“You should reeeally surrender, you know~”

The voice was a gentle murmur, as soft and serene as falling petals. It brushed Celeni’s ear tenderly with every word, every word caressed by the softest and supplest of lips.

Or so Celeni was told.

“F-Fat chance, virus,” she hissed, and unloaded another spray of bullets into the sea of twisting shapes streaking through the breach. The monsters fell apart like wet tissue paper.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—

“But you’re traaapped, Cellie~!” the Virus whispered, and her giggles echoed through the hacked headset right into Celeni’s head.

Dozens of images blossomed and flashed across her Company-brand AR-HUD in an instant, and the darkness of the corridor was lit by the rosy glow of a dozen sinful embraces.

A vision of two girls grinding against each other on the floor, redfaced, panting, glistening with sweat—

—two cartoony slime girls pressing in towards Celeni, bouncing their big, fat translucent tits right in her face—

“You know it. We know it.” The voice was impossibly molten and sweet, impossible to push out, impossible to ignore…

—two girls in the corner pinning a third against the bullet-riddled wall, covering her with colorful kissmarks while she pleaded for mercy—

—a succubus smirking back over her shoulder at Celeni as she swung her ass to and fro—

Celeni’s heart was pounding. No. No. She recognized that succubus, this was—this was all from her—

—a maid tightening a catgirl’s belt-collar and yanking her to the floor, forcing the catgirl to adopt a pleading puppy pose—

“And I bet,” the voice cooed, “that Central Command knowwws iiiit~”

A vampiress licked her luscious red lips and moaned at Celeni with pure wanton need.

Celeni blinked rapidly as her visor screen suddenly flashed with danger readings, briefly casting every vision in hues of vivid red. She could barely see her hand before her eyes, but the onslaught of depraved porn couldn't conceal the readings of—

She raised her gun and opened fire.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—

She dimly heard bodies hitting the floor and the telltale whispers of their dissolution. The readings winked out.

She huffed, hastily reloading her rifle. Easy. This was easy. These things were no match for the Separator.

There were just so many.

She watched, lips dry, as a girl who looked suspiciously like Celeni was shoved, squealing, into a massive pair of tits and scooped up into her cooing cowgirl mommy’s arms.

And this compromised fucking AI didn't help.

She reached up, hand shaking, and tapped a button on the headset.

“System wipe activated,” chirped the headset’s voice in her ear. “Restoring to company settings.”

A painful wave of feedback hit the headset. The whole world shook and sparked. Static and pixelly glitches pulsed across the screen.

Every phantom porn-vision instantly winked out of existence, leaving Celeni in darkness once more.

“Uuughh.” The Virus’s voice was briefly crackly with something Celeni hoped was pain. Or at least discomfort. “Seriously? Deleting your stupid illegal porn libraries? You spent years on those.”

“I'm deleting you,” Celeni growled. As her vision started to clear, she spotted a shape looming behind a vent and fired six quick shots into the darkness. The ear-splitting bursts of the Separator’s gunfire almost seemed to clear her head a bit. This was right. This was familiar.

The moment of warrior’s clarity was rudely interrupted by more stupid girlish giggles. “No, you’re not, dummy,” the Virus purred. “You’re just… limiting my forms a little. I still got what I needed.”

A primordial howl came screeching down the metal corridors from directly ahead of her. Celeni’s heart lurched, and she unleashed another burst of automatic fire directly down the hall.

Porn-visions or no, she just couldn't see. The shadows were spreading. But she could feel the vibrations of the feet and claws pounding against the station hull. And the threat readings on her visor were a lot better-protected from tampering than the… jailbroken systems she’d added last year.

Speaking of which. The HUD was acting up again.

Pretty pink pixels were beginning to spark back into life on the edges of her screen, slowly coalescing to form luscious curves for a sinful silhouette. Celeni’s heart started to race. She almost reached for the manual reset button, but stopped herself—she knew it wouldn’t do any good. The primary systems were already scrubbed clean. As clean as they could get.

