Candace spent a few minutes recovering from her surprise. She took a sip of water as James wiped down the table and waited for her to recover. As she recovered she looked at him and spoke, her voice sounding somewhat husky from her ordeal.
“Ok, start from the beginning and tell me what the bitch wanted.”
James frowned at her insult, he and Jess were once rather close, but he understood the sentiment. He nodded at her before responding in kind.
“Well, Bruiser tried to foolishly take me on; I dealt with him quickly enough.”
At his words Jess gave an amused snort, she knew just how powerful James was. He had also tutored her a bit on the state of the city and the major powers, and who was strong and the like. She had even come into conflict against Bruiser once or twice, the man had propositioned her, when she refused, he like many tried to act out in anger. Unfortunately he had chosen to ask her out at the park near Darkholme, a foolish place to attack a plant manipulator in.
Needless to say, she was the victor, that incident put a stop to many who had romantic interests towards her. Though many avoided her for a time, after the incident blew over, she gained many more admirers. There were those who were extremely attracted to and admiring of those with powers. She rebuffed any advances, for reasons of her own. Candace had a scowl on her face, though instead of disfiguring her features, it only made her look cuter.
He sighed briefly before continuing. “After dealing with that overexcited fool, Jess popped up. I did not want to stay in her presence for too long, so I was not able to find any specifics out. However, she said that the Society sent her here; I figure that she was sent here to check on their forces within Cross Timber. The fact that they had someone with a reputation such as her here means that they might be making a move on the other groups within the city.”
As James paused, Candace spoke in response. “Though that is worrying, with how you are acting, that shouldn’t be all, James. What else is worrying you?”
He paused and placed a hand on top of hers over the table. “Well, I feel she may have come here for me, and though the Society has left me alone for most of the time I have been here, out of respect to my Grandfather, I worry that they may try to recruit me. Though Jess did not seem to know you were here, with me, I worry that she might find out, and then the Society would target you to get to me. Though you can take care of yourself, you know that you are not suited for fighting and combat.”
He grasped her hand for a moment before continuing. “However, that is not all, too many Heroes here, have become a bit overzealous with their actions, probably because they are the rejects of the League. Should the Society or even others of the groups in the city actually make major movements, then we could get drawn up in the middle of everything. We must be careful and wary, you understand me, Red?”
In response Candace nodded towards him and stood up. Afterwards the two of them hung out a bit more; they watched movies and played a few games. Neither of the two of them had much schoolwork to do. Most of James’ classes were neither that strict nor requiring of much work. He was more of a Teacher’s assistant in most of his classes, due to certain factor’s, while Candace’s classes were rather easy for her, because she knew everything concerning plants, or nearly so, due to her powers.
Elsewhere, Jess was returning to the local HQ of the Society, within Cross Timber. The building was like many within the city, refurbished and redone in the original style they had back in the 30’s, when crime ruled the city. The only buildings not in the style, or mimicking it, were some of the modern hotels, and the local headquarters for the League, along with a few other privately owned warehouses and such belonging to outside corporations.
The Society base was a building, which was once a social club, now it was a more modern club, though still held the style and ambience it did back in the day. Jess strode passed the line that wrapped around the front of the club. Though she was wearing clothes that did not fit in, such a fickle matter was of no consequence. Even if the bouncers and staff did not know who she was, her beauty was on such a level that it was a near instant pass to most public venues.
Even in the few instances that it wasn’t, her other charms made most people easily influenced. As she walked into the club, it became as silent as it had been, and the crowd parted before her, all of them, regardless of gender, stared at her. Some of them gazed with envy, or disdain, though they were the overwhelming minority, most of them were slack-jawed with awe or pure overwhelming lust. Once she would have basked in that attention, perhaps even joined a few of them but she had not felt such urges for a long time, years in fact.
She ignored the gawkers as she walked up the elaborate spiral staircase that connected to the upper balcony. The upper level was more tastefully done than the dance floor and booths placed below and beneath it. It had a few booths and benches facing out over the dance floor below, but behind that a somewhat more formal setting located in between the booths and the bar located against the back wall. Jess made her way to one of the occupied booths, the man sitting there was astonishingly handsome, some would say perfect.
