After the Second Fall

The Executive Director would have been an imposing figure to nearly anybody, being only two fingers shorter than John, but he had known her for his entire life, so it was only her intellect that actually intimidated him. "Good, Cass, thank you. How is life at the head of the table?" he asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping. "Everything you hoped?"

She smiled ruefully. "It is what I expected, and that is enough. What do you think of our two new paths of study?"

Familiar as he was with her, John had the sense to remain guarded. "Truth be told, I don't think either will yield positive results."

"Nor I. Do you know why we will proceed regardless?"

"No, ma'am."

"Because they might. Small advantages are so crucial in matches now, we must look under every stone, even if we have done so before.

"John, consider the four foremost world powers: ourselves, Northumberland, Gracia, and Marbelo; over the last decade, do you know the actual win percentages for matches among these four cities?" John shook his head.

"Northumberland is best, winning fifty-two percent of matches; Marbelo is worst, winning forty-seven percent of their matches. Against the rest of the world, our four cities win more than eighty percent of the time. What does this say to you?"

John, unsure of the point to which she was building, opted to stay silent.

"It means that there is, practically speaking, no difference between us and our closest antagonists. For any given match, we expect the chance of victory to be equivalent to the chance of defeat. Consequently, there are only little changes: borders swap back and forth so often that the impacted people hold no particular allegiance. Meanwhile, trade amongst the four languishes due to lack of trust, so that each of us lack adequate food and water, medicine is scarce, and most of the population grows up uneducated.

"Now I want you to imagine one of those nations with a decisive advantage. Think of what could happen if one power could rise up above the others. You know that a better standard is possible for the world; this is evident when one walks around the Complex. We simply do not have the means to feed, clothe, and care for almost one hundred thousand people, but if we had the resources of the surrounding area, this would be much more achievable."

John was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as the Executive Director continued her soliloquy, starting to get a sense of where she was going. When she wound down, he tentatively ventured, "Yes, I can see how circumstances are frustrating for one in your position."

"I expect so," she returned. "I also expect that you will do anything in your power to improve the lives of so many. Am I correct?"

Sensing a trap, John deferred. "What can I do?"

"You can start by telling me about your charge."

John willed himself to stay calm, surreptitiously slowing his breathing to maintain his heart's current cadence. "Of course, what would you like to know?"

"John, I have known you since you were born, so don't act dense. I know that Pip is different, but not how or why."

He paused, weighing his options. "How much do you already know?" She gave him a warning look, so he quickly added, "It's just that I don't want to waste your time on details that you are already familiar with."

"I have nothing more important to do than this, John."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and started recounting what he knew about Pip. He started with his observation from the fight with Hammer, provided overviews of his conversations with Directors Humbolt and Collins, the training with Max, and also his own conclusions from the fight with Ranger. He went on to describe his most recent conversation with Dr. Shepard, but specifically did not mention anything about Pip's altered perception of time. "There are more details, of course, but that's most of it."

The Executive Director was quiet for some time. "You did excellent work, John. I doubt other handlers would have identified Pip's promise from that first fight, and I am certain that none would have risked their charges as you did. Do you personally think this increase in ability is genetic?"

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"If that is the case, it should be possible to create more like him. Do you agree?"

John considered before replying, "In theory, yes, but I'm not sure it will actually happen. My hesitation is because Pip wasn't meant to be different, or so I'm told, and the doctors in R&D still haven't managed to explain why. If I had to, I would guess that something happened prior to fertilization, but I couldn't tell you what."

The Executive Director stared at him emotionlessly, waiting for him to continue. John, having told her his honest opinion, stared back. "Very well," she said at last. "I will have Director Jacobs reexamine the files surrounding the fertilization. Thank you for your time, John."

"Thank you, ma'am," John said before leaving the room. Back in the hallway, he found Max, once again waiting for him.

"Did you crack?"

"Like an egg," John replied, feeling quite exhausted, "but I held a little back. What's more, I think I managed to convince her that Pip is unique; that should keep anyone from getting any ideas about experimenting on him."

"Hmm. So what now?"

