Truce Ch. 01

The long drive I took toward a nearby college town was an occasional luxury I lived up every minute of the two-and-a-half hour drive. I didn't bother asking for it every weekend, just times when things got really shitty. Letting the windows down, I let my head clear as warm air breezed through my car and the sun went down off in the distance. Few cars on the road thankfully, with the exception of the Epsilon escort trailing me from five or six cars back. I don't think they knew or cared if I knew they were there, and I never brought it up to Petersen or anyone. I would've freaked out my the first time I recognized the car always following me, if I didn't recognize one of the faces in the car. I tried to pretend they just weren't there the whole trip.

And for the first time since it happened, I let my thoughts about Maelstrom roam free in my head. All the crazy shit I'd seen with superpowers, I couldn't make up what happened between us. Ridiculous as it was to recall, I kept second-guessing that it actually happened, that it really was a hallucination, that she was maybe testing out a new power that was made to screw with an enemy's head. The hallucination angle was believable until I questioned, "then why that?" I kept coming up short of an explanation. With the sun setting on the driver's side, and fewer cars to notice, I let myself stare at the orange sun, remembering what it was like to be exposed to those eyes, to that color. There was something peaceful, serene about it, a beauty that refused to let anything else catch my attention; a solo trip out felt very good as I could let my body just react, stronger than I dared admit to. It was a hard drive most of the way, in the best of ways, until I reached the motel and diner I usually frequented.

Checked in at the motel first, then went across the street to eat alone, or relatively, as I'm sure my escort entered the restaurant at some point. Didn't bother checking who was or wasn't there, just enjoyed some decent food alone; better than the standard cafeteria food, or whenever my teammates try their hands at recipes. After a good meal, I headed back across the street, happy to get a night alone, and the chance to sleep in. I passed by the car I was sure was my escort, but only one person was in it. Anger set in as I could guess where the other one was, which was timed nicely by feeling the Hier-Half in my muscles. I unlocked my door at a lazy speed, then rushed in to grab the guy's neck who'd been waiting in my pitch black room. I nearly choke-slammed him against the wall and lifted him off the ground. Somewhere in the struggling the light switch turned on to reveal I had Maelstrom in my grip.

"Oh shit."

My eyes went wide and I gasped out loud. Her hands gripped my arm, but couldn't do anything against my paralyzed hold. A million thoughts ran through my head, competing to be answered. "How did she find me?" "What's she doing here?" "Is she going to melt my arm off for holding her like this?" "Should I kill her now before she gets the chance to kill me?" "Why are you just standing there? Do something!" Any and everything was possible, and I was stuck in fear, waiting for something to happen.

"Truce."

I heard the word that struggled it's way out of her mouth, surprised she actually spoke. Something about her file said she doesn't talk and "assumed mute." The meaning of the word set in, the last thing I expected of this. Cautiously, I loosened my grip against her throat, and lowered her back to her feet slowly, not trying to anger the force of nature I grasped any further. We backed away from each other, her holding her throat, me holding my sphincter.

"What..." escaped my lips in a panic, trying to ask everything at once. After a few deep breaths and staring at me the whole time, a spark in her eyes ignited again and the flame burned into my memory earlier rekindled. I saw the end of that outward tress glow the same color, saw the strangely calm expression she held compared to earlier, concentration with a lot less force in her expression, but the flame itself was no less potent. It felt easy to let go from the moment the flame shone in her and lit a fire in me. Compared to the panic I remember the first time, a slow burn of listlessness and peace, enveloped me in the flame, letting it slowly burn away concerns, awareness, the need to move or think. There was a slight drowsiness wafting in me, but not enough to separate my gaze from hers.

She took a step further, and my eyes took more of the flame graciously. My muscles laxed, yet I felt a smile creep onto my face, and grow. Shadows of prior thoughts, what I thought was my life flashing before my eyes, seemed more the flame touching my memories, processing them. There were others I didn't recognize, but felt I felt the emotion behind them; I absently put it together that our thoughts were merging, being shared. It felt like a caress, the deeper she bore, the crevices of my brain filled with flames flowing like water. I felt firm hands on my arms, keeping me fixed where I stood; it was easy to internally sense surprise in me doing everything I could to have more.

