SSV4 Chapter 21 (Patreon)

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Angelina rolled the pen in her hand, practicing keeping her hand human while she waited patiently for Kim to show up.

The woman had been particularly resistant to therapy until Mona’s secret was revealed and Mona told Kim that Miles wouldn’t be with her until she went to therapy.

Angelina didn’t think that was entirely true, but Mona was the one in Miles’ head.

The slime woman lost her form for a second, her hand becoming a small violet and green whirlpool to spin the pen before she focused to pull her hand back from her amorphous form.

It took a lot of effort to maintain her shape.

But she had practiced control quite a bit. Everything was about control until he came along.

The door clicked and Kim stepped in scowling.

Wonderful.

Angelina stood up in Miles’ body and gestured towards the couch. “Come sit.”

“No.” Kim’s hair caught a little fire. “Get out of his body. That’s not yours.”

“Interesting.” Angelina scribbled down a note that Kim didn’t like her use of Miles’ body.

“Now. Or I walk.” Kim demanded.

It had been hard enough to get Kim into the session, so Angelina relented and let her body loosen to her slime form. It looked like living violet and green paint swirled together. “Better? Or would you prefer a more professional visual?”

Angelina pulled herself together into the visage of a professional therapist. She always used how she’d looked before her mutation, stuck at a twenty seven year old woman. But Miles had never objected, and it warmed her heart that he also liked her old form.

For Kim she dressed the form a little differently. The baby doll and sheer leggings were for Miles and Miles only.

“Better.” Kim came and sat down, pulling out her phone and turning it off before showing it to Angelina and putting it on the side table. “Do all of his women go to therapy?”

“Yes, even Miles does. We all find it wonderfully helpful in maintaining the cohesion of the harem. Miles even says things like ‘every harem should have a therapist’.” Those words had made Angelina particularly gooey, and even recalling them had her wishing for her man to come back from his ‘vacation’.

Kim frowned deeper at the statement. “So, you help him manage his harem?”

Combative, and very interested in the structure of his harem, Angelina noted on her pad.

Kim’s gaze didn’t flinch at all during her notation. Obsessive.

“No. I wouldn’t say I help him manage it, but I make sure to keep it…” She paused, reaching for a suitable metaphor. “Keep it well oiled. Miles is the driving force in this machine. The harem helps it work. I’m just helping to smooth out any bumps in the road.”

Angelina didn’t miss the little anger that flickered through Kim’s eyes.

Kim wanted to be in charge. Angelina hadn’t realized how controlling the woman could be.

That wasn’t good. Miles was many things, but he didn’t give up control easily, or really at all. From their sessions, she had seen that Miles kept his power always at the surface of his thoughts to be able to react to everything.

He rarely truly relaxed except during sex.

He was making progress, but someone like Kim could throw a real wrench into it by applying too much pressure.

And that wouldn’t happen on Angelina’s watch. Miles was a force that could change the world, shape everything. It was her job to ensure that Miles, her god, was able to do as he wished. He was just too powerful.

And it didn’t hurt that he was also gorgeous. His eyes got her every time.

Angelina was feeling gooey and focused back on Kim.

Thinking of Miles’ eyes and the sheer power behind them always made her swoon.

“So. What would be my role in the harem?” Kim asked.

“That’s not my position. I certainly don’t have the power to decide that. Miles does what he wants, and if you join the harem you will fill whatever position he wishes.” Angelina was a little combative in terms. Kim needed a firm hand.

“If?” Kim was hung up on the single word.

Angelina let a little smile quirk on the side of her lips. She was fully in control of every inch of her body. “Yes. He hasn’t accepted you fully yet, has he? Even if he has sex with you a few times, that’s no guarantee that you’ll be here forever. Really, even marriage isn’t permanent, is it?” Angelina didn’t believe everything she was saying. Miles was clearly interested Kim, but Angelina wanted to push the woman, make her grow past her obsession for Miles. He didn’t need someone who wanted to control him, but someone that would work with him. Someone who would accept him as he was and would become.

After all, Kim was a big part of his path to Miles’ redemption.

Angelina suppressed a shudder, she was going to bring her fallen god back to the sky, raise him up to once again shine down upon the world and shape it as he wished.

She didn’t care what he did with his power, just that he rose up to his rightful place. When he first fully exerted his power on her, she had never felt so helpless, so unable to resist.

