Hunting Season Ch. 06

"Don't Grace, don't struggle. The man who runs this place will hurt you, hurt you badly and I couldn't stand that. Please, please let me help you, let me keep you safe." Tina whispered, then gently kissed Grace on her cheek.

I saw Grace stiffen in shock, she had no idea that Tina was even gay much less had a thing for her. I touched her shoulder and dove into her mind. I navigated the familiar terrain of her consciousness, passing the fear and confusion that she was going through until I found a familiar kitchen table in a small but cozy kitchen.

Grace was sitting there, not Black Bird. A forgotten cup of coffee in her hand as she gazed blankly at the vase of lilies and carnations sitting in the center of the table. In the background, like a TV in a different room, I heard Tina talking. 'Let me help you Grace, let me keep you safe.'

I manifested myself in a pair of grease stained coveralls, with dark but greying hair and a small smirk on my face. 'Hey little bird, what's on your mind?' I asked as I slid into a chair beside her and took her soft hand in my calloused one.

'Dad, I think I'm in trouble. I have been caught, caught by someone bad I think. Ms. Stane is here, she says she is trying to help me but she is acting strange.'

In the real world, Tina kissed and nuzzled the ear and neck of the bound woman. Her hot breath raised goosebumps on Grace's skin as her soft lips traced lines of gentle kisses along the flawless dusky flesh. One hand slid up from where they had clasped behind Grace's back, fingernails tracing the line of her spine up to the nape of he neck to gently caress the back of her head. The other hand slowly, almost hesitantly moved forward, under the raised arm to trace the line of the leather harness that circled her bare breast.

'I'm sorry Grace, I wanted to tell you for so long but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to admit what I was feeling and it cost us both so much.' I heard from the phantom TV as Grace stared at me in her mind.

'I don't know what to do Dad. I'm trapped, my powers are gone, and Ms. Stane is, is...' Grace stammered.

'Kissing you? Telling you that she loves you?' I replied while I squeezed her hand in mine.

'Yes! I mean doesn't she have something more important to think about, like getting us out of here?' Grace replied quickly as she stiffened in her chair.

'Maybe she can't, maybe she is trapped just like you and doesn't know what to do either. Maybe she is scared and looking for someone to keep her safe.' I said in a fatherly tone, patting her hand.

'No, no you don't know Ms. Stane. She doesn't get scared or lose control. She is the strongest most incredible person I have ever met, and she is always in charge.' Grace replied firmly, but I felt her shudder.

Tina was kissing her way down Grace's neck and shoulders, her tongue tracing the line of her collar bone while her fingers slowly followed the band of leather that circled her breast. She gently ran her thumb over Grace's hardening nipple and the bound woman trembled in response. I saw that Graces eyes had gone from wide shock to a familiar relaxed half lidded look of pleasure. I reached out and took that familiar feeling of sensual anticipation and pushed it toward the part of her mind where she kept her image of Tina Stane. It was a struggle, the pieces didn't fit easily into this new construct but slowly Grace accepted what she was feeling. A soft moan escaped from behind the ball gag, and I heard Tina echo it as her lips gently closed over Grace's now erect nipple.

'Everyone loses control, everyone gets scared Grace.' I said in her mind, her father's voice coming out of my mouth. 'Ask yourself, who does Ms. Stane have to turn to when she feels like that?'

'Well, she has, has, well there's...' she stammered, her brow furrowing with concentration as she considered the problem.

'Her parents are dead, her sister is useless, she is the head of your team, and her methods make her almost an outcast to the rest of the superhero community. Who can she open up to and admit she has a problem?' I prodded, pushing out an image of Tina sobbing alone in the darkness.

"Mmmmmmm" Grace moaned as Tina's tongue worked its way around the sensitive nub in her mouth. She arched her back, pushing her tits forward just like she did with me. Tina responded, opening her mouth to suck in more of the firm, smooth breast while her other hand gently squeezed the bound woman's other tit. Grace twisted in her bonds, tugging at the cuffs that held her hands bound above her head and prevented her from making any response to the attentions of the woman in front of her.

"Please Grace, please let me do this." Tina whispered quietly as she kissed and nuzzled her way between Grace's tits, slowly sliding to her knees. Her hands slid up to fondle and pinch at the now hard nipples while her tongue licked along the leather straps that guided her down between the helpless woman's legs.

