Daughter, Lover, Superheroine Ch. 12

This story is set in Paragon City, taken from the former MMO game City of Heroes. All place names, hero names and registered trademarks belong to their rightful legal owners and are not intended as copyright infringement in any way. This work is purely meant as a piece of entertainment, and not for commercial purposes in any way, shape or form.

The precursor to this series is entitled "Mom the Superheroine".

Ancient Greece, Thebes, circa 430BCE

CREON:

So, it is true what my servant has said.

You are not dead, but you instructed

the messengers to convey false report

to our ears that you hanged yourself.

IOCASTE:

Who is that which speaks? Who is that who has found me

and will not give me peace? Is that you, Creon, my brother,

beloved of Apollo who has brought this horror upon our house?

CREON:

Do not dishonor the gods as you have

dishonored yourself, wretched woman.

How did you convince Oedipus that you had perished?

He took the golden pins from your hair

and drove them deep into his eyeballs. Blind

Oedipus will see no more. The last thing

he saw was your hanged corpse. But here you are.

IOCASTE:

That was the last use of my art

that I permitted myself. Henceforth

I will use my power no more, for it

has brought me nothing but woe.

Lament and ruin are upon me and all my house.

CREON:

Well that you have banished yourself here,

to this cave in the wilderness, where the gods

will give you whatever fate they deem you deserve.

Better that you were dead. Better for your

ill-born daughters not to know you for a mother.

I have taken them into my care.

Antigone and Ismene will henceforth learn to

honor the gods as you never did, sister.

I and the council of elders will have dispensation

of their lives. They will live under my proper guidance.

IOCASTE:

My heart chills within me to hear your words.

Ever have you been a tyrannous man, brother,

like the gods you serve with such devotion.

I weep for my daughters; nonetheless,

I cannot gainsay you. My own perversions

lie heavy on my heart. They are chains

binding my arms and legs. I am filled with

foul and filthy things, and there is no place for me in the sun.

CREON:

I do not like to speak harsh words, but

in this you speak rightly, Iocaste.

IOCASTE:

O Creon! I wish to condemn you for

your false tongue. But my own tongue

falters and my words die within me.

I am not better than you in this.

CREON:

How is it possible, sister, that you did not

know your own son as he lay with you in

the bed, plowing your womb, filling

his own birthing chamber with his seed?

I have not understood this. Your story is

now being told all about the city.

Oedipus weeps bitter tears from the sockets

of his empty eyes. That he did not know you

for his mother, I can well believe, since he never

saw you. But a mother knows her child

as surely as the gods know the souls they made.

Did you see nothing of yourself or

unfortunate Laius in the cast of his face,

in his voice, his manner and bearing?

IOCASTE:

Do not press me any further, brother.

Have I not been punished enough?

CREON:

I will have the truth from you, O cursed woman.

IOCASTE:

You will have my life's blood from me.

You will wring from me all the suffering

you can desire. Very well. I will reveal truth

to you. I had some uncertain vision of it.

There was some likeness in the mien

of my son's face as he stood gazing out

upon the city he ruled justly and wisely.

His eyes were like his father's, kind

as yours never were. The sounds of his

voice as we made our children together

were not unlike those of his father, but

of altogether a sweeter timbre. He was like his

father, but better. I suspected the truth

before the messengers from Corinth

came with their tidings. Their words

confirmed my fears, that we had not after all

escaped the prophecy of Tiresias. But even so, if

it could have been managed, I would have

wanted Oedipus, my son and my husband,

and my king, to carry on as we had before.

Life is bitter. I wanted whatever sweetness

I could get for myself. Can you not understand?

CREON:

Your words condemn you even more.

IOCASTE:

Have I said otherwise? I cannot live among

civilized people with my knowledge of who

I am, but neither can I die, for death

itself is a sweet mercy that I do not deserve.

Let me drink from the waters of Lethe

only after I have felt in full the burden of my

wrongdoings. Would you not call this justice?

CREON:

I call nothing just which the gods have not

ordained just, but I feel within myself that

what you say is right. Yet you are a sorceress,

a secret I have kept for your sake all these years.

I am now to rule, and I shall do so with

due dignity and authority. How do I know

that you will not have a change of heart,

and turn your art against me?

IOCASTE:

By this token you shall know, brother.