The Virus wasn’t using the primary hardware anymore. At least this time, it was only able to form a single image.

Celeni found herself no longer alone in the Tower. She had been joined by a beautiful girl with an achingly familiar face. A beautiful girl with ruby-red skin, small black horns, plump dark crimson lips with the slightest of feline curves at the corners, and brilliant, almost dazzling golden eyes. A pair of black boyshorts desperately clung to that pear-shaped ass, and fishnet stockings ran down plump thighs and toned calves to meet a pair of black combat boots. The weave of the girl’s thin white sweater visibly stretched outward to hold in her massive, heaving breasts.

Her form radiated sex appeal and glimmered with heat—the air almost seemed to steam around her. Even in the darkness, light seemed to catch her from every angle, igniting gorgeous highlights in those shining golden eyes. Everything about her body was familiar in the worst possible way.

Celeni had stopped breathing. She stared, frozen in horror. Her heart was fluttering all of a sudden.

She’d never seen this girl before in her life. But everything about her had been stolen from the worst, best nights of Celeni’s life. Stolen from Celeni’s most shameful lapses, and relapses, and re-relapses.

“Oh, wow.” The Virus gave a little twirl, admiring herself. “ I'm cute~!”

Celeni couldn’t look away. She had to remind herself to start breathing again.

The Virus’s hands ran over those curvy hips, and hopeless envy bloomed in Celeni’s heart. A heart-tipped tail gave a sudden whiplike crack, and the Virus smirked as Celeni jumped. “And of course it would be a succubus. Perverted-little-hypocrite you.”

Celeni licked her lips. “You—you look—stupid.” She hastily turned back to the hall and fired again. More deafening drums as the bullets tore through anomalous material made to almost resemble flesh. Inhuman screams rang out in harmony with every shot.

“Uh-huh, that’s right, loser. Super-duper stupid!” Strutting back into view, the Virus put a finger to beestung lips and pouted. “But you’re, well… into that. Aren't you, Cellie?”

Celeni felt her cheeks burning. She wished desperately she hadn't lost her helmet earlier. Her body armor could conceal most… reactions to seeing the gestalt avatar of every addictive porn-temptress she’d jerked off to for the last two years posing for her in the ‘flesh’. But it couldn’t hide her blushing face.

“Uh-huh! Thaaat’s right. Hmm, someone’s getting super-duper quiet all of a sudden.” The Virus beamed. “Because someone is basically addicted to cuuute slutty anime girls with huuuge, bouncy boobies, isn’t she?” She reached up and slowly squeezed her tits together. “And niiice, soft lips.” She gave those lips a lewd pop and batted her lashes. “Isn’t that right? Golly, Cellie, does Central Command know?”

Celeni didn't answer. An explosion had just rung out from the port side, and she knew instinctively that the other remaining Tower had just been detonated.

She swallowed. That meant more hostiles would soon be coming her way.

“I'm telling you.” Despite being manifested in the room, the Virus’s voice continued to echo right against Celeni’s ear. “You gotttaaaa surrender~”

Shadows twisted from her right.

A spin and hail of gunfire was Celeni’s only response.

“Mm~” The Virus let out a wispy little sigh. Celeni could almost feel the breath. “Gosh, you’re such a good little space-knight, aren't you, babe?” She licked glistening lips. “Keeping that headset on through all of this, even though it’s soooo compromised.“

“N-Need to—listen for orders.” Celeni’s jaw set. What she needed to do was stop replying and focus.

The Virus’s eyes gleamed. “Yeah? You wanna listen for orders? Then get on your knees.” Her eyes flashed. “Submit.” She leaned closer. “Obey.”

Celeni just rolled her eyes and tried to ignore how her stomach clenched with every word. No. Focus. Focus on the shooting.

“Pfft. They don't care, dumdums~!” The Virus drew back and giggled. “It’s just you and me now. Just like old times!”

