*Editing magic performed by Shyqash, plus contributions by the regular gang of brigands and neer-do-wells*

*This tale is a bit tongue and cheek as well as kinky, so be warned.*

*Are regrets really worth the trouble?*

{No sex this chapter ~ just character building stuff}

[THINGS AREN'T QUITE THE WAY I THOUGHT THEY'D BE]

It was Monday afternoon and I felt like taking a victory lap. The Teaching Assistant in my English class said she bet my paper would be 'the best in the class' with a smile on her face. That test I thought I hadn't done well on? I earned that 100. The Associate Professor in Business Finance signed off on the project my team submitted with barely a glance due to our high grade point average, though he said he expected 'only the best'.

I had gone to my faculty advisor during a break in classes and discussed my 'origin story' ~ me being born the child of two villains thus my need to keep an 'secret identity ~ and he had opened the way for me to deal with the Dean of the Business School and the University Chancellor so I could stay enrolled under my assumed name - Reynard Haven. He did suggest I get a 'super' name soon too.

And the best part of my day was I was finally fucking the hottest heroine in the U.S. of A. which was made all the more special because I was a villain. I had stumbled across her secret desire to be a sexually expressive 'bad girl' (in the bedroom) and lured her in, broken down her reserve and then, last night, fucked her. This was made all the sweeter by her being America's Good Girl and positive public face of the hero organization - Freedom Force.

Oh, and it was rocking good sex too. She was a coquettish mix of submissive and playful, willing to learn and take direction as needed. Honestly, she was a special find. Yes, I was knocking boots with Angelheart - secret identity: Skye Steiner - who was a blonde haired, comic book-sexy, perfectly proportioned bombshell. Life couldn't have been better.

Or maybe I shouldn't have been so wildly optimistic. Karma has a way of touching my life a bit more than the average supervillain's.

[~]

I was walking across the quad when an angelic voice reached across the crowded space and perked up my mind and my cock.

"REYNARD!"

I looked in the direction to see Skye Steiner ... with her three friends including her boyfriend, Chad Gordon. She was wildly waving in my direction and pulling away from Chad's restraining grip on her elbow.

"Reynard!" her face positively glowed with happiness. I began moving her/their way.

"Hey there," I greeted her as we drew closer. She was dragging Chad along which caused the rest to trail after those two as well.

"This guy again," Chad grumped.

"Yes," she exulted. "Gang, I've got a few things I need to get off my chest. First off, I know you - Chad - and Maryland had sex that one time and I'm okay with it."

"Wha-huh?" Gil Wayfield grunted as this was clearly news to him that his girlfriend - Maryland Kinaki - had cheated on him with his friend - Chad.

"Skye - No!" Maryland gasped.

"Also, I'm sorry I haven't told you this earlier, but I'm Angelheart, the superhero ... and I'm not going to hide who I am anymore," Skye continued her complete personality reversal ... surprising me as well, but she wasn't done. "Finally, I am breaking up with you, Chad. We just aren't compatible ..."

"But what about last night," Chad protested. "That was fantastic!"

"Not for me, Chad," she poured on the sympathy. "I know you tried. I tried too, but it just didn't work for me. We are breaking up, okay?"

"Noooo ...," he groaned.

"As I was saying, Chad - you and I aren't compatible, but I found someone who does it for me - Reynard here. He's my new boyfriend ... if he will have me."

Her offer blindsided me. In hindsight, it shouldn't have, but it did.

"Who are you, anyway?" Chad growled at me.

"Clearly better in bed than you," I couldn't help myself. Chad swung. I blocked then pushed him away. I could have done worse, electing not to for Skye's sake.

"He's a villain and he does IT for me," Skye's eyes ate me up.

So much for having a secret affair. Oh-crap.

"You are a supervillain?" Maryland mumbled.

"Maryland, you cheated on me with this guy?" Gil pointed at Chad.

"Yes," she turned to him, "and it was a big mistake," Maryland said to Gil. "Skye was keeping stuff from us and we were worried about her ... and things just happened - one time!"

"Skye, what has this guy done to you?" Chad tried to turn her away from staring at me.

"Yes, I'm the 'Bad Guy'," I stuck with the old refrain because I was a bundle of nerves, "and sure thing, Skye - you can be my pet."

"You can't be serious?" Chad snapped at me.

"I'll happily be your pet," Skye smiled. "Make me yours."

"Skye!" Maryland tugged on Skye's sleeve, shocked by her submissive declaration.

"Maryland, I'm not angry and I gave Chad a chance. Reynard does things to me which make me feel more alive than I have since ... ever," Skye explained. "I would rather be his pet than live one more moment the lie I've been living these past three years."

"But he's a supervillain," Maryland protested.

"Don't ignore me," Gil spun Maryland around.

"Hey now," Skye moved to protect her friend.

"Gil, don't do that again," I fixed him with a sinister glance.

"I'm not done with you," Chad threatened me.

"Chad, you had your chance and you failed. Grow up and move on," I reasoned. "If you come after me - you will lose and lose hard."

"I'm not afraid of you," Chad simmered.

"I don't care," I snorted.

"I'm out of here. All of you can fuck off!" Gil threw up his hands and stomped off.

Maryland made a stutter-step to follow then gave up on that lost cause and recoiled into Skye's embrace. Skye hugged her friend.

"Well, I'm not going to walk away," Chad grumped.

"There is nothing left for you here," I stepped into his space.

"I ...," he lost the stare down.

"Pet - Maryland, let's go back to my place while we go over these revelations," I suggested.

"Aren't you dangerous?" Maryland hesitated.

"Not to you right now," I shrugged. "I'm not some sociopath, or mindless psycho. I just don't like playing by society's rules. I do my own thing."

We began to move through the crowd toward my off-campus abode, leaving a dumbfounded Chad behind. Skye decided it was time to call her parents and update them on her new status - an open superhero, having kicked Chad to the curb (though she highlighted more his cheating and not so much his less-than-stellar bedroom performance) and her new boyfriend - background unspecified.

