior might and a dominant position. As this relates to my job, it is the choice a woman makes to either submit or stand and take what punishment she is dealt out in order to...persuade her to cooperate. If a girl in my employ agrees to do my bidding, then she is rewarded accordingly, but...if she says 'NO,' and truly means it..." "Then you'll force her to submit anyway?" Martha concluded. "No," Lao replied, waving her chopsticks, "You see...I also have a choice to make when this happens, whether to force an unwilling and recalcitrant girl to alter her own nature so that she will eventually learn to accommodate my desires...or to give that girl up for a lost cause and thus to let her go. In my line of work I have to make this sort of choice nearly every day, and yet once I have determined if a girl is worth the effort, and if she'll eventually agree to see things my way, well and good, but if she doesn't..." "You'll let them go?" Martha blurted out in disbelief. "Oh yes," Lao replied, "I'll drop them off at the first port I find, give them a little spending money, blank out of their mind any incriminating memories, then leave them to their own devices. It's harsh, I know, but given the chance to begin their lives all over, these women often not only survive but they even prosper." "Now I find that flat-out unbelievable," Martha shook her head, "Why would you go to any trouble helping out a girl who defies you? Slavers like you are more likely to kill them and dump them over the rail..." "THAT is one level of evil to which I will NEVER allow myself to succumb," Lao insisted flatly, "I seek to enjoy life, not destroy it. I am a predator and an opportunist, I target the ones who have it within them to become slaves who willingly submit their bodies to the lusts of any man---or woman---who would wish to pay a price to own them. Granted that can seem brutal and even cruel at times, but I will only go so far as to capture and condition a girl, not throw her away when she can serve no other usage." "A slaver with principles?" Martha asked with a flaring of her nostrils, "Now I've heard of everything..." "Believe what you will," Lao shrugged, "I make no apologies for what I am and what I do to put food on my table. Of course, being a classical Villainess, I don't have any real need to justify why I do what I do, or why it is that I often refrain from taking the lives of my enemies...unless they do something that necessarily provokes me." "Like the late Captain Helgar?" "Exactly," Lao nodded, "It may surprise you to hear this, but I really don't like killing...it seems so...messy...and not very professional at that. I'll kill an enemy when he presents himself as a legitimate danger, but not if there is another way. Oh, I will kill other predators of the sea when I suspect that they have been especially naughty, but I consider that more of a community service. I have my limits when it comes to ruthless behavior...I don't see the point in being totally merciless, it just earns you bad Joss and is lousy for the Karma, and besides which, over time no one feels as though they can trust you." "And are you to be trusted?" "To a point," Lao replied, "A woman ought to know her limits and respect them. I am not so ambitious that I wish to tempt the fates by callously discarding people who serve me well, and I deal well those who do not betray me. I give my word, I seek to keep it..." "But you still hedge your bets and finagle your way around the finer points, right?" "Exactly," Lao nodded, "As a businesswoman, you doubtlessly can appreciate such hair splitting and micro-negotiation for what it is...a compromise between two or more competing values. I know for a fact that you have often strayed into very gray areas and shaved a few points of the truth on occasion when you felt the circumstances justified such behavior." "Are you comparing yourself to me?" Martha asked, "Because I'm having trouble equating what you do for a living with a legitimate business. You sell people into slavery!" "Yes," Lao replied, "I turn women into slaves, and I suppose by your lights that this must make me evil." "You think what you do is a good thing?" Martha countered. "That depends on what you mean by good," Lao leaned back and regarded Martha frankly, "You may find this impossible to accept, but my business is every bit as legitimate in its way as is yours. I am fulfilling a service...a service people pay money for, a service that is as old as time, nearly as old as the race. I am not saying that it is a virtue to peddle human flesh, only that--- for some people---it is as legitimate a lifestyle as working for a minimum wage job." "I don't see the connection at all," Martha said flatly. "That is because you have never lived on the low end of the economic scale," Martha replied, "The poor have, by definition, always lived their lives on the fringes of civilized society. They live on the droppings that filter down to them from the upper crust windows...your 'Trickle Down' economy, if you will allow me a political observation. The poor are often hobbled by the limits of what they can achieve because of their poverty. They struggle long and hard just to eke out