Sweet Venom Arc 02 Ch. 12 - Finale

"Stop it you thug! Stop! Stop! Stop! That's our friend!" Tivy yelled out, trying to claw at the Slave with all of her might, but it held her firmly from behind.

"You don't have to do this!" Geralt tried to wrench his arms free, but once more, the slave's iron grip held tight.

Oxyi's underwear was torn off, exposing her womanhood and Naomi's grip intensified, a deep hunger surged through her and she quickly pulled out her thick manhood, already erect and buzzing with excitement.

"Seems a bit unfair doesn't it?" Naomi laughed, her breath hot and body trembling. "Go on, fight. Give it everything you got, Oxyi." She cackled, letting the Lioness's neck go, but pressing herself up against her.

Oxyi pushed as hard as she could, her heart pounding against her ribs. She pushed with every ounce of might her oxygen starved brain could muster, her muscles strained and she clawed helplessly at the Node's chest.

But Naomi didn't move an inch. She stood firm, unimpressed and unmoved.

"Shhh, its OK. It'll be over soon." One her hand seized the Lionesses throat again, brushing Oxyi's fumbling defence aside and seizing one of her legs, yanking it up and exposing her womanhood.

Naomi buzzed with excitement and hunger, half drooling as she pitched the tip of her cock against the Oxyi's nethers. "For the record, I hope you become a Node. We can hunt together."

She angled her hips and moved to thrust deep inside her, quivering at the thought, her every nerve and cell aching to couple with Oxyi, the tip of her dick starting to part Oxyi's lower lips when-

*CRUNCH*

Naomi stopped. The noise came from the corridor, where she had her last slave on guard.

Suddenly, Naomi jolted backwards, like an unseen hand had pulled her back, instantly letting go of Oxyi and standing back from her.

The Slaves around the room all let go of their targets and turned to face the walls. Simultaneously, they placed both their hands against the panels, reared back their head and slammed their faces into the metal with as much force as they could muster. Each head split and splattered with the same awful crunch they heard just moments prior, their dead bodies dropping to the floor although one remained hanging limp where they'd impacted, blood oozing down the wall.

Oxyi spluttered for air and fell to the floor, reaching for the nearest solid object and holding it up in front of her for defence. Geralt and Tivy helped her to her feet and went to check on Trent, all of them watching Naomi closely as she stood perfectly still, her posture awkward and stiff.

A amethystine hand appeared around the top of the doorway.

"You should have stayed aboard the freighter, Node. Moltezz has sent you to your death."

Seeth rounded the corner, she had ditched her mask but her bio-suit had chunks of ice stuck to its extremity. She surged towards the Node and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air effortlessly. Naomi's neck creaked audibly as Seeth's fingers dug into her flesh.

"FUCK YOU! DO IT, SEETH!" Oxyi spat out, gritting her teeth, half propped up by Geralt.

"DON'T DO IT, SEETH! THATS MY DAUGHTER! PLEASE!" Geralt cried, reaching out towards the pair.

Oxyi and Geralt clung onto each-other for balance as they both screamed at Seeth, neither paying any attention to the other.

Seeth's grip halted and she turned her icy stare towards Geralt.

"There is no helping Nodes, Geralt. I'm-"

"I know! I know... its just... I'm her dad, it should be me to do it...I let her down, I let her get corrupted... I-" He took a deep, painful breath in. "I should be the one to end her suffering. It's not what I want, but its the only peace I can give her."

Seeth waited, deep in thought as Naomi's statue like posture remained firmly in her grip.

"Fine. I understand." Seeth let the Node drop to the floor, still puppeting her form on landing. "Take her somewhere private, I'll make her walk with you. If she tries anything, just call out and I'll end it."

"T-thank you." He gathered his composure, passing Oxyi over to Seeth to support and grabbing a pistol from the floor. He left the room without looking back and Naomi followed, her walking mechanical and forced, leaving behind a strained, difficult silence.

They walked in painful quietness through the ship, stopping in front of the airlock connected to Barru X.

"OK Seeth, make her kneel!" He yelled out. "Then a moment of privacy, if you would!"

Naomi kneeled down and placed her hands behind her head, still stiff and awkward but then her body shuddered and her motion became more organic looking once again.

"You back in control of yourself again, Naomi?"

"Yep." She stated bluntly, looking up at him with hurt, dagger-like eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Its not your fault that you're this... thing." Tears welled up around Geralt's eyes once more.

