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A Lit Fuse

Fifteen minutes later...

** Karla appeared in her bathroom** and reached for a brush. The hairbrush jumped off the marble counter and rushed to her hand. She brought it back and ran it through her hair. Her eyes met with the reflective surface in front of her. She offered herself a Cheshire grin.

"Damn I'm good," Karla Howard told herself in a soft tone. "You still got it, girl. Any man, any time, no matter what. You bad girl, you." She tilted her head and began brushing her hair from beneath the surface, pushing the brush away from her ear with each stroke. "Innocence, anger and bottled up hostility. God, that was delicious." She continued to brush her hair with a satisfied smile.

Her purse vibrated again. She glanced in the mirror at the purse hanging from her right shoulder then she held out her free hand. The cellphone appeared in her palm. She thumbed the bottom of the screen from left to right. "Karla here. Miss me already, Reno?"

"Karla, this is Topaz." The familiar voice caused the youthful-looking succubus to chuckle. The phone's speaker volume caused it to vibrate softly in her hand as Parker continued speaking. "What's so funny? You know what... nevermind. We need you here at the houseboat. I just got big news... there's an armored car bringing one of the artifacts through town on its way to Seattle tonight. We should get our hands on it before Aris or one of his goons gets it."

Karla's eyes widened. She put the brush down and disappeared from the bathroom. Howard reappeared in the living room adjacent to Topaz and Fox. "Hey kids. Everyone use the bathroom before we go. I'll check the anchor then we leave for the mainland in five minutes. Good job. This is the break we needed in all of this mess."

"Where've you been?" asked Topaz.

"I went to meet Inspector Reno Nevada. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he was 'blessed' with gypsy magic. He has the ability to touch things and learn details about the object or person. It'll come in handy. Also, he was suspended for getting too close to Aris Falcon. He's angry and feels like he was manipulated... which, of course, is because he was manipulated. Not to mention he's got bottled emotions concerning the possible death of his fiancée. I had to get him drunk so I could learn more about him but trust me... he's reliable and he's on our side. Now, let's go steal this artifact... which one is it?"

"It's one we overlooked." Fox stood up from the living room recliner and said, "If my contact is right, the Finnish call it The Sampo. Nobody is really sure what The Sampo actually is, but there's a lot of conjecture."

Karla folded her arms beneath her bust line. "Do we have any information at all about what it might be?"

"Well, if the packing list of this armored car is legit, then it's apparently some sort of really old weapon. It's being transferred by some rich guy that's moving his personal private collection from San Diego to Seattle. Don't ask how my contact knows... They were trying to get a hold of dad; they only called me because they couldn't get ahold of him. Hell, they didn't even know he was sick, let alone..." Fox trailed off and took a deep breath with a pained sigh of remorse.

After a moment of repose, he licked his lips and continued. "Anyway. After we told her that dad is gone, she started giving me details about an armored car that will be traveling up the coast. She told me that we have to steal this weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. So... someone else out there knows about what's going on, apparently."

"Now that is an interesting development," Karla mused aloud. She brought a finger to her lower lip, tapping the nail against her labrum, pensively. "Hmm, well... it's also interesting that they had your cellphone number, guys. Jon Parker had a lot of little secrets, didn't he? What did the caller sound like?"

Topaz frowned. "They had a vocal scrambler to disguise their voice. It was monotone and robotic. For all we know, Stephan Hawking was on the other end of the line. Let's get moving. We have less than two hours."

X

---

X

" How's your Krav Maga? Topaz asked with a smile. "When's the last time you've even been in a full-on fight? And did you print enough darts?"

Fox pushed a magazine into the butt of the pistol then cocked the slide. A 3D-Printed plastic tube with a needle popped into place in the chamber. "Krav Maga, heh. Last I used that was outside the museum with you. So far as fighting? I sorta threw a few jabs in the back of a van the other night. It's a long story and happened right before you woke up."

"It'll have to do." She reached behind herself and withdrew a nine millimeter handgun and pointed it in his face. "Pop quiz time. Reach for the sky."

Fox brought his hands up, holding his dart gun aloft. When she told him to put his hands up, he used his free hand and snatched the barrel of her weapon. He brought it down, redirecting the weapon away from his face.

Dangling his dart gun off his index finger, he used the rest of his second hand to strike the inside of her elbow, taking control of the nine millimeter's direction so that they both held it with the barrel pointed back at her. He then slid his other hand from her elbow down behind the slide near the hammer, flipped it over as if it were on a level table in midair, then stopped short of breaking her finger in the trigger guard. "If you weren't the most important person in my life, I'd have just broken your index, slid the gun off your hand while you're stunned, then stepped back and blown your head off. I guess I've still got it." He twirled both guns in each of his hands, one, then the other, then the first again, like a Western gunslinger.

A smile came to her lips. "Good. You didn't even think about it, you just did it. That's what I wanted to see. And thank you for not breaking my finger in the trigger guard. I appreciate that." She leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth gently. "Don't get yourself killed. Please. I can't lose you."

Fox offered a sly grin. "Just say it... you love me."

She turned away quickly. "Hush. Now get ready. Karla is going to teleport you into the passenger seat and you're going to commandeer the vehicle."

"Tell me why, again, we can't just send someone into the back of the armored car, find the weapon and teleport back out...? Seems so much more streamlined."

"Because we can't see into it, doofus. She can, however, see into the windows of the front seat and you can dispatch the guards while Karla focuses to levitate the car _just enough_that the wheels don't touch the ground. It will take a few moments for her to lift an armored car full of people. It's a lot of weight. But if she can pull it off, then they can't go anywhere. I'm using the sniper rifle with armor-piercing rounds. If you get in over your head, I'll take out the guards. But if you can do it without killing anyone... that's best. Simple right?"

