2/2

"Many people don't know this" began the Marauder as he ran his thumb on the knife, "but I come from another dimension or something. I wound up here by accident, but this place has an interesting history" he explained casually as he continued to play with the blade. "From what I understand about the crime families, it's a state of Cold War between them" he continued as he held the blade up and pulled the trigger. "There's peace, but you all hate each other. Most importantly, every family is looking for an upper hand on the others."

With that, he jammed the blade into the computer, the hardware built into the monitor. "I'll give you a choice, either give us the information we want, or we'll buy it off another family with the data from your computer." Hardy smirked, not knowing if it was a bluff, but more than happy to play along.

"You wouldn't" stammered a shocked Costa as he stared blankly at the man before the orange interface sprang from the handle of the knife. The man's face paled when the blue rings and percentages continued to rise. "Stop! STOP!" he begged, "We have a guy on the inside. I can, I can, I'll give you his number, tell him to cooperate. Just Stop!"

The circles halted their progress as the x shaped visor turned to the Black Cat. "Good enough?" he asked simply. Felecia nodded and slid a pen and paper pad to him, Costa staring at it as if it were a hand grenade before reluctantly grabbing it. Cooper kept his finger poised over the button that would resume the download as Tony scribbled out the information and tossed the items back onto the desk. "Thank you for your cooperation" said the Marauder as he got off the desk and stepped behind the man.

With little hesitation, the SRS Commando drew his Smart Pistol and pistol whipped the man, knocking him out and causing him to slump to the floor. "That was fun" he remarked dryly as he finished the download from the computer. "Better than dinner" he deadpanned as he pulled the blade out and sheathed it.

"Handsome" she purred as she got up from the chair and brushed passed him, "after dinner is where I have the real fun" she declared as she made for the door, a suggestive sway to her walk. As she surveyed the ruined area beyond, her eyes settled on something behind the bar.

Picking up the bottle of fine wine, the Black Cat turned back to her companion and held up the bottle. "Hey Marauder, I have something else you can help me with."

Matthew had to admit that Hardy's penthouse was much more pleasant to be in when he wasn't beaten to shit and didn't have the prospective of Cinderblock hanging over proceedings. His armor and gear was removed and he was sitting on the couch in his green fatigues with a glass of wine in his hand. While he had never been a big wine drinker, he decided that it was because he hadn't ever had whatever this was before.

Next to him, and getting ever closer, was Felecia, still in her skin hugging catsuit as she held her glass in one hand and played with her ponytail with the other. She was giggling as Cooper recounted his time playing football in San Antonio. "Coach Higgins…Coach just fucking lost it right. So, he makes these two do fucking laps and we're all watching from the stands while he chases them around the field on a bicycle screaming at them like that guy from Full Metal Jacket. 'I know that your useless arrogant ass can't score off a football field if your life depended on it, but that doesn't give you an excuse to bitch!' and this goes on for the rest of practice in the 100-degree heat." Cooper finishes the last of the wine and puts the glass down to refill it, only now noticing the bottle is empty and shrugging as he sits back, and Felecia curls up against him. "It gets better, that guy's mother was up at school the next day bitching up a storm to the principal about all the pretty racist shit the coach said. And the best part was the school never did anything about it, you know why? Because we had won the state 3A title the last two years! They wouldn't have fired that guy if he worshipped Satan!"

At this point even the usually composed heiress is cracking up as she reaches across the Pilot to put her glass down, the nights success and the alcohol removing her inhibitions. Taking a chance, Matthew reached out and placed a hand on her side, feeling the curve of her waist through her gear. "About time you made a move handsome" purred Felecia huskily as she sat up and fixed him with predatory look. "Now let me show you mine."

Cooper leaned forwards gently to steal a kiss when it was the Thief who hit him with an all out assault as she pressed her lips into his while her hands went to his chest and she threw her entire weight into pressing him down onto his back. Taken completely by surprise, Cooper was powerless to resist as Hardy didn't let up, instead going further as she straddled him. Finally, Matthew collected himself and pushed back, their tongues battling for dominance as he began to put his hands to work, one pulling the woman down into him while the other sought the zipper on her catsuit.

