(And here's the first story of the newly renamed Purrfect Archer. Thanks again to OM for our favorite alien spies dialogue0
***
Inyme stepped into the Barnes/Baker/Romanova household (Which Nene was currently seeking a better name for), looking around. She'd come in civilian
clothes, casual gear over her jumpsuit, Alice having convinced her to meet Nene and Ifrit in person so to speak. Most of the lights were off, save the one from
the balcony, which was matched by the light of Alices eyes.
Alice knew she was there, but didn't really pay much attention at first, focused on her own thoughts and sort out the darker emotions running through her.
It wasn't until Inyme said her name that she responded, looking over her shoulder. "Hey," she said softly.
"Is something wrong?" the darker woman asked as she looked around, noticing a distinct lack of a tiny brown cat.
"Yeah," Alice admitted. "Not that though," she added. "Neko's off with Nene." Idly, she noted that Neko was rather talented
at working out when she wanted to be alone. Inyme nodded as the Catgirl sighed. "I joined Vanguard the other day."
"Really? They are treating you well?" Inyme wondered.
"Interesting lot. Well, it hires Supervillians as well, so that should be obvious," she added in an amused tone. "Professionals though,
dedicated..." She sighed and shook her head, leaning back. "They're not the problem. I brought in a Rikti defector today."
"I see..." she said softly.
"No, you don't. You see, his name now is, was B'Nadek, but during the war... It was, maybe is, Ben Decker. He was a human." She looked at
Inyme, and she could see the look of understanding on the other womans face.
"....oh."
Anger rippled through her again, not at B'Nadek... Ben, but at what she'd learned from him. It faded as she closed her eyes. "He was a
soldier," she murmured. "Fought against them right through the war until he was taken prisoner, and then, then..." her hands clenched on the
armrest. "They changed him. They altered his body, his mind... they plugged him into the Rikti... well, Hive-mind I suppose is as good a name as any.
Practically erased him and replaced him with a loyal soldier. He looks like one, talks like one... thinks like one," she said, remembering when she'd
stood close to him, heard his words forming in his head, even the silent accusations from the aliens she'd taken down trying to get at him.
There had been flashes of humanity from Ben/B'Nadek, but just as often, there had been something... inhuman. Like a part of a machine, forced into a role,
left jumping and stuttering as it forced itself onto a new path that it didn't entirely seem to understand... She wondered about the others, the original
Rikti. Were they as bland as B'Nadek, or was there something more? And what about the Lost? She'd never really touched their minds during the days she
fought them regularly. What were they? Human, or soulless? Especially given the fact that-
She was pulled back to the moment as Inyme spoke again. "And now you're wondering about others who...vanished."
She nodded slightly "I knew the Rikti used their poisons to change the Lost," she said, "But I never imagined this... or the reason it's so
easy for them to do so," she said, moving to the topic that terrified her so much. "It doesn't really take any dirty tricks or dark magic."
She leaned over to the small table on the balcony and picked up a manila envelope. "This is one of the US Governments biggest secrets," she said.
"Vanguard holds to the opinion the people fighting the Rikti need to know..."
"And you're giving it...to me," Inyme replied, slightly surprised.
She nodded. "I showed it to Ifrit, Nene... There were people in the Legendary that already know. General agreement is that the world's not ready for
this... but we've all faced the Rikti before. We need to know. You need to know."
"I....thank you...I think.." she said, taking the envelope before looking back at her. "Something else is bothering you."
"Read it, you'll see... or do you want the short version?"
She looked at her, cocking her head to the side slightly. "....I'd like to hear it from you."
Alice too a deep breath "The Rikti are humans."
Inymes face may well have shown her shock better then her emotions at that moment. "What?"
"The original Rikti were apparently from some other Earth, like the ones Portal Corps explores... Like you come from," she noted, realizing Inyme
would know the concept well enough. "They're humans, altered to those, those things." Hate seeped back into her voice at that last word.
Inyme sat there for a moment, speechless. To her credit, she recovered faster then Alice had when the Dark Watcher revealed it to her. "And so the people
captured..."
"Are transformed into more soldiers. Their lives, their families... all forgotten, driven down by their new minds," she said, remembering
B'Nadeks mind yet again.
"...and that frightens you because you thought all Rikti were-"
"I know what they are," she snapped. "I know what they're turning people into."
Inyme looked at her for a moment. "You mentioned Rikti defectors. They're all...?" She left the question unfinished.
"Ben Decker overcame the brainwashing, somewhat," she said. "He still thinks like one most of the time. The one I helped the Midnighters
rescue... he's only doing it to help his faction of the Rikti win."
