Malory ended up fucking me so many more times, and I also obediently licked and be used by her. It was wonderful, a time I wouldn’t regret no matter what happened. The thought she had done wrong to me, that I was missing something, didn’t continue haunting me. Of course, when I was alone it still came back, a chill that seeped deep into my bones. But as long as I was with Malory, there was never an issue to it. I could easily bat it away, ignoring it until it would no longer disturbed me as much.

Right now I was alone again, back in the Iconoclast’s base. She wanted to talk to me alone, without Malory there—and despite Malory’s reluctance, she had no choice but to let me go. Iconoclast didn’t even call straight to my cellphone, and that should have annoyed me. And yet the fact she called Malory, who ended up ordering me felt… There was warmth swimming in my stomach, and I had to keep myself from shuddering as I felt the stir of arousal starting.

Especially as I felt everyone’s attention, the mercenaries and guards eyes all roving at me, ripping myself naked with just their sight. A few might even have a more lustful desire, and I couldn’t help but knew every one of them, my power refusing to let me be blind to it.

All because I was wearing a more revealing maid outfit, a uniform I would never wear before Malory taught me I looked better in it. The few wolfwhistle, when one of them were braver than they should be sent more desire straight into my core, slowly but surely making the arousal climbed higher inside me.

It was so hot, so wonderful, that I knew this couldn’t be real. There were vague memories of before, of when I wore a sensible outfit that was easy to move around in, one easily usable for physical fighting. But thinking about it now, it felt… off, if I was honest. I loved wearing these maid outfits, didn’t I? Just letting people seeing a peek to the cleavage, or even the bits of bare thighs they could see considering I wore a knee-length skirt…

I giggled, and in an effort to ignore the way my brain was misbehaving, I swayed my hips further. Trying to make my body move more like someone people really wanted to fuck, and despite knowing I didn’t want to be with any of them—I was feeling warmer, better as their lust seemingly ratchet up. It was wonderful, and I knew Malory would be even more possessive and jealous later on. That would make the aftermath even spicier…

Without even realizing it, I had finally arrived back to Iconoclast’s door, the same two guards as usual standing right in front of it.

“Ah. Miss… Lynn. The Boss is waiting for you.” One of them immediately spoke, professional despite the undercurrent of want rolling off of her. The other was less so, her desire immediately stark and forefront. If not for the fact I was obviously a guest, I knew she would try to grab my ass.

There was a temptation to push things further, to make them snap in some ways—but I tamped that down, knowing it was unprofessional right in front of the boss. Iconoclast was already sitting on her chair, the one that she usually sat on when she was about to meet both Malory and I, or just one of us, really.

When the door was finally closed, I felt like I could grasp some thread of understanding, especially as everything finally focused down on only the two of us. There was only one other person in this room, and it was Iconoclast—Alessa. I needed to stop referring her with her cape name, when it wasn’t a time for it.

The arousal from before was still growing in my pit, especially from the amusement she was sending me. But my main focus was how I could find the way my power still classified her as an enemy, the same as Malory—and Alessa didn’t make my head go fuzzy like Malory was, who was just a wonderful friend I didn’t ever want to betray. After all, she wanted the best for me.

I blinked heavily, trying to banish that spiral that would lead to me moaning and trying to chant my loyalty to Malory on the floor.

“How are you feeling, Lynn?” Alessa didn’t give me the courtesy of my cape name either, but… she hadn’t been using it the last time we met, had we? That felt like it should be significant, because that should be when everything started feeling off. But the threads felt slippery, keep going out of my grip whenever I turned around and focused on it. “I hope Malory has been treating you fine, you have been living with her for a month now.”

Her words were baiting me, it was so obvious. I found myself being hooked, as if I was a fish that saw a delicious prey in the open seas and decided it was time to eat it. I knew that this only worked because Alessa, while important—just wasn’t as important as Malory. Despite my power’s insistence, I couldn’t ever think of her as enemy. She only desired to take care of me, ensuring that I was happy and safe, despite the way my mind seemingly melt around her.

Alessa? She was my boss, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be an enemy. So I frowned, trying to ignore and push down all the arousal away for now. Her question was important, and I was trying to make sense of it in my head.

“I… There’s something wrong. I keep thinking of you as an enemy, even though you are my boss.” A pounding was starting within my head with every word I said, and I had to close my eyes for a moment. Just to relax myself, just to stop the intense pain that started to stroke through all of my nerves. My chest hurts too, from the way my heart just beat so fast, hammering inside it as if someone had used a jackhammer inside.