"Simple... right. Thank you. It's refreshing to hear you plan a way of doing this without killing anyone." Fox closed his gloved hands into a fist.

Where the fingerless gloves stopped, the skin of his finger came beneath her chin and he turned her face directly to him and kissed her softly. "You've been the only constant in my life for a decade, now. I have no trouble saying it: I love you. I won't get myself killed. I know you're a sharp eye... just... don't miss, okay?"

Paz found herself unable to speak, somewhat breathless.

Fox turned to Karla and said, "I'm ready. As soon as you see the armored car, don't hesitate."

Karla smiled at their display of affection towards one another. "Aren't you two just adorable? Okay, first I'm going to teleport a flashbang, and then I'm going to teleport you, kiddo. Stay sharp. They should be coming through here any minute."

The three grew quiet and knelt down on the hilltop, watching the road and the passing cars. "Any time now," Paz murmured. She unshouldered her sniper rifle and checked the chamber then disengaged the safety. "I hate waiting."

"Headlights," Fox murmured. He took two deep breaths then added, "Looks armored to me. Very boxy. Karla, I see... yeah, that's it. Okay, don't put me in there _right after_the flashbang. I'm sure they'll probably wreck and I don't want to be in there when that happens."

"The driver's eyes will be on the road. He'll be deaf but he won't crash unless he's an idiot," she said. "I've done this before. Get ready. Set..." She paused then the small square windows of the armored vehicle shined bright for a brief moment.

The vehicle swerved but continued on the evening road. "Topaz?"

Parker gazed into her rifle's scope. "I have eyes on the little square windows. Nobody is in the passenger seat but there are people moving around behind that. Your best bet is to put him in the rear driver-side chair so he's behind everyone."

"Okay," said Fox. "I'm ready to..."

Karla and Topaz glanced at one another then Parker gazed back into her sniper scope again. "Okay he made it. Everything looks good. Everyone is disoriented and he's behind the driver, now."

"I hope the kid does okay," Karla murmured. "I'm going to give him back up. Just let me know when to go down there."

"Hold tight," said Topaz. "Give him a minute. If that thing wrecks, you'll both be injured. Just wait."

Karla put her hands out, trying to lift the wheels from the road, even if only just an inch. Her palms began to glow, followed by her wrists, biceps, shoulders, and just above her breast. "Might... be too far." She tensed up and grit her teeth.

X

---

X

** Inside the armored car,** Fox Parker turned to his right and grabbed the first guard by the throat. He brought his plastic pistol up and fired at point blank range. The guard struggled, still deafened and blinded but after a few seconds he slumped over, asleep. Fox brought his foot up, kicking the second guard who was kneeling on the floor between the bucket seats. The man flew back into the dashboard with a groan then reached for his gut. He started to pull at the dart sticking out of his shirt then shifted to the side and dropped over the gearshift.

The driver struggled to maintain control over the truck. Fox snatched the darts from the first two men then threw them out the window. The driver swerved from left to right. Parker lost his balance and dropped his gun to the floor.

The driver brought his elbow back and struck Fox in his face. Parker spilled across the driver side rear seat then sat up. He scooted between the chairs and reached for the armrest of one of the seats then froze. With a gun in his face he swallowed and licked his lips, looking to stall. "Notice your pals aren't dead. Your gun is deadly force. Mine was a sleeping dart. No one has to die today."

"I'll go deaf if I pull this trigger but my job is to..."

Adrenaline spiked. Fox shouted, "You've got a red dot on your chest. If you don't put your gun down in five seconds, you'll be dead and I'll probably climb out of here all banged up."

The driver glanced down then started to lower his pistol a little. "Well, that changes everything doesn't it?"

Fox offered a wan smile. "Yeah, sort of does, huh?"

The driver slammed on the brakes and cut the wheel hard. The weight of the armored vehicle caused the entire truck to flip onto its side, and then flip again, onto its roof.

Fox felt oddly weightless. Everything happened in an instant and the truck came to a halt before it could slide into any trees. He looked up through the window and saw a faint pink glow up on the ridge... Karla. He was disoriented from everything happening so quickly, and felt pain above his brow.

Parker groaned. He found himself lying on the ceiling. His dart pistol rested just inches in front of his eyes and his right eyebrow ached. He winced and brought his hand above his eye, feeling wetness. He examined his fingers in the glow of the interior dome lighting, which cast its dim illumination throughout the inverted vehicle.

"Clocked in the face by my own gun," he muttered off-handedly. Fox reached for it and pointed the weapon at the inverted driver only to notice the man wasn't moving.

Parker nudged the driver with his gun's barrel but the man was unresponsive. "God... that was..." Without warning all the airbags deployed. He winced at the sound and the puff of dust. Silence followed. "That was delayed," he groused with a groan.

His cellphone chirped from his pocket. Fox glanced around and saw a blinking blue light nearby. He reached for his earpiece and pushed it back into his ear then thumbed the button. "Yeah, I'm here and I'm fine."

Topaz's voice expressed concern. "Fox, Jesus, I thought you were dead when that thing flipped over. What the hell happened? Did you shoot the driver?"

"No, he saw the red dot and tried to wreck the truck to get the upper hand or something. He's unconscious. I'm going to need help getting into the back of the truck."

"We're on our way down. Be right there," she said, adding, "Are you hurt?"

"No. Just a little banged up but I'm fine. The scene should look like an accident at this rate. I chucked the darts out the window. We gotta find'em and get rid of'em. Let's hurry up so we can get out of here."

He climbed across the ceiling and pushed his sleeve over his hand then opened the rear passenger door and climbed out of the truck. He glanced up just in time to see Karla and Topaz appear from thin air, standing over him. Fox thumbed his phone, disconnecting the call. "Oh, hey there."

Topaz replied with a scolding tone. "You... you idiot."

"You always did have an interesting way of showing concern." He grinned up at her.

