Eye of the Monster

That seemed to do the trick since the fog in her eyes started to clear up and the girl began blinking dizzily. Just then Dawson caught the sound of drone rotors nearby. Casting a glance over her shoulder she was able to glimpse the faintly-lit forward display of the Sundowner before it maneuvered out of sight.

Alenia! She must have afflicted her with the daemon the girls used to condition themselves. The fact it seemed to be working on some level suggested there was something immoral about it, but then Alenia had never claimed to be a particularly moral person. She had probably rationalized this as "helping" by subduing an enemy decker.

But something else occurred to Dawson. If the drone had been watching, it had probably recorded Reymont showing up to gloat at her.

I can nail Reymont to the wall if Stapleton testifies. They might not even need Presscamp to cooperate at that point.

The girl came awake and started shivering in Dawson's hand. "Uh... Wha... Where am I?"

"You're at the monument," Dawson said. Without realizing it she'd kept the steel in her tone, even though it wasn't necessary. Her words came out sounding like orders more than anything else. With great effort she tried to push away the thrill that rose up in her from knowing someone was vulnerable to being commanded by her.

"You were going to shoot me because Reymont paid you to. He's gone now, and you'll notice I don't have any new holes."

The girl teared up immediately. "If you don't kill me, Reymont will."

Dawson affected her most soothing tone possible. "Shhh. No one is going to kill you. What's your name?"

The girl sniffed pitifully, still terrified. "Bells."

"You got a real name, Bells?"

Her eyes watered up again. "Bells is the only name I got, lady."

"So you're SINless, then. Well that means your testimony is no good... Far as the state is concerned, you don't exist."

Dawson's comment caused something fragile inside of Bells to shatter and she started bawling. "Nobody wants me!!" she wailed. "I should just fraggin' off myself!!"

Fucking hell, Dawson thought, young people move so fast these days.

"No, no, no," Dawson said, "That's not true. Don't ever think that! Hey, look at me, Bells. Look at me. Look at me. Listen to my voice."

The girl ceased crying immediately and straightened up, looking at Dawson's face with wide eyes. The comet's reflected light made the moisture on her cheeks look like traces of liquid copper.

If it had been required of her to find words for this moment beforehand Dawson wasn't sure she could have done so, but in her heart she knew just what to say. She knew just what the girl needed to hear. Hadn't she spent the last twelve years of her life trying to be just what someone needed?

"I want you," she started, cupping the girl's chin. "I'm your angel. Your savior, who came to rescue you from going down a bad path. I got here just in time, didn't I?"

She used one thumb on her chin to gently encourage the girl to nod. "Good," she went on. "You want to be saved, don't you? There's no need to be ashamed of it. There's a lot of benefits to being saved. Food, for instance. And a bed. You ever slept in a bed before, Bells?"

All the girl could produce was a wordless nuhh noise as Dawson produced her balisong and cut the hose from around her wrist. "I know it might sting your pride to admit all of this," Dawson went on, "But believe me when I say you'll be a lot happier if you get rid of your pride. Living for only yourself is only going to leave you by yourself. I'm going to be forty in about three months, you know? That probably makes me almost twice as old as you so maybe you should listen to what I have to say."

At this the girl produced a weak smile. "Do... do I know you from somewhere?" she asked. "You look a little familiar..."

"You might have seen me on the news trids," Dawson admitted, slowly standing up. Bells looked like her legs were a little weak, so she scooped the girl up in both arms. "Maybe fighting an ork in an arena?"

Recognition stole over the girl's face. "Oh drek, that's you? I'm... I'm sorry I pointed a gun at you."

"It's alright," Dawson soothed. "I forgive you. Forgiveness can be a beautiful thing. And please don't call me a pawn again, that hurts my feelings. Can you do that for me, Bells?"

"Yeah. Where are we going?"

"When Reymont finds out I'm not dead he's going to be pretty upset and I don't want you to be available for him to take it out on. I can handle him, but you need to lay low. And you really need a shower, too. And your hair brushed. Would you like that?"

Bells looked dizzy again. "Oh frag," she muttered, "I... I gotta be dreamin' right now.."

"If so," Dawson said as they started descending the stairs, "It's a dream you and I are sharing."

The girl weighed a stone's throw from nothing and Dawson adjusted her in her arms to turn her sideways, carrying her out past the monument. After being casually repositioned, Bells stared intently at the exposed section of Dawson's chest where she'd ripped away some of her shirt to stop Dyne's bleeding.

