The Enhancer series Box Set

by Wyatt Kane

  “Wait,” he said.

  “I don’t want to wait!” Lilith spat. “I want him defeated!”

  At this, Bain turned his snarl toward her, but there was nothing he could do to defend himself against her power if she chose to use it.

  Ty’s brain was still buzzing. They needed to neutralize the man, and quickly. But Ty’s original idea of taking him back to the Architect’s workshop to remove his device wouldn’t work. There was nothing there to restrain him.

  Nor was he sure that letting Lilith kill him would be a good idea. There was no doubt in his mind she could do it, but that she hadn’t simply teleported him into a furnace showed she had her own doubts.

  She was lawful good, and he didn’t know how she might respond to having the man’s death on her conscience.

  “There might be another way,” Ty said.

  Lilith gave him a look of barely suppressed rage. “What?” she demanded, and Ty fervently hoped that she would never turn her anger on him. At the same time, he noticed Tempest’s reaction. The blonde superhero was actually grinning, as if she was enjoying the demon woman’s fury.

  “You said once that you could teleport out of your own device if you wished,” Ty said. “Why don’t you try that with him?”

  Understanding dawned on Lilith’s beautiful face. As fast as thought, she lunged at Bain, who flinched back. “No!” he said, but Lilith was too quick. She grabbed hold of Bain’s device with both hands and blinked out of existence, only to reappear again standing next to Ty.

  Bain let out a shriek of agony. At first, Ty thought it was the start of withdrawal, but when he looked closer, he saw that the man’s wrist and hand had vanished, leaving a spurting stump partway up his forearm.

  Lilith was staring at the man in horror. “Oh! I didn’t mean…” she began, but by then it was too late. She shuddered, dropping the device and its gruesome contents on the ground.

  As if in response to being dropped, Bain’s device clicked open, and his severed hand gave a spasmodic twitch.

  The sight of the huge man’s hand on the ground was shocking to Ty. He stared at it for a moment, then glanced at the villain himself, who was writhing on the ground in obvious agony as he tried to stop the blood spurting from his wrist.

  “Maybe we should gather these devices and get out of here,” Ty said.

  Tempest and Lilith both agreed. “What about him?” Tempest asked, indicating Bain, and Ty figured it was up to Lilith to answer.

  “Leave him as he is. He’s tough. He’ll survive. But he ought to be out of action for a while.”

  “The Master will just give him a new device. Same with these others,” Ty said. “We haven’t stopped the spread of these devices. All we’ve done is slow things down a little.”

  “What we’ve done,” Tempest countered, “Is show what we can do. And rid ourselves of a perceived debt.” She turned back to Steam, who had been silently watching. “You hear that? Tell Rubio we are done. We owe him nothing, and he has no hold over us any more. Do you think you can do that?”

  The slimy man offered a sneer. “Would you like me to do your laundry as well? I’m not your messenger boy!”

  “Would you prefer to join your friend Massive, writhing on the ground with no powers?” Tempest asked sweetly.

  Steam’s sneer turned into a snarl, but he said nothing else.

  It was, in a way, an admission of defeat. Ty, Tempest and Lilith did as Ty suggested and collected all the devices they could. Then Ty took a final look at the ruin and carnage around them and nodded to himself. He’d been the cause of yet more deaths, but it could have been worse. And he’d do it all again if Tempest was in trouble.

  He smiled at the blonde superhero. “What does a guy have to do around here to get a lift?” he asked.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Any guy? They’d have to offer me everything, and even then I wouldn’t bet on it happening. But you? All you have to do is ask me nicely.”

  Still smiling, Ty turned to Lilith. “Will we see you back at the mansion?” he asked.

  The demon woman glanced at Tempest, who nodded. “Sure.”

  44: A Satisfying Conclusion

  In the den back at the mansion, Lilith and Dinah shared one of the sofas while Ty and Tempest had both chosen luxurious, reclining chairs. The atmosphere was decidedly friendly and relaxed, completely at odds with the rest of the day. Ty felt comfortably stuffed and knew the others did too, having just finished another of Dinah’s amazing meals.