That was soon brought to a halt was Felecia reached back and grabbed both of his wrists, pinning them down beside his head as she sat up and grinned down at him. "I knew you had some fight in you" she breathed as she began to grind her hips on him and he had to fight to keep a straight face, which Hardy took great satisfaction in. She then leaned forwards as Matt tried to bring his hands up, but to no avail as she leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "You know you want me" she said as Matt bided his time, "what's wrong? Am I too much for you?" she asked. Instead of answering with words, the Pilot craned his head up and planted kisses on her neck, trailing down until he found a sensitive spot, drawing a moan as the vice grip on his hands eased up.

With a pilot's speed, the Marauder wrapped his arms around the Thief and rolled them over and turning the tables as he grinned down at the platinum haired seductress. Before she could get a remark in he dove back down, reigniting the flames brewing in both of them. He could feel her hands yanking down on the zipper of his fatigues and roaming across his chest before he tried to pull back, only to find a pair of toned legs wrapped around him. Desire drove his actions as he wrapped one arm around her and easily picked up the smaller woman and pulled down the zipper on her back. Despite the change, Felecia continued to press his buttons as he worked through his addled mind to get that damn suit off of her. "Bed or table?" he growled lowly before going back to her neck, his manhood throbbing as she continued to grind against him.

In reply he got a moan, which elicited a grunt of frustration, if she didn't answer soon then he would be fucking her against the wall. "Bed" she breathed, needy as she worked to hastily get the fatigues down off his arms. Reluctantly, the Marauder sustained the assault as he worked his way to the bedroom when she got to work on his ear and he groaned, pinning her to the wall as he yanked her catsuit down. He was somewhat displeased to find her breasts hidden behind a sports bra that he began to try and get off, only for Felecia to hold fast as he glared up at her. "Not yet stud" she moaned, "you'll have to earn them first" she teased as she got the top of his fatigues off, leaving him in just his pants.

"Or I can take them" he retorted as he pinned both arms above her head with his forearm as he removed the clothing, pulling it up to expose the immaculate breasts they contained. Instantly he pressed his mouth to one dark pink nipple and began sucking greedily, spurred on by the noises he drew from the woman before suddenly pulling away and smirking as he took in the disheveled heiress, face flushed, lips swollen, and hair mussed as those delicious tits heaved from her heavy breathing. "What's wrong? Was that too much?" he teased, throwing her own words back at her as he stepped back and resumed his staggered charge towards the bed as the Black Cat began to stake her territory. Her hands scratched at his back as she suckled on his earlobe as they finally reached her bed and Cooper tossed her down.

Before he could close the gap, he found that Hardy had already shimmied out of her catsuit and tossed it up in his face. Pulling it away, he took in the sight of Felecia, in just her panties, giving him her sexiest look, "come and get it" she whispered as he stepped forward to do just that. But instead of staying still, the Black Cat kicked her legs up and brought her calves down on his shoulders, just as he reched the edge of the bed. Left with no choice, Cooper played her game as he went to his knees and went for the last bit of clothing protecting the woman's decency, but instead of merely pulling it off he tore it off and discarded it angrily before he set to work satisfying the pussy of the Black Cat. Savoring her unique taste, he ate her out with absolute need as her thighs tightened around his ears, but were unable to block out her screams until she finally reached her limit and her slit gushed in release. After her orgasm passed, Felecia released him as she propped herself on her elbows and let her hair down.

Emerald eyes wild with desire, she eyed him hungrily, "pants off" she commanded, but Matt was already at work complying to release himself from the very constrictive fatigues and boxers beneath. No sooner were they kicked away was he pulled forward onto the bed, Felecia's tongue down his throat as if the kinky bitch was getting off on tasting herself in his mouth as he teased her entrance until neither could wait any longer and he entered her slowly, easing himself in, every inch drawing out another wave of pleasure for both of them. Once in however, he took complete control, ramming into her to the sound of her cries of need.

Her legs wrapped around him as she bucked up into him, trying to draw him in ever deeper as she too searched for that much yearned for crescendo to their intimate dance. With one hand groping her breats, the other wrapped around her hips and picked her up as he drove yet further into her womanhood, drawing another round of screams until he felt the wet, warm tunnel tighten down on him like a vice just as he reached his limit as well. "Where?" he asked simply.

"Fill me stud" she managed back as her legs tightened to prevent him from pulling out as he did just that, finishing inside her before he slowly pulled out and rolled off of her. For a moment the only sound in the room was their breathing as both lay satisfied and content, but that feeling soon passed. It was Felecia who broke the standoff as she got on all fours and prowled down the bed to his slowly recovering cock before throwing a grin over her shoulder. "You want some more?" she asked as she shook her ass, their combined juices still dripping down her thighs. Before he could answer, she began cleaning him up with her tongue as he groaned, his manhood hardening again until that to was polished by her tongue. As if this woman couldn't get any sexier, she then reoriented herself so that she was looking up at him as she practically inhaled his cock, sucking it and slobbering all over it as Cooper fought to maintain control until, as suddenly as it began, the heavenly blowjob ended.