She tapped her finger against the table, a slow, steady tap that made me perk up. Listening attentively, as if it held so many secrets. “Why do you think that’s happening?” A certain tone lounged beneath her words, satisfaction, excitement—I wasn’t sure I understand, especially with the pain my head was starting to have. The ache was becoming more profound, stronger, as if someone had driven an icepick into my brain. “I’m sure you already have an inclination you don’t want to accept—so just tell me, even if you think it’s not true.”

Alessa was right, even if I didn’t want her to be. Because I knew one person who could do all of these, at how her specialty was with the brains, the nerves—and what was my issue, if it wasn’t the brains and memories and the way of my thoughts went? There were no other possibilities, not unless Alessa actually had a pocket brainwasher in her brain, someone I had never known about.

“You didn’t hire anyone new recently, right?” I couldn’t help but try to ask, all in an attempt to not look, to not find out the real possibility. I didn’t want to see it, even as it continued to hang at the back of my mind. After all, if that was true, then… the lies would be exposed. I didn’t want that, nor did my brain wanted it. That was why I kept getting the headache, a pulsing one that made everything worse.

She laughed, the bark of a laugh, sharp and cruel. As if she was dragging the laughter like a dagger, its tips digging right into my skin—not flaying me open, no. I wasn’t that vulnerable. I just couldn’t help but find worry squeezing my chest and heart, as she continued speaking—and I knew she would break me. Like a hammer smashed into pottery.

“Oh gods, no. Most people aren’t as good as you two… Lacuna and Neural. Neural… she’s obsessed with you, you see? And when you got hurt especially bad, well…” She stopped there, but she had left enough hints, enough possibilities for me to bite down and let seep into my own thoughts. I hated it, I didn’t want to think of it, even as I remembered the way my power had told me she was an enemy—but my brain insisted she was a friend.

A Mistress.

My most important person.

“No.” I whimpered. The pain, the one that had been plaguing me for a while now, was starting to surge, becoming even more prevalent and completely bogging me down. Preventing me from thinking of anything else because I had been bad. “She won’t.”

I felt like I was being a petulant child, trying to say something else despite the way the world actually was. Because if it was true—it fitted so well with everything that had happened. No. No. She wouldn’t betray me like that. My chest felt too tight, so tight I couldn’t even breathe as I tried to fight the accusation, holding onto the fact Malory was my friend. She might be Neural. But she wouldn’t do that to me—would she?

I wanted to scream at that question at the end, but there was nothing I could do. I felt like I had been rotted inside out, that Alessa had found a weapon, and now she was using it on me. I couldn’t work this out, I refused, and all I could feel was the way my brain hurt as if there was a contradiction it couldn’t solve and yet had to anyway.

“Hh… I have told her that she needs to force you to face this. It’s alright, Neural will handle you, however it goes.” Alessa said it in a matter-of-fact way, as if she wasn’t aiming for anything.

As if it wasn’t my mind, that was being talked about. I couldn’t answer her, though, merely groaning from the pain, whimpering softly while leaning against the door.

“She’s coming soon.”

I didn’t know how I feel about that, except that I was sure that at the end of it all, I would be relieved that there wouldn’t be any more pain.

When the door was opened again, I had been moved by Alessa to sit down on the chair, groaning and moaning from the pain bubbling in my head. I had nothing else, no thoughts left inside… just ache.

A hand, warm and somehow immediately soothing the pain that raked my mind, was suddenly there. Gently rubbing my head and letting fingers ran over my hair. I gasped softly, feeling the agony slowly being pushed away, as if the tension that had formed all over my nerves slowly being loosened up. It was like putting my body down onto a bath of warm water for the first time, except it was all concentrated within my head.

“Ssh, it’s okay, Lynn. I’m here now.” It was Malory, and while there was a part of me that loved it, that enjoyed the way she touched me—and yet it also sent cold water down my spine.

Because this confirmed the fact that Malory had a connection to whatever was happening, and with my head no longer be on fire from all the pain… I could start thinking. I let her continuing her gentle rub, as all my focus was taken to puzzle all my concentration back. All so I could listen and hear what Malory and Alessa would be talking about.

“So, mind telling me why she’s getting the splitting headache she no longer should get?” Alessa, even without me looking, sounded as if she was smirking, intentionally provoking instead of anything else.

