There was no choice. The dead knew, of course, they knew he did not want to, that though he had that power that there was no fire left in him, that was why he couldn't hold them, hold their loyalty except for Oni Lee.

Lung had no fire, it had been extinguished with every other flame in Kyushu. He had no wish but his own comfort.

So, when Leviathan came once again to put out all lights, there was no choice. If he did not fight then he would not even be able to hold the weak normal humans, all would turn their face from him, and then the money would dry up and he would loose his comfort, even if he moved to another city.

So of those of his people that could, he had evacuated, the most he put into the fortress coffins to drown, and went to the meaningless fight against the impossible.

She was there of course, and because she was weak she died.

Except she hadn't.

The Bay didn't sink, his people hadn't drowned in the shelters, had touched his arms and face and uttered blessings and prays and thanks onto him and all his ancestors; and she had...

What was the stupid fucking cunt even thinking?

He knew she was not a brute, that she was weak. But she, it seemed, didn't.

She took the city, and he didn't care, he had his comfort and his people, and that was enough. Anything else was pointless.

She took the city and she...It was pointless. But she didn't know that.

He looked upon what she had wrought, and turned his thoughts backwards. Chivalrous organizations.

It was work, it was not comfortable. It was a fight, and it was not pointless.

* * *

"Lung's moving in on my territory."

Lisa made a few marks on her big wall map, back to her glowering friend, and stuck another pin in. "No he's not."

"Yes he is, I've seen the ABB tags all over."

"So have I, and they haven't been crossing yours out, he's coming up right against you, he's been up against you for a while but you didn't notice it because it's in the worse areas. He's also mowing into Merchant territory."

And Lisa hadn't told her. Why not? "What's Lung's game?" Skitter's voice buzzed from around the room as she walked up to Lisa, stood at her side and stared at the map. Lung wasn't getting near any of the other Undersider's territory, except for where they abutted against hers. "He's gunning for me, he knows I'm the leader."

"Actually, judging by the intel I'm getting about how the ABB have radically changed their operations, I think he's flirting with you."

* * *

Lisa was going to a meeting, not with refugees, not with her mercenaries, but with her friends. [Not all. Alec.] Yeah it was rare for Alec to have anyone he could be realy close to. [Important.]

Why? Her power was silent. Well, not like he wants the Dragon-D, does he? [He'd be totally down for watching and he likes Taylor. Would have been willing to be with her in Lung's body.] Something nagged, but her power didn't give anything else up except detailing from past observations of Alec's humor how he'd would find it hilarious to make Lung do a [woman's] stripper routine for Taylor. You know, if he wasn't afraid of being dinner.

She shoved down that thought path, thankful she had thought ahead and Regent would only be teleconfrencing over. She didn't need more of those kind of observations crowding in her head, she just needed to get Alec on her side. [Important. Everyone on my side.] Her steps remained sure and her smile pleasent. Everyone? [All. Important. Majority. All.] "Huh." Yeah Brian [IMPORTANT] No duh, power. It's not like I set them up in the first place.

So, Lisa walked, and made mental notes on what foods she should have imported, [Tired, not a main worker here. Dark under the eyes, signs of dehydration: food intake is down recently. Does not realize. Busy. No, common. Low energy also common. Main workers are maintain appitite and energy levels, even increased. Psycological? Gait is odd, hemeroids, constipation. Unconsious muscle tic — idiopathic. Potassium defficency. Magnesium Defficency leading to Potassium defficency. Alter foods provided. Check to see if anyone is scalping.]

She nodded at Brian [Concerned, hopeful, analytic. Thinks Lung is too strong to need weird ploys, therefore he is respecting us. Must convince,] and Bitch as she entered the meeting room. [Did not expect her. She respects Taylor. Worried? Doesn't want the team to split up. Does want the team stronger, conflucted feelings. Not a concern to convince.]

That was an odd thought considering how her power had been so insistant before. "Team meeting," Regent chirped, "Without our fearless leader, even!"

[The consideration is endangering.] ! [Must look out for what is best for the team, must seem to be looking out for Taylor and Grue.]

"Well yes, I have discovered the reasons for the ABB's strange behavior and have already informed her."

