#Author: [GLKnight] Another Birthday

[GLKnight]

Jess had a look of pure, unadulterated intensity in her eyes as Melody stirred my Pepsi in-between long sips in an effort to (I believe) tease the both of us... or maybe just me. Or Jess. Maybe the both of us, then.

"So," Jess started. "Your name is Melody Charmer?"

"Yes," Melody said as she lifted the straw to her lips, smirking as she bent over and looked up at Jess

"And Gabriel ran after you because you were crying and his, as he puts it, "Hero Sense" went off about whatever was worrying you."

Melody looked my way, slowly and subtly licking her lips. I could definitely feel Jess almost at Super Saiyan levels of anger, meaning she saw what I did.

"Well, he wasn't wrong, was he? I'm obviously not crying now, am I?"

I just shut my eyes and kept repeating "Please let the food get here" as many times as possible, hoping to pray so hard for it to come true as quickly as it could that it would be considered a miracle.

"Gabriel?"

"Yes, dear?", I replied, keeping my eyes closed tight in the vain hope this whole day was a bad dream.

"Do you know what her problem that was making her cry?"

I could hear Melody thump my glass on the table pretty soundly.

"If you want to know, I can-"

"Ms. Chalmers, I asked GABRIEL what the problem was, not you. So, Mr. Kearney? What made the lady cry?"

I bounced in my seat, knowing full well she wanted me to look her in the eye, but NOPE! NOPE NOPE NOPE! Not getting her angry look! She may be small, but she's damn scary when she wants to be!

"Hnnnngggggshe was crying because of her ex dumping her on her anniversary, which is today!"

An awkward pause followed my statement, as I could feel Jess's aura slowly went from Destroyer of a Thousand Worlds to the normal vibe she rolls with. I opened my left eye to try and look at her, and saw she had a rather solemn look on her face. I opened my other eye, and saw that same look on Melody as well. I looked back and forth at the two ladies, and realized they had the same emotion going for them: regret.

"I'm... I'm sorry for just blurting it out like that, Melody. I didn't mean to-"

Melody raised her hand, as a sheepish grin came to view.

"N-no, it's okay. I knew she'd have to know eventually. Sorry for intruding, Jessica."

Jess lifted her head, and quickly put her hand on Melody's.

"I'm sorry, Melody. I know it's not much of a consolation, but if you'd like, you could join us for dinner? We were celebrating, to be honest."

Melody's look lightened a bit, as she eyed up the both of us.

"Oh my God, did he pro-"

Both of us shot our hands up, and fought it off with a litany of no's, and pssht's, and off-handed jokes and snide comments, leaving Melody looking at us, puzzled at the response.

"So if you're not engaged, then... why are you celebrating?"

I quickly put my arm around Jess, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Well, for one, we just got a place! Basically rent free, about 40 minutes away from here. Two levels, large rooms, lots of space."

As she took hold of my hand by her other shoulder, I realized something she just said.

"Hold up, what do you mean by the "rent free" part of that spiel?"

Jess looked up at me, and then looked down at the table.

"I may havvveeeee... beenofferedabetterjobthatpaysfivetimesmorethanmycurrentoneandwithafreehouse..."

Both Melody and I were obviously shocked at her confession.

"WHOA! JESS, WHAT THE HELL?! A NEW JOB?!"

Melody started fanning herself.

"Girl, how much DO you earn now?"

"About a hundred thousand a year, minus the bonuses?"

My head started to swoon at the numbers and logistics. Melody, however, was starting to bounce in her chair, giddy and excited at Jess's comment.

"Lady, the three of us are going to CELEBRATE tonight!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I interjected. "Jess, most importantly, a new job?! Didn't we agree to talk about this sort of thing before hand?"

Jess began snuggling into me, puppy dog look on full power.

"Aw, but Gabwiel, it's more than I could eawn if I was working at a silwy widdle office! And a free home, too!"

