by Wyatt Kane
Ty frowned. “Wouldn’t it be better if you –” he began, but Dinah shook her head.
“I don’t think she would appreciate that,” she said. “And anyway, I want to see if I can find out any more about the Master. Maybe he made a mistake that will let me track him down.”
Ty wasn’t satisfied. “But if it was your flirting with Lilith that upset her –”
“I’ve known her for a long time,” Dinah said. “Tempest is immensely strong, and not just physically. But she’s still human, just like you and me. If I go to her, her walls will be up. But you? She has no defense against you at all.”
Even a couple of weeks ago, Ty would have been astonished to learn that anyone could be defenseless against him. But now, he was becoming comfortable with his new reality.
“I know the feeling,” he said, returning the deerkin’s grin.
Dinah’s cheeks started to flush. She drew a deep breath and let it out, and one hand went to her breast. “My, my,” she said. “You’ve come a long way in such a short time. You’d best get out of here before I change my mind and keep you all to myself.”
Ty grinned even more broadly. Instead of doing as the deerkin asked, he gathered her up and kissed her soundly on the lips. When he let her go, he saw that her eyes were closed.
“Are you sure?” he said.
Her eyes flicked open again and she laughed. She pushed him away. “Of course I’m not sure! But go, Tempest needs you more. And anyway, Gremlin will keep me company.” She quirked an eyebrow. “And if that’s not enough, I can look after myself for one evening. Now go!”
Ty couldn’t help but laugh. Thinking that he was indeed the luckiest person in the world, he left to find Tempest.
<<<>>>
The blonde superhero was in the first place Ty looked. She was in the large, slightly austere, masculine-seeming bedroom that used to belong to her father. Ty poked his head in through the open door and saw her sitting on the bed with an expression that was almost a grimace on her face.
Gently, he knocked on the door frame.
She looked up at the sound. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice flat and unwelcoming.
Tempest Flaire was far stronger than Ty. Without his technology, she was faster, tougher, and infinitely more capable than he was. In an arm-wrestling competition, she would have crushed his hand and broken his arm at the elbow without even trying. Only the villain Bain, as far as Ty knew, could come close to her sheer physical capabilities.
Perhaps, if her strength and speed and combat abilities were all he knew of her, he would have been afraid of her.
But she was far more than that. In the time he’d known her, Ty understood Tempest to be fiercely loyal, as devoted to the memory of her father as she was to her ongoing mission of helping people in need. Nor was it just her father to whom she was attached so deeply. She still grieved for Zach. And Dinah had said Tempest had no defense against Ty.
The stunning blonde was heroic but private, having only recently been truly outed as the superhero she had been for so long. Yet, when Ty asked, she had shown herself in front of Badger, launching into the sky in an unequivocal display of power.
The words had yet to be said, but Ty knew she loved him as much as he did her.
He gave her a smile and stepped into her room without asking. When he’d left Dinah, he’d thought to talk with Tempest. No more than that. To find out from her why Dinah’s flirting had upset her.
Instead, without saying a word, he moved in close and kissed her.
The blonde superhero seemed surprised. But, after a moment, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
There wasn’t any need for words. Somehow, between one moment and the next, Tempest was standing as well, and they quickly shrugged out of their clothes. As he had done many times before, Ty paused to admire Tempest’s perfection. She was beauty personified, from her delicate feet to her shapely hips, over the flatness of her belly and her perfect, peach-tipped breasts. Models in magazines only looked as good once the professional retouchers had finished their job.
If all else had been denied him, Ty would have been happy to simply stare, drinking in her perfection. That this was just the start was akin to a dream he’d never dared imagine coming true.
He wasn’t the only one to take a moment to admire. Tempest seemed to enjoy looking at him just as much as he enjoyed looking at her, with a single caveat.
“Your wounds,” Tempest said, her expression concerned. “Will you be okay?”
In answer, Ty let out a laugh and reached for the blonde superhero again. He picked her up, marveling that such a powerhouse could be housed in so delicate a frame, and threw her down on the bed. The analgesic Dinah had applied was doing its job. Ty knew his injuries were there, but could barely feel them.
It was Tempest’s turn to laugh. Ty landed on top of her and immediately started kissing her neck at the same time as he fondled a breast. It seemed that whatever Tempest felt over Lilith and Dinah, she had put it inside at least for the moment.
“Ooh, Ty!” she said, almost teasing. “It isn’t like you to be so direct!” she said. Ty kissed her on her cheek first her left cheek then her right. Then he paused.
“Is that a problem?” he asked.
Tempest reached out and grabbed him by his hair, kissing him soundly on the mouth. “Mmmmm, no. Not at all. Me likey,” she said, already sounding a little breathless.
It was all the invitation Ty needed. Knowing that there was little he could do that would hurt her, he let out an animal roar and did his level best to make Tempest happy.
Always before, it had been Tempest who took the lead in their lovemaking. She was strong and passionate, and knew what she wanted. And Ty was usually more than happy to let her do so. But this time, it was different. This time, it was Ty who initiated, Ty who held the blonde woman down (even though she could have thrown him off in a heartbeat), it was Ty who let his animal loose.
