The Villain Ch. 03d

Part 4: Love and War

Twin Gun had been eyeing Memnos and Electron for weeks now. At first, Scourge had thought her upset at the flagrant attack on the social order of the team. He expected her to tally up the proof until she had an air-tight case against them.

The thought made Scourge almost giddy with anticipation. It wasn't that he had anything in particular against Memnos. It was unfortunate that the blond would end up going down in flames but that was the price the universe demanded to pay for the final destruction of the bastard Electron.

Until only a couple of months ago, the two men had been close friends. That had been before the younger of the two had suddenly decided to go on a carousing spree. If he'd just stuck to sticking it to Memnos, there wouldn't have been any problems. The hatred, however, stemmed from the fact that the unmitigated bastard had realized Lioness' secret and taken advantage of it.

Scourge had known for a while now the real reason behind the feline heroine's periodic retreats. And while he would have liked nothing more than to join with her in the most intimate of dances, he wasn't willing to do so when she had no control over her own body or desires. He had hoped, in time, she would come to willingly accept him.

Now the bastard had ruined everything. Lioness appeared to have imprinted on Electron. She no longer spent any time with the other two males of the team, even when she wasn't in heat. If her chosen mate wasn't around, she icily went about her day.

For his part, Electron hadn't evennoticed the change in her! Of course, why would he? When he was around she was positively lively. Besides, when she wasn't in heat, Electron spent his nights doing whatever with Memnos down in the prison. And when Lioness' heat had rolled around once more, Electron had blithely ceased his play with one woman and gone after the one helpless to deny him.

Unfortunately, it eventually became clear that Twin Gun had no such plans to report their activities to the higher authorities. Scourge had discovered that it technically wasn't against regulations, even if it was against the spirit of the rules. He'd read those rules through, a fair number of times, in order to make certain of every loophole.

Of course, even if it had been against the rules, it was unlikely Twin Gun would have busted them on it. Unlike the vast majority of administrative overseers, known as handlers, she was not prejudiced against paranormals. Nor was she truly jealous of their abilities.

All she really wanted was to be out there fighting the good fight. If that meant she had to write reports every week on the status of her team, that was the price she paid to strap on the high-tech pistols and join the team fighting and capturing rogue paras. It wasn't conducive to teamwork to have the people she counted on afraid of her, afraid she would report every minor infraction, real or imagined.

What made Twin Gun watch the two so carefully was nothing more or less than desire. Where other handlers would revel in the control their authority gave over others, particularly attractive women that they convinced themselves were sub-human, she refused to sully her position. The laws that prevented relations between an employer and employee might not affect handlers but the morality behind it remained steadfast and Twin Gun wasn't one to forget the difference.

Scourge understood how she could watch, even knowing she held no particular interest in either of the participants. Before he had realized what Electron had done to Lioness, he had watched with equal longing. It's human nature for the lonely to desire those who were not.

Now, it was time for Scourge to reconsider his own wants. Lioness was spoiled for him. In part, he self-consciously realized, he'd wanted her just because it would mean claiming untouched territory. Even without that desire, however, she had changed. She didn't want him, and wouldn't, while Electron was still in the picture.

If not a virgin, why not try for man's other great fantasy?

Now that teammates were clearly fair game, given that Scourge had also heard about Daedalus and Mercury, that left a very dynamic relationship available to exploit. Photon and Twin Gun had a love-hate thing going that would work perfectly for his purposes.

It wasn't so much that Twin Gun was jealous of Photon's power. The laser blasts the para could shoot weren't any different from those that the twin pistols produced. If anything, Twin Gun's capabilities were vastly more diverse, since she could swap out for a variety of ammunition for a multitude of situations.

It was the ease with which Photon accomplished her own feats that caused the Norm handler to compete with the Para under her charge. Photon was a natural shot. A talent that was made much simpler when one considered that there was a direct correspondence between what she saw and what she attacked. The pistoleer, on the other hand, had to spend hours on the range working to maintain her own accuracy.

