Shackles Ch. 15

As Trinity and Radiance walked towards the meeting spot Pheramona had given them, Trinity hunched over until her back ached, and wrapped herself up tight inside her jacket. She wanted to make herself small; so small that no one would be able to see her. Not the people, not the birds, not the insects. No-one. Nothing. She'd never wanted to disappear so bad, but Radiance's enchanted shackle around her wrist was a constant, heavy reminder that she couldn't. Each awful step she took was outside of her control.

It was a mercy, then, that there were so few people around. It was getting late, and they were in one of several of the large, abandoned, disused industrial districts in the outer ring of Future City. Sometimes, tourists opined that it was strange for such a prosperous city to tolerate such wasteful use of space. Little did they know, dereliction was simply part of Future City's great wheel of prosperity.

A neighborhood would find its blood flow inextricably cut off, its infrastructure allowed to fall into ruin as jobs and money dried up. Then, once people started to leave and the price of the land collapsed, a locust swarm of property developers would descend, devouring every last structure and replacing them with blocks and blocks of near-identical high-rise apartment blocks, each one safe and comfortable and eco-friendly - and with twice the rent of whatever had been there before.

There was a reason Trinity was so determined to get the hell out of there.

The directions Pheramona, the supervillain holding Trinity's loot for her, had provided led to an abandoned-looking warehouse on a street of other, equally abandoned-looking buildings. It was the kind of place that city planners hated, but Trinity loved. There were so many signs of life if you knew where to look. Grass breaking through the asphalt. Fresh graffiti on the walls. Lots of broken bottles, none of them too old; the mark of a recent party.

Trinity hated that it was all about to be buried underneath ten thousand tons of glass and plastic and gleaming steel.

"Where's your friend?" Radiance asked quietly as they stepped inside.

Trinity grimaced. Clearly, Radiance wasn't even going to give her a chance to brood properly. "She'll be around here somewhere," she replied.

Unfortunately for Trinity, Radiance had given her some very, very clear and extensive instructions. She couldn't not be helpful.

"She might have taken the money and ran," Radiance said. "Seems likely, for your kind of people."

Trinity rolled her eyes. "She's not like that. Ramona's reliable."

She wanted to say a whole lot more than just that, but again, Radiance's commands tied her hands.

Trinity had to act natural.

She had to help Radiance as much as she possibly could.

She had to avoid giving anything whatsoever away about what was going on.

And she had to follow the plan.

Unlike Trinity, Radiance didn't seem at home at all in their derelict surroundings. She was dressed inconspicuously enough, in nondescript civilian clothing, but an six-plus foot tall, blond, muscular amazon inevitably stuck out anywhere she went. Until she'd heard the plan, Trinity had been sure Pheramona would bolt as soon as she saw her. The two of them had to go together, of course - that was the only true limitation of Radiance's chain, as far as Trinity could see. They had to be literally joined at the hip, or else Trinity would be off her leash and free to bolt.

It really, really sucked that Radiance was smarter than she looked. In Trinity's opinion, it wasn't fair at all. Clever plans should be for people without wings and huge biceps.

"Hey there," came a familiar voice, from above them. "It's about time. I wasn't sure if you were gonna show up or not. I'd been waiting days for you to call."

Trinity glanced up, but saw nothing more than a blur as Ramona Isley, better known to the world as Pheramona, vaulted down from a gantry and landed before her.

Pheramona looked like she always did: like she was ready to raise hell. Unlike Trinity, she didn't believe in being inconspicuous. She wanted everyone to know she didn't care what anyone thought, least of all cops or superheroes. She was wearing a sports bra, and over it, a sleeveless battle jacket covered in patches and pins advertising all kinds of rebellious and subversive causes - a transgender symbol, a raised fist, the letters 'ACAB'. Her skin was just as colorful; both her arms bore sleeve tattoos that wove together a multitude of slogans and symbols in a dizzying kaleidoscope of artistry. Even her face wasn't completely free of ink. The only part of her body that wasn't so adorned were her abs; instead, those were gleaming with sweat. Pheramona liked to run hot. Odds were, she'd been doing push-ups whilst waiting for Trinity to arrive.