"Faction?"
"Oh yeah, turns out not all the Rikti agree on the best way to wipe us out," Alice said. Her ears, which had been pulled back against her head,
twitched up in bitter amusement. "One of them is making things like the Lost... Guess the others are fine with just gunning us all down in the
streets."
"...if they're all the same objectives, why "rescue" and not "capture"?" she asked. Alice gave her a confused look. "You
said the Rikti you rescued for the Midnighters. That suggests that he came willingly. If they want to wipe us out, why work with....well, a highly
magic-involved group?"
"Because he was turned over to the Vanguard."
The darker woman paused, then nodded, conceding the point. "I guess....still, you're still avoiding my question on what's really bothering you.
You're giving me facts and figures out of that," she noted, nodding at the folder.
"If they really are human, why did they come here?" Alice asked. "Why did they..." She fumbled for a way to explain what she mean, before
giving up and simply repeating "Why?"
Inyme stepped closer, sitting down beside the catgirl. "Why do people start wars with people they've no reason to attack?"
"I don't know," she said quietly.
"Except you're working for the one set of people who might know. They have Rikti prisoners they can ask. Maybe even ones that are cooperating like
K'mira...someone has to know why."
She nodded slightly, before her head slumped. "They don't feel human," she said softly. "They're supposed to be human, but all
that's left is..."
"Maybe not anymore. You mentioned a hivemind. Thousands, perhaps millions of people whose thoughts are connected instantaneously. Understanding,
viewpoints blending... They can't feel exactly like humans...not living like that. If it were you or me or anyone else that had the same experience, maybe
we wouldn't feel human either," Inyme finished.
"Maybe that's the worst part," Alice murmured, miserable. As if sensing her confusion, Inyme pulled her into a gentle embrace and stroked her
hair.
"You just have to learn how to deal with the truth as it's presented to you," she said softly, reaching out telepathically. The touch of her mind
helped to calm the girl, pushing the unease and fears away, at least for the moment. Then Inymes hands brushed along her ears, squeezing the tips slightly, and
Alice completely forgot about Vanguard and the Rikti for a moment, as a wave of sudden pleasure ran through her.
She closed her eyes and leaned against her, wondering if this was why all those geeks had insisted on trying to touch her ears when she'd saved them from
their science project gone mad. Then she stopped wondering as Inymes hands, as if responding to her pleasure, began to focus on her ears, massaging them
gently. Not thinking at all now, she merely relaxed against her friend.
"Do you plan to go back?" Inyme asked.
"Mmm?" she managed, coming back to reality somewhat.
"To Vanguard," the telepath clarified.
"That's the kicker... Can't stop fighting them," she mumbled, leaning against her.
"They'll find out something to do. They've got nothing better to do and a longtime to do it."
"Rikti are still killing people," Alice said, her voice becoming slightly unsteady. "Heroes use medicomm, they've got medicomm, but
there's still people in danger. Gotta..." she stopped talking, feeling an odd rumbling in her chest that made it hard to talk for some reason. She
felt Inymes minor confusion, but that seemed unimportant as her hands continued to stroke her ears.
She pushed up closer to Inyme as a part of her mind worked out she was actually purring. She'd done it once or twice, when she was the cat sitting on
Neko's shoulder, but this was new... and wonderful, she decided as a slight moan slipped out. Even as Inyme's susprise was felt, she shifted, moving
onto the other womans lap. Her eyes never opened as she cuddled against the surprised woman, and despite the action, Inymes hands never stopped stroking the
girls ears. The simple fact she'd forgotten she was doing it most likely, or the fact it was still causing a very positive reaction in a girl whose
emotions she was very interested in.
Alice lay against her for a long time, enjoying the hands stroking her ears, and the feel of her chest rumbling against Inymes. All the problems and troubles
just faded away, replaced by the simple contentment of being in a time and place where everything was perfect. Slowly, she began to doze off, mind slipping
into slumber.
"Alice?" Inyme asked softly. "You need to get up... I'm trapped." She smiled slightly, cracking an eye open and looking up at her.
Still purring, she tilted her head to the side, then leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Nothing too intense, but it made the other womans eyes
shoot open. She smiled again, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, mind completely failing to log the incident, ensuring that Alice would never
actually remember her first kiss.
Inyme looked at the slumbering, purring form wrapped around her, nearly speechless. Any attempt to move would wake her, which was something she really
didn't want to do now for some reason... the sound of the door opening pulled her back to the moment. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled weakly at a
surprised looking Ifrit. "Help?"
