The Dangers Of Daring Officer Dolly

Chapter 10. "Knives, Gargoyles and Rats"

by Skytower

Merry was sure that at some time before in her life she had seen a naked man. But Count Intellect was different. In the first place he was a vampire and in the second place his body was frozen in time from the moment he became a vampire. Standards of beauty change over time. Merry’s culture regarded the: ’buffed’ look; no body fat and sleek or bulging muscles as the height of male beauty. Count Intellect came from an earlier time. A time when that look would have been considered the look of a peasant worker. A truly important person looked well fed. And that is what Count Intellect’s body reflected. His body was fat but solid. Merry knew because she was seeing all of it.

Merry had only just made it back into her cage in time. She had no sooner settled onto her brick than Count Intellect and Duchess Sidonia walked into the dungeon. Esmerelda stood in the doorway carrying a basket. Her scarred face looked very sad and tired.

"Ah the Swiss machine." Sidonia said walking over to where Goddess of Justice was being tortured. Sidonia’s golden hair and well-sculptured features betrayed little of the raw evil Merry knew lay within the duchess. Goddess of Justice hung in a frame that held her arms and legs behind her. Her magnificent body was shuddering under the abuse of the infernal machine. A gold mask kept her from seeing anything or speaking. Driven by clockwork gears small whips attached to wheels hit her breast and pussy. Sidonia ran her fingers over the machine as she would over a treasured pet. The Duchess was wearing a black sleeveless dress that went down to her ankles and seemed to meld into the shadows, revealing little about her figure.

"It is useful when I have other things to attend too but do not wish her to rest." Count Intellect said. His face with its cleft chin seemed less menacing next to Sidonia’s, but Merry knew he was just as evil. Count Intellect was wearing a black cloak and in one move discarded it. It floated away and Esmerelda caught it before the cloak could hit the floor. But Merry barely noticed her. Count Intellect stood naked in the cell and Merry couldn’t keep the gasp from escaping her body.

He was fat, but solid and his skin was the ultra-pale skin of a corpse. There were scars all over his body and they competed with tattoos of mystical symbols. His body was heavy with fine black hairs. Merry’s gasp caused him to look up at her.

"Have I shattered your innocence Mystery Woman?" He asked smiling.

"She has none." Duchess Sidonia said. "Mayhap it is simply that you are breaking your image Mathew. In the movies Dracula was never seen unclothed."

Count Intellect laughed and his body trembled. For the first time Merry saw his penis. It emerged from a tangle of hair and became partially erect. Though her memory was still fuzzy on such things Merry saw that the vampire was well endowed.

"Fiction is such a poor substitute for true pleasure." Count Intellect said. "The paltry tortures they allow into movies are ones that I would not bother myself with."

He walked over to the machine and released Goddess of Justice from it. The heroine sagged to the floor and lay there as he pulled the golden mask from her face. Merry let out a second gasp. Trapped on the inside of the mask, held there by little chains, were five tiny red spiders. Goddess of Justice’s face was pale and was marked with dozens of tiny red marks.

Count Intellect placed the mask onto a hook on the machine and then pressed a button. There was a slight popping sound in the dungeon and the torture machine vanished.

"Tell me Mystery Woman, when Duchess Sidonia and Goddess of Justice fought what was the main reason you predicted the Duchess would loose?"

"She wasn’t fighting to win." Merry said.

"But Goddess of Justice was surely too weak to escape?" Count Intellect said.

"At first." Merry said. "But the holds Duchess Sidonia used were meant to inflict pain, and you get your strength back even when you’re in pain. You breath deep, the acid is flushed out of your muscles, oxygen goes to the cells… all of it happens if your in pain or not."

"There you have it." Count Intellect said to Sidonia. "She is a fighter, and she is someone who knows torture. And she is smart, even now I know she holds back some information about the fight."

"She holds back perhaps more than that."

"No, not her memory. That will come in time."

"Well I wish it would hurry up." Merry said bitterly.

Count Intellect laughed and Duchess Sidonia joined him. Merry didn’t think they saw Goddess of Justice start to get up but they did. Count Intellect motioned the Duchess away from the heroine.

"Judge for yourself Mystery Woman how I do in my own battle with Goddess of Justice."

Count Intellect took a step back and folded his arms against his chest. After a moment they seemed to melt into his body. While Goddess of Justice staggered to her feet Count Intellect’s body changed. His feet grew together and grew scales. His arms folded into his body and a dozen smaller arms emerged. As merry watched his body grew long and thin, no more than a foot around. She would have called it a snake-like transformation but for the multiple arms. His penis was pulled into his body as well, but the end of his newly grown tail became blunt and penis-like. Acrid smoke accompanied the change and the torches that lit the dungeon flickered madly.

It didn’t take much more than a minute. Only the Count’s head was still human. Merry watched as he attacked Goddess of Justice. The now long body wrapped itself around the still weak heroine and the multiple arms grabbed for any part of Goddess of Justice’s body they could. Like a worm in the clutches of a spider Goddess of Justice writhed desperately. She used her greater height to throw them into the wall and then to the floor. But there was no way for her to get loose and once Count Intellect wrapped his body around hers he made sure that she could barely breath. After a few minutes of struggling Goddess of Justice could only lay and pant desperately for air. Count Intellect’s laughter became a low-throated growl of lust. His many hands kneaded and pinched her breast. More of them worked at her pussy and they opened the way for the tip of his tail.

"Very entertaining Mathew." Duchess Sidonia said. She crossed the room and lowered Merry’s cage. "But I intend to have my fun as well."

Taking hold of Merry the Duchess took her out of the cage and placed her on the floor near the wall. With a piece of chalk she drew two lines on either side of the shrunken woman. Then she connected them forming a rectangle. Then she stepped back. Merry was in the center of a two-foot wide space.

"Now, let us see how agile you are and how good my aim is."

Sidonia reached into the basket and pulled out a dagger. Merry only had a few moments to realize what was going to happen. She leapt and the blade impaled itself into the stone where she had been. Merry jumped back a bit more as she got a better look at the hilt of the knife. It was a small gargoyle, alive, with grasping claws and a hideous face. The face had a wide mouth with fangs and the nose was long and thin. It had no hair on its head. Instead there were small spikes and bumps on its scalp. It was made of shining metal and Merry could see her own distorted reflection on its skin. Its legs were planted apart on the hilt of the knife and lashed there. Its stiff penis waved back and forth. The demon leered and reached for her and Merry moved back a bit more. It was a bit shorter than Merry but its reach was longer.

