Lain

“That’s the first thing you ask!? Seriously!?” I exclaim.

He probably just went through a serious existential crisis. He just woke up without a clue about what is going on. His own mind rebelling against him and trying to change him as he screams for help. And the first thing he asks after finally being able to talk under his own will is, ‘Why is my ass perfect!?’

I feel like I just got slapped in the face. Mental whiplash!

I was expecting… Something more emotional. A plead for help. Cursing and screaming. A ‘Why did you do this to me!?’ Not… not this!

Although honestly… what was the first thing I did after my shower? I looked in the mirror and marveled at how cute I was now. I think I even remarked on how nice my butt looked if I remember correctly…

Shit, I’m not really in a position to judge, am I…?

I decide to ignore his question and just watch him look at himself in the mirror. Part of me wants to laugh because I know that the others are on the other side of the mirror and are still watching, but I hold that shit down with an iron fist. Now is not the time for me to be laughing.

After a while of letting him look himself over, I ask him to stop as he begins flexing in the mirror. I don’t need him putting on a show for Sky and the people in the other room when this is supposed to be a very serious matter.

With me asking him to stop, he immediately does so and steps away from the mirror. Looking down at himself, he seems to remember the situation that he is in and frowns. He turns to me and asks a question. “Why do I do everything that you say. I had no control over myself just then… I couldn’t…”

He stops himself, looking a bit frightened as he looks down at me. I just take a deep breath and say it. I can’t sugar coat this…

“You're mine. That’s why.”

“That, that doesn’t make sense. How could I be yours? I…”

“Look at me. What does your mind tell you when you see me.” I feel something pulse across our connection and he immediately does as I say, my words apparently counting as a command. I fight down the feelings of guilt and pleasure that fills me. Revolted by the pleasure…

He tells me, “Demon Queen. Devil. Obey.”

Devil? Not Imp?

I choose to push that aside for now and continue. “Obey… it’s that part right there. Our contract, the deal we made. It connects us. When I look at you, I see: Fiend. Mine.”

“Contract? Deal? I don’t understand. I don’t remember ever…”

“What is the last thing you remember before waking up here?”

He stops what he was saying and immediately answers my question. “Johny went into the restroom to take a piss. But he was taking too long, so I went in to tell him to hurry up. I found him making out with a beautiful woman… but… but it wasn’t a… it wasn’t a woman. It was a monster. It, it killed him. Right there in front of me as I watched… I couldn’t save him… And then it came for me, I thought I knew her, but she was a monster… it grabbed me and tried to kill me to, but then… then you showed up and fought it off. It used my body as a shield… I fought back and it, it puked on me.” He looks down at the burn scars dotting his body and continues, “My skin, my face… it burned but I kept struggling. I stabbed it with my knife, and it dropped me… Then you ripped its arm off, and it fled into the vents. I begged you to go after it, but you came over to me instead and…”

I interrupt, “I tended to your acid burns and tried to wash the stuff out of your eyes and throat. Called for the medics. They barely managed to keep you alive. But only just. You had a night left to live at best. I stayed by your side the whole night. I planned on being there when you took your last breath…” I wet my lips and continue, “Do you remember what happened after that. The moment when you woke up on your death bed?”

He answers me, “No, I don’t. My last memory is of passing out in the restroom…” His answer given; he is able to talk freely again. “Why do you ask? What does this have to do with a contract, a deal?”

“… You had an hour left at best. You were going to die soon… and you woke up. Half dead and barely able to talk, you asked me if you were going to die, and I said yes… When I asked you, laying there minutes away from death, if you wanted to die… You told me that you didn’t. You cried in front of me, half of your face missing and barely able to breath… You said you didn’t want to die…”

He watches me with a look of shock, practically frozen. He looks at himself in the mirror, takes in his scars and opens his mouth to speak. With a shake he says, “And you saved me…”

I simply nod my head.

“But, then why… why does that make me yours?”

I look up to him and stare him in the eyes, my instincts compelling me to speak. “I gave you life. I gave you power. I gave you beauty. The three immaterial desires of every mortal. Tell me Nathaniel, what do you possess that is equal in value to these three blessings that I have given you?”