"It's alright," Dawson said encouragingly. "No one is around to judge you. Go ahead."

The girl's eyes flicked up to her once seeking confirmation, finding it in the smile Dawson gave her. Then she planted her face into that section, just between and at the top of Dawson's breasts. Inarticulate shudders followed as she buried herself into the older woman's chest, followed by a half-sigh, half-sob of immense relief when Dawson held the back of her head.

= = =

A short walk in the direction of Union Square proper brought them near a vending machine. Bells found it difficult to cry or experience doubt when she was chewing on flash-fried soy-pork tamales. Street creatures were easily tamed by food, among a few other things.

In the past this was when Dawson would have asked questions: when a witness felt indebted and mostly safe, but not entirely safe from Dawson should they choose to be uncooperative. But the girl was emotionally drained and would probably just start crying again if probed, so Dawson just let her eat and then lay on a bus stop bench with her head in the larger woman's lap.

At one point she opened her mouth as if to speak but simply belched instead.

Dawson put a hand on her stomach. "Nice." Bells grinned at the praising of her poor manners. She'd fit right in with the girls, if she wanted to.

Eventually the girl started to get drowsy and rolled over to put her face in Dawson's stomach. She spoke into her rigid abs, "What are we waiting for?"

Dawson replied, "My better half."

Before Bells could inquire what that meant, the Firebird pulled up in front of the bus stop. The driver's side door opened up and the sound attracted Bells' attention.

When Instinct got out she was wearing a look of immense relief. Bells blinked, shaking her head and then looking up at Dawson.

"Sister," she supplied. "Twin. Mostly."

Her creature came around in front of the car and bent at the knees to get close to the girl in Dawson's lap.

"Who're you? That lap belongs to me, you know. So if you want to keep laying in it, you're going to belong to me too."

Bells shrank from Instinct's proclamation. "Uh... Bells."

"Hi Bells. I'm Instinct." She offered her hand as if to shake but when the girl took it Instinct lifted her hand up to her mouth to kiss it on the back.

"Did my sister save you from making a bad decision?" The girl nodded meekly and Instinct smiled without showing her teeth.

"She's an angel like that. And she'll never, ever abandon you. I won't either. It's going to get better from here on out... I promise."

Dawson cupped the back of the girl's head, making her go limp in her lap again. She asked to Instinct, "Your friend alright?"

"Yeah," Instinct said, standing up. "I'm... I'm sorry about that. Crisis situation. Someone was on a ledge and needed to be talked back."

"I know what that's like," Dawson whispered.

A few minutes later Bells was stretched out in the rear seat of the Firebird and Dawson was quietly explaining what went down.

"Pickers came to save you?" Instinct asked. She didn't disbelieve it; instead she was smiling, like a plan had come together.

"Yeah, and I think Alenia must have gotten Reymont on the drone's camera."

"Oh, that'll come in handy."

"She also stuck poor Bells here with Impulse Control."

Instinct blinked, then raised her brows. "Well, one more mouth for your cunt, when you want it."

Dawson used her left hand to slap Instinct's thigh playfully. "Come on. I won't treat her that way."

"You will if she begs you to."

"She won't."

"She's mumbling your name in her sleep right now."

Dawson looked over her shoulder but Bells had rolled over to put her face in the back of the seat, into which she was snoring. She looked back to see Instinct grinning, eyes on the road.

They drove back to the monument first and Dawson retrieved the SM-5 rifle from where Dyne had dropped it. She was considering how to find Pickers when he saved her the trouble and contacted her.

AvengingScorpion: Hey Imp.

Det.Dawson: Seriously? You couldn't come up with a subtler handle than this?

AvengingScorpion: You know who this is, so it's doing the job I want it to.

AvengingScorpion: The witness here is alright. Some biomed gel on his shoulder stopped up the bleeding.

Det.Dawson: Tell him I got his gun. When he wants to meet he can have it back, so long as he doesn't point it at anyone that doesn't warrant it.

AvengingScorpion: He looks happy to hear that.

AvengingScorpion: I'll give him your details. He says he wants to lay low, hide out somewhere in case Reymont is looking for him.

Det.Dawson: Then he's a smart guy. Just ask him not to leave the city yet. I'm going to need him.

AvengingScorpion: Will do. I might be able to recommend a place that doesn't ask too many questions.

AvengingScorpion: And... about my favor?

Det.Dawson: What is it you need, Jason?