Sidonia laughed and took out another knife.

The Godzilla model still stood behind the drive in screen, but the robots were gone. Lizzie wondered if the Godzilla was a robot or just a model. At three feet tall Godzilla was three times her size. In a battle Lizzie didn’t think she would have much of a chance. But then she knew that if Godzilla was a working robot it would not attack unless the Giants ordered it too. And so far the Giants seemed pleased.

Lizzie and Jessie sat in the front row and around the table stood the Giants. For once Lizzie wasn’t worried about the Giants. They needed her and her sister. With Merry McCormick dead only Lizzie and Jessie were available for the mission. They had just spent nearly a full week training for it and before that a few months digging a tunnel in the desert. Lizzie knew that her body was stronger than it had ever been. It was lean not thin. The look matched her long dark hair and angular features. Once, after a day of training, Deborah had run her fingers over Lizzie’s body in a sort of massage and called her ascetically pleasing to the eye. Lizzie had no idea what that meant, but it was delivered in an approving tone.

Lizzie and her twin sister felt they were ready. They were wearing dark robes lined with red and dark capes with hoods. Lizzie was actually feeling a thrill at the prospect of getting out and doing some sort of James Bond/Kim Possible action. The Giants stood around the table. Deborah and Delilah Pennytorch were also twins. But while they were slim their skin was fair and their hair was blonde. They each wore a short white mini-skirt and Go-Go boots along with tight fitting white tops. Beside Deborah was Molly, and looking at her Lizzie suddenly realized that she had no idea what the Giant’s last name was. Molly was thick in body and cherubic in features. She wore a pair of pink-spotted white coveralls. Of all the Giants Lizzie felt that she and her sister were safest with Molly. Molly and Deborah could be actually kind. Delilah scared her almost as much as Tremont did. Tremont stood beside Molly. His dark hair was slicked back as usual and his face was stern and angular. But his eyes were what scared Lizzie the most. Lizzie was sure that she could be wearing an armored suit but that Tremont would look at her as if she was nude. A danger lurked behind his intense eyes. He had never touched Lizzie except to pick her up. But he was the reason that Lizzie and Jessie had started to sleep in bunk beds. He was the reason they had made themselves nightgowns.

The screen came alive and the face of a young woman appeared on it. Lizzie guessed that she was no older than twenty-five. She had light red hair and large ears. Her eyes were hazel and her face was round. She was lying in a hospital bed and didn’t look very strong.

"This is Simone Stronghollow." Deborah said. "At the moment she owns and runs Raven Cosmetics. That will change very soon if something is not done. Simone has lung cancer."

"That is what comes from testing your own line of cosmetics." Delilah said.

"Or being in the testing building during a fire." Tremont said.

"At any rate." Molly said. "Simone is dying and if she does die control of Raven Cosmetics will got to her brother."

The screen changed to show a handsome young man with the same shade of red hair. His chin was firm and cleft and his hazel eyes were calm and steady.

"This is Simon Stronghollow." Delilah said. "Don’t let the good looks fool you. He is smart, ruthless and ambitious."

"And unfortunately not controllable." Deborah said.

Lizzie raised her hand and Deborah nodded.

"Why do you need to control a cosmetics firm mistress? I thought you wanted to take over the world."

"Our motives are not your concern." Delilah said coolly. "We are giving you a task. Do it."

"But it might help if they were told." Tremont said. "Background on missions nearly always helped Officer Dolly."

"She was more intelligent." Delilah said.

"It helped in her motivations." Molly said.

"Yes it did." Deborah said. "Particularly on those early missions."

"Agreed." Delilah said.

"Taking over the running of the world is a complicated process." Deborah said to Lizzie and Jessie. "The control of Raven Cosmetics was a minor but important part of that process. We were in luck that when Simone’s father died he left the business to her. Once we gained control of Simone putting our agents into the company was easy. What they are doing and how they are doing it is something I’m afraid you would not understand."

"Simone is into twins." Delilah said. "After a few nights of passion we were easily able to hypnotize her."

"Unfortunately Simon isn’t into twins, or triplets." Molly said.

"Or men." Tremont added.

"His life is Star Trek, comic books and his struggling electronics firm. The only sex he has is with high priced very discreet prostitutes that dress up as Klingons, Romulans or star ship captains."

"He is" Delilah said, "to put it mildly, an insufferable boring geek with delusions of grandeur. For years now we have made sure his ambitions are held in check."

"If he gains control of Raven he will sell the company and use the proceeds to finance his electronic firm." Deborah said. "We don’t intend to allow that. Simone at the moment is in her room."

The view on the screen changed to that of a large mansion. The place was magnificently done in the style of an English mansion of the 19^th century. The walls were crenellated and the windows were adorned with stained glass. Lizzie remembered seeing the house in a Sunday newspaper supplement that showcased houses of the rich. One of the turrets was highlighted with a blue circle.

"She is receiving the best of care." Delilah said. "Despite her brothers best efforts."

"We actually thought that he poisoned her at first." Molly said.

"But our examination has proven that she has cancer." Tremont said.

"So we had to come up with cure." Deborah said.

Lizzie grabbed her sister’s hand just as Jessie was about to raise it. She guessed that Jessie would ask about the cure and from the look on Delilah’s face it would be a dangerous question. Jessie took the hint and stayed silent.

"We can not get the cure to her openly." Delilah said. "No one knows just how smart we are and we intend to keep it that way. Also we have been banned from Stronghollow House by Simon."

Lizzie raised her hand; her curiosity forcing her to asked the question. Delilah nodded.

"Why mistress?"

"Simon has a rather large opinion on his family and it’s history." Deborah said. "In the past he attempted to doctor the history of our town and reduce the Pennytorch role in it. He has used extra-legal means to do so and the last time we caught him at it. It was in City Hall and Delilah and I interrupted him."