"What have you done to Skye?" Maryland asked me quietly as Skye was on the phone.

"A blowjob, mutual full-body oil massages and finally an epic, 6-hour sex session," I gave her the Cliff Notes version.

"She gave you an oil massage?"

"Yep. I gave her one too. Have you ever had one?" I inquired.

"No ... I'm a good girl. Good girls don't do things like that," she didn't sound all that virulent.

"Then you are choosing to miss out," I shrugged. "A bit of sexual fun isn't going to turn you into a multiple-felony rapist. Skye was the same way until I opened her eyes kicking and screaming."

"Kicking and screaming? Isn't that rape?"

"If you believe every 'no' means a person really doesn't want something ... then yeah, I raped her. I'm the Bad Guy, which allows me to take what I want when I really want it and I decided I really wanted her." Upon hearing that, Skye gave me a hip-bump and a radiant smile.

"But she seems so happy now ... happier than I've seen her since we started High School ... I don't get it," Maryland was struggling.

"You are trying to rationalize an emotional response," I continued. "Stop it. Go with your gut. Even if you are a decent person, you can understand that if something feels good and doesn't harm another, you should pursue it."

"But you don't care about Skye, do you?"

"Of course I care about Skye," I grinned. "She's been helping me through a mutually bad situation and been pretty brave about it. Even though I don't like heroines, I've found myself liking her."

"What would that be ... and it is hero now, not hero and heroine ... people don't use heroine anymore. It is sexist."

"Do I look like I give a shit about feminism?" I laughed.

"You should," Maryland insisted. "Skye does."

"If Skye doesn't want a firm spanking, she won't bring that up around me," I teased. After all, Skye was walking right beside us.

"You really are a bad guy," Maryland frowned. "What would your mother think?"

"She would think feminism was an odd terrestrial concept," I let her know. "She was an alien renegade princess and more concerned with the 'Divine Right' of nobles to rule the 'unwashed masses' than what the plebeian masses wanted to do. As far as I know, she felt any woman who couldn't carry her weight and defend what was hers deserved whatever fate befell her."

"Oh ..."

"And my Dad was Baron Bedlam, so ..."

"Wow ... don't the Nine Nobles scare you ... or all the world's superheroes?"

"Scare? No. They annoy the crap out of me and I'm not overly happy with most of them, but I'm not dumb enough to get in their way either," I informed her.

"Skye ... Angelheart will be confronting them. That is what she does. What are you going to do if they come after her?"

"Fight for what's mine - which means I'll fight to defend Skye."

"Just like that?"

"I'm not going to let them push me around. If they come after Skye when she is with me - off the clock - then they are fighting two meta-humans," I decided.

"Seriously?" she was shocked.

"As a human I suggest you run for your life. Meta-humans have more options," I reasoned. "Don't expect me to start fighting crime and saving the planet though."

"But you could."

"You don't know me, Maryland," I pointed out. "Don't try to paint me into any corners. Better people - ones I actually have given a crap about - have tried."

"What does Skye see in you?"

"Ask her."

"She's still on the phone with her parents."

"Be rude," I suggested.

"That's your gig," Maryland grumped.

"You don't know me."

"I don't think I want to," she frowned.

"Do you want to keep being Skye's friend?"

"Yes."

"Then you had better learn to get along with me," I snorted. "I'm not the 'bending for others' kind of guy. I'm not going to tell Skye to get rid of you unless you become a real pest."

"Skye!" Maryland pleaded.

"Mom ... I gotta go. Maryland and my new boyfriend are fighting," Skye spoke into her mobile device. "Love you - bye! Now you two, what's wrong?"

"Skye, he wants ..." Maryland got out.

"No," I interrupted. "I only pointed out if you keep trying to ruin Skye's relationship with me, she might dump you. I am not asking her to dump any of her old acquaintances. I really don't give a crap who she is with when she's not with me. That would be unfair considering her career as a heroine. When she is with me, we leave our baggage at the door."

"Am I baggage now?" Maryland asked both of us.

"Reynard ... please don't be like this," Skye begged.

"Like what? Honest?" I prodded. "I'm not asking you to change who you are. You had better not ask me to change who I am either."

"Maryland, he's really not as bad as he seems ... please?"

Maryland clearly debated her options for a minute or so thus allowing Skye to get back on the phone - this time to the 'Freedom Tower' ~ aka 'work'. We had come to the apartment block which held my dwelling. I opened the door, holding it for them.

"You live here?" Maryland wondered.

"Yeah. Top floor - far corner."

"What is the rent like here?"

"I own the building," I admitted.

"You do?"

"What can I say ~ crime pays," I shrugged. Technically it had been paid for my Father. Why was I telling a near stranger this? By now the Night Watchman had run down all my financials associated with this building and figured it out. What he knew wasn't something I considered a real secret anymore.

"Can Skye and I rent a room here next fall?" Maryland requested. I had to do a double-take. Didn't this chick want nothing to do with me a moment ago?

"Sure," I agreed. "Nothing on the first floor though. Those places are rat-traps and burglary-bait."

"Aren't 'your kind of people' afraid of you?"

"Not yet, but they will be," I winked.

"Oh ... you have a secret identity - right. Why did you make Skye get rid of hers?"

"No, I don't - have a completely secret identity anymore - and I didn't. She made up her mind about that all on her own and didn't consult me about it," I kept up the conversation.

"Oh yeah, Solar (Flare)," Skye was finishing up her conversation with her liaison at Freedom Force, "I'm also dating Baron Bedlam's son, Reynard Haven now - gottagobye!"

"Well ... that was subtle," I chuckled. "Not suspicious at all."

"What can I say ... I think she likes me ... as in LIKES ME ... and I've never known how to tell her 'I'm just not into girls' so ..."