AvengingScoprion: Do you know any trolls? Someone you trust, like we used to trust each other.

Det.Dawson: One or two. What's this about?

AvengingScorpion: Someone close to me SURGEd a few days ago. He's having a hard time with it.

Det.Dawson: Someone in Humanis?

AvengingScorpion: Yeah.

Det.Dawson: I know someone who might be able to offer some perspective.

= = =

Dawson was upstairs preparing the bathroom for their visitor. Alenia took this time to inspect the auburn-haired girl in the armchair with her own eyes, so far having only seen her through the drone's camera.

"Bells, huh?"

The filthy human girl looked nervous, which was understandable. Alenia and Rierra weren't wearing any pants and were as relaxed as alley cats on platinum cloth pillows. So she extended her hand.

"I'm Alenia. In the Matrix I'm called Hollowheart." She grinned. "How'd you like my daemon?"

"I didn't even know I liked girls before," Bells said, "And now I think I'm in love with one."

She grinned wider. "Yeah, it can have that effect."

Rierra cut right to the chase. "What are your intentions with our girlfriend?"

Bells shrank from the questioning. "Uh, I... I don't know. I'm just kind of getting carried around everywhere right now." She swallowed audibly. "She seems... stern. I just want to do whatever she tells me to."

Alenia waved her hand. "Nah, she's a creampuff. All you gotta do is just get on your hands and knees and beg like a shameless idiot whore with a ton of mommy issues and she'll give you whatever you ask for! Talk like you're in a bad porn-sim and she's yours. Easy, like a vending machine for love."

"If you're going to live with us," Rierra said matter-of-factly, "There's one important thing you need to know. Don't touch the compact discs! Only Dawson and Instinct can touch those." She sat back on the couch and crossed her legs. "Other than that, we're pretty chill. Just hang out, eat whatever, do what you want. No chores since Dawson will just clean up after us. She'll make you take a shower sometimes but she'll also rub your cunt raw while it's happening so it's not too bad."

Dawson appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing a sleeveless exercise shirt. Alenia felt butterflies in her gut from the sight of her.

She and Rierra spoke at the same time, almost in unison: "Mommy alert!"

Dawson fixed them with a glare that made Alenia feel boneless. "You two are debauched. I hope you haven't been telling Bells a bunch of lies about me."

Rierra shrugged. "Just that it's cool to mooch off of you forever," she said. "You're like a credstick that has a choke-me setting!"

Alenia put a fist over her mouth to stop from giggling. But Dawson inclined her head slightly and the next words out of her mouth made Alenia's spine tingle.

"Get on the floor. Hands and knees. Now."

Before she knew it the two of them were in begging position. Bells had eyes like saucers.

"Lift your asses up," Dawson said. "Higher. Pant for me. Good..."

Conditioned for months on end to obey Dawson's voice, Alenia and Rierra stared up at Dawson pleadingly. Alongside their good behavior came the arousal that was linked to it, turning them into trickling streams between the legs.

"Now," Dawson said, standing up straight. "Stay there until I tell you otherwise." She looked to Bells and offered the girl a polite smile. "Would you like to take a shower, Bells? You definitely need one.

"Wait!" Alenia cried.

"Don't leave us like this!" Rierra insisted.

"I think I would," Bells said, smiling brightly. She got up and ascended the stairs. Avalanche lumbered into view beside Dawson as she was arriving.

"Avalanche," Dawson said in the same firm voice as before. The fomor had been leaning in for a kiss but now stood up straight, awaiting commands.

"Go downstairs and eat out Rierra and Alenia."

The troll's face lit up with a stupid smile. "Yes, muscle mommy! Anything you say!"

She pushed past Dawson and Bells who headed for the bathroom and practically tumbled down the stairway, only avoiding falling off of it because she was big enough to get stuck. When she arrived in the living room she dropped down to her knees and started sniffing around Rierra's raised ass.

"Hey!" Rierra said in warning. "Don't get any ideas! Avalanche! Are you listening? Hey I said--UHH! W-watch the tusks, dick-for-brains! I... ahhh... Ohhh.. r-right there... yeah...

Alenia couldn't see but she could hear the vigorous lapping of the troll's tongue as she obediently did Dawson's bidding. Rierra buried her face into the carpet to muffle her moans.

Instinct walked into Alenia's view in the living room, eating what looked like oatmeal out of a bowl. She grinned in a way that showed her pointed teeth when she was what was happening.