Every damn time she does that, I melt like Frosty the Snowman in Hell.

"Jess," I sighed. "That's not the point I was making, and you know it. Your new job?"

She immediately sprang upright, not entirely surprised I could power through her vile attempts to seduce innocent me from my noble course.

"Fine, look, remember that SPA I told you about?"

Melody leaned in closer, in rapt attention.

"Ooooh, a SPA? Ritzy, upscale? Who paid? Any cute masseuses that were single and well hu-"

I raised my hand to cut off Melody's stream of thought.

"Yes, I remember. The spa, of all places, hired you for nearly a half million a year?"

Jess looked down at her drink again, and looked bemused about something.

"Well, it's not EXACTLY just a spa. More of a Spa/Gym, really..."

It was at that moment the sound of plates and silverware clanging next to our table stole us away from what Jess was saying, as the waitress began piling all the food in front of us. It was almost like Jess's eyes were drooling at the sight of the mounds of meat and goodies. Melody stared at the spread like she hadn't eaten for days, and I... well, what do you think a bigger guy like me would do at a moment like this?

That's right, I made sure the ladies were served before me. Ain't I the worst?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

After so, SO much food, many drinks, laughs and discussions about our lives, we all parted ways. After SOMEHOW convincing Jess to let her move in with us, Melody called a cab back to her place to take care of some "unfinished business", as she put it. Jess and I took a cab back to our place (giving the cabbie some of our takeaway as part of his tip), we stumbled our way upstairs, food drunk (and okay, maybe a little drunk drunk after Melody convinced the two of us to try some (soon copiously imbibed) Soju) and stuffed to the gills with Korean delicacies. I was surprised at how quickly I unlocked the door, as Jess dragged me into the landing as quickly as she could, kissing me in her love drunk (and drunk drunk) stupor.

"Mmmm, well Mr. Kearney, I'm going to snuggle into your bed for one of the few times left before we move while you put everything away, and then we'll see where this night ends, yeah?"

A quick flurry of kisses as I kicked the door closed behind me.

"Well, Ms. Volkov," I said, taking on a really, REALLY bad Russian accent. "It is my so-wee-et duty to do as the Kremlink asks of me-yah, and will fight the Soviet Grizz-uh-lee-skis for Glorious Mother Russia!"

Another flurry of kisses, ending with Jess' signature lip bite.

"Hope to it, Drago", she cheered as she slapped me on my ass towards the kitchen as she ran to my room.

As I put the food carefully on the table in the dark kitchen, I reached for the light switch and flicked it up, turning the bulbs on. I put Fogerty's "Old Man is Down the Road" in my phone's music library on as I put the food away box by box, dancing to no one in particular. I took my time so I could finish during the chorus.

"You've got to hidey-hide," as I put away the first bag.

"You've got to jump and run away," as I put away the second.

"You've got to hidey-hidey-hide," as I put the third away. But when I turned to look at the table to see if I missed anything, that's when I noticed what I couldn't see in the dark.

A freshly written letter, with my full name on the envelope.

"The Old Man... is down the road..."

[Jeremy Lightning]

Nice all around chapter, not much going into muscle, but that's fine, we all need a break once and a while, it was still very interesting, and I love your taste in music, I'm a big fan of John Fogerty myself, from CCR to his solo stuff. k+!

[phil123]

I hope for more.
Please go on.

[GLKnight]

The music became a muffle as I stared at the letter on the counter. I stared at the envelope as I picked it up, staring at the impeccable cursive that spelled out my full name: Gabriel Oliver Kearney. Very few people ever learned my full name. I HATE that my parents named me Oliver. Just don't like the way it sounds for me. But that aside, the fact that whoever wrote the letter also knew where I lived. How did they get in? How did they know where I lived? I started to panic at the possibilities.

Was anything stolen?

Was something planted here?

Are they still here?

