I run through the low brush, away from Jupiter, completely invisible - and totally exhilarated by the power in my new Fey body. Not only had I out manoeuvred Jupiter so far, my speed and power had confirmed that I didn't just have Enhanced Instincts.
My body was enhanced and my special abilities were expanding to cope with Kor company.
And now I am flying with the speed I've gained under my feet.
I sprint effortlessly down a lightly trodden path, and when I turn to see if Jupiter is pursuing me, I get a quick surprise.
As I turn my head to scan the landscape of Dark Ninth behind me – my front crashes into Jupiter!
I'm caught, swung around and brought to a stop.
Of course the giant alien had to outrun me!
Jupiter doesn't hold me for long though, he unhands me after he has stopped me escaping, all to grin and cross his arms over his chest as he looks over my fluttering skin.
My invisibility is still pulsing through me but only in flutters, providing me with a semi-camouflage while he looks at me sideways.
"Going somewhere, little one?" Jupiter asks, "Watch duty also means watching out for any of your escape attempts."
"You're the one threatening to tease me until I go insane," I say, "And saying you want to butt fuck me –"
"Yes, I'd love to fuck your ass," Jupiter drawls, "But even I know you haven't received obedience training. So I won't hound you too hard for running."
"Obedience training?!" I hiss, focusing on those two words.
"Come here, get on your knees, and suck my cock... down your throat... we'll start there, shall we, pretty whore?" Jupiter sounds pleased to offer this, until I rebel again, but with new intel.
"Neptune and I started that training on Planet Mercy, but nothing came of it when Mars interrupted Neptune pushing his cock down my throat," I also add, "So I'm down two Kor cocks on tasting trials, I've now tasted E and Neptune, so yours won't be my first experience, it won't be a start, is what I mean," Jupiter's brow twitches, as does his frown, "What? Are you jealous you didn't know about Neptune?" I ask, laughing, trying to rub it in with what little experience I have, "I'm just stating a fact so you don't think you're intent on teaching me something that I think I'm rather good at already. And I don't think I want to pleasure you without the others close anyway. You're a little big... and no one will be able to stop you if I'm choking and dying."
"I'm not an imbecile, little human, I know how to be gentle," Jupiter sneers, ignoring all the rest.
"Oh, really?" I mock him.
"Careful, Empress, arrogance doesn't suit you. E and Mars praise you for your submissive nature. So, what's with your attitude with me then, brat?" Jupiter is unimpressed.
"You're rather short tempered, I'm rather chilled out. We're not very compatible, you annoy me."
"You annoy me," Jupiter murmurs, his eyes slanted, "Let's go back."
"No," my invisibility flutters from off and on, to just on, "I don't want to go back inside that prison yet, I like it out here."
"We'll return together, or you'll wander alone, and I'll activate our Kor traps," Jupiter slowly smirks when he hears my confused halt in my breathing, "Dark Ninth is littered with our hunting holes, trip wires and other nasty things. I'm happy to delight you with a horror-show if you're so hell bent on being a disrespectful female. Return with me, Diana. Do as you're advised," I look away from him, toward freedom, but I exhale a large breath and I eventually turn back to Jupiter, looking down as I nod submissively, "Good," Jupiter growls, still annoyed, "When we return, you can rest..." he is speaking to himself, because now I turn and I run away again, intent on escaping from his watch. I want to challenge myself to evade a Kor. However, the moment I run, Jupiter notices and he snarls after me, "Diana! You fool."
I don't know what he means, until I see his pulsing radar push out over the field – and it lights up certain areas of interest. These locations pulse once, sparsely laid out over nature.
One is right in front of me.
A rope snaps up as I run.
A simple trip wire, but before me something horrible happens.
As I tumble face first and downward, the ground opens up, dirt falls away off the grated and ancient doors – and below, a pit opens up underneath.
Metal spikes await me.