"Keep doing what you're doing, just tone it back some. I have a strong sense that Pip's going to see the Arena -- big 'A' -- before too long, but we will have some notice. Keep pushing, but don't burn him out."

"You're the boss."

"Yeah, that'll be the day."

Shortly thereafter, John was standing outside Director Collins' office door. After knocking, he was quickly invited into the room for their prearranged meeting. "So you survived the interrogation -- how bad is it?"

John, who hadn't yet made it to a chair, stopped mid-stride. "Well... it could have been worse."

"That's not particularly encouraging. Did she change our plans?"

"You mean, did she veto using Pip as your poster child? No -- it didn't come up, actually; but I did tell her most of what we know, excluding the whole time thing."

"Really?" Lilith asked, surprised. "How did you manage that? Any time she stares me down, I sing like a songbird."

John finally reached his chair. "I tell her the truth, just not all of it. Besides, I've known her always, so she's not quite so scary to me."

"Yeah, so tell me about that -- why do you know her?"

John replied casually, "It's not really that complicated. There aren't that many of us that had Adams for fathers. Her majesty is about five years older than me, and looked out for me when I was growing up."

"Okay, but what's with the 'her majesty' thing, and also, how much looking out for did you really need? You had to be the biggest in your class by a lot."

John sat back, surprised at the personal nature of the questions. "Okay. Let's start with the second question.

"You're right, of course, that nobody really intimidated me physically, but kids are observant, and I didn't look like the others. I don't know that it was anything intentional, and I did have some friends, but I felt like an outsider growing up. Cass helped me to come to terms with that over time; sometimes it was listening, or giving advice, pretty much like a big sister."

"Cass?"

John shrugged off her interruption and kept going. "As for the first question, I've called her that for a long time. In the same way she took being an honorary big sister seriously, I did my best to annoy the hell out of her. It was always obvious she would go far, so somewhere in my early teens I started calling her that. Sometimes it just comes out now when I'm not thinking about it. For what it's worth, that probably means I trust you," John finished with a self-conscious grin.

Lilith was actually touched. "Thanks, John -- that means quite a lot to me, especially since we haven't really known each other for very long."

The two looked at each other, grins breaking out on their faces. John found himself staring at her pink lips, wondering if she colored them, or if that was their natural tone; against her pale skin, they were striking. Moving his gaze up to her eyes, he was drawn into their depth, the deep gray shade reminding him of an approaching thunderhead. His smile increased, thinking that 'stormy' fit her personality well.

"What?" she asked self-consciously, her smile faltering.

John shook his head, still smiling. "Sorry, got lost there for a moment." Lilith cocked an eyebrow, but John decided to pretend he didn't notice. "So... any concerns about moving forward with your plan?"

Lilith didn't look convinced, but also decided to let it go. "Actually, no. The Council meeting couldn't have gone better for us, or for Pip. They're so focused on what this means for the program that they're going to leave him alone."

"Well," interjected John, "that's not entirely correct. The Council doesn't care, but the Executive Director does, and I think she sees Pip as a key piece of her plans."

"Fuck," Lilith exhaled.

"Yeah, not ideal."

"She'll put him in real matches?"

"Almost certainly, if I understood her right." Before Lilith could get too excited, he continued, "But I told you this would happen, or at least that it probably would. This might move up the timetable, but maybe not much else. For now, Pip will keep training with Max, and you'll have him for your purposes, as well."

Lilith sat back, crossed her arms, and partially closed her eyes, deep in thought. Eventually, she nodded, mostly to herself, "We can make this work. I don't think I ever really thought Pip would fight in the Arena, but it will give him a chance to become a real life superhero. Do you think it would be just once?"

John shook his head sadly. "Not unless he is so beat up he can't stay in the program, like Max. Given Pip's size, I don't think that's very likely. If he gets hit hard enough to do that, he's probably not going to survive."

"So what happens then? He'll fight until he dies?"

John shrugged. "That's generally the idea. Keep in mind, though, that our Adam is a little different -- he may have a really long run, and that's why her majesty is so keen on him."

"Well... shit," Lilith said, frustrated. "I guess we'll need to build him up quickly then. How much of his time can I have?"