"For what its worth, Dad. You did well by me. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!" Geralt yelled back, his fist tightening around the pistol.

"No it wasn't. It wasn't even your night to look after me, it was mum's night. It was her best friend's birthday, we had friends over, we went into the woods, me and my friends... you couldn't have stopped us even if you tried."

"Naomi-"

"-Dad. Its Okay. I mean it. If you had tried to control me, I would have ended up corrupted one way or another." Naomi huffed, her venom in her voice faded completely. "Promise me you'll move on with your life? And find someone better than mum, you deserve better than her after they way she treated you."

*BANG*

The round pinged off the floor next to her. Geralt reached over and pressed the button to open the airlock, revealing the empty corridor back to Barru X, a sudden warmth hitting them both.

He threw his arms around her, hugging her close. Slowly, Naomi reached around and hugged him back, unsure at first but settling into it.

"You listen to me, baby girl. You turn heel, you leave and you never, never come back. Seeth will kill you if you do, you understand!? I'll get myself a hot new babe if you find yourself a nice Mark, somewhere away from all this and just be... just be whoever you are now. Promise me you'll never come back?"

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly, staying close to him the whole time.

"You gotta go! Just run, okay? I love you, baby girl! Be safe!"

They broke the hug and she stood shyly and turned to leave, sprinting down the corridor but stopping half-way to look back.

"Go! Before the others find out!" He fired another couple of shots into the floor. "Love you, Naomi!"

"Love you, Dad."

Naomi ran from the corridor, bolting through the hanger without pause and into Barru X's now abandoned middle decks. Her long legs carried her quick and it only took a couple of minutes before she was out of earshot of anyone.

Her pace came to a stop in the dead centre of a completely blank corridor, nothing but blank silver metal panels either side of her. She stood stone still, placing both her hands up against the wall. Her eyes stared at its featureless surface, shaking in their sockets as she awaited what would happen next.

Deep within her, Seeth's voice manifested, as if it spoke from within her spine.

"~Disgusting little thing. You deserve so much worse than this.~"

"~You're going to let me go now, right...?~"

"~You're awful, you wouldn't even say goodbye to your own father.~"

"~How could I? You wouldn't give me control of myself!~"

"~You would have assaulted him the second I let go. I'm just glad he bought it.~

"~STOP THIS! Haven't you humiliated me enough?!? You don't even know what I would have done!~"

"~Do not LIE to me, Naomi. You cannot conceal your intent or feelings from me.~"

"~...~"

"~The fact you would even consider doing that to him. That. After he saved your life- after he begged me to let you live. There is no hope for you.~"

"He's a fool! He'd have done the same in my shoes!"

"The thief also thinks that everyone else steals. He is a good man, a damn idiot; but a good man and a better father. He showed his heart to you, and you went to tear it out."

"~Y-you're not seriously going to do it, are you? Betray your own kind?~"

"~This isn't about that. I'm giving him the closure he deserves. I'm sorry, but you can't be helped.~"

"~Please don't... Seeth. I'm begging you! DON'T MAKE ME-~"

*

The quiet chatter between the group immediately ceased as they heard Geralt padding back into the room slowly. His shoulders hung low and he wore a defeated grimace, dragging his feet on reentry. As he came in though, he exchanged a look with Seeth and a thankful nod, the most he could muster. She returned it gently and turned to face the others.

Trent was up on his feet, but his left arm had been completely broken and he was anything but battle ready. Oxyi was wheezing loudly and had scrounged together some new pants, but looked rough as all hell, her eyes red and glassy, her posture weak and battered but she still had her shotgun clasped in her hands tightly. Tivy stared straight at Seeth, shaking from tip to toe, her eyes bolted to the purple giant to avoid the bloody messes pasted over the walls and floor.

"I assume the ship is not working?" Seeth pushed on.

"Tivy had a plan but it didn't work." Geralt spoke softly, placing a hand on Oxyi's shoulder.

"Then we need to get back on the station and find new transport." She paced out the room and glanced back to see the rest following her in their various states of injury. "We'll beat this. Just stay with me." Seeth tried to sound upbeat but it lacked heart. She wanted to push them on the same way Diego had done, but she wasn't sure it would be fine this time.