“Nothing… I own practically nothing. I live in a dorm…” he answers.

I shake my head and let my instincts push me, I dread the answer that I am about to give him, but he needs to know. “No Nathaniel.” I point to him and speak, “You, Nataniel. Your life, for life. Your obedience, for power. Your descendants, for beauty. A deal was made…”

I stop and he finishes my sentence, the words practically pulling themselves out of him. “A price was paid…”

He collapses to his knees and looks to me, he has to fight to find his words but eventually he speaks, “Why me? Why did you pick me?”

I shrug, “Why anyone? I got bitten by a dog over a can of beef stew and turned into this. How many people mutate just from getting attacked by monsters? None… Why does anything happen to anyone? Because they were there at the wrong time. If I hadn’t left home, I would have been evacuated with my family and still be human. I wouldn’t be spending my days fighting monsters and risking my life. We wouldn’t be here having this conversation... If your friend didn’t go to take a piss in the restroom, if you didn’t follow him inside, if I didn’t decide to test my remaining humanity and stay by your bed side as you died, if you didn’t wake up in those final moments and ask for life…” I let out a long breath and continue. “…I didn’t pick you Nathniel. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time… and I am sorry that this happened to you, because I know that you didn’t ask for any of this…”

“You did this to me, and all you can say is that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!? Couldn’t you have just saved my life or…?”

“And how would I do that?” I ask simply.

“I… I don’t know but surely you could have…” He says, shaking.

“I don’t have healing magic. I can’t just shine magical light on you and heal your wounds. You didn’t want to die, and I did the only thing that I could to save you. I gave you, my blood. Half your face was burned away, your lungs were failing, you were bleeding internally, and the acid had burned through your chest and your left shoulder exposing you down to your bones. By all right you should have died on the floor of that restroom.”

I straighten up in my chair and look him in the eyes, “My blood isn’t some magical cure-all potion. It a mutagen. You want to be healed? It will do it by regrowing your organs, bones, muscles, and skin as something new; something not human. And once the process is started? It can’t be stopped without killing you. I gave you life. You will live for thousands of years and remain perfectly healthy and whole. The power you now have? Part of the package. You don’t get to become what we are without being strong. Your good looks? I could have kept that out, but that would have been a cruelty. You would have ended up as a disfigured monster with the mind of a man, forced to live for eternity in a body that you would most certainly hate. I answered your wish for life with three blessings. Three blessing that most mortals would be willing to kill for, and I did it for a complete stranger.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I rub at my face and try to pull control of myself and my words back into my own hands, loosening my posture, “You’re not a hero, you’re not the chosen one, I doubt that you have some greater destiny, and if it wasn’t you, then it would have been someone else. I was bound to do this to someone eventually… My own little curse… You really were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s just that now, it is up to you to determine how you're going to live your life. New body, new instincts, and a future that goes beyond every person living on this base. Treat it as a curse or a blessing. It’s up to you…”

He continues to watch from where he sits on his knees, still easily dwarfing me with his massive height. His eyes move down to his beautiful hands, and he sits in silence. I leave him be to think over my words.

He eventually looks back up and asks me a question, but I can see that he already knows the answer. “Is there any way that we could, ah’… cancel the deal? Uhm, ah.. void the contract?”

I push down my anger at the idea and can see that those words had hurt him to say, a pain flaring in his chest.

“No. Only through death, and I forbid you to kill yourself. Though, I doubt that you could…”

He involuntarily says, “… It would be a breach of the contract. You gave me life… If I killed myself, I wouldn’t be able to give you my life in return…” He shakes at the words that came out of his mouth and I simply nod.

We watch each other…

…

…

…

“… What should I do now?” He eventually asks.

I let out a tired breath and rub at my face again. “Well, that’s part of why I am here I guess… haaa, alright…”

After sorting out a couple of details in my head, I hold out three fingers in front of me.

“Three orders, Nathaniel.”

He immediately straightens up and listens.

“First, and because I would like to avoid having to do this again, this order extends to not just you but also your descendants. Ingrain this within your DNA. Unless it is explicitly stated to be an order or a command by me, or any future descendants of mine, -should that ever happen- you do not have to do as I say. I grant you and your descendants, free will.”

