A Pearl Before Swine Pt. 04 Ch. 11-14

"Hey, I couldn't find anything on the roof. You look like you've seen something. What?"

"ELM" he stammered "something to do with this elm tree." He began to desperately dash around the base of the tree, looking at every root, branch, and leaf visible to his eyesight. "No, no, no, we're too late. Its already 7:53."

"Hey, Evan. You better take a look at this" Sierra said calmly but with a sense of urgency. Evan ran over to her and she pointed out the pattern of shadows cast by the branches. The moonlight penetrated to the floor in a blurry but distinctive pattern.

"Numbers" Evan breathed. He pulled out his holo-pad and began writing them as they began to fade. "1-6-8-2-6-4-2-6-8-3-1. It spells out the seal. Eleven digits with seals, IT'S THE RECORDS OFFICE!" He dropped his holo pad as a massive wave of energy and release rolled over him. "'The soft cover through the haze, will vanish in a flash.' It was another Neptune cursed metaphor for my lack of knowledge!"

"Shall vanish" she corrected him. "So you think that number applies to files in the record office? Why would someone shape the branches to spell out that number. It would take years, and it would only work when the moonlight was shining from a particular angle."

"My mother went to the records office all the time. Their file system uses an eleven digit identifier. Also, I don't have a clue how or why this the clue led me here. I am continuing to realize that this person is completely crazy."

They sat on the edge of the ramparts looking out at the night sky. "I see why you like it here" he said softly so as not to disturb the peace. "Its beautiful." She only glanced over and stared at him with unreadable eyes. "What?" he asked. She just stared for another moment.

Then she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "I guess the world isn't completely devoid of hope after all" he thought to himself as he let himself relax for the first time in a long time.

Chapter 13: It Plots

It was never going to be easy. Taking control of a massive operation would have been a monumental task in of itself, but now...

"Neptune curse these fools" spat Angler Leader as he tried to organize his reconnaissance teams to coordinate their infiltration missions. Thousands of documents had to be altered or planted in order to assure that there was a significant trail that proved the hidden existence of his new terrorist cell. Police reports, business transactions, undercover operation, all had to be forged and developed in a coordinated manner not to mention the dozens of missions he had to send out to prepare secret bases, hidden caches of loot, and other facets of any good undercover group. All this while guarding an a large number of increasingly unruly prisoners. The current state of Angler team made this difficult.

The new Angler 2 had given herself a new name. She took the foul rumors that began to circulate now that she was no longer in power and twisted them into her new moniker: Vicious. The fear quickly repressed any dissent the rest of the team might have had with her. She was unwilling to accept any position other than leadership, and she had continued to wrestle unofficial control away from him.

The truth was, he was scared and not just of her intimidating presence. His hold on power was tenuous at best. He may have been placed in command, but the same people that bestowed such power upon him were also sending them all on a mission and leaving them to rot. The moment he truly contested Vicious for control, he would either gain or lose absolutely. That was not a bet he was willing to take right now.

As it was, she trod all over him with every opportunity. Her normal arrogant lectures turned into constant attacks. Every order he gave was undermined, every plan he made was ridiculed, and all the while, his operatives flocked to her side. Currently she was sending out her own missions to break in and destroy the merchandise of several prominent businesses. Angler Leader hit his desk as he sat in a meeting of less than half of the officers that were ordered to attend. He could not complete his mission like this.

Taking a break from the madness, he stepped into the courtyard to assess the Axolotl. The Angel still held vigil over the cage to keep her in check. Angler Leader wondered if her body did not need sleep.

The perverted angel was giving several grunts the time of their lives. The cage was open, and the naked creature within squirmed in discomfort. One man lay in her slime at the head of the cage. He was naked, and he was busy grinding his crotch toward what Angler Leader assumed was the creatures mouth. It was difficult to tell from behind the muscular backside thrusting into the slime.

The second man lay underneath her. The activity there was plain to see. His impressive length was buried in her translucent passage. It looked small compared to her enhanced size, but the pink blur buried itself in her lower torso over and over again with a squelch. The man underneath poked his head out of the slime to take a breath then groaned. A white spurt could be seen injecting inside the Axolotl before dissipating into the milky white tissue of her belly.