  This time, it had been a traditional lamb roast with all the trimmings, followed by a cream-topped pavlova and trifle. Each of the latter would have counted as one of the best desserts Ty had tasted all by itself, but which together were almost transcendent.

  At some point during the main course of the feast, Gremlin wandered in. The cat cast a wary eye over Lilith, but for some reason decided to stay, and curled up on the oversized footstools in front of Ty’s chair. Perhaps she, like Tempest, had decided to give Lilith a chance after all.

  By unspoken agreement, they had all avoided discussing the battle beyond giving Dinah a basic overview of what happened, preferring instead to focus on the food and easier conversational topics.

  Perhaps to Lilith’s surprise, Tempest was open and friendly, without any of the discontent she had displayed before. She hadn’t shown the slightest negativity toward the demon woman, even when she and Dinah started snuggling closer to each other in that way only new lovers did.

  After the dishes had been cleared away, Tempest poured all of them a drink, including Lilith, in an obvious sign that the demon woman was more than welcome.

  It was then that Ty asked the question he’d been wondering about since the battle began.

  “How did they catch you?” he asked Tempest.

  The blonde superhero took a swallow of wine and pulled a face. “It was the little guy. The one with the electricity. The Master’s men were clever enough to put him on a roof, and he saw me hovering above him. I didn’t see his device, at first, so it was a surprise when he aimed a bolt at me.” She shrugged. “It impacted my own power, and all of a sudden, there I was on the ground.” Tempest paused to take another sip. “My own foolishness, really. Although I have to add, I would have been able to free myself from them even without your help.”

  She said the last with a grin, and Ty knew she was gently teasing him.

  “Oh. Well, maybe next time, just say so. I’ll leave you in it,” he replied, and gained a look of mock disappointment for his efforts.

  Ty noticed that Dinah and Lilith were whispering to each other and casting glances at him and Tempest. He didn’t know what they were saying, but then Lilith spoke up.

  “What was that thing you used on them?” she asked. “The bomb-thing?”

  “An EMP grenade,” Ty replied. “It interferes with electronics of all kinds.”

  “Like the devices?” Dinah asked.

  Ty nodded. He explained how it worked, and the three women listened intently. “It was Brad’s idea, really. Or at least, he helped me come up with it.” He didn’t mention that the drug still in his system had made the whole process much easier.

  “That’ll help,” Tempest said, nodding her approval. Then she turned to Dinah. “But do you think it’ll be enough? You know, with all the new device wearers showing up?”

  The deerkin looked thoughtful. “As you say, it’ll definitely help, especially with Rubio. But the Master can just make more, can’t he? All he needs to do is send his men out with a spare or two, and activate them at need. So, perhaps it’ll slow the spread of these device wearers, but no. Nothing has really changed.”

  It wasn’t a cheerful thought. Ty still had his dream to cling to, the one where he was flying among a legion of other heroes, all doing their best to keep the world safe from harm. But now, a darker image had appeared alongside it. An image of superpowered villains rising up to face him and those with him.

  There was a change coming to the city of New Lincoln, and p
erhaps to the world. He could see it starting, and didn’t much like it.

  Yet he tried to put on a brave face, if only to keep the mood light and enjoyable. “I guess I’ll have to keep inventing new and better things,” he said flippantly.

  It was enough to inject some levity back into the room. Tempest, Lilith, and Dinah all smiled at him. But Lilith tilted her head. “What about the devices you collected? Will they still work?”

  Ty nodded. “I think so. I’ll just need to figure out how to restart them. Why?”

  The deerkin gave him a grin. “I was thinking we might have to increase our own numbers. We can contact the others from the Architect’s original group if we need to, but they have their own cities to look after. But maybe if we refer to the Architect’s files, we might find a few with the potential we need.”

  Lilith leaned against the deerkin’s shoulder so their faces were inches apart. “Am I—are we all,” she amended, including Ty and Tempest, “not enough for you?”