a bare subsistence living...and even in America you have homeless people and those who pick through garbage just to feed themselves. There are few social services that can give them a leg up in the world...only a bare minimum of a social safety net that they can fall back upon when they reach a literal crisis. To me that is worse than slavery, that is social degradation!" "So what are you, Carl Marx?" Martha asked her. "A fool whose conceit polluted the fledgling science of Socio-economics," Lao said dismissively, "Trust a German materialist to try and substitute God with impersonal economic forces. The truth is that Communism is nothing but a myth and was never a serious political philosophy. Socialism is just a word that broadly describes Government by fiat set along a more-or-less Feudal structure. Just about anything that a government does that has an effect on the private sector could technically be called Socialism. It's just a slam word meant to derail rational thinking and avoid the responsibility that the rich and the powerful might otherwise feel for those less well off than themselves." "Are you calling me a Capitalist pig?" Martha flared. "Not as such," Lao replied, "You are the granddaughter of dirt-poor farmers and your father worked in a minimum wage job back when a few cents went a long way. You began at a somewhat higher level and have become a major media mogul in your own right through hard work and effort. No one can deny your accomplishments, which have been earned by your own means, but...at the same time, for all the good that you do, there is still the basic point that you exploit the world's recourses, often at the hands of the occupants of these third-world countries with which your companies do much of their business." "That's not true!" Martha protested, "I've divested myself of such holdings--- often at my own expense---whenever I find some irregularity that can't be explained to my satisfaction. Don't forget that I inherited Edge Industries from its original owner, a real creep who turned out to be working for the dictator of Apokolypse..." "In effect an enemy of your father?" Lao asked. "True," Martha replied, "But at the time I didn't know that...I thought of him as my 'Uncle Morgan.' Then Dad found out the truth and...well...became managing editor in his place. Around the time Dad was about sixty years old and had to resort to make-up and a disguise in order to appear much older than he actually was. You know, even today he doesn't look a day over thirty?" "Indeed," Lao nodded, "Must be wonderful to have such good genetics. Of course when he reached retirement age he then asked you to take over." "Yeah," Martha said, "It was about the time when he remarried and moved to Japan...he knew that I was a business major, so he asked me to take over the franchise, to keep it out of the wrong hands, that sort of thing. After all, Edge Industries was even then a fairly large conglomerate...I've just built it up from there and turned it into a multi-media empire." "And combined it with Star Labs Inc," Lao smiled encouragingly, "Which is the public face of Prometheus Industries, which does a lot of government contract work for the pentagon and NASA, correct?" "You know it is," Martha sniffed, "In all total, I command about twenty-seven billion dollars in assets and earn a salary of around one-hundred-fifty million a year..." "In US Dollars, of course," Lao said sagely, "A quite impressive record...however...you also own shares in various other businesses, including a company called Global Trade, which is actually a front for the American CIA. Then there is Jumanji Incorporated, a Central West African Firm that distributes medicine to AIDS afflicted countries, and the Honogato Corporation, which manufactures tires and various other rubber products." Martha arched an eyebrow, "You've been looking through my portfolio?" "In my line of work, it pays to know whom I am dealing with," Lao replied, "I bring these examples up to mind because I happen to know a little something about those companies. Jumanji is suspected of dumping surplus and expired medicines on third world countries while hoarding the best to be sold on the black market..." "Say what?" Martha blinked. "Honogato's tires were recently recalled on several mainline product lines because they used inferior retreading, which is believed to have led to a series of accidents in several countries, including America, that have resulted in the deaths of over two hundred people." "I...I didn't know," Martha said with rounded eyes. "They also run several sweat shops in both Vietnam and Korea," Lao's smile became more rueful, "I know because one of the women who currently lives in my harem used to be a virtual slave in one such sweat shop before my people found and...liberated her...while she and others were being shipped out to a new market outlet. You see...slavery takes on many forms, some more brutal and degrading than others, and I am far from the worst of the breed. As for Global Trade...well...do I really need to detail what sort of mischief the CIA gets into while insinuating its presence in foreign countries?" "Are you saying that I'm indirectly