FUCK! JESS IS IN MY BED! IS SHE-

"Gabriel," she drunkenly whined. "Come on! I like having you as my pillow and I'm tired!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God she was okay. Because that meant that we were the only people in the apartment. But for good measure, I locked the door in any case. making it back to the kitchen, I flipped the letter over and ripped it open.

"Sorry, Jess! Just taking care of something! Be there in a minute!"

Her disappointed groan let me know she accepted my excuse. I breathed deeply as I removed the paper, and began to read the letter.

Dear Mr. Kearney,

It pains me to have to do this, but you left me no choice in the matter. As of this moment,
I must let you know that you are officially my prey. I desire what you have, and I am willing
and completely capable of doing anything I may to get what should rightfully be mine. It
disappoints me to say this, but I will have to so thoroughly ruin you, that your husk will be
dedicated to one thing: my eventual dominion over the weak and rather replaceable fools
that think they are in control of all that they view.

You have a unique opportunity at this moment, my gentle giant: you will get to keep your
darling elf of a woman... and my mercy,. But in return for my gifts, you must submit to me,
body and soul, and willingly give me your gift. It is a fair trade, if you ask me. I will give you
some time to think about it, but I will return to your home at my own discretion, and demand
your answer. Otherwise, I will be forced to act in a manner that will neither be pleasant nor
beneficial to your person in standing.

I will have your answer soon.

- Mdm. Birgit

P.S.: As of today, Ms. Sheena Frost has become my attendant. She has quit your paltry little
Tower, and now resides with me. She is... EAGER for my tutelage, so do not expect any visits
until I feel she has become my true disciple. Consider this the price for running away from me
to seek comfort between your slut's legs, my gentle giant.

THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY WARNING.

My vision started to spin. She knew where I lived! She knew where I was! She... she had one of my co-workers, and was now doing... doing rather unspeakable things! She made threats towards me, and... and at Jess, and I... I-

It was at that moment I could feel myself becoming sick. I immediately rushed to the bathroom across from my bedroom, and didn't even have time to turn on the light before I was praying at the altar of the Porcelain God. My body just emptied itself, over and over, a great purge of worry and frustration, painful and fast, and over as intensely as it began. As I slumped against the wall, I could feel the cool tiles against my back, seeping through my clothes, and across my knuckles. I moved my arms, and felt something in my hands. I ran my fingers across them, and quickly learned that I had taken both letter and envelope with me.

A soft knock on the door took me out of my daze.

"Hill Giant, are you okay?"

Jess! Oh God, I just wanted to hold her. Hold her so tightly that I-

Fuck, the letter! I quickly crumpled the evidence and threw it in the trash can beside the toilet, then used the john to help balance myself as I stood. I turned towards the sink and began running some water to rinse my mouth.

"Yeah, babe! Something messed me up a bit, but I'm fine. So give me just a sec."

I figured a partial truth was better than an outright lie, so rinsing my mouth with some water, then some mouthwash, then more water, I opened the door.

Standing in the doorway was Jess, which I was glad to see. But I had no idea she had slipped into my Green Lantern shirt, the only articles of her clothing being her socks and underwear. I don't know, there was just something... magical about the way she stood, or the light behind her, or the fact that some sort of hellbent self-describing demigoddess of pain threatened her to get to me. Maybe all three. But regardless of my sentiments, I saw her concern, her passion, her love for me all at the same time in that moment, and all I wanted to do was hold her tight. So I began moving towards her.

"Gabriel? Is something wro-"

I quickly held her as tightly as I could. I couldn't let her finish that sentence. My whole life, it's been me that felt should take on others burdens and protect them, and at that moment, my mind was locked on Jess, as well as my arms. And at this moment, I just needed to feel her close to me, to make sure I knew she was okay.

"Woah! Okay! So we're doing this right now! That's cool! Not like I'm in my skivies and your shirt, and there's a nice warm bed waiting for the two of us..."

Shit, I forgot Jess isn't big on being cold.

"Door open?", I asked.