Jessie hesitantly raised her hand and Deborah nodded.

"I don’t understand mistress."

"He tried to switch a land deed with a forgery that would have given him control of a stretch of land at the southern end of our estate." Deborah said. "By a pure co-incidence we were in the Hall of Records with Officer Dolly to install new surveillance devices. He made the mistake of trying to attack me."

"She only broke his arm didn’t she?" Delilah mused.

"Only because the security guard came when he screamed like a little girl." Deborah said. "I think we rewarded her with a complete DS9 DVD set didn’t we?"

"We did." Tremont said. "She spent all weekend in bed watching it and masturbated when Worf joined the cast."

"Officer Dolly could be precious at times." Deborah said joining the other Giants in a soft round of laughter.

"Back to the subject." Delilah said. "When Simone became too ill to stop him and when it became apparent that she wasn’t going to survive Simon bribed Alfred Molenski, head of security for the estate, to make sure we wouldn’t get in. Not only us but everyone she knew, cutting her off in case she called for help. She also has no phone access."

"Now the plan is simple." Deborah said. The image on the screen changed and became a movie, moving toward the house. "You two will be dropped onto the roof here." The movie froze on a chimney. "Climb down this chimney to this point." The view moved down into the chimney and stopped on an interior ledge. A brick had been removed from the chimney. Beyond it was a large between floor corridor. The walls were made from rough brown wood joists and the floor was made up of thin brown boards with white plaster pressed between them. The plaster was rough and covered with dust. "You will proceed along this passageway until you reach this point." The view moved along it until it came to a section of the wood that had been cut through. It opened into a dimly lit metal duct.

Lizzie raised her hand.

"What is it?" Deborah asked.

"Mistress that opening… did a rat make it?"

"No." Deborah said. "Officer Dolly did. "When we initially planned this mission she spent two days roaming through the between places of Stronghollow House."

"I think we were all astonished when she came across that walled up body next to the library." Delilah said.

"A body?" Jessie nearly yelped the word and only just remembered to add "Mistress".

"An old one." Molly said. "Legend has it that Joshua Stronghollow was walled up by his brother Jed Stronghollow so that Jed could claim the family fortune."

"The legend was true." Tremont said.

"So Simon is trying to follow a family tradition." Delilah said. She sighed. "I remember being very impressed when we ordered Officer Dolly to search the corpse. She didn’t hesitate at all, even though we couldn’t grow her back to full size."

"She was a trooper." Molly said.

"Back to the mission." Deborah said.

The view changed and followed the duct until it came to a vent. From the vent they could see a small closet filled with medical supplies.

"This is your destination." Deborah said. "You will take an IV bag filled with the cure and switch it for one of the normal ones. To the doctors it will look like spontaneous remission, which happens in rare cases."

Jessie raised her hand again and Deborah nodded.

"If the cancer suddenly stops, why won’t he just kill her? I mean she’s already cut off."

"That is actually a good question." Tremont said.

"We of course considered that possibility." Molly said.

"But Simon is basically a coward and a bully." Deborah said.

"He’s also seen enough CSI to know how easily a murder would be spotted in an autopsy." Delilah said.

"And since we have control of the medical examiner in this area he could never get away with it." Deborah said. "He already made one tentative step in that direction and was shot down."

"We’ll use ThunderBird 2 to drop you onto the roof." Deborah said. "And it will be there to pick you up."

"Now as easy as we have made this sound there will undoubtedly be problems." Delilah said.

Easy, Lizzie made sure not the say the word out loud but she guessed that Jessie felt the same way. Not one thing had sounded easy yet.

The screen changed to show a newspaper clipping of a man in a dark costume. He was breaking through a wall carrying a sack of money and a tall woman with her hair on fire was pointing at him.

"This was taken in 1976." Deborah said. "When Mack Stronghollow took the name: ‘Crossbolt’ and became a supervillain. He loaded the Stronghollow house with a number of security devices specifically designed to keep out super heroes. Officer Dolly didn’t encounter any of those devices, but they might still be there."

Jessie raised her hand and Deborah nodded.

"What kinda devices mistress?"

"Given the technology that was available to him a the time it would most likely be lasers, sonic traps…"

"Kid stuff really." Molly said.

"But potentially lethal." Tremont said.

"Not if you are careful." Delilah said.

Lizzie raised her hand and Delilah nodded.

"What about Crossbolt mistress? Is he still around?"

"He was banished to another dimension by Ms. Magic after he raped the heroine shown in the picture, a Ms. Flame I believe her name was." Delilha said. "According to the official history of Force Group J the two heroines fell in love after that. Unfortunately that sort of thing was still looked down upon in the 70’s. Rather than deal with all the public pressure they retired from Force Group J. Recently they were coaxed out of retirement and are working with Ultra People, a predominately gay group of superheroes."

"Have we managed to get agents into that organization yet?" Deborah asked.

"Next week." Molly said. "You remember, the cute little red heads?"

"Oh yes, Natali and Anastasia." Deborah said.

"They were cute dolls to play with." Molly sighed.

"We’ll get you another pair sometime." Delilah said.

"One other thing." Deborah said turning back to Lizzie and Jessie. "Because of the damage you two did to your bodies before we converted you, we can not grow you back to full size. Not for a while at any rate. So if you are caught by anyone you will remain at your current size regardless of what happens."

"Do not, under any circumstances tell anyone who you are and what you are doing." Delilah said. "If you get caught play dumb and wait."

"Now, any questions?" Deborah asked.

Lizzie and Jessie shook their heads.

"Good." Deborah said as the screen went blank. "Now we left some high energy drinks in your house. Go home, get some rest and drink them. Your gear is waiting for you as well. ThunderBird 2 will land on the athletic field in one hour."

The Giants walked away and Lizzie and Jessie stood up. Once they were out of earshot Jessie leaned into her sister.

"We are so dead."

"I know." Lizzie said.

"Lasers? Supervillains? We’re dead!"

"We could get lucky."

The look Jessie gave her sister told her what Jessie thought of that idea.

"We got a choice?" Lizzie asked.

"We’re dead." Jessie said again.

Lizzie didn’t answer her and they headed toward their house.