I watch him and it is as if several layers of chains and a ton of weights had suddenly been lifted from his person. He takes a relieved breath, and I can feel as my connection to him weaken slightly. Though it still remains unbreakable. If I so desired, I could revoke this order whenever I wanted… I hate that.

“Second order. You, Nathaniel Smith, are to continue in your service to the United State Military and serve as a model soldier until such time that your service with the army is complete. You don’t have to follow any orders from them that would be death sentences, suicide missions, or are utterly ridiculous, impossible to complete, or that goes against your morales.”

I look to the one-way mirror in case of any retorts on our audience's side. They remain silent, so I continue.

“Third Order. You are forbidden from abusing your power to harm those that are weaker than you. Except of course in the case of self-defense. Then you may defend yourself within reason. Naturally, this order does not include monsters. In terms of harm, that refers to assault, theft, intentional damage of property, rape, and any other case of using your power in an illicit manner.

“I would have like to go without having to give this order, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are nineteen and have enough power to do basically do whatever you want. Better safe than sorry…”

…

I turn to the one-way mirror and say, “General Louise, that is about as good as I can do. Any more than that and I would start to run into some problems.”

He responds over the intercom, “That should be good enough Lain. Thank you.”

Nodding, I look back to Nathaniel and watch him as he slowly climbs to his feet, towering over everything in the room. Eventually, he asks, “So… I have free will now?”

“As long as I don’t explicitly order you, yes.”

“How can, I be sure?” He asks, looking uncertain.

“Mmmm, lets test it? Slap yourself across the face.” I say.

He doesn’t move and just waits.

I try some more. “Go to the cafeteria and get me a pudding. Do a sexy dance. Sing a song. Spell out your name backward while spinning counterclockwise, while also patting your head and rubbing your belly…”

I wait and he still doesn’t do anything. “Nothing? Any urges to do it regardless?”

“Hmm, there is an urge to do it. But it is weak and easy to ignore if I don’t want to do it…”

I nod, “Mhm, alright then, next. I order you to clap your hands three times.”

He immediately does so. Clap, Clap, Clap.

“And there?” I ask him.

He shakes his head, looking rightfully uncomfortable. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter… I, I didn’t like that. But part of me was happy to obey.”

I let out a tired breath, “Trust me, I don’t like it either, though a part of me does like it. And that makes me hate myself… I won't be giving you orders unless absolutely necessary. Your life is yours to live, even if you have no choice but to live it with my collar around your neck…”

“Well, I guess I should at least thank you for that… You really could make me do anything, couldn’t you? I wouldn’t be able to resist...”

I just nod my head and say nothing. He already knows the answer.

Adjusting myself in my chair to get comfortable, I say, “Well… besides the contract, I’m sure that you have question. About your new body… Feel free to ask, I’ll answer whatever I can.”

“Alright…” He looks at himself in the mirror and then to me. “Why am I so tall? In fact, how tall am I now?”

I look to the mirror and Dr. Doe is quick to answer. “Private Smith, you are eight feet tall on the dot. About two and a half meters. That is not counting your horns but just to the top of your head.”

He whispers, “Eight feet…”

“Thank you, Dr. Doe. To answer your question. You are tall because you are a Fiend. Whatever part of me it was that come up with it, you are intended to be a warrior. Strength incarnate, a front line fighter. I don’t even have to test you to know that you are stronger than me, and I can lift armored vehicles and stop charging monsters. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could rip a tank apart with your bare hands.”

“I do feel much stronger now…”

“On that subject, you don’t have my subdermal armor or my bones. You’re still built like a tank, and you can heal fast like me, but it won’t stop you from getting cut, stabbed, or breaking bones. You're just a lot harder to hurt than a normal human. So don’t go thinking that you are indestructible now...”

He looks down at his hands and makes a fist. I leave him his thoughts for a bit before asking, “Any more questions?”

He looks back to the mirror and touches his face, “Ya… not that I’m complaining, but why did you make me look so beautiful? Couldn’t you have kept me looking just… normal?”

I go to give him a simply answer. To tell him I did it to be nice. But I stop myself and tug on our connection for the actual answer. Because he deserves to know. Why the hell is he so beautiful?