"Yeah, why does that-"

I heard her squealing in my ear as I suddenly lifted her up, and marched into my room, kicking the bedroom door closed behind me as I dropped her on the bed. As soon as I let go, I undressed down to my boxers, and climbed into bed beside her. All I wanted was to hold her tight.

"Wow, look who's eager to climb into bed with moi," she said, playfully.

I gave no response as I flipped onto my side, wrapped my arms around her once more, and just held her close. I needed her by me at that moment, come hell or high water.

"Gabe, are you okay? Is- Is something wrong?"

My mind was racing through everything I could say. Should I be honest, and tell her about Brigit, the Union, and everything? Should I make up a lie, and just hope it works? Or should I keep on this course, and tell half truths to deflect any questions? In the end, there was only one answer until I could make sense of everything.

"I'm... just freaking a bit about all the news. Your new job, our new house, Melody. It was just so much to deal with today, you know?"

Half truths all around, ladies and gentlemen!

"It'll be okay," Jess reassured me, gently rubbing my arms. "We have a new place, a new roommate, some more extra money-"

"Yeah, about $400k a year!"

She started chuckling at my comment and began snuggling closer to me.

"That we can start saving up because we won't have to worry about bills or mortgage because my new job has said they're going to cover that! I know it sounds too good to be true, but I swear it really happened! And whenever we're ready, we can move out there. It's an opportunity I couldn't pass up for us, okay?"

"I just think it's too much! Did you have to sign anything, or promise to do anything dark and twisted?"

"Well, they did have me sign everything in triplicate in my blood," she joked, laughing afterward.

"Not what I meant! I just feel something is completely wrong here, okay?"

"You worried that I rushed into something that you weren't able to look over and make sure nothing bad would happen?"

"Yeah," I sighed, heavily.

"Well, Mr. Kearney? I promise that if this goes sideways, they have an escape clause that I can leave anytime I want, and we will get paid a severance and move on. Plus we get to keep the house."

I began to kiss the back of her head and shoulders, as I got more comfortable while holding her.

Well, Ms. Volkov! I will keep you to that promise, and we should begin packing tomorrow!"

"And I'll also call Melody about the arrangements, Mr. Kearney!"

I just hummed approvingly as she laid in my arms, but all my worries and doubts ate at me. Jess still hasn't told me who she was working for now. I still had no clue why Melody had trouble remembering Joey. And I was still incredibly freaked out by the fact that not only had she abducted Sheena, but Birgit knew where my place was. Well, this place was, anyway. Soon, one of four problems would no longer be an issue, but I'll be damned if all four didn't perturb me somehow. I didn't want this gift. I didn't want these fucked up events to happen around me, no matter what good came of it. And I have no clue what I would do if something happened to Jess. I just... I can't lose her. She's literally the most important person to me, and I have no clue what would happen if I lost my best friend.

I focused on holding on to Jess as long as I could until sleep finally overtook me.

[Jeremy Lightning]

Hmm, very interesting way to bring Birgit back into the story, her lust for more power is almost as arousing as what she looks like. I'm looking forward to seeing her in physical form again, rather than letter form. But yeah, other than that, a very interesting way of going about Gabe telling Jess what was wrong without giving her too much information that would worry her. Great job on this chapter. k+!

[Jaguar]

You're doing a great job GLKnight.  Excellent plot, excellent character development, excellent relationship developments, excellent suspense.  This is the sort of slow story I generally prefer.


BTW, and you may already know this, many great authors skimp on physical descriptions, because if the author is not explicit readers can image what they want.  It is a way of satisfying all groups of readers.  In the case of FMG stories: those who want fantasy giants, those who want body builders, those who want fitness models, and those who want gymnasts. 


Plus you keep your plot options open. 


Anyways, what I mean is keep up what you're doing, you're doing an excellent job!

[GLKnight]

"NNggghh! Gabe! Help!"