The Marauder gave her a withering glare, but the Thief merely smiled, unconcerned as she stalked forwards, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight coming through the windows as she teased him with that smooth skin, those pale breasts, and their hard nipples until he could feel her slit on his cock. He groaned needily as she teased him, running her dripping slit up and down his length. "Go on…beg for me" she commanded huskily as he stubbornly resisted, "just say the word and I'm yours." Instead, the Renegade grit his teeth and tried to break her down, pinching her nipples and kneading her voluptuous rear as he tried to thrust himself up into her center.

But she resisted, his resolve wearing down as she continued to tease him until he was about to break, and he opened his mouth to give in when she pressed hers down onto it and stifled his request. When she pulled back, she slid down his length and he found himself once again inside the vixen as she sat up and smirked down victoriously. Cocking her head, she regarded him for a second as he ran his hands up her sides, stopping to tease her breasts with his thumbs before she spoke. "You're something else handsome…I think I like you from any angle" she complimented before she began riding him towards their next climax.

Cooper woke up to an odd mix of sensations, his head throbbed slightly, and he was exhausted, but all of that paled to the rest of what he felt. Felecia's curves were pressed into him as he looked as the sleeping face of the exotic beauty. Being careful not to wake her, he lightly brushed her cheek, smirking with satisfaction at his mark on her neck as his hand trailed down her body. His lips curled into a grin as he remembered how they spent the rest of the night. Hardy had been right, after dinner was when the real fun was had.

The Pilot got himself out of the king-sized bed after he got one last whiff of her scent. He found his boxers, discarded the night before along with the rest of their clothes, forming a breadcrumb trail towards the living room and the empty bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table. Hardy's penthouse was impressive in size, high end furniture filled the space and floor to ceiling windows that led to the small patio gave a commanding view of the city. Matt ambled lazily to the kitchen, in no hurry to leave, he rummaged around in the fridge until he found some eggs.

Ten minutes later, Matt was plating the scrambled eggs when Hardy emerged from the bedroom wearing a robe that exposed a generous amount of cleavage and barely covered her ample ass. "Making yourself at home already?" asked the thief as she leaned against the counter, letting Cooper have an unobstructed view of her breasts. Cooper shrugged as she just smirked, and she looked at him, still without a shirt, with a hungry expression he became familiar with the previous night.

"Those scars…where did you get them?" she asked, the Pilot looked down at the marks on his body. A mix of gunshot, shrapnel, and burn marks, albeit faint, pockmarked his shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

"Typhon mostly" he answered as he continued to eat his breakfast. "I was new, okay. I'm allowed to fuck up" he said with mock defensiveness and a forced chuckle.

Hardy smiled, but seemed bothered by something as she looked back to the Pilot. "Do you mind me asking…about Typhon?" she asked cautiously. Cooper shook his head while Felecia took a breath and asked her question. "At the end, when you took out the Fold weapon, what were you thinking? What drove you to throw yourself at it" she asked, her tone somber. "I mean…what caused you to sacrifice your life for people you didn't know. Spider, he does it because he's connected to the city, he'll always be from here" she said, as if she was trying to rationalize his suicidal actions.

Cooper nodded, frowning somewhat, he knew the answer, and he wasn't proud of it. "Do you know who the most dangerous man in the world is?" he asked. Hardy opened her mouth to answer before she saw the gleam in his eye and closed her mouth, correctly sensing there was more to this. "The one with nothing left to lose" he finished with a humorless smile.

Felecia frowned, pursing her lips. "And now, would you do it again?" she asked, concerned.

"That depends" he replied, setting the fork down as he leaned forwards, "do I have something to lose?" After a moment where the two were separated by mere inches, Hardy closed the gap and pressed her lips to his, the two sharing a sensual kiss.

When it broke off, any questions Cooper may have had about where their relationship stood were firmly answered, the grin on is face revealing what he felt about that. "There is something I need to ask you" said Hardy, still catching her breath. "My mom called me last night. She's throwing a large gala for New Years. I'm expected to attend" she explained, clearly not looking forward to the prospect. "Meaning my mother trots me out to show off for all the old men she takes money from, trying to set me up with their sons so they donate to whatever cause she's championing" she said with a roll of her eyes.