His sister dropped to one knee to check him for injury. Satisfied he was mostly unharmed, she helped him to his feet and the trio headed behind the vehicle. "Yeah, well..." She afforded him a weak smile. "I worry."

Karla lifted her left hand, palm up, and closed her right one into a fist. The truck moved forward slightly, leaving a rut in the ground. "Damn. It won't open." She tensed up, causing her upper body to glow. Pink glyphs illuminated her skin like magical brandings. All at once her body went dim. She huffed with indignation. "Stand back, kiddies."

After the twins moved off to the side, Karla held one hand up and the other hand forward, towards the truck. "Come on, just a little more," she whispered. Instead of the hinged rear doors opening, a hole blasted up from the top, leading into the truck.

Fox blinked. "What did you just do?"

"I teleported air into the armored vault. I was trying to blow the doors off their hinges, but I guess the top panel was the weak spot. Let's hope I didn't crush everything on the inside like I did at the FBI?"

"Do I even want to know?" Topaz asked with a shake of her head.

All at once, the stressed rear door creaked on its enormous metal hinges and dropped to the ground with a clang. Karla smirked. "Well, now. Pick your entrance."

Fox activated a flashlight, Topaz used a lantern and they boarded the cargo space sectioned off at the back of the truck.

Parker approached one of the weapons lockers and opened the metallic door. To his surprise, it wasn't crushed from the air pressure trick Karla used to open the truck.

He blinked at a shiny blade within and withdrew it by the handle. His eyes darted to the scabbard then back to the blade. "There's writing on either side of this sword. Two different messages but I can't read what it says."

Karla approached him and glanced over his shoulder. "This cannot possibly be what I think it is."

Topaz approached him from the other side, glanced at the sword then the scabbard. "We can run tests on it later. Sheath it and let's get moving." She tilted her head then added, "If this thing really is Excalibur then the legends were written by the victors to keep the weapons hidden. Most likely, though, it's just a replica blade. The cops won't be far behind."

"She's right," Karla said opening another locker adjacent to Fox. "This one is pretty. The label on the ...Oh hell, it's Clarent. So much for finding this supposed Sampo, whatever it is... so far this is all Arthurian replicas."

"This is the only other thing on the truck," said Topaz. She held up an axe with blades on two sides. "It has odd-looking lettering on the side. It's not Finnish but if it's as old as it should be, this language would predate modern Finnish anyhow."

"Looks Proto-Sámi or Proto-Uralic," said Karla. "Don't ask, it's old; it doesn't look like the Sami I've seen... looks older, but it's definitely from 'Suomi'. We don't have time. This looks legit. Let's hurry."

The three climbed from the back of the truck. Fox frowned. "Of everything I've read online about the Sampo, I don't think it's supposed to be a freakin' axe, nor would it be a sword, because it was supposed to provide for its user, not slay enemies."

"We'll figure it out later," said Karla. She glanced up at the ridge from earlier and, in the blink of an eye, all three returned to the top of the nearby hill. She paused to take the Clarent sword from its sheath.

The succubus' eyes danced over the blade then she smiled inwardly. "Myrddin, you old bastard..." Karla slid the sword back into its case and shouldered it. "I swear I hope these are real. If this is what it's labeled as... then a supernatural celebrity once held this sword. And caused it to materialize in solid stone... and later, this blade would have been plunged into King Arthur by his angry bastard child. Anyhow, we should get back to the boat and start running tests on the metals. Part of me thinks we simply raided someone's expensive weapon collection and lord knows there are a lot of fancy replicas in this world." She turned to Fox and laid the blade of Clarent over his shoulder. "I knight thee... Sir Lucky... to have survived in a truck that flipped over with but one single scratch."

All at once, the triumvirate of thieves disappeared. After several brief emergences over the bay, the three of them appeared on the back deck of the house boat. Karla opened the door to the living room only for everyone to freeze, seeing men inside. Fox pointed to a medium-sized motorboat docked alongside of the houseboat.

The succubus gathered the three weapons and waved her hand. They disappeared.

"Where...?" Fox whispered.

"In the hold," she said. Karla took hold of her blouse's hem, gave a firm downward tug then stomped into the living room and flipped on the lights. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"

The men inside glanced up from their various locations and withdrew pistols, pointing them at the trio. The youthful-looking demoness sneered at them and said, "You're breaking and entering. That shit doesn't fly with me. Who are you working for?"

"Kill them," said one of the men. Karla lifted her hand, palm outwards. Six men, throughout the living room and kitchen, pointed their pistols and opened fire.

Fox and Topaz winced, throwing their hands up over their faces instinctively. Karla's right hand illuminated the room in a soft pink glow. Over two dozen bullets came to a halt in midair. She lifted a single finger from her left fist and whirled it in the air. The bullets turned around.

"I do not want blood on my brand new yacht. This is what's going to happen. I'm going to have you boys leave, then I'm going to make like Lynyrd Skynyrd and give you back your bullets."

"Kill them!" repeated the squad leader.

Again, all of them opened fire. The Parker twins brought their hands up to their ears from the horrific noise. Karla stopped each of the rounds again, causing them to levitate adjacent to the first group of bullets.

Over five dozen bullets floated in midair, a foot from the twins. "It's going to smell like gun powder in here. Now I'm angry." She waved her free hand. All but one of the soldiers disappeared. All of the bullets disappeared.

Fox glanced around then frowned in silence.

Topaz reacted the same way but asked, "Where are they?"

Karla smirked. "I teleported them outside, riddled them with their own bullets and dropped their bodies into the bay... about two hundred feet off the port bow. Now." She approached the remaining man wearing black clothing. "Who sent you? Aris Falcon?"