responsible for these people being hurt?" Martha said archly. "I'm not saying anything of the sort," Lao replied, "It is just that you have a lot of businesses to keep track of, and even the best micro-manager is bound to make mistakes and miss out on little details, such as people. I am merely suggesting that it is sometimes best to look at the larger picture and not try to see the world in absolute terms of black and white. Things are never that simple, and even the best of us is prone to making serious errors." Martha was silent for several seconds, but then she said, "Obviously...I wasn't careful enough with my trading..." "No," Lao replied, "But then that would hardly put you in the same category as myself. I do knowingly what you only do by ignorance. I take great pride in my work and I don't deny being good at it. If slavery must be viewed as a crime, then I am guilty beyond question...but...I am not so evil as to be unmoved by human tragedy. I encounter quite a lot of it in my profession, and part of what keeps me even halfway sane is knowing that there are others far worse than me who still walk freely upon this planet." "But how can you live with yourself knowing that you trade in human flesh?" Martha wondered. "A fair question," Lao conceded, "I did not start out in life wanting to be a slaver. I was a warrior with a mind to one day be a great healer. I studied under the tribal matriarch of my people, and I was accounted the best of my generation. Then I made a mistake...I fell in love with a man who was not worthy of my attention...I paid for that dearly with betrayal and exile...and by strange turns wound up here on this ship with my two closest friends and fellow exiles, where we were enslaved by this ship's previous owner." "You were a slave?" Martha arched an eyebrow. "Indeed," Lao replied, lifting up her wine cup, "And before you ask, I didn't like it. I found out things about myself that I never would have suspected...that I had limits, that I could be made to submit to the will of a man, that I was not so independent minded as I had believed, and that I needed the community of fellow women in order to heal myself. That is why, when I took over this vessel, I took on the responsibilities of creating my own tribe, my own community, replacing the former crew with my fellow slaves and taking on new slaves by preying upon other pirates. Gradually by turns I sort-of fell into this business...mainly because of the ship and what it does to those who live aboard her. This vessel is very ancient, and yet it reflects the mind and personality of its owner...and as such it is a reflection of me. I know every square centimeter...it is alive to me, I can feel the ship breathing and sense its ancient wisdom, brooding and strange. I gave this ship a new purpose, turned it away from what it had been before I came here, and now it is my home in every important sense of the word. If I were gone, though, the ship would revert to a new owner, and that worthy would become its new Mistress..." "Have you never tried to free yourself from it?" Martha asked, "Magic this old and strange..." "Alas, the POJ is all but indestructible," Lao replied, "It repairs itself when damaged, and it is accursed with so many protective spells and charms that to release all of them at once might cause the magical equivalent of an atomic explosion. And besides that...there is the Kraken." "I see," Martha replied, "So...what happens if you get separated from your ship?" "Oh, I can go ashore for a limited amount of time, but the longer I am away, the more the POJ chafes and grows moody. Without a Master this ship would become a terror of the high seas, a literal ghost ship, with the Kraken on the rampage. It's been known to happen before...and it isn't very pretty. Kill the owner of this ship and you become the new owner...it can only be passed down through death or the voluntary acceptance of another. The former captain tricked me into accepting this ship as the stakes of a card game...talk about booby prizes!" she sniffed. "So...how many people actually live here?" Martha hesitantly asked. "Standard crew compliment is around two hundred and fifty," Lao replied, "Both non-combatants and mercenaries who are in my employ, plus my harem and the children born to that harem..." "Harem?" Martha blinked, "You run a harem?" "With over a score of full-time Concubines who service my every need," Lao replied with a sensuous purr, "Thinking about applying for membership?" "Hah?" Martha exclaimed, then frowned, "Not bloody likely..." For some reason Lao found that response tremendously amusing, but rather than explain why she merely resumed in her narrative, "And then there are my Undine servants, whom you have already met, after a fashion. Elemental beings who contain the souls of those female passengers and slaves who have died aboard the POJ over the centuries of its existence..." "Say what?" Martha blurted, "Those are undead?" "Not undead," Lao shook her head negatively, "But close enough. Normal elementals lack souls, but these souls were trapped up by the POJ and denied their release to another plane of existence. They came back reborn as my