He had dark hair, and an exotic swarthy coloring common amongst those of meditating descent. He had two stunning women next to him, though they paled in comparison to Jess. As she approached the man, he gave a dazzling smile towards her. The scantily clad women by his side scowled at Jess, with open hostility in their eyes. The man, Giovanni D’Angelo, rose up from his seat and hugged Jess; who awkwardly endured it; he then turned around and looked towards the women who had been accompanying him.
“Unfortunately ladies, business before pleasure, as much as I would love to partake of your fruits, there are more bitter things I must deal with. You two can wait for me in the back, if you wish, while I deal with this. I thank you if you still wish to put up with me.”
He smiled at the two, as he did; they looked at one another before exploding into smiles, they rose at the same time. They flowed towards Giovanni; they both embraced him and shared a kiss, with him and each other, before moving on towards the back. They glanced back at him occasionally, giggling, as they moved past him, they pushed Jess out of the way, or tried to. Giovanni smiled back and yelled towards them as they moved on.
“Thank you for your faith ladies.”
After he spoke, he turned back towards Jess, and gestured back towards the booth he had been sitting in. As they sat down a waiter walked over and dropped off some drinks. Giovanni took a sip of his water before glancing at Jess, it was not an appraising glance, but one uncaring for her situation, and was what many would call, undressing with the eyes. When he had finished with that, he spoke; his voice was just as enchanting as his appearance, though Jess was unaffected.
“So, how did it go, Lust?”
Jess gave a sigh before responding. “I really don’t know what you thought to accomplish sending a punk like Bruiser against him, the Scion of the Commander and Phantom. Even the most skilled of Supers would not go against him so lightly, the incidents he has been a part of in the past, have led to him being on a pedestal within the minds of many. Not to mention, his Father, and Grandfather have many connections with notable Supers, you of all should know that, Gio.”
She sighed again before continuing. “Haaa. Well it went about as expected, he tried to resolve the incident peacefully, when that did not work, he fought, and then utterly destroyed the poor man. He was less than pleased to see me, sadly, he probably suspects why I am here, and why I approached him, but he probably does not realize you are the one behind the Society here.”
As Jess finished, Giovanni nodded, then stood and spoke while walking away. “That is good, Lust, remember to keep an eye on him, but don’t get attached.”
Jess took the drink she had been given and walked to the bar area located at the back of the balcony. She dumped the glass into the sink behind most bars, and dropped the glass in as well. She grabbed a fresh glass from the back of the cabinet before looking for a sealed bottle and opening it. She had learned from past experiences, and became more cautious when accepting drinks, even from colleagues.
She sat down, and looked over the dance floor, in another time she would have joined those most worthy of her attentions on the dance floor. Jess might even have stirred up the lust and attractions of those present, whipping the dance floor up, maybe even causing an orgy or two for fun. A similar situation happened when her powers awoke, so many years ago. It had been her first Prom, back when she was still going to school with James. That school, much like Darkholme, had a high concentration of Supers, and those with Super potential.
James had already had his powers for a while, since birth, or nearly so. Jess, on the other hand, had been normal, well, as normal as a person without powers, born into a family of Supers, could be. They had been friends, not extremely close, but they grew up close to one another, so they were still reasonably close. An anti-Super group, Humans for Purity, those who advocated for a pure human genome, untainted by the unnatural filth that they consider superpowers, and attacked the Prom.
Many of those attending were up and coming Supers, or at least those with powers, they were useless however, or nearly so, when the group attacked. The school had hired out, for the dance decorations, which was a ruse, for the HFP to set up their assault. The doors to the auditorium burst from some outside stimuli, scattering metal, glass and stone everywhere. The instant they did, screams erupted, from panic and those injured by the shrapnel. 20 or 30 individuals with cheap disguises and assorted weaponry entered.
