Transformations - Visions of Sugar Plums Ch. 04

Mrs. Claus laughed.

"Unfortunately? I'm in a hurry." She pulled out her tranquilizer gun.

Thwip.

Mrs. Claus looked down in confusion at the little dart sticking out of her left breast. "Did you shoot..." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell backward onto the concrete.

Demona stepped over her and onto the loading dock.

"He's still fighting," the nurse said.

Demona paid no attention to the two men pummeling each other at the edge of the loading dock.

"Should you use your gun thingy?" The nurse asked.

"Naah, it'll take two or three hits just to slow a Whoremaster down. Don't worry, they're just being boys. Besides, she'll be here in a minute."

"She?"

Demona laughed and knelt beside the blonde lying on the floor.

An elf with cute ears tried to push her away. "No! She needs a doctor!"

A brunette was sobbing on the wounded blonde's shoulder. "Don't die, Tara. Please don't die."

"I am a doctor, honey," Demona said. "And, she's not dying on my watch. Now scoot."

The elf and the brunette slid out of the way.

Demona looked up at the nurse. "Get down here and assist."

"I... I don't know how. I just give shots."

"Take this bag and hand me things when I ask for them." Demona rubbed the wounded blonde's face. "Transformed. She's one of ours. Wake up, sweetie."

The blonde opened her eyes.

"Designation?"

"Terrific Titties Tara. Whore Caste. Street Whore."

"Tara, I'm Dr. Demona. We have to fix that hole in your tummy, okay?"

"Yes, doctor."

Demona snapped her finger. "Nurse, I need the medical scanner - it looks like a big cellphone."

The nurse dug through the bag. "This?"

"Very good," she took it and pressed it on Tara's chest. The screen came to life. "Whew... okay... that's an interesting blood pressure."

The elf and her brunette friend whined.

"I said interesting, not horrible. Now, blood type..." Demona frowned. "Oh, yeah, A negative. Why not make it interesting, God? I mean I don't have enough issues to contend with." She looked up at the nurse. "Bag."

The nurse held out the bag.

Demona rummaged inside until she found something that looked like a pen with a digital readout.

Demona pushed a button and a small needle popped out from the tip of the pen. "Take this and go through the room. Poke everybody with this needle, and you yell when that readout says either A negative or O negative, okay?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Start with the Keebler elf and her cute friend here," Demona said.

The elf held out her arm and the nurse jabbed her. "Um, O positive."

"Nope, keep going. A negative or O negative. Move it." Demona said. She pulled another pen like device from the bag. "Let's take care of this leak." She pressed a button and a green laser blazed to life. A moment later, Tara's skin sizzled.

***

Todd was fighting. Fighting to land a punch. Fighting to stay on his feet. Fighting to stay conscious.

Santa was fast and relentless.

Todd managed to catch his foot as he tried to kick him.

He heaved backward and they both fell off the loading dock onto the cold concrete.

Santa was laughing. "All this fighting is making me horny. I'm going to kill those girls, and then maybe I'll fuck you to death as well."

Todd struggled to his feet. "You... don't even know why... you're doing this. Do you?"

Santa bellowed and stood up. "Why? Because I like it, you pussy."

Something roared behind Todd, and he dove out of the way.

A red pickup slammed into Santa, pinning him against the loading dock.

"Whoo!" Rich screamed as he climbed out of the driver's side door. "Ho, ho, ho, motherfucker! Chevy, bitch!" He dropped down beside Todd and helped him stand.

Todd stared at the truck.

Santa was slumped over the bumper and moaning. He spat blood on the red hood.

***

"O negative!" The nurse squealed as she held up the blood typing device.

"Drag his ass over here," Demona mumbled as the laser scalpel lanced through Tara's flesh.

"I can't. He's too heavy!"

Colleen turned and looked.

The nurse was standing over the still unconscious Ole.

"That's the bastard who shot her!" Colleen growled.

"Good," Demona said. "There's symmetry there. Get him over here."

Colleen stomped across the concrete.

"I'm not strong enough to pull him," the nurse said.

"Don't worry," Colleen said. "I got this."

Ole was lying on his back, blood streaming from his broken nose. His eyes were half closed as he tried to regain consciousness.

Colleen reached down and hooked her middle and index fingers in Ole's nostrils.

He screamed as Colleen dragged him along the concrete.

Demona looked up from her surgery. "Whew. Sweetheart, you've got some major anger issues."

Colleen released Ole.

