The Global Protectors versus The Wraith Lord

By Marcus_Lycus@hotmail.com

Lessee… The Global Protectors and the Wraith Lord are copyright Doctor Droid (www.superstories.net/droidzone), other characters and text are copyright Marcus Lycus. Most of the background is my own, if something does not fit the good doctor’s vision or the established world of Megapolis then just assume it happened on Earth 2 ½ J

Any resemblance between characters in this story and any actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Please e-mail me with any comments, complaints or suggestions.

Part 4: Dark Star

When it was done, the creature tossed Maple Leaf away like a spent condom. She bounced twice on the stone floor before finally passing out. She lay for hours, her powers trying to knit her wounds, her depleted energy slowly returning. When she finally awoke she felt stronger, ready to take it again.

"OK" she said to the empty hall, "let’s see about round two."

She tore off the remainder of her costume, making bandages for her cuts. She found a broken stone column about the shape of a baseball bat and wrapped some rags around it for a better grip. Then she went hunting.

This time she wasn’t sloppy and she wasn’t scared. She wasn’t quite at 100% either but with her adrenaline and anger she felt ready for any monster. Hovering quietly she listened and smelled, straining all of her superior senses to find her target. Finally…

She smiled and started carefully flying towards her prey.

She found it sitting with its back to her sitting hunched over the body of someone in a VX uniform. The creature was tearing off chunks and eating them. She’d never get another chance like this! ML flew in a top speed hitting the beast with her stone club and swooping away too fast to be caught. The beast howled and followed her. She darted around a corner and paused hovering in the air. And the demon came around she hit him again cracking the stone club. But as she tried to fly away a strong claw caught her foot, swinging her around slamming her into the wall. She dropped the club and felt her vision go dark for a second. The creature bashed Maple Leaf several times until she was barely awake. Then it took her again.

Hours later, Jillian staggered to her feet. Slowly and painfully she found her way back to the VX corpse. Ignoring the smell of rotten flesh she found the foot soldier’s backpack and helped herself to some protein bars and vitamin drink. The blaster rifle was smashed but the body armor was in good shape, so she stripped the corpse and put it on. Going through its pouches she even found a combat knife and taser.

Soon she was ready for round 3.

This one was even shorter. The demon got in the first punch sending the Canadian reeling. Sprawled on the floor she tried to reach for a weapon, or to fly away or something, but she was paralyzed with fear. The monster smashed her precious equipment and raped her again.

It was after the 4th round that the lights went out. Whatever magical or natural light there had been disappeared leaving Maple Leaf hungry, afraid and alone in the dark. Flying and even walking became too risky, she could only carefully crawl along the floor feeling her way, still trying to find a way out.

Sometimes Maple Leaf wondered if Tigress and the others had come looking for them. She hoped not. She liked to imagine they were safe somewhere, safe and free and home. Now crawling in the darkness like their failed leader.

There was no way to know how much time passed. Maple Leaf only knew her shoulder length hair was much further down her back. She was always hungry and thirsty but her enhanced body could survive without food and water. She didn’t know how long she could live, they’d never tested it, but so far she’d survived. Still, her body craved food and drink, sometimes she would find a rat scurrying by. It was enough to satisfy herself for a little while.

She no longer fought much when the monster came, she just tried to survive without permanent injury. Her hearing and smell were keen enough to warn her when the monster was coming giving her enough time to find a comfortable spot and assume a prone position. So long as she did this it didn’t hurt her much. Sometimes she made a mistake and reflexively fought back, that was when it hurt her a lot. She started to take pride in doing well, not getting hurt, she even tried to respond a bit, pushing back against it and stroking its filthy fur. Once it even responded, lightly stroking her face with its claw. The next time it came it brought her three dead rats.

Sometimes she could still hear her teammates’ voices. That was when she just sat and cried.

***

The Konrad zombie dumped Star in a damp low chamber deep in the dungeons and locked the door. The room was no more than 10’x10’ and the ceiling was just 4’ high forcing the girl to stoop. There was a tickle of water running from a crack in the corner and a small pit under it (‘the toilet?’ she thought). The iron door had a small window in it showing the corridor outside. Grateful to be alone Star retreated to the corner.

After some time the door opened again and someone tossed in another woman. Star looked at the new arrival for a while (the new girl was curled up in a ball and smelled totally gross) before she noticed the red hair.