A few of the more confident Meta’s rushed towards them, only to fall down in shock and surprise when the bullets actually were able to hurt them. They had swiftly separated the assorted students and chaperones into groups, male and female. Jess had been hiding behind James, when the attackers tried to separate them; James stepped forward and stopped them. He had taken out three of them with his physical skills before he got shot. The bullet entered his neck from the side, he fell down, and as the blood leaked from him, a scream could be heard emanating from Jess.
That was not all, however, along with the scream came a wave of something, exploding out from her. It hit everyone, and affected everyone differently. Those farther from her only cuddled behind those stronger and more impressive, but those who had been around her and James, most of them collapsed. They hit the laminated floor like a sack of potatoes, each of them convulsed with the overflowing stimuli she pushed at them. Jess collapsed to her knees soon after, from the stress and exertion.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
She looked up, as she heard a bunch of thuds, the sounds of bodies hitting the ground. The sight was somewhat surprising, as James, who to her knowledge had been bleeding out on the floor, was decimating the remaining intruders. The wound on his neck was knitting itself back together, it was almost grotesque, the skin warping and wriggling as it repaired itself. As the last one fell, a cheering erupted throughout the auditorium, during it James walked slowly towards Jess and helped her up while asking.
“You ok, Little Angel? Sorry for surprising you like that. I had to catch them off guard to make sure you weren’t hurt. Let us get you to your mother; she should be able to help you better, especially in your current condition. Congrats Jess, you got powers now.”
As he spoke, he had helped Jess up, then had lifted her within his arms and started to carry her out, regardless of everything going on. No one tried to stop him; he had just helped save them, not to mention none of them were that foolish. As he spoke and carried her, she blushed a bit at his endearment and words, and she cuddled more into the warm firmness of his chest. Her eyes passed over him as he carried her with little effort to where they needed to go.
He had shown such care and tenderness towards her, that kindness was a far cry from the animosity and disdain that had laced his gaze when they last met. There was not always such animosity between them, once Jess, Candace, and James, were all friends, close friends in fact. After James rescued Candace, he would stop by her shop from time to time; she also lived there as well, to save costs and such. One time he brought Jess, who he was still close with at the time, with him to her shop.
Jess liked pretty things; flowers are generally beautiful by default, Candace’s were more so. That began their friendship, the two would hang out, even without James, though that was a minority, they both had been rescued by him before, and so they had common ground. Sadly though, the harmony and friendship between the three of them ended, it all began with Giovanni D’Angelo, the Unbleeding Angel. At that time, he had led the Syndicate, or nearly so, he handled most matters within the North-Western hemisphere.
He had assisted his father, an Italian born Don to attain power within the Syndicate, which in turn allowed him to climb the ranks easier. His powers had to do with being better, simply put, than most humans, Super or otherwise, in nearly all aspects. Another affect they had was to make him rather, difficult to harm, he could not bleed, rather it took a massive amount of force to make him bleed. He was not more durable, per se, just damage did not exactly stick to him as easily as it did others, and he was somewhat similar to Jess in that regard.
Just as jess’s body was always in a beautiful condition, Giovanni’s was nearly always in a condition to be better, than other people. He was well known and feared, as well as respected, even more so than his father and the head of the Syndicate. What was less known, was that he was so much more than the Unbleeding Angel, he was also Pride, the leader of the Seven Sins. Unlike most of the other members of the Sins, his powers had little to do with his corresponding sin, but it fit him.
Italians are generally a jovial and passionate people, they much like many people of the Mediterranean had an arrogance inherent to them, rooted in their bones. Within Giovanni, this was taken to the extreme; he had an arrogant, confident, cockiness, that when coupled with his impeccable appearance, mad him irresistible to many, men and women. Many, but not all, Jess, was among those, immune to his charm, which was part of the problem.
He had grown so used to power and prestige, and being wanted, that when he met Jess, he was surprised and intrigued. She was the first person that he had met, that was not fawning over him. Over time, the intrigue, developed into an obsession, however, for all his arrogance, Giovanni was not a fool, well not that great of one. Jess was connected to many notable Supers; her father was Faust, a notable Super who was neither a Hero nor Villain, who was responsible for the powers of many current Heroes and Villains.