The succubus wiggled a finger and the lone man lifted from the floor. He grasped at his throat and dangled his feet back and forth just above the carpet. Karla glared at him. "I'm a lot hotter than Darth Vader but I'm just as mean, so start talking." The man clutched his throat, choking, but didn't speak. Karla narrowed her gaze. "Well?"

"M-Monroe! Her name was Krys Monroe! She said we had to find anything of value then kill Fox and Topaz Parker and bring their bodies back to her. Then we're supposed to kill anyone they were with and rig the boat to explode from its fuel line. We were told to make it look like an accident."

Karla dropped the man onto his knees. He fell to his side, panting for breath. She put her fists on her hips. "That sneaky little..." She took a deep breath. "I need a minute to calm down because I'm going to rip that bitch apart. Then I'm going to reassemble all the parts in the wrong place: Karla Howard's Build-A-Bitch-Workshop. Shit just got serious."

Topaz put her hand on Karla's shoulder. "I don't even know who this woman is off the top of my head. Let's just find out what's going on and relax."

Karla glowered at the man, lying on his side, and said, "No. I know who she is. She messed with the wrong demon. I just got this houseboat. It's mine. Mine." She pointed to Fox Parker then towards the closet. "Vacuum the carpet. I don't want this place smelling like gunpowder. Excuse me while I deal with our guest."

Fox blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

Topaz groaned and stalked across the room. She opened the closet and took out a cordless vacuum cleaner. "Don't be a chauvinist, Fox. The only reason women use these more than a man is because we don't want to hear men bitch and complain, which is what they do the whole time they're vacuuming so, by all means, I'll do it."

"Fine whatever," Karla said and turned back to the remaining mercenary dressed in black. "Okay, pal. All your buddies are dead, out in the bay. You're in over your head. So now I'm going to give you one chance to redeem yourself. I'm going to send you back to Monroe empty-handed. You're going to text message me tomorrow when she's at her stupid little club and I'm going to use that information to send your blue-haired bitch-of-a-boss a message. If you warn her, I'll find out and I'll do this..."

Karla disappeared, along with the attacker. Fox and Topaz looked at one another. Fox frowned. "She's awfully mad."

"Just a bit," Topaz said then shoved her brother off the carpet. "Move, peon."

Meanwhile, Karla and the mercenary appeared on the top of the boat. She stood on the rooftop deck, leaning on the railing. The man hung over the water, suspended by Karla's powers of telekinetic levitation. "How far can you swim? Not to mention this water isn't exactly tropical, dear. OR we can do this differently." She moved a hand and he swung around, directly above the back of the houseboat. "I can drop you astern and fire up the propeller. You get chopped up and then I go inside and get some sleep. What's it going to be?"

The man flailed about. "How the fuck are you doing this? What are you? Some sort of witch or something? What the fuck are..."

"EXCUSE me!" she interrupted. "I'm a lady, jerk. You're a man and you don't know me, but you're cussing in my presence and I find it distasteful and disrespectful. Now, I cuss too from time to time but you don't know me well enough for that sort of nonsense. In my opinion, you're being rude and crass in front of a female; not in front of one of your peers. And just a reminder, all your peers are fish bait. You want me to drop your butt and take my chances on Krys Monroe another way?"

"No, wait, please! I'm sorry! I'm just scared of you, I didn't mean to cuss and insult you."

Karla replied with a smile. She folded her hands, resting her forearms on the rail. "That's more like it," she said then lowered her voice to a whisper and added, "Asshole." Karla cleared her throat loud and announced, "What are you going to do for me tomorrow?"

"I, uh, ...find out what time Monroe is at her club and get a message to you. Then I'm going to leave the club without warning her and get a new job doing something that keeps me out of your way."

Howard offered the man a brilliant smile. "Nice! Initiative! I like seeing initiative from a man! Okay, go back and tell Monroe that you found the Parker twins, there was a fight and your men were killed. You sank the yacht and escaped but you were unable to confirm the death of the twins in the skirmish. Tell her that you're 'pretty sure,' because you didn't see any survivors. Tell her you made it back to shore and followed proper procedures to ensure you weren't followed just in case they did manage to escape. Tell them one other teammate survived, you found him injured lying in the boat but because he turned out to be useless, you killed him and threw his body overboard so that you look like the kind of man Monroe likes to keep around. After you leave the club tomorrow night, you disappear forever. Leave town; whatever. Are we clear? Should I be writing this down for you?"

"Just don't kill me, please. I didn't sign up to fight people that can do what you're doing to me right now. This isn't my fight!"

"Oh yeah?" Karla dropped him then stopped his fall just inches from the water surface. "You shouldn't be signing up to terrorize normal mundane people, either." She waved her left index finger and his clothing disappeared. It reappeared in the small boat docked alongside of the yacht. "At least you have nice abs and keep yourself groomed down there."

The man who held his arms over his face, just above the water, called back up to the woman on the roof. "I'm married, lady! C'mon, please! Don't do this!"

Karla disappeared then reappeared on the main deck, just above him. She knelt to one knee and said, "I don't see a ring, pal."

"H-he and I don't wear rings. We got married when California re-legalized it a while back but we each wear a necklace that has a lock and a key. Just, please, lady... please!"

Karla ran her fingers back through her hair. "You're on the team, huh?" She suddenly decided he wasn't all that bad. "Why are you in this line of work anyhow?"

"W...what? Because it pays better than anything else I can find. Jesus, how are you able to do this? I promise I'll do what you've asked. Just, please, I don't want to die."

"You're naked, less than a foot above the cold, bay water. I mean cold. It's the end of November, babe. This is obviously going to mess with your head, later, isn't it? I've learned that men typically lie differently when they're in the nude. So, now that you're exposed to me - and let me just add you have a fabulous ass - I want to know if you're going to betray me tomorrow. So, tell me what you're going to do again."

"Wait, where is my chain? It's a silver key and it was under my shirt!"