Angler Leader walked up to the Angel and snapped her out of whatever mental torture she was applying. "This one will need to be used soon. I need her functional" he demanded.

"Don't worry yourself ... Leader" she mocked. "She'll be ready whenever I make her, and besides, you wont be needing her for long."

He couldn't tell if she was referencing how much damage the Axolotl could do quickly or how short his career was quickly becoming. He stormed off to find something else to busy himself with. He considered visiting Alina, but she was unlikely to be receptive to any conversation, and any more association would look suspicious.

Instead he walked into the meeting that Vicious was holding with all of HIS officers. Most of them gave guilty or nervous starts when he entered the room. Vicious just sneered at him.

"Well look who's late. You never would have done that when you were just another soldier rising in the ranks. You're losing your touch." She continued to hold the meeting while making a cutting remark at him at every opportunity. Angler Leader just stood in the back stoically.

At last she paused. He knew where this was going. She had planned to make some big picture statements about what Angler team was REALLY going to be doing over the next few days. He wasn't stupid. Whatever she was doing, she wasn't betraying the organization. She wasn't stupid either. She was planning on turning his plan into something that could be used to preserve her position.

She paused, but continued anyways while staring at him. "It is almost time. At midnight tomorrow, the creature will be unleashed." He said nothing. The creature was not supposed to be unleashed for at least a week. He needed more time to execute his plan properly. "It will be released at the heart of Sector 1, but not in the Commercial zone. It will be released in the Light zone.

The room was still quiet, but everyone began to steal glances at each other to see if they were all as surprised. A sense of nervousness overtook the room. The Commercial zone was a general term for the dozens of stories full of stores and consumer traffic. The Light zone was much higher in the maze of skyscrapers. It was for the elite. High level business and government took place in the grand offices and penthouses there. Many of the members of the organization did business there as well. If the creature got out of control and hit the wrong thing... No, there had to be a greater plan.

"The bosses want us to be a distraction, but they don't realize the truth. The secret is over. The game has begun. The gears have already begun to turn. Our secrets are already being dug up. Several of our compatriots have been captured and their businesses upended. The bosses think we can hide until it blows over, but the smartest among them have already realized that this will never blow over. They have predicted that we will eventually be forced to make our moves openly, and by hiding, we only weaken our hand." She set her eyes back on Angler Leader daring him to interrupt. He refused.

"We are going to become a far greater distraction than they anticipate. HERE," she pulled out an encrypted message, "I have word from the vice governor himself that our new operation is to cause untold devastation. We are going to unleash hell on a scale not seen since the Powered Wars! With the city in chaos, the organization can finally strike, and we will no longer be martyrs. We will be welcomed back with open arms."

The consensus was clear. No more tricky nuance, no more of a plan where prison was the best case scenario. The tides had turned in her favor. "Oh and one more thing. This meeting, these people, our salvation will no longer be known as the Anglers. Now we are something greater. Our terrorist agenda is fake, but its motives still ring true. Now we are the Dark Sun."

"Of course she had friends in high places" thought the Angler as he watched his power slip away. "You may have won this round, but I am not finished yet."

She walked past him on the way out of the room. At his side, she paused and looked at him. "Got anything to say?" Every eye in the room turned to stare. The message was clear. She had pushed the advantage to the breaking point. He could either stand here, demand obedience, and win or lose, or allow her to take everything he had dreamed of before he got a chance to use it.

He conceded. He bowed his head and stood aside. "The plan is sound."

She gave him a victorious smirk and delivered the punchline. "Tomorrow the Angel unleashes the beast. And you will have the honor of opening the cage." The rest of the officers filed out of the room. Some looked sheepishly at him while others avoided his gaze entirely. No longer a leader, the Angler glowered darkly at his rapidly declining options.

He still had one more hand to play.

Chapter 14: Dark Secrets on a Twisted Path

It was a cold night, but at least it wasn't foggy. It was nearly Neptune Day, so the owner of this fine establishment was away from home tending his series of bars. The house was small by rich businessman standards, but it had a certain appeal. The carpet was lush, the automated service appliances were fast, and the low hung ceilings gave it a cozy feel. The real wood fireplace was toasty and warm.