"Shamrock?" she crawled closer, yup it was the Irish girl. But she was naked, her body covered in gashes she just lay there in a ball taking shallow breaths, her face hidden behind her knees.

"Hey sweety, what’s wrong?" Star shook her a few times but the girl didn’t move. Jenni noticed the smell was coming from some kind of slime all over her waist and down the inside of her legs. Jenni wondered for a second what it was but then realized she was a lot better off not knowing. Star’s leotard was long gone of course but she still had her gloves and boots. She scurried over to the trickle of water and filled one boot. Crawling back she used her glove as a towel and tried to clean the girl up bit by bit. She cleaned the dirt and other gunk from her gashes and most of the slime from her butt and hips. Shamrock wouldn’t move at first, curling up tighter but eventually she allowed Star to wash her off, even to drag her to the water and finish cleaning her. Finally Shamrock looked up at her teammate and muttered something. It was the first sound she had made since being thrown in.

"What’s that honey?" Star leaned closer.

"…sorry…you are nice after all…"

"Why thank you, Shamrock. And once you’ve had some rest you’ll be fine. Don’t forget the boss lady is still out there, and Valkyrie, they don’t take shit from anyone. I wouldn’t be surprised if they wrap up these VX guys in no time."

"…s’not VX… much worse…devils…"

Shamrock finally passed out her head in Star’s lap, her face looking at least somewhat peaceful.

Star however was very, very scared. Until then she had only seen the VX guys. Konrad had been pretty freaky for a bit, after she hear that snap from his helmet but… Devils? What the heck did Irish mean?

She carefully laid Shamrock down and crawled over to the window. Konrad was still there, and she noticed, still had his suit unzipped with his thing hanging there. Flies were crawling on his chest and his head was at a funny angle. Star screamed and retreated to the back of the cell.

Time passed slowly for them. At first Shamrock spent most of her time sleeping, twitching to some nameless nightmare, and then would usually wake up screaming or crying. Later she started to talk about what had happened literally shaking with fear as she retold her ordeal. But the she would reassure Star it didn’t matter since the important thing was she saved Rising Sun. Star wondered how true that was but didn’t say it, it seemed the only thing keeping Shamrock from going totally nuts. Star tried to be supportive when Shamrock was awake but the rest of the time was in a barely contained state of panic herself. She did not want to go through something like that. In her heart she promised herself that she’d do anything it took not to end up a victim like Shamrock. Or end up like that VX guy. He was still out there, standing there 24/7 rotting and smelling but still in his open suit watching the door.

Sometimes someone, or something, would open the window and toss in a few VX protein bars (why did they put their logo on a protein bar? Seriously, what kind of terrorist group has their own brand of snack foods?). Star waited for her strength to come back so she could kick some ass but after a few days (or at least a few feedings) it hadn’t. She just felt weak and drained all the time. And bored. The Irish girl was not exactly charming company.

As Shamrock regained strength some of her optimism returned as well. She began plotting with Star how they might escape. Their only chance seemed to be when food was delivered, if they could capture their guard they might be able to get free. At first it was just a daydream to pass the time but as Shamrock felt stronger she became more committed to it. Star was reluctant but admitted to herself it was their only chance. When they both felt ready they struck. The window opened, Shamrock seized their captor’s wrist while Star reached up grabbing for the shoulder or, even better, the throat. Shamrock cried out in surprise when the arm came off in her hand, it was rotten hunk of flesh still in the tattered remains of a VX foot soldier uniform. Star felt the throat in her hand and squeezed tightly, it popped like a zit dropping the rotting head into their cell. Star screamed and kicked the head into their toilet pit, Shamrock threw the arm in after it. They both watched the pit for some time waiting to see if the dead flesh would crawl back out. Time passed and it did not, no food came either. Shamrock tried once or twice to start talking about a new plan but Star ignored her, holding her grumbling stomach.

The girls stopped talking to each other.

Finally after… days? weeks? the window opened again and a bag fell in, it was their spare costumes from the plane, still in the shrink-wrap. Shamrock looked at hers for a while before deciding what the hell and dressing. She was tired of being naked. Star followed suit.

When they were done the door opened, spilling in some harsh torchlight. A thick green-furred finger gestured for them to come. Shamrock led Star out into the corridor, standing up straight for the first time in a long while.

***

Days went slowly for Valkyrie. Bit by bit she recovered her strength, soon she could walk on her own and even help Circe in the small kitchen. Every day an old woman came to bring the two girls that day’s food and some wood for the fire. Valkyrie learned her name was Bridgett but could not get any information about where she came from or why she served the Wraith Lord. The woman just looked down in shame when asked.