Lucky for me, I've somehow managed to grasp one finger into the grate doors that have fallen through, so I hang from them, looking down at the deep death trap.
My one finger is slipping through the grate.
I panic as I reach up my other hand, but my whole body slips and falls through the air instead. I was too slow!
I scream.
And for some reason I scream a single name.
"MARS!"
I truly believe I'll be skewered and dead in under a second – when my scream for help is answered.
The universe folds in around me, and folds back out.
I feel like a whole soul connected to secret dimensions, pulled me in and spat me back out again.
Because I literally end up spat out – onto a large conference table, back on Earth.
Our Tcno.
I recognise home immediately, because of the important officials sitting around this conference table, which is being filmed live.
The President of Our Tcno was making a speech.
The whole table was in focus with the top officials, military and otherwise.
Including top advisors.
Like Mars.
And Terra.
I've landed with a scream, my heart racing, as I see the camera on the ceiling roll down to focus on my bare tits, freaked out eyes and open mouth.
Mars is right next to me, he had been seated at the table, but these two seconds of landing in Earth feel like an eternity as the red light of the camera, stays focused on me.
A moment later, my open, trembling hand – is encased by a much larger, hotter and stronger palm.
Mars' fingers wrap around my hand, they hold me tight as he stands up over me, looking down at me with concern, but unable to say much.
He pulls me off the table, sliding me toward him. I get up with shaky knees. With a hand on my waist, Mars pulls me aside.
Security in the room have moved forward.
"There's no threat here," Mars murmurs to them, and they stop to look at the President.
"Inconclusive," President Barth murmurs what his connection to Our Tcno advises him to do. Any inconclusive result will mean a Dark response is needed.
The President still had extraordinary power when his will was invoked.
He would decide what would happen for such a shameless, sudden interruption of his speech. I could be punished severely, even as a Dark Nine and technically a Fey.
I press my front to Mars' chest, hiding my chest, as his hand smooths over my hair.
"There was an emergency," Mars explains carefully to Barth, and to every other shocked official in the room, "Her life was in danger. I had to save her from a fall. Accidental."
I hear how Mars chooses his words so carefully.
He knows all of this is going to broadcast around the Intergalactic Alliance soon. All subspecies loved some juicy drama.
"We'll respond to this matter now, for the moment, let's end this speech," Barth sounds polite and focused, but I see in his eyes, he is truly furious. He had always been a passionate politician. I used to admire him since Earth was his number one preoccupation, above all else, he considered our protection and defence most important.
Right now, that passion makes me feel under threat.
Mars keeps me off to the side of the room, as everyone keeps their distance but sends me glares of shock and horror at my entry.
I did not mean to disrespect anyone, but I can see why people might twist this into some form of prank or attempt to humiliate Earth's top names.
I continue to hold myself to Mars, as he leans down to murmur in my ear, "They can't do anything, Diana."
I whisper back into his ear, "Yes. They can."
"Shh," Mars doesn't want to say too much.
I hold onto him, tightly, with both arms.
When a few minutes have passed, the cameras have all been shut off and most people have filtered out of the room, until only a handful remain.
President Barth stays back, talking to Terra quietly.
"...we're terribly sorry, Mr. President," Terra drawls, even though the Kors are more powerful, they choose to show respect, "How can we repay you?"
"I need to think about it," President Barth motions to one of his other advisors, "Who is this girl? I want to know."
"We don't want to waste anymore of your time," Terra tries to intervene, but a top IIA official approaches with the information.
It's shared to Barth's holographic wristwatch.
He reads through everything and absorbs it in seconds.
"...this is the girl..." Barth whispers to others, not Terra, "The one that...?"
I can't hear everything.
I hold Mars even tighter.
His hand cups the back of my head and I look up to see his face, to see if he is confident or worried.
Mars looks right at me but I can't read his emotion.
He is playing a character, and is closed off from showing too much more.
"Ambassador Mars, may we talk to the girl?" the President calls out.