immortal servants, living ghosts who do my every bidding, just as there are rowers down below decks who are the trapped souls of the men who once lived here. I have no ardent desire to join their numbers anytime soon, which is why I don't plan on either dying or retiring in the near future. That is why I acted as I did to prevent you from trying to disrupt the functions of my business. You are powerful enough that you could---at least temporarily--- destroy my ship and incarcerate my crew, in which case you would release a far greater menace upon the world than you could even imagine." "So you've chained me to keep me from becoming a problem," Martha rattled her chains for emphasis, "So...how long do you plan on keeping me like this? Forever?" "Hardly," Lao stood up, "A week at most...beyond that...it might get complicated." "A WEEK???" Martha again blurted. "After which I will release you," Lao replied, slowly circling around the long table and approaching at a leisurely saunter, "Unharmed and without restraint. You will be free to go about your affairs and do whatever you believe is necessary. I will place no limits upon you nor try to affect your judgement in any way...other than to convince you that bringing me to justice is not a very good option." "Convince me of that?" Martha asked while warily tracking Lao's movements, "How?" "Why, by charming and seducing you, of course," Lao smiled as she came to tower over Martha, looking down at her with a frankly admiring gaze, "I have been thinking about it since you first set foot on this vessel, just as you are thinking right now about the ways in which I might please you. I can see it in your eyes...I fascinate you even as you are repelled at the thing which I represent." "Don't flatter yourself," Martha replied, even though she could feel her pulse quicken and a slight flush betrayed her cheeks. "On the contrary," Lao said, "It is you whom I would flatter...such an excellent woman you are, perfect in every detail, and beautiful by any standards...has it truly been so long since you were with a lover? You have hardly even thought of your beloved Helena the whole time that we have been having this conversation..." "Ah...um..." Martha fidgeted in her chair, squirming uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the sea-moss haired captain, only to blink her eyes in surprise as Lao reached down to cup her chin and caress her cheek. "How could any man look upon you and not love you for what you are?" Lao wondered, "You are loneliness personified, and yet you should be worshipped as a Princess. Such fine cheekbones, such an excellent jawline, and your eyes, so large and luminous, even without your powers you are a fine, rare beauty." Martha shivered slightly, though it was hardly chill within the warm cabin. An unexpected tremor went down her spine and back up again, causing her cheeks to grow flush and rosy. Of course this also meant that other parts of her anatomy were similarly stimulated, including the by-now quite painful sensations from her clip-bound nipples, which was why she glanced down and said, "Uh...would it be too much trouble to ask if you would remove these things? They're...not very comfortable..." "That is the idea," Lao replied, "But if you wish me to take them off, then stand up and present yourself." "Huh?" Martha asked, then dutifully pushed herself up out of her wooden chair, standing virtually naked before the six foot tall Amazon who was her current captor, even as said Amazon looked her up and down in an appraising manner. "Yes...indeed...perfect in every detail," Lao slowly circled around behind Martha and then reached around from the back, cupping the large breasts of the demi-Kryptonian and fondling them with open admiration, "Now...just relax and leave everything to me. This may hurt a bit, but less so than when I put them on you in the first place." Martha gasped as she felt herself being drawn into Lao's embrace, feeling the press of the pirate's large breasts against her shoulderblades even as the slaver's fingers reached for one of the two clamps and very casually removed it. Feeling flooded into that nipple, causing Martha to gasp once again at the sense of prickling needles, then the other clamp was removed from her right nipple, and all at once Lao's hands were molding and shaping her flesh, toying with both nipples, which promptly hardened into a double erection. "Now then," Lao said as she played with those generous globes of semi-firm flesh, "Doesn't that feel nice? So much better than before...better even than chocolate..." "Oh...yes..." Martha sighed, leaning back against Lao as if momentarily forgetting her aloof act. "Things really won't be so fad for you while you are staying with me," Lao murmured into her ear, "You will find that I can be...very entertaining..." Martha almost started back to full awareness of what was happening, but as she did not appear to be in any immediate danger, she was at a loss of what to do to take back charge of the situation...assuming that she was ever in control of it in the first place. Instead she stood there indecisive while her body continued to send approving signals to her loins, which