If that wasn't enough to work with, Scourge knew that Photon had a secret crush on the team's handler. He had yet to determine whether it was power-as-an-aphrodisiac or simply attraction to an attractive young woman. He couldn't imagine she liked the other woman for her personality, considering the subtle hostility she elicited. In the end, the nature really didn't matter, it gave him the opening he needed.

Scourge waited until the time was right to broach the subject. Lioness and Daedalus were off on patrol, Electron and Memnos were shacked up somewhere (probably the jail cell with the cuffs and chains) and Mercury hadn't been seen around much since the kitchen session that the entire team had heard through the walls. That left the three remaining members watching TV on the couch in the lounge.

Twin Gun got up and ran to the kitchen for a drink and a snack. Photon's eyes tracked the other woman's every motion until she was out of sight. That tragic occurrence brought forth a heartfelt sigh which Scourge took as his cue.

"You know," he muttered conspiratorially to the red-head, without turning away from the TV, "I'm pretty sure I know a way you could end up making out with her. Maybe even more."

The nice thing about the red-head was the way she blushed. From the tip of her head to the painted toes in her sandals, her body turned nearly as red as her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

This time, Scourge did turn to look at Photon. "Oh, come on. It's obvious you have a thing for her. Nothing wrong with that. She's an attractive young woman and an asset to the team. Besides, it doesn't matter to anyone that you're a lesbian."

"I'm not!" Photon turned to stare at him in horror. He leveled her a skeptical look that she could not bear the weight of. She blushed once more and turned back away. "Well, not exactly."

"Not exactly? What does that mean?" Scourge responded, though he knew very well what it meant. Or, at least, he hoped he knew. "Either you want to make love with her or you don't."

"I...I do. It's just...I don't really...I've never..."

"You're bi' but you've never done anything with a woman before." He finished for her, elated by the revelation.

"Yeah. I mean, no! I mean..." Photon took a deep breath and Scourge took advantage of the moment to watch her impressive rack heave out and back in again. "I've kissed women before, and a little heavy petting, but nothing really intimate."

"I understand, and I certainly am no one to judge. I couldn't think of anyone more suitable for your first experience than Twin Gun."

"Really?" The redhead asked as she pulled her feet up underneath her and turned to focus more of her attention on him.

Scourge opened his mouth to reply but quickly shut it again when he heard footsteps returning from the kitchen. Twin Gun circled the couch and sat down carefully opposite Photon on the other side of Scourge. She gave the other two a suspicious glance, aimed more at the rival female than him, and all three returned their focus to the TV. At the next break, Twin Gun once more got up and headed towards the kitchen, likely to clean the dishes used for her snack.

"Are you sure?"

Scourge glanced at Photon, who had leaned forward and chosen to whisper this time. Scourge couldn't help but notice that the neckline of her shirt hung loosely and provided quite a view of soft mounds of cleavage. Unfortunately, with the intensity she watched him, he could only appreciate the sight in his peripheral vision. Otherwise he'd look like just the letch he felt.

"Am I sure about what?" Scourge knew, in general, that she had continued the conversation from before but couldn't hope to remember what statement he'd last made. That assumed she was even thinking about his last statement and not something else he'd said.

"Are you sure about Twin Gun? I mean, I always thought she didn't like me."

Scourge smiled, understanding the difficulty. "It's not that she doesn't like you, Photon, it's that she's a bit jealous. She has set you as a model of what she should accomplish so she competes with you almost constantly.

"The truth is, however, that she not only respects you a great deal but probably also idolizes you. The aggression is merely her way of setting you at a distance in case you turn out not to reciprocate some feelings towards her. I think if you approached her directly, it would even get stronger, out of fear that you were making fun of her."

Photon nodded glumly and dropped her head forward in defeat. While that gave Scourge permission to look at her chest more openly, the posture also concealed quite a bit of what he wanted to see. What her head didn't hide, her curly hair did.

"Keep in mind," he continued, "I also mentioned that I thought I knew a way you could end up making out with her."

