Chapter 5 - Apogee’s Orientation

Sigil Seraph was doing a bit of magic assisted cardio: she was running along the rooftops of Auburnville, adding just a touch of levitation to allow her to clear the distance when jumping to the next roof. It was an afternoon run, so even though it was technically a patrol, she really didn’t think she would encounter any trouble.

Aaaand of course, there’s a mugging, she noticed two people in the alley she just floated over. At a glance it looked like a man threatening a woman. As she landed on the other rooftop, she turned back and peered over the edge.

“Please,” the woman below sobbed, “just take the money. I need my bag.”

“Shaddup, bitch! You ain’t in charge, here! I have the gun, and I say GIMME THE BAG. I want everything!”

“Even the medicine for her kid?” a voice behind him asked. Seraph had floated down behind him. As he spun in reaction, she swung the meter-length of rebar she found on the roof above, striking the gun from his hand. As he clutched his hand, the epithet he was about to spew was cut short with a roundhouse boot to the face.

Making sure he was out, she zip-cuffed him, then approached his victim. “Are you alright?” The shaking woman nodded. Seraph then signaled police to pick the mugger up. “I’ll stay with you until they get here.”

While they waited and the woman calmed down, it occurred to her to ask, “How did you know I had my son’s insulin in my bag?”

“As I was coming down, I was curious what you were trying to protect, so I used my magic to peek into it. I apologize for the intrusion,” Sigil Seraph replied.

A few more seconds passed and a police car was pulling into the end of the alley. Before it came to a stop, the woman commented, “Not that I’m complaining, but couldn’t you have subdued him with your magic?”

“Yeah, but this was more satisfying,” Seraph grinned. She didn’t want to let on to the unease she had felt regarding her powers ever since the Director had pulled her glyph shroud. She didn’t know why or how, but she knew something felt… wrong. Part of the reason for her run across the rooftops was to get back in the groove of her magic. Although minor levitation and feather fall were fine, she still wasn’t confident in her attack spells. She wasn’t afraid the spells would fail, she was afraid they might run wild and kill somebody.

After giving the police her statement, she made her way back to roof to continue her patrol. She hadn’t gone far before her comm chirped. “Go ahead, Laura.”

“Seraph, I have Jack on the phone asking for you. Do you want me to patch him through?”

“Yes, please.” She heard a chirp. “Jack?”

“Hey, Beautiful. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Nope. Doing a run around the city. I just stopped a mugging.”

“Well, that’s good,” he replied. “You wanna go out this evening?”

“Yes,” she answered, too quickly.

“O-okay,” he chuckled. “Is there someplace you’d like to go?”

“Hawaii.”

“Hawaii??”

“Bali, Rome Morocco…” she began rattling off places she had always wanted to visit, but never got around to.

“I’m not sure we can stuff all that into one night.” He sounded amused.

“No. Not tonight,” she replied, an idea solidifying in her mind. “Tonight let’s you, me, and Mel go catch dinner and a show. Then tomorrow… How do you feel about taking an extended vacation?”

There was a slight pause. “Um, sweetie? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I just realized Sigil Seraph needs to take a break. I need to step away and clear my head. Focus on Julia Angel for a while.” She realized this was sudden, and a suspicion crept into her mind. She cast a quick spell viewing Jack in his current location, showing him in his windowless office at Ad Finitum Labs. “Hey, not to change the subject, but your powers don’t work over the phone, do they?”

“No. Like I told you before, I have to be in someone’s physical presence to be able to affect them. Wait. Do you think I’m influencing you right now? I’m not, and even if I want to, unless you’re standing right outside my office door, I can’t. Whatever is going on in your head is all you. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later. But back to what I said before: can you get away from work?”

“Who are you talking to? I’m sure my boss will be happy to give me an indefinite leave of absence with pay.”

Seraph rolled her eyes.

***

Later, Apogee sat with Sigil Seraph at a corner table in the base cafeteria. At this time of day, the room was mostly empty. Nobody sat nearby, ensuring the two could speak privately. “And you’re leaving tomorrow? What did Captain Lightning say about that?”

“He grumbled a bit, but I explained what’s going on with me. And with you coming on board, the size of the membership hasn’t changed. He came around. He’s going to ask Shadowpath to take over as deputy leader,” Seraph replied. “What about you? You wanna accompany me and Jack for a night on the town this evening?”