were tingling far worse than when she had exited the Kraken as if missing a certain...presence. "You...really mean to let me leave?" Martha asked after a long moment of allowing the pirate queen to have her way with her body. "At the end of a week, yes," Lao replied, "After all, I could hardly hold onto you for longer than that. You would be missed at your business, and you have family who might come looking for you, and who might cause me no end of trouble, For one thing, I would not wish to get on the bad side of your father and step- mother, plus you have a younger sister to whom I promised that you would come to no harm and be well treated." "And...this is your idea of good treatment, huh?" Martha meant to sound scornful, but all she wound up doing was making it appear as though she were actually interested in taking Lao up on her offer. "Oh yes," Lao said, "The best," and with that she knelt down and without warning scooped Martha into her arms, this time prepared to support the weight of the woman with the densely-packed molecular structure. Martha yelped a bit, but with her restraints could not offer even a token display of resistance as she was literally swept off her feet and carried by Lao to another portion of the chamber. A second later she found herself laying on her back atop of a down-cushioned bed with the pale blue-haired lady slaver poised directly above her. Martha watched with round, fascinated eyes as Lao stretched a hand down and began to play with Martha's pussy, which caused her to gasp and roll her eyes back in her head as an astonishing wave of pleasure swarmed up from within her. "Ah yes," Lao said after a few moments of probing Martha's snatch, pulling away to show how her fingers were glistening with a faintly sticky substance, "You are definitely aroused...come...have a sample of your own juices." Martha wanted to turn her head away, to refuse the offer in a momentary burst of squeamishness, but...then a familiar sense greeted her finely tuned nostrils, and almost reflexively---when those fingers brushed her lips---she relented to opening her mouth so that she could taste her own juices upon the tips of those fingers. Like an old, familiar taste that she once loved so much, the flavor of her own snatch caused her mind to go back over twenty years to when it was Helena who was making such an offer, trying then to find out if she could encourage a reluctant Martha to try a same-sex encounter, back during their experimental period when they both were so naïve and curious as to all of life's potentials. "Ah, you like it, eh?" Lao purred with open approval, "Well then...you really should go wild about this." And with that she went down on the demi-Kryptonian girl, Martha helpless to do anything but gasp, arch her back and shudder slightly as she pushed against the bed with her feet. This had the effect of encouraging Lao further as the pirate got down to business and started employing her tongue for some serious cunnilingus. For the next several hours the two of them would explore new ways of defining "Guest Service" as Martha more and more yielded herself to her amorous captor. The part of her mind that would normally have protested this kind of treatment decided to take a hike and leave the rest of her to the business of getting down and dirty with a self-admitted Supervillain. It was, indeed, the stuff of cheap melodrama and many an underground erotic comic, but if anyone were to accuse Martha of surrendering too easily, she would have decked them on the spot, for Lao's tongue was quite accomplished at this sort of thing, and the Kryptonian herself was growing parched for the taste of the slaver's own juices, so she decided then and there to stop worrying and allow nature to run its course. Afterwards she would rational and serious again, but for now...it was just too much fun to let everything go and exult in being... A WOMAN...! "...The Fantastic Four?" "Probably off in Latveria somewhere playing checkers with Doctor Doom." "The Defenders?" "I won't even dignify that one with an answer." "The Doom Patrol?" "Same difference." "What about Doctor Fate?" "Last I heard she was still living in the Styx," Alison shrugged, "Same with the old Justice Society...only most of their members are either retired or in a rest home. Heck, why don't you ask about the Inferior Five while you're at it?" "Well then," Beatrice sighed, "That just narrows the list down to your niece and cousin. I can't think of any more possible suggestions for seeking outside help. Barring this, we will have to come up with a plan of our own, some means by which we can find the Lao and her ship fairly quickly." "I don't mean to be such a downer, Beiko," Alison replied, "But the Superhero community just isn't what it was like in Dad's time. Back then you just had to roll down a window and holler for help, these days you have to call ahead for an appointment." "Ah," Beatrice sighed, "The perils of modern corporate thinking..." "So...what are we gonna do?" Akane asked as she munched on some of the candy provided by Kasumi, "Sis and the others are depending on us..." "It does not appear as though there is much that we can do," Kodachi