'No, that poor woman.' Grace said as she watched the image I had put before her. 'Always so strong for everyone else, but so alone and sad herself.' She looked up at me, her wide brown eyes shining with tears of sympathy. 'What can I do? How can I help her?'

'What did I tell you I learned when I was in the Airborne. What was the unofficial motto when we hit the ground and the plan had gone to shit?' I replied, remembering that this was a big part of who she was.

'Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Because no one else will do it for you.' Grace replied firmly.

'Right. Now, you are trapped and helpless, just like Ms. Stane here. What can you do?' I asked, leaning back into my chair.

Grace sat up straight, brushed a lock of hair out of her face and shook her shoulders in determination. 'I can show her that she is not alone. I can be there for her however she needs me, I can help her while she helps everyone else.' She said in a firm, determined voice.

'Come with me.' I said as I stood, holding her by the hand and pulling her up out of her seat. We walked out of the mental construct of the kitchen and I led her over to her subconscious projection of The Nest where her images of the Freedom Flock stood. This time we approached effortlessly as I walked up to the image of Cardinal, standing tall in her battle armour.

'This isn't her anymore, is it?' I asked, and Grace shook her head.

The scarlet red battle armour dissolved, leaving behind an idealized image of Tina Stane. Her long red hair waved in an imagined wind, she stood tall and proud wearing a severe business suit and determined look. 'This isn't her either, is it?' I asked again.

The image shimmered again, now Tina Stane stood there wearing a comfortable outfit of athletic leggings and a zip up hoodie. Her firm D cup tits still strained against the elastic fabric and her face was still elegant and determined, but she was more relaxed with a small smile on her pink lips.

'This is how you see her now, not a hero, or an idol, but a woman who has the same needs as anyone else.' I said as I gently pushed Grace forward. 'Go to her, be the person she needs so she can be the person you know she is.'

Grace stepped forward nervously, still uncertain in front of her idol. Tina looked down and smiled, holding her arms out and enfolding the shy young woman in a loving embrace. Grace wrapped her arms around the taller woman's waist and laid her head on her chest, 'I will do anything for you, anything you need.' She sighed.

I pulled out of her mind and stepped back with a sigh of relief. Back in the real world, Grace gave a long. contended sigh through her nose, then relaxed in her bonds. The tension seemed to fall away like a layer of dust as she gave herself to the woman between her legs.

Tina seemed to sense it too, she looked up at the bound woman above her as she froze in place, her lips barely kissing the top of the landing strip of pubic hair. Grace looked down and nodded, giving a soft "MmmHmm" through her gag.

Tina smiled up at her, then leaned forward to finish the kiss on her pelvis. Her tongue slid out from between her red lips to gently slide up and down along the edges of the well trimmed strip of dark pubic hair. Grace moaned in response, her hands clenching in frustration at her helplessness as she squirmed under the older woman's attentions.

Tina reacted to her new lovers approval, her hands sliding down from fondling her breasts until the were cupping each round ass cheek. Her red painted nails digging lightly into the smooth dusky flesh as she kissed and licked her way down between the now spread legs before her. "Thank you." She murmured as her lips pressed against Grace's pussy and she gently rocked her face back and forth as she nuzzled her way into position.

"Mmmmmmm" Grace moaned, then flinched as she felt my touch at the back of her neck. I undid the buckle of the ball gag and slipped it from her mouth.

"Aaaahhhhh" she gasped gratefully, then shuddered as Tina flicked her tongue between her pussy lips.

"Oh, oh yes, oh please yes, right there." The familiar husky voice sounded as she thrust her hips forward. I looked down at where Tina knelt between Grace's legs. Her eyes were closed and her sculpted red eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she worked at the crotch of the woman above her. Her long hair was still coiled in a braid on the top of her head, but stray strands fell loose to frame her elegant face. Her shoulders hunched in the thin fabric of the unitard as she pulled Grace's crotch forward and her round voluptuous ass wiggled where she knelt on her heels.

"Oh god, oh fuck yeah, oh my god" Grace moaned and whimpered as Tina sucked on her clit, her ruby lips pressed tightly against the younger woman's cunt while her tongue rubbed away at the sensitive flesh trapped gently between her teeth.