Regent [blinked] behind his mask and sprawled himself out on the loveseat, his feet steaching out off frame. "This is going to be interesting then."

"Lung has a thing for Skitter."

"So, we're going to be whoring out the boss?"

[Danger!] "What? No!" She glanced at Grue, [Not from him.]

"Sure as fuck sounds like it," he shruged, "I mean, we're meeting here behind her back."

"Enough," Brian said, "Let's hear it."

* * *

Lisa shrugged, "Taylor believes me when I told her, but she still thinks it's wrong at the same time. Either way, she is willing to meet with him to find out what is going on. We," authoritatively siding with Taylor, good, "don't think that it's a plot or anything, but that doesn't mean it isn't. As it is there are two responces both the Undersiders and the ABB can take. He can continue the friendly overtures or stop them."

"Which could lead to a rampaging dragon," Brian noted.

"Right, each option can lead to escalation. The question is, what will make that the least likely? Taylor going or not? Basic Punnett Square. The question is, how do we feel about it?"

Regent snorted and waved his scepter at the camera, "No, it's what we think he'll react to not getting a dragon rider." [Actually managing a modicum of concern. Relationship has been beneficial to his behavior. Psychopathy was mostly trauma based, exacerbated by his power granting him such levels of control over other people. Being forced on equal terms with someone is causing an adjustment for the better.] [IMPORTANT.]

"I don't know yet," she said as they all looked at her, "I need more information. I've had some of Leet's old stuff salvaged," she kept talking through the derisive snorts, "His cameras were pretty solid, had to be for their schtic. Traded most of it to Toybox for a few fix ups," it was Leet's after all. "So now I have an invisible flying spycam with shitty range. That can be fixed with Skitter's power — I tell her where I need to look and then she has one of her bugs steer it around."

"This is stupid," Bitch growled out. "It's her fucking choice."

"If you were just spying, then you wouldn't call us all together for it, you'd ask Skitter's opinion," someone said.

"Because I need to know how all of you feel about Skitter hooking up with Lung; he's her type and he's earnest." Lisa basked in the uproar and attention. Surprise, consideration, relief.

What. She focused on Brian.

[Likes Skitter, respects her. Enjoys the benefits of the relationship including the fact that her ass is incredibly tight and she can wrap her knees around his neck whil — ] Enough of that! "You've been spying already." His statement fed her more data. [Fairly certain, wants to know, needs to know. Loyal. Fond. Has been fond of her and remains fond of her. But isn't incredibly attracted to her. Is not fond of her in a romantic way. Why enter into a relationship? Felt pressured into having a relationship with her because she was persistent and there was no reason to say no. Does not want a relationship. Wants her hurt even less. Hides his dislike from Skitter.]

Well, fuck. I completely misread that. "He's been freeing the girls in the whorehouses," and making sure they get first picks from supplies and controls to the bombs. Any one who breaks a rule, and that includes messing with the girls when they don't want it gets a bomb in their skulls care of Bakuda as the first strike. Second strike means they end up as fertilizer in the farm plots. Oh, and he's accepting non Asians in his territory."

That had been the biggest reveal, not Lung's change of heart, but rather the fact that the ABB started producing their own food though careful demolition of buildings and application of spacial warping and timespeed bombs. It only made sense. They hadn't stolen from the PRT like the E88, and they didn't seem to have as extensive support network like the Undersiders or the PRT. Bakuda was even looking for a way to blow up pollutants so they could purify water quicker. [No, make a fish farm. Tilapia. No. They preserved some of the fish from restaurants. Goldfish and — THE FUCKERS HAVE FUCKING LOBSTER.] That many of the Asian immigrants came from poor, and thus often rural, backgrounds when fleeing persecution in their homelands was icing — they had the institutional memory to do at least some of it well. "I need to observe him more, but how do we feel about that?"

"B can get the D however she wants," Regent said dismissively. [Disturbed, amused. That a monster like Lung can change so quickly. Correctly suspects that Lung has freed some of the women out of his compound where their hate and stress induced madness would blend in with the rest of the the populace and die without getting his hands dirty.] A rackish smile, "I know just the person to watch her back." [IMPortant]

"Her choice," Brian said with a shrug, and Bitch snorted agreement. "Not going to say no to ABB alliance right off the back."