"Hey!" Alenia said. "Hey, let me up before she finishes with this idiot next to me!" Instinct's voice would trigger their conditioned responses just as effectively as Dawson's.

The woman set the empty bowl down on the low table between chair and couch. "Now why would I do that?" she wondered. "You're just where I'd like you. Gonna help myself to your pussy."

A moment later Instinct was crouched behind Alenia, who screamed in ecstasy as that dangerous tongue slid into her with a wet noise of sexual ruination.

Alenia thought, I'm gonna die!!

Jastira and Shelara came from the direction of the kitchen, also eating from bowls. They plopped down on the couch and Shelara raised her hands.

"Hey, can we be next?"

Without removing her tongue from Alenia's insides, Instinct mouthed Of course you can.

From the kitchen Nyana called out. "Hey, save some tongue for me!"

Alenia's eyes crossed as Instinct spoke into her lower half. Plenty to go around, girls.

= = =

Dawson woke up to the sound of her commpad chiming. Someone was calling her.

She struggled out from the nest of bodies she was tangled up with and stopped only when Instinct took hold of her hip.

"Mmm... Where you runnin' off to, beautiful... I ain't done with those lower lips of yours..."

Dawson used one hand to squeeze her creature's fingers. "Pad's chiming. Could be important."

"Fuck 'em," Instinct muttered. "Bring that perfect pussy over here... Need it bad..."

The temptation to do as asked was strong, but not strong enough. "In a minute," she promised, rolling over to take her creature's chin in one hand and kiss her quickly on the mouth. The taste of half a dozen genitals lingered on her lips, including her own.

Instinct began to slide her tongue into Dawson's mouth so she broke the kiss quickly, sucking on the tip with a soft pop before pulling away. The pad kept chiming so it must have been important.

She took a moment to make sure the camera lens was only capturing her above the neck, and it was still obvious from her hair and bare shoulders that she had no shirt on and had just woken up, even though it was after dawn.

When she tapped the accept call key Megiddo's repugnant face appeared inside the pad's borders. His contempt, already present, deepened considerably when she took in her disheveled state.

"I hope," he said sourly, "I haven't caught you at a bad time, detective."

"Any time I have to look at you is a bad time," Dawson said sharply. "Do you have a development?"

Megiddo straightened his tie. "My inquiries are making progress. I expect I'll have control and access to the locating device within, say, ten hours."

Dawson bared her teeth. "Ten hours? We're running out of time, Megiddo. There's a man out there trying to end the world and you're playing games with your false friends."

"Correction," the silver-haired elf stated, "You are running out of time. My endeavors move at the speed of money, detective, which is good enough for the rest of the sixth world. If it's not good enough for you, that is not my concern. I am contacting you out of courtesy, nothing more."

Before he could keep monologuing Dawson broke in. "As soon as you know where Havelock is, tell Asher Brandt with Lone Star. I trust him, he'll do this the right way."

Megiddo sneered. "Not a chance, detective. The only one I consider above suspicion is you. However highly you may think of your compatriot, I know corporate power structures far too well to trust them with delicate matters such as this. If I tell anyone else, the Chairman will bury them in litigation until they have to sell the shirt off their back just to make it to court."

He made a show of looking up and down at her, even though only her head, neck and shoulders were in view. "When the time comes, I hope you can tear yourself away from whatever gutter you seem to have fallen into."

He cut the call immediately and Dawson resisted the urge to swear out loud. Psychotic prick.

Instinct's arms enfolded her from behind and the creature's lips began to kiss at the bare skin of her neck and shoulder. "Any news?"

"Nothing yet," she whispered in reply. "Do you want to go back to bed?"

"Yeah. Please..."

"Let me check on Bells first."

A nod into her neck, and a hand crept up and down her back before suddenly pinching her left buttock.

Dawson grabbed the hand and pulled it around to her front. "Save it for the sheet," she chided.

After getting on a sleeveless shirt and plain boxers she went to the top of the stairs. Bells was asleep on the couch, below a heavy blanket. She padded down and set beside the couch to touch the girl on her shoulder.

Bells' brown eyes opened up peacefully and she smiled when seeing her. "Hey," she croaked.

"Sleep well?" Dawson asked. The girl nodded and she went on. "If everything goes well, Reymont's days are numbered. You can stay here until then."

A finger came up from below the blanket and curled some of her soft brown hair. She cleaned up pretty well. "Just until then?"