Roman lay down on the cold concrete floor, not sure what Harper was planning to do. She was already up and moving about the apartment, grabbing things as he lay there between the couch and the coffee table.
“Move the coffee table,” she said, standing before him with a white rug tucked under her arm and a small box in her other hand.
“What’s in the box?” Roman asked as he moved the coffee table all the way and she laid the rug down.
It was a white fur rug, possibly made from one of the beasts in the South, or maybe it was a faux fur. It didn’t matter; all Roman knew was that when he lay down on it, it was cool and comfortable, with a light coconut scent.
Harper dropped her skirt and took off her top, so she was in her bra and panties. She unclipped her bra and tossed it on the pile of her clothing.
“You keep lying down before I can give you the next instruction,” she said with a giggle. “Get up and take all your clothes off. I want you to lie on your stomach.”
It was moments like this when Roman wished he could use his powers in front of non-exemplars. Had he been able to, he could’ve simply animated all his clothing and zipped it right off his body. Instead, he had to stand to get out of his shoes, his pants, his jacket, his buttoned shirt, his socks, and finally his underwear.
“I can’t really lie down with this,” he said, looking down at his erection.
“Do the best you can.”
Roman got on his hands and knees and lay on the floor as best he could, using his knees to prop him up some, to give his erection room. In the end, he had his ass raised in the air, his arms stretched out next to his cheeks, and his knees and the tops of his feet lying flat.
He was glad he’d had a drink, because it was a strange pose to be in. But he felt relaxed as Harper began smoothing a lightly scented oil over his lower back and down his buttocks, where she quickly grabbed hold of his penis from behind and began stroking it up and down.
“That feels great,” he said, even though the rest of his body was in an awkward position.
“You like that?” Harper asked as she began massaging his ass cheeks again. From there she moved to his thighs, then to his calves, and then to his heels.
“Why did you stop?” he asked.
“How am I supposed to give you a proper massage if I don’t focus on all parts of your body?”
“I’m all for massage, but…”
Harper laughed as she moved back up his legs and grabbed his cock again, slowly rubbing her thumbs against his testicles. How Roman had ended up in this situation was beyond him, and once she stopped and slapped him on the ass two times telling him to flip over, Roman was already on the verge of orgasm, ready to release all the pressure he’d built up over the last several days.
But Harper was using her own superpower, teasing him to prolong the sexual tension.
She re-positioned herself and crouched over his chest with her back facing him, her vagina a few inches away from his face. She scooted, and he parted his arms to allow space for her knees.
Harper began massaging his thighs again.
Moving her thong aside, he started licking Harper, doing his best not to moan too loudly once she took his member in her mouth, going at it for a moment before returning to her light massage.
By the time he was finished, she was dripping wet, and Roman got the sense that it was time for him to take over.
With his hands on her hips, he slid her forward so she could mount him, still facing away, her ass moving back and forth as they found their rhythm, their breaths matched, both lost in the carnal act.
Harper kept one hand on the ground for leverage and put her other finger in her mouth, looking over her shoulder at Roman as he slid in and out of her.
Chapter Nineteen: Emotional Support
It was weird to see herself this way.
Standing before a mirror, Nadine turned to the side, placing her hand along the scar that ran down the length of her body. She wore pants, which was unusual for her, but she’d yet to put on the long blouse she would wear on their journey to the East. The collarless garment was emerald green, the same color as the Eastern Province flag.
While not very revealing, it did allow for ample pockets where Nadine would store some of the weapons she liked to carry. They were high-tech affairs, things she only wore on outings.
Oscar had already put in a request for a new man-made exemplar-granting piece of jewelry, but the approval hadn’t come through yet, and she knew this had something to do with her having lost the Zero Ring.
Still naked from the waist up, Nadine turned, noticing the difference in the side that didn’t have the scar. She would be dead without that ring, which had activated just in time to prevent the man with arms that could morph into blades from cutting any deeper into her flesh.
And now the ring was lost, maybe stolen by Paris for all Nadine knew.
She hoped they would give her another ring; it was one of the more useful items for a non-exemplar to have, but she also knew they distributed this type of jewelry with a purpose, and the Eastern authorities treated losing it as a social faux pas, a badge of shame even.
Nadine’s focus returned to the scar, the one given to her at the start of her career.
She remembered collapsing next to her attacker as he bled out, his power gone, her bleeding out alongside him, pushing herself back up and ignoring the pain…
But she was here now, standing before the mirror, and he was dead.
Nadine adjusted her bra, a black number that allowed for pretty good movement. From there, she slipped into her emerald blouse and stepped out of the room. She found Lisa Painstake across the hall, pacing in a circle.
“We’re leaving in a few hours,” Nadine reminded her.
“Why are there three coffins?” Lisa nodded at the coffins that now sat in the center of the room.
“One is for your physical body, and the other two are for Roman’s acquaintances.”