She offered a soft smile. "So you're the top in the relationship, huh? Well, isn't that cute. It's with your clothes, sitting on your boat, waiting for you. How you answer my question will determine if you see it again."

"Yes, I'm... just... yes." He took several deep breaths to try and calm his frayed nerves. "So far as when I get back, I told you I'll do what you've asked me to do."

She lay down on her side, above the deck, supporting her head on her right palm, aloft. The levitating succubus crossed her ankles then raised him slightly so that they were face to face. She looked him over then her eyes returned to his face, with his hair straight, reaching towards gravity. "Detail it. Make me believe you won't double-cross me, dear. I've been around for a while. I know people. It's in their nature to lie, cheat and steal just to get their way. Make me want to believe you're different."

"I-I..." he glared at her. "Wait. You seriously don't believe me?"

"Seriously. Make me a believer."

"Fine. When I'm back on the boat, I'm going to get dressed, call my husband on the way back to port and tell him to book a moving truck. I'm going to head to Pages Lost tomorrow and tell Krys Monroe that the Parker Twins were some sort of magic beings and that they killed almost everyone. I'll tell her that I survived because I was on lookout detail. Then I'm going to tell her that I ran for the boat and opened the emergency supply kit, took a grenade and threw it onto their boat. I watched it sink until it was completely beneath the surface then I hurried back to port. I'm going to tell her that their abilities scared the shi...the crap out of me. I'm going to tell her that I need to find a safer line of work and that I'm moving east. I'm going to message you and let you know that I'm leaving the club and where she's at inside the club then I'm going to go home and start packing. In that order."

Karla smiled with a nod. "Now that sounds reasonable, dear. And thank you for being more respectful this time. I'm glad to see you've learned so quickly. The average man is a bit more stubborn, don't you think? Now, do exactly what you've just said you're going to do... and never look back."

"Yes, yes of course. How do I contact you?"

"There will be a prepay phone waiting for you in the boat with your clothes. It has two 'minutes' left on it, enough to send me two text messages. There's one number saved in it. I buy them in pairs and keep them aside for just such a situation. See how I plan ahead for just about anything? Now... don't mess this up."

"I promise, I won't!" He met her gaze. She arched her brows. He furrowed his brows in return and in a genuine tone, announced, "I swear!"

Karla licked her lips and waggled her brows suggestively. "Now, go home and climb into bed with your hubby. Tell him you're a lucky man to have him in your life and that you love him. Heaven knows," Karla said in a cheery tone, "With a body like yours, you were built for fucking. You should go home and do that instead of getting yourself into situations involving guns and crazy people. Toodles." She waved a hand and he disappeared. A moment later, Karla heard a small outboard engine followed by the sound of it changing in pitch. The droning engine began to grow quiet as it grew farther away. She stood up then stretched. "Damn, that was a shame."

"What was?"

Karla turned around to face Topaz with a wan grin. "Did you see all that?"

"Yeah. After I finished vacuuming the living room, I came out here because I saw a naked man hanging in midair. Attractive but definitely gay."

"You could tell just by seeing him through a window?" asked Howard, furrowing her brows. "Your gaydar is far superior than mine, then. I had no idea until he told me. Then again, I didn't see his mannerisms, except for the way he begged for his life. But most people do that, no matter what their orientation may be."

"He had a tattoo of a rainbow butterfly on his shoulder," said Topaz. She moved to the deck rail and gazed out towards the glow of San Francisco in the distance. "Attractive man. I'm not really into guys, though."

"Wait," Karla said, coming alongside of her. "I thought you and Fox were exclusive?"

"I'm a lesbian," said Parker with a shrug. "Besides, he's my twin brother, Karla. C'mon, now. Anyways, I like looking at guys. I even watch porn sometimes. But emotionally, I'm a lesbian. I need my lover to be effeminate. I used to go with guys but that stuff stopped years ago."

"So the only men you've had sex with was one night stands?"

"Yeah. That's all they're good for. Isn't that your definition for boys? Noun: Object of fodder, to be used for one night. See also, disposable."

Karla grinned. "Something like that. Actually, it's more like, 'Boy - noun: noise with a bit of dirt on it.' They're not so bad, though, I guess. I mean they have their uses. What about you?"

Topaz shrugged. "Meh, boys are typically useless. So far as men in general, Fox is the only guy I genuinely trust to give a damn about my wellbeing. But we're related. We're twins. I just... Fox deserves a girl that he can marry and with whom he can have kids and a life."

"You really think you have nothing to offer?" Karla frowned and folded her arms.

Parker shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to give him anything more than a taboo relationship."

"Your brother is cute, too," said Karla. She folded her hands again, leaning over the railing of the first level deck. "A little on the innocent side but seeing him get flustered when I act flirty... that just adds to his cuteness."

Topaz lowered her eyes to the water. She swallowed back a twinge of emotion welling up in her chest and said, "Of course he's attractive. He's half of me."

Karla beamed brightly. "You're jealous that I think he's cute? That's frickin' adorable, Topaz. You're both cute. You'd make a cute couple. You're obviously in love with one another. I won't judge."

"Oh stop..." Topaz ground her toe into the deck.

"That's some Mists of Avalon kinda' stuff. Speaking of that, I'm curious about those weapons we found. They look too new to be over fifteen hundred years old... and the axe, heh, there's no way that thing is old. It looks brand new."

"Yeah, uh... I haven't read the Mists of Avalon, sorry. Karla, I _do_love him but he deserves to have a normal relationship. Do you know what I made him do? Play bodyguard. That's right, I made him tag along and watch while I dated and sucked face with other women. How's screwed up am I?"

"Go on, what happened?"

"It's a long story."

"So? Start from the beginning."

