Chapter 27: Stockholm (R-13)

"!!!"

"!?"

"..."

"..."

Katherine Read-- discovered her powers at the young age of 3 when she almost drowned in a tub. Her mother had left her to bathe herself since someone knocked on their door, but unknowingly, she left the water running.

Of course, even then and until now, Katherine never blamed her. She was a single mother, who could barely even make ends meet. She never really asked, but it would seem her father died during an accident.

But long story short, as soon as her mother remembered that she left the water running, she rushed back to their bathroom, only to find water floating everywhere. The water gushing out from the tap was also flowing up, instead of down.

Her mother tried to hide the fact from other people first, but as soon as Katherine was able to think for herself, she trained. She used most of her childhood and teenage years to hone her powers, in hopes to help her mother as well as many others like her.

Hanging around? Friends? Dating? She chose not to indulge herself with those, even as many approached her. There was only one goal in her mind-- and that was to become a superhero.

It may sound cliche, but she thought she was given the power to help people... and so she did. And soon, due to her ability to control the elements even as a rookie superhero, she was branded as the Scarlet Mage. Of course, it might have also been to the fact that she wore a red-colored wig.

Everything was going smoothly for her; she was able to help people and even manage to imprison some villains. She had also met like-minded people, other superheroes that shared her enthusiasm... but then Darkday happened.

She had faced opponents stronger than her before, but she always manages to win due to the masterful control of her power. But when she faced Darkday, it was as if all hope was sucked from her.

She couldn't remember whether she begged for her life, but she could remember peeing herself from the fact that she knew that Darkday was not going to spare her; after all, she was surrounded by the corpses of several other superheroes already.

If it wasn't for Mega Woman coming to her rescue, then she would have already truly died. This incident did not make Katherine despair, however, as she even strengthened her efforts to help people, knowing that there was a darkness out there that could not be contained.

And now, in the mouth of that very same darkness, she was sticking out her tongue. She could feel the darkness slowly wrapping her entire body, her hairs standing on their ends as Riley's tongue wrapped around hers.

This… could be considered her first kiss, wouldn't it?

She knew it was wrong, immoral, inappropriate, illegal, and many more negative words she could think of. But for some reason, feeling Riley's warm lips covering hers... she did not want to let go.

So she was right, Riley did have the power to entrance people. But right now, she didn't care as she slowly wrapped her arms around Riley, pulling him closer to her even to the point that her loose robes started to slide across her arms, exposing her ample breasts once more.

She feels warm, very warm. The darkness that she thought would be cold had covered her entire body with warmth; it was warmest between her legs, as she could feel something trailing down on her skin.

"Hn," a small moan then escaped from her mouth as Riley touched her arms; but it was followed by a small gasp as Riley leaned back his head, pushing himself away from her.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity, Katherine?" Riley then coldly said as he wiped his lips, "I do not know what you intended to discover by this, but I assure you, I do not have--"

And before Riley could finish his words, Katherine once again placed her lips on his. "Y... you're lying. Why... why do I feel so warm?"

"...I will see you again tomorrow, Katherine." Riley, however, once again pulled his head away, immediately proceeding to walk away.

"W... wait! T... that's it!?" Katherine reached for Riley's hand, but she found that she could not do so as if an invisible wall was between them.

"You are my first subordinate, Katherine. I have read that it is not professional to have sexual relationships amongst colleagues," Riley said as he faced Katherine, "But considering it's not in the Academy's handbook... maybe it's alright?"

Riley placed his hand on his chin, before grabbing a handbook from his pocket.

"..." Katherine, whose breaths were still completely stuttered, could not help but slightly furrow her eyebrows. However, without her knowing, her eyes travelled towards the mid-section of Riley's body... just below his waist. And as soon as she noticed a certain bulge extruding from his pants, she quickly took in a short but deep breath.

"Y... you, that's..." Katherine stuttered as she pointed at the bulge between Riley's legs, "Why is it like that!?"

"It's natural, Katherine," Riley looked at the direction Katherine was pointing to before shaking his head, "I am still human. It would seem that this entire exchange truly has clouded your judgment, making your intellect dropping several numbers. I will see you again tomorrow, Katherine."

"W... wait, you're just leaving!?"

"I am," Riley then casually walked to the door, "I enjoyed this experience, Katherine. Thank you."

"T... take away your enchantment! Set me free, please!"

"I wish I could, Katherine. But I do not have that power."

"Y... you're lying! Then why am I still feeling this way!? That was my first kiss!"