Malory sighed, as if she was tired—but she was still holding me, still so kind while doing so. “You know why, I had explained it to you.” Her hand kept moving, in a way that made it hard to focus, as if it was all eaten by the fog. I tried still, though. I knew I had to keep my attention on them, if I wanted to find out. Malory would never tell me, and Alessa seemed to be… more amused in the situation, than trying to help me. I didn’t think she wanted me to go back—but back to what?

“Indeed, but you also shouldn’t have provoked it out of her. She hadn’t had a relapse for… a while now.” Another sigh, but she cradled me closer to her body—making me able to smell her scent, comforting and with the sharp scent of machinery oil. But it didn’t drag me out, no. Merely reminded me that it was Malory, and I could feel more tension unspooling out of my body. More fog had eaten my thoughts, even though I still knew I had to focus on the present. “At least you hadn't broken the programming I had placed into her mind.”

Programming? That was ominous, but it was getting increasingly hard to care, especially as Malory’s hand continued running in circles on my back, grabbing and eating the worries that were forming. Everytime one developed, it would be taken by the fog, growing further and further until I knew that I would have nothing except for vague feeling of happiness.

“If even mere questioning can bring her back to her usual behavior, then it shows that you aren’t actually doing your best with her, are you? Do I need to… give you further incentives?” Alessa tapped her finger against her table, the tap, tap, tap sound that was somehow pulling my attention so easily.

Malory’s hold tightened across my body, making me tense and gasp slightly. I was trying to understand the words these two were talking, but it was hard. I was barely managing to piece them all together, and yet I still managed. Not fully understanding, but I could understand that Alessa wanted me further into Malory’s hold—and that Malory really did betray me.

I should be angry, should cry out and fight and asked—and yet I couldn’t. Because I knew asking those would hurt Malory, and a part of me, the one that had been tinkered with? That part of mine refused to hurt Malory at all, so completely I knew I would just listen to her at the end.

The sound of teeth grinding together was so loud I was surprised, blinking blearily up to her. She wasn’t looking down at me, her eyes completely and fully on Alessa.

“Don’t have your knickers in a twist, I’ll finish this all. After all, you have said that she’s mine by now.”

Alessa’s laugh was loud, the sound grating and hurting my ear. “Hah. Yes, yes, I indeed said that. So, what are you waiting for, then? An approval from her to do more? Obviously not, with what you have done. You didn’t ask her beforehand, did you?”

Even without looking, I could hear the cruelty a mile away. And… it also confirmed what I didn’t want to think at all. My chest hurt, to think of what Malory had done to me—and the headache pounding in my skull also didn’t help. And yet I knew I couldn’t muster any sort of hatred to Malory. Whether it was because of her programming or just our friendship… I didn’t know.

The already tight hold tightened further, forcing me to squirm slightly and making Malory had to let go of me for a moment. I could feel the reluctance brewing behind her muscles, but she still let me be. I was still within her hold, but not as tight as before. That was fine. Everything was alright. Malory might have irrevocably broken my trust, but everything certainly would still be good.

She would pick the best option for me.

“Fine. But you better don’t do anything like this anymore after this.” Malory’s voice was tight, and full of meaning.

“Consider it done, Malory. I am, after all, supports the relationship between you two. As long as you help me with my requests, you can do whatever you wish with her.”

Malory nodded, a jerky one that also made her whole body shook. Slowly, she put me down, forcing me to open my eyes as I let my feet finally supported my body again.

“Alright, let’s go—I’ll finish everything at home, okay?” Malory looked—not terrible, not exactly. But there was regret and want and desire all mixed together, and yet… despite all of that, there was no question that she had decided what she wished to do, and no matter what I said, she wouldn’t change her mind.

Maybe when we were no longer in front of Alessa. It was hard to hold onto why I wanted to talk, but right now… our goals aligned, and that was to leave and be left alone between the two of us.

With every minute that passed from Alessa’s base, and back to our—no, that was Malory’s ‘villa’. Not ours. It was never mine, I was just…

Trying to think of it that way only made my heart twist, as if I was being cruel, even within my own mind. The villa, that was owned by Malory worked better, at least. It wasn’t a complete rejection.

But, the main focus was how I managed to regain most of my faculties once more. The terror and worries started to form back up, reminding me of what my future was. I could feel my heart beating so fast in my ribcage, all because of my fear about what would happen next. Of course, a part of me constantly whispered, telling me that was all nonsense. That I should just enjoy and revel in the attention that would surely come from Malory soon.

