The Archway, Part 13 (Patreon)

I was alone in the darkness. There were noises all around me. Huge things, moving in the dim light, creeping toward me. Massive serpentine monsters, covered in thick scales that scraped across the floor as they slithered toward me. Gray-skinned things that whispered under their breaths as they reached for me with slender, claw-tipped fingers. Clanking, mechanical horrors assembled from rusting iron that hissed and whirred as they drew closer. The window I had shattered was still hanging open, leaving my little castle perilously open to everything around it. Laura's monsters had found me, and soon I would be one of them. High above me, something was skittering across the ceiling. I peered into the darkness, and just caught a glimpse of long, jointed legs and twitching mandibles. I tried to scream, but I couldn't even breathe. I tried to run, but it was as though I were buried up to my neck in cement. The last thing I saw was that massive, loathsome spider descending toward me, legs splayed. With a shuddering crash, it landed on the crib, ready to seize me and drag me far away.

“Yaaaaaaaayyy!!!” cried a joyful and familiar voice. The impacts continued as my eyes gradually pried themselves open. The room was full of light and color. Princess Boom-Boom was jumping up and down on the bouncy floor of the crib, shaking all of us awake. I couldn't even consider being angry. I was too happy to see her.

“Princess Boom-Boom!” I shouted, jumping up and hugging the happy bouncing woman. She eagerly squeezed me back. I was glad that she was back to normal. I didn't even mind the stench of the loaded diaper that was wagging in the air behind her. Megan yawned and stretched, floating lazily into the air as she did so. Suki began cleaning her glasses. They all looked good as new. Their eyes were open and glinting, their bodies were no longer pale or shriveled. The crib was alive with happily bouncing teddy bears, every one restored completely. Smiles spread as my cribmates woke up. It was a beautiful morning.

“Miranda! Lookie! I made a big stinky in my diapee!” announced Princess Boom-Boom excitedly. “I'm a stinky dipee girl! I'm a stinky diapee girl!”

“I was so worried about you! I'm glad you're okay!” I said, cradling the excited woman's head against my shoulder. Princess Boom-Boom's excited bouncing caused her to ram lightly against me. I smiled at Megan over her shoulder.

“I'm so glad you're all okay! What was it like?” I asked her.

“Eh...I'd say...cold?” said Megan, not seeming very troubled by the memory. “It was like a long night, where you can't quite get to sleep, and its the middle of winter, and your feet are cold. It wasn't painful, just a little uncomfortable, all the time.”

“It sounds awful! I'm sorry. It was my fault you ended up like that.”

Megan scoffed. “Look, just because you have all of us in your pocket now, it doesn't mean you can control everything. You didn't know any of this would happen. You haven't really been in control of the situation at any point. It's fine. I know you did your best.”

She floated over and hugged both me and Princess Boom-Boom in a wide embrace. I was so relieved.

“However,” she continued, not breaking her hug with Princess Boom-Boom and me. “if you're still feeling some residual guilt, you can make it up to me by getting me some breakfast, si vous plait.”

She eyed the swollen mass behind Princess Boom-Boom, reminding me what 'breakfast' meant when you were a living Diaper Genie.

I knew we had a lot to get done today, but I was happy to let my little army of diaper girls get reacquainted in the crib for a little while. Most of them had met before, of course, but they had all gone through some major transitions recently. Megan showed off her new abilities by floating Princess Boom-Boom around the room like a paper airplane, much to her delight. Once Nurse Wipes had set up her changing table and relieved our little princess of her burden, Megan further wowed the audience by absorbing it into herself. Princess Boom-Boom set the mood for the entire room, cheering and giggling throughout as the gang chatted eagerly amongst themselves. I was beginning to see that a community was beginning to form around me and my insane powers, maybe even a family. In spite of the threats we were facing and all  the questions that remained unanswered, it made me hopeful for the future.