The knives were coming faster and they were getting closer. Or maybe Merry was just getting tired, she couldn’t really tell. But she did know what Duchess Sidonia was doing. The Duchess did not really believe that Merry had amnesia. She seemed convinced that a good mental probe could break though Merry’s mind and the best time to carry out that probe was when Merry was tired to the point of collapse. Merry was sure that Sidonia would have tried after the chess game but Merry had blacked out after that game. Now Sidonia was trying something different.

Merry tried to ignore the moans of pleasure coming from Goddess of Justice. She was still wrapped up in Count Intellect’s transformed embrace and sucking on his tail like it was a lollipop. Two of his arms were between her legs and his mouth was fastened on her breast. Duchess Sidonia had been steadily throwing knives at Merry during Goddess of Justice’s rape. It had been long enough for a pile of the razor sharp blades to gather at Merry’s feet. The ones stuck in the stones above and around her were forming a fence, hemming Merry in. The gargoyles attached to the hilts only came alive if they stuck into the foor or the wall. The ones that came alive leered and grabbed at Merry each time she got close enough. That made it even harder to dodge the blades coming at her.

Merry dived and pressed herself flat on her stomach to avoid an incoming blade. One of the gargoyles managed to snatch onto her ankle and his grip was steel-strong. Another managed to get a handful of Merry’s short blonde hair. The one she had avoided twisted around and grabbed her arms. Merry was trapped. The gargoyles had strength enough to twist her arms despite her struggles. The one stuck into the wall above wrapped his arms around her body, pinning her arms to her side. Merry heard another knife land beside the first one and her legs were seized. Growling in frustration and defiance Merry felt herself pulled up off of the floor. She was passed from hand to hand and never allowed to free her arms or legs even for a moment. When the gargoyles held her stretched out above the floor the rape began. Merry was held facing downward. Behind her two gargoyles held her legs apart, in front of her two more pulled her arms away from her body and held them. Between the two holding her legs and the two holding her arms a fifth gargoyle was in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her head by the hair, and a sixth gargoyle began to massage her ass.

The gargoyle in front of Merry pulled her head back enough to jerk her mouth open and he plunged his penis into it. The taste of it was like an empty soda can that had been left on the highway for a few weeks. Snarling her rage Merry ground her teeth against the penis. She felt a hollow snap in her mouth and Merry realized that she had broken a tooth. The gargoyle moved like flesh but it was made of metal. But that didn‘t stop the penis from working. Merry’s scream was strangled in her throat by the gargoyle’s semen. It didn’t taste like any semen that Merry had ever known. It felt like a raw oyster was sliding down her throat. A raw oyster dipped in motor oil. The creature was pumping away with incredible force and it was all Merry could do to keep breathing. Her head slammed again and again in his metal body, stunning her.

Then the gargoyle behind her joined in. His metal member slammed into her from behind and thanks to its smooth metal construction it encountered little resistance. Merry would have screamed if she had been able. But all she could do was hang there helplessly as the gargoyles took her front to back. The rhythm was ruthlessly mechanical. It seemed to go on for hours and after the first two were done Merry’s position was changed and the other knife-bound gargoyles took over. Merry still growled but her sex drive had taken over, denying her spirit control of her lust driven body. Out of the corner of her eye Merry saw Duchess Sidonia laughing. While the lust continued to build so to did her hatred. There would come a time Merry knew when either the Duchess or Merry would have to die. Merry hoped that she would be the one with her hands around Sidonia’s throat, and as the gargoyles again started to pound into her sex Merry hoped she could make it as painful as possible.

Lizzie had worn corsets, bustiers, handcuffs and other Goth fashion bits, but she had never been as uncomfortable or felt as alien as she did now. First had come a pair of boots with toes in them. Not boots really, rubber (at least it felt sort of like rubber), socks. Then leg and thigh straps with one small knife in them. She was at least used to the climbing vest, but not the helmet with the light on it. All this might have been better if Lizzie or Jessie weren’t exposed in other areas. The vest did not cover her breasts nor did the climbing gear cover her crotch or butte. Lizzie felt a little like a stripper about to go on stage. It also felt strange walking around with knives strapped to her legs. Coiled ropes hung from straps on her thighs. After they were dressed Lizzie and Jessie heard the whine of an engine and they looked out of the window of their house to see Thunderbird 2 landing at the athletic field.

Lizzie had never seen the tv show that the craft had been based on. All she saw was a large green airplane with a snub nose and backward wings. It landed and Lizzie and Jessie climbed on board. There were some slight differences in the craft since the last time they had flown in it. The controls were still as confusing as ever, but a line of monitor screens had been added above the windows. They gave a panoramic view of the room that held Dollopolis. Debroah’s face appeared on one of the monitors.

"Alright, any last minute questions?"

Lizzie raised her hand and Deborah nodded.

"Can we wear something… more covering?" Lizzie asked.

"Clothing would only get in the way." Deborah said. "Besides no one is going to see you. Now strap in and get comfortable, the flight should only take twenty minutes or so."

Once they were strapped into their chairs it took off again. Lizzie was surprised when a portion of the wall opened and they entered a long tunnel. The last time they had left Dollopolis the twins and Mike had been carried in a small cage. The tunnel went on for a while until it reached a vertical opening. The screens at the top of the flight deck gave Lizzie and Jessie a panoramic view of the outside. Lizzie saw that the vertical tunnel went down as well as up. After a few minutes of upward travel they emerged into a stormy night.

Lighting and thunder cracked the heavens and rocked the ship. Strapped into their seats Lizzie and Jessie screamed as the craft was tossed about by the winds.

"You have nothing to worry about." Deborah said, her face appearing on one of the screens. "We designed Thunderbird 2 to handle a hurricane. Just sit back and relax."

"Yes mistress." Lizzie said and a second later her sister echoed her acquiescence. But for the rest of the mercifully short trip both Lizzie and Jessie clung to their seats with white-knuckle grips.

The trip was short and they landed on a large roof. On the screens Lizzie saw a peaked roof with a line of green copper leading from a chimney to another section of roof. The ship seemed steady as Lizzie and Jessie un-strapped themselves and then walked back to the cargo pod. They picked up the IV bag and Lizzie felt the ship vibrate. The center of Thunderbird 2 stayed on the roof as four legs lifted the rest of the craft up. Once it was clear the door to the pod opened and Lizzie and Jessie carried the IV bag outside.