Her mother was Lilith, a Villain with light and healing oriented powers, who has since retired and works helping the League in recent years. It was not just her familial connections, that made approaching her troublesome, but also who she was friends with. Her protector was the Shade, the Phantom, arguably one of the most dangerous Metas, regardless of persuasion. When Giovanni was elevated to his current post, back when he was still in his teens, the Don, the Boss, true leader of the Syndicate, laid down one rule, which he must not break.
That rule was simple, Do not cross the Phantom, many had tried, much more powerful men had tried, they all had failed, their impressive stories ended, their legacies broken by their foolish choice. Though Gio was not a total fool, he was still too colored by his arrogance, to fully contemplate the consequences of what he was going to do. He knew full well what would happen when he sent the Enforcer, Luka, to track that girl. The loan was a minor thing, which the local leader had set up in order to acquire the woman, Candace Clark.
However, when Giovanni got word of Shade, working in Chicago, and was an enforcer for one of the independent groups there, he set up Luka, to run into James. Afterwards, he set plans into motion, to make Jess his, when she became friends with Candace, it only made things easier. Jess’s powers, made her more beautiful, and gave her an allure, but it also affected her mentally, it made her more playful, but also more possessive. He had spent much, to inquire into her situation and to find out everything that he would need to attain the object of his obsessions.
Despite the changes to her nature, she was very loyal to her friends and her feelings of friendship, towards Candace and James, were genuine. What Gio did, was arranged, to have a Super, a rather ancient man, to create a potion of sorts, to help him remove Jess’s inhibitions and control. It happened during one of the annual meetings the Sins held. Giovanni, being the gentlemen he was, had gotten her a drink, such an incident was not a rarity to her since her powers awoke.
After the meeting ended, Jess went to meet with James and Candace. They were meeting at Candace’s shop, before heading out to a club for the night. Jess had been wearing a black dress, a tight little sheath, with a slit up the side. Candace was wearing more casual clothes, but they fit her, and were much fancier than clothes she usually wore. She had been wearing a silk top, that was nearly shear, but not quite, it revealed enough to hint at her assets, but still covered them.
When they arrived at the club, Jess took her rightful among the grinding crowds on the dance floor. It was nothing too unusual; she enjoyed teasing and partying, always had. Whatever had affected her that night, took effect when she saw James and Candace dancing together, closely. The three of them were not the only people with powers there, a few of the bouncers, and several of the partygoers had powers as well. She approached a tall lanky man, with spiky dark red hair, a known Meta with a penchant for mischief and fire.
The two of them started dancing; well what they did was barely called dancing. This continued on for a time, but when the man got grabby, Jess stopped him. She leaned in and whispered to him.
“Calm down Tiger, you will get me soon enough, but first could you do a little something for me?”
The poor man was so addled with lust and want, that he would do anything, to simply be in her presence. Jess’ power did not just make her more attractive, it could also amplify the attractions others felt, towards her or towards others. It was not that cut and dry however, it was difficult for her not to be in an attractive state, her scent was nearly always attractive to others. Additionally, her very presence, let alone skin contact, could make those around her slaves to their lust, and her, after a time.
The position the fire user was in, was such a state, he was very conscious of her and susceptible to her suggestions and orders. He nodded to Jess, in an absentminded way, though his attention was locked on her, and he listened to her words like a devout patron being gifted words from a holy apostle.
“Good, now, this is what I need you to do Tiger. You see that man over there the one with the cute redhead? I need you to go over, and rough up the guy a bit, just enough to scare him off. If you do this correctly, you won’t just have me by the end of the night, but maybe her as well, wouldn’t that be nice, Tiger?”
The man glanced over to where she gestured before he nodded excitedly, appearing much like a puppy following the path of a bone, or a child being offered a treat, he was salivating as much as either one as well. After that, Jess moved to the side as her new minion went to work, he pushed his way through the throng of bodies scattered across the floor, many people voicing their dissatisfaction at his actions. He ignored them, as he made his way towards his quarry; the two were sitting of to the side of the dance floor.