My own diaper was only a little soggy when I woke up, so I decided to wait a little while for my next change. Besides,  Nurse Wipes had her hands full for quite some time. Princess Boom-Boom wasn't the only one to wake up in a full diaper. Suki and Jang-Mi were already waiting their turns when Princess Boom-Boom jumped off the changing table and went back to playing with the bears. Two of the maintenance staff arrived while Jang-Mi was getting changed. The looks on their faces as they surveyed the small crowd of animated stuffed animals and diaper-wearing women were priceless. One had her arms full of more clamshell containers, this time containing toast and scrambled eggs. The other was carrying a large coffee pot and a tray of mugs. I thanked them for their prompt service and told them to leave their offerings on the counter. They both left quickly, obviously trying not to run,

I leaned against the counter, eating breakfast and watching Sammy and Megan hit each other with living teddy bears, who certainly seemed excited to be included. Larry emerged from the back hallway and joined me at the counter. I poured him a cup of coffee and handed him a clamshell.

“Thanks. How did you sleep?” he asked.

“Like a rock! Although I did have some pretty bad nightmares about Laura's monsters.” I admitted.

He nodded. “I'm not surprised. I wouldn't want to have to face to something like that.”

I elbowed him in the shoulder. “Who says you won't? I'm gonna need someone to help me get organized. I don't think all this (I gestured toward the chaotic, daycare-like atmosphere of the room) constitutes the unstoppable force I'm going to need just yet.”

Larry caught a bright yellow teddy bear with one hand and tossed him back to Princess Boom-Boom, who had opened up a third front in the pillow fight.“Well, the first step is to get Dutchess Cross up and running. Once she's shown us how to run the computer and all the security systems, we can start getting people out of their cells. If you assimilate all the Knaves, I'm sure you'll have a pretty solid force to work with.”

I slurped down the last of my coffee. “We'll have to be careful. Some of these people have been locked up for years, maybe even decades. And some of them were ready to kill on day one! This is gonna be like handling high explosives.”

“I was thinking about that.” said Larry. “If you could assimilate Nora, she could put the whammy on just about anyone. I mean, if her power works on you, it ought to work on most people.”

“Do we know anything about her?” I asked thoughtfully. “I would have talked to her about her role in all this, but letting her speak was just too risky.”

“Nora Wilson is classified as a Knave.” said Suki, joining us and grabbing a cup of coffee for herself. “A highly dangerous one, given her ability to control others though her voice. She can permanently alter a person's desires and motivations as well, although fortunately most people develop some resistance after a few uses. I was part of the team that developed the headgear that blocks the effect.” She explained.

“Good Morning, Suki.” I said with a wry smile. “It's good to see you again, too.”

“I am pleased to be of service to you once again, Miss Hubble, your sarcasm notwithstanding.” she said in her usual clipped manner. I snickered. She was so adorable, trying to be taken seriously when I had just seen her being wiped down and powdered on the changing table.

“How about that collar around Nora's neck? Is that another of your little inventions?” asked Larry.

“Hardly. Most likely either a remotely activated electrocution device, or an explosive. Possibly both. Duchess Cross has been known to utilize such equipment when transporting dangerous prisoners.”

“So...is it definitely safe to wake those three up now?” asked Larry. He gestured toward the corner of the giant crib, where Nora, Judith, and Duchess Cross were lying, still sucking their pacifiers. Jang-Mi was lying next to them. She was now free to wake up whenever she wished, and wasn't about to let Princess Boom-Boom dictate otherwise.

“That is almost certainly the case.” said Suki. “The exposure they have received to your quantum effect is already greater than what I received when I was converted to your side. I am certain that they will be quite unable to act contrary to your desires, even if you for some reason choose not to assimilate them.”

“Groovy.” said Larry, finishing his coffee. “Wait...am I able to act contrary to her desires?”

“No.” said Suki.

Larry seemed to consider this. “Huh. Oh well.” He began eating his scrambled eggs, seemingly not bothered by his newfound lack of free will.

I was a little torn about this. I had been hoping that Larry could continue to serve as an impartial adviser, but that seemed impossible if just being in the same room with me would inevitably leave him brainwashed. Oh sure, he wasn't bowing down and chanting my name or anything, but what would happen if we had a serious disagreement? For that matter, what would happen if all this power I was now accumulating went to my head? No one could say no to me unless I gave them permission to. It was worth thinking about. There must be some way around it.