"So you aimed her at me ... fine," I shrugged. What was past was past. "So, want to call for some take-out while we plot out our future friendships?" I proposed.

"Skye, are we going to be able to keep being friends?" Maryland unloaded. We were at my door. All sensors indicated we were alone ... so I entered cautiously.

"As long as you don't end up sleeping with Reynard," Skye smiled warmly at her pal.

"Hey!" I protested. "What about a three-way? Maryland is kinda cute, ya know?"

"NO!" both women exclaimed. What? Maryland was cute after all ...

"At least think about it," I looked them both over.

"Never," Maryland declared.

"Okay," Skye gave in rather rapidly. I was curious about that and it had to do with her beating off other superheroines' bi-sexual & lesbian advances over the years.

"What?" Maryland gasped. "Skye ... I never thought you considered ..."

"It is okay, Maryland. I'd only do it if Reynard seriously asked me to," Skye backpedaled, placing me in the role of 'Bad Guy' again. What could I say? It was where I belonged.

"Reynard, you wouldn't," Maryland pleaded.

"Maryland ... yes, I would, if I think both participants were into it and it would be fun," I stated. "It is not something I am wanting to rush into tonight though."

"Skye, don't let this man turn you into a slut," Maryland shook her friend.

'Too late for that', I thought.

"Too late," Skye confessed. "I'm his AngelSlut." She was proud of the distinction she had fought for over a week. I was starting to worry that my power might be a bit too much - allowing me to access a person's deepest wants, fears and desires.

"Mine and mine alone, Maryland," I headed off another angry outburst. "Now, Pet," I addressed Skye, "why don't you strip down to bra and panties while we figure out what's on the menu for tonight."

Skye hesitated, shooting her friend as self-conscious look then took the plunge. Maryland was in awe of her bestie's compliance to my demand.

Soon enough, Angelheart was down to her undies and looking coyly at me. I could tell she was already aroused.

"Are the two of you going to start ... fooling around now?" Maryland muttered.

"No. First the food arrives, then we eat, then we talk and finally you leave so we can have sex. Skye, when is your first class tomorrow?" I asked.

"9:45."

"Mine isn't until 11:30 ... so we are having sex until dawn," I rubbed my hands together. "My homework is done and I'm raring to go."

"Am I in the way?" Maryland worried.

While Skye wanted to answer 'yes', I knew better.

"No. I invited you over to eat and to talk ... so let's talk and eat," I set the course for the evening. "First, let's order some food."

We settled on a pizza and two calzones from an Italian eatery a few blocks away. Skye answered the door - dressed 'as is' in her Passion Pink bra and panties - and paid for the food which gave her a vicarious thrill. I was sure it did something for our delivery driver too.

We ended up eating and talking until 8:45 in the evening when we had to usher Maryland out the door. Skye was getting really aroused, but I had to put the brakes on any amorous activity. I made a few hushed phone calls and typed off a few e-mails. I was expecting company ... and I had some explaining to do.

[SKYE AND TERRY MEET]

"Now it is just the two of us," Skye crawled into my lap as I sat waiting for this night's other guest. "We could move things to the bed ..."

"Angelheart, do you trust me?" I looked deeply into her ocular portals.

"Ye - yes," she stuttered. "I do now."

"Fine. Then sit here, kneeling at my side and don't do anything violent, or rash. I'll take care of everything. We are about to have another visitor."

"Who?" she worried her lower lip while rubbing her thighs together. A little scared and a lot aroused.

"Princess Penumbra."

"What!" she gasped.

"Yes. She is the 'other woman' I mentioned to you earlier," I fessed up.

"Rrrriight ..." Skye nodded. "I had sort of forgotten about her. The one you would rather be with. Would you still rather be with her?"

"I'm working that out - as in I don't want to dump you now that you've changed your life to accommodate me, so I'm going to see what I can work out with her."

"Like what?"

"Two girlfriends ... or a sensual pet and a sinister girlfriend," I worked things out mentally and verbally. "I'm not giving up one for the other ... and I would rather be alone than have to choose one over the other - clear?"

"Yes," Skye looked away, saddened. "Still," she regained eye contact, "I think I would rather have half of you than every part of any other guy. You really do make me feel more alive than I've felt before."

Skye crawled out of my lap and knelt at my side. Soon she figured out she preferred having her head resting against my thigh while I ran my hands through her hair. We didn't have to wait long. My ear piece picked up the sensors' alarms indicating someone was violating the laws of physics close by - a proximity alert. The darkness pooled up in my shower this time.

"Who is she?" Princess Penumbra grumped.

"Angelheart - Princess Penumbra. Princess Penumbra, meet Angelheart," I made the introductions.

"WHAT!" Princess Penumbra (aka Theresa 'Terry' Markov) gasped. "What is she doing at your feet?"

"She is my pet," I answered.

"He has conquered my heart," Skye said right after me.

"I thought we ... had something," Terry nearly broke down in tears.

"We still do," I replied calmly. "Skye here (she was now a public heroine) is my pet. We can still be boyfriend-girlfriend."

"I don't want to share you with ... with that!" Terry snapped.

"Now that I've shown her pleasures beyond her experience, I'm not going to abandon her, Princess Penumbra," I stated firmly. "I'm not going to be the perfect boyfriend by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll never stop giving you everything I've got."

"Whatever is left over, you mean," her eyes narrowed.

"You can look at it that way too, if you want," I shrugged. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I told you I was working on something, and that something was a dual blackmail attempt against me and Angelheart here which brought us together," I lied again.

"Huh? You were being blackmailed? Why didn't you come to me about that? I would have helped you," Terry stomped her foot angrily.

"I couldn't. You are a member of the Nine Nobles Nefarious now while I was kicked out of the recruiting process and told to never contact you, or any of the nobles, again. All for a fuck-up which wasn't my doing."

"It wasn't my fault either," Terry frowned.

"You aren't one of the nobles I blame," I kept my tone even.