Mars kisses me on the top of my head, whispering words only for me, "Don't say much and it'll be okay."
I take my arms from him and cross them over my chest. Mars helps me by putting his coat over my shoulders to hide me from all the other stares, as I walk up to the President with my eyes down.
He holds out his hand, and I poke mine out of the coat to shake his hand.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir," I whisper.
"Diana, you seem to be an experiment," President Barth doesn't let go of my hand, until I raise my eyes to his, and then he lets my hand go, but I am guessing he expects eye contact throughout this discussion, "The first regeneration of an extinct species," Barth smiles a little, and scoffs a little, "Quite illegal, in fact. Are you aware of this?"
"It's... not a problem, Mr. President," I answer, carefully, "It's only me."
I feel a heat at my back and I know Mars has approached, standing behind me, overshadowing me as protection.
"That's how all things begin... you're a Dark Nine too... a few things about you, miss, are quite out of form," the President doesn't seem to be trying to insult me, rather, he is trying to work me out, am I a threat, an embarrassment, or a non-issue for Earth's reputation. I gulp down my nerves as he quietly says to Mars now, "It's a funny thing, mating... it represents all our best and worst attributes, no matter the subspecies," the President waits for Mars to make some kind of comment.
"We apologise for the interruption and the uncomfortable fact that our woman has more authority than you, President Barth," Mars is downright cruel when he wants to be, and even now, he talks down to Barth with expert precision, "Our Empress is our mate, Diana is therefore a Galactic Queen, not a planetary authority figure. While her face has been rather unknown before now, perhaps we can make this less awkward and go home before I have to humble you further."
"All guests on our planets in the alliance, must adhere to certain protocols, regardless, or it can be seen as hostile," President Barth loses all comfortability, and goes straight on the attack.
Even Terra, who stands to the side of all this, shoots Mars a knowing look.
Shit.
This was going to escalate.
I step away from Mars and toward Barth. I even let the coat slide off my shoulders.
With my tits bare, the President is immediately distracted from thoughts of war and hostility, "My entry was awful, but I meant to come to you soon anyway," I explain, gently, "I hope to welcome a delegation from Earth, to Dark Ninth, to perhaps offer a deeper alliance. If my experimentation is a success, as you can see it is, perhaps humans with a desire to depart our solar system, could find a home on Dark Ninth," I say any bullshit that comes to mind, "Mull it over. I am a Dark Nine and now Fey, but I am human in spirit. I love Earth. I am here as help. As help for humanity. I have great respect for you, Mr. President, and great respect for the human race."
I step back as the President has a lot to consider.
I keep my chin high, his intelligent eyes swing, eventually, from my tits, to my eyeballs, to his advisors.
A silence of deafening proportion comes from my two Kors – as excited whispers start from Earth's top officials.
Terra omits clear anger, he doesn't even look like he is breathing.
Mars is cold.
I turn to Mars, looking right up to his eyes.
He smiles, but it's empty.
He takes my hand and leads me from the room, to the next.
Terra follows.
We don't stop and we don't talk until we reach their guest room.
It's a small room with a bed and a kitchenette.
I sit on the edge of the hotel bed, looking awfully guilty.
Mars pours himself a glass of water.
Terra leans on the wall, hands in pockets.
"Did I fuck up?" I ask them, "Badly? I didn't know what to say. But I didn't want war. I felt so stupid."
"I thought it was obvious, we lead, you obey us, but back there, you held yourself above us, quite far above," Mars explains, coolly, showing no emotion, but I know he's angry. He looks to Terra for comment.
"This is my planet, Diana," Terra tells me, "You... stepped out of line..."
Mars laughs loudly, almost spitting his third cup of water he just had, back out.
Mars growls deeply to himself, cleans his chin with a towel and drinks more water.
Terra chuckles, leaning his head back, "Fuck. Wow. How do we punish this behaviour?"
Mars chuckles with Terra, putting the glass into the sink.