"Ah, ah, ah, aaahhhhh" Grace wailed as I recognized the spasms of the start of her orgasm. She lifted one leg and hooked it behind Tina's back. Tina wiggled around until Grace's thigh was resting on her shoulder, her hand gripping it firmly as her fingers played in the sensitive valley beside her pussy.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, oh you are going to make me cum, oh, oh, oh I'm cumming" Grace wailed as she arched her back, tugging on the chain that held her in place.

"Mmmmhmmm, mmmmhmmm" Tina mumbled from between Grace's legs as she drove her tongue into the pussy on her face. She shook her head lightly, her nose rubbing against Grace's clit causing her to spasm again in pleasure.

"Aaaahhhhh, ooooooohhhhhhh, ffffuuuccckkkkkk!" Grace howled as her orgasm exploded through her. The chain creaked and rattled while she thrashed like a fish on a line. Tina held her tight against her face, her lips and tongue drawing out the orgasm she had been looking forward to giving her for so long. Finally Grace collapsed, sagging in her bonds. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths as she mumbled incoherent words in Spanish.

Shit I had never had her that far gone and I had been cheating.

I unhooked the cuffs from the chain and helped the exhausted woman collapse to her knees. Tina slid out from between her legs and wrapped her arms around Grace's back while Grace draped her still cuffed hands over the older woman's shoulders.

"Thank you, thank you." Both women mumbled to each other, then their lips met in a soft, loving kiss. I took the opportunity to slip out of the room, leaving the door to the sitting room open but locking the outer door. I had an appointment with Dan and hopefully he would be as open to opportunity as Tina Stane was.

It was about three weeks later when I got a call from Dan asking me nicely to show up at the compound, apparently he needed me for another job. I drove through the gate and was waved through the security building to the screening room in the back. I took a deep breath and grabbed the metal bars, bracing myself for the shock. I felt a strong tingling sensation that lasted for about 15 seconds, then the guard waved me on.

"That's it?" I asked in a surprised voice. I had even worn adult undergarments just in case I shit myself but he just nodded.

"Apparently a low voltage high amperage pulsating current is enough to disrupt the morphetic properties of a shape shifter. We also scan your neurological responses and can tell if you are reacting in an unusual way." He said, then continued "But sometimes, he tells us to use the old settings. Usually on people who have pissed him off."

"I'll remember that." I replied as we slid into the electric cart and drove up to the house. The powder bath had been replaced by a swarm of mosquito sized nanobots that filled the room, fastening onto anything they touched. "More ecologically friendly, no powder residue to wash away." The driver said with a shrug as he handed me a familiar set of ear plugs.

Song Bird stepped through the door and gave her wavering sonic scream. When the guard in the control post indicated thumbs up she nodded at me and turned to walk back down the hall as I hurried to catch up. She was dressed in a loose, off the shoulder cropped sweatshirt and a pair of tight leggings. I could see the strap of a sports bra and instead of her usual pumps she had a pair of athletic sneakers on.

"Did I interrupt a workout?" I asked, and she grunted in response without looking back at me.

"I don't have to play the slut every moment, sometimes I get time off. Besides, he has certain expectations of me and I don't want to let him down." She said in a dry tone, but I caught an undercurrent of nervous tension anyway. She was surviving, but she didn't like it.

We did not head toward the reception room, but instead turned down an unfamiliar hall into a different part of the house. "Where are we going?" I asked innocently while I extended my mental sense as far as I could. Surprises are rarely a good thing with Dan.

"I had to promise to bring you here before we met him. Somehow, she heard you were coming and wouldn't shut up about it until I said she could see you." Danielle replied, and I caught an undercurrent of hatred and disgust which was actually reassuring given the circumstances.

We stopped at the door to what looked like a science lab and inside I saw Xin and Tinkerer arguing with each other in front of a wall filled with equations. At least I think they were equations, there were more letters and symbols than numbers but math was never my strong suit. Danielle keyed in a code on the touch pad and the door slid open. Xin looked over, then jumped with a squeal of pleasure.

"Ben!" she squealed as she ran over to me and lept into my arms. I was surprised, not just by the reaction but by the unnatural speed she achieved. She had a portion of her powers back and it staggered me with the kinetic energy her little form hit me with.