They made love with wild, unfettered passion, rolling about on the bed as they surrendered to the most basic of natural instincts.
Ty pounded her more roughly than ever before, and Tempest responded by matching his pace and fervor. In far too short a time, they were both gasping and moaning in climax, and Ty learned he’d leveled up in yet another way.
“I’m not done yet,” he growled in her ear. “Turn over.”
Tempest actually giggled. “Yes sir!” she said as she did what he said. Ty entered her once more, and this time it was slower. This time, it took longer to build. This time, their mutual climax lasted twice as long, was twice as satisfying, and left them both breathless.
14: Insecurity
Ty lay on his back next to Tempest on her bed, the sheets tangled around them and their legs still intertwined. He was breathing deeply, as was she, and there was a lingering miasma of sweat and sex in the air.
Ty felt almost deliriously happy. Yet at the same time, he was slightly disappointed that Dinah hadn’t randomly showed up to join them. But perhaps that was for the best. Her presence may have unsettled Tempest and brought the frivolities to a halt.
“Thank you,” Tempest breathed next to him. “I needed that.”
Ty reached for her and pulled her into an embrace. “My pleasure,” he said. He didn’t say anything else even though he wanted to. He was too comfortable, too relaxed, too at peace to want to break the mood. With all the things that had happened over the last few days, he just wanted a moment to enjoy Tempest’s presence without worrying about anything else.
It seemed that Tempest felt the same. She lay in his arms and looked at him, occasionally playing with his hair but otherwise saying and doing nothing at all.
Ty was starting to drift off to sleep when Tempest began talking.
“I don’t know why it upset me so much,” she said quietly.
Instantly, Ty was fully awake once again. “Lilith, you mean?”
The blonde superhero nodded. “Yes. Since we put on these devices
, it’s like our need for intimacy has been dialed up to 11. But it’s never been a problem before. I don’t know what it would have been like if it was just me, but with Dinah and me together, it worked out pretty well. We’ve mostly been able to take care of each other. And if someone else caught her eye – Dinah has always been more into women than men – it was always temporary. And she would make sure to invite me as well.” Tempest paused for a moment. “As for me, I’m particular. There haven’t been many who were able to measure up.”
She looked up at Ty, her chin resting on his chest. “Until now, that is,” she said with a grin. “But even with you, even before we knew your alignment, I knew she would find you as attractive as I did. I didn’t think it would be a problem, and it wasn’t.”
Ty was silent for a while. “But Lilith?” he prompted.
Tempest nodded, her expression uncertain. “Yes. Lilith.” For a while, she didn’t say anything more.
“Dinah finds her beautiful,” Ty said delicately.
“Yes. As do you.” Tempest said.
Ty didn’t deny it.
Tempest breathed out a sigh. “And so do I,” she admitted. “It would be hard not to.”
“But you don’t trust her?” Ty asked.
At this, Tempest brow furrowed in uncertainty. “Yes. Or no. Funny thing, I kind of do. Even though the first few times we met, we were trying to kill each other. Or at least put each other out of commission for a while.”
“I trust her,” Ty said. He wasn’t sure it was exactly the right thing to say, but it was the truth. “She only fought us because of the Master.”
Tempest nodded. “I know,” she said.
“Then … why?” Ty asked.
Tempest took a deep breath and rolled onto her back. She wasn’t breaking the intimacy between the two of them, not precisely, but was giving herself the space she needed to speak from the heart.
“It’s because she’s too beautiful. Too perfect.”
Too perfect? Ty didn’t understand. He didn’t say anything, but instead just waited for Tempest to continue.
“I’ve always been the strong one,” she said quietly. “The one who can face any challenge. And I like it that way. I like being capable, knowing that when it comes down to it, there’s no one I can’t face. But Lilith, with her power … I’ve fought her twice, and I don’t know who won.”
She looked back at Ty. “I think if she hadn’t been holding back, she could have killed me.”
Of all the things that Tempest could have said, that was the last thing Ty would have predicted. “But she didn’t. She wouldn’t –”
Tempest was already shaking her head. “I know she wouldn’t,” she said. “I understand that, but that’s not the point.”
“Then what is?” Ty asked.
“I don’t really know,” she admitted. “All I know is that Lilith is powerful beyond words. She’s beautiful, and you can see how good a person she is. She tries so hard to do the right thing, even at a cost to herself. It’s no wonder Dinah admires her. And you. I just can’t help wonder, if she’s all that, if things develop between them, where will I fit in? Will I still be necessary?”
Ty didn’t respond for a moment. He was astonished that Tempest would even think like that. Did this blonde goddess beside him not know how wonderful she was?
Unbidden, a bubble of laughter started to rise. He tried to hold it in, but it wouldn’t be refused. He cracked a grin, which left Tempest puzzled. And that was enough.
Ty laughed out loud. For a moment, Tempest retained her puzzled expression. Then a flash of anger touched her eyes.
At this, Ty laughed even harder. One of the most powerful women in the world was starting to get angry at him. She could literally break him into pieces if she wished. And all he could do was laugh about it. He couldn’t even protect himself. While he still wore his projector discs, they were disconnected from his power supply. He had no defense against her should she wish to hurt him.