He stared at Candace, for a brief time, before exploding into action, one moment the club was full of excitement and the right kind of tension, the next a massive gout of flame spewed towards James and Candace. While most of the people present were blinded by the sudden flash of light, James was not affected. When the light flashed, he felt a burst of heat, in that moment he pushed Candace away, she was rather susceptible to fire, a quirk of her powers.
Despite his quick action, Candace was still injured, as she fell to the side, James sent out a burst of pure blackness. It pulsed out acting much like a wave, but rather than flowing out, it formed a wall against the Fire, holding out for the moment. He moved away from the barrier, while keeping an eye on it, he called out to Jess, who had moved away, unseen, after setting her new minion into motion.
“Jess. Can you hel-“ He was interrupted by Jess moving towards Candace and replying.
“Yeah, I will take care of Candy, you deal with the Hothead.”
James moved out to deal with the fire manipulator, whose Meta handle, was actually Hothead. Jess moved over and grabbed Candace, holding her gently, but firmly. She spoke gently to Candace, who was too addled from the shock and pain to pay attention to Jess’s features, which were laced with a hint of cruel malice.
“Come on Candy; let’s get you some place safe, away from this.”
Jess slowly took Candace away, to one of many backrooms of the club, away from the chaos and hubbub that had overtaken the dance floor of the club. Soon enough they settled into the room, with Jess gently stroking Candace’s hair, calming her down. Over the moments, Candace became more and more relaxed, as she did; Jess started speaking, just as she started gently massaging Candace’s shoulders.
“Relax, Candy, you are safe now. Did you know, the only real difference between pain, pleasure, and all other things we feel, is how our body interprets the sensations.”
As Jess spoke, all sorts of sensations flowed through Candace, stimulating her. She started trembling at the sensations she was feeling. Pain, pleasure, anxiety, nervousness, all emotions and feelings flowed together, each sensation merging into the next. Soon enough she was near comatose at the sensations, they were no longer feelings that could be described by simple words like pain or please, they were simply intense feelings, that would stay with her, forever. The sensations were so intense that she was only able to barely hear the next words Jess spoke.
“You feel those sensations running through you, right? I am truly saddened that it must come to this, especially since we have become so close as of late, but at least you will go without any pain. James is mine, you cannot have him.”
Just as she finished speaking a yell could be heard, it was filled with rage, a dark rage that she had not heard in his voice for many years.
“Jess, what have you done?!?!?!?”
As she started to turn a mass of darkness picked her up and threw her into a wall. She was disoriented for a moment, then she caught sight of him, James Williamson, the Shade, in all his wrathful glory. Darkness dripped from his form, his eyes were orbs of pure darkness that absorbed light, he was akin to some ancient vengeful god of Darkness. She did not have a chance to answer as he wrapped her in a cocoon of darkness, leaving her in complete silence but for his next words.
“I had hoped you were better than this, Jess.”
Those were some of the last words they spoke, until many years later. She remained there for a time, but the cocoon dissipated before the police showed up to scour the place. It was a final act of kindness from James.
In one night, the friends she valued most were lost to her. That loss changed her, made her embrace her powers and very nature more. Despite that, she did not lose all her dignity, sure she became crueler, but, even if she had lost James, he remained with her in spirit, that kept her from going too far. She had left the Seven Sins relatively recently, to distance herself from that life. She could not stop being a Villain, it was all she had known, and no Hero organization would accept a Villain of such renown as her.
She only had one real choice, join the Society, it would give her some measure of protection from other Villains, but it came with certain responsibilities. Thus she came to Cross Timber, to help them with certain endeavor. Unfortunately, Giovanni, had left both the Sins and the Syndicate, and was with the Society now, though he had less power than before, he still had a position of power over her. She knew he had played a part in the events of that night, but she did not know the specifics, and the shame and guilt of what happened kept her from acting against him.
Jess broke from her thoughts of the not so distant past and looked over the still thriving and full dance floor, before giving a sad sigh and downing her drink.