John gave his characteristic shrug. "I'm leaving his training from this point on up to Max; talk with him, then talk with Pip. As long as your demands are reasonable," Lilith glared at him, "it should be fine."

"John, I'm going to make Pip the most famous person in the city. I know you're not entirely convinced, but this will be really good for him: it will give him something besides his pending death to think about. You told me earlier about feeling isolated from your peers; I would imagine Pip feels the same. He's not a regular man, and yet he doesn't look entirely like an Adam. Think what improving his self image will do for his confidence -- he'll walk into every fight knowing that he's the best."

"Point taken, Lilith, but don't go too far. Pip needs to maintain adequate respect for his opponents, or he'll get caught off-guard."

"I thought that was Max's job," Lilith quipped.

Outmaneuvered, John gaped at her for a moment, then grinned. "So it is."

"John, tell me you'll support me in this and not just give lip service," Lilith said seriously. "Pip trusts you more than anyone, as he should, and this won't work if he's not fully on board."

John's first instinct was to immediately confirm his support, but he decided to thoroughly think through the implications. Reaching a decision, he looked back to Lilith, who might have been holding her breath. "I will support you, but you need to give Pip some control. Talk with him about your ideas, and listen to his. If you make him a partner, he'll get behind it -- he's a sharp kid, and I think he's entirely capable of seeing the bigger picture that you can paint."

Lilith nodded, "Deal."

Chapter 10

"Hello, Director Collins."

"Good morning, Pip. Excited to be here?"

"Yes, ma'am -- I've been looking forward to getting started."

Lilith looked up at him skeptically.

"John and I had a long talk after you stopped by yesterday, and I think this could be fun. I'm still not entirely convinced I'm the best choice, but you're the expert," said Pip smiling. "I promise I'll do my best to be whatever you need."

Lilith was pleasantly surprised and nodded. "I tell you what, Pip -- you just be you, and the rest will work itself out, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. So what are we doing today?"

"Today is actually pretty straightforward. We need some publicity photos, introduction videos, and the like. I have a team through that door," she said, pointing to the entrance of the dressing suite, "that will figure out how to polish up your look and get you prepped. I'll warn you now that today is going to be a long day; I hope you're ready for it."

"I guess we'll see, ma'am," said Pip.

Much later, Pip walked wearily into his room, kicking off his shoes as he passed the threshold, and fell face down onto his mattress. Just as he started to drift off, a knock at the door roused him.

Rosie entered the room, shutting the door behind her. "Hi, Pip. You look worn out." Pip's reply was lost in his pillow, seeing as how he hadn't bothered to lift his head. "Poor little Adam," cooed Rosie as she climbed onto the bed and started rubbing his back. "Was Lilith mean to you?"

Pip rolled over, careful not to squash his lovely therapist. "I had no idea I could be this tired. She was harder on me than Max or John have ever been." Rosie gave him a mocking look, then broke into a broad smile, stealing Pip's breath. "You are so beautiful, Rosie," he said softly.

Rosie blushed, but didn't turn away. "Thanks, Honey. Do you want to tell me about your day?"

"Not really -- there was primping and prodding, wardrobe changes, posing, acting... it wasn't bad, it was just a lot, especially given that it's all new."

Rosie looked at Pip more closely; the haircut was obvious when she first walked in: his unruly curls had been trimmed short on the back and sides of his head, but left longer on top, finding a wonderful balance between clean-cut and mischievous. His skin, however, also looked different -- almost blemish free, and slightly darker than before. While her eyes wandered, memorizing details, she noticed a black line peaking out from the back of his right shirt sleeve. Pip saw where she was staring and looked away shyly. "It was Lilith's idea. She said it would up the sex factor, whatever that means. She also thought it would appeal to the more patriotic people in the city; she's trying to make me into a symbol."

"Can I see it?" Rosie said quietly.