The first thing that hit Lizzie was the wind. Then the rain. The copper beneath her feet felt cold even through the boots she was wearing. The wind was the coldest the shrunken teen had ever felt. Each raindrop felt like a dodge ball hitting her skin. Steeling herself Lizzie walked cautiously forward. Lightning flashed in the sky and Lizzie nearly lost her footing. But she steadied herself and kept walking. It seemed to take forever to walk the few feet to the chimney. The closer they got to it the more Lizzie realized that keeping her balance was only part of the problem. She’d have to climb that thing. It grew before her like the wall of some medieval castle. The lights from ThudnerBird 2 gave the shrunken operatives enough light to see. The bricks of the chimney looked deeply black and the mortar a lesser shade of black.

Lizzie and Jessie reached the chimney and rested against it. The stone was rough and wet and cold but it was solid. Lizzie looked up.

"We have to get this up there?" Jessie asked.

{One of you will climb up and throw a rope down, the other will affix the IV bag to the rope and then the bag will be lifted up to the top.}

Lizzie knew that Jessie had heard the voice too.

"You go." Both sisters said at the same time.

"You’re taller." Jessie said.

"No I’m not. You’ve got better balance."

"No I don’t." Jessie said.

Lizzie and Jessie sighed.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Jessie said holding up her hand.

"Right." Lizzie said.

{We will NOT have this decided with a child’s game.}

Lizzie was sure that Delilah was the one speaking.

"Well…" Lizzie started.

{Lizzie will climb up and throw a rope down.}

Jessie shrugged but didn’t really look sorry. Lizzie took a deep breath, stood up and started to climb. Lizzie had thought walking across the roof had been hard, but climbing the chimney made that look easy. Her fingers dug desperately into the cracks in the aged mortar. Pressing herself against the stone Lizzie inched her way up the side of the chimney. The rough stone scraped against her bare breasts. The rain seemed determined to pound her away from the stone and the wind didn’t mind helping. Lizzie wondered if she could survive a fall. Or would she even fall? She was light enough to be carried on the wind but to where? The vision of herself sailing through the storm like some old newspaper floated through the young woman’s mind.

She reached the top of the chimney still wondering how far the wind would take her. Climbing over she rested on a ledge that went around the inside of the chimney. Lizzie took a deep breath and rested. She was out of the worst of the weather and there was even a warm draft rising from the chimney.

After a few minutes Lizzie crawled onto the top of the chimney. A flash of lightning conveniently lit up the scene around her and Lizzie felt her body turn to ice with fear. She saw the house, the estate and the town. She saw it all and to someone who had gotten used to Dollopolis-where everything but the Giants was the right size- it was an awesome sight. She was literally in the land of the giants.

The Giants. The thought of them pushed the fear out of Lizzie’s mind for a moment. Reaching down she took one of the ropes from her thigh and grasped one end. Then she tossed the rope over the edge of the chimney to where she could see Jessie and the IV bag.

The wind caught the rope and pulled it taunt parallel to Lizzie. Growling she pulled the rope back and tried letting it drop. Again the wind caught it. Lizzie pulled it back again and tied it around one of her daggers. Once again she started to lower it. At first it went down, the wind caught the rope and it swayed but the weight of the dagger pulled it back down.

Take that, Lizzie thought triumphantly.

The dagger slipped out of her knot and was lost in the storm. Almost instantly the wind caught the rope and pulled it straight again.

"Damn!" Lizzie swore.

{Do not sacrifice another dagger.}

"But…"

{Climb down, hand one end of the rope to your sister, hold onto the other end and climb up again.}

Lizzie looked down at the roof. They wanted her to climb down? And then up again?

{NOW!}

"Yes mistress." Lizzie said. She coiled up the rope, replaced it on her thigh and then edged her way feet first over the edge of the chimney. The trip down was no easier than the trip up. It was harder and took longer. Many times Lizzie dangled by fingers made strong by desperation as her toes sought cracks large enough and strong enough to hold them. Lizzie closed her eyes and let her fingers and toes find the places to hold on. She didn’t open them again until she felt Jessie grab hold of her legs and pull her down.

"Watch it!" Lizzie shouted.

"I thought you were gonna fall!"

"So you pulled me off?"

"I was scared!"

"You were scared? I’m the one doing the climbing!"

{Enough!}

Lizzie winced from the tone of the voice.

"Here." She said handing the end of the rope to Jessie. "When I get up there tie the rope to the bag and I’ll pull it up."

"Right." Jessie said. "Wait a minute." Bending down she tied the end of the rope around Lizzie’s ankle.

"Owe!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Not so tight!"

"Sorry." Jessie loosened the knot a bit and then took the rope from sister’s thigh. "No hands, better that way."

"Ok." Lizzie hugged her sister, took a deep breath and started to climb.

The climb was no easier the second time, but Lizzie made it. Climbing over the top of the chimney she rested on the ledge for a moment. Then she turned and started to pull the bag up. It was heavier than she had expected it to be. Lizzie pulled, using the weight of her body. The rope came and then went when she tried to move her hands along it. For a second Lizzie held it, but then her grip failed and the rope slid through her fingers. Taking a deep breath Lizzie pulled the rope again and then she stamped on the rope with her foot to brace it and quickly moved her hands. It worked and she pulled again. Each time she pulled she stepped on the rope to hold it. By the time Lizzie was done her arms were sore.

"Made it!" Jessie shouted appearing over the edge of the chimney.

Lizzie cried out and nearly lost her grip on the rope.

"What the hell are you doing up here?"

"You pulled me and the bag up." Jessie said.

"I was supposed to pull the bag up, not you and the bag!"

"Then how was I supposed to get up here?"

"How about the same way I did?"

"What if I slipped?" Jessie shouted.

"What if I slipped?" Lizzie shouted back.

"Hey it’s not like I weigh a lot right now!"

"You weigh enough!"

"Well fine if you didn’t want to pull me up why didn’t you say something?"

"I couldn’t see you, you idiot!"

{Ahem!}

Jessie’s response froze in her throat and Lizzie suddenly remembered where they were.