“N-no.” Kim studered. “But I’m going to join.”

“And to do so will require constant effort on both your and Miles’ parts to maintain a relationship. That’s what is important, maintaining it. Relationships can’t sustain on initial attraction alone.” Angelina scribbled down on her pad.

This time it caused Kim’s eyes to flicker.

Good.

“So, that’s what this is?” Kim asked.

Asking questions was good. Angelina wanted Kim to reflect a bit more so that she’d be more open if Miles did try a relationship with her. “No. I’m just adding the lubricant so that when you do interact with Miles on the machine, there is less friction. All of us have rough patches and affect how we interact with others.” She switched her legs, but recrossed them.

Kim shifted. “Okay. So what do I tell you?”

“Let’s start at the beginning. When did you recognize Miles for the teenager you met twenty five years ago?”

“Immediately.” Kim blurted out. “How could I not? I’ve seen him in my dreams for years, and there’s a sketch from the day after that I’ve kept pinned next to my office door, just in case he ever walks through them one day.”

Very obsessive. He’s been the object of her obsession for a long period of time. “Do you think it is possible that you’ve formed an idea of who he is without ever really knowing him? You are so familiar with him, yet—“

“No.” Kim interrupted. “I know who Miles is. He’s lost, by himself and society. He could be the world’s greatest hero, but instead we smothered him, forced him down and made him hide.”

Angelina paused. It was an interesting interpretation.

Miles was meant to be far more than just a hero, but Kim’s ideas weren’t that far off from her own. Angelina had to admit, she liked that Kim saw his potential, his raw power.

But her goal of forcing him into the role of a hero was flawed.

Not even a role like that could contain someone of Miles’ glorious strength. He could be so much more. He wasn’t a hero or a villain. He was something even more.

“Yes, well.” Angelina scribbled a note. “He has no intention of being a hero. In fact, the several times it has come up, he’s had a revulsion to the term. This isn’t patient information, just observations as one of his women.”

Kim flinched as Angelina proclaimed herself one of his women. It was a sore reminder of what she was not.

“But, he can be one.” Kim insisted.

“No. I’d say that the term hero itself has been spoiled rotten to him. If you push him to be a hero, he will fight you with all his strength. But this session is about you. Why does he need to become the world’s best hero? Could you possibly be feeling some guilt?” Angelina could see the problem, but she needed Kim to dig it up on her own.

“No. He needs to become a hero because of how much good he could do.” Kim argued.

“Why?” Angelina leaned forward.

“Because he’s powerful! He needs to step into his place by my side and make the world better.” Kim was clearly getting flustered.

“And if that’s not the path he wants to take?” Angelina asked.

Kim glared and little sparks of fire jumped amid her bright red hair. “Then fix that.”

“Miles is who he is. We’re talking about you. You seem to be pushing responsibility onto Miles in some response to deep seeded guilt. So, let’s go further back. Tell me about your parents.” Angelina leaned back, knowing exactly what to do.

Kim really did have some problems, but she was workable.

All Angelina had to do was soften her up and let her man do the rest.

She shuddered, letting her facade slip for a moment.

She could picture his gaze, that raw power behind him that he carried so effortlessly. He wasn’t just a man to her. Miles was Angelina’s god.

***

“I could have come alone.” Pollen crossed her arms as we walked down to her hut. “Are you always this protective?”

“Only when there’s a clear danger. And there is one. Bug mutas are at risk.” I wasn’t going to let Pollen out of my sight after what I’d learned. And I didn’t have anything important to do at that moment.

Pollen glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes but continued to her hut. “You told me. Some bug controller. I’m not a powerful super, but I’m not that stupid.”

As soon as we finished the walk around the last farm and her home came into view, she stopped.

I nearly ran into her as I was gawking.

“My house!” Pollen cried out and rushed forward.

Someone had torn the place apart. Her front door hung crooked, clinging on by a single hinge. Inside I could see the place was smashed, her jars of honey were thrown about, and the honeycombs inside were destroyed.

I let my power expand over her home, ready to protect her, but it was pointless. The place was empty. Whoever had torn her home apart was long gone.

Pollen rushed into the back room, and I moved carefully about the place, floating above. I didn’t want to damage anything even further.