***
***
Inyme stepped into the Barnes/Baker/Romanova household (Which Nene was currently seeking a better name for), looking around. She'd come in civilian
clothes, casual gear over her jumpsuit, Alice having convinced her to meet Nene and Ifrit in person so to speak. Most of the lights were off, save the one from
the balcony, which was matched by the light of Alices eyes.
Alice knew she was there, but didn't really pay much attention at first, focused on her own thoughts and sort out the darker emotions running through her.
It wasn't until Inyme said her name that she responded, looking over her shoulder. "Hey," she said softly.
"Is something wrong?" the darker woman asked as she looked around, noticing a distinct lack of a tiny brown cat.
"Yeah," Alice admitted. "Not that though," she added. "Neko's off with Nene." Idly, she noted that Neko was rather talented
at working out when she wanted to be alone. Inyme nodded as the Catgirl sighed. "I joined Vanguard the other day."
"Really? They are treating you well?" Inyme wondered.
"Interesting lot. Well, it hires Supervillians as well, so that should be obvious," she added in an amused tone. "Professionals though,
dedicated..." She sighed and shook her head, leaning back. "They're not the problem. I brought in a Rikti defector today."
"I see..." she said softly.
"No, you don't. You see, his name now is, was B'Nadek, but during the war... It was, maybe is, Ben Decker. He was a human." She looked at
Inyme, and she could see the look of understanding on the other womans face.
"....oh."
Anger rippled through her again, not at B'Nadek... Ben, but at what she'd learned from him. It faded as she closed her eyes. "He was a
soldier," she murmured. "Fought against them right through the war until he was taken prisoner, and then, then..." her hands clenched on the
armrest. "They changed him. They altered his body, his mind... they plugged him into the Rikti... well, Hive-mind I suppose is as good a name as any.
Practically erased him and replaced him with a loyal soldier. He looks like one, talks like one... thinks like one," she said, remembering when she'd
stood close to him, heard his words forming in his head, even the silent accusations from the aliens she'd taken down trying to get at him.
There had been flashes of humanity from Ben/B'Nadek, but just as often, there had been something... inhuman. Like a part of a machine, forced into a role,
left jumping and stuttering as it forced itself onto a new path that it didn't entirely seem to understand... She wondered about the others, the original
Rikti. Were they as bland as B'Nadek, or was there something more? And what about the Lost? She'd never really touched their minds during the days she
fought them regularly. What were they? Human, or soulless? Especially given the fact that-
She was pulled back to the moment as Inyme spoke again. "And now you're wondering about others who...vanished."
She nodded slightly "I knew the Rikti used their poisons to change the Lost," she said, "But I never imagined this... or the reason it's so
easy for them to do so," she said, moving to the topic that terrified her so much. "It doesn't really take any dirty tricks or dark magic."
She leaned over to the small table on the balcony and picked up a manila envelope. "This is one of the US Governments biggest secrets," she said.
"Vanguard holds to the opinion the people fighting the Rikti need to know..."
"And you're giving it...to me," Inyme replied, slightly surprised.
She nodded. "I showed it to Ifrit, Nene... There were people in the Legendary that already know. General agreement is that the world's not ready for
this... but we've all faced the Rikti before. We need to know. You need to know."
"I....thank you...I think.." she said, taking the envelope before looking back at her. "Something else is bothering you."
"Read it, you'll see... or do you want the short version?"
She looked at her, cocking her head to the side slightly. "....I'd like to hear it from you."
Alice too a deep breath "The Rikti are humans."
Inymes face may well have shown her shock better then her emotions at that moment. "What?"
"The original Rikti were apparently from some other Earth, like the ones Portal Corps explores... Like you come from," she noted, realizing Inyme
would know the concept well enough. "They're humans, altered to those, those things." Hate seeped back into her voice at that last word.
Inyme sat there for a moment, speechless. To her credit, she recovered faster then Alice had when the Dark Watcher revealed it to her. "And so the people
captured..."
"Are transformed into more soldiers. Their lives, their families... all forgotten, driven down by their new minds," she said, remembering
B'Nadeks mind yet again.
"...and that frightens you because you thought all Rikti were-"
"I know what they are," she snapped. "I know what they're turning people into."
Inyme looked at her for a moment. "You mentioned Rikti defectors. They're all...?" She left the question unfinished.
"Ben Decker overcame the brainwashing, somewhat," she said. "He still thinks like one most of the time. The one I helped the Midnighters
rescue... he's only doing it to help his faction of the Rikti win."