They approached the airlock and hit the button, it hissed open and they were immediately hit with wall of acrid air and the distinct smell of burnt fur and skin, even though the walk-way back into the hanger was empty, the distant sound of struggle and violence was clear as day.

Seeth strode ahead as the group shuffled along behind her, pushing into the hot air with all the might they could muster. As she approached the end of the connecting walkway, she stopped and pressed herself up against the wall, peering around the corner into the hanger bay.

Her heart skipped a beat and she threw up her hands towards the group, ushering them back onto the ship with urgency. Right in the middle at the lowest level of the hanger, Moltezz stood, like pillar of ruby and flame. Her eyes glancing around at the various different walkways and potential paths of the huge hanger bay, each a potential hiding spot for her targets.

"I know you're here, Seeth. I'll have my Nodes check every dock until I find you. I can wait." Her voice bellowed out, echoing into every corner of the hanger. She held her hand out and produced a bright orange fireball, clasping her fist around it to extinguish it and opening her palm to reveal the hell ball again, repeating the action in a calm, almost bored manner. "I'll smoke you out, soon enough."

Groups of Nodes began to split up and search the hanger's upper decks, jogging quickly from dock to dock and checking if anything was sealed to the other end. The only thing that was certain, was their time was running out.

The gang kept their voices as low as possible, whispering as quietly as their panicked states would allow.

"Back on the ship, now!"

"Bu-but it's a dead end! She'll find us! We need to run!"

"I don't know if she's out to kill me or not! Maybe we-"

*HISS* - *CHUNK*

The airlock closed behind them.

They all froze.

Seeth who peered out once more but was met with the hot glare of Moltezz directly.

"Ah! There you are. Don't fret, I'll come to you." She flicked her palms out and produced two brilliant plasma jets from her hands, pushing her up towards the highest level in an elegant, if utterly horrifying fashion.

Oxyi threw herself forward and took aim with her shotgun, firing several shells in quick succession at Moltezz mid flight, her aim was true but the pellets vaporized long before impact, fizzling into nothing and sending bright sparks scattering around the hanger. Oxyi stared in disbelief but fumbled for her pistol in defiance.

Moltezz landed on the hanger level with a meaty thump, shaking the walkway slightly and halted her plasma jets, instead holding her hand out in front and continuing her idle fireball play menacingly as she strode towards the group.

Seeth grabbed Oxyi by the collar and pulled her back into the air lock tunnel, rounding up the rest of them and charging back into the ship, her brow thick with sweat and heavy with worry as the airlock opened and closed appropriately.

"What the hell are we gonna do?!" Trent panicked, looking around the ships interior for anything of use.

Seeth searched for something heavy, tearing some piping off the wall and trying its swing. Before they could formulate any further plans, the ship rocked and a bright red firebolt punched straight through the airlock, melting an amber lined head sized hole through the plating.

Moltezz stood at the end of the corridor, still playing with her fireball, a cocky smirk plastered over her face under her coal carapace.

"This has been fun, but the act is nearly over. Surrender yourselves and reveal Diego's location."

"We don't know where he is!" Oxyi screamed, her voice hoarse and raw, hot tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she loaded more shells into her shotgun.

Moltezz rolled her eyes and let a cascade of fireballs roll over her hands and forearms.

"Odd, I thought that would be a lie." Moltezz pondered for just a second, but her steely gaze refocused sharply. "Surrender now, drop your weapons and walk out with your hands behind your heads and I may consider some mercy. I'm going to count to 10! For you sake, do not let me reach zero."

They felt like their brains were being cooked in their skulls as the red hot guillotine stood outside the ship.

"Th-the DA weapons we have are useless against her! What do we do?!"

"10."

"There's nothing! The reactors dead!"

"9."

"C-can we- will this...? I-"

"8."

"Tivy, I need you! Mimic my voice again, I think I can-"

"7."

"She's going to fucking boil us! There's only one way to her and its front on!"

"6."

"Seeth, can you pile stuff up at the doors?!"

"5."

"We should surrender... we can't take her!"

"4."

"W-would she really kill us...? I don't understand!"

"3!"

"Hey guys."

The crew shuddered to a stop as a new voice hit their ears.

It felt impossible, their hearts dropped to the floor and shot straight back into their mouths.

"2!"

"V-Venner?!" Seeth puzzled, suddenly keeping her voice down, the others following suit.

The milky white rat peeped her head around the corner, her soft rose eyes meeting the panicked expressions of the entire squad.