Too warm. Under the sofa in the living room, a Pearl waited in silence. She had not anticipated the houseowner's delay in returning home. She shifted uncomfortably in the warm drafts of air. At last the businessman returned, and he was not alone. This was exactly what she was waiting for.

His suede shoes and velvet pant legs passed in front of her face. Two more pairs of shoes followed. The businessman was a portly fellow who spent too much time at the establishments he owned. He sat down in his overburdened chair with a whoosh, and laughed at a joke he made that was clearly only funny to someone inebriated. The second man was huge. When he sat on the sofa Pearl was hiding under, she thought it was about to collapse and crush her. She could only see his feet, but they were encased in boots so large, the had to have been a custom order. The sheen of Alligator skin only confirmed that notion.

It was the third man she was interested in. He also sat on the sofa between the Giant and the Portly Fellow's chair. His ordinary business shoes were much smaller and narrower than the other two. His legs were skinny and he walked with the distinctive motions of a stickman. Unlike Portly, his voice held no trace of liquor.

Their conversation was casual at first. Portly indulged in fantastical stories of his youth, and Twigs obliged him patiently. The Giant never spoke at all. Finally the conversation turned to something worth spying on.

"Are you set for the transition?" Twigs asked.

Portly downed another glass of wine before responding. "I'll be alright. Bars will always be in demand, so I've got nothing to worry about."

"What happens when they demand you cease your other activities?" Twigs mention of a 'they' was very interesting. "They are very particular about associating any risk with the business. Especially now."

"Relax friend" Portly laughed, unaware of the danger in his companion's voice. "I'll handle my end like I always have, and they won't be complaining when I am their only stable source of income in half the sector! Now, would the good arbiter like a sampling?" He must have made some motion, because at that moment, the door burst open with a round of giggling. Three pairs of high heeled feet marched into view. They set down trays of drinks, and split up amongst the fireplace trio. "Gentlemen! A treat."

Their bare legs stretched up as far as Pearl could see from her limited position. She cursed silently. She was about to make her move to take Twigs into custody for questioning, but now there were too many innocents around. Although innocents may be a gross mischaracterization.

There was plenty of giggling and squirming from the lady on Portly's lap. She had kicked off her shoes and turned to face him with her legs around his waist. At one point she leaned back, and the back of her pink hair and dress fell into Pearl's view. Her dress must have unbuttoned in the front, because it slumped onto the floor along with her bra. Pearl could only imagine what parts of Pink he was suckling on to make those slurping sounds.

On the other side of the fireplace, a woman in a baby blue miniskirt had sunk to her knees between the Giant's legs. Pearl needed no imagination to understand what was making those slurping sounds. "By Neptune's Palace" Blue said with awe as she took a breath. "You're a real life monster aren't you." The Giant reached his hand under her skirt and lifted the entire dress off. Her underwear was quickly shed, and she shrieked as he grabbed her by the legs and lifted her into the air. Her long blonde hair was the only thing Pearl could see. It rhythmically bounced up and down as the Giant presumably raised and lowered her mouth onto his giant parts. Her moans indicated where the bottom (or in this case top) half of her was.

The girl on Twigs' lap was wearing a long rather modest yellow dress. Unlike the others, he appeared to be making no moves to engage in physical activity.

A piercing shriek broke the air as something happened to Blue after she was picked up out of Pearl's sight. A rapid stream of sexualized curses filled the air, and Portly and his girl stopped their canoodling for a second to cheer encouragement. Pearl renamed the blonde haired Blue to Screamer as her vocal performance continued although she assumed that most girls would have a similarly loud reaction to being split in half by the Giants apparently proportional log.

"OH, OOOH, OOH, OOOOOOOOH, OOOOOOOOOOH, YES, AAAIIIGGGH, YESSSS, OOOOH, YOU'RE SO HUUUUUUGE!" Screamer continued to live up to her new name, and her voice began to wobble with each outburst. "BREAK ME, OOOOOOH, BREAK ME, OOOOOAAAAAAGGGHHH, HARDER, OOOOOOOOOOO, HARDER, PLEEEEEASSSEEE!" That last utterance was pitched so high it nearly broke the wineglasses.