"Faction?"
"Oh yeah, turns out not all the Rikti agree on the best way to wipe us out," Alice said. Her ears, which had been pulled back against her head,
twitched up in bitter amusement. "One of them is making things like the Lost... Guess the others are fine with just gunning us all down in the
streets."
"...if they're all the same objectives, why "rescue" and not "capture"?" she asked. Alice gave her a confused look. "You
said the Rikti you rescued for the Midnighters. That suggests that he came willingly. If they want to wipe us out, why work with....well, a highly
magic-involved group?"
"Because he was turned over to the Vanguard."
The darker woman paused, then nodded, conceding the point. "I guess....still, you're still avoiding my question on what's really bothering you.
You're giving me facts and figures out of that," she noted, nodding at the folder.
"If they really are human, why did they come here?" Alice asked. "Why did they..." She fumbled for a way to explain what she mean, before
giving up and simply repeating "Why?"
Inyme stepped closer, sitting down beside the catgirl. "Why do people start wars with people they've no reason to attack?"
"I don't know," she said quietly.
"Except you're working for the one set of people who might know. They have Rikti prisoners they can ask. Maybe even ones that are cooperating like
K'mira...someone has to know why."
She nodded slightly, before her head slumped. "They don't feel human," she said softly. "They're supposed to be human, but all
that's left is..."
"Maybe not anymore. You mentioned a hivemind. Thousands, perhaps millions of people whose thoughts are connected instantaneously. Understanding,
viewpoints blending... They can't feel exactly like humans...not living like that. If it were you or me or anyone else that had the same experience, maybe
we wouldn't feel human either," Inyme finished.
"Maybe that's the worst part," Alice murmured, miserable. As if sensing her confusion, Inyme pulled her into a gentle embrace and stroked her
hair.
"You just have to learn how to deal with the truth as it's presented to you," she said softly, reaching out telepathically. The touch of her mind
helped to calm the girl, pushing the unease and fears away, at least for the moment. Then Inymes hands brushed along her ears, squeezing the tips slightly, and
Alice completely forgot about Vanguard and the Rikti for a moment, as a wave of sudden pleasure ran through her.
She closed her eyes and leaned against her, wondering if this was why all those geeks had insisted on trying to touch her ears when she'd saved them from
their science project gone mad. Then she stopped wondering as Inymes hands, as if responding to her pleasure, began to focus on her ears, massaging them
gently. Not thinking at all now, she merely relaxed against her friend.
"Do you plan to go back?" Inyme asked.
"Mmm?" she managed, coming back to reality somewhat.
"To Vanguard," the telepath clarified.
"That's the kicker... Can't stop fighting them," she mumbled, leaning against her.
"They'll find out something to do. They've got nothing better to do and a longtime to do it."
"Rikti are still killing people," Alice said, her voice becoming slightly unsteady. "Heroes use medicomm, they've got medicomm, but
there's still people in danger. Gotta..." she stopped talking, feeling an odd rumbling in her chest that made it hard to talk for some reason. She
felt Inymes minor confusion, but that seemed unimportant as her hands continued to stroke her ears.
She pushed up closer to Inyme as a part of her mind worked out she was actually purring. She'd done it once or twice, when she was the cat sitting on
Neko's shoulder, but this was new... and wonderful, she decided as a slight moan slipped out. Even as Inyme's susprise was felt, she shifted, moving
onto the other womans lap. Her eyes never opened as she cuddled against the surprised woman, and despite the action, Inymes hands never stopped stroking the
girls ears. The simple fact she'd forgotten she was doing it most likely, or the fact it was still causing a very positive reaction in a girl whose
emotions she was very interested in.
Alice lay against her for a long time, enjoying the hands stroking her ears, and the feel of her chest rumbling against Inymes. All the problems and troubles
just faded away, replaced by the simple contentment of being in a time and place where everything was perfect. Slowly, she began to doze off, mind slipping
into slumber.
"Alice?" Inyme asked softly. "You need to get up... I'm trapped." She smiled slightly, cracking an eye open and looking up at her.
Still purring, she tilted her head to the side, then leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Nothing too intense, but it made the other womans eyes
shoot open. She smiled again, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, mind completely failing to log the incident, ensuring that Alice would never
actually remember her first kiss.
Inyme looked at the slumbering, purring form wrapped around her, nearly speechless. Any attempt to move would wake her, which was something she really
didn't want to do now for some reason... the sound of the door opening pulled her back to the moment. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled weakly at a
surprised looking Ifrit. "Help?"
***