Apogee grinned. “Sure.” She then noticed Mary heading their way from across the room. "Oh, gawd. Slave driver at four o'clock."

Seraph glanced over her right shoulder and saw the maid. "Aw, come on. Mary's not so bad. She just wants to make sure you know all the base operations and emergency procedures before clearing you as an active member. We all had to go through it. It's worth it. You'll see."

Mary reached the table at that moment, all smiles and carrying a small stack of papers. "Hey, Sig," she glanced at Sigil Seraph before focusing on the other seated woman. "Miss Apogee! Good news: I have gone over your orientation packet and everything is in order."

"Finally!" Apogee fell back in her seat. "So I'm cleared?"

"Just one final thing," Mary smirked.

Apogee collapsed in on herself slightly and whined, "Why?"

Mary blinked, nonplussed, then saw Seraph with a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "You didn't tell her?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Seraph chuckled. “Oh, and I need her ready to go out with me and Jack in about three hours.”

Mary nodded. “I can make that happen.”

Apogee realized something was up. "What am I missing?"

"The last part of your orientation," Mary started, moving around the table , then whispering the rest in her ear, "is me taking you back to my room and making you cum like there's no tomorrow."

Apogee's eyes widened.

Seraph, still chuckling, said, "Surprise."

"So, let's go," Mary said, and began walking toward the exit.

Apogee looked at Seraph, who shrugged. She then scrambled to catch up to the diminutive maid.

“Three hours,” Seraph called after them, humor lacing her voice.

--

As Apogee followed the other woman through the base, doubt began to creep through her mind. Although proportioned like a supermodel, Apogee was a full seven feet tall. Mary looked to be about five feet six inches tall. Then she noticed the chunky three-inch heels the maid wore. Okay, so more like five-foot-three. Before she could voice her concern, they arrived at Mary's quarters, the smaller woman pulling her inside.

Mary didn't waste time, walking backward toward her bedroom while doffing her outfit. By the time the door closed, her dress and stockings were gone, leaving her in only the white, thigh-high stockings and black heels.

The sight made Apogee forget her concerns for a moment. While Apogee may have looked like a supermodel, Mary looked like a porn star, her uniform having hidden her enormous (for the size of her body) tits and voluptuous hips. But when Mary pulled the taller woman into a kiss and started unzipping her suit, she protested weakly, "I feel like I'm gonna break you."

Mary didn't pause as she replied, "Don't worry. I'm tougher than I look and hornier than you can possibly imagine. Now I'm gonna play King Kong and climb you like the Empire State Building."

And that's what she did, starting with Apogee's left leg, Mary wrapped her arms and legs around her thigh, squeezing her breasts between Apogee's skin and her own torso, and began licking and sucking the other woman's pussy, eliciting a groan from the taller woman. When Mary had licked the other woman enough, she slid her legs up Apogee's thigh, allowing her to stand, and kissed the taller woman deeply. Then, she jumped.

Mary grabbed Apogee's shoulders, and wrapped her legs around the other woman's neck. The sudden shift of her weight took Apogee by surprise, and her reflexes acted before she could stop them, her hands automatically grabbing Mary's ass.

Apogee, or rather with her mask off, Mel took advantage of her position and pulled Mary's hips in and began kissing, licking and nibbling. Mary let out a groan of pleasure and began grinding her crotch in, her breathing growing heavier as she began riding Mel's face.

Suddenly, Mary remembered herself and hopped off Mel's shoulders. "This is supposed to be about you," she murmured as she kissed the amazon and pushed her down onto the bed.

Mary wasted no time in straddling her partner's torso, then bending forward to kiss her and suck her nipples. When Mel groaned, Mary slid down and, using her thumbs, spread the taller woman's nether lips, exposing the clit within. Then she began to suck on it.

Mel, surprised at the intensity, let out a gasp and arched her back, inadvertently pushing her pussy into Mary's face. This prompted the maid to grab her hips and hold her there.

"Oh shit!" Mel gasped. "I... I'm..." She didn't finish, as her orgasm overtook her, and she collapsed back on the bed.

When she was done, she lay there, catching her breath, her vision refocusing. Mary was grinning at her.

"Ready for round two?"

--

Later, the pair lay exhausted, but satisfied, Mary curled in Mel's arms.

"So," Mel played with Mary's hair, "do you do this with all the new hires?" Although she said it in a playful manner, Mary answered seriously.