Behold, I have made these chains

with my torment and anguish hard and heavy

as iron from the earth. Behold, they

encircle my wrists, and I can work

no power. See how they glow with the light

reflected from Apollo's sun, a glow that

shall not fade, for it will scorch my eyes

in the night, and I shall have no place to

hide from the knowledge of my curse.

With these Shackles I have made, O kingly brother,

I have made you safe from me. When I die,

bury me with these shackles. Let them

stay on my arms forever. For now,

I shall live, and suffer, as is my lot.

CREON:

You have chosen for yourself a most dreadful life.

Yet it is no less than you deserve. For all my

disagreements with Oedipus he was a good king.

His fall makes us less, and you tempted him

with your body. Even at the end, you attempted

to veil the truth from his ears, and silence

his questioning. He sought the truth, and you

sought to keep it from him. I will be a

better king than he was, and a better father

as well to his and your progeny. As for you,

I shall come when you have passed beyond life,

free of pain - if Tartarus does not become your home.

Farewell, sister.

IOCASTE:

O Oedipus, sweet son and lover,

I long to feel you in me again.

With my art I could make it so.

That is why I must never take these

Shackles off. My charms and spells

can only corrupt myself and those I love.

Only the hands of a mother

Who loves her child as I do

But feels none of my guilt

Can hope to be free of these Shackles.

I am not that woman. Let me

Be bound and helpless evermore.

**

Present-day Paragon City, somewhere off the coast of Striga Isle

Cindy heaved a sigh of relief as some familiar forms took shape within the shimmering haze. She smiled in pleasant astonishment. Was that her mom? What had happened to her clothes - why was she topless? And wasn't that Debbie beside her, holding her arm? And it looked like Mercedes had managed to get those Shackles off - good for her. The slender brunette next to her had to be one of her Midnight Club colleagues.

"Hey," she said, and gave them a little wave. "Mercedes, I think this is yours?" She held out the Crown, with its shifting indistinct outline.

Mercedes and the brunette were staring in frank open-mouthed astonishment at her. "Y-you..." the blonde magician stuttered. "You're holding it."

Cindy blinked. "Um, yes. I beat them, as you can see. Here's Hector. And here is your Crown."

"You're touching it."

"... yes?"

Barbara ignored this byplay and rushed straight to Cindy's side.

"Cindy!"

"Mom!"

They crushed each other in a tight, joyful embrace. Cindy threw her arms around Barbara, and as she did so she accidentally let the Crown of Glory slip from her grasp. It fell with a clatter and rolled to a stop right in front of the three magicians.

"Ulp," commented Mercedes, who backed away half a step. The newcomer flinched as well.

"Oops, sorry," said Cindy, her voice slightly muffled - she'd buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck and was kissing it, breathing in her mother's scent. Already she was dismissing the Crown from her mind - it was a Midnight Club problem now.

There was still a psychic residue, though, from the dizzying prospects of possible futures the Crown had shown her... but here was her mother, with her pillowy breasts and strong arms. All else could take a back seat for now!

Mercedes and the brunette busied themselves levitating the Crown without their hands, creating some sort of bubble around it, and placing it carefully into an ornate container that Mercedes produced apparently from thin air. Debbie stood quietly to one side, looking at Cindy and Barbara hugging and cooing over each other.

"You're okay," Barbara's voice cracked. "You're okay. Of course you are."

"Of course I am," Cindy echoed happily. "I'm your daughter. You made me tough."

They shared a loving kiss. Then Cindy began laughing helplessly.

"Mom, how come we're always getting naked or half-naked in front of other people?"

"I'm sure I don't know," Barbara chuckled. She felt giddy with relief and joy. "It just seems to... sort of happen."

"Well, not that I mind," Cindy giggled. She did love her mother's body so, so much... Barbara's big, beefy body with its thick comforting layer of maternal fat was sheer heaven. She pressed up against Barbara's strong bosom, and her hands squeezed and kneaded her mother's shoulders. "Mom, you've been straining at something," she said, concerned. "Your veins are all popping out, and you're sweating all over. What happened?"

"I had to break the magical chain that was stopping Mercedes Sheldon from using her spells," Barbara explained.

Cindy's eyes went wide. "You did? Wow! When I tried, it felt as though there was just no way it could be broken! But you managed it, of course!" She practically glowed with pride, and squeezed her mother's muscles lovingly.

Barbara blushed a little. "I suppose so!" she said. "It was for you, dear. We all thought you were in danger. I suppose we all underestimated you very severely indeed - even me!"

