A Mermaid's Tale

"Aw, you say the sweetest things. Now listen here, I promised the boss lady not to let you near me for three days. I plan on keeping that promise. You and You," she pointed at them both, "you put your heads together and think of other ways of pleasing a woman's ass without using those ginormous cocks of yours."

"Tongue." Leo blurted out.

"Fingers." Minos added.

"Excellent. I do love having my bum licked proper. Keep that in mind and I will see you soon enough. Oh, steer clear of Jason. They sacked him today and his wife left him." She left with those words.

"She does have a world class bum." Minos grunted lewdly.

"Good lord dude, Jason got fired and she left him finally." Leo said urgently.

"Finally?" Minos replied. "Oi, she is way too good for the likes of us."

"A guy has to dream." Leo said. "She was way too nice for him."

"Oh shite, he brought Ursoid in." Minos hissed as the towering bear man bent over to get through the outer doors. "He is a stone-cold killer."

"Yeah. Be on your guard in case they try to cut and run." Leo said cautiously.

The meeting in the office was short. Jason remained in the office as the burly Russian bear hybrid strode into the stage area. He looked to see who was present.

"You, bitches... leave." He roared in his heavily accented English.

"Make me," Omaha fired back fearlessly.

"Jason kindly requests you go. Now be a good little cunt and get out of my sight." Ursoid snarled.

Omaha's eyes narrowed and unless you were blind, rage bordering on insanity, threatened to launch her at the monstrous Russian. As quickly as it manifested her eyes returned to normal and laughing, she followed the others out.

"You two. Leo get the car ready for travelling. Make sure no one fucks with it. You, Minotaur, you stick close. They are coming."

Leo wished his friend good luck and headed for the hidden underground garage. His heart was pounding in his chest. The fear was a palpable thing. He had hurt plenty of people in the past. Most of them owed money or talked too much but he never killed anyone. Oh, he could be a bully when it was called for but deep down, he preferred avoiding a conflict. Coward! His da's voice haunted him. You disgust me. Get out. He reached the car, walked around making sure the tires were up to snuff. He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine with the push of a button. The soft rumble helped push down the fear.

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." He recited from memory. "Good old HP hits the mark again."

Jason closed the door to the office. He watched Ursoid send his harem run scampering away. All but Omaha, she stood her ground. The exchange ended when Ursoid invoked Jason's name.

"You need to keep that crazy bitch on a leash." Jason growled as he turned to face Mags.

"It gets harder and harder by the day. She is getting worse." Mags replied.

"Get your shit ready. They are coming. I am going to finish what I started." He said holding up a new injector. It was his latest design with cleaner lines and a better grip when the patient might attempt resisting. "Once this is in her system, we hand her over and I get the final payment. They can make all of them they want."

"You cracked the code! You brilliant man you. You don't need her blood then." Mags praised him.

"No. I combined Oberon and Ariel into a single injection. Project Titania is a go. I have become a god. My understanding of genetics is unmatched by anyone." He stated and the only thing missing was a burst of maniacal laughter Mags thought. "When I get back, we leave and never set foot on this island ever again."

"She is developing her camouflage technique." Mags said just before he reached the door. "It is hardly foolproof, but it is impressive."

"What?" Jason staggered and turned. "Come again."

"She has been requesting octopi for her dinner. Somehow she tapped into their ability to camouflage while she is in water." She explained.

"Clever girl," he growled. "Has the device been attached to her tank?"

"Yes. You might kill her." Mags reminded him as gently as she could.

"I... do... not... need... her!" He roared his face flushed with rage. "She belongs to me. I own her. I will sell her before she escapes." His voice now soft and sensual. "Mine. Like you. Say it."

"I belong to you Jason my love." Mags whimpered. He left without a word. Her face spasmed in pain and the other voice whispered now that they were alone. "We belong to no one. Not Nicholas. No Jason. No one. If the time comes hold back our hand." Mags nodded as the pain faded. "I am my own. We are our own."

They were forced to use flashlights after Booker cut the power to the tunnel. It not only shut down the lights but the scanners and alarms as well. The passage was clean and free of debris and dirt. Someone was maintaining this portion of the underground and that felt like a good sign. Booker led the way despite the anxiety of his bodyguards. He gestured and the group slowed. Kusanagi took point and Booker did not argue. This was her job after all. She went ahead to scout and returned in under a minute.