Topaz ran her fingers back through her hair and sighed. "I decided to ask a girl to take my virginity. I was fifteen and she was hot. She said she was into bondage so I let her tie me down. But she was really forceful and I asked her to stop. She gagged me and got even more aggressive. It hurt. It was... I can't even explain it. But when she finished, she left me there on the bed and took off. I was ashamed and bleeding and crying. I know not everyone is like that but... she raped me. Brutally."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry. My first time was against my will, too. I hadn't manifested yet, so I was defenseless. I'm just saying... I understand what you mean. The shame, the bleeding, the crying. I'm so sorry, Topaz." She put her hand on Paz's shoulder with a consoling touch.

Parker nodded, took a deep breath then continued her story. "Fox found me when he got home an hour later. Dad was out of town, probably doing a heist. Our father lived in a basement with its own entrance. Fox and I lived on the third floor, down the hall from one another. Fox untied me and carried me to the shower. He took care of me. I was too ashamed to go to the hospital or call the police. Fox cleaned me up and became my anchor."

"Yeah?"

Paz fidgeted then nodded again. "Yeah. He let me stay in his king-sized bed. I couldn't even go back into my room without having serious nightmares. I started using my old room for storage and just... I stayed with Fox. We shared the bed; it was huge. It stayed innocent for years."

"I understand. And like I said, I don't judge."

The girl looked back up at Karla and afforded her a weak smile. "Thanks. I needed to hear that. On my eighteenth birthday, I came in drunk one night. I'm not really ready to talk about that night, sorry."

"It's fine. Like I said, I don't judge. You can skip that part, I don't mind."

"Thanks, Karla. Anyways, when we were nineteen, I met a girl I really liked. She was submissive and liked to be coddled and all that stuff. I didn't feel threatened because she was so snuggly and gentle. We flirted for a while and I couldn't help myself... I wanted to have sex with her. But I was still nervous in regards to what had happened about four years earlier."

"That makes sense." Karla's hand slid across Topaz's shoulders, until her arm was around the girl.

Topaz rested her head against the side of Karla's and continued her story. "One night, I got drunk and casually mentioned to Fox that I liked this girl. He told me I should hook up with her and if things progressed towards sex... then to let it happen. I told him I was worried that I couldn't do anything with her because I felt unsafe when I'm alone with other people... and that I didn't think I'd be able to even get naked, let alone into an intimate setting with her. So he suggested he could stay nearby. I asked if he'd be comfortable actually being in the same room. He had the most awkward look in his eyes but he said yes and told me he'd stay respectful of the situation. I agreed to it. Within days, the girl and I had sex. With Fox in the room. I really enjoyed the hell out of it. It happened again a few days later, then again the following weekend. Every single time I had sex with her, Fox stopped what he was doing and acted like my personal body guard. He'd sit in the corner with a Gameboy, or an iPad, and stay quiet."

"Well that's certainly a compromise. Fox was giving up his free time so you'd have some happiness in your life. What happened next?" Karla asked, intrigued by the story.

"Eventually, the girl felt bad for Fox having to be around. The girl started to act friendly towards Fox when they were one on one. She'd come over to see me but I'd be at work. She started offering to have sex with Fox but he wouldn't do anything with her. He respected me.

"Wow. Seriously? She was making advances on your brother like that?"

"Yeah... she started acting like she was dating both of us and I felt things getting weird. We eventually broke up. Six months later, I got into another situation. I started dating a girl... eventually it got physical and I needed Fox to be my security blanket again. But that girl turned out to be pure drama. After two months, she broke it off to go back to her ex-husband. A few months later, I told Fox that we should stop hanging out all the time."

Karla rubbed her forehead then turned to face Topaz. "Why?"

"Because I am messed up, Karla! I fell in love with him. Who falls in love with their brother? That's messed up. But I was deeply ...am deeply in love with him. So I broke it off before things got even weirder than they already were. I'm no good for him - he needs a pretty girl with bright eyes that will be a good wife to him. He's really a genuine guy and he deserves that much."

Karla scoffed. "That's a dumb reason to break things off. Being in love is the _best_reason to be together." Her tone softened. "Honey, you don't go breaking up because you're in love... that's silly."

"I can't give him a normal relationship, Karla. But deep down, I can't control how I feel. With eight billion people in the world, now, is it so difficult to think the odds would eventually fall to me and him? Two people who can't help but have a case of star-crossed love? I mean, I wish I didn't feel this way but... sometimes, you can't help who you love. The thing is... I want him to have something more than what I can give him."

"Do you think he feels the same way about you?"

"I don't know," said Topaz. "I remember once when I was tanning three years ago. I fell asleep by the pool because I'd taken Benadryl for my allergies. I slept face down for seven hours. I had the worst sunburn of my life. It was bad. I couldn't move for three days. He took care of me, waited on me hand and foot. Cleaned the house, made frozen pizza... anything I needed. We've done sickness and health better than most. But I can't stand the thought of someone judging or ridiculing him just because I'm the one hanging all over him. So in the end, it doesn't matter if he feels any certain way about me."

Karla frowned. "Do you still need him around when you have sex with someone?"

"I, uh, put myself into relationships and kept him away on purpose to force myself to get over needing a security blanket. Then again, I destroyed all my recent relationships because I start acting untrusting and weird to my girlfriends."

"I see. So if I flirted with you, you'd have to call Fox in so you'd feel comfortable?"

"He and I share a bedroom," said Topaz. "If you and I fooled around, he'd already be local and this is a houseboat, so we're all close together anyhow. I won't lie; you'd be the most attractive woman I'll have ever kissed."

A sly grin tugged at the right corner of Karla's mouth. "Is that so? Well thank you. What about Fox? Would you want him to join in our little make-out session?"

Topaz shook her head. "I don't want to ruin things. I love him. I don't want to hurt him. I'm scared to lose him... I mean, I just... I can't be without him. I can't... I can't push him away or lose him like that. I have to bury my feelings for him, and if he and I ever wound up in that situation, like the way you're offering, then I wouldn't be able to bottle my feelings for him anymore."