Photon's head snapped up, hope shining in her eyes. Since she hadn't pulled herself up from her sulk, he now had a near perfect look strait down her shirt and marveled at the red lace bra. Did she always wear things like that or had she deduced she might need it today? It didn't matter. He only hoped the bottoms matched the top.

"How?" She whispered.

"I think, if we can not only get her competing with you, but also jealous, and no little bit horny, you'll be a shoe-in for an intense moment you could use to turn and kiss her. From there, it should be a straight line."

Photon nodded slowly, uncertainty evident in her expression. "I can see that. I even think it'd probably work. The thing is, how can we be certain she'd get to that place at all?"

"All you have to do," he cautioned, "is exactly what I tell you. I can manufacture the scenario for you, but you have to trust me. Got it?"

Photon nodded then glanced over his shoulder. That would be Twin Gun returning from the kitchen. He had to start things quickly if he wanted to get some before any of the others returned. He kept his voice low but clearly addressed to the red-head. "The first thing you need to do is snuggle with my side."

He lifted his arms to rest them across the back of the couch. Photon looked skeptical but shifted herself forward and curled up under his arm. He glanced down and smiled at the view. She no longer offered the all-access, no-holds-barred, chest shot he'd had moments before but something about the sight of her curled up, small and defenseless, at his side stirred him stronger than if she'd stood before him, naked in a glass box.

"In a couple of minutes," Scourge mumbled under his breath just before Twin Gun reached ear-shot, "You need to start running a hand over my chest possessively. Maybe even play some with my nipple."

He saw her glance up with concern but also felt her subtle nod of --understanding? acceptance?-- after a moment of thought. When Twin Gun circled the couch, she paused and took in the scene arranged before her. As with the red-head, Scourge didn't dare look directly at the brunette. The scowl was all too clear, no matter how poor his angle.

Twin Gun flopped down heavily onto the couch. She did not, he noted, attempt to move the arm he now had draped partially behind her.Good sign! He thought. He also thought she sat a little closer to him than she had during the last stretch of the show, though that could easily be nothing more than a difference of her return and settling comfortably in.

Scourge was heartily glad that someone had picked up on the loophole that allowed for intra-team relationships. Photon was warm and soft, pressed against his side. Even though she had yet to actively caress him, her hands had already begun to rub small circles. She wasn't Lioness but she was far from a consolation prize! And if things worked out like he hoped they would, he might have gotten the better end of the deal in the long run. Electron might have two women, but Scourge doubted very highly that he ever had them at the same time!

Twin Gun had begun to fidget in place. To the casual observer, or even on close inspection, it probably would have looked like a difficulty getting comfortable. In truth, it probably was, but not for the reasons most people would think. He knew her discomfort revolved around her subconscious need to compete with the other young woman. Each slight shift of her weight brought her a fraction of an inch closer to him.

The three continued to watch the television and pretend they weren't aware of what was going on. Of the three, Scourge was pretty certain he was the only one able to process anything from the movie. It was one he'd seen before and while he could have picked a more optimal movie for his plans, he felt confident he could factor the timing into the love scene in the movie.

On cue, after a couple of minutes had passed, Photon began to openly caress Scourge. Twin Gun had already moved about halfway from the edge of the couch into his embrace. She was close enough he clearly saw her eyes jerk over to take in the change in the situation. Photon played it cool and managed to keep her eyes on the TV, though he could see her desire to look over and watch the reaction.

There was no way that Scourge could have hidden his own reaction. Even if his knees hadn't already been spread for comfort, he would have had to open his legs then. He managed to avoid any audible indication of his enjoyment but the bulge in his pants was as good as a scream for the women on the couch.

Photon's action had caused her rival to stop inching closer. That didn't mean she had no desire, conscious or subconscious, not to respond. Her hands began to twitch. She quickly sat on the one nearest to him but the other instinctively began to open and close, kneading her stomach. All she needed was a little push, and he thought he knew the way to start.