I thought I managed to have a decent mask, but it must be obvious to Malory to immediately talk to me.

“What are you thinking about, Lynn?” Her voice was soft and gentle, encouraging in its way to be kind, and my stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of lying to her.

I should do it, and yet—despite all the fear I had grasped, I couldn’t help but say the truth. It was so, so wrong to lie to Malory after all. The programming still hold, and I didn’t think I could even find a way to fight against it.

“Just… can’t you just leave me be? I…” The words came to a stuck in my throat, even though I couldn’t muster any anger about how she had—brainwashed me? That was the right word. And yet I couldn’t really agree it was what she had done. Something deeper, touching my core, and yet I was still here, wasn’t I? It was complicated, and I didn’t really want to think about it any deeper than I wanted to, if possible. So I just shook my head and changed tracks. “Just let me remember again. Let me be myself again. We… were friends, didn’t we?”

Saying the words choked me, as if I couldn’t believe in it. Not anymore, not really. But that was the only thing I could tell her to, maybe, convince her to let me become who I was in the past. Did I really want to go back? I wasn’t even sure, but I knew that what I was right now wasn’t right, either. As if I was broken to pieces, and the ones putting myself back together didn’t even know how I was previously—or maybe, they knew. After all, it was Malory… and I couldn’t say she didn’t know me.

But, there was intentionality in what she did. In turning myself jagged and unable to feel right with myself once more…

As I looked back to Malory, I could see that the way I choked up was so obvious that she knew what I was thinking. She slowly shook her head, her jaw tensing even as she started speaking. “No.” The single word was akin to a hammer falling and hitting my head, my ears were ringing even as she continued speaking. “If I let you be, you will leave.”

And wasn’t that the crux of everything? Malory didn’t wish for me to leave her—no matter what she had to do. Whether it was through brainwashing me, changing my memories, programming me—anything and everything would be done. So I would stay here, next to her, and looked at her as if she was the sun.

Opening my mouth, to say some sort of denial—I couldn’t. I knew it was a lie. Because even if I couldn’t connect with how I was before, I still had a feeling. That the moment I was myself, and not this mutilation of me… I would leave. I would refuse to stay here any longer. My body shivered, because despite everything, despite recognizing she had—done that, I still wouldn’t leave. Couldn’t. Not sure which way that landed.

We were silent for a long while, long enough for us to arrive at Malory’s villa. But the two of us were still in the car, not even trying to walk out. Me, because I recognized that this would be the last time I would be this… cognizant, probably. Meanwhile, Malory just didn’t want to face the truth of what she had done.

Maybe that was being too uncharitable, but it was hard to find any strong positive feelings to her, unless I wanted to seek the ones that formed because of her. The affection still pulsed strong within me, and it would be so, so easy to forgive her. In fact, it was steadily becoming harder to hold onto my conviction that yes, I had to let Malory go, that I needed to look at her at what she had done to me. Not the fake feelings that she had planted within me.

Not exactly fake, but it was still an artificial strengthener, and I had no illusion that staying near her would mean she would hold back. She had been before, but once she had walked past her own line in the sand… there was no going back from there.

“Please. Is it not enough you have done… all this?” I motioned across my body, toward the maid uniform that somehow still felt comfortable across myself, even if I knew it shouldn’t be. “Just… let me go, Malory. If our friendship still matters to you at all.”

That was definitely unfair to say, but I didn’t know what other card I could play. Fighting? I could, except for one single fact. Malory had a way to shut me down. I didn’t know what she did, but it was some sort of movement or set of words that made me just go down into trance. And from there it was a simple thing to do. Whatever she wanted, I would end up wanting by the end of it all.

So the only thing I could do was trying to convince her, and hope I managed to do so. Threats wouldn’t work, and there was no escape.

“Lynn…” Malory’s voice was soft, filled with fake sincerity that made me want to puke. “That’s the whole reason I did it. I couldn’t let you leave. You were almost gone, and I had no one else.”

Raw need spilled out of her throat, a pleading, a begging that I needed to listen to her. Despite the fact I should still be mad, my body couldn’t help but lean forward, wanting to soothe and make Malory feel better.

She was shaking, her two hands gripping the steering wheel so tight, even her shoulders tensed. I touched her, and found relief and sweetness flooding my veins. There were trembles I could feel across her arm right now, and as I gently rubbed it—I could also feel relaxation hitting me at the same time.