"It must be the basement. There is a huge aquarium, water tank, whatever you want to call it and it is empty. I think we might be too late." She said and placed her hand on Booker's shoulder. "I am sorry."

"Let's make sure." He said his gaze icy cold. "Take point ladies, sweep the basement, and let us find out what is going on."

They moved without replying. Garrett and Booker followed them, and voices raised in alarm echoed into the tunnel before they could reach the basement. They rushed forward and found the ladies standing around a single male figure. He was a head taller than the trio. His physique was nothing short of impressive, and he had his hands behind his head in surrender.

"They call me Ares." He began as Booker and Garrett approached. "I noticed a shift in dynamics upstairs, so I came down to free Ariel."

"Why?" Garrett asked. "What is she to you?"

"My lover. It began as just another fuck buddy set up by the military." Ares began but Garrett held up his hand.

"Military?" The Commissioner asked fearing the answer.

"Yeah. I am the sole survivor of Project Ares. It is a military project to create better soldiers. I am Jason Rainwater's first pet project. He learned much from what he did to me and the others. Anyway, I returned from the Anvil in the middle of the Empty Quarter in Egypt. I was to rest and have a good time. The girls here were more than friendly. Ariel and I met once under supervision, and she was introduced as the other side of the coin. After that I would sneak down after her lessons to dance and use the stripper pole. We hit it off. I have grown attached to her and well I wanted to protect her."

"Here, take this." Booker said handing him a gate pass. "Use it to go to the Bahamas. Do not worry there is only one gate there. Stay at whatever hotel you want. Just show them the card and they will treat you like royalty. If, and this is a big if, they have not injected her with the next dose Ariel will join you there if she wants. If you are lucky you might run into her twin sister. She is already there. Leave this to us, please."

"I understand and I know how to take orders. I just hope... she is special." Ares said and took the card and left by the underground.

"How long was he training in the Anvil?" Niamh asked.

"According to Jason's records he spent weeks without food or water," Booker said.

"How?" Kusanagi asked what they were all pondering.

"Adaptive biology. To survive he put himself into hibernation." Booker explained.

Garrett examined the water tank and its set up. The tank was empty of life and there did not appear to be any damage. He took the short metal staircase to the top and examined the hatch. It was sealed and locked into place. He activated the switch to unlock and open it. The sound of hydraulics and a soft hum was the precursor to the hatch rising to its open position. Garrett stood and gazed into the tank.

"Well?" Booker asked.

"You are welcome." Garrett said his face dreamy and his eyes unfocused.

"What is going on here?!" Jason Rainwater roared. "I do not have time for you people." His head turned and spied the open hatch. "Did you do that you old fool?"

"That is Commissioner to you," Garrett snapped out of his reverie and stood his ground.

"Damn it all to hell! Why the hell are you here?" Jason asked his voice cracking.

"We are here to secure the safe return of your wife Mr. Rainwater." Garrett replied and Jason's face became a mosaic of expressions until he riddled out what had transpired. His skin paled and his mouth worked but nothing came out. Without warning he brought his hand down to the top of his smart watch. A sudden ringing sound filled the air. The water inside the tank came alive as the six sonic devices attached to the interior of the tank fired a cohesive wave of sound towards the center. A geyser of water shot from the open hatch. Garrett stepped back to avoid being completely drenched. He glared at Jason who grinned and then cursed.

"Iris? Aw shit." He shifted and we all heard a disembodied giggle. Booker tilted his head and heard the soft smack of wet feet on the steps. Jason sprang up the steps after her.

"I will be damned." Booker laughed. "She can become invisible. The octopi DNA must have given her epidermis the ability to change color. Iris was in the tank the entire time." A howl of anger from above kicked them into full gear. They raced up the steps to see three individuals standing near the stripper poles. The first was Jason and he was the one screaming at the other two. The bigger of the two was a good foot taller than the minotaur looking dude. The bear was anything but cuddly. The soulless stare he gave them left Booker wondering if he could take him out if needed.

"Do your damn job. Kill them if necessary." Jason ordered and the bear smiled.

"I will take him out, Garrett track down Iris if you can and take Qadira and Niamh with you. Kusanagi cover my back will ya." Booker directed them.