Valkyrie learned more about her cellmate. To her amazement Circe had been captured in 1949, and thought only a few months had passed. Valkyrie told her the truth and they spent many hours talking about the Apollo landing, the fall of the Berlin wall and other events of the last 50 years. They speculated about how much time was passing outside.

With little else to do, she and Circe made love three times a day and three times again each night. Circe joked that Val would recover faster without all that exertion but she was just kidding. Neither would even consider stopping. Sometimes Circe told Valkyrie stories about the torture chambers and what had happened to her friends. The heroine would take the girl in her strong arms and swear no harm would come to her.

One night Val lay with Circe’s sleeping head on her strong stomach stroking her auburn hair. She enjoyed Circe’s smell, her caress, the sound of her voice, the way she walked. She realized she was very much in love.

Then, the next morning she awoke to find Circe was not in her arms!

Val sprang to her feet, heading for the kitchen and small water closet, no sign of her. She even looked in the cupboard and under the bed in case her love was playing some kind of strange game. But she was gone. Crying she started to pound on the oak door with all her strength but it would not budge. Finally, after hours, door opened. Bridgett tossed Circe into Val’s waiting arms and scolded her "don’t forget what you have to do." Then she did something she had never done before, she left the door open.

Valkyrie held Circe for a while crying and muttering to her lover. Circe just held her back and said nothing.

Finally Val asked what had happened.

Hesitantly Circe explained she had been taken before the Wraith Lord who had given strict orders for the two of them. If they did not obey, she would be punished. Val agreed to do anything, if it would keep them from hurting her Circe.

From the floor Circe took a plastic package, Valkyrie’s costume, and helped Val put it on. Then she led the way through the stone corridors of the Wraith Lord’s dungeons. Val stalked behind her like a bodyguard caring only that no harm came to her lover. At last they stood before a impressive set of doors.

"Remember" Circe said hugging the larger girl feeling her warmth through the silk nightgown "you must obey, you must do anything you are told or I will punished, please Val, please promise me."

Valkyrie hugged her back and kissed her lips. "Circe, I will do anything to protect you. Anything at all."

"I know" the smaller girl replied.

***

After that first time, Clyde left for his cell and his girl down the hall. Rising Sun and Wolfe were left alone together in their three-room prison. There was a kitchen, a living room of sorts (though without any books, TV or other entertainment) and a bedroom. The bedroom wardrobe was stocked with elaborate costumes, a cheerleader outfit, a business suit, a police uniform, bondage gear, a schoolgirl, a maid, even an Ultra Woman costume and an extra Rising Sun uniform. All in her size of course. There was also, of course, the bell on the coffee table.

Kisume understood she had to keep Wolfe entertained as long as she could or she would be disposed of. There was no mind control, no drugs, the reporter didn’t even order her to do anything. There was just the fear that he would become displeased and ring the bell. Everything she did, she did freely, she came up with herself. It wasn’t just hell, it was a hell she had to constantly improve and reinvent.

So she cooked and cleaned and created elaborate role-plays she hoped would keep his interest. When he started to get bored she would change quickly, coming up with something new, anything, just to keep him from sending her away. As Ultra Woman she lost her battles against Wolf the Conqueror. As a French Maid she walked through the cell swaying her hips and bending over often, always making a coo of surprise when the lord of the castle chose to enter her. He seemed to really like the schoolgirl suit making her beg him in a high girlish voice for a higher grade, offering to do anything he wanted. As a police woman she tried to handcuff the bank robber but somehow always ended up bound in her own cuffs with her tight skirt up around her waist. And when he seemed bored, she put on the studded leather panties, took out the whips and begged her master to punish her.

Then there was one time…

She was in the cheerleader costume, bouncing up and down doing a little dance and cheer she’d written for him (Who do I love to fuck? BUCK! Who’s got a bigger bat than Babe Ruth? Wolf!) but no matter how hard she tried he just wasn’t interested. She was starting to get scared.

Finally he gestured for her to stop and said "So toots, what’s your name anyway?"

Thinking fast Rising Sun answered "Bambi Honeypot" in the highest most girlish voice she could muster.

"No, no, no, seriously babe, your real name ain’t Rising Sun."