“Ty,” Tempest said, her voice a single step from a threat. “Why are you laughing at me?”
Ty struggled to get himself under control. He shook his head and tried to gesture that he wasn’t laughing at her. But for several dangerous seconds, he kept laughing.
“Ty?” Tempest repeated.
Finally, Ty managed to get himself under control. “I’m not laughing at you,” he gasped. “Not really.” He took a couple more moments to calm himself further, then said, “Tempest, there is no way in the world that Lilith could replace you in any way. All you need to do is say the word and Dinah and I would forget Lilith ever existed.”
He meant every word, but didn’t want to leave that as the superhero’s only option. “But you don’t need to do that. I haven’t really figured out how all this works yet, but I know this much. Dinah will never leave you. I will never leave you. We love you. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have room for Lilith as well, if you’re okay with it.”
Tempest studied him for a moment. After a time, her expression softened. She nodded, and pulled him close once again. “Thank you,” she said.
Ty sensed that perhaps it would take time for Tempest to fully accept Lilith in their mix, but thought their conversation may have helped begin the process.
<<<>>>
At first, Ty slept as if he no worries in the world. But as the night wore on, the analgesic on his shoulder and leg became less effective, and his dreams became troubled. It was getting close to dawn when he found himself once again battling Steam in Rubio’s warehouse.
It was like being there again, only this time, Ty couldn’t move. Steam loomed over him, laughing maniacally, reaching for him in his mind.
Ty rolled over in his sleep, putting pressure on the wound at his shoulder. In his dream, it was as if Steam had burned him again. It was enough to jolt Ty awake. He may have also let out a cry of pain at the same time. Either way, his nightmare was enough to wake Tempest as well.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
“Bad dream,” he muttered just as thickly. “Sorry. Go back to sleep,” he said.
In moments, the blonde superhero’s breathing regained the quiet rhythm of a deep and peaceful sleep. But Ty found himself staring up in the dark, acutely conscious of the burning patches on his shoulder and leg. All by themselves, they would have been enough to keep him awake. But as had become a pattern of late, Ty’s real-world problems had reared their grisly heads during the night.
Without his job, he had no money coming in. Martin had yet to make contact, so Ty was uncertain if that opportunity was real or not. And as well as all his regular bills, he and his roommate Brad had to find the money needed to fix a gaping hole in the wall of their apartment.
Even without his injuries, these worries would have swirled around his brain like a dust devil, gaining strength until they became undeniable.
He didn’t want to disturb Tempest any more than he already had, so, with a quiet sigh, he gently untangled himself from her naked perfection, climbed into his clothes, and tiptoed out of the room.
It had become his habit when he woke early to head down to the Architect’s workshop. Tinkering might not solve Ty’s financial worries – at least not immediately –but at the very least, it soothed him. And there was was a growing list of things he needed to do.
Like work out a defense against Steam.
But this morning, he paused instead at the kitchen. Dinah’s cupcakes had been intended to be a late afternoon snack. Perhaps Dinah had made herself an evening meal after that, when he and Tempest had been busy. So, unsurprisingly, he had woken up hungry.
Fortunately, Dinah had made more of the cupcakes than the four of them had been able to finish. A bunch of the delicious morsels were still arranged on a plate under a plastic cover that the deerkin must have put into place.
Cupcakes weren’t exactly Ty’s first choice for a hearty breakfast, but he was grateful to see them. He grabbed three of them, placed them on a saucer, and
continued down to the workshop.
15: Modding Gear
Ty felt himself smile as the lights flickered on in the cool, antiseptic world of the Architect’s workshop. This was no dirty, greasy, backyard shed filled with the accumulated grime and rust of years of aimless tinkering. Instead, the Architect’s workshop was a surgical place, as clean and precise as the man himself must have been. It was the lair of a perfectionist, or perhaps a conductor of an orchestra, fully in control of every last musician and beat.
To Ty, it was a place of worship. With his talent, he could work wonders with nothing more than a screwdriver and soldering iron, but with the tools at his disposal in Architect’s workshop, he felt unstoppable. In Brad’s vernacular, they gave him a buff.
Still munching on a cupcake, he placed the saucer on the workbench. In his mind, there was little he couldn’t do, given sufficient time. He just needed to figure out what to do first.
There were the little jobs that weren’t important, exactly, but which might make life less cumbersome. Integrating his phone with the device on his wrist was one of those. Automating access through his shield wall for himself, Tempest, and Dinah was another. Then there was the ongoing program of improvements to his personal shield.
He’d made it to gave him Tempest’s strength and durability, and he’d tweaked to prevent fall damage. But one of his goals was to fly, which he couldn’t yet do. And he hadn’t even begun to work out how he might mimic her speed.
Then, of course, there was Steam. In concept, he understood that he needed a way to disburse the heat that the villain produced. A heat sink of some kind. But would that protect him entirely? If Steam was able to direct a blast of his heat toward Ty for long enough, would he still not cook in his shield?
Perhaps, Ty thought, a heat sink wasn’t sufficient. Maybe he needed to work out a different option entirely.