"Only the supers. The support staff is under my supervision, and I don't want them to think I'll sexually harass them."

"But for supers you're DTF?"

Mary shrugged. "They have a saying, that they don't think I know about: 'You haven't completed your HeroGuild orientation until Mary Makepeace bags you.' What can I say? I'm a slut for supers."

"So you've boinked every member of the HeroGuild?"

"Unless they refuse, or it's medically inadvisable," she added as an afterthought.

"How many fell into those categories?"

"Nobody has needed a medical exemption," she replied, "but two people have declined my advances: a man who was staunchly gay and a woman who was almost painfully straight."

"But everyone else has been on the receiving end of the 'Mary Special'?"

"Every. Single. One," she punctuated her answer with kisses.

"Even Sigil Seraph?"

Mary sighed then chuckled. "Okay. ALMOST every single one. Julia and I have... a special arrangement."

"Care to share?"

"I do not. Ooo! What's this?" Mary suddenly began licking and squeezing Mel's breasts with abandon, and Mel decided she didn't care what they were talking about.

***

Auburnville’s entertainment district was a pulsating artery of the city's after-hours scene. Neon signs flickered and danced against the backdrop of the night sky, casting an otherworldly glow that beckoned revelers from far and wide.

Streets teemed with life, a constant ebb and flow of pedestrians moving with purpose or lingering in the neon-lit glow. Laughter and snippets of animated conversation floated on the air, blending with the rhythmic thump of bass emanating from clubs and the occasional burst of music spilling out from theaters.

Nestled at the heart of the bustling entertainment district was a verdant oasis known simply as Pivot Park, a serene refuge amidst the neon-lit chaos of the night. Towering trees cast long, dappled shadows across the lush expanse of emerald grass, providing a tranquil sanctuary for weary souls seeking respite from the frenetic energy that pulsed through the surrounding streets.

Julia, Jack, and Mel strolled the park, having just finished their meal, were looking for their next destination. And the conversation had turned to Mel’s earlier meeting with Mary.

“And she’s fucked every HeroGuild super?” Jack was incredulous.

“She referred to herself as a ‘perk’ of membership. I think it’s safe to say just the ones on the roster since she’s been on staff. With a few notable exceptions,” Mel replied with a pointed look at Julia.

“Huh?”

Julia met Mel’s gaze, then sighed. “When I met Mary, she wasn’t on the HeroGuild staff. She was actually pretty lost. I helped set her up with the position. I never… indulged in her offer because it always felt like doing so would be abusing an innocent I rescued.”

“Well that makes sense,” Jack nodded.

Mel suddenly gasped, peering over the crowd as only she could. She grabbed Julia’s and Jack’s hands. “I know where we should go next,” she laughed and pulled them through the throng. They came to a stop before a sign reading, “Madame Mesmerelda, Mistress of the Mind”.

“You want to see a hypnotist show?” Jack asked doubtfully. Julia had a skeptical look as well.

“No,” she rounded on Jack with gaze that could best be described as predatory, “I want to see a hypnotist show where you volunteer to be a subject!”

“What??” Jack blinked.

Now Julia’s eyes lit up. “Now that is something I’d pay to see! I’m in.”

“What? Wait, wait. What?” Jack suddenly felt a little trapped as he felt the closeness of the ladies as they sandwiched him.

“Come on, lover. Turnabout is fair play,” Julia whispered in his ear before giving a tiny bite.

Jack chuckled nervously. “I’m not getting out of this, am I?” His companions shook their heads and grinned.

--

Inside the dinner theater venue, as the trio claimed one of the small tables near the stage, the lights began to dim. “Looks like we got in just in time,” Julia whispered.

A beautiful woman stepped onto the stage. She had auburn hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a deep green satin long-tail tuxedo jacket with a white dress shirt beneath, a choker on her neck sporting a ruby pendant. Her green short shorts revealed fishnet-clad legs atop four-inch heels.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” she began, her voice powerful yet sultry, “I am Madame Mesmerelda. Thank you so much for coming out tonight.” She had a knack for getting everyone’s energy up. She explained what was going to happen in the show, and that she was going to pick volunteers from the audience. “Now, who wants to get hypnotized?”

“He does!” Mel and Julia called in unison, which got a laugh from everyone, Jack and Mesmerelda included. On her nod, he rose and climbed on stage. The hypnotist chose two other men and four women to round out the volunteer group.