Confused, RS dropped her character. "My, uh, real name is Kisume-""Kiss me?""Ki-su-meh, Kisume Hiro""Hero?"

"H-I-R-O it means a broad plain."

"So, Kiss me Hero, you’re a just plain broad?"

Kisume chuckled, the first sincere laugh she’d had in a long time."Come on, sit down, let’s just talk OK?"She carefully sat down across from him and let her hair out of the tight pigtails it was tied in."So, Miss Hero, how’d you get messed up in all this superhero BS anyway? It was the name wasn’t it?"

"Well… it’s a long story…"

"We got time Kisume…"

So she told him how she had been a scientist injured when gangsters attacked her lab. She’d been injured and like the other GPs had been revived and reborn through Dr. Boyd’s process. She talked about her adventures and how much she enjoyed helping people. She started to talk about her teammates and trailed off…Wolfe opened up as well, talking about the pressure from his father to take over the network, the stuff he had to do to get ratings and his plans to turns Wolfe International News Network into a real news operation, not just a sideshow.

They had to skirt around their… situation and relationship but were still able to talk for hours, enjoying genuine human companionship for an evening.Later the made love gently, like boyfriend and girlfriend and not… what they were. Kisume had her first real orgasm since she was captured (she’d faked it for Wolfe many times of course). Then she slept peacefully, feeling like a person again.When she awoke Wolfe’s meaty hand was striking her bottom again and again. She cried out as he spanked her, wailing in pain and despair. Finally he tossed her out of bed onto the floor."Get up you lazy cunt, get dressed and get me some damn breakfast.""What? But last night…""You actually bought that whole ‘my daddy’s so mean to me’ crap? You are as dumb as you look Miss Kiss Me Hero. Now get moving before I lose my temper."Hurrying, Kisume dressed in her French maid costume and headed for the kitchen. This time she swore not to cry until she was out of his sight.

Her found her later, hunched on the floor in tears, unable to continue, not caring what might happen. Wolfe enjoyed that moment and took her with renewed savagery. When he was done he told her to get back in the cheerleader outfit and get ready for some gymnastics. She hurried to obey.Later she tried to fake that moment of despair but Wolfe saw through her crocodile tears and just told her to cut it out. Kisume suspected he was just waiting with sadistic anticipation for her next real collapse. Sometimes Clyde and Roberta (his… slave? servant? toy?) came to visit, that made things easier. The girl remembered Rising Sun watching her tortures but they did not talk about it. Instead the two girls cooked and compared ideas while the men talked. Then they would eat each other out or have a four way.

Then one time Clyde came with a new girl, Gretchen. He talked about how tired he had been of Roberta so he had finally rung the bell and she had been removed and replaced. Kisume had always harbored a secret hope the bell was just a bluff, or that when she was gone Wolfe would be left alone, but now that was gone. Only her imagination and her body stood between her and the demons. Rising Sun had no idea how much time had passed, but only knew that every day she was getting closer to the one when this torment would end and a much worse one would begin.

Then Clyde and Gretchen stopped coming altogether. When Kisume finally asked Wolfe told her Clyde was dead and offered no details. Later he beat her savagely and made her beg for forgiveness.

Finally one day Wolfe told her to get dressed, to wear her costume. She had never worn it in their games, somehow it was still precious to her, it represented an ideal of herself, a brave self who would have fought for her friend. Not a coward who abandoned her friends and became a whore to save herself. But she put the costume on, after all that’s what Rising Sun is, a coward and whore. She carefully applied her make up and brushed her hair (now a bit longer she noticed). Finally she stood in front of the mirror in the Global Protector’s trademark pose, hands on her hips, big smile and legs spread. She looked like her old self again for a second. It didn’t make her cry very much. When she was ready she found Wolfe in the living room wearing a tuxedo. The outer door was wide open. "Come on toots, time to see your friends."

***

Maple Leaf was stalking a rat when she first saw the light. It was faint and a long way off. She looked at it for a long time before she continued after the rat, crawling after it tracking it by sound and smell. She passed the light again some time later and looked at it again. She didn’t know what she should do. Would she be punished? She waited for a sign. Finally, some small measure of hope rekindled inside her and she headed for it. She realized she could see and could walk again but when she tried to stand her muscles rebelled and she fell. So she crawled a long way towards the light.

The creature was waiting for her at the end of the tunnel. It took her by the hair and dragged her into the dungeons.