"We could take her into the other nobles right now," Terry pleaded.

"That works out well for you, but not so much for myself, or Skye here," I reasoned. "They hate her and think I'm worthless."

I could also tell my reasoned defense was keeping an otherwise panicky Skye calm and thus away from the cusp of violence.

"Then let me take her in alone and ... and ... and I'll owe you big time," Terry was grasping at straws. She knew I was basically a very loyal dude.

"Just like I wouldn't abandon you to fight three members of Freedom Force, I'm not going to abandon Skye to fight the Nine Nobles Nefarious. You know me better than that."

"I can't stand being in the same room as her," Terry grew cross with me once more.

"Then we will have to work out some alternate arrangements," I suggested.

"No! I can't stand the thought of her being here - with you," she clarified.

"Just like I wouldn't abandon you in Sudan, I won't abandon Skye here."

"I'll ... I might be back. I've got a lot to think about," she turned away, walked into the dimly lit shower and then sunk into the shadows before disappearing entirely.

"That could have gone better," Skye commented.

"That could have gone worse too," I shrugged. "Bed?"

"Won't she be back?"

"Not for a few hours," I grinned down at my 'pet'.

"If you say so," she rubbed her cheek along my thigh, happy once more.

[~]

A short one hour sex session later and I decided it was time to skedaddle before the neighborhood outside my not-so-palatial bachelor pad became a warzone for eighteen super-powered folk with a grudge toward one another and who would be more than happy to square off and settle accounts. Not only would such a scuffle be hard on the property values, it would be difficult for Angelheart to sit on the sidelines. I really didn't want my 'pet' and prospective girlfriend going at it during this throw-down.

Having no available parents to bail me out of such a predicament didn't leave me powerless, though I had the feeling such an intervention would be difficult to explain. See, while I had no parents sitting in the wings, I did have two Godparents living here in Megalopolis.

Yeah, as I as the scion of two of the World's most notorious (as well as one of the Earth's brightest) supervillains, I knew a ton of super-powered people. While the Nine Nobles Nefarious weren't exactly friends, they had historically frowned on anyone picking on me because my father had been a founding member of their organization. He had been the founding member of another organization as well ... and it was upon one of those folks I was calling upon this night.

Technically, they were heroes, but more in line with what I considered heroic as opposed to the 'crime-fighting' types like Freedom Force. They fought intergalactic invasions and rogue meta-humans who had gone insane - doing things like destroying towns, cities, or even trying to 'terraform' Planet Earth, and the like. They didn't soil themselves in politics, the War on Drugs, or global terrorism.

These people ... well, they were the Sensational Six and Mentat and Storm Siren (aka Dr. Richard Reeds and Sarah Rains Reeds {divorced} aka my Godparents) in particular. After my Father, Baron Bedlam, had been put away for the last time, they had taken me in and raised me as well as seeing that my entire estate was NOT confiscated by the world's governments for his crimes.

Currently they were both a bit disappointed in my desire to pursue villainy, but they weren't going to liberate my Dad from the confines of his Antarctic prison and I felt someone had to ... so that someone had to be me. They had tried to talk me out of auditioning for the Nine Nobles Nefarious, but not stopped me. After all, they understood my loyalty to my Dad better than anyone.

He, as the Silver Sovereign back in those days, had been Richard's Best Man when he married Sarah Rains. Dr. Reeds and he had been college roommates and co-sponsored numerous inventions back in the day, before my Father had become an irrevocable supervillain. Even then, they had retained cordial, if strained, relations. When they did battled, it had been to subdue, not to kill, or maim.

I had been really close with their gifted son, Benjamin Reeds aka Godspark, until he left the planet to pursue his universal wanderlust. He was WAY smarter than me, but never seemed all that snobbish about it. If anything, he helped me get into Megalopolis Crown International University. He was the only friend I had growing up and I missed him ... but he was gone and I had remained.

Anyway, I had called my Godmother because I didn't want a meta-human brawl outside my abode to ruin the surroundings. I asked her to meet my new girlfriend ... who was someone they might even approve of, seeing as she was one of the 'good guys', like her. I was also pretty sure she wouldn't simply gang up on any of the 9N's who might show up because that wasn't her style.

Besides, I knew she privately disapproved of groups such as Freedom Force who played fast and loose with the moral code like so many other Superhero groups. If any member of Freedom Force stepped out of line first, I was sure Storm Siren would let them know her displeasure. The same went for the members of the 9N's. Best of all, I believed both groups knew this and would behave accordingly.

[~]

"Who are we meeting here again?" Skye inquired. We were in a cab traveling downtown.

"There is someone one I want you to meet," I repeated my answer to her numerous earlier requests. "All you have to do is be yourself."

"Are they going to ask me to do ... anything?"

"I seriously doubt it. Sexing up nubile young heroines isn't their thing," I shot her a sly look.

"You aren't doing much to deal with my frazzled nerves," she pouted.

"I like you a bit on edge," I grinned.

"Here," the cabbie said as he pulled in front of the huge glass & steel tower. "That will be $19."

I paid him and got out, holding the door for Skye.

"Who do you know who lives in the Kirby Tower?" she muttered. She was somewhat in awe. Apartments here went for the high six figures up to $4 million, or so I'd read. The penthouse cost much, much more. Mrs. Reeds had moved here after her divorce and I'd helped her move some furniture around a time, or two, since.

"My Godmother."

"OH DAMN IT!" Angelheart turned on me. "Here you are introducing me to your family and I'm dressed like ... wait, you are introducing me to your family ... I ... didn't know," she went from pissed to conciliatory.

"Something like that," I winked.

"Mr. Bedlam," the doorman greeted me. He must have had a good memory because I never used 'Bedlam' outside of talking to my Godparents.

"Is my Godmother in?" I inquired. Mind you, it was midnight on a weekday, so odds were good.