Still, they were right. These three needed to be brought up to speed. I considered which one to awaken first. Since the teddy bears were currently prancing joyfully around the room, I guessed that the superhuman strength I had stolen from them had returned to me. I tested this by gently pressing a thumb against the steel countertop. Sure enough, I left a noticeable dent with only the slightest effort. With that settled, I waded back into the crib, where my three prisoners were resting (plus my little Energizer Bunny, sucking her thumb and ignoring the activity around her).

I plucked the pacifier from Judith's mouth with a pop. I figured that, even in the worst case scenario, there wasn't much she could do to me now that the power of seven Knights was in me. The pacifier dissolved into a fine spray of sparks in my hand. Her eyes fluttered open. She got to her feet. “Wow. Okay. This is...different.” she said.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Eh, not too bad. I mean, I'm a little mad that I lost the battle, but I guess it all worked out okay. Sooo...I guess I'll just...do whatever you want from now on. Y'know, that feels weird to say out loud, but I guess its the truth.. What are you planning on doing with me?”

I smiled. I could only imagine what it would be like to wake up and suddenly be totally loyal to someone you had barely even met. The last time I was this close to Judith, she had been luring me into a trap set by Duchess Cross. Now, she was mine, and she knew it. My mind sizzled with the possibilities of what I could do to her. She could be a strategic asset like Suki, or a ridiculous mockery of her former self, like Princess Boom-Boom. Right now, though, I needed info.

“First, you can answer a few questions for me.”

“Shoot.”

“You're a Knave, right?”

She pursed her lips and nodded. “I was the last time I checked.”

“What does that actually mean? Like, did passing under the Archway actually change the way you think?”

“Oh yeah, big time. Before I found out I was a Special, I was all set to become a nurse. The moment I walked under the Archway, my whole perspective was different. I would see people, and just want to kill them. Sometimes because they pissed me off, but usually just because...they were there, y'know? Like, even in my cell here, I have the urge to murder people pretty much 24/7. It's really hard to think about anything else.”

“Why did you work for Cross then?” I asked.

“We had a kind of deal going. I would help her out sometimes when one of the other prisoners was acting up, and she would give me extra privileges around here. More time out of my cell, television access, nicer food, that kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, I would've ended that bitch in a second if I could've, but then I'd just end up staring at the wall the rest of my life.” Judith rattled all this off like she was describing what she had done on vacation.

“And...how about now? Do you have the urge to kill me?” I asked.

She squinted, as though deep in thought. “Kinda? I guess? I think it'd be fun to rip off your head and eat you, but I know you wouldn't like that, so it's not really an option. Still, if any of your other bitches don't please you, you can always feed them to me.”

I winced. “Have you ever actually...eaten people?”

“Only once, when I first transformed. It was one of the Brights at the Archway Park, when they were examining me. He was tasty. Too bad those Knights started pounding on me before I could eat the rest of him.”

I stared at her. She looked back, looking more bored than anything. She wasn't angry, threatening, or defiant, but she wasn't sorry either. This was just her life.

“O...kay, this just became way easier.” I grabbed her shoulders. She just stood looking at me impassively, as I decided her fate. I noticed that the others had stopped their frantic playing and were watching me. I could almost see all the things that Judith could become in my mind. She could be a ferocious and deadly ally, someone I could put at the front lines when I had to face Laura and her army. It was a tempting idea, but I just couldn't trust her. A soldier needs to know when to fight and when to hold back, but a psychopath like Judith would always be looking for an excuse to kill. I could maybe brainwash her to have some semblance of a conscience, but that would also allow her to feel remorse for what she had done. Strange as it was to think, she actually didn't really deserve that. It wasn't her fault that whatever forces the Archway employed had been in a bad mood the day she had walked under it.

I made my decision. “You are mine.” I told her.

Her head jerked backward, and she inhaled deeply as the weird quantum effect that had infused her body stirred to life. I felt it too. She was truly mine now. Her body, her mind and her powers were mine to reshape as I saw fit. It was a feeling that I knew I would never be tired of.

“From this day forward, you will be as harmless as a little kitten.”