That made it easy to keep doing it, the part of me that wished to rebel slowly being crushed under the care I was feeling. Malory was relaxing too, I could see it happening with the way her grip loosening, another small sigh coming out of her mouth. She was still trembling, but it wasn’t out of… need? She was just tired by now, closing her eyes for a moment before she turned toward me. Her eyes weren’t, bright. Not exactly.

But there was a decision she had made there, and I knew that by not attempting to run, that I couldn’t even turn my thoughts to that… I had lost.

Her smile was wobbly, as if she couldn’t find it within herself to give a genuine one.

“It is time, Lynn.” Her voice was hoarse, and I really wanted to scream at her that she didn’t need to do this.

Not a single word came out of my mouth.

I let myself be swallowed by the fog, the ease that came because of what Malory had done. I didn’t want to hear this, to see this—and yet, I could hear her voice as clear as day.

“When you next wake, we won’t have any more problems like this. Everything will be fixed, will be done.” She was shaking, a doubt circling through each of her words. But she continued before I could think of a way to capitalize on that. “It’s time to fall under.”

A snap of fingers, and I knew no more.

I still remembered what happened back then, between Alessa, Malory and I. The anger, the hopelessness, they somehow were something I could still feel and connect to—and yet I could no longer find it in myself to even act upon them. If I did, I’d rather just find Malory and asked her to do something about it.

There was a firmness in my mind, that I needed to obey Malory, that she was my Mistress. It wasn’t merely something I learned, it was more like… a fact of life. As certain as the sun rising from the east and setting in the west.

Right now, I was kneeling in Malory’s laboratory, just waiting for her to be finished. In the past, it would have been hard, with the way my thoughts would run every which way. Making me anxious, making me restless that I wasn’t doing anything. But now? Now I knew that it was for the best, that this was what Malory wanted me to do… and so I could just let my thoughts sink down until it was time for me to wake back up once more.

In some ways, it felt as if I was a doll, able to power myself on and off depending on Malory’s need. A shiver ran down my spine at that thought, instead of fear. A warmth in my stomach that made me know I was getting excited, that being Malory’s toy, her doll was something better than what I had before.

I gulped, trying to wet the suddenly dry feeling in my throat. I should try to let myself sink again—but the noises that came from the inside of the lab were becoming rarer, and there wasn’t any angry shouts or anything. So things should have gone well, and she would be excited for me to give her a further present.

Another thing she had implanted within me, but I couldn’t think of it as bad. More akin to something good, if I was honest. This way, I always understand what I had to do so she would be happy and love me even more than she already did.

Soon after I thought that—I could hear the footsteps coming toward me. My spine straightened. I knew it was Malory, there was no one else, and I knew her footsteps. I couldn’t help but feel excitement running in my gut as she finally arrived in front of me. A wide smile spread over my face as I opened my eyes, finally allowing myself to look at the wonder of Malory. At how wonderful she looked as heat started to burn again in my gut.

Desire, want, they all easily flared within me as I watched her. She was smiling too, no stress forming on the way she held her body or her face. So her work truly had gone well this time.

“I love you, Mistress.” I whispered, and that gave her the desired effect—her smile widened as she put her hand on top of my head, gently running her fingers across my scalp. I shuddered softly beneath her touch, the arousal burning brighter within my core. “Do you wish for anything?”

The offering was more of a habit than anything else, but whatever Malory answered me, I knew I would love it. She could tell me to merely fuck her, and I would be happy, despite not being given an orgasm at all. Or she could use me completely and all of that didn’t matter. Just Malory’s order, just her commands.

She smiled, petting me a little rougher that sent pressure of pain instead. It didn’t dim any of the pleasure, no. I moaned softly underneath her touches, squirming, wanting to do more and yet knowing I would only be allowed to if she wanted for it, wished for it.

“Next time, pet.” She whispered, and I could feel the shudder running across my spine. I knew I would love it as much then too, my body would be as aroused as she needed it to be. Even right now, the current arousal level was merely reflecting what she wanted me to have. It would wound down as needed.

I let myself relax, merely nuzzling against the palm of Malory’s hand as she let it go lower, toward my cheek. My eyes were slowly closing again, letting the heat shimmering in my gut instead of anything else. But my ears continue to listen carefully, to know when she would talk again—

“I do love you so, so much, Lynn.” She whispered, gently touching me. “You love it this way too, don’t you? No more need to think, just let me handle everything and anything.”

“Yes, Mistress.” I told her back, no desire within me to even try to fight her.

After all, her words were completely true.