"Yes, Sir," he nodded. "I'm sure the desk will call up for you." He meant the 'front desk', but since there was only one desk ... and sure enough the woman at the front desk was already on the phone.

"You can go up, Sir," she smiled. We deviated from our approach to the closest of three elevators. It opened and up we went ... to the penthouse. Let's just say the divorce was amicable and Dr. Reeds was generous with what Sarah got in the settlement.

"We are going to ... THE penthouse?" Skye squeaked.

"It would seem that way," I sighed in exasperation. Why state the obvious?

"Who is this again?"

"My Godmother."

"Does your godmother have a name?" Skye pressed.

"Yes." And yes, I was being a bit of an ass.

The door opened to a small atrium with one set of double doors in front of us. I went forward, Skye's left hand squeezing my right, and rang the doorbell. It opened and there stood my majestic, blonde-haired MILF Godmother.

"YOUR GODMOTHER IS STORM SIREN!" Skye screamed at me in a rather panicked tone.

"Hello," Sarah chuckled. "Good to meet you," she addressed Skye. "Reynard," she pulled me forward and kissed me on the cheek. "What has brought about this late night visit? Oh, and come in."

"Hey there, Sarah," I kissed her back - on the cheek. "This is my friend and mutual sex fiend, Skye Steiner, though you may know her as Angelheart."

"Bad!" Sarah shook a finger in my face. "You are clearly mortifying the girl. Skye is it?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Skye gulped.

"Don't put up with any of Reynard's bad behavior. He can be a decent sort if you apply a little discipline," Sarah lectured.

"Hardy-har-har, Mom," I joked with Sarah. "She's always busting my chops."

"I'm only reminding you to be a gentleman," she lured us into the living room. Skye was taking in the view from the top of the world. Normally only something she got when she was flying.

"Why are we here ... as you might guess, Freedom Force isn't happy with a former probationary member of the Nine Nobles Nefarious being with one of theirs ... and the Nine Nobles want me to hand over Skye, even though I was busted out of their organization ... so there might be a problem with people strong-arming us."

"And you want to tell Quantum Queen and King Kaos to back off," she studied me.

"Yeah - pretty much," I shrugged helplessly. "If I could have taken care of this on my own, I would have."

"How did the Nine Nobles figure out the two of you were together? You gave me the impression they were done with you ... which I was grateful for," Sarah kept up her interrogation. While nowhere near as smart as Dr. Reeds, she was a keen intellect in her own right.

"See ... I've also been spending time with their daughter who goes by the handle Princess Penumbra now," I confessed.

"Reynard ... I'm disappointed in you," Sarah slowly and repeatedly shook her head.

"Hey, they are both good looking and ... I need to talk to you about something else," I admitted somewhat to my new power.

"Oh ... this had better be good if you want me to accept there is ANY reason for you to be stringing this nice girl along just so you can also spend time with Theresa Markov (aka Princess Penumbra). Skye, you wait right here and make yourself comfortable. My Godson and I are going to have a private chat."

"Okay ... ah, yes ma'am," Skye repeated, still stunned by the pedigree of her company.

Sarah led me to another part of the house then activated several anti-surveillance devices.

"Now, what is it?" she glared. She had raised me to treat women better than this.

So I told her everything about my new power to gain access to people's deep-seated desires, fears and memories. While there seemed to be some exchange, it wasn't something other people had appeared to be able to use against me with any effect ... so far.

"So, you are telling me Skye wants to be treated this way?" Sarah rubbed her chin between her thumb and forefinger.

"Yes. And I seem to make her happy forcing her to be submissive."

"And you are sure this isn't some kind of telepathic wish fulfillment fantasy?" she questioned.

"I don't think it is. I've exchanged memories with Weapon Y as well and I didn't gain any power of him," I offered up as theoretical proof.

"Good point. You should still see Richard in the morning after classes," she strongly suggested.

"I want this to be my own thing," I persisted. "I am only seeking out help because I misread Terry (Princess P) and now I'm afraid she would show up with all the 9N's to kidnap Skye plus I'm sure Freedom Force is monitoring me so ..."

"Don't you want to know if you are telepathically manipulating people?" she inquired.

"Very well ... good point," I groused. "I'll stop by tomorrow. If it isn't telepathic in nature though, I want to pursue this on my own. Do you think Richard will accept that?"

"Of course," Sarah nodded. "As long as you aren't a threat to yourself, or others - directly - he will let you follow your own course of research concerning what you do. I can't say if I'm happy, or not, you not accepting our help though. I'm both proud of you for standing on your own as well as upset you might be risking your life recklessly."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't worry about me," I grinned sheepishly. "Any word ... (from Godspark, her son)?"

"None," she turned away. "There has been no contact since he teleported us those gifts for Christmas."

"I would have gone with him except I knew all I would be was another burden for him to worry about," I put a hand on her shoulder. She covered my hand with her own.

"I know. Sometimes it is tough to be a Mother of someone with that much power," she murmured. "I have to accept - as hard as it is - he has the power to walk the stars now and the hunger to learn more than the Earth has to offer."

"I worry about him too," I said. "He was my only real friend for the longest time."

"I know, Reynard. I ... back to your problem," she faced me. "Let me talk to this nice young lady you've dragged to my home."

She cut off the devices then waltzed back to the living room to meet a skittish Skye. No sooner had we returned than the intercom chimed. Someone on the penthouse's helipad wanted to talk with Sarah.

"Hello?"

"This is King Kaos, Storm Siren. Give us the ... hero in residence with you and we will depart peacefully," the voice responded over the box.

"Noooo," she grinned at the two youngsters in the room. "I don't think so. How about you depart peaceably before the rest of the Sensational Six get here?"

"They aren't here yet. Give us Angelheart now!"

Thunder boomed and lighting struck the adjacent building as elemental forces coursed through Sara Reeds aka Storm Siren.

"If you want to come at me, so be it," she sneered.

"Do you really want to pick a feud with us?" King Kaos countered.