He turns from the kitchenette to see me squeezing my thighs together, holding my knees and biting my lip.
My throat is dry with fear.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"We play it off," Mars explains, "Bury it, so no deal is made, as there will be no deal with Dark Ninth – our Father's planet, gifted to us, that you just tried to deal away," Mars points at me, and turns away back to Terra, "One female later..."
Terra starts laughing again, but louder.
So does Mars.
They seem quite hysterical for men.
I blush a bit, and I don't have the energy to argue.
To be honest, I'm embarrassed by what I said and I'm worried I sounded like a total idiot.
But I also, almost, died – at Jupiter's hand.
So just as I was finding my place with the Kors, I felt utterly lost again.
I stand up from the bed and I shuffle my way into the bathroom to wash my face.
I use a handtowel.
I look at myself and I see my skin is translucent, greenish, my blonde hair looks healthier, and longer already. I look okay, honestly, I don't look as scared as I thought I might. Hopefully the President saw strength in me too.
I purse my lips and I turn around as Mars appears in the doorway, shaking his head, saying, "It's okay, Diana," he seems to dismiss it all, now. I hold my hands together in front of me, as I remain quiet. Mars looks okay, no longer angry, as he steps forward and places one of his hands on my cheek, so I can lean my face into his palm. I look up at Mars, I don't mind him standing over me, I find it protective to be in his shadow, "You had him spell bound with your tits," Mars murmurs, "Good move," I manage to hiccup on a little laugh, and his eyes devour mine with appreciation, "Never do that again."
I shake my head, "I won't," I whisper, "I was scared."
"So was I," Mars admits, "Jupiter almost fucking killed you," he growls that low, "What happened?"
"I was being a... I was... I don't know, I was just having fun and he scared me, he warned he'd turn on traps if I ran, but... I had no idea Dark Ninth had death traps everywhere," I add, "And I don't know why Jupiter turned them on if they are so dangerous to begin with."
"He called your bluff," Mars growls low, seeming unimpressed I didn't surrender earlier, or maybe just angry at Jupiter for being so reckless all because of his ego, "It's a long time ago now since we even thought of them, we deactivated them destinies ago," Mars explains, "...besides, you called to me."
"Yes. So, you're not angry anymore?" I ask, raising a brow, "I'm sorry, I am."
"Calling to me tells me the baby in you is mine," Mars smiles with pride, "You're all mine."
"Yeah," I agree, "I think I am. No punishment then?" I squeak that out, smiling with gritted teeth.
Mars furrows his sexy brows and his sexy mouth can't contain a frown.
Before it turns into a little evil smirk.
And he looks at me and chuckles a bit, he even slowly licks over his teeth and looks at himself in the mirror.
He doesn't answer me then.
I cross my arms over my tits and I try to look angry that he just ignores that question.
Until he doesn't.
"When we go home," Mars drawls, "We'll all take a bite of you."
"There's not enough of me for everyone to nibble at," I growl the obvious.
Mars raises a hand and holds my neck, his thumb right over my pulse.
"Your blood, there's enough," Mars explains, quite soothingly and relaxed.
"What?" I ask, "No way."
Mars is drooling, his teeth are covered in venom, as his eyes focus on my neck.
"...and one female later..." Mars repeats himself from before, "You're treading through deep water, Diana. Careful."
"Don't threaten me... when you could..." I murmur and feel breathless, I'm a little flustered as I get another idea, "...when you could fuck me instead," I ask it, no, I demand it, a bit too aggressively perhaps, "Mars."
I try to reach up and kiss him but he continues to hold my neck firmly, keeping me away and down from him as his eyes scan over my expression of defiance and desire rolled into one.
"I'll fuck you when I want to fuck you," Mars replies, ice cold.
He lets me go and turns from me, walking back out of the bathroom.
Argh.
I lick over my own teeth this time.
I don't feel threatened.
No.
I feel excited.
And I'm not sure why, I just do.