replied, "We lack the means of getting out there to the open seas, and---as we discussed before---none of us is in any shape to tackle a challenge as formidable as the Mistress." "Yeah," Alison glared at Beatrice while feeling her abdomen, "We know." "Ah..." Beatrice had the good graces to look embarrassed. "Oh well," Kodachi shrugged, "It's like Kei-chan and I were saying all along, we really are better off just sitting back and trusting the Mistress...is something wrong, Akane-chan? You seem upset about something..." "I just have this...funny feeling, like I've forgotten something really significant," Akane frowned, "I just wish I could remember what it was..." "I'm sure if it's important it will come back to you eventually," Beatrice reassured her, "Now then...seeing as we do have a rather limited set of options, and while we are waiting for your sister to finish busying herself within our kitchen, perhaps we ought to consider the cautious approach of waiting to hear back from Madam Lao. She has agreed to call us at regular intervals to give us a progress report." "The heck with waiting," Alison growled, "That's my sister she's taken captive, and I don't care what lame justification she has for doing it either, I want my sister back. There's no way that I'm going to be able to look Dad in the eye and explain that I didn't lift a finger while Martha suffered who knows what kinds of degradation..." "Oh, Akane-chan!" Kasumi pleasantly called out from the aforementioned apartment kitchen, "Is Ryoga-kun going to be staying to share breakfast?" "Ryoga?" Akane repeated, then her eyes got very round and she said, "WHOOPS! Now I remember!" She got to her feet and headed immediately for the bedroom, whereupon she opened the door and said, "Ryoga..." "GET ME OFF OF HERE!" the eternally Lost Boy cried out from where he still remained tied down spread-eagled on the bed, exactly as he had been when she and Kodachi had left him there in the near hour that had passed since Kasumi's arrival. "Sorry, sorry," Akane hastily moved into the room, stepping gingerly over a bound Keiko and Ryonami, who were still tied up in the same sixty-nine position as before, each girl lapping up the other's juices as if not even realizing that any time had elapsed while they were at it. "I might as well help her," Kodachi sighed as she, too, stood up, "It is my responsibility for tying them up in the first place, and I doubt Akane-chan will even know how to retie them." "Yeah, you do that," Alison sniffed, turning back to Beatrice and saying, "You can think of something better than just waiting, can't you, Genius?" "Not altogether," Beatrice replied, "If I still had the resources of Daitokuji Industries backing me, this would be childsplay. I could whip something up in a jiffy...but with the limited parts we have in supply right here in this small apartment..." "Yeah, your Dad screwed us both royal," Alison agreed, "Tight-fisted, money- wadded patent thief..." "What we would need is some means of transportation that could go long- range...several thousand kilometers round-trip at the least, and that could approach the vessel with stealth and not be seen. It would have to be capable of vertical take off and landings as I doubt we could get airport clearance, and to set down in the middle of the ocean is a tricky enough affair and...why are you looking at me like that, Aiko-chan?" Alison's expression was faintly dumbfounded as she seemed to be putting two and two together, then she impulsively reached out to grasp her partner's face and haul her in for a kiss of great passion. "That's it!" she exclaimed, "I should have thought of this before! I know where we can get some transportation!" "You do?" Beatrice asked, "But where?" "My folks have this place...it's kind of a secret, but I think I still remember the access codes," the pregnant, redheaded dynamo replied, "Mom might even forgive us if we borrow it for a while...she hardly ever uses it these days, except in emergencies, and I definitely think this counts as an emergency." "Indeed?" Beatrice smiled, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going." "Hold up a minute," Alison sighed, "I'm gonna make a call...Joan might as well be part of this, after all, it's her mother we're trying to save...and things couldn't get any worse with her on the team, right?" Beatrice did not immediately answer, but she wondered about that odd rumbling in the sky, and whether that meant that they should put on a raincoat... Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Carrying On the Tradition: shadowmane@ridgenet.net Whew...took me a couple of days to work this one up, hope you guys enjoyed it. Things WILL get a *bit* more intense next time (and yeah, I'll fill in more of the graphic stuff for those who hate me skipping over the juicy bits) as Ranma decides to seek out Nabiki and finds himself in real trouble, Nabiki gets serviced, Martha has an orgasm and we find out who Joan is...oh, and Alison hot- wires an invisible plane. All that and more bondage with Kodachi, while Kasumi packs a lunch! Be here for: "Hanging Around for the Holidays," or "Rad, Bad and Mad!" Be seeing you! Jim R. Bader 11/26/00