"Oh, it did get a little hairy a few times. But these guys are nothing I can't handle, Mom. I'm your daughter."

Barbara smiled and ruffled Cindy's hair. "Oh, yes. I could not have broken that chain without Debbie's help. She did something - she used some kind of spell to take away my pain, so I could pull harder than I've ever pulled. But I think that meant she took it into herself." She turned to where Debbie was standing and beckoned her over, giving her a warm smile.

Debbie flushed crimson. "Oh... uh... hi, hi again, Cindy... I'm glad you're ok..." The blush went down all the way to her neck, and she looked down and away. It was good to know that Cindy was safe and sound after all the fear and anxiety on her account. But here she was, the hero who was her personal friend and rescuer, in a state of dishabille... again...!She's too sexy for words... and her mom, too!

Cindy stared. "Debbie," she said, "you did that... for my mom?"

**

They both approached her together, and Debbie's heart raced.

Meanwhile, her colleagues were bickering over something or the other, as they attempted to lower the englobed Crown into the chest. They were paying no attention to the three of them. Debbie almost flinched as the two topless superheroines came to stand in front of her.

She had never felt so discomfited. It was as though her arousal was on full naked display. She was abruptly very aware that her engorged nipples were poking through the fabric of her flimsy black tank top, and that she had elected not to wear a bra that day.Poor choice, Debbie! What were you thinking - did you think you were going to seduce Barbara in her own home? Now they're both here, right in front of you, and oh Goddess they're so incredibly sexy, and they're basically naked... all this sexy muscle close enough to touch... I can see the beads of sweat on their skin, oh Goddess...

"She did," Barbara supplied, seemingly oblivion to Debbie's quiet agitation. "Isn't that right, Debbie? You were there, right beside me, doing all kinds of things to lessen my pain... but at your own expense. Are you feeling all right, dear? I know I had to take quite a long time," she said apologetically. "I'm not as strong as my daughter, you see. I'm sorry I made you suffer more because of that."

"Oh... no, no! Barbara, no... it's fine, I'm fine," Debbie spluttered, almost choking as she tried to get the words out. "Cindy, your mother was just magnificent as always. I just... I just did my little bit," she said, looking down again shyly. "To help, I mean. We had to get here quick. Well..." she looked around, "you've taken care of everything here, obviously, but... but I definitely don't regret anything I did," she said quickly. "It was my pleasure. Really... my pleasure."

Cindy stopped the flood of words by stepping forward and enfolding her in a warm full-body hug. "Thank you, Debbie," she said softly.

Debbie's face turned even redder. Her breathing quickened. She could smell Cindy's sweat, feel the strength in her arms...

"Oh! Am I hugging too tightly..."

"Cindy, darling, remember not to squeeze so hard..."

"No! No! It's not that... I'm ok..."

"She's coughing. Oh dear, Debbie, I am so sorry..."

"No, please... it's not that... it was nice... I'm just..." With an effort, Debbie overcame her coughing fit. She'd nearly choked on her own sexual arousal.Score one for you, Debbie! They'll definitely find that so alluring.

"I... I'm just really happy to be here with you both. And that you're all right. And that you got Mercedes's Crown back."

They stood in a small circle, Cindy and Barbara holding hands and smiling at Debbie while she basked in their company. "Again, funny how you're always seeing us without clothes on," Cindy remarked, grinning mischievously. "I hope you don't think these are our regular outfits!"

"Oh, no, of course not!"But wouldn't it be nice, though... their bare torsos are just so fucking beautiful...

"Hey, maybe after all this, the Midnight Club will put in a good word for us with the right people. Then we could afford those Impervium costumes that don't tear. Annette - I mean, Fusionette - was just telling me the other day, that's what her costume is made of now. It's like armor, basically, and all the Vanguard people wear it. I wouldn't say no to that."

"Yes, I'm familiar with Impervium," Barbara nodded. "It would be nice not to have to get new costumes every two weeks," she added wistfully.

"Anyway..." Cindy cleared her throat. "Really, I mean it. You've done a wonderful thing for my mom," she said, going misty-eyed. "And it looks like you've brought help."

"I... didn't really do much..." Debbie mumbled. "I just happened to be there, and... I did what I could.

"It means a lot to us, Debbie," Barbara said gravely, and put her hand gently on Debbie's shoulder. Cindy did likewise with her other shoulder.