"I uh... I docked on the other side of your ship, I guessed you were having trouble since you're the last ship docked at the station... You... need a lift?"

"1!"

They dropped everything and ran for the other airlock, this side would have been open to the vacuum of space but Venner had flown close with her private ship and opened an energy tunnel between the two, a hazy web of blue particles connected the two ships and it was a no gravity jump between them, Seeth grabbed Trent, Geralt and Oxyi under her arms, Tivy held onto her neck and she pounded across the airlock, clearing the multi-meter gap in a single bounce, with Venner floating in a few seconds after.

She landed cleanly in the opposing ship and dropped everyone off, letting herself breath again once Venner landed, closed the lock and cut the net.

"0?"

*

Moltezz waited and listened closely, hearing little coming from ship. She struggled for a second, unsure of what to do, their conversation had been blurred and she hardly caught any of it.

"Nothing?" Her face twitched, she seemed almost hurt.

"I... guess this is where it ends for you Seeth. I expected more. But I won't be subjected to another ambush, I meant what I said." She steeled herself, taking a long, deep breath and slowly surging with heat. "Fine. If you won't meet me half way, I cannot extend my kindness any further. I shall not be mocked or underestimated!"

*

Venner's ship pulled away and the group watched as their old ship began to glow bright orange before exploding into shrapnel, a visible shockwave rippling through the area. Venner's craft thankfully far enough away already to prevent any damage to them.

They looked at each-other, still processing what could have just happened, each having their own thoughts. The bright orange fireball faded into nothing as their ship pulled away, becoming just another dot in the sky as both it and Barru X shrank away.

"What does this mean?" Trent asked, wincing in pain at his limp arm. "What do we do now?"

"This means war, Trent." Seeth stated bluntly, her breath hot over her lips. "This means-"

"Stop, stop it stop it stop it!" Tivy waved her arms around frantically. "Just... just breath and relax for a second, everyone!"

Venner came back, a med-kit in one hand and a box of rations in the other.

"Your Cuttle is right, just wait a second. Lets get you lot somewhere safe first and then we can talk about offing the bastards who did this. I don't mean to be rude, but you all look a state, apart from you, Seeth." Venner gestured broadly to the broken group. Trent cradling his arm, Geralt staring dead-eyed at the floor, Tivy vibrating all over and eyes bolted open, Oxyi wheezing and clinging to her shotgun like her life depended on it.

They were safe for now. Venner's cosy little ship would get them somewhere far enough away from here that they could recover, but the damage was already done. Barru X was lost, hundreds more lost to the Rewritten in the attack but more than anything, the team was feeling at a complete loss at the disappearance of the black scaled lizard who'd broke them out in the first place and Plasia.

They took an hour to get their breath back, sitting in the drop bay of Venner's ship, nothing more than a couple of lines of wall mounted seats and luggage racks, bare and minimalist. They sat in silence, each staring at the particularly rusted floor, until finally, Seeth spoke her thoughts.

"I searched the station for him. After I teleported... Don't ask about that. But- I couldn't find him."

"H-he was just gone, wasn't he?" Oxyi spoke up, leaning forward in her chair. "I looked everywhere I could but he just vanished!" She weakly thumped the chair next to her, her hands curling up into fists.

"We need him back." Seeth looked the Lioness in the eyes. "I need him back..."

"We all need him back." Trent sighed, slumped low on his seat. "He had a plan to fight back, without that, we're just a bunch of nobodies."

They went silent again.

Each pondering their mistakes and what they'd do differently if they had the chance.

Lost loved ones.

Missed opportunities.

Consequences and hindsight.

Their burden was shared but it was of little comfort, that was, until Tivy hopped off her chair.

She cleared her throat.

"Rah! I hate doors!" She pretended to kick a door off its hinges and then threw her hands up triumphantly. They all recognized the impression instantly.

A series of soft giggles filled the room, frowns eased into smiles.

"He doesn't hate doors, you know. He just hates being imprisoned I think."

They settled again, a little lighter than before, a shred of hope clung to each of them. They didn't know what they'd do next, but none of them were ready to give up yet.

"Then maybe... we should think about opening some."

*

Back in he cockpit on the ship, Venner sat with her husband, both in comfy looking pilots chairs and looking out over the endless space ahead of them, an awkward silence had hung in the air for quite some time now but it was broken when something caught Robin's attention.