The barest hint of her scent in the air was enough to make Trinity shiver. She'd seen exactly what Pheramona's powers could do to someone if she really let loose. Her mind-warping pheromones would have your brain dripping out of your pussy before you knew what was happening.

Rounding off her look was a pair of loose-fitting pants, some heavy boots, some spectacularly dyed hair, and an amused smirk. Once she and Trinity had taken a moment to look at each other, she moved in to clasp a friendly hand on Trinity's shoulder.

"I'm glad you made it out clean," Pheramona said. "I was worried the pigs got you."

"No shot," Trinity replied easily, clasping Pheramona's shoulder in turn.

It should have felt good, seeing a friendly face for a change. A face that wasn't Radiance's. A smile that wasn't mocking or superior.

It didn't.

With each and every moment that passed, Trinity was finding it harder and harder to keep herself from throwing up. Only Radiance's ironclad commands kept her bile down. Being this friendly and familiar with Pheramona felt wrong. It wasn't her choice. Even though she wasn't trying to fight Radiance's mind control, she could feel the strings attached all over her body, pulling her arms up to wave and tugging the corners of her mouth into a smile.

She was like a doll. A perfect little performing doll.

And Radiance was going to make her betray one of the few people in the world who'd ever had her back.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Pheramona nodded towards Radiance. "Who's your friend?"

She's Radiance, and she's here for you. That was what Trinity wanted to say. Instead, she was forced the repeat the lines Radiance had fed her.

"Just someone I picked up on the way," Trinity answered, her tone betraying nothing of her deception. "If you're gonna be handing me cash, I figure it's gonna be a couple of big briefcases or something. Why make my own arms ache if I can use hers?"

By way of illustration, she raised her hand and let a few purple sparks fly between her fingertips.

Pheramona laughed. "Well, it's a little more than that, so you picked a good one for it," she commented. "She looks as strong as a bull. Big as one, too. Where'd you find yourself a stud like this?"

As she spoke, she started pacing around Radiance in slow, languid circles, like a big cat stalking her prey. Radiance remained staring forwards, bolt upright, like a soldier at attention. She wasn't much of an actress, in Trinity's estimation, but it was a passable enough impression of someone under heavy mind control.

"On her way back from the gym," Trinity replied. "Where else?"

"Maybe I went to the same gym once," Pheramona said. "She looks kinda familiar."

Trinity did her best not to shudder. She was caught between two opposing instincts; the old, familiar urge not to get caught in a lie, and the desperate, forlorn hope that somehow, Pheramona would realize what was going on.

Sadly, no one knew what Radiance looked like without her domino mask.

"Maybe I should get you to throw her in as part of my cut," Pheramona murmured. "It's not often I get to have fun with someone my size."

Trinity smiled and rolled her eyes. That reaction was half-genuine. She'd expect nothing less from someone like Pheramona. Though, she couldn't tell if her comrade wanted to fight Radiance, or fuck her.

Or both.

Pheramona had a real alpha female thing going on. She was irrepressible. Maybe it was something to do with the pheromones.

"If you want," Trinity said, sighing theatrically. "I had a feeling she'd catch your eye."

"Yeah." Pheramona laughed. "You sure know how to sweeten a deal, Shimmer."

Trinity laughed too, even though her insides were working their way into knots. She couldn't decide what was worse: the lying, or the powerlessness. She felt like a rat, and she hated the way that her own body language and her own words were being scripted by someone else. Her own mind was betraying her, faithfully interpreting Radiance's commands as best it could, and forcing her to do the rest. It was like she was a puppet with Radiance's hand up her ass.

"Although," Pheramona commented, "maybe you've already got plans for her?"

She gestured at the golden chain that bound Trinity and Radiance together. That should have been a dead giveaway, but Radiance had worked it perfectly into the deception. Her end was attached around her own neck, like a collar, and the chain passed down under Radiance's open jacket to rest in the palm of Trinity's hand and attach to her wrist. It looked like the two of them were being kinky in public, discreetly, and like Trinity was the one taking the lead.

In Trinity's opinion, it was total bullshit that the chain still worked for Radiance like that.

"A gold chain, though? Not your usual style. A little too flashy. Feeling rich already, huh?" Pheramona continued.

Very much against her will, Trinity thought furiously to come up with a convincing response.

"Just something to spice it up a little," she replied lightly. "You know how it is."