Cooper tried to keep a straight face, being concerned about her plight, but couldn't prevent a small snicker from escaping his lips. She glared at him, causing him to refocus and become serous again. "This time, I have a cunning plan" she said as she pointed a finger at him.

A shocked expression appeared on Matt's face as he pointed a finger at his own chest, Hardy nodding in affirmation. "You want me to…threaten your mother to cancel the gala?" he guessed, more hoping that she would say yes to that rather than the more obvious alternative.

The Platinum blonde shook her head, a devilish smirk on her elegant face. "I'm going to bring my authentic Texas cowboy to dissuade the snobbish rich assholes" she said, clearly taking a bit of pleasure in the pained expression on the Pilot's face. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you" she purred as she stood up and turned around "Starting now, care to join me for a shower?"

Cooper didn't need to be asked twice.

Cooper's Logbook – Tactical Ability: Cloak

This old standby is what got me through Typhon alive, but it isn't perfect. While any sort of camera can't distinguish a cloaked pilot from the surroundings, the human eye can see the slight distortions. Even then, a split second can be life or death, and a single moment of hesitation can be the last mistake you ever make.

Admittedly, the value of this ability has only grown with some of the other tactical abilities complimenting it. Grapple and STIM for rapid repositioning or the Hologram for a more effective deception and misdirection. This is less of a stealth tool and more useful as a disengage or escape plan.

Also has very high practical joking potential.

Log – Shotgun: M1901 Mastiff Combat Shotgun

Ah, the Mastiff, if the words 'self loading energy shotgun' don't sound like the coolest four word combination you heard today, then I envy you. Originally developed for low gravity environments, this weapon isn't a true laser gun as it fires physical projectiles, albeit very tiny ones. The linear accelerators shove them up to speed before spreading out in a preset pattern as the end of the barrel opens up. To improve range, the projectiles are actually fired with a small amount of backspin to create lift and defy gravity.

The 'shell' holds the particles and the rest is devoted to a power cell to fire the gun and cycle the action, using a unique, almost steam locomotive like, mechanism to reduce kinetic energy transferred to the shooter. Even if the gun does kick something fierce, the cyclic nature of the action means it looks far worse than it is. The downside is that it doesn't fire very fast, so you have to make sure your shots count.

It also has great nicknames, in my week in the Militia I heard it called, among other things, the Hammer, Breacher, Thunderer, Betsy, and Okay-47. In this regard it is second only to the EVA-8.

But to me, this is my Boomstick.

Closing notes: I'm not happy with this chapter, I went back and forth many many times on the inclusion of the lemon bit (I'm not too familiar with the correct terms, sue me). That part saw at least four or five rewrites and was sometimes cut completely. In fact the iteration you're seeing was only added back in a few minutes before this is going up and a part of me still wants it removed. So this is where feedback is important, not just as to this scene but on if any similar bits in the future are worth the trouble of writing and including. This is a test because unless feedback is generally positive then I won't bother in the future. Reason is because I don't think I'm any good at it and it is a serious drop in quality compared to everything else. But if you think I'm full of shit and you guys like it then let me know.

As an aside, this chapter was originally named You Shook Me All Night Long before being changed to Rock You Like A Hurricane before I finally arrived at this title.

The main 80's action movie I got the one liners from this time is Robocop, this is your reminder that if you haven't, you should go watch Robocop (The Original, not the shitty PG-13 remake). I guarantee by the end you'll be saying "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Also, a line from the greatest movie with a pair of sunglasses as a plot element makes it in, that's right, They Live starring Rowdy Roddy Piper. In addition to that there's a nod to, of all things, the Halo 2 E3 Demo during the bar fight. And the last line of the Mastiff entry is from Army of Darkness. No, I have no idea why these things come to mind either.

I also need to add that with stuff picking up the updates are going to slow down for the foreseeable future, probably to one chapter per week. This isn't the story dying, quite the contrary, I'm just trying to establish a more sustainable pace as school picks up.

This also marks the transition fully into the next story arc and will end with that gala Hardy mentioned but that's a ways off. Next chapter then should come out midweek, probably Wednesday. It is very likely that Wednesday will be when new chapters go up for some time.

Things are about to get a lot tougher for our Short Change Hero.

Stay frosty, Misfit Delta out.