With a final scream that Pearl thought was worthy of some sort of Porn Oscar, Screamer came apart at the seams. Her voice was filled with wild abandon and gave away the complete lack of control of all her mental functions. "OOOOOOOOH, I AM TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEEEDDDDDDDDDD!" With that she flopped to the floor in an unconscious puddle.

"Careful with that" said Twigs calmly. "We don't want to upset our host prematurely." Portly had risen from his chair, but he was oblivious to his surroundings. Pink was bent over the armrest squealing as he rutted into her from behind. Twigs' voice rang out softly again. "Have you had your fun?"

The Giant may have nodded, but Pearl only saw his legs as he rose from the sofa. Twigs also stood, and he passed Yellow off to the Giant. Pearl began to wonder what was going on when two shots rang out. Yellow screamed in horror, and the Pig and his Pink fucktoy fell to the floor. A third shot rang out as the Blue body of the blonde took another silenced bullet.

In the enclosed room, the shots were deafening, even through the silencer. Pearl couldn't see exactly what happened, but she clearly saw the bodies on the floor.

"Sorry madam, but your employer failed to realize his own insignificance" Twigs stated before leveling the gun at Yellow. As the fourth shot rang out, everyone in the room was stunned to see the bullet ricochet off a glowing blur.

Pearl stood between gun and it's target draped in her spare costume. She raised her eyes to meet the shocked look on Twigs' face. Bullets could not penetrate her suit or skin, but they weren't exactly cotton balls either. Pearl let no trace of her pain invade her murderous expression. She silently thanked Neptune as the Giant merely threw Yellow to the side in order to engage her.

"Deal with her" Twigs rasped with the first real emotion entering his voice. He bolted for the door as the Giant swung a haymaker at Pearl's back. As she stopped the punch midair with her own hand, she briefly thought about targeting Twigs, but she couldn't leave Yellow here to die.

She nimbly stepped back to draw the Giant away from Yellows downed body. His second punch collapsed the fireplace, and his third broke the sofa down the middle. He lunged toward her with arms outstretched, but she delivered a single devastating blow to the side of his head. His entire body crumpled and crushed the chair Portly used to be sitting in. He had neglected to button up his fly, and his massive privates flopped out of his pants. Even spent, his size sent Pearl into a state of awe. "Neptune's trident" she whispered as she felt a stirring in her loins.

She delivered Yellow to a nearby marketplace, and attempted to track down Twigs. He was skilled at disappearing, and she quickly lost the trail. Realizing he was probably smart enough to avoid any locations that were of interest to her, she went back to the crime scene to tail the Giant instead. She found some smelling salts in an expansive massage room and placed them under his nose. It took a while, but he eventually awoke and stumbled off into the night.

To her surprise, he didn't travel towards the lower levels of the city. Instead, he began to ascend. He travelled by bullet bike towards the upper levels of Sector 1. There were far fewer roads and bridges between the skyscrapers this high up, and Pearl found it more difficult to keep behind him while staying out of sight. Eventually he reached an expensive parking lot full of experimental hover-jets and took one towards the sheer face of an industrial tower. A door opened up out of the steel wall, and he was transported inside.

Pearl swore. How was she supposed to get there? For better or worse, she walked up to the hover-jets. If they had any decent level of security, the alarms would ruin her entire operation. She closed her eyes and hit the power button. It started. She had no idea how to control the thing, but the Giant hadn't even had his hands on the control panel. She pressed the "preprogramed" button and selected the only available option labeled "1". The platform lurched and she held on for dear life. It moved her slowly over a several hundred meter drop to the opening orifice in the steel.

Once inside she stared breathlessly at the sight. It wasn't full of offices, penthouses, or even any sort of industrial processes. It was a lab. It looked brand new. Every surface was shiny and white, and not a scratch or fingerprint blemished the pristine sheen. Pearl figured that the novelty of this laboratory was the only reason the security was so lacking. It almost looked unfinished.