Because of the light shining off Lisa’s face, Nadine couldn’t quite read her expression, but she could tell her last statement had taken the young woman by shock.
“Are they in the same condition as me?” she finally asked.
“In a way, but Roman will bring them back to life once we’ve crossed the border. Roman has the power to animate inanimate objects. I told you he had a power, I just didn’t elaborate on it. I have paperwork for the three of us, yours being a medical visa, but it would be hard to get paperwork for his acquaintances.”
“How did you find this guy again?”
“He found me, in a way. Actually, I used to work with him. From what I can tell, he sort of had a crush on me,” Nadine said as she brought her blond hair into a tight ponytail.
“And he didn’t know you were a spy?”
“Nope. We worked in separate departments, though. He was an immigration advisor, and I worked, as you know, in the Immigration Inspection for Fast Travel Powers Department, which is how we met.”
Lisa turned away. “How could I forget? I come in with an immigration problem and I leave as an asset.”
Nadine took a step closer to the young woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know this isn’t an ideal situation, but I am doing my best to get you out of it. So just cooperate with what we’re trying to do today, and we will be in the East in no time. We’ll have to take a train, as you know, so expect people to be looking at you. Luckily, in your current form, it’s impossible to know what your face actually looks like, which made replicating a passport a lot easier.”
“And the bodies?” Lisa asked.
“Those don’t need passports; the soldiers who check us will pay little attention to the coffins, and if they do, the two dolls are on top, and they will know exactly what they are.”
Chapter Twenty: Advancements and Limitations
Roman was running a little late for his training session the next morning, but he wanted to do something special for Harper before he left her home.
&nbs
p; Cliché as it was, the troubled immigration administrator ordered breakfast and a dozen roses via a mental message to a teleporting service, then waited patiently in her living room for the service to arrive.
Roman was startled when Harper’s roommate came out of her bedroom and went straight to the kitchen, where she poured a glass of water from a pitcher filled with lemons. She was cute like Harper, a bit shorter, with wide hips and the bottoms of her ass cheeks peeking out of a pair of running shorts.
“I don’t recognize you,” she said as she poured the water, not making eye contact with Roman. Her black hair was a mess, and it looked like she’d simply run her hand through it before stepping out of her bedroom.
“I’m Roman,” he told her, aware he was sitting on her red couch in his boxers with his shirt off.
“So you’re the one she’s been talking about.” Harper’s roommate finished her glass of water. “Hmph. I guess you are kind of handsome, much better looking than the last guy she was with. Not that looks matter. Well, I guess they do matter, but we try as a society to not let them matter. But they do.”
“I’m aware.”
“She said you were the silent type. I can see it now,” she said as she filled up another glass of water.
“You seem thirsty.”
“She did say you were observant, but I suppose that could describe anyone with orange eyes. Anyway, nice to meet you.”
“I didn’t get your name,” Roman called after her.
Harper’s roommate turned back to her bedroom, stopping at the exit point of the living room and looking over at Roman. “It doesn’t matter.”
A portly teleporter appeared a few seconds later, the roses in his hand with a small box that contained breakfast pastries and two cups of coffee.
“Where would you like me to place this?” the teleporter asked.
“On the coffee table; I’ll take the flowers.”
Once the man was gone, Roman entered Harper’s bedroom to find her sleeping on her side, topless, a peaceful smile on her face.
“Harper, hey,” Roman said as he gently pressed her shoulder. She blinked her eyes open as the scent and grand gesture of the roses made their presence known.
“You didn’t have to…” Harper sat up, took the roses from him, and smelled them.
“I brought breakfast and coffee for you and your roommate as well,” Roman said as he started to get into his pants. “I have to go, and I’ll be away for a few days.”
“You’re going somewhere?” she asked, concern flitting across her face. “Or are you just going to ignore me for a few days…”
“No, I wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
“No, you didn’t say or do anything wrong,” Roman told her. “I have to go to, um, eastern Centralia to investigate something.”
“Investigate? I thought you were an immigration advisor.”
“Well, it’s a little side work. Don’t worry about it. You can send me messages, and I’ll send you messages as well. And I’ll let you know when I get back.”
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
“I don’t know,” Roman said as he started putting his shirt on. “But hopefully just a few days.”
Harper smelled the roses again and leveled a curious stare at Roman. “You know, I always get the feeling you’re hiding some big secret from me…”
“You don’t need to feel that way,” he said, buttoning his shirt.
“Does that mean you aren’t hiding a big secret from me?”
Roman sighed as he took in the beautiful woman and wished he could stay just a moment longer, but he was already running late. “I will tell you everything at a later date,” he finally said, “and I think some of it will surprise you. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say: there is a reason I behave the way I do, and I don’t want you involved.”
“Look at you,” she laughed. “You talk like you’re some sort of spy, or secret government operative.”
“Harper, you really are great, and I enjoy every moment I spend with you.” Roman offered her his hand and helped her off the bed, where he brought her into his arms.