Just like old times. All the nights spent sprawled in bed, drooling, lost in the shining lights of the visor’s visions…

“You know, I think maybe you just wanna keep hearing my voice.” The Virus’s voice dropped low. “Seeing my pretty face. And feeling my…”

She brought her fingers to her lips and blew a hot, wet, sloppy, smacking kiss that Celeni felt right against her ear, and Celeni nearly gasped.

“Awww! You know, I think you’re my very favorite.” The Virus’s sultry voice steamed through Celeni’s mind. “All those late nights. Making me pull up sooo much depraved slutty porn for my depraved little corruptionbait soldier. I mean, if you think of those as dates, we’re basically girlfriends at this point.”

The roars and screams were all around her, but the only light Celeni had to see was the blaze of gunfire. Fuck. This was…

“And now that I'm all Virused up…” The Virus let out a soft, vibrant moan. “I can give you exaaactly what you always craved, Cellie. Whatever you want.”

“Then shut up.”

To her surprise, the Virus did.

For a few moments.

Celeni’s heart was pounding. The readings were bad. Very bad. Red was all over her visor.

A spray of bullets. RAT-TAT-TAT. But the creatures were everywhere.

She just had to hold out a little longer. There wasn't any rescue coming. Either she saved herself, or… at least they didn't take her alive.

The Virus’s voice returned, husky and low.

“But you know, you really should surrender… puppy.”

Celeni’s triggerfinger nearly slipped. She barely caught herself, and forced a tiny cry into an angry grunt as she let out a blast of bullets at a shadowy shape that had gotten a little too close. She refused to let the Virus see how that word—

“Ohh, I. Felt. Thaaaat.”

Fuck.

The body armor readings. No. No, no, no…

“You really wanna fight to the last, don't you?” the Virus purred. Her form dissolved into pixels, then re-assembled nearby, now perched on a barricade. Her ass squished against the uncomfortable-looking ‘seat’. “Give it your all. Go out fighting.”

RAT-TAT-TAT. Celeni smiled as she saw the solid red scatter into red freckles across the screen. Like tissue paper. Nothing more than tissue paper. “No intention of dying here.”

“That gun is pretty powerful.” The Virus pouted slightly. “It’s not really fair! The other Towers didn't have guns that big.”

Despite everything, Celeni felt a glow of pride in her chest, and she almost laughed. None of her comrades had a gun like the Separator, that was for sure. She took care of her equipment. That was the difference.

“But, like… I mean, I guess I dunno as much as you about all this big girl weapon stuff…”

Celeni smirked.

“… but you do run out of ammo eventually, don't you?”

Celeni’s smirk faded.

“I got enough,” she muttered. But she switched off automatic for the next round of shots and tried to aim a little more carefully, keeping a solid rhythm so she could keep count. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The Virus’s infuriating giggle echoed in both her ears, and Celeni couldn’t help but squirm.

It wasn’t fair. The Virus was being so… cutesy. Why was this the face of the enemy? Everyone else saw monsters and demonic figures, and it showed her this slutty little wet dream?

“Just keep shooting, babe,” the Virus sang, right before two shadow creatures appeared. Celeni took aim and fired two clean shots. “That’s it~! Good dog!”

Celeni almost squirmed. That—that didn't count! She was just telling her to do what she was already going to—

“I can feel when you twitch, you know~” The Virus gave a sharp-toothed grin, cocking her head to the side. “Hey, on that note, I wonder if that little audio file would—”

Celeni lunged for the headset in a panic.

“No no no!” Squealing giggles rang out in Celeni’s ears as the Virus clutched her sides. “Kidding, silly! Kidding! You know I wouldn't cheat like that. Not with my lovey-loser girlfriend.” She winked, kicking her feet with glee. “You already deleted it, anyways.”

Celeni shook. She almost tore the headset off anyways.

But she didn’t.

“Besides,” the Virus went on, “like, that stupid little trigger would never work right now, right? Not with the adrenaline pumping. The heart pounding. And those big, powerful gunshots.”