Her eyes widened as her prisoner's uniform melted and flowed across her body. It flowed up her head, changing color as it went. Her well-toned butt swelled outward, in accordance with local fashion trends. I felt the raw power of her massive panther form flow out of her and into my muscles, making my already absurd strength even greater, while her muscles softened and receded. A fuzzy pink tail sprouted from her padded rear and waved in the air behind her, and two little pink ears grew from the top of her new hood. In seconds, the formidable woman I had been speaking to a moment ago was replaced with an adorable human kitten. Her pink footie pajamas were decorated with little whiskers for her cheeks and paws for her feet. She stared at herself in wonder, her permanent scowl replaced by a look of pleasure and excitement.

“Kittyyyy!” announced Princess Boom-Boom from behind me. She lost no time in welcoming the newest member of our little company with a flying tackle-hug. Judith grinned and giggled as she was effortlessly knocked to the padded floor of the crib.

As the heady feeling that I now associated with a new assimilation began to fade, a less familiar feeling of pressure was left behind. As Princess Boom-Boom energetically snuggled with her new friend on the floor, I began massaging my limbs to try to dispel the uncomfortable feeling. A horrible thought occurred to me: What if absorbing the power of a Knave would also infect me with their aggression and insanity? The woman who had once eaten a human being was currently rolling on the floor, happy as can be. I needed help figuring all this out.

“Suki!” I called, trying not to sound frantic. It didn't work. Princess Boom-Boom was too enthralled with her new 'Kitty' to notice, and Jang-Mi only turned over and wrapped a pillow around her head, but the others looked concerned.

“Yes, Miss Hubble?” said Suki.

“I feel...funny after absorbing Judith's power.” I said, trying to drop my voice without being too obvious about it. Of course it didn't work. Even Princess Boom-Boom and Judith stopped wrestling on the floor to look at me. This is the problem with being surrounded by people who hang on your every word. Well, one of them anyway.

“Could you be more specific?” asked Suki.

I struggled to come up with a description.“It feels like I don't quite fit in my own skin.”

Suki furrowed her brow. “How many different abilities are currently available to you?”

“Eh, I guess...seven different doses of Knight powers, plus whatever I just took from Judith.” Admittedly, that did sound like a lot for one person. I was probably the strongest single person in existence right now.

“It is conceivable that your ability to absorb the powers of others is limited. You haven't had your powers for very long, and they are highly unusual. They may well have limits and quirks that we simply haven't encountered yet. I will investigate further. In the meantime, I recommend you avoid absorbing additional powers.”

I was loathe to talk about this with so many people around. Despite the fact that we had just slept together like a pile of puppies, this was a little more intimate than even that. I pulled Suki toward me and whispered in her ear. “What if I accidentally absorbed...her other thing?”

Suki nodded, not really seeming concerned. “I believe I can determine that with a reasonable degree of confidence. Judith!”

Judith sat in Princess Boom-Boom's lap. She seemed annoyed at being interrupted. “Yeah, waddya want?”

“Are you still experiencing the uncontrollable urge to murder and consume other humans?” asked Suki, as though it were a perfectly reasonable question.

Judith turned to me. “Do I actually have to listen to this bitch?”

“Yes, and stop using bad language.” I ordered. “It doesn't suit you anymore. Be a good little kitten and you'll get a nice saucer of milk.” I told her.

I was being sarcastic, of course, but she perked up at the mention of milk. “Sorry, ma'am. No, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Not like I could anyway.”

That was bad news. If her Knave psychosis was gone, it might have gone somewhere. A chill went up my spine, and the weird sensation in my limbs wasn't fading at all.

“What about your transformation powers? Do they still work?” I asked. I had stolen the power of her alternate form, but not the transformation ability itself. I was curious to see how that would play out.

She screwed up her face and strained. With a sound like a can of soda being opened, her form collapsed in on itself, until only a tiny pink kitten was left sitting on Princess Boom-Boom's lap.

“mew.” confirmed Judith in a tiny voice.

Princess Boom-Boom was beside herself with excitement at this development. She produced a high-pitched squeal and eagerly got to work stroking Judith's furry little tummy. Judith lay on her back, purring gently and soaking in the attention.