***

Shamrock and Star found themselves in the central vault. The pentagram and golden cages for prisoners were much the same but now two wooden stocks, some chains and pipes were lying on the floor. The demon and the zombie pushed them into the center and locked their ankles into 2’ long chains then left. The two girls waited for some time, wondering what was to come, wondering what the paraphernalia piled around them meant. Finally the Wraith Lord descended through the ceiling and grinned to his audience. Not that he had a choice about grinning. But he would have grinned anyway. You know what I mean.

Star shuddered and tried to run falling on her face when she ran out of chain. Shamrock held her ground glaring at her captor, not looking away.

"Are you well?" he asked the two. Star nodded several times.

"Good. Soon your friends will join you."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Shamrock’s eyes.

"Do you trust your friends Shamrock?"

"Yes! They are heroines. I know they will fight you to the end!"

"Good, good. It is good for you to believe that."

Wolfe and Rising Sun entered together. Shamrock called out to her but RS made no reply.

A demon entered next holding Maple Leaf by the hair. She was filthy, covered in dirt and cuts, her body emaciated, ribs clearly showed through her skin and her eyes were wild, barely able to focus. When she caught sight of their uniforms she tried to cry out but only a croak emerged from her throat. When she started to climb to her feet the demon simply raised its hand to slap her and she cringed, cowering at its heel like a whipped dog.

Valkyrie was the last to enter, a pretty girl in a nightgown led her by the hand.

***

The Wraith Lord clapped his hands and nodded to Circe, and nodded again to Wolfe and they whispered instructions to their charges.

Valkyrie listened, trying to understand what her lover was saying, did she mean it?

"Please Val, you must, you must obey or they will take me instead, please, please, don’t let them hurt me."

Valkyrie gulped. She couldn’t do it, it was horrible, she wouldn’t do it but… She looked into Circe’s wide eyes and knew… she had to.

Rising Sun’s face was an impassive mask as she listened. Wolfe did not have to make threats or spell out the consequences of disobedience. She did not even nod, she just walked forward towards her friends. Star tried to run again when Valkyrie walked towards her but the chains once more sent her sprawling to the floor. The Swede wrestled her to the ground and bound her wrists and elbows.

Shamrock didn’t know what to do as Rising Sun approached "Kisume… I know you won’t hurt me, I know you’ll fight them…" she still believed it, right up to the moment Rising Sun hit her across the face knocking her to the ground. She stopped resisting then, allowing her friend to bind her arms and then lock her ankles in the wooden stocks painfully spreading her legs several feet apart. She grabbed the crotch of Shamrocks costume and tore it off. Valkyrie did the same to Star.

Then the two heroines took the long threaded rods and attached the cruel wooden dildos to the end. The rods ran through the center of the stocks aimed right between the lovely captives’ legs. Realizing what would come next, Star and Shamrock began to plead and beg.

"Don’t do it Kisume! Please! You have to fight them!"

But her friend just whispered "try and relax, maybe, maybe it won’t hurt as much…"

Star was a bit less sympathetic "You fucking dyke! You goddamn slut you do not fucking do this ahhh!" and Valkyrie silently finished the job.

The thick dildos entered the two struggling girls stretching their tight vaginas well beyond their limits. Blood began to flow and their protests became unintelligible cries of pain. But the worst was yet to come as the rods were placed on stands driving each girls’ full weight down on one tender spot. Impaled, they wiggled on the ends of the long poles helplessly, unable to close their legs or move them, unable to do anything to stop the slow advance of the studded wooden dildos from tearing them apart.

Their handiwork complete Valkyrie and Rising Sun, retreated to their lovers. Valkyrie turned away burying her face in the other girl’s hair and accepting her comforting embrace. Rising Sun walked slowly and deliberately back, taking her place at Wolfe’s side.

Despite the pain, Shamrock grit her teeth and willed herself to silence, she would not give them the satisfaction this time. But Star continued to wail in pain, alternating between pleading for them to let her down and cursing her teammates for doing this.

The Wraith Lord enjoyed the scene for a while, allowing the two impaled girls to start to think the worst was over while their teammates began to hope they could leave soon. Then he nodded to his agents again. They whispered to their thralls and once again Rising Sun and Valkyrie hesitated. But they only had to look at Shamrock and Star to see the price of disobedience. Slowly, reluctantly, they approached again, this time with whips in their hands. They waited as long as they dared, looking uncomfortably at each other, and at their teammates. Finally Star unleashed an especially vile stream of insults at Rising Sun calling her a miserable coward and traitor.