Scourge reached his arm around Photon. He felt her freeze with such an intimate embrace, uncertain of his intentions but unwilling to let her rival witness it. Rather than bring her closer, he reached around and used his hand to tug the hem of his t-shirt out from the waist of his pants.

Photon took the change in stride and slid her hand beneath his shirt. She even snuggled closer, with a soft sigh of contentment, without any prompting. He wondered, briefly, if he might not have needed a scheme to get her into bed but discounted the possibility. After all, she'd already shown reluctance over the plan and he hadn't even gotten to the good stuff.

Twin Gun's shift was so subtle that even Scourge, who watched for it, would never have guessed it was anything but natural. He almost missed the way she slid into the crook of his arm altogether! One moment she was by his elbow and the next she was cuddled against him.

Conscious of the way they might react, Scourge resisted the urge to put an arm around each of them and kept his arms along the back of the couch. Photon glanced up. It seemed to be a step in the right direction. At least they had put the norm in a bit more of an affectionate mood. Still, it seemed like he was going to be the recipient of the benefits rather than her.

It was true, of course, but that didn't mean he didn't expect things to work out for the women as well.

Scourge shivered slightly when Twin Gun's hand rose to join her rival's in a caress. Photon's expression became almost accusing. Unable to calm her with words, he tried to put the most trustworthy pleading he could manage onto his own face. After another moment, to ensure he understood her reservations, her face softened into mere skepticism.

Her expression hardened once more when he darted his eyes downward. The glare Photon shot him promised extreme vengeance if his plan didn't pan out like he promised. If it didn't work, he expected worse than her displeasure. After all, the other woman was technically their handler, even if she rarely acted like it.

Scourge wasn't sure if Photon chose subtlety because of her reluctance or because she thought it would play better to Twin Gun. Rather than reach directly for the rock-hard bulge in his pants, she shifted her caress down his body and across his thigh. Her hand began to trace the inside of his leg, careful not to actually touch his crotch.

He couldn't help the moan her ministrations provoked. It held no little frustration. Just to be sandwiched between the two attractive women was enough to spur his lust. Every little bit he managed to coerce out of them brought his need higher.

Once Twin Gun's hand mirrored Photon's on his leg, his plan began to speed up. Momentum gained by simple virtue of the instinctive competitiveness of the species. It didn't matter much that the para had a crush on the norm, they both exhibited all the signs of rivals and their subconsciouses reacted appropriately. Scourge no longer had to guide either of them to the next step. They leapt headlong for it in an attempt to outdo the other.

Scourge closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Their hands hand given up the pretense and now massaged either side of the bulge. Both were too conscious, for the moment, that their hands would collide if they both reached for him at the same moment.

A compromise was reached that he approved of fully. Photon reached for his belt only a moment before Twin Gun could. Undeterred, the handler instead sought out the button and zipper of his pants. In moments his teal briefs were exposed, barely able to contain the solid mass beneath. All he needed was to lift his hips off the couch an inch and the two women worked his pants down to the floor.

Now it had become a bit more difficult for the two to mirror each other. It was downright impossible for them to compete without touching each other. There was a pause of uncertainty while both women processed this fact. Scourge opened his eyes and watched. He made certain to stay silent and unobtrusive. He needed them to continue to think of him as merely the battleground. Any suggestions at this point and they would remember he was the instigator. That would be when everything fell apart.

Photon took the initiative, apparently now fully immersed in the plan to the degree that she began to forget none of this was her idea to begin with. In one fluid motion, she slid off the couch and curled her body around his leg. He couldn't help but gasp when he found her cheek suddenly pressed against the inside of his thigh, her hand cupped under his balls and her eyes longingly attached to the bulge barely contained by his underwear.

Twin Gun, a beat behind, realized she could not gain back the initiative yet. Instead, she lifted his shirt and leaned forward. Although at a weaker position for the long-term competition, she won the round through action rather than suggestion. Her rival hinted what she intended. She went for it.