Suki turned back to me. “I have not been able to effectively rule out your concerns. I will get to work developing a better understanding of the exact nature of your capabilities. I believe that with adequate time and resources, I should be capable of properly analyzing your power, as well as all of the various products thereof.”

I sighed. I hated having to wait to find out whether I was now in the process of turning evil, but Suki was right. It was much too early to jump to conclusions.

“Alright, get on that I guess.”

Suki nodded. “I will be needing Duchess Cross to grant access to the computer system, and remove the emergency countermeasures she put in place. I believe that enlisting her support should be our next priority.”

I looked down at Duchess Cross, still lying in the crib and sucking her pacifier. I wanted so badly to convert her. She was ripe for it, and unlike Nora or Judith, she was no Knave. Just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill awful person. But if I converted her, I really wanted to take those sweet powers of hers. I wasn't sure what I would do with them, but with the intellect of a Bright, I bet I would have a few good ideas. Still, I couldn't just have my dessert. I also needed the meat-and-potatoes that were Cross' access codes, plus all the other secret knowledge she had about this facility. I couldn't go messing around with her brain until I was sure there was nothing in it I needed.

I tugged the pacifier from her mouth, which promptly disintegrated. Cross' eyes shot open and focused on me. I favored her with a toothy grin.

“Hi.” I greeted.

“Miss Hubble...” began Cross in a very slight modification of her usual imperious tone. I cut her off.

“That's 'Mistress' to you, dear.” I snapped.

“Mistress, I...”

“On your feet.” She shot up to her full height almost instantly.

“You are going to get your computer and the entire security system of this facility ready for my use.” I explained.

“Of course, Mistress.”

“When you're finished with that, I want you to prepare recommendations on which prisoners are to be released first.” I continued.

“Yes, Mistress. But Mistress, we must not release any of these people. They are all highly dangerous, both to themselves and to others. I know you don't like me very much, but believe me when I say that Utopia can't exist if all these people are allowed to wander freely. You don't know them like I do.”

“I am not interested in your personal views on this topic. I know that some of these people are dangerous and will have to be converted, and others will require special arrangements to keep their abilities under control. You will assist in this process to the absolute best of your abilities, and provide any and all information you have that will be helpful. If you have personal feelings on the subject, I invite you to keep them to yourself.”

“Absolutely, Mistress.” she said. There was a pause, and she seemed to rethink her approach. “...I know our past interactions have not been pleasant for you. I didn't understand the situation properly. I see that now. But I was a different person then. Let me assure that I am now entirely at your disposal, and I will do everything in my power to support your goals. I look forward to working alongside you and your other servants. Please, accept my apology for my past behavior.”

I let a awkward silence drift past before answering, to properly drive the point home.

“No.”

She looked confused. “...no, Mistress?”

“You don't get to treat all of us like crap, betray my trust, and then just turn around and join our team like we're cool. You won't be working 'alongside' anyone. While you're working on cleaning up the mess you yourself have created, I'll be thinking of an appropriate punishment for your shameful behavior. In the meantime, we're not going to pretend that you're somehow our equal now. You are going to be the absolute bottom rung of my organization. You will take orders from anyone and everyone here. Even Princess Boom-Boom outranks you. Is that understood?”

Duchess Cross drew in a breath sharply. She was clearly furious, but my power over her would not allow her to disagree with me. “Perfectly, Ma'am.” she said, in a tone of voice usually reserved for whispered expletives.

I took her by the hand, spun her around like a ballerina, and gave her a light slap on the rear. “Off you go, now.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Yes, Mistress.” she said, heading out the door and toward what had once been her office.

Low Security erupted into applause as she left. Cynthia and Sammie ran up to congratulate me. I understood how they felt. I had to fight the urge to reach into my diaper and rub myself off then and there. Having such absolute power, especially over someone I despise, was an even more overwhelming sensation than converting someone. I could see myself getting very addicted to that feeling.

Which again made me wonder if I was really a Knave. Damn. Can't I just enjoy myself without worrying that I might be turning evil?