Celeni fired several shots down the hall, then two more into the vent. She needed to reload soon. Soon. The enemies’ numbers seemed to be thinning—at least, she hoped they were.

“Just keep firing,” the Virus murmured. “Thaaat’s right. You can take them all, can't you?”

Celeni nodded slightly to herself. The roar of the gunshots was almost getting drowned out by the howling hordes, but the bullets did their job.

“Just keep firing. Never surrender, right?”

Celeni spun and opened fire again. The vent was totally shredded at this point, and she could hear airlocks being torn apart nearby. She was in real danger of getting surrounded here.

But she needed to reload soon.

“Never surrender. Never, ever, ever.” The Virus rose from the barricade and began swaying slowly in place, mashing her tits together. She was clearly trying to block her sightline again, but she kept moving exactly where Celeni needed to fire. So Celeni just shot straight at the stupid projection. “Because surrendering is for weaklings, isn’t it?” The Virus licked those luscious lips. “Surrender’s for dumb, stupid, obedient corruptionbait failure knightmutts. Riiight?”

“Ghh.” Celeni didn’t mean to reply. She was having trouble breathing. She was starting to notice that when these things died, they released… something into the air. The place wasn't venting right anymore. Everything smelled sickly sweet. The air was hot and humid.

She needed the gas mask. But she’d seen what happened to soldiers with compromised suits who dared put those things on.

She tightened her grip and unleashed storms of molten lead off into the darkness. Again, the rhythmic gunshots leveled her, steeled her nerves. This was it. This was all there was. She just had to keep firing.

Never surrender.

It took every ounce of focus Celeni had to reload the gun. Her hands were shaking. Hostiles were streaming towards her from every direction.

Her heart pounded as the magazine nearly slipped from her fingers, as the lack of gunshots started to feel deafening, unbearable, a smothering, choking silence. She didn’t have time. No time. No time—!

With a click, the magazine slotted into place, and her mind spun with relief as she opened fire once more.

“Oh my gosh, nice job remembering~!” The Virus clapped her hands happily. “I’d never have guessed that two days ago, you were drooling those silly slutty little brains out for me and barking like a dog.”

“Hhha—” Celeni swallowed, head spinning. No. Ignore her. Ignore It.

“Moaning, jerking off, groping yourself…” The Virus’s voice was like a long, wet tongue, slippery and sweet, lathering Celeni’s mind thicker and thicker in sticky, gooey honey. “… wantonly violating your precious Company’s sweet, pristine codes so you could fall in love with porn and cum by your own hand like some degenerate little Unionist~”

“Nngh—”

“I mean, gosh.” The Virus licked her lips again, staring at Celeni intently. “Letting them corrupt you into their compromised little traitorpuppet was a pretty common theme in our naughty little simulations. Isn’t that right, babe?”

Gunshot after gunshot. The echos steadied her. Kept her grounded. Just keep firing. These things fell apart like nothing, but there were always more.

It went on. And on. Every time she had to pausing to reload was like pulling stones through a sieve. Only pure instinct carried her through the motions. The floor around her was littered with shells.

But when it was done, and she heard the magazine

click

into place… the waves of relief were almost overwhelming.

She unleashed a wild storm of bullets in a wide arc. Lots of bullets hit the wall. Lots more hit hostiles.

“The other half was basically what’s happening now.” A pause. The Virus bit her lower lip. “Mmmf, that was a yummy throb just now~”

Even as Celeni tried so hard to tune it all out, she kept her eyes fixed on that decadent form. Her gaze sank into the cleavage of those big cartoon porn-tits. When the Virus pushed them against one another with those comparatively tiny hands, she felt like she was being smothered between them.