"Ooof" I grunted as I instinctively wrapped my arms around her tiny waist. Her strong arms fastened around my neck while her legs wrapped around my hips and squeezed with impressive strength. Her face darted in and out, delivering a barrage of high speed kisses and it was all I could do to stay standing.

"Xin, control yourself!" Danielle snapped in an angry voice and the tiny Asian woman instantly uncoiled herself from around me and dropped to the floor, wringing her hands and bouncing on her toes.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." She blurted, her eyes looking up at me wide with eager happiness.

"It's alright." I said as I straightened my shirt and adjusted my jacket. "You look good Xin, what are you working on?"

The Tinkerer had waddled over to where we stood and gave a sigh of relief. "We are working at a contract to confirm calculations from the ESA for the next Mars mission. At least that is what we were supposed to be doing until she found out you were coming."

Xin closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath, then reached up to touch the control box on her neck. I heard a soft beep and saw the small woman melt with relaxation as the drugs took hold. "He gave you control of your collar?" I asked in a surprised voice.

"Ms. Stane convinced him to." Xin replied in a far more measured tone than before. "I can't think well enough to do math like this when I am at full dose, but then it makes it hard to control my, um, impulsiveness." She said as she looked at the ground shyly.

Tinkerer reached up and patted her on the shoulder with a pudgy hand. "Xin here is better than any supercomputer, when she is focused. She can adapt and think along new lines with incredible speed and precision, the finest mind I have ever seen." He waved at the board filled with squiggles. "This is just one contract that we have, and most of them are legitimate."

I nodded, recognizing the guiding hand of Tina Stane for the fourth time in the past 15 minutes. "I guess this is Tina's doing as well?"

"Yes" Tinkerer replied, nodding his head. "She has managed to diversify this organization in several directions, many of which are perfectly legal and almost all of which are more socially responsible. I must say that I appreciate the work she has accomplished, it is much more lucrative and far less chaotic than before."

"Well, I am glad that this little reunion has been so touching. Now if you are quite finished, he is waiting for us in the reception room." Danielle said impatiently as she stood there with her arms crossed glaring daggers at me.

"No, no, you just got here!" Xin blurted as she darted forward to wrap her arms around me again. "I have missed you, please don't go yet."

I patted her head affectionately, then grunted with surprise as she ground her hips against my thigh. I felt one of her tiny hands slide down to squeeze my ass through my slacks while she looked up at me with wide Asian eyes. "I still have the outfit." She said in a pleading voice.

Danielle snorted with contempt. "Don't worry, I think that Tina has a dinner planned. I will make sure you are invited, but only if you finish on schedule." She said as she pointed at the board.

"Got it. Come on Tinkerer, I think I figured out the sub orbital wind shear problem." She said as she dashed back to the board, her finger tweaking her collar again. She looked back at me and waved, "Promise not to leave before saying goodbye?"

I nodded and gave her a wink. "I promise, and am looking forward to dinner."

"She seems happy." I said as we moved down a now familiar hall to the elevator.

Danielle huffed as she stared at the closed door. "Don't think you have done us any favors, Mr. Comber." She said angrily "Xin is on drugs for the rest of her life, Tina is playing CEO for a psychopath so he won't beat Grace half to death, and I am arm candy for rent whenever a client asks for the VIP package."

She turned to me, her eyes hard and I checked to make sure that the diamond studded choker was still around her neck. She saw my gaze and reached up to tap at the control collar. "Yes, they may as well add a leash and make it official. You are not the hero here."

I shrugged, then turned as the elevator door opened into a familiar reception room. We stepped out and I saw Dan sitting on the sofa in his usual track suit looking like a Russian mobster. I was surprised to see Tina standing beside him with a tablet, every inch the professional executive. Her long red hair was up in a high ponytail, with a braided strand wrapped around the base. She had on a pair of wire frame glasses that were slid down to the tip of her nose as she tapped her teeth with the stylus in a manner I had seen before. The green silk blouse was loose and respectable, but still strained against her impressive D cup tits and her pencil skirt came to just above her knees in a classy not slutty way. Her smooth calves were perfectly shaped by the black suede 4" pumps she was wearing, but it looked like that was her choice and not someone else's. She stood there with her weight shifted to one foot as she spoke in a firm yet respectful voice to the man who looked up at her.