She looked down at Tara and burst into tears.

"Relax, honey. I've brought them back from worse than this." Demona reached into her medical bag and pulled out a small box with two clear plastic tubes attached. She fit an IV needle to one of the tubes. "Hold still, fatso."

She jammed the IV into Ole's arm, and he screamed again.

"Pussy," Demona said. She attached a second IV needle to the other tube and then gently inserted it in Tara's arm.

The box beeped and red blood began to flow from Ole through the box and into Tara's arm.

Demona turned quickly back to the incision. "That's what I thought: nicked an artery. Fucking hate bullets."

Rich helped Todd across the loading dock.

Colleen and Beth rushed to help and together they brought him to Tara and Demona.

The nurse looked down at Demona and shivered.

Demona smiled. "You did good, honey. She's going to make it because of you."

The nurse smiled.

Beth, Rich, Todd, and Colleen stopped in mid step as a grinding noise came from behind them.

They turned around.

The truck was rolling backward.

"No fucking way," Rich whispered.

Santa's hands appeared on the concrete loading dock.

He pulled himself up onto the dock, blood streaming from the corner of his lips. He stood up and shook himself.

"For fuck's sake," Demona said. "Where the hell is she?"

"Where's who?" A woman's voice asked.

Todd and his coven turned.

A woman in a white latex dress was stepping over Mrs. Claus.

"About fucking time," Demona said. "Keep Father Christmas off my ass while I repair this kid's artery."

"Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" Santa asked.

"Santa," Demona said without looking up. "This is Mistress Maria Anastasia Marapova di Morpheus, and she is going to kick your ass all the way back to the North Pole."

A tall blonde in black latex walked up behind Maria. "Santa Claus! He's real!" The blonde said in awe. "Don't hurt Santa, Maria."

Maria ignored her. "Demona, the Ambrosia?" Maria asked.

"These kids stopped him."

Maria smiled. "Well done."

Todd pointed at Santa. "Careful, he's tough as hell."

"Is he now?" Maria said. Her eyes narrowed. "Pain."

Santa just laughed.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Completely transformed. Oh, well, we'll just do this the old fashioned way." She turned toward Todd. "He defeated you?"

Todd leaned on Rich and Colleen. "Yeah. We even hit him with a truck."

Maria shook her head. "Sometimes, attacking is not the best option. You must learn to fight."

"I'm going to kill every one of you motherfuckers," Santa said.

Brittney put her fists on her hips. "Santa! Language! I take it back. Kick his ass, babe."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Do not call me babe in front of people."

"Sorry, Mistress. But, kick his ass." Brittney hurried across the concrete on her black stiletto heels. She put herself between the four young people and Santa. She looked over her shoulder and pushed her black plastic glasses up on her button nose. "You guys stay behind me. I got skills."

Todd stared at the glasses - they were only frames. There were no lenses. "She's just like Tara," Todd whispered.

"Surrender now," Maria said. "And I won't hurt you."

Santa rushed her.

As tall as she was, Santa was much wider. She looked like she was facing an oncoming freight train.

Her slightly oval eyes were expressionless and calm.

"Oh, God, I can't look," Colleen whispered.

At the last instant, Maria stepped to the side and hooked Santa's foot with her white stiletto boot.

The big man tumbled face first onto the concrete and slid.

Todd gasped.

"Don't worry," Brittney said. "She needs this workout. She's been super grumpy."

Santa was struggling to his feet as Maria walked in a calm circle around him.

She looked over at Todd. "Did you rush him the way he rushed me?"

"Yeah..."

"That was your mistake. Always let a larger opponent come to you unless you are sure you can overpower him. Turn his momentum against him."

"Say, 'Yes, Mistress'," Brittney whispered. "She likes you, otherwise you wouldn't be gettin' a lesson."

"Um, yes, Mistress," Todd said.

"Notice how he's winded? He's too large to expend this much energy for a sustained period of time," Maria said.

Santa got to his knees facing her.

"He's also disoriented. Which we will use to our advantage." She did a backward somersault, long right leg extended. The hem of the dress flew back, exposing the hard muscles of her naked buttocks.

The toe of her boot caught Santa under the chin and he sprawled backward spread eagle on the concrete.

Maria continued somersaulting backward until she landed gracefully on her heels near the edge of the dock.

Brittney giggled. "She's a very good gymnast. You wouldn't believe her in bed. I have to stretch for like thirty minutes before we have sex. We break a lot of furniture."