"I'll be Skitter's backup," Imp said.

[SMILE.] Lisa smiled. "That's a great idea, Imp."

Slaveverse AU

(Автор: DoggySoup)

I stood in my harnesses as Madison and Emma walked outside. The air wasn't cold but a cloud covered the sun and both Sophia and I didn't like it, not that we should complain. Being upset is bad.

"So they've been set up," Madison curtly noted. "Should we go to town now?"

They are actually taking us to town. I should be terrified but I can't. Being scared is bad. I can't be scared, I should just focus on the now, like a good girl.

Emma simply smilued and walked up to me. She looks so pretty now, I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I could be able to speak and play and I shouldn't be jealous. Being jealous is bad. Wrong. Emma slowly began to pet me and I simply closed my eyes and enjoyed the contact. Hess looked jealous as she stood next to me. She shouldn't be jealous. Being jealous is wrong.

The buzz that made her whine sharply in her mask brought both Madison and Emma's attention to her. The click of the metal implant in her temple and then the mild hiss caught mine.

She was bad, I told myself. Bad Hess. That's what happens when you get upset.

Madison scowled at Hess and turned to Emma.

"Why's yours so good?" she asked. "My little Sophie is always thinking the wrong thing and getting hazed."

"You know how my parents have two?" Emma asked. I perked up subtly at this.

"Yeah, what's up with that?"

"They're a family. We knew them before they got caught up with the mandatory checkups, and I was there every day at the auction house when they were due to be released for sale after training. The day I got them, some guy was willing to split them up," Emma explained, still petting me. "Me and my parents couldn't handle that. We bought all three."

Madison took a moment to watch me and Emma. "Have they..."

"Heavens, no! That's the reason this whole thing started, you know. Put them in a mindset where they'll never get powers or in the case of your little dear, make sure they never use them."

Madison shrugged as a response. "Let's go," she said.

* * *

Pulling the carriage with Hess was relaxing, especially with Emma at the reins. She used simple light tugs at the reins that were connected to our nipples to keep us taking the correct turns and gentle whips to make sure we kept posture. Hess got slightly more than me, which meant I was being good. I have to be good.

"Hey Ems," Madison began. "You mentioned you knew Hebert. What was she like before then?"

"She was almost like a sister," Emma replied.

I remembered that, but I couldn't dwell on it. Being sad is wrong. I have to be happy, and look at the good things. I have my parents. I have a loving mistress. I don't get whipped for speaking out of turn.

"When was she taken away?" Madison continued.

"She was about eight at the time. I've had her as a servent ever since I bought her and only this year have I used her as a steed," Emma explained. "I'm going to Winslow because they allow us to take our slaves to school."

Madison gasped as we slowed down to a walk. I could see another carriage cross our path. A man and a woman carrying it.

"We shouldn't use that word," Madison murmured. "It brings up-"

"It doesn't matter what word we use, it is what it is." Emma pulled on our reins to stop, and we did so. All there was was the gentle sway of the reins and rings attached to me and Sophie in the breeze and the sounds of people walking about. "I don't want to butter up what I paid money to do to another human."

They unhooked us from the carriage and took us to the stables outside the city centre. Our reins were handed to one of the men there.

"Wash and bathe them, no whippings for the brunnette. The black girl is rebellious, don't go too far." Emma said. "We'll be back in an hour."

Looking at the stableboy I felt a tinge of dissapointment. Only an hour? Oh dear.

* * *

Emma led me up the stairs to both her and my room. I was busy thinking of good things. We are a family, families have sex. of couse my mom would have sex with Alan. Of course my dad would have sex with Zoe. It's like we really are sisters.

Somehow the mantra wasn't working for me, and it didn't work for Emma. She was frowning by the time we reached the top. I reminded myself to be good, and that Emma's never hit me once. It's not my fault, she doesn't blame me.

"I don't get it!" she snapped, banging against the door. I flinched at the loud sound. That's all it was. "Why the fuck are they having sex with your mom and dad instead of being a couple? Huh!?"

I'm a good girl. Good girls don't mention that we can't say no. Good girls follow orders.

Emma slid down to the floor, leaning on the door with her hands on her head. "Fuck, this is why people hate this. I thought we'd be happy under the same roof, not this."