  It seemed to take Dinah off guard. She looked at Lilith with surprise, then burst out laughing. “That isn’t what I meant,” she said. “But you’re right, of course. Anyone else we bring in is likely to have the same sort of appeal to the rest of us as you.” The deerkin grinned. “But I’d be up for the challenge,” she said.

  Her answer was too much for Lilith, who started to say something, blushed deeply, and remained silent.

  Ty saw that Tempest had watched the interaction just as closely as him, and still didn’t look at all put out. Instead, she had to cover a grin with another sip from her drink.

  The conversation drifted from there, and Ty found himself enjoying the evening immensely. He knew he should have tried to spend some more time in the workshop while his head was still buzzing even a little, but this was important as well. So he stayed in the den, enjoying the company of the women he loved, and drank his own wine.

  Finally, not too much shy of midnight, the evening began to draw to a close. But there was one more surprise in store for Ty, and Tempest as well.

  Dinah stretched, covered her mouth to stifle a yawn, and announced to the room. “Well, we’re heading to bed,” she said. “Lilith, is there something you’d like to say?”

  The demon woman blushed a deeper red than usual. But she drew a deep breath and stepped up to the challenge.

  “If anyone else would like to join us … I haven’t ever done anything like that before … but I’m game.” She shot Ty a look, bit her lip in a display of uncertainty, and glanced at Tempest as well.

  Ty felt his mouth curve into an uncontrollable grin, and wondered if that was what she and Dinah had been whispering about. He looked at Tempest and saw an expression that mixed surprise and pleasure.

  “Are you sure?” the blonde superhero said.

  “Yes.” Lilith said. If anything, her blush deepened. “Dinah has been telling me what it can be like. I just … just want to experience it for myself.”

  It was all she needed to say. “Well, then,” Tempest said. “What are we waiting for?”

  45: The Master’s Message

  In Dinah’s comfortable room, the deerkin started the ball rolling by lighting a number of candles and turning the stereo on low. Then, with a broad grin on her face, she stripped off her own clothing before helping Lilith from hers as she stood shyly next to the four-poster bed.

  The demon woman continued to blush, her eyes darting back and forth, and Ty couldn’t help but stare at the magnificence on display. Lilith’s modified skin varied in shade from light pink to almost purple, depending the light, and was free of even the slightest blemish. She was more voluptuous than either Dinah or Tempest, and the hair on her head wasn’t all that was pink.

  Ty’s first instinct was to move in close to her, but Tempest had other ideas. Somehow, the blonde was also naked, and she wrapped herself around Ty in a sensual embrace that left no doubt about her intentions.

  “Give her some space,” she whispered in Ty’s ear, then nibbled his lobe for good measure. “She might need a little time.”

  Ty understood. He turned his attention to Tempest instead, kissing her with passion, and marveled that he could ever be so lucky.

  In moments, Ty was naked as well, and he and Tempest climbed onto the bed. They spent the next little while just with each other, neither of them in any real hurry, but instead enjoying the sensual familiarity they had together.

  It wasn’t long before Lilith and Dinah joined them. Ty couldn’t help but watch as the deerkin pushed Lilith onto her back and ran her tongue expertly over the demon woman’s body, lingering at her perfect nipples and teasing them erect. Lilith’s face retained her blush, but her expression was one of pure bliss.

  After a moment, Dinah shot Tempest and Ty a grin. “She tastes amazing! Want to try?”

  Lilith squirmed at the suggestion. But she didn’t object, and Ty and Tempest accepted Dinah’s invitation. In moments, Lilith’s squirming turned into writhing in pleasure, and her breathing became more urgent.

  After that, Ty became lost in a sea of bodies and sensuality. All by themselves, Dinah and Tempest were more than amazing, but somehow Lilith added a new dimension to their lovemaking. At first, she simply accepted their combined attention, but it wasn’t long before she started to play a more active role.