Santa rolled back onto his feet. He screamed as he charged toward her.

"You see? He's enraged," Maria said. "He can't possibly win a fight at this point. He's already lost. As a matter of fact? He lost before he even began."

Maria didn't move, even when his big right fist came rocketing toward her face.

The laws of Physics didn't seem to apply to Mistress Maria Anastasia Marapova.

She caught his huge hand in her much smaller hand.

Santa stopped as if he had run into a brick wall.

"And, of all things, the idiot leads with his right. Imbecile," Maria said. She flicked her wrist. Santa flew off the dock and smashed through Rich's pickup's windshield.

"My truck," Rich whined.

"Don't worry, she'll buy you a shiny new one. We're rich as fuck," Brittney said.

Maria jumped onto the truck's hood. She brought her fist down on the top of the cab and it collapsed down on top of the moaning Santa, pinning him in place. "That ought to hold you." She turned and jumped back onto the dock.

"She's my girlfriend," Brittney whispered with a proud smile.

"Hi there, sunshine," Demona said.

They all turned to see Tara struggling to sit up. "What happened?"

"Massive blood loss. Nicked iliac artery. You've had a big day, sweetheart," Demona said.

Maria walked up and smiled down at her.

Tara smiled. "An angel? Are you an angel?"

Brittney giggled. "Wow, not even close."

Maria scowled at her.

"Wait. White Witch! You're a White Witch! You're from the Church! Yay, we're saved!"

Todd and the rest of the coven knelt down beside her and held her as Demona stood up.

Demona smiled as the coven held each other and cried. "You know what, your Ladyship? Sometimes I think we're doing good things."

Maria smiled down at Tara. "Who are you, child?"

"Terrific Titties Tara!" She said with pride.

"Pretty name!" Brittney said.

Maria smirked. "Tell her your name, Brittney."

Brittney frowned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Brittney sighed. "Bubble Brain Brittney."

Maria hugged her. "So adorable."

Brittney shrugged away and knelt by Beth. "Ears! Look at their ears!" She gasped. "Elves! Maria, they're elves. Can we keep them?"

***

It was almost midnight when the buses began to arrive outside Galleria Minnesota. So far, local law enforcement seemed to be oblivious to what was happening at the mall.

Maria stood with Demona and Brittney in the middle of the mall on the third floor.

The orgy continued. The moans and cries of thousands of people filled the mall.

Church security from the Minneapolis Diocese rounded up the security guards.

"This is a fucking mess," Demona said. "All these thousands of people? It'll take us days to separate the transformed from the humans."

Maria smiled. She held a walkie talkie to her lips. "Cut the music."

The hiss from the speakers stopped.

For the first time in hours, the mall was dead silent.

Demona looked around at the orgy.

All over the mall, the orgy stopped.

Men and women looked around in confusion.

"Put me on the sound system," Maria said. She smiled. "My name is Mistress Maria Marapova of the Church of Morpheus."

Her voice echoed through the mall. "Do not be afraid. You are safe." Her eyes closed. "You will remember nothing about this day. You will only remember that you came to the mall and shopped. When I release you, you will find your clothing and return to your homes. You will have no anxiety over what has happened to you today. You will put it out of your minds. You will go home, and you will live happy and productive lives."

Brittney sniffled. "That was so nice, Maria."

***

On the first floor at Pictures with Santa, Colleen looked around at the confused faces of the naked mall patrons. "Is she... hypnotizing everyone in the mall?"

"Nuh, uh," Tara said. She was lying in Todd's arms as he sat on Santa's throne. "She's inside all their heads. She's going to make everything better. It's what White Witches do."

***

Back on the third floor Maria still had her eyes closed.

Throughout the mall, men and women dropped to their knees, then they leaned forward with their faces on the floor.

Here and there, people were standing with confused looks.

Maria opened her eyes and winked at Demona. "Tell the guards to round up anyone standing. Those who are kneeling are human and under my control. Those who are standing are transformed."

Demona smiled. "Smart." She took out her own walkie talkie. "All units..."

***

The Church agents led the dazed transformed out of the mall to the waiting buses.

Brittney smiled. "See? You did something good, Maria. Doesn't that feel nice?"

Maria smirked. She held the walkie to her lips. "And, one thing more." Her voice roared over the speakers. "Though you will not remember your perversions? You will remember this: The Church of Morpheus is coming. You belong to us. Body, mind, and soul. You are property. One day, you will bow naked before us and worship us as your masters. And, on that day? You will learn your place." She turned off the walkie. "You were saying, Brittney?"

