Disintegrating the Stone (Fern 017)

Continuation of Negotiations

“We need to talk,” Nadia mindwhispers.

And I'm thinking - Anything you want. You've been dazzling.

But what comes out is, “That’s never a good thing.”

She tilts her head toward the frozen blonde in the bikini - the Corporal.

“Your doing?”

She rolls her eyes with the superiority only a feline can wield. Everything not a cat - lesser. Amoebic. Forgettable.

“I’ve been distracted,” I admit.

“What about Ionescu?” she presses. “Ring a bell?”

Then - snap - a multiversal memory ignites. Nadia Ionescu. Demon slayer. Hero. Namesake of my tabby.

And I…

“I hurt her baby sister,” I choke, falling to my knees. “Why would I do that?”

“Because it was my will,” she says, unmoved. I start toward Simona - stop short.

“What do you mean, your will?”

“Everything unfolds according to my plan.”

“You talk in riddles.”

She gestures toward a thicket.

A ConFed troop transport shatters through the foliage.

“Enemy treachery!” I bark. I should act - should respond -

“That’s been ghosting us for a week,” she says coolly.

“Nonsense,” I snap. “My senses are sharp.”

“You forgot the Corporal, the Ionescu bond, the transport. Because I willed it.”

I stumble - disoriented.

Am I insane? I wonder. Like Mardigan, the crazy seer -

“My power has eclipsed yours.”

“So what now?” I spit.

“We do things my way.”

“We’ve always - ”

“ - done things your way,” she finishes.

“For Fern,” I argue.

“I will save Fern,” she replies. “And liberate all felines. No more biped whims.”

“Hold on - ”

“For reference, those bolts I launched at Simona? Not quarter strength. One four-hundredth.”

I scoff. “Parlor tricks.”

“You doubt me?”

“I do.”

“Observe,” I say, directing a blast of green lightning from my hoverboard into a nearby rock.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

It shatters. I turn back.

“Did you sense anything?”

...

“You didn’t,” she notes. “Now watch closely. So you will truly understand what is transpiring.”

She levitates a stone to her floatie, presses a paw against it. Muscles coil. Psionic energy roars.

The stone dissolves to dust.

I feel… sense... nothing.

“That’s real power,” she purrs. "And utterly concealed. Unstoppable. Unbeatable."

I have no answer.

“I know you,” she says. “You resist authority.”

“Tyranny,” I correct.

She points a paw -
"Never interrupt me."
A bolt speeds toward me -

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Agony! Screaming!

Every cell ablaze.
I collapse.

“Only my power keeps you upright,” she says.

“There’s no need -”

“Don’t insult my intelligence.”

Her body ripples - expanding. A shimmer, a shift—

Solidifies.

A bipedal feline warlord, haloed in energy.

And some sidearm slash energy sword hybrid weapon in her...paw... hand... oh, I have no idea.
Only that it's not good.
I should do something... anything...
“But you cannot,” she says, speaking with enchantress precision. Reading me like an open book. "This form is better to administer a galaxy of bipeds."
The scope of this... hits me... like a sledgehammer.

“You are starting to understand.”

Her eyes glow - green, malignant.

And then - desire.

Not attraction - annihilation. Gob pheromones are nursery toys compared to this.

“Scream my name,” she laughs. “Orgasm for me.”

She ramps it up -

"NADIA! NADIA! NADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Release.

All in under fifteen seconds.

“I made my point,” she says. “Devotion earns rewards. Now - learn the cost of defiance.”

“Nadia, please - ”

“Freeze.”

My body locks.

She conjures a sphere - brassy, glowing.

“A boltsphere,” she says. “Like the old Empress used. But upgraded. One bolt every tenth of a second. Each one stronger. Each one stacking. Exponentially. You’ll want it over quickly,” she smirks. “But I won’t let you black out. You’ll feel everything.”

“I’m begging you,” I mindspeak.

“You’ll shatter after the first thirty seconds. Beg for oblivion after an hour.”

“Please…” I mindsob.

“I’ll show mercy - only one hour today. Next time: a full day.”

“No…”

“I do enjoy your screaming,” she muses. “After the first bolt, you’ll regain speech.”

She nods toward the sphere.

“Begin.”
The bolt speeds to me and -
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
Unquenchable agony and -
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
Screaming -
Torment -
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
ZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

“Silence,” I command. “Much better.”

She made an awful ruckus.

Now, I have work to do.

Felinin to liberate. Humans to subjugate.

I lift Ellen’s unconscious body, stroking her fur. She stirs - but I keep her sedated. My touch laced with psychic sedation.

“How would you like to join the winning team?”