"I see, congratulations. Mine…

...was with Mega Woman."

"W... what?"

Katherine immediately dropped to the floor, and could only watch as Riley casually left his apartment as if nothing happened between them.

"What… what's with that?" Katherine then whispered as she slowly curled into a ball, "F… fuck… what's happening to me? I'm so stupid… so fucking stupid!"

She then started hitting her head as tears started to fall from her eyes. She then quickly stood up, running towards the sink in her kitchen. She wanted to throw up, she wanted to wash away Riley's saliva from her mouth…

...but she couldn't.

The only thing she did was touch her lips, reminiscing the events that have just passed. This is wrong, she knew it was wrong. She knew what she was feeling, it was Stockholm syndrome. She… was even starting to look forward to seeing Riley again tomorrow.

Mad. She was slowly turning insane.

"..."

"..."

"...No." And instead of her puke, it was her tears that fell on the sink. "Why… why did it have to be me?" She then whispered as her whole body began to tremble, her voice starting to become crazed.

"..."

"..."

And then slowly, her hand reached towards the knife nearest to her. Riley was evil, there was no denying that; for her to develop feelings for him was nothing short of disgusting. But even so, her mind and her body seemed to be telling her otherwise.

Maybe it was because he was the first of the opposite sex to even be this close to her, maybe it was just because she had been holding herself back as a woman all these years; there was none other to blame than herself, she thought. But no matter what the reason is, it was leading her to a very dangerous path-- a road with Darkday.

And before she continues to walk on this road... she will end it.

"M... mom, I'm sorry." She then whispered as the cold steel of the knife touched her wrist, "I... I'm sorry for involving you in this."

She knew that if she died, there was a chance that Riley would kill her mother. But even so... even so, she could not risk truly falling in love with him. The things he has done, and the things he would do in the future, Katherine did not want to be a part of it.

She wanted to be a superhero for as long as she could remember-- and she is... and she would die as one.

*KNOCK*

"Riley!?"

But before the knife could slit across her arm, a knocking could be heard from her door, making her completely drop the knife and rush towards it. However, as soon as she opened the door, a mass of white armor completely covered her vision.

"Whiteking!?"

Scarlet Mage quickly covered her face... as well as her body as soon as she realized that it wasn't Riley, but instead his father that knocked on her door.

"...I see," Whiteking then nodded as his eyes looked at Scarlet Mage from head to toe, "You do not have to worry, I know the identity of each of the superhero in the Academy... Katherine."

"W... what do you want!?" Scarlet Mage then quickly rushed to her room, before quickly returning now fully clothed in her costume.

"You're not even trying to hide it."

"W... what? Get out!" Scarlet Mage was currently not thinking straight. How could she? When the father of the young man he so passionately kissed just moments ago was now staring at her. How was he even here in the first place? She was sure that Whiteking did not get an apartment in the Academy.

"You have a relationship with my son," Whiteking then said as he entered Scarlet Mage's apartment without even slight hesitation, "It was Prophet that told me."

"Pr... The headmaster knows!?" Scarlet Mage then let out a slightly crazed chuckle, "Then... then are they kicking us out? I could understand why, I... let me get my clothes. I am very sorry for having a relationship with your son. I know it's ina--"

"And it's been approved."

"...What?"

"My son is a special case, you see. And never once in my life that I would think that he would ever find someone to fall in love with," Whiteking then nodded his head several times as his eyes travelled all across the room.

"So I am here to tell you that you do not need to worry about anything, Prophet is a close friend. Your relationship with my son... has been approved by him. No one will be questioning anything when you're together," Whiteking once again nodded with excitement as he winked at Scarlet Mage, "Take care of my son, Katherine."

"Wait... what?"

"And since Riley was just here a few minutes ago..." Whiteking then cleared his throat as he once again glanced at the almost bare-skinned Katherine, "...I see you are taking care of him quite well, please continue to do so in the future."

"Wait, no. What are you--"

"Alright, that's all," Whiteking then raised both of his thumbs towards Scarlet Mage, before abruptly leaving the apartment, "Please use protection."

"..."

"..."

"Are you... fucking stupid!?" It would seem that what Riley told her was right. Whiteking... is quite reckless when it comes to his children. And so, with her being left alone once again in her apartment, she once again fell to the ground.

And then slowly, instead of tears, her laughs travelled across the room as a crazed smile slowly crawled on her face.

"What... what do I do now?"

And just like that-- the first part of Operation 'Turn Dark into Light' has completely been neutralized.