{If you two are quite finished?}

"Sorry mistress." Lizzie said.

"Sorry." Jessie said.

{Get moving.}

Jessie took hold of the rope and lowered the bag down to the ledge where Lizzie was waiting. Then she climbed down beside it.

"Not my fault." She muttered.

"Dead weight." Lizzie muttered back.

{MOVE!}

The force of the shout nearly sent both girls tumbling off of the ledge.

Merry lay limp and sore at the bottom of a bowl. The gargoyles had taken her in more ways than she’d thought possible. No opening in her body had been spared by any of their appendages. Noses, penises, claws and fangs and even pointed ears had been used to rape the helpless shrunken woman. Though she tried not to Merry could not help her tongue from running over her broken front tooth. That and the headache from Duchess Sidonia’s mental probe convinced the shrunken woman that, loss of memory or no, she had never been as miserable as she was now.

Esmerelda hummed a soft tune as she gently used a sponge to clean Merry’s nude body. She took the water from a pot that rested on the fire pit and Merry welcomed the attention. Chained against the wall Goddess of Justice slumped on the floor. Count Intellect had driven her to sexual climax after sexual climax and then dominated her mind. For nearly and hour Goddess of Justice had been his to command and the secrets she had told about Force Group J and the Pyramid of the Pharoah pleased him greatly. Merry was sure that if Count Intellect had the time he needed to prepare, his next battle with Force Group J would end with him as the victor.

Merry moaned as Esmerelda eased her onto her stomach and parted her legs.

"Go easy there girl." Merry pleaded.

"I am sorry." Esmerelda said. "I am nearly done."

"So am I." Merry said. She folded her arms under her head and rested with her upper body out of the water.

"I think my mistress is beginning to believe that you truly know nothing of your past." Esmerelda said.

"Yippee." Merry said. "She had to stifle a laugh as Esmerelda brushed the sponge against the bottom of her foot. "You know Esmerelda I know you like the duchess and all, but if I ever get back to full size I’m going to rip her head off."

"I do not love her, I serve her." Esmerelda said. "Servants can not love their betters, we exist only to serve."

"Serve her by digging a grave." Merry growled.

Gently Esmerelda lifted Merry out of the bowl and placed her on a towel next to the fire pit. The towel was soft enough not to bother Merry’s skin and the warmth from the fire pit was actually comforting. Esmerelda gently ran the towel along Merry’s body until she was dry and then placed a new towel underneath her. Merry lay on her side and watched as Esmerelda dumped the water down a sewer opening and refilled the bowl. Then she walked over to Goddess of Justice and started to clean the bound heroine’s face.

"She is not better than you." Goddess of Justice said weakly.

"I have seen her reduce stone to dust." Esmerelda said.

"That is power, not quality."

"I gotta go with her on this one Esmerelda." Merry said.

"When this is over Esmerelda you must learn how to be free." Goddess of Justice said.

"You still going on the assumption that Intellect and Sidonia are going to lose?" Merry demanded.

"Justice will prevail." Goddess of Justice said.

"Justice is what my mistress decides it is." Esmerelda said. She started to wash the heroine’s neck and the water dripped over Goddess of Justice’s bare breasts.

"No it isn’t." Goddess of Justice said. "Justice is an ancient code that was born with humanity and will carry our race to eternal glory."

"Even if that happens we probably won’t be there to see that." Merry said.

"It is not important that we might not live long enough too see it."

"It is to me." Merry said. "I don’t remember a hell of a lot but I’m pretty sure I didn’t spend my nights being toyed with by giants. I got some sort of life and I want to live it."

"Endurance of hardship is the key to survival." Goddess of Justice said.

"You know your nobility is really beginning to get to me." Merry said growling.

"We can’t help what we are." Goddess of Justice said, moaning slightly as Esmerelda began to wash her stomach.

"What are we?" Merry asked. "No, wait I know what we are, we’re dungeon fodder. A hundred years from now some group of PC’s are going to stumble in her and find our bones chained to the wall. They’ll probably think my bones are pixie bones and grind’em up for spell components."

"What are;’PCs’?" Esmerelda asked.

"Player… Player Characters." Merry said after stumbling on the words. "A game… some kinda game…"

"Like the chessgame?"

"No." Merry said. "I don’t think so." She growled and lay down flat. "Hell maybe this is what my life is like."

"I sense that you strive for justice in your own way." Goddess of Justice said.

Merry looked up. Esmerelda had raised one of the heroine’s legs and was washing it.

"Maybe. If I get big enough the first bit of justice I’m gonna do is gonna involve Sidonia and the biggest piece of metal I can find to shove into her."

"Metal can not harm my mistress." Esmerelda said. "No sword, no spear, no ax."

"Ok, then I’ll just rip her head off."

"That will not be justice." Godess of Justice said. "It will be vengeance."

"So long as she dies painfully."

"I know you are hurt." Goddess of Justice said. "We are hurt and tired and your soul is weary. But justice, true Justice, will prevail. There will come a day when Count Intellect and Duchess Sidonia will look back upon their lives and know true despair over what they have done."

"How the hell will that help us?" Merry demanded.

A sound at the doorway made them all look up. William W. Williamson stood there, swaying slightly. He wore only a black robe and he wore it loosely. His dark hair was unruly and his beard was wet with wine. In one hand he carried a bottle and in the other he held Stephanie’s leash. Stephanie was wearing a sheer robe that tantalizingly revealed her body. The leash was attached to a collar around her neck.

William smiled and walked over to Goddess of Justice and Esmerelda. Shoving Esmerelda out of the way he jerked Stephanie’s leash.

"Eat’er." William ordered harshly shoving Stephanie to the floor.

"No." Esmerelda said stepping between Goddess of Justice and Stephanie.

William stopped as he was starting to open his robe. Merry eased herself off of the towel and moved around to the back of the fire pit.

"My mistress and her host have not ordered me to allow this." Esmerelda said.

"So what?" William said. "Don’t you know who I am? What I did?"

"Both are known to me." Esmerelda said. "But my mistress commanded…"

"Shut up!" William said slapping her across the face. Before Esmerelda could do anything he followed that blow with another that slammed her down. Esmerelda was dazed as William dragged her over to the wall and clasped her wrist into manacles. Then he snapped his fingers at Stephanie.