“My hives.” She cried, her voice choked up with tears.

I floated in to find her curled over some scraps of wood and honeycombs that were torn to shreds. My mood went cold.

She echoed my own thoughts. “Who would do this?” She looked up at me with tear stained eyes.

“I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out.” Floating down to her, I grabbed her and picked her up. “I’m just happy you weren’t here last night.”

My words hit her hard. Her face went into shock. “I… what… if I’d been here…” She looked around with a strange mix of fear and relief.

Pulling her into my arms tightly, I hugged her. “But you weren’t. I know these bees have been with you a while, but I’m sure that there are some of them left in the woods. We can start your hives over as long as you are safe.

Watching the room, I saw many little specks crawling about.

There were ants in her home. And as I reached out with my ability, I confirmed they were the same powered variety we’d seen in the woods.

It could be a coincidence, but knowing a muta that could control insects nearby made that a little hard to believe.

I used my power and quietly killed all of the ants I saw in the room while I hugged Pollen and she cried into my shoulder. “Pollen. I’m going to take us out of here. Is there anything you need?”

“Clothes.” She choked on a sob.

I floated us out of her hive room and through the shop, collecting what I could. Everything was smashed, so only unbreakable items like her soaps were recoverable.

I inspected each item for insects. I was not about to bring back a hitchhiker to wreak havoc.

Then I moved us into her bedroom, which was even more of a mess. Clothes were strewn about, and I held Pollen tight so she didn’t look at the wall.

‘Whore’ was carved crudely into the wall over her bed.

The word quickie banished any thought that the damage was done by ants. Or at least, not by them alone. Someone was controlling them.

It made me think about the destroyed hives. Was someone doing that on purpose?

I blanketed the wall with a barrier that kept away light.

“What’s that?” Pollen noticed it when I darkened it, turning to the wall.

“Nothing.”

“You can’t shield me from everything.” Pollen demanded. “Miles, you will show it to me now.” I could see defiance in her eyes. It was important to her that she saw what I was hiding. I wasn’t sure she would trust me fully if I didn’t show her.

I glared right back, wondering why I was attracted to such wilful women. “Fine.” The carved word appeared again in its horror.

Pollen choked a sob. “What?”

“So. This is where I ask you if you have any recent exes I should know about?” I half joked.

“No. I haven’t dated in well over a year.” She looked at the wall in horror and then back at the room. “Someone was here? They did this? Not the ants?”

“They might have controlled the ants.” I warned her.

“You think this is the guy you were talking about? But, I don’t know him.” Tears spilled out of her eyes. “Why me?”

It wasn’t completely crazy to me. She was devastatingly beautiful, and her powers and mutations would put her in a relatable position to this cockroach man that Daeva believed was behind the other crime.

“Don’t blame yourself. You don’t control what other people do. What do you need from here?” I wanted to get out of the space. It only seemed to be hurting her more.

She looked at her room, and there was a new curl of her lips that had a little disgust as she took it all in.

Her eyes roamed over her clothing, thrown about and torn. Her bed sheets were shredded. It all took on a new meaning now to her.

“We’ll get you new clothes.” I offered. “Stella loves shopping just about as much as she loves me.”

Pollen snorted, and I was happy to have gotten a little laugh out of her. “Bullshit. I doubt it comes close. But, I’ll take the offer. These just don’t feel…”

“Clean.” I filled in the word for her. “Everything here feels violated.”

“Yeah.” Pollen slumped in defeat. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to be here.”

Pulling her tight against my body, I took us out quickly, making it a distant memory almost instantly.

My eyes flickered to the farms around her home, and I wanted to go start asking questions, but I knew that Pollen needed space from the situation at that moment. She needed to grieve and process.

Melody or I could come back later and deal with this. Maybe it would be a good lead for the guards.

“Pollen, I don’t want you coming back here. I’m going to insist that you stay with me until we figure things out. We are here for you.” I hoped she wouldn’t object, because the idea of her being far away from me drove me crazy. I was feeling especially protective at that moment.

She just let out a grunt of agreement, and I smiled, holding her even closer to my chest as we shot away from her wrecked home to Skel’s lab.

I wanted to check in on her progress of the monster fruit variant and see if she had any ideas how to combat the ants. Apparently they were going to become a bigger problem faster than I’d anticipated.