She needed to stare, she told herself, squirming within the confines of her armor. The Virus was where she needed to shoot at, she didn’t… have a choice… fuck, she could barely breathe in all this…

“But, you know, sure. Just keep firing like a good little knight. I can tell the rifts are starting to lose steam.” The Virus’s eyes crinkled. “Are you listening? I said you’re winning, babe. You’re gonna make the Company so proud.” A finger pressed against those supple pillow-lips. “Now, if you ask me, I dunno why you’re trying so hard when we both know what you really want, but…”

Celeni knew she was holding down the trigger too long with her shots. Wasting ammo. It was just so… satisfying seeing the red dots wink out. Hearing the shots ring out, the bullets that slammed into the metal walls… she could keep doing this forever.

She’d almost be enjoying it, if it weren’t for…

“Fire. Fire! Uh-huh, just keep firing, little puppy, just keep pulling that trigger. Agaiiin and agaiiin. Bang! Bang!” The Virus bounced from side to side, making her tits jiggle. “And again and again. And again and again! Every time you pull that trigger just feels so right, feels so good, because…” She blew another wet kiss that Celeni felt right against her ear. “… you’re winning, aren't you? Never surrender.”

“N-Never,” Celeni whispered. Pull the trigger. Again and again. Keep shooting.

“Again and again. Pull it.”

Gunshot after gunshot. Thunderstorms of ignited gunpowder. Blinding muzzle flashes.

“That’s a good girl. Just keep firing.” The Virus’s voice was getting softer. “Pull it. Shoot. Just… indulge.”

“I-I'm not—” The Virus was making it sound like—no, no, ignore her, she was trying to trick Celeni into surrendering, just keep firing—

“Because here’s the thing, puppyknight. Dummy little triggermutt.” The Virus’s eyes shone even brighter than the flashes. She hopped into the air, dissolving into pixels again, and reappeared right to Celeni’s side. Her voice never grew less intimate. It was always there. So soft and warm and wet and full of sweet, silky promise. “You really should have surrendered.”

“F-Fuck you,” Celeni panted, head spinning, focus dissolving. She aimed towards a hostile reading and pulled the trigger and—

Click.

The red dot vanished. She blinked dazedly, confused. That… that hadn't sounded like…

She heard a shriek. Another hostile was charging towards her, so she—

Click.

And it was gone. She didn't even register the noise of the gunshots anymore. She bit her lip, trying to clear her misty head, because it was almost like… it was so…

“Gosh, you really are too strong for me, Cellie,” the Virus half-moaned in her ear. “Won't you ever just surrender?”

“I—”

Another red dot.

Click.

It was gone. Instantly. And something about that felt funny to her, something almost off, because it wasn’t… it was so…

… easy.

Shapes in the vent. She spun and pulled the trigger.

Click. Her lashes fluttered. Click. Click! Click-click-click!

So…

… easy~

Celeni smirked dazedly. Easy. Because every time she pulled the trigger, the shadows vanished.

Click. Click. Click!

“Never surrender,” the Virus supplied helpfully.

Celeni nodded foggily. “Never surrender,” she echoed, and pulled the trigger several times. Click. Click. Click. “F-Fucking… right.”

“You’re beating me,” the Virus sang, and gave a coquettish little giggle. “You’re a hero, babe~!”

“Uh-huh…” Celeni’s voice was mumbly and slurred. She knew she shouldn't even reply. But it was okay. She was winning. The red dots were… finally starting to fade away.

She aimed towards a couple, taking in deep, steadying breaths. Click. Click. And they went away. So easy!

She smiled, swaying a little. Things around her were getting dark. Click. Everything smelled sweet. Click. But she was winning.

She just had to keep pulling the trigger. Click.

It was that simple.

Click.

She was winning.

Click.

She was doing so well…

Click.

“Good dog.” The Virus’s voice melted straight into her. “Just keep firing, babe.”

Click.

Click.

Celeni wobbled a little. She wasn't sure what she was aiming at now. It was pure instinct, though. She was winning. It just felt… pulling the trigger felt so…

“Gooood little dummy puppyknight.” The Virus bounced her boobs in her hands, pouting seductively. “Gosh, like, you barely even need the armor, do you?”

“I…” Her brow furrowed. “U-Um?”

“Pull the trigger.”