"Change of plans." He said. He grabbed hold of Esmerelda’s tunic and ripped it open. "You eat her instead."

"Fool!" Goddess of Justice shouted. "To go for a child when a woman is before you?"

William laughed and walked over to her. Grabbing a ball gag from the wall he stuffed it into the bound heroine’s mouth. Then he kicked her in the stomach.

"You think I’m a fool bitch? I’m not falling for that line!"

Oh this is just great, Merry thought looking around the torture chamber. She spotted a poker still lying half in and half out of the fire pit. There was a chance, if she could flip it right…

"What are you waiting for?" William snarled at Stephanie. He ripped off her robe and shoved her at Esmerelda. "Get that tongue moving!"

"I’m sorry." Merry heard Stephanie whisper.

Sorry? Merry thought bitterly. She moved around toward Stephanie and Esmerelda.

"We are servants." Esmerelda said. "We must obey."

"Shut up and start licking!" William shouted giving Stephanie a kick in the rear that launched her between Esmerelda’s legs. "I want her ready when I get through with this one."

Merry had moved around to the side of Esmerelda. She saw Stephanie crying as the woman lifted up Esmerelda’s skirt. Behind them William had thrown off his robe and was eagerly thrusting into Goddess of Justice.

"Hey!" Merry hissed as Stephanie started to lean forward. Stephanie stopped and focused on her. "His back is turned, take the poker out of the fire and brain him with it."

"I can’t." Stephanie said. Tears were running down her face and she was trembling.

"Why not?"

"I just can’t."

Growling her contempt for the woman who had once been one of her idols Merry stomped away. She reached the fire pit but the poker was too large for her to move. Merry glanced over at William. His back was to her and his ass moved back and forth as he raped the bound heroine.

"That’s too good a target to pass up." Merry said. She grabbed hold of the poker and started to pull harder. After a few minutes it was obvious that Merry didn’t have a chance of moving the poker, but she didn’t give up.

"What is the meaning of this!"

"People actually say that?" Merry whispered in amazement. She let go of the poker and stepped away from it.

In the doorway stood Count Intellect, his eyes ablaze with hellfire. Dressed in an elegant suit he pocketed a datapad and surveyed the scene. Behind him Duchess Sidonia stood. She wore only a robe and there was a grave look on her face.

"Just having a little fun." William said pulling out of Goddess of Justice. Seeing the look on Count Intellect’s face he stumbled into his robe.

"This woman is a captive of mine." Count Intellect said coldly. His eyes were back to normal but they look on William with cold hate. "She is mine and mine alone."

"I don’t see a sign on her." William sneered as he stood up.

"And did you think Esmerelda was a public play thing as well?" Sidonia asked calmly. The calm tone in her voice should have warned him but William did not back down.

"So what’s she to you? What’s either of them to you two? You’re going to kill them anyway."

"Is this the modern villain?" Count Intellect asked stepping into the chamber. "Is this what you create now Duchess? In my time I would not even have him in my army. This gutter-snipe I would not even allow among the camp followers!"

"Like I’d be in your army fossil." William sneered again. Merry marveled at his idiocy. "Yea, I’m the new breed. I’m the breed that wins."

He gestured at Stephanie and a look of contempt flowed across Count Intellect’s face.

"An actress? Boy in my time I have brought down heroines; kings and queens! Speak my name in corners of the world and fear will spread across the faces of those in the room. You break the will of an actress and think yourself my better?"

"He’s done more than that." Merry said stepping out from behind the fire pit.

"What the hell?" William said.

"What do you mean?" Count Intellect said.

"He’s been here before." Merry said calmly. Inwardly the shrunken woman was scared and furious over what William had been doing. But there was something more than hate in her that drove Merry to keep talking. "Late yesterday he wandered through here and into the rest of the dungeon. Came out a few hours later laughing. I was in the cage, he didn’t see me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" William demanded.

"What did you do?" Count Intellect asked. His body was tense with power.

"I didn’t do anything!" William shouted. For the first time he seemed to realize the danger he was in. "I’ve never gone beyond this cell."

"Stephanie is this true?" Duchess Sidonia asked. "Do you know where William was yesterday?"

"No mistress." Stephanie said. She had pulled away from Esmerelda and pulled the young woman’s skirt back across Esmerelda’s legs. "I was unconscious."

"She’s lying!" William shouted.

"You knocked me out when you left the plastic bag over my head for too long." Stephanie said coldly.

"You will wait here." Count Intellect ordered. His body shimmered into mist and left the room.

"I’m disappointed in you William." Duchess Sidonia said.

"What?"

"At the very least you have shown deplorable manners."

"Hey I’m evil!" William shouted. "I don’t do manners! I’m the new evil, I’m not the Count Dracula wannabe that old musty is!"

"No." Sidonia said calmly. "You are not in Mathew’s class at all."

"She is dead." Count Intellect said as the mist shimmered into his human form again. "Mademoiselle Liberty is finally dead." He turned toward William and his eyes blazed with fire. "My first heroine, a prized trophy now no more than a moldering corpse!"

"Hey I didn’t do it!" William shouted.

"Who else?" Count Intellect demanded. "Another heroine would have freed her, even assuming one could enter my castle undetected."

"She did it then!" William pointed at Merry.

"How?" Count Intellect demanded. "She can no more leave her cage than Goddess of Justice can break her chains."

"She grew then." William argued.

• • "She can not grow!" Count Intellect thundered.

"My test have proven this. The mechanism that allows her to grow is located in a dead portion of her brain. You have robbed me of something that was mine."

"Back off deadboy!" William shouted. He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a silver cross. Count Intellect recoiled by did not retreat.

"Enough!" Sidonia barked the word. She raised her hand and the cross tore out of William’s hand and sailed into the fire pit. "Mathew I owe you an apology."

"People know I’m here." William said defiantly. "If I don’t come back…"

"We’ll kill them." Count Intellect said calmly. "All of them. The first one to question your fate will share your fate."

"I would have forgiven you many things William." Sidonia said. "But to bring that object into a this castle, when I am guest and have vouched for you… that is unforgivable."