“I have morning breath…” she started to say.
“So do I. We’ll just keep our lips shut,” he said as he went in to kiss her.
“Who brought breakfast? Oh, I know,” Harper’s roommate called out from the hallway.
“She sort of grilled me this morning,” Roman began to say.
“Sarah can be like that—you know, a little protective. But we’ve been friends for a long time, and it’s a tough world out there for a non-exemplar.”
Roman nodded. “It really is.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night,” Roman said as soon as he appeared via teleporter in his living room. Celia sat on the couch, ready to go, her arms crossed over her chest. Next to her was masked Coma, who seemed less annoyed.
“About time you showed up,” said Casper, who sat on the armrest with one leg crossed over the other. “I was starting to think you’d abandoned us. Then again, we were still alive, and I’m pretty sure when you abandon us we cease to exist.”
“I didn’t abandon you; I just saw a friend last night.”
“Who?” Celia asked.
“Harper.”
“Interesting story, and this is a female friend?” tiny Casper asked.
“Yeah, we’ve been meaning to catch up. Look, the three of us are about to go on a trip to the East, so let’s get packed up quickly, meet with Ava, finish what we need to finish at HR, and get on the move.”
Casper looked over to Coma. “Seems like he’s deflecting…”
“Do you really want details?” Roman asked as he turned to his bedroom.
“That would be helpful,” Casper called after him.
Celia joined Roman moments later while he was folding some clothing and placing it in an overnight bag.
“Did you pack all your stuff?” he asked her. “I don’t see any of it packed.”
“I have two outfits,” she reminded him, her hand lightly grazing against his arm.
“Yeah, we need to go shopping, I know. I should have taken you three out last night—well, maybe not Casper. But she’ll be full-sized soon.”
“That should be interesting.”
“It could be trouble.”
Celia turned to Roman and hugged him. He naturally placed his hand on the back of her head and held her even closer to his chest. “Don’t leave for so long next time,” she whispered.
This last statement nearly brought Roman to his knees; he’d heard the real Celia say the same thing after one of his late-night bouts. He’d ended up spending the night at a friend’s that night, mostly due to his injuries.
He should have listened to her.
All the distraction Roman had brought into his life over the last day came to a standstill. He wanted to stay patient; after all, Nadine said it would take a few days for her source to look into the disappearance of his wife’s body. Yet another part of him wanted to spring into action, the scorched-earth tactic, even though he didn’t know who the culprit was.
And who could it possibly be in the first place?
Aside from Paris, he had no enemies he could think of, and Paris had formed an alliance with him based on mutual interest—shaky, but she could have killed him yesterday with her little knife action. Why go through all the trouble to kidnap a corpse?
Someone was out to get Roman, or the very least, to get to him.
He had a feeling it would be a while before he found out who it was, but whenever that happened, he needed to be ready.
“Hurry, we’re already late,” he told Celia, but the comment was aimed at himself.
“So that’s what I want you to do,” Ava told Roman as he stood before her. “It’s time we enhance your control over more delicate objects.”
Roman looked at the panes of glass before him, panes held erect by wooden
structures. He was in his training gear, Coma next to him, also decked out. Celia and Casper sat in a chair to Ava’s left, the tiny doll perched on Celia’s shoulder.
He had brought Celia along so she could take part in the training too, but Ava insisted he just focus on training with Coma, at least for now.
Celia was ready to go, however, in her gray athletic outfit that hugged her body tightly. And after he finished working with the glass Ava had presented to him, he planned to use her for the next task.
Roman hadn’t used his powers solely on glass before, but there had been glass in the fight against Ian and Paris—at least he thought there had been—so he figured it couldn’t be that hard to manipulate.
His hand barely lifted, Roman instantly shattered the first pane of glass, sending the tiny shards to the floor.
“Not what I asked you to do,” Ava reminded him. The beautiful redhead took a step closer to Roman and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s easy to destroy, but I want you to take it to the next level.”
“Destroy and reform,” he mumbled.
Roman’s first attempt was on the shattered glass.
He tried to raise it from the ground and reform the shards into their initial form, but he couldn’t get the surface smoothness right, and it definitely wasn’t transparent by the time he gave up.
“Try the next one,” said Ava, “and this time, take your power from the other two and see if you can reform it before it hits the ground.”
Roman nodded, visualizing exactly what she meant. Celia’s head bent forward and he heard Casper fall into the doll’s lap, both of them suddenly lifeless.
With a wave of his hand, Roman shattered the glass and pressed the pieces back into the main form. It didn’t work quite the way he’d envisioned, and it definitely wasn’t as fluid or smooth as he would have liked.
It did look better than his first attempt, and after Ava examined it, running her hand along the face of the glass, she stepped away and told him to try again.
Instead, Roman attempted to animate the third pane of glass, forming a female face in its surface, envisioning his wife as he did so.
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