"Listen up, Kaos," Sara simmered. "I am entertaining my Godson and his girlfriend ... on a purely social visit. You want to turn this into something more, it is on your head. We have stayed out of each other's way until now, but Reynard is family and he is going to fight to protect this girl. If there is a feud to be created, you are going to be the one picking a feud with the entire Sensational Six."

"We aren't afraid of you," Kaos ground out.

"Oh look ... is that Solar Flare I see coming our way?" Sarah looked out the west side of the penthouse. Sure enough, a brightly burning individual was rapidly approaching. If she was close by, Gold Boy and Ebon Star had to be around too. The rest of Freedom Force (except Angelheart) was earthbound ... so could be anywhere.

Storm Siren crackled with electrical energy and was swept by closely circulating winds. In a flash of luminescence, Skye transformed into Angelheart with a corona of light surrounding her. Her angelic wings of light sprung forth from her back, adding to her majestic presence.

"Alright, let's go up to the roof," Sarah commanded.

"We are going to fight the Nine Nobles Nefarious?" Angelheart questioned.

"No. We are going to establish some ground rules for you two seeing each other without outside interference," she explained. A gust of wind swept through the room and opened two of the glass panels which were easy to confuse with floor-to-wall windows.

I felt the same winds buffet me then drag me toward the precipice. Skye followed along under her own power. The three of us went beyond the safety of the building and rose up to the roof ... where the Nine Nobles had gathered. Solar Flare, Golden Boy and Ebon Star were all close by, circling the gathering.

"Do you think you can dictate to the Nine Nobles?" King Kaos rumbled.

"No, but I think I can stand up for my Godson, Reynard here," Sarah answered. Six to nine weren't the long odds they might appear to be because of the power level of the meta-humans on our side. "He is my family."

"He is also the son of a former noble," Quantum Queen warbled. She was in her energy form - a being of pure electro-magnetic energy.

"You kicked him out," she reminded them.

"He has made untoward moves on my daughter," she added.

"She pursued him," Sarah kept at it. "After all, he isn't capable of finding her (so quickly) while she knew precisely where to find him."

"He toyed with her affections," Quantum Queen hissed.

"No. He told her he had something going on and wouldn't be able to make a commitment until the end of the semester at the earliest. Other events transpired ... but this is a matter between the three of them - not the rest of us," Storm Siren stood her ground and made her case.

"Princess Penumbra, is this so?" Quantum Queen glanced at her daughter.

"I ... umm ... yes, but he wasn't truthful about his relationship with Angelheart when I asked him," Terry mumbled through the first part.

"Princess, I couldn't be completely truthful because of things going on I can't go into now and I couldn't go into then," I stated with some exasperation. "I never betrayed you to Freedom Force, yet you betrayed me to the Nine Nobles Nefarious."

"I opened my heart to you!" she screamed at me.

Silence.

"You should be made to pay," the Marquis of Mayhem insinuated it wouldn't be him.

"King and Queen - let me put this cur in his place," the Viscount of Villainy belatedly jumped at the prospect of putting me 'in my place'.

"You and I have unfinished business," I growled at him. "You insinuated I was a coward ... as well as being DEAD."

"If you weren't hiding behind Storm Siren ...," he postured.

"Reynard, if you aren't opposed to facing down this man ... and it doesn't have anything to do with the status of Angelheart, I am not opposed to young men acting in the manner of young men," Storm Siren stated.

"King and Queen, how do you feel about the manner?" she added.

"This is not the outcome we would have preferred, but it is most likely the most positive outcome we can hope for now," King Kaos allowed.

"I'll crush this fool," the Viscount boasted.

"Here and now - let's do this," I stepped forward.

"With Freedom force all around?" the Marquis intervened.

"The same rules apply," Storm Siren pledged. "If they interfere with any of you, then they will earn the wrath of the Sensational Six."

The King looked to his Queen who reluctantly nodded.

"Viscount - do NOT let us down," the King commanded.

"You don't have your bag of tricks to help you this time," the Viscount came at me. As he did so, I could hear the supports beneath the helipad groan from his increased mass. From the reported weight capacity, I was figuring the Viscount was upping his density to the max to finish this fight rapidly. I went right at him, dodged under his round-house then punched him in his uncovered chin.

The sparks flew and the memories flowed. I really didn't need those at the moment. What I needed was the other effect of my power - the ability to understand and adapt to the meta-human manifestations of my target. My move left me momentarily open to a 'weak' body blow from the Viscount. He was still staggered by the memory exchange while I was sent end over end toward the edge of the helipad.

I didn't go over the edge though. I righted myself while the alterations necessary to become his nemesis took effect.

"What ... was that?" he shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

"Let's find out," I grinned. As I stood, I could feel several of my ribs grinding together - painfully ... from a mere glancing blow from him.

This time when we collided I had his number. I took his punch into an arm bar and rode that round until I had it pressed against the ferro-crete.

"Asshole," he sneered ... then phased - reducing his density until he could pass through my arms.

SURPRISE BUTT-MONKEY!!

The moment his density decreased so he could move through my arms, I activated the nemesis portion of my power. It was familiar to me because it was something Angelheart could do - bio-manipulation.

"Seizure," I whispered ... and the Viscount began to spasm and re-solidified. While he was surviving his near death experience, I gave him another. I took him by the chin and the back of the skull.

"One more twist and he's dead," I stated the obvious, "but I'm not that guy and besides he's not worth it." I stood up and backed away.

"Perhaps we were wrong about you, Reynard Bedlam," King Kaos regarded me with new eyes.

"That opportunity for both of us has come and gone," I backed around toward Sarah and Skye. "It may come again ... or it may not. I've got to do my best to make my own way in the world. Also ... I would like your permission to see Princess Penumbra from time to time ... if she is amenable."

"Hah," King Kaos snorted. "We will think about it."

