Tolerable Cruelty - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Chapter 22

Maria sat idly at her desk at RecoGreen, being careful not to drill a hole into the office floor with her idle foot tapping. She always arrived early to try and impress Peter now. It didn’t bother her in the slightest, since she needed so little sleep these days. Her heart soared as she jumped up from her desk when she saw a newly injured, dejected Peter walking in five minutes before 8:00 AM.

Yes! Maria thought. This is my chance! Finally, if Peter’s realized his situation, I can get him out of that abusive relationship he’s in!

She zipped up to him at only barely-above normal human standards.

“Good morning Peter,” Maria chirped.

“Good morning Maria,” he replied in a lackluster tone.

“Oh my! Are you alright, Peter?” Maria asked as she gently touched his injured arm, feigning ignorance to his real plight.

“Oof! Careful there, Maria,” Peter yelped in anticipation, but Maria’s touch was extremely gentle. He’d grown accustomed to the pain that Piper would inflict. “I’m… okay. Getting older, I guess. Can’t be as rough as I used to be.”

Maria continued caressing his arm, putting as much sexual promise into it as she could. She already knew she could break the random strangers at the club with such little influence. Her enhanced hearing and touch could feel Peter’s heartbeat racing in response.

Yes!! She was overjoyed. The Latina seductress barely managed to conceal her outright glee as she continued to languidly linger her fingers over the back of Peter’s hand.

“Those injuries look serious, Peter. You know you can talk to me about any issues you’re having, right?” She accidentally swiped her impressive bust against his arm, nearly swallowing it up in her magnificent cleavage as it brushed past. “It’s the least I can do for you…”

Peter exhaled deeply, but not from a sudden shock of lust that Maria was expecting. “I’m just… it’s private, okay? You can’t tell anyone,” he whispered in a hush as they walked to the break room. He took a glance around the corners to make sure they wouldn’t be interrupted.

“Don’t worry Peter, you can tell me. I’ll listen for any intruders,” she brushed her hair back and pointed to her ears.

He nodded.

He’s so perfect! Maria thought. It was nice being able to share her super secret with the one who had granted it to her.

“We had a fight,” Peter frowned.

“Aw, really?” Maria struggled not to condescend as she continued to caress Peter’s injured… everything. Come on, a fight!? That’s it? This is a mauling!

“Yeah. Piper k… did something really bad. I… didn’t think she was capable of doing something like that. I got so mad at her.”

And this is where he asks me for help, Maria anticipated eagerly. And makes me strong enough to deal with Piper! She couldn’t help but crack a brief, big, heart-stopping smile.

“And the worst part is…” Peter paused as he choked down a sob.

“Yes, Peter. You can tell me,” Maria goaded. “There is nobody around who can hear us.”

“She…” he gulped audibly. “She did it for me.”

What? Confusion took the place of Maria’s highly anticipated moment. De qué coño estás hablando?

“And I was so bad to her! I still think what she did wasn’t right, and I think she knows that too. But, oh, I got so angry and just started yelling, I don’t even know why! I totally understand why she did what she did! Why couldn’t I just shut my stupid mouth for once and think for a moment?!”

Maria was positively flummoxed now. “Your arm?” she prompted.

Peter just ignored Maria’s comment and kept talking. He was on the verge of tears now.

“Even now, I still don’t know what to think about what Piper did. Why did I overreact like that!? I always say the most inappropriate thing without thinking about it. And once the emotions start raging, I just can’t back down! She left last night and I haven’t heard from her since. I don’t know where she is. Maria, what have I done?!” he sobbed as he rested his head on her shoulder.

“I, uh, Peter…” Maria stammered. This had not gone the way she wanted. Not even a little. “We should go. I hear someone approaching,” she lied as she cradled the soft hairs on the back of Peter’s neck. “We can talk later. Please.”

Peter stifled his crying and stood up straight. He looked straight into Maria’s light caramel eyes. She was so beautiful.

“Thanks, Maria. I feel a little better. I’ll try calling Piper again. Apologize about my behavior. It’s something that can be worked out, I’m sure.”

“Sure thing, Peter. Happy I could help.” What just happened!?

For the second time in as many weeks, she watched a completely inscrutable Peter escape her seductive grip without so much as even a glance back.

After yet another frustrating work day of stalking Peter with her super senses, Maria had once again come up empty-handed. She caught him looking at his old wedding photos, both parties smiling in wedded joy. Sneaking a peek with her superior eyesight, Maria examined Piper critically. Blushing and pretty, but otherwise fairly plain. Maria fancied herself prettier before her own transformation, and now, it was a slam dunk who the sexier woman was. Of course, she had no idea just what had become of Piper after Peter must have given her the same treatment…

Further attempts to get Peter to talk failed miserably. She found him calling Piper repeatedly throughout the day. His vulnerability seemed to have faded, and he refused to open up any further about his domestic situation. Just responses of “Thanks Maria, you mean a lot to me. Maybe I’ll tell you someday.”