The answer I get back leaves me blushing.

“Uhm, are you sure that you want to know? You could just be happy with being attractive and move on?”

“I would like to know. Please, tell me.” He answers seriously. Giving a look that would probably leave most woman swooning and their panties dropping. He probably doesn’t even realize just how dangerous his appearance is now.

I wet my lips and try to find my words. “Well, uhm… simply put, it’s to make it easier for you to attract mates.”

“Mates?” He asks. Emphasis on the 's.'

“Yes, mates… plural. Uhm… How to explain this… You are my very first Fiend and it would be difficult for me to make an entire race of people just from turning others… and I am certainly not planning on getting pregnant anytime soon… Soooo… that role is sort of falling onto you… Besides being a warrior, your job is also to make babies… Lots of babies…”

“So, wait… You want me to make a harem? Am I hearing this right?” He asks, looking baffled.

“Well… not really me, par say. It’s the instinctual part of me that made you this way. The part of me that want there to be more Demons… But yes.”

“Ah… how would I even… can I even, with a normal woman? Or can I only with other Demons…? Really!? This is just sort of out there…”

I push on the connection and get an answer, blushing, I tell him. “Uhm… Your compatible with human woman. Your kids would be half-demons. It’s the easiest way for us to increase our numbers…”

He blushes, “But a harem, really? I, I don’t even have… experience…” He says this looking to me as if I am going to judge him, but I don’t. I’m not about to make fun of him for being a virgin. Hells, I used to be one not too long ago.

I look down at his waist and push down the embarrassment that comes to me from the information I’m receiving from his body. “Trust me Nathanial, it won’t be an issue for you. If anything, one or two lovers probably won’t be enough to keep you satisfied…”

He follows my line of sight, curiosity compelling him to check the contents of his underwear. Something that he had failed to notice up until this point due to all the stress of this situation. Pulling them open to take a peek, his eyes immediately widen, and he goes, “Oh…” The teenager part of his mind quickly takes the reigns, and he gets a dopy smile on his face as he examines his new weapon, pride filling his eyes. “I see…”

Feeling awkward, tired, stressed, and in desperate need of some Sky Cuddles, I decide that this is as good a time as any to leave. Might as well leave him on a high note with something to be proud of…

“Well, I’m going to get going. I imagine that the doctors and the army want to talk with you, so I’m going to get out of here. I’ll be keeping my distance from you, so don’t expect me to approach you. If you have anything you want to talk to me about or whatever, feel free to come and find me though, I’m not going to run away from you... Otherwise, just live your life as you please and don’t get into trouble. As for having kids or making a harem or whatever… I’ll leave that for you to decide. I’m not going to tell you how to live your life…”

Saying that, I immediately get up and leave, not giving him a chance to stop me or ask any other questions. Heading to the next room, I call for Sky so we can get going. She’s already waiting by the door for me and is quick to wrap me up in a hug. I start to shake as she holds me, and I fight to keep my tears in.

We turn to leave, but Dr. Doe comes running up and says, “Ah, Lain please wait. I had hoped that we could go to my lab to go over some research that I have been doing, if you have the time? I also wanted to take some time to examine those shadows of yours. The shadow cube you gave me slowly evaporated over the course of about eighteen hours and has disappeared.”

I go to answer her, but Sky stops me and answers for me. “I apologize Dr. Doe but Lain has had a long and stressful day. Can we schedule it for another day?”

Dr. Doe frowns, but she looks to me and then relenting, says, “Very well. How about the twelfth, the day after Lain’s Psychology appointment?”

“Sky answers for me, “I’m sure that will work fine.” She says with a polite smile.

Whispering to me in her arms, she says, “Come on Lain, let's go home and cuddle. You did a good job. You can relax for the rest of the day.”

I just nod my head against her and let her walk me home.

Getting home, she has me lay on the couch and use her lap as a pillow. She holds me as I cry and pets my head until I finally start to feel better. We spend the rest of the day simply cuddling together and eventually retreat to Sky’s room to burrow our way into her nest for the night. I held Sky as she slept, her presence a constant source of healing warmth for my aching heart.