The Viscount of Villainy regained his feet while shooting hate at me with his eyes. I could care less. He was a bully and a coward and yet again I had his measure. I wanted to caution him to not crowd my shadow from here on out, but pushing back against the Nine Nobles wasn't going to do anything but undo whatever gains I had just gained with them by showing them my prowess.

Soon enough, they had gathered up their members and departed ... leaving us with the members of Freedom Force. No sooner had the Nine Nobles departed into shadow than Solar Flare decided it was her turn to get into my shit.

"Now it is the nine of us versus the two of you - one if Storm Siren doesn't want to get into a world of hurt."

As she made that pronouncement, the 'Night-Jet' came swooping down to hover over us. Several members of Freedom Force jumped down to face us as well. Not to be outdone, two members of the Sensational Six stepped out of a mystic portal by Storm Siren's side - Harlequin Mask and Gamma Girl. Since I couldn't rely on Angelheart to fight her own team that still left us facing four to nine odds.

Mind you, the people not visible were Mentat (aka Richard Reeds), the Elongating Girl, Hellbender and ... the Invisible Man - who could be right beside me and I wouldn't know it. Mentat didn't have to be close to you to screw with you and the Elongating Girl was the weakest member of the team anyway.

"Five versus nine," the mysterious mystic, Harlequin Mask purred. "More to the point, Sentinel Seven and Gopher Girl might want to quit the field before the festivities begin, or they might get really, really hurt."

"We aren't afraid of you," Sentinel Seven's voices echoed.

"Well, I am," Gopher Girl mumbled.

"Would you stop it!" Skye yelled. "I am okay. I'm doing what I want to do. I'm no compromising any oaths I've made to any of you, but I want to have a bit of a private life too ... and that involves Reynard here."

"Eh ... the rest of you can call me ... Mr. Haven," I decided it was unwise to unveil my supervillain name of 'Dark Son' at this juncture.

"Don't you mean ... Eros?" the Night Watchman ground out.

"I would hardly be blackmailing myself," I countered.

"You haven't been blackmailed. I've read your text and e-mail logs," he attempted to puncture my deceptions.

"Except he used the print medium with me - Jackass," I growled.

"And wouldn't violating my Godson's privacy be a CRIME?" Storm Siren glared.

"He's a supervillain and all-around bad guy," the Night Watchman growled.

"The only person who has broken any laws so far is you, Night Watchman," she bit back. "You broke into his home, stole his belongings and now violated his computer security."

"To prove he was blackmailing a member of my team," the Night Watchman pointed out.

"I don't care," Storm Siren snapped. "How would you like it if Mentat decided your team's cyber security needed to be violated a bit too?"

"He doesn't work that way," the gruff superior of Freedom Force reminded us. Richard Reeds was truly a good, kind, decent and mostly law-abiding gentleman.

"Do you want to see what happens when I reveal all the crap you have been pulling against Reynard? Do you want him to go to the Feds and make a FISA request against your computer histories concerning HIS Godson?"

"And he doesn't work with the FISA courts either," the Night Watchman scoffed.

"EXACTLY. He stays within both the letter and the spirit of the law," she crowed out her own triumphs. "He doesn't hound nineteen year old boys he doesn't morally approve of. He doesn't continuously break the laws because he doesn't think he is above the law - unlike you and your allies, Night Watchman."

"Now," she continued, "if you do end up sending Reynard to jail, we will be crawling all over that case and the evidence against him. We will be really curious about what any government prosecutors allow against him because it has been tainted by your involvement. I'm letting you know this - right now! You come after Reynard, or Skye, over this and the Sensational Six are coming after you because we will know you have broken the law to frame him ... like you have done so many times before."

"Mrs. Reeds, you do NOT want to make this personal," the Night Watchman rasped. "You do NOT want to stack up your team against mine because we are in the fight of law & order against the forces of chaos and mayhem while you and yours ... sit on the sidelines and offer poorly thought out advice. Stick to the classroom lectures and alien invasions. Let us handled the real human crime and the true metahuman criminals. You ... don't want to mess with us."

"Shove it up your ass," Gamma Girl stepped up. "The Sensational Six have created millions of jobs around the globe, lifting tens of millions out of poverty. We have led global education initiatives. We know the best way to defeat the desire for a life of crime is to give a more promising alternative - and that's what we have been doing. You teach fear. We teach mutual respect and respect for the value of life."

"Oh, you ... shove it," Solar Flare hovered close by, clearly incensed.

"Neither side is totally right, or totally wrong," Golden Boy intervened between the two. "Every societal system will have its criminals. Every society could do with a bit more hope these days."

"What this really boils down to are you going to try and make Angelheart conform to your wishes, or are you going to allow her to behave independently?" Storm Siren cut to the heart of the matter.

"She's acting ... in an aberrant fashion," the Night Watchman grumbled.

"She's fallen for ... HIM," Solar Flare snarled.

"I'm doing what I want to do," Skye defended herself. "Can't you just let me keep seeing Reynard? Does this have to be a big fight all the time?"

"He's a bad guy, Angelheart," Sentinel Seven complained. "What happens if you catch him breaking the law?"

"I arrest him ... if I can. He's tougher than he looks," she shot me a shy smile.

"Why don't we vote on this?" Gopher Girl suggested. "Honestly, he hasn't done anything wrong yet and we haven't discovered any proof Angelheart would cover up for him ... so why not give her the benefit of the doubt?"

"Well, I vote all of us be allowed to maintain some level of a private life private of Freedom Force," Skye rallied.

"It isn't like I haven't made a few mistakes from time to time," Golden Boy allowed.

"I don't like the Punk (that would be 'me'), but the kid (Skye) has a point. Besides, I don't want to play chaperone on any teenager's date," Weapon Y agreed.

"Oh, come on," Ebon Star protested. "We know this guy is no good for her. He's a White male chauvinist pig."

"I'm half-extra-terrestrial, Bitch," I snapped back. Ebon Star glared hate.