"You come to a vampire’s house you bring a cross." William said. "That way you get out alive."

Count Intellect laughed.

"Do you think crosses have stopped me? Me? I can tear a brick from the wall and bash in your head without even looking at the cross."

"Stephanie." Duchess Sidonia made a strange gesture with her hand and a green glow enveloped Stephanie for a moment. "I free you from the enchantment. You will no longer be William’s slave. After the party you will be free to go."
"She’s mine!" William shouted as a stunned look of fear and pleasure spread across the actress’s face.

"No longer." Duchess Sidonia said. "By your actions you have proven un-worthy of my time."

"Bitch!" William growled.

Count Intellect started forward but Duchess Sidonia held him back. Again she made a movement with her hand and the chains that bound Esmerelda snapped open.

"For Esmerelda to change into her wolf form will take two minutes William." Sidonia said. "You have that long to flee the castle."

"What?"

Duchess Sidonia touched the ring on her finger.

"Wolf." She said.

Esmerelda’s body was instantly wracked with pulsating energy and a small storm erupted around her. She screamed in agony and that scream quickly changed to a growl.

"You have less than two minutes William." Duchess Sidonia said.

Tearing his eyes away from the spectacle of the forced change William ran out of the room.

"He will not make it up the stairs." Count Intellect sniffed.

"Most likely not." Duchess Sidonia said. "Sadly he is typical of those who come to me. I thought he had more potential. But he seeks to clothe his evil with a raunchiness."

"He is an ape dress in finery." Count Intellect said. "He would rape, not ravish, he would burn, not pillage."

"Such as you dear Mathew are a rare breed." Duchess Sidonia said. "How lucky I was to have found you."

"The luck was mine my lady." Count Intellect bowed and smiled. "The luck was all mine."

Esmerelda had completed her change into her wolf form and loped over to Duchess Sidonia and knelt.

"Someone caused you pain my dear." Duchess Sidonia said. She smiled and then barked commands: "Hunt! KILL!"

With a deeper growl than Merry had ever heard Esmerelda charged up the stairs.

"Come Stephanie." Duchess Sidonia said holding out her hand. "I must prepare for the party and Esmerelda will be busy for a time."

Stephanie climbed to her feet and walked over to the Duchess. Count Intellect sidestepped her and picked Merry up. Placing her onto the brick in her cage he walked over to the wheel and hoisted it upward again.

Merry didn’t hear them go. She lay on the brick and trembled with thoughts and emotions that battered against her already precarious sanity. She had framed William, but it had been a clumsy frame. If Count Intellect had not been so angry-so ready to believe in William’s guilt- he might have seen through Merry’s frame. And if that had happened…

Stephanie was bound to a spell, that was why she couldn’t hurt William, or had that been her excuse? Merry couldn’t forget how quickly the woman had folded under torture. She couldn’t forget and she couldn’t forgive.

Merry tried not to feel guilty about William, she tried to tell herself that he was getting what he deserved, but that guilt would not easily be pushed away. It was more for Esmerelda than for William. Because of Merry the young woman was going to kill someone. In her mind Merry could not escape the image of Esmerelda’s human face covered with William’s blood.

Merry was glad that Goddess of Justice was still gagged. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Merry felt the grit of the dirt and the texture of the brick dig into her skin. She welcomed it.

Lizzie knew what she had to do. The fact that there were two rats in front of her didn’t change that. The fact that the two rats were twice as large than any she had seen before-that they had black coats and red eyes- that didn’t matter at all. What she had to do was activate the magnets and climb, just like they had done in the simulated duct. Behind her Lizzie heard her sisters sharp intake of breath as she saw the rats. They were just a dozen feet from the chimney. Still wet hair clung to their heads and they were both still chilled from the rain.

The rats hadn’t seen them yet. Lizzie was sure of that. She felt the cold draft against her wet body and realized that she and Jessie were upwind, so the rats couldn’t smell them. The rats were half in shadow, busy with something. Lizzie looked back over her shoulder and pointed to the ceiling. Jessie nodded. They each took a step toward the wall of the duct and Lizzie pressed the switches that turned on her magnets.

{All magnets are on.}

At the same time Lizzie heard that confirmation the metalic clang of the magnets as they hit the sheetmetal. It sounded like a bell in the enclosed space and the rats looked up. Lizzie was sure that they smiled at her.

"Climb!" Lizzie hissed.

Jessie followed her orders and in a few seconds both of the shrunken women were pressed against the top of the duct, the bag suspended between them.

"I thought Merry searched this place." Lizzie said.

{A few months ago yes. These must be new tenants.}

To Lizzie’s surprise the rats were ignoring them. Now that the angle was better Lizzie saw that they were gnawing on the remnants of a fried chick leg.

"What now?" Jessie asked.

{You are at the top of the duct, they can’t reach you. Climb over them.}

"Climb over them mistress?" Jessie asked.

{They are far too busy with their meal to bother with you.}

"We can do this." Lizzie said.

"We can?"

{You better.}

"We can do this." Jessie said.

It’s getting really hard to know what to be more scared of, Lizzie thought as she and Jessie started to inch their way forward across the top of the duct. When Lizzie and Jessie were directly over the rats one of them stopped eating and looked up.

"We aren’t food." Lizzie said firmly as if she was talking to a dog.

The rate made a sound and started nosing the wall, abandoning the chicken leg.

"I don’t think he believed you." Jessie said.

"He?"

"I guess, I mean they’re always he in the cartoons."

"This ain’t Tom and Jerry!" Lizzie hissed.

"I know that, but what was I supposed to call him?"

"We’re not naming them!"

"What if one of them goes for you? I gotta name him something or I won’t know what to look out for."

"Just say look out!"

"I’m just saying…"

{You can give them first names, last names and date them for all we care, but after the mission is complete. Now keep MOVING!}

If the voice had been audible outside of their heads Lizzie felt sure it would have shaken the mansion.

"Yes mistress." Lizzie and Jessie said.

Inch by inch they started to move down the air duct. The rat ambled after them. Lizzie still wasn’t sure who to be more scared of, but she had a feeling that before the night was over she and Jessie was going to find out.

…To be continued

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