Pheramona shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat. Anyway, I get the message. She's all yours. Unless, of course, I decide to take her from you."

Trinity blinked, and carefully scrutinized the roguish, half-serious smirk on Pheramona's face. Her fellow villain was just joking around.

Probably.

Maybe.

'Friends' only ever went so far between supervillains, after all.

The last thing Trinity felt like doing was goading her on, but she knew that it would be weird if she didn't bite back a little. And Radiance's orders wouldn't let her act weird. She shrugged. "You could try," she retorted.

Pheramona arched an eyebrow and tensed her shoulders, showing off the muscle tone in her arms. "That's funny. You know it wouldn't be close, right? You like getting other girls to do your dirty work for you a little too much. There's no way you could handle me."

Trinity wasn't about to deny that Pheramona cut an imposing figure. She was broad-shouldered and tall; almost as tall as Radiance. And Trinity knew she was every bit as tough as she looked.

"C'mon, Ramona." Trinity made a big show of shaking her head. "It's not just about how much you can bench."

"Oh yeah? It's not what you've got, it's how you use it?" Pheramona snorted. "I haven't heard any complaints about me in that department. Least of all from you."

"Chk." Pheramona licked her lips as Trinity blushed faintly, and made a displeased noise. "I'm talking about brains, idiot."

"You don't think I've got those too?"

"Of course not," Trinity replied haughtily. "Just look at yourself, meathead. But hey, I'm not complaining. I'm sure I could find something fun to do with that body of yours."

Pheramona threw back her head and howled with laughter. She took a step towards Trinity. "Oh, it's like that, huh? Well, in that case, I won't even need to bruise that soft, cute body of yours. I could have you on your knees before you could blink."

How far was Pheramona going to take this joke? Trinity was feeling distinctly uneasy, but she couldn't back down. It wouldn't have seemed right. "One touch, Ramona. You've seen how I work. That's all I need."

"You wouldn't get it." The other villain took another step forward. "And me? I don't even need that. But don't worry. You'll enjoy it. Just like before."

The glint in her eye left no doubt as to what she was referring to.

"I was playing nice, before," Trinity growled. She was starting to get seriously pissed off. Her pride had already taken enough of a beating lately. "I don't always play nice."

Pheramona said nothing for a moment. She just tilted her head, and stared at Trinity very intently. For one moment, Trinity was sure she was going to make a move. For another, she was sure Radiance would move first. But nothing happened, and after a second or two, Pheramona just yawned and shrugged.

"You're awful pent up today," she said. "Stress, I guess. Let me know if you need any help working out some of that tension."

And with that, she turned away from Trinity and got back to business.

"This way," she called back, as she headed off deeper into the warehouse.

Trinity followed her, with Radiance at her heel as if she was the obedient pet and not the puppet master. It was just a short walk through the disused building before they reached some rows of shelves that stretched all the way up to the rafters. Most of them had already been picked clean, but there were still some large crates here and there, strewn about and forgotten. Pheramona quickly approached one in particular, reached into, it and retrieved two huge, blocky cargo cases. She set them down on the floor in front of Trinity, before bending down and opening one.

It was full to the brim of paper bills. All hundreds.

The sight was almost rapturous enough to make Trinity forget her dire situation. This was it. This was her big score, staring her in the face. The villain had never seen so much money before in her life. It was more than enough to make a fresh start. At long last, one of her heists had actually worked.

With one very, very large caveat.

"It's all here," Pheramona drawled. "In cash. Should be untraceable. You're welcome to count it, if you want."

Trinity shook her head. She wasn't even sure how much there was supposed to be in the first place. "Did you take your cut already?" she asked.

"Nope." Pheramona put her hands on her hips. "It's not mine to touch. Not until you take it off my hands."

Little things like that were one of the things Trinity liked about Pheramona. She had principles, even if they could be a little twisted.

"Alright," Trinity said, squatting. "Let me cash you out."

She reached for the briefcase and started sorting through the stacks of bills, setting aside one bundle out of each ten for Pheramona. A full count would have taken far too long, but even that cursory accounting exercise was enough to convince Trinity that she was looking at a vast sum of money. Tens of millions in total, at least. And there was another one of these? The sheer volume of wealth was staggering. Trinity couldn't take her eyes off it, even as she counted.