She drove home in her ten year old sedan, angry and embarrassed at herself. Was she not as powerful, not as spellbinding as she imagined? How stupid and vain could she get!?

Arriving home to her small downtown apartment, Maria contemplated her life. She missed her family in Mexico. Her pueblo. The family servants and the embarrassment of riches she’d left behind, all to make a life for herself. Fists clenched, she wondered if she were strong enough to compact her stupid car into a little ball and kick it over the horizon. And maybe just take a casual jog back to Mexico City, where she’d certainly be treated like royalty. She already had been before, and now…

Lost in her deep fantasies, she didn’t even register the FBI agents moving on her until it had already begun.

“Target has arrived home and is in sight,” one agent radioed in.

“Good. Prepare to move,” Harris ordered.

“Sir, we really need over twenty agents to arrest this, frankly, hot piece of ass?” Another asked as they saw a sharply dressed Maria exiting her car.

“Hey Johnson, if you think it’ll be easy, then by all means, be my guest,” Carter offered.

“With pleasure.”

A group of agents stealthily approached Maria as Agent Johnson and partner approached the lady. Their target had a shocked expression on her face, followed by defiance. Johnson tried to put the cuffs on her, but he was unable to bring her arms behind her back. A little gesture from Maria, and the man flipped into the air and landed on his back with a sickening crunch.

Maria looked surprised and regretful, but that was it.

All agents drew their guns and quickly swarmed the area.

“Fire the tranqs!” came the battlecry.

“What the fuck!?” Some of the agents cried out.

Maria didn’t know what was happening. All of a sudden, she was swarmed by government agents dressed in all sorts of street clothes. And they were firing on her! Was she going to die?!

“It’s… it’s not working!? The rounds are bouncing off her skin!!”

“What the hell!?”

Maria covered her body and curled up into a little ball. She could feel the sting of bullets, or whatever they were, ripping her clothes and bruising her skin. The ammunition fell to the floor. Maria wailed out in pain as she examined it. Needles? Were they trying to tranquilize her?

When she appeared to be unmoving, a swarm of agents cautiously circled in to bring her into custody. Noticing that the shooting had stopped, Maria roared to life as they put their hands on her.

She flung two of them high into the air as she violently stood up straight, launching them off of her back. Agent Johnson raised his gun at her, but her arm shot out faster than he could follow.

The furious and tortured Latina bombshell grabbed both of his wrists in one hand and squeezed while twisting, causing Agent Johnson to yell out in pain and drop his specialized firearm. He screamed as he was forced to contort his body to ease the pressure she was exerting, with just a single arm! He could feel his bones beginning to break!

“What did I do!? Why are you shooting me!” Maria shouted.

“Arrrrgh! FUCK!” Johnson screamed.

Meanwhile, in the back, Carter took an adrenaline-fueled moment to chuckle at the failed bravado and misfortune of her fellow agent.

“Carter, let’s go! Come on!” Harris screamed at her. His partner’s sadism shocked even him sometimes. Johnson could die!

As if on cue, they watched Maria send the man face first into concrete. A pool of blood was beginning to form, but his body was rising and falling regularly.

The agents moved to firing live rounds at their target now.

“Stop! What have I done!” Maria cried as she shielded herself.

She advanced on another agent, gasping in pain. If they would stop firing, she could probably escape! But the bullets were tearing into her skin now.

Struggling into a hail of bullets, Maria exposed herself briefly as she gripped another agent by the neck. She shuddered and flinched as some bullets struck her torso and bounced off, but every single round hurt deeper and deeper. She saw them deflect off of her metahuman body and harmlessly into the bulletproof vest of the agent in front of her.

His eyes bulged as Maria gripped him by the neck. He dropped his gun as his feet rose off the floor smoothly. He struggled in vain as he hammered his fists and arms into her much more slender one. She winced in pain, but didn’t let go.

“Stop!” she cried out, spinning on the spot, threatening to use this agent as a meat shield.

But no matter how she turned, the bullets kept pinging off her back.

Her ineffective shield lost consciousness in her flinching grip. She began to slump to the floor, her back bloody and aching. Her vision was growing dim.

“Stop… why… are you killing me…” she begged.

Some more agents approached her. Maria’s arms flashed out and caught a couple in the chest, but they were only sent flying a few feet. There would be some slight bruising from her brute strength, but they were relatively unharmed. They resumed their approach.

“Please… stop… why…” Maria was on all fours now. Her body burned. She could barely breathe.

“Now!” Carter called out.

A few tranquilizer darts punctured Maria’s skin.

“Maria Martinez, you are under arrest for the suspected double murder of Bledsoe and Browning. Not to mention aggravated assault on federal agents,” Harris wheezed breathlessly. “You have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to…“

Maria slipped into the warm, dark embrace of unconsciousness.