"Remember, actions have consequences. Let me." Kusanagi urged. Booker glanced at her and then at the hulking bear man. There was no way in hell she could handle him. Booker shook his head. This time he would protect her.

"Hey, you, the one who looks like their cum guzzling gutter slut of a mother spat you out in a dark alley to keep from scaring the neighbors."

"I do not think he understood you." Kusanagi said her voice like a deep arctic freeze. Booker switched to Russian. "Ooh, that got a response." She said knowing what few people on the planet knew. Booker was the Hand of Shaw. It was not just a title. He had the Left Hand of Darkness grafted to his left arm. The ancient being had survived since the time of Hyperborea and now Booker might learn a harsh lesson. The two pairs closed in on each other while Jason hopped the main stage and vanished. Garrett and the ladies went down the main hall outside the theater.

"I can take this guy. I took out a Dashade with my bare hands." Booker ranted.

"That was... oh never mind, let's see if he will back down." Kusanagi said. "I doubt negotiations will work after you bad talked his momma."

"You are right. Let us fuck some shit up!" Booker growled.

"Wait, Ursoid... wait damn it. I think I know this guy." Minos said placing a hand on the other's massive arm. The mention of the word Dashade triggered a pleasant memory in Minos.

"If you know him," Ursoid growled. "Tell him to leave. Now."

"Hey," Minos addressed Booker and Kusanagi. "Listen. Ursoid here is going to rip your spine from your body. He is going to do the same thing to her after he violates every orifice she has." He leaned close squinting and looking Booker in the face. "Is that you Booker? You are the Booker that laid waste to that ogre looking thing."

"Holy shit, another fan, today is really turning out great." Booker said smiling. "What is your name?" He asked and then continued. "Listen Minos, cool name by the way, I am here to make sure Jason's wife gets out of here safely. Ariel is Iris. Her sister did her wrong. Ivy is on the beach by now taking in the sun. So, tell the Russian behemoth to stand down or as god is my witness, I will fucking end him. "

"No more talk, get out of my way Minos!" Ursoid roared and began moving forward.

"Hold the fuck on..." Minos tried but a single swipe from Ursoid's meaty fist sent him flying sideways. Kusanagi moved back and gave Booker all the room he needed. Ursoid must have expected Booker to dodge or do something fancy, he did not. What he did was close the distance, use his forward momentum and slam his left fist into the Russian's solar plexus. Anyone else would have doubled over and dropped to their knees. The Russian's augmented physiology saved him from part of the damage Booker inflicted but hardly all. Ursoid stopped in his tracks and had the wind knocked out of him. It also staggered him long enough for the smaller man to backflip and bring his left foot into contact with the other man's jaw. It was akin to an uppercut but with all the force of a kick instead of a punch behind it. Booker landed just outside Ursoid's immediate reach but that did not impede the Russian.

"Now," he said still gasping for air. "You die."

"Bring it on buttercup." Booker snarled watching the bigger man intently. There must have been some feline DNA mixed in his injection. Ursoid popped his hand claws and Booker instantly backed up further. The great hooked blades could disembowel a man with one swipe. They also gave him an even greater reach. "Fuck me sideways."

The Russian's laugh chilled all that heard it. Booker began to chant one word repeatedly under his breath. Ursoid mistook this for a prayer and ridiculed the little man.

"Prayer will not help you," he mocked just before charging Booker. The combination of the sudden burst of speed and greater reach let the right claw slide under Booker's defense as he tried to leap over and beyond Ursoid. His body armor kept the claw from penetrating, but the sheer force broke two ribs. Booker's momentum carried him over the Russian's shoulder. He landed cleanly but the shock from the landing tore a scream from his lungs. Ursoid spun expecting to find the other down and out. Instead, he saw Booker in midair. The little man grabbed the stripper pole, allowed his momentum to torc his body around and he let go launching his body at the Russian's chest. Ursoid tried and failed to knock him out of the way. Both of Booker's feet struck the other's sternum and already damaged solar plexus.

Ursoid cried out as the blow did not just knock the wind out of him but cracked the hybrid's sternum. He howled as his breastbone threatened to be driven into his wildly beating heart. Ursoid staggered back as dark blood trickled from his mouth. Booker lay on the floor in a fetal position gasping and weeping in pain.