  She seemed every bit as interested in learning about them as they were about her. And she proved surprisingly naughty. Ty first realized Lilith was using her tail when Dinah gave a startled look that turned into a grin, and then Ty felt something grip his erection in an unfamiliar way.

  At one point, both Lilith and Tempest took to the air, embracing each other over the bed, with Lilith’s tail curling around them both, seeking entry.

  “That’s not something you see every day,” said Dinah, who had gone well beyond foreplay with Ty but had paused in her efforts for a moment to watch.

  Ty had to laugh, and then did his best to draw Dinah’s attention back to himself in the time-honored way.

  How long their lovemaking lasted, Ty couldn’t say. But it was an extended session that left all of them deeply satisfied. There had been no selfishness or jealousy, each of them sharing equally in each other, and when they were done, they lay so entangled it was difficult to know which body part belonged to who.

  Ty felt a deep sense of belonging and comfort that was indistinguishable from love, and knew that the women each felt much the same.

  “That was incredible,” Lilith murmured into the post-coital calm. “Thank you for letting me join you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Tempest and Dinah said almost together, and that was enough to make them all laugh.

  “Is it always like this?” the demon woman wanted to know.

  “We’ve only just started,” Dinah responded. “It’ll take a while for us to know what ‘always’ is.”

  Ty knew the deerkin was teasing, but wanted to give Lilith the answer she sought. “Always,” he said. “So far, at least. But who knows? Maybe it’ll get even better.”

  ◆◆◆

  A few hours later, Ty was lost in a dream that should have been filled with pleasure and enjoyment, but decidedly wasn’t. He was back at the clinic where he’d received the AZT-407 drug, talking to Aleta, the receptionist. It was a carbon-copy of what really happened, except that it wasn’t Aleta at all.

  It was Bain.

  Ty didn’t know why the huge man was in his dream at all, especially as their last encounter had cost him much of an arm. Yet there he was, as large as life, and grinning as if he knew something Ty didn’t.

  Ty didn’t like it. In his dream, he started to get angry, and might have done something about it. But before it got to that stage, he was jerked awake by an electronic alert.

  He wasn’t the only one. Tempest, Lilith, and Dinah were also awake, albeit groggy and unfocused.

  “It’s me,” Dinah said, her words slurred from lack of sleep as she fumbled for a tablet computer on the bedside cabinet. But her next words were
sharp and clear. “It’s the Master. He’s left another message.”

  Any thought Ty might have had of going back to sleep fled in a rush of adrenalin. His blood ran cold. A message from the Master so soon after their last battle couldn’t be good.

  “Your communication room?” he said, and the others agreed.

  They didn’t bother with their clothes, instead grabbing sheets and gowns to avoid getting cold, and in minutes the four of them stood looking at the wraparound screens in Dinah’s other room.

  “Let’s see what he has to say this time,” Dinah said, her tone grim. Nobody disagreed, but the atmosphere was far from the blissful enjoyment it had been before they went to sleep.

  Ty was noticeably anxious about what the message might say, but as he became more awake, he realized there was more than that going on as well. He still felt a slight buzz from the drug, but beyond that was a feeling of nausea. Perhaps it was some sort of hangover effect, he thought, and did his best to ignore it.

  The deerkin brought up the same algorithm she’d used before to open the message. “Here goes,” she said, and once more the screens became flooded with images.

  At first, it wasn’t clear what they were seeing. It looked like a cryo-chamber of some sort, and as Ty stared, he realized there was someone within it.

  But he only figured out who it was when Tempest made an uncharacteristic strangling noise.

  “Tempest?” said Dinah. “What’s wrong?”

  “That’s him,” the blonde woman said.

  “What? Who? What is it?”

  “It’s my father,” Tempest replied.

  Ty didn’t know how to react. The Architect. Tempest’s father. Lost and presumed dead for years, the device they’d taken from Bain had once belonged to him. How was it possible that the Master could show them this image?

  Before he could ask any of his questions, the Master’s grating, metallic voice filled the room.