"Honestly, his mother was from a planet on the far side of our galaxy and he was created in a test tube," Storm Siren confirmed my origin.

"He is still a male chauvinist pig," Ebon Star grumbled.

"I'm not a pig," I snorted. "That would make me part of law enforcement and I guarantee that ain't going to happen."

"He is a manipulative, lying male chauvinist pig," Solar Flare piled on.

"He's never received a single death tied to any of his manifestations which is a hell of a lot more than could be said for the majority of Freedom Force," Gamma Girl skewered them.

"As for the events in Sudan ... so far no charges have been filed ... by anyone concerning that fouled up situation," she persisted. "You people are the last group which wants to be throwing stones ~ glass houses and all."

Oh yeah, multiple people on Freedom Force had either by accident, or design, racked up quite a body count over their careers. They were still considered 'heroes' because they had been 'fighting the good fight', or in combat against the 'bad guys' - fuck'em.

"I am not saying I'm happy with Angelheart's choice of partners, but don't we sort of allow her some room to grow up and explore herself?" X-man hedged.

"Straight Arrow?" the Night Watchman prodded the lone remaining silent member of Freedom Force.

"Yeah ... and I don't want to be facing down the Sensational Six over ... this ... who Angelheart wants to spend her private time with," Straight Arrow shrugged.

"Well then ... Angelheart, know we will always have your back. If you ever need to talk to someone, our doors will be open," the Night Watchman turned positively paternal on my girl.

"Thank you, Night Watchman," Skye exhaled. "Thank all of you."

With that, Freedom Force withdrew, leaving the rest of us alone on the helipad.

"Nice to meet you," Gamma Girl stepped up first, offering to shake Skye's hand. Skye seemed rather overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. Harlequin Mask merely gave a tip of the proverbial hat then disappeared back through a portal with Gamma Girl. If the Invisible Man had been around, he gave no sign of it.

"You two fly home," Storm Siren smiled. "I suspect you have a great deal to talk about, Rey ... or do you have a secret identity picked out yet?"

Storm Siren - she I could trust. I guessed I could trust Skye now too.

"Dark Son."

"Dark Son ... or is that Dark Sun?"

"That's Dark S-o-n," I clarified.

As for a 'great deal to talk about' ... Boy, did we.

[THE END]

[STORY NOTES]

Skye's Clique

Chad Gordon - former 'normie' boyfriend of Skye

Maryland Kinaki - best female friend of Skye ~ a normie

Gil Wayfield - former boyfriend of Maryland ~ a normie

Founding Members of the Sensational Six

Mentat (Dr. Richard Reeds) ~ most likely the most intelligent person on Planet Earth (and then some). He founded the Sensational Six twenty-five years ago. He goes into combat in a battle suit with an assortment of gadgets which allow him to 'kit-bash' inventions on the fly.

Silver Sovereign (Sir Cedric Bedlam) ~ co-founding member of the Sensational Six. Later turned to villainy under the name Baron Bedlam. Currently in an Antarctic Super-Super-max prison for the rest of eternity.

The Storm Twins:

~ Storm Siren (Sarah Rains Reeds) ~ gorgeous former wife of Richard Reeds - Storm Control & Manipulation - a powerful weather manipulator with numerous power stunts. Not currently a full-time member of the team.

~ Lightning Lord (Jordan Rains) ~ former founding member of the Sensational Six - Electrical Control & Manipulation with numerous power stunts - currently a supervillain, founder and leader of the Sinister Six / whereabouts unknown.

Gamma Girl ~ (Jennifer Sands) a big, blue-skinned, hulking yet highly intelligent marketing specialist who has a rocking, muscular body. Very, very strong and resilient. (Think: She-Hulk)

The Mechanic ~ (Brian Osborn) a brilliant African-American Engineer turned contract killer. Known to be both Immortal and Indestructible along with being very smart. Current whereabouts unknown.

Later Members of the Sensational Six

The Protector ~ (Octavius Ball: deceased) ~ had the ability to control cosmic forces to create powerful force fields around himself and others. Was killed when he was forced to create a force field so powerful to save the team he couldn't bring it down and later suffocated. He replaced Silver Sovereign.

The Invisible Man ~ [Secret Identity: Clive Baxter] ~ a Black super-spy who turned metahuman hero, this invisible spook now works to redeem himself by working alongside the other members of the Sensational Six. He replaced the Protector.

The Elongating Lady ~ (Ingrid B. Meyer) ~ a female cyber-security specialist who acts as Dr. Reeds assistant most of the time. She also has the ability to mold her body into all kinds of interesting shapes as well as stretch her limbs. She replaced the Mechanic.

Humongous Hugh ~ [Hugh Munges] ~ a massive male with impressive super-strength and a cement-like appearance over a hulking, brutish form. He has a child-like mind and loves to play with animals and children alike. He replaced Gamma Girl for a while. Current whereabouts: rural Bolivia up in the Andes Mountains.

Critical Maas ~ (J. Michele Maas) ~ a powerful metahuman with Entropy-based powers who suffered a psychotic break and turned to villainy. She is currently serving multiple life sentences in an Antarctic Super-Super-max prison. She replaced Lightning Lord.

Hellbender ~ [(Dr.) Marlene François] ~ powerful teenage metahuman shapeshifter who won control over one of the various 'Demon Realms' thus having a host of demons at her control as well. She is a brilliant mimic who often takes the shape of mystical creatures and can make a near-perfect copy of anyone she sees for more than a few seconds. She is replacing Storm Siren.

Harlequin Mask ~ [Name unknown] ~ a mysterious mystic who has recently joined the team to help Dr. Reeds explore the frontiers of techno-wizardry. Otherwise her powers are largely unknown. She replaced Critical Maas.

[THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS STORY ARC]

[I PLAN TO CONTINUE HAVING MORE ADVENTURES WITH REYNARD AND SKYE AND THE UNIVERSE THEY INHABIT]