After some basic hypnosis exercises and a little light banter with the volunteers, Mesmerelda was ready to begin the show. To start, she had the group members stand behind the chairs that had been placed on the stage. Jack was in the middle, flanked by a man and a woman on either side. Mesmerelda began, her voice low, compelling. She pulled the ruby pendant from her choker and let it hang from a silver chain. In short order, all seven volunteers fell under her spell.

After asking the other six who they were and setting them to simple, amusing tasks, Mesmerelda finally came to Jack. She asked, “And what’s your name, handsome?”

“...Jack.”

“And what do you do, when you’re not being entranced on stage?”

“I’m a… I’m a research scientist.”

She noticed his pause. “You’re a research scientist?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re not just a research scientist, are you?”

“...No.”

She smiled. “You know, Jack. It’s just you and me here,” she glanced knowingly at the audience, and a chuckle rippled through them. “You can trust that I won’t tell anybody. So you can tell me: Are you a superhero?”

“No,” Jack smiled, but still remained under.

Mesmerelda blinked. “Are-- are you a supervillain?” she asked a bit more warily.

“Mm-mm,” Jack shook his head.

The audience gave another subdued laugh as the performer gave a look of relief and placed a hand on her very endowed chest. She turned back to her subject.”So tell me, Jack, when you’re not being a research scientist or volunteering for hypnosis shows, what are you?”

Jack didn’t answer for several seconds, and just when Mesmerelda believed he was going to just not answer and move on, he answered, “I’m a super.”

“Ah, I see,” the sexy hypnotist smiled, “not a hero, not a villain. Just a man with a power. Can you tell me what your power is?”

“...I’m a mind god.”

Another ripple of amusement mixed with some disquiet from the audience. “A… mind god?”

“...Yes.”

“Oookay, we’ll just come back to you in a bit. Wait here and think about drifting deeper and deeper,” Mesmerelda chuckled and continued the show with the other six volunteers.

Eventually, the hypnotist wrapped up and brought the other six volunteers out of their trance and sent them back to the seats. “Well everybody,” she began, “I hope you all enjoyed the show and hope you…” and she looked over her shoulder at Jack, as if just remembering he was there. She glanced back at the audience. “Oh. Yeah.”

She approached him with the hand holding the mic hanging at her side so the rest of the room couldn’t hear what she whispered in his ear. “Jack? How deep are you?”

“...Deep.”

“Good. Very good. Now, when I touch your forehead, you will act as if you are fully awake, but you will remain very deep for me. You will happily answer any questions I ask with complete honesty and will perform any action I request without hesitation. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

She lightly touched his forehead, and he blinked and seemed to come awake. She draped an arm around his shoulders. Bringing the mic up, she asked, “Feel good, Jack?”

He nodded, “Yes, I do.”

She directed his gaze out among those seated on the theater. “Good, good. So tell me, Jack, as a mind god, how much of the audience do you think you could instantly send into a hypnotic trance?”

“Oh, all of them,” Jack replied with a smile.

“Could you do that for me now?”

“Oh, sure,” he raised a hand toward the audience…

“Wait, wha--?” Julia began.

“Go deep for Mesmerelda,” Jack commanded, and the world fell away for Julia, Mel, and the rest of those watching.

--

Julia, Jack and Mel strolled through Pivot Park, their spirits high.

“That was a great show,” Mel reminisced.

“It really was,” Julia agreed.

“I will have to take your word for it,” Jack chuckled.

Julia snuggled up to her boyfriend. “Trust me, you were awesome.” Mel nodded. Both were too embarrassed to admit they didn’t really remember much from the show either. And none of the felt the need to discuss the details. But they were all certain it was a great show.

***

“How did it go, Ms. MaCullen?” the voice on the phone queried.

“It went better than expected. Sigil Seraph is off the board,” Mesmerelda continued. “She was already planning a leave of absence, I just reinforced it with a suggestion that should keep her away for a long time. Jack is going with her, so we won’t have to worry about him. Apogee is my in at the HeroGuild. Everything looks like it’s in place. We can start the operation any time you wish.”

“Good thing, too. I called my last favor with that oracle we were using. I need you to be sure you can handle your end, Mavis.”

“For what you’re paying me, I can handle it. Just make sure the rest of the crew does their part, Roulette.”

FIN