Angry at herself, angry at Wolfe, angry at Star for saying the truth Rising Sun struck at her with the wicked nine tailed whip. Star screamed louder, and called her a "fucking gook", Rising Sun only struck again and again until Star’s voice was gone and only thin gasps and wails escaped her battered throat.

Seeing no other choice Valkyrie swung at Shamrock doing her best to miss, trying to land the tips a few inches from her friend, hoping no one would notice. But someone did. Circe ran up and held her, whispering that she must do it, reminding her what would happen if she failed. Closing her eyes Val finally swung connecting with Shamrock and was rewarded with a hoarse cry. Eyes shut tightly, Val hit again and again shredding Shamrock’s costume and skin with her lash.

Maple Leaf watched in horror from the sidelines until the demon looming over her gestured for her to go. She shook her head once but it just raised its hand to strike her. Panicked she slowly, painfully rose to her feet (how long had she been on her knees she wondered) and stumbled towards her teammates. Wolfe put a whip in her hand, a long lash with a single tail and gave her a kiss on the forehead (while feeling her dry cunt through the costume). Taking a deep breath, Maple Leaf began to swing as well.

***

When the girls could stand no more the Wraith Lord clapped his hands and ended the lashing. The three reluctant torturers returned to their places, hoping once more that it was over. The American and Irish heroines twitched for a while longer until their bodies finally realized it was over. The Wraith Lord hovered by them, pouring foul water down their raw throats until the two could speak again.

"Would you like to come down now?"

The two girls nodded enthusiastically.

"Star, what would you do to be let down?"

"ANYTHING oh God, anything you want…"

"Elaborate."

Star exhausted her vocabulary offering sexual favors, slavery, anything she could think of that might please this creature. Finally she said "Take the Irish bitch, do anything you want to her, I’ll do it to her, just LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

The Wraith Lord nodded at this and for a second there was hope on her face. She hastily added "anything you want, I’ll whip her, rape her, shit on her, anything, she’s no one, nothing." The Wraith Lord nodded again and from his robes drew a ball gag jamming it into her mouth, the straps tied themselves behind her head.

"Well Shamrock, it seems you are alone."

"Help me please!" she finally burst out to her teammates but none of them even looked at her. "You can take him, please, you have to try… please, I know you can…"

Rising Sun looked at her boots hot tears falling from her eyes, Maple Leaf hugged the demon’s leg burying her head in its fur, Valkyrie turned her back.

Shattered Shamrock began to sob, crying hysterically "you’re controlling them, mind control, they don’t mean it, they don’t mean it…"

The Wraith Lord took her head in his hands and said "Let’s see. Rising Sun, tell your friend if you are under my control."

"Yeah toots, let her know." Wolfe added bumping her with his hip.

Rising Sun looked at him. Her strength wasn’t that great at the moment but she was still stronger than an ordinary human, strong enough to kill him before anyone here could stop her. Maybe even fast enough to get Shamrock down before…

But she could hear Star’s muffled cries, she could remember her glimpse of the torture pits, she closed her eyes and tried to speak.

"Shamrock… I… please… it would be one of us, if not you me… you have to…" her voice gave out and she fell to her knees sobbing, holding her face. Wolfe let her go on for a minute to two before roughly grabbing her hair and pulling her up.

"Come on geisha girl, let’s get you home."

Rising Sun took one last look and meekly followed Wolfe out.

The Wraith Lord painfully twisted Shamrock around to face Valkyrie and Circe, the dildo turning inside her causing more pain.

"And Valkyrie, are you under my control?"

Valkyrie just shook her head and buried it again in Circe’s reddish-brown hair. "I’m sorry" she muttered once.

Her lover led the heroine out of the vault. Valkyrie never looked back.

Shamrock was twisted again. "And Maple Leaf?"

The Global Protector’s leader did not even look, she just clutched the monster’s leg tighter, wishing for all the world she was back in the safe quiet darkness. At last the monster picked her up and carried her out.

"And Star? Would you do anything to Shamrock if I would free you? Anything?"

The gagged heroine nodded furiously trying to get the word ‘yes’ through her gag.

"You see Shamrock, no control. Nothing that crude. They had choices and they choose you instead of them. Do you understand now?"

Shamrock muttered something.

"Do you?"

"yes"

"Do you want me to free you?"

"yes"

"What will you do?"

"anything"

"Yes you will."