Pip sat up and pulled his shirt off self-consciously, setting it aside. As the large black design came into view, Rosie gasped and put her hand to her mouth. On Pip's right pectoral was an intricately drawn spider, clearly derived from the symbol of Rieckenburg. The arachnid was perched on its web, which covered most of his chest and wrapped around his right shoulder. The webbing connected to branches at his left shoulder that continued around to his back. Rosie made a twirling motion with her finger and Pip rolled over, showing that the design wrapped all the way around. Starting at his waist and covering his entire back was a large tree with branches that extended to both shoulders, where the off-center web attached. Like the spider, the tree itself was left mostly unshaded; it ended abruptly at the base of Pip's neck, and looked shattered, as if struck by lightning. Despite the macabre tone, the drawing was not overly dark, allowing most of Pip's skin to be visible.

"It's amazing," she said when she got her breath back.

Pip rolled over so he could see her. "It's not permanent yet. I told Director Collins that I wanted two more opinions before they actually do the tattoo. She agreed, but insisted that they lay out the whole design for the promotional stuff today. So, do you like it?"

Rosie looked him directly in the eyes, unwavering. "Pip, it's so perfect for you: it's scary and beautiful at the same time."

"Do you think Maggie will like it, too?"

"No doubt in my mind," replied Rosie. "Do you need an answer tonight?"

"Tomorrow will be fine, but the Director wanted to make a decision soon, so they can either use the material from today or not. Thinking about it now, I think she wanted to put pressure on my to go ahead with it so I wouldn't have to repeat today," Pip said admiringly. "Sneaky."

Rosie had begun delicately tracing the lines on his chest, as if she was afraid she would break the spider's web. "What else did they do?"

Pip took a deep breath, remembering. "They started with the haircut, then used some chemical rub to remove the other hair, then --"

"Hold on there, mister," Rosie cut in. "All of the hair?" Pip reddened and nodded. "That explains why your chest is so smooth -- I didn't put it together. What about... down there?"

Pip turned even redder and nodded again. "They didn't give me much of a choice; something about outlines."

Rosie raised her eyebrows. "I wonder what kind of photos they're taking. How was that?"

"Honestly," said Pip, "it was pretty embarrassing. When Megan was working on me, I got a little... bigger."

"Megan, huh?" asked Rosie, arching her eyebrow. "And what did Megan think about your growth."

Pip quickly regained the color he had been losing, "She didn't say anything, but she seemed to be touching me a lot, maybe a little more than necessary."

Rosie smiled wickedly. "Touching you -- like this?" she said, moving her hand up and down the front of his shorts.

Pip fell backward with a groan, causing the entire bed to bounce when he hit. "Sort of," he replied with his eyes closed, "but I wasn't wearing anything because they were doing it all."

"Of course," said Rosie, tugging down his shorts. Pip lifted his hips and was soon lying fully exposed. "So, like this," she said confidently, wrapping her hand most of the way around him. Pip groaned again, louder this time.

"Did you like it?" she asked. "Did you enjoy that Megan was being naughty?" Pip didn't reply, but his physiological reaction gave Rosie her answer. "Did you finish?" she asked in a breathy whisper.

Pip shook his head immediately. "Good boy," she whispered in a husky tone, increasing her efforts.

When his release came, finally, Pip moaned Rosie's name aloud. The eroticism of the moment overcame her, and she tackled a still stunned Pip, kissing him passionately. When he came back to himself and found that he was under an unrelenting assault, he simply picked Rosie up and tossed her on her back. Clearly surprised by the sudden turn, Rosie shrieked in the air, then giggled when he rolled over so that his arms were on either side of her. The size mismatch was so enormous that Pip was all Rosie could see, no matter where she looked. The helplessness gave her a moment of panic, but Pip quickly moved down, kissing her lips, then her neck, then her collar bone. As he moved down, exploring her in detail for the first time, Rosie's short-lived anxiety was entirely replaced by lust.

When he reached her middle, he lifted her without warning, pulled down her skirt and threw it across the room. Now laid bare, Rosie had to fight the instinct to cover up -- how could she live up to this beautiful, sexual, sensual Adam? Then she looked down into his eyes, saw the adoration there, and let her doubts go.

Pip planted kisses around her navel, then continued downward while gently stroking her thigh with his larger fingers. His breath against her hair caused Rosie to take a sharp intake of breath, which was expelled with a shriek when his lips then found hers. Pip continued to explore, luxuriating in the intimacy, not stopping until Rosie was entirely exhausted.