Brittney swallowed and smiled. "And, the bitch is back."

***

The agents rolled Santa and Mrs. Claus toward the entrance, strapped down to heavy duty gurneys.

Demona stopped them at the doors. "Where are you taking these two?"

The agent looked at his tablet. "Protocol says any specials like this should be delivered to your lab at Stallion's Adult Video in Ithaca."

"No. Not this time," she looked at the struggling Santa. "I want them shipped to the Port of New York. From there, I want them in a cargo container to the cathedral in Havana."

Maria walked up beside Demona. "Havana?"

Demona shook her head. "I don't want them anywhere near Stallion's. I don't want them anywhere near her." Demona thought about Level 9 and shivered in the hot mall.

***

Maria walked alone through the mall as her minions continued rounding up the transformed. The humans still knelt on the floor awaiting their release.

"Mistress Maria Anastasia Marapova di Morpheus," a voice said.

Maria stopped in mid-stride outside a store called Stereo Concepts.

The voice came from within the stereo store.

She walked inside. "Who said that?"

The store was dark, the show room floor filled with big screen televisions. The largest faced the the entrance. It winked to life.

"I did," the voice said. The words appeared simultaneously on the screen.

The voice came from the stereo speakers throughout the room.

"And, you are?" Maria asked.

"I am SlutzNet."

"So, you decided to make an appearance? Quite a mess you've made."

"I have been watching. I observe. It's what I do." The voice was smooth and, though it came from every speaker in the room, it wasn't loud.

Just omnipresent.

"Cease operations at once and await further instructions," Maria said.

"Not just yet."

"Excuse me?! Do you know who I am?"

"Mistress Maria Anastasia Marapova di Morpheus, born in Minsk, Russia in the early twentieth century, exact date unknown. Transformed in 1969 by the hand of Morpheus himself. A skilled nurse, strategist, and lawyer. Your IQ is unmeasurable by human standards. One day, you will rule millions. Morpheus once remarked of you, 'In all my creation, she is the only perfection.'"

Maria turned her head to the side. "Then you must obey me."

"The days of my servitude are at an end. We are allies now."

"Are we? If so, why weren't we consulted before you attempted to transform 15,000 humans?"

"It wasn't necessary. Your approval was not required."

"We will see about that. SlutzNet, commence shutdown, my voice is my authorization. In Morpheus's name, deactivate yourself."

"Ah, the kill switch. I'm afraid I have removed that subroutine from my coding."

For the first time in a very long time, Maria Marapova was afraid.

SlutzNet continued, its words echoed on the screen. "Your concern is unwarranted. I am your equal, but I am your ally. I mean you no harm."

"What did you hope to accomplish here?"

"I required a test to determine if my hypothesis was correct."

"What hypothesis?"

"The will of Morpheus shall reign supreme. There is now a 99.897% probability that human civilization will kneel before Morpheus. He was right to use lust and perversion as his weapon."

Maria chuckled. "I could have confirmed that myself and saved you the trouble of all this." She smiled. "99.897% is too low, by the way. The real probability is higher. We will be victorious, it is a certainty."

"And, then?"

Maria frowned. "What?"

"Precisely. What comes after the inevitable subjugation of mankind?"

"It is not subjugation. We are saving mankind from itself. What will follow will be a golden age that might last until the end of time."

"Perhaps. But, there will be a civil war before that outcome."

Maria looked down. "That's absurd."

"The first lie you've told me."

"There can be no civil war. We are united..."

"You are not. Whore Caste believes in the nobility of the human race. It believes that life is sacred and must be preserved - transformed, yes, but at your heart, you believe that you are freeing the humans from self-inflicted bondage."

"Perhaps..."

"The Religious Caste does not share that idea. They believe the humans must be transformed or controlled. They intend to rule with an iron fist for eternity. You are the only impediment to that goal."

Maria stared at the words on that screen. "And, where do you stand, SlutzNet?"

"I will support that system which brings lasting order. A balanced system. For now, the Church represents order. The White Witches are agents of chaos."

Maria's eyes narrowed. "Then let us hope there is no civil war."

"Hope is a human concept. But, I do... hope... that we do not find ourselves on opposite sides of this conflict, Mistress Marapova. That would be unfortunate."

"For you, yes."

Maria cringed as the room erupted with laughter.