"Okay, no worries. I just wasn't sure if you'd want him to join or whatnot. Tell you what, hon... this is an awkward conversation for you. I have an idea how to put it in the past. Mind if I kiss you now?"

Topaz offered a delighted smile and a nod. "I'd like that." They turned to one another and cupped each other's face. Parker slanted her mouth over Karla's soft carnation lips, while Karla sifted her fingers through the girl's hair.

Parker melted into the liplock, pressed her body against Karla and sighed in content through her nose.

Karla slipped an arm around the girl's waist, fingers at the small of her back. She tilted her head and deepened the kiss, drawn in by the passion Topaz brought to the table.

After a moment, Topaz broke the kiss and stepped back. "That was nice. Really nice. But I don't think we should go any further. There's a lot of really nice tension between us and I like it... but the three of us are in over our heads with Aris Falcon. We need to stay focused on that. If we let down our guard..."

"I've been around for quite a long time, Topaz. I've learned several languages in all this time. I've lived in several countries and I've lost more dialects from the passage of time than I can count. If you're worried about them getting the drop on us... don't."

"I'm worried about getting emotionally involved right before a war. If one of us gets seriously injured, it will complicate things. And I hardly know you, so I feel like I'm rushing into this. I don't regret it; like I said, you're the hottest girl I've ever kissed. I just... I don't think I should let myself go beyond kissing right now."

Karla shook her head slowly. "Don't worry yourself. I enjoyed it. If it happens again, great. If not, that's fine too. And don't worry; I know Fox is off limits. And whatever happens between you and me will stay no-pressure, no-drama. Okay, Paz?"

Topaz nodded and chuckled inwardly then rubbed her face. "Just one thing... Uhm, 'Paz' is something Fox calls me. Just Fox."

Karla grinned and laughed in a good-natured way with a nod of her head. "Topaz it is, love. Thanks for the kiss, Parker. You're good at it."

She offered a devious grin of her own in return. "So are you." She licked her lips, able to taste strawberry lipgloss. Delicious. Topaz tried to steer herself back from the wrong direction by changing the subject. "Now, to whom can we talk about those weapons we took tonight? Anyone serious enough to consult will see it as their duty to report their findings if these weapons are actually important. And, furthermore, if they are important, why have such pitiful protection?"

A lacquered nail came to Karla's chin. She pondered the question for a moment then said, "Let's assume the owner didn't want to bring serious attention to his collection. And for your information, I'm turning them over to someone I trust. We'll get our answers soon. No worries. God, did you see that guy I saved, earlier, though? Have mercy. Seeing him like that... hmm, maybe that's why I'm so keyed up tonight."

"He was a good looking guy, but too much hair on his chest and legs. I like a guy to be just a _little_bit more effeminate."

Karla chuckled. "Effeminate can be hot, sure, but sometimes I like a man to be manly. I like to tangle my fingers up in his chest hair and pull. I like when a man is firm with me and when he gets aggressive and seeks to please himself. THAT turns me on. I love macho guys. Not the kind of guys that are disrespectful to women... but the guys that look like they could break you in half, yet they don't. Too bad that guy turned out to be a huge pansy. Conversely, I've met gay guys that could wrestle a bear and stitch up their own cuts without a single complaint. Our friend from earlier was a bit on the whiney side."

"I've met more whiney straight men than gay ones," said Topaz with a chuckle. "Oh hell, they're men. They're all whiney. Even Fox complains about vacuuming a rug."

"Yeah, but that was cute," said Karla. "He'd have done it if you let him. That's different than a man who whines about something and avoids doing what you've asked of him."

"Fair enough," said Parker with a dry chuckle. "So now what's the plan?"

Karla turned towards the sliding glass door that led to the starboard side of the living room. "I'm going to go into town and run some errands, then we move the boat to a new location and lay low until tomorrow. After that, the three of us are going to deliver these weapons. If everything goes according to plan, Reno will go find Aris Falcon's 'queen' piece and put a world of hurt on her. If we can take Falcon's queen off the board, we gain a huge advantage."

"And if he can't take her out?"

Karla opened the door and gestured Topaz through first then followed the woman into the living room. "Then, just like in Chess, we focus on getting one of our pawns promoted to the most powerful piece on the board. Right now, though, I need to run off some of this pent up energy."

"I'm sorry if I got you all wound up."

Another grin found Karla's face. She offered a cheerfully delightful laugh and said, "Sweetheart, I was hoping to run off all my pent up energy on you. I'm riled up from earlier. No, not the fight... I met Reno Nevada earlier, remember?" Karla paused, seeing a look form on Topaz's face. The busty blond laughed again and shook her head. "No, silly... I _didn't_have sex with him. I just stole his energy, so to speak. He's probably sleeping like a lazy teenager right now. I'm wired. I have that effect on people sometimes. They'll relax and I'll amp up... There's a really nice all-night gym in San Leandro. Gotta stay tone and fit, right? I'll be home in a little while. Then we'll move the boat. Text or call me if you need anything. I suggest the two of you get some sleep."

"I'll try." Topaz glanced out the nearest window then turned back to Howard. "Karla, how can you be so relaxed about everything? We were just attacked. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not in the least. Reno is going to stomp on that blue-headed tramp tomorrow. I can't stand that weirdo."

"I used to sleep in the same bedroom as my teenaged brother, Karla. You throw people with your mind. And you're calling her a weirdo?"

"She takes taboo to the next level, Topaz." The youthful teenage-looking succubus closed the sliding glass door then kicked off her shoes. She continued to speak while Topaz followed her to her bedroom.