"Yeah. I know," Pheramona grunted. Trinity could tell she was feeling the same thing. "It's a good thing you brought another pair of hands."

At her prompting, Trinity turned her head around to look at Radiance. She was still standing there, stiff and still, but her eyes were trained on the money, and there was a deeply unfamiliar, hungry look on her face that sent a chill down Trinity's spine.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed you actually managed to pull it off," Pheramona commented. "I never thought you had it in you. You were always talking about your big score, but I figured it was all bullshit."

"Yeah?" Trinity muttered, distracted.

"You know how it is." Pheramona shrugged. "A lot of us talk big. Not a lot of us really mean it. And you didn't seem like the type who was gonna make it."

Trinity could tell the villain was trying to get a rise out of her. Fortunately, she was permitted to ignore Pheramona and focus on counting.

"What are you gonna do with it all, anyway?" Pheramona asked.

"I'm going to get the hell out of this city for good," Trinity replied, "and start a new life somewhere far, far away."

The words now tasted foul and sour in her mouth.

"Yeah?" Pheramona pressed. "You don't feel like staying here? Fighting the good fight?"

Trinity sighed. It was a familiar debate between them. "What does that mean, Ramona?"

"Keep screwing the people who are trying to screw us, obviously," Pheramona replied. "Same as you've been doing. More heists. More stunts. You could go bigger, if you wanted. There's a lot this money would buy. If you put it to good use, we could really start tearing this city apart."

It was a pointless argument, of course. Trinity knew that. Radiance looking over her shoulder was no different from a sword hanging over her head. Still, she had no choice but to repeat old, familiar rhythms. "You know I don't believe in that stuff. There's no fixing this place."

"That's easy for you to say, now you've got an exit strategy," Pheramona shot back, with fire in her deep voice. "What about everyone else? And what about those downtown assholes ruining everything? Are you really OK with just walking away and letting them win? Don't you want to tear it all down, and make them watch you piss on the ashes?"

It was also a pointless argument because there was no winning, not with her.

"I robbed the richest woman in the city for millions," Trinity said wearily. "Consider that my war contribution over and done with. Now, here's your ten percent of this half."

Her tone was final, and mercifully, Pheramona took heed of that. Without another word, she reached down and grabbed some of the bills that Trinity had set aside for her. She turned around, reaching for her own bag, ready to stash away her cut.

She was within arm's reach, and completely off her guard.

And Radiance noticed.

For the first time, she spoke, in a voice only just loud enough for Trinity to hear.

"Now."

This was the moment Trinity had been waiting for. She'd been mustering all her strength and all her willpower, just for this. Radiance wasn't unbeatable. No one was unbeatable. Trinity had managed to overcome her before, just once. She'd managed to force her shimmer through the hero's formidable will and dominate her. This was no different. Trinity needed to hold on to that hope. If she truly focused, if she truly fought, she could resist Radiance's mind control. She could make herself hold back. She didn't have to do what Radiance told her. Not this time.

Trinity fixed that thought in her mind as firmly as she could, as she felt the ironclad force of Radiance's compulsion start to descend on her mind and body. The magnetic pull she felt across her limbs, forcing her into action, was all but irresistible. This time, though, Trinity was determined to resist. She was determined to win. No matter how much it made her body ache and her head throb, she was going to manage it. This was one line she wouldn't let Radiance make her cross. Trinity brought her very last mental reserves to bear on that one, singular goal.

All she managed to do was make herself hesitate for a single moment.

That moment was enough, though - not for her, but for Pheramona. The villain's instincts were as fierce as ever, and even though her back was turned when Trinity silently lunged forward towards her, she somehow sensed it and managed to wheel around, throwing out an arm to defend herself.

"What the-" Pheramona cried, in the instant before Trinity's hand clasped around her wrist.

Trinity had been aiming for her head. Radiance's orders had been firm and unequivocal. They left no room for disagreement or misinterpretation. Trinity had to strive her hardest to subdue the supervillain, and her power was at its most effective when she could touch someone's head - the closer to the brain, the better. But it was far from useless otherwise. Pheramona froze up as a torrent of shimmering, purple sparks started to flow out from Trinity's fingertips and up her arm.