"You....like this?" the question came from somewhere; it came from somewhere between my ears and my thoughts. It seemed to compliment features showing confusion across her face.

"Yeah..." I answered without pause.

Throughout my burning brain, I could feel an unsure part of me being pressed, exposed to more heat. The force was gentle, letting the fire burn its way forward.

"Does this scare you?" the posed question joined the sensation of a small sense of resistance to everything being melted down, a barrier between two fires removed until they slowly became one.

"Yeah..." I was shocked in how hot feeling it and answering breathlessly made me. There was a small amount of joy emanating from my combined fear and excitement; I was helpless to this process, afraid of where it was going to go, afraid of the woman controlling the process and me, and slightly more afraid of it ending.

The hands at my arms moved up to my face, holding flushed cheeks firmly as glazed eyes still smiled into fiery ones; her touch made me grunt something.

"You want more?" a hint of fear was laced in the question, almost afraid of the answer.

"More," an affirmative, a plea, a weak command.

Throughout the strange inquiry, what felt like an agreement between our brains. Her fire, and the fire started in me from burning things down, met and came to an agreement, there was an understanding, a joining, a tied knot fused together; a dozen ways I tried processing it, accepting a deep liking of having it there.

Then suddenly, she blinked her eyes back to normal, and her hands let go of my face. Weak in the knees, I fell back and collapsed on the bed. For a moment, we just looked at each other, each of us staring at the parts that we liked. The still burning in my brain easily traveled south to show what I thought of the intimidatingly-bewitching woman. Hands on her hips, looking at my larger, yet towered-over frame, hungry eyes inspecting me like cornered prey, yet appraising me like I'd be of some use. Her face was a sexy amount of pale and darkness, her expression stern in closed lips, yet alluring in mischievous eyes. I was probably blushing, mouth slightly opened, beads of sweat above my brows, my lips showing confusion, yet my eyes bedazzled. It felt like my nostrils flared at the same time I saw hers.

A soft voice I might've confused for my conscience discussed attraction.

"Not bad."

Joy reactively swelled deep inside from that, and I felt something smile and approve of my attraction and fear of her beauty and power.

"Lift the shirt."

Someone's hands reached the hem of my shirt to obey the sudden suggestion. Figuring I felt obligated to give her a more thorough preview, I saw her take an involuntary breath at athletic six-pack abs, catching herself a second too late to hide her reaction.

"Take it off....take everything off."

The cool air touching naked skin nearly made me as hard as following the order given. I let myself pant and hope she would approve of the body burning for her.

Interest shaped reason in how often good chances comes along, to not waste the opportunity.

"Why not."

I was in agreement before her eyes sparked and flared momentarily, pushing the need forward as I reached forward for her. She pushed me back on the bed easily and fell on me as our lips hungrily took each other. The impossibility of our warehouse tussle became heavenly as it felt right instead of rushed, exposing her face, lips and neck to kisses as she dug into my skin with grasping nails. Her pants came off nearly as quickly as I sensed she wanted them off, and held her tight as we pumped into each other, at a speed I felt her needing and me needing to give. Her moans started to turn to screams the closer we got, and before the climax, I kissed her to muffle the scream I thought might deafen me being so close. Fortunately she kissed me back as we rode the wave all the way to the crescendo, the best either of us ever had, passion keeping us on cloud nine.

I laid back on the bed to catch my breath when she let me go, too weak to want to move, too scared to try to move as parts of my brain rationalized that I just had sex with Maelstrom, with "rainbow death." The awkward "what now" after sex started setting in, battling the burn that kept me in a haze of pleasure. I gasped as I felt her head turn mine to her ignited gaze, and I was happy to learn she wasn't done with me yet.