Kuda came out from beneath the bed and Karla scooped him up in her arms. "Hiya, precious! How are you, babyboy!" She scooped the ferret-sized fox into her arms. He climbed up on her shoulders, ran along the back of her neck, to her other shoulder, then back down into her arms. "Oh, momma's boy is so excited isn't he?! Yes!" She carried him over to the closet then said, "I need you to watch him while I'm gone. Don't worry, you won't have to walk him or anything. He doesn't pee."

"What? What do you mean he doesn't pee? You mean... oh, you mean he uses a litter box?"

"Nope. I read foxes can use them and I kept one out for him in the apartment, but he rarely eats, and he doesn't need a litter box. I can't explain it, so I don't try. Just, trust me on this one... Kuda doesn't need that stuff." She brought the skinny, lengthy fox back up to her face, nose to nose with him. "Do you? No you don't, do you? Nope, nope, nope!" she said, baby-talking the creature.

Kuda climbed back up onto her shoulder. "Did those men scare you, baby? Or were you guarding momma's room, hmm?"

Topaz remained silent.

Karla opened her closet and slid her feet into comfortable loafers with a sneaker brand name on the side. "Remember Johann? No, wait, of course you don't. Anyway, he's a geeky kid who worked for the Justicar and he got me some seriously important intelligence on our enemies. Monroe used to have an older sister named Anne. Anne developed some incredible ability that caught the attention of many supernatural people. She could render everyone around her completely powerless. I wouldn't be able to throw things around or teleport, for example. You wouldn't have your supernatural grace, agility and dexterity."

"Seriously?" Topaz sat on the bed, watching the other woman change. Topaz eyed Karla's naked body while the succubus tried on several outfits in front of a closet mirror, before finally choosing one she wanted.

Karla grabbed a gym bag with sweats in it, and said, "So it turns out Doctor Doom has been trying to emulate it with the DNA he has left from Anne; it isn't much to go on, though. More on that in a minute. The girl was a badass - Anne was used by one faction to render another faction defenseless. So, I've learned that Falcon sent her to Denver a few years ago and there was an earthquake, you can imagine where this is going..."

"She died in it? Jesus that's awful."

"Exactly," said Karla with a nod. "I went to the labs, I've stolen information from Falcon's computer because I can teleport and he can't sense someone in the room with him. I've done my homework, cutiepie. From what I understand, Aris Falcon was able to scrape up a little bit of Anne's DNA but it wasn't anything worthwhile. Radiation damage or something. It wasn't a good enough sample to clone her, only to try putting her ability into normal people. He likes to experiment on others before endowing himself."

"Right. Thus those creepy freaks... some of his experiments that have gone wrong."

"Oh girl, you haven't seen the half of his failures. I've seen things that you could file under 'zombie,' back in 1999. Anyway." Karla started fixing her hair in the mirror. "So he takes some of Krys' blood and clones KRYS, instead. There's simply nothing left of Andrea except a dried splotch beneath Denver. Krys' first question was, "Where is my Annie?" So Falcon introduces the failed clone and says, 'She's right here.' I'm not sure why he does all these nice things for Krys. Krys is a full-time lesbian, so it's not like Falcon and her are sleeping together... but they're inseparable."

"That's good to know. At least we know we can hurt that bastard. She's the first weakness I've heard about. We need to use it against him."

Karla grinned in the reflection, eyeing Topaz. "However, there are complications. This clone doesn't develop the same abilities as Krys, whatever it may be. In fact, the clone doesn't develop any abilities at all. Furthermore, the clone winds up having diabetes, she gets treated for breast cancer twice in one year, and she doesn't even have a normal period cycle. Anne is withering away, according to Falcon's records. Krys has been the primary leader in this crusade against supernatural people. And the doctor, himself, is the heart of the operation. I'm going to kill them both - hell, I'm going to kill all three of them."

"Right on." Topaz offered a faint smile. "You're a go getter, that's for sure."

"Yeah." Karla grinned impishly. "You know, it was hard enough reading this diary that I stole from Falcon when I rescued your brother - some really weird crap in there and I felt really bad for Monroe, but... their time is over. I'm going to course-correct their asses."

"And what's the deal about them stealing artifacts?"

"That's a little confusing," said Karla. "Aris wants certain artifacts and I'm not quite sure why just yet. But supernatural elders feel it would be dangerous to amass the artifacts that he's seeking. Again, I don't know why. I am a rogue and most of the supernatural communities don't like me because I'm a rebel. I don't follow rules. That means no one will share information with me. But _my_beef is with Krys and Falcon. Their war against the supernatural communities cost the lives of people I actually care about. They also tried to kill me when I wasn't on my guard. Now they've got my attention."

"So we're assassins now?"

"Topaz, they killed your father using a genetic virus that would affect only Conner Parker. Jonathan Conner Parker was a good man. I know you didn't exactly see him as the father of the year but he was a good guy. Now their stupid virus mutated and is selectively killing people and no one knows the variable, so the victims are kinda' random at this point. Falcon and Krys have killed several of _my_friends and their attempt on me was the last straw."

"Yeah. You're right. It's not an assassination, it's a revenge attack. And lord knows, they've done enough bad. It's time to stop them, for sure."

"I am going to find out what's so damn important about these artifacts then I'm going to burry both of them and their little clone, too." Karla nodded firmly for good measure as if to better punctuate her speech.

"Remind me not to piss _you_off." Topaz walked back out into the hallway. "Good night, Karla. Thanks for the kiss."

"Thanks for being understanding and open-minded," Karla said in reply with a soft smile. The succubus glanced at her cellphone. Eleven fifty-one. "Get some rest. It's almost midnight." She kissed her palm then blew across her hand towards Parker. "See you both in the morning." She teleported Kuda onto her bed. The fox did three circles then laid down on the mattress, wrapping his lengthy tail around his small frame, knowing the drill by now. Karla disappeared.

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/572151