"So hard to breathe," Booker gasped. A loud tearing sound brought Booker around to his clear and present danger. The Russian had staggered to the nearest stage and was ripping one of the stripper poles from its mounting. Wood and metal and concrete bent, tore, and shattered under the assault.

"Get up damn it!" Another voice urged from somewhere near Booker.

"Left? I thought you were going to sleep through this one." Booker laughed as he tried to breathe.

"Now is not the time for a chinwag, fuck this guy up." Left said trying to take his host's mind off the pain.

"If only I had Shatterpoint." Booker bitched as he got to his feet.

'Initiating tactical display. Red triangles indicate killing blows. Green will cause extreme pain. Yellow might force him into unconsciousness.' Traci offered.

Booker was afraid of getting too close, but he had no choice. His movements could be called anything but graceful or delicate. He reached striking range just as the stripper pole came free. Ursoid saw the shadow fall across him from the overhead lights. Left smashed the spot where the Russian's spinal column and brain stem joined. While he held the stripper pole firmly in his meaty hands his body refused to obey him. That was just the first manifestation of the strike. Soon he could not breathe since his brain and the rest of his body were no long communicating. He knew he was dying when his bladder and bowels emptied of their own accord. He was dead before he hit the ground and Booker spoke.

"I am sorry. I have never killed anyone before." Booker wept. "You did not give me a choice." He staggered away from the corpse and against one of the tables. Kusanagi was there tugging up the right side of his hoodie and shirt. She took an adhesive patch from her purse, tugged off the backing, and as gently as she could place the medicated side against his purple flesh.

"I almost shot him," she growled. "I thought he killed you." She paused and then continued. "I warned you about consequences."

"Check on Minos, he has not moved since that brute struck him." Booker urged as he slowed his breathing and willed his broken body to heal. The blend of the patch and Left's aid he took his first pain free breath. He heard a sharp intake of breath and the bodyguard's soft voice.

"He... he is dead." She reported. "The blow landed against his temple. He died instantly."

"I will make sure he gets a proper burial." Booker promised. "He tried to help me. That is two deaths on my conscience."

Kusanagi did not argue with him, that was pointless. She remained by his side and watched over him as the nano-patch did its work. The anguish was followed up by an emotional numbness. His breathing was getting easier, but he was still too weak to move.

"I hope Garrett finds that son of a bitch and takes care of him." Booker muttered. "Arrest him not kill him. There has been more than enough of that."

"I love you." Kusanagi whispered in his ear. "Brave. Clever. A man with a poet's soul and okay in bed."

"Okay?!" Booker cried out and winced. "I will show you okay when we get back to the Numenor." He promised thinking of the only place he considered home. The superyacht had been loaned to him by Nick but quickly became more than that. Booker had developed a love of the sea and whether calm or stormy it had captured his heart.

Her lips found his. The kiss was soft and fleeting. "Do you love me?" Booker eyes filled with tears and she held him as the damn burst. "Ask a silly question."

Garrett, Niamh, and Qadira searched the rest of the first floor. They followed the wet footprints while they lasted. Garrett cursed when they suddenly ended. He squatted down to get a better look. His hand brushed the floor and a bright blue-white spark crackled to life and was strong enough to knock him backward and on his ass. He shook out his right arm and rubbed his numb digits.

"What the hell was that?" He asked as the ladies helped him to his feet.

"Static electricity?" Niamh offered.

"On a concrete floor?" Qadira added with a shrug.

"Let us find Jason. I have some questions for him and his solicitor." Garrett growled his arm still numb.

The trio meticulously searched the first floor leaving Mag's office for last. The Commissioner knocked on the door. It would not do to begin things aggressively. Mags was pacing back and forth and yelled for them to come in. She settled and kept the desk between her guests and herself.

"Garrett." Mags greeted him jovially despite the severity of the situation.

"I did not see you at Pendergrass' funeral." He said gauging her reaction. "Considering how close the two of you were. Maybe my hunch that you murdered him was right. Guilty conscious?"

"I wanted to, but I couldn't." She replied and the way she said it was not someone who was emotionally detached and did not go. No, this sounded to his experienced ear someone who physically could not be there.