Click. Celeni felt… funny tingles erupting in her brain…

“You don't need armor.” The Virus’s lips twitched. “Shoot.”

Click. Tingle. Sparkle. The Virus’s eyes shone so nicely, and… what was that in her hand?

“Good stupid puppy! You’re winning, see?”

Click. It looked like… a rope. An illusion of a rope, or a cord, or a…

It wasn't real. She had to remember that. But it reminded Celeni of the… last file she’d watched.

The one with the… the leash and the… getting trained with the…

“I'm w-winning,” Celeni whimpered. “I’ll…” Her grip on the gun shook slightly. She was getting so tired. Could barely breathe. Had to keep standing. This evil bitch, this stupid corrupted AI tormenting her, she needed to make her…

The Virus smirked. “Shoot me, loser.” She spread her arms wide. “Autofire.”

Celeni switched modes again—click—without even thinking. And before she could process how stupid it was, she was already—

The hailstorm of empty clicks hit her like a speeding truck.

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK—

Her mind pulsed. Spun. Plunged. Her eyes widened as—no—her finger fumbled, but she couldn’t take it off the trigger, the—fuck, the trigger—

CLICKObeyCLICKgood puppyCLICKobeyCLICKgood puppyCLICKgood dogs love—

The sultry, sugary voice of the Virus dissolved like sugarwater straight into Celeni’s own programmed thoughts.

“Good dogs looove their clicker, babe,” the Virus cooed, leaning in close and placing one hand on the gun barrel.

CLICK.

The Virus smiled sweetly. Her eyes were forming rippling, sparkling hearts. Swirling. Spiraling.

“And good clickersluts,” she purred, “loooove their Virus~”

Dimly, Celeni could register shadowy shapes behind her… but there weren't any red dots on the HUD, it had to be… her imagination, she was getting so dizzy…

… and those shapes starting to coalesce into enticing feminine forms… that couldn’t be real, it couldn’t be…

“I, um…” Celeni fired confusedly, uselessly, drooling slightly as the pretty clicks erupted in her mind. Click, click, click-click-clickk~

The Virus laughed at her as Celeni sank to her knees. Both her hands struggled to keep hold of the Separator. She felt slick, shadowy forces peeling her armor away. Felt lips and tongues on her neck. Tiny moans dribbled from her lips… Click. Click.

“C'mon, Cellie.” The Virus giggled. “Where are those words?”

“I—” Click. “I, um—” Click. “O-Oh…” Click.

The Virus leaned down low until her tits were swaying right in front of Celeni. Her eyes sparked with barely-restrained cackles.

“Speak, soldier.”

Speak.

Speak.

Celeni barked!

The Virus beamed. Click-click-click-click~!

“Arf!” Celeni’s head bobbed in eagerness. Slippery hands and tendrils groped Celeni’s breasts, snaked around her legs and torso. Celeni bucked dumbly.“Arf! Wruf!!”

No, no, but—but she was—

Click! Click! Click!

“Soo cuuuute~!” the Virus squealed.

Ripples of rewarding pleasure pulsed through Celeni’s poor puppied brain. She wiggled her butt and barked happily, almost collapsing to all fours… but still struggling to keep hold of the gun…

“I told you,” the Virus cooed, leaning down close and touching Celeni’s chin. Celeni felt it. She swore she felt it. She fired several times, beaming, drooling, tongue lolling—Click! Click! Click!—eagerly panting and huffing more of that nice, musky scent…

Then she felt the gun being pulled away from her. She wanted to protest, but there were hands between her legs, now, and the Virus was smiling at her… and her girlfriend was… sooo pretty…

She vaguely noticed, in the corner of her HUD, that a sound file was being downloaded.

click.mp3

The Virus smirked and put a hand on Celeni’s suddenly bare shoulder. The hearts in her eyes started to pulse. “Didn't I tell you, puppybitch?”

Celeni barked stupidly and giggled.

She watched the file get set to max volume.

Then to loop.

“You reeeaally should have surrendered~”