Debbie suddenly had to swallow hard and fight down the impulse to try and embrace them both, because what she would really end up doing was to try and smother herself with their breasts and pectoral muscles. And that would hardly be a polite thing to do.

"Oh, yes, let me introduce you," she stammered, grasping at the welcome chance for a change of topic. "This is Ashley McKnight, a fellow Midnighter. Ashley, meet Cindy." She gestured vaguely.

Ashley looked up and gave Cindy a bright smile. "Hello, uh, Battleborn, was it? Nice to meet you. Sorry, I'll just be a minute, we're almost done." She turned back to their arcane labors.

"She's one of our, um, dodgier characters," Debbie confided in a whisper. "Hangs out in the Rogue Isles, with... rough types. We're all associates in the Club, of course, but well... I guess what I'm trying to say is, she's kinda shady, and you both probably don't want much to do with her."

"I heard that, Debbie," Ashley said pleasantly, without looking up. "I'm like, right here."

"Seriously," Debbie muttered. "She is shady as fuck."

"Can't believe I have to fix your runes for you yet again," the brunette grumbled, as Mercedes tucked the chest under her arm. "I think there're good reasons your stuff keeps getting stolen, Mercedes."

"There was nothing the matter with my runes. Your alterations were superfluous. You're just taking the piss, Ashley, as usual," Mercedes snapped peevishly. "Well!" she announced to everyone. "If we're done here..."

"Unfortunately, you are not, Midnighter," a familiar voice rang out.

All five women started, and looked around sharply. "Up there!" the sharp-eyed Ashley cried. "They've surrounded us, up on the gantry!"

"Odysseus, you sly fox! I knew you'd double-cross us!" Mercedes cried angrily.

Indeed, it was him, and this time he was wearing a huge pair of glowing things on his arms that looked like living flame - it did not do justice to call them "gauntlets". He smiled coldly down at the women.

"Well, if that's true, Midnighter, you seem to be woefully unprepared. Now, hand over the Crown, and I will consider letting you go free. I have no wish to do you harm, after all."

"Not a chance!" Mercedes said firmly. "If you think I'll believe that load of codswallop you can bloody well think again." She laughed grimly. "You purblind fool, have you gone completely mental? Look around!"

Mercedes gestured grandiosely at the sprawled bodies all over the place. "Battleborn just single-handedly defeated a hundred of you, including some of your best lieutenants! And now that we're all here, I fear you've severely misjudged the balance of power!" She was attempting too transparently to play for time - her fingers desperately traced faint lines of glowing blue light behind her back, as she attempted to work some intricate spell.

Odysseus looked amused as his small army of jackbooted thugs began jumping down onto the cargo hold floor. "Erstwhile lieutenants," he corrected her pedantically. "Obviously, Hector was such a fool that even with the Crown, he could make no good use of them. A sad waste of manpower. And... mm... a hundred, was it? Yes, I can see that. Good thing for me I brought three hundred." He raised his arms with those terrifyingly huge objects on them. "And the Fists of Vulcan."

There did seem to be an awful lot of the Warriors with Odysseus. Three hundred was probably not a stretch.

"Warriors!" Odysseus roared, jumping down as well and brandishing the aforesaid Fists."Prepare for glory!"

The answering roar was deafening in the enclosed interior space."HOO-AH! HOO-AH! HOO-AH!"

"Give them nothing!" Odysseus's voice rose above the din as the men worked themselves into a battle-frenzy. "But take from them -everything!"

They were five women standing against three hundred men. Cindy had just fought one of the toughest battles of her life, barely minutes ago; Barbara was still reeling from the effort needed to break the Shackles of Iocaste and the aftereffects of doing so; Mercedes had only just regained her magic, and her power reserves were still depleted; Ashley was still incapacitated by the booby-trap left on that fake Key of Hecate, and her power was only starting to trickle back.

That left her: Debbie Dinh, one of the newest initiates into the Midnight Club, barely more than a neophyte, untested in combat.

And yet, as she looked around, she detected no fear on the resolute faces of each of her comrades. Concern, yes, but not fear. The beefy Heroines quickly shooed the magicians in between their bodies, using themselves as meat shields. Ashley raised her hands, furrowing her brow at the splitting headache she still nursed, and began an incantation. Mercedes concentrated on a group teleportation spell that would take a while yet to be cast. Cindy and Barbara bunched up their fists and prepared for a hard, messy melee.