I threw one of the many boxes of our books onto the couch and rushed over to the entryway, only to see Jess struggling to prevent the overly large box in her hands from dropping. Slamming my hands on the sides she wasn't holding, I clamped down and lifted it out of her hands, and quickly realized what box she had grabbed, acquiescing some of the load back to her.

"Jesus, Jess! You had to (urgh) grab your crafting tools without me, didn't you?"

We awkwardly began shuffling through the living room to the side study.

"If (ugh) you didn't get me addicted to Blizzard games (ungh), then it might be lighter."

I swung my foot back to make sure the door was open, and carefully led her in.

"Off to the side, babe! Ready? One, two, slow!"

We collectively started lowering the box down. Glancing over, I saw she was holding her breath.

"Breathe out slowly, Jess!"

I saw her breathe in shortly through her nose, and slowly whistled out as she exhaled and the box finally touched the floor. After I let go and stood, she quickly bounced back up, and began stretching and giggling. In all honesty, I had no clue how she could carry such a heavy box by herself as far as she did. The damn thing had to weigh at least 220 lbs. when I loaded it into the truck myself, and I had some real trouble getting it in.

"You know I love being on your team, Love!", hinting at her favorite character.

She quickly hopped onto one foot, and took a familiar pose. For a split second, I could've sworn there was more mass there than should have been, but since the Union and the smacking of my head and lascivious lady what looted a lady co-worker that lurked and longed for my, uh... damn, ran out of alliterations. Simply put, things were strange, so I let things like that slide.

"Aw, thanks, Love!", doing her best attempt at a British accent, and quickly breaking out into more giggles.

I couldn't help but shake my head and chuckle. Suddenly, the sound of our new doorbell broke our reverie. After the bell rang a second time, Jess and I looked at each other. The smile on her face made it pretty obvious who it was at the door.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!", she shouted in more British accentuation, as she bolted right past me.

"Challenge accepted!", I shouted back as I began rushing for the door with her. Being the more nimble one, Jess began to hop over the couch. But just like one of MY mains, I had reach on my side, as I deftly grabbed her by her shorts, and gently yanked her back just enough to land on the couch. I could feel daggers from her look as I completely made my way around the couch.

"Awww, no fair!" was quickly followed by the sounds of footsteps as she bounded over the couch again, and began to make haste.

I was only a few steps from the door, and knew I had beat Jess in a footrace... of a sort, for once.

"Ha HA! I LIVE FOR THIS! I AM UNSTOPPA-"

It was at times like this that the universe loves to remind guys like me that maybe running on hardwood floors, weighing more than a bag of groceries, while wearing socks, was a very bad idea because of Newton's laws of motion. Specifically, the 2nd law, "An object in motion stays in motion, until it either expends all kinetic energy, or meets a force which transfers kinetic energy into potential energy, meriting a ceasing of all motion entirely".

Long story short, I slipped and skid right into the wall beside the front door loudly and very heavily, and the blanket of our coats covering me marked my shame.

As I lay under my mound, suffering in the ignominy that was my luck on a regular basis, I could hear Jess open the door, and the smell of pizza invade the coats that covered me.

"Hey, babe," I could hear Melody call out. "Is everything okay? I heard a thump and-"

"Oh, that wasn't me. That was-"

I took that as a good cue, and proceeded to groan into a roar as I stood up from my prone position.

"IT LIVES!", Jess playfully shouted.

"I HUNGER!", I roared, stating the obvious.

"Let's EAT," Melody interjected. "I'm STARVING!"

As Melody led the way to the kitchen, Jess hooked my arm in hers, and began pulling me behind the succulent slices of sinfully savory morsels.

"Let's go, Slippy! Dinner's arrived!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three and a half out of five extra large pizzas later, we were all stuffed with our celebration dinner. Most of which were consumed by the ladies on the other side of the table when Jess challenged Melody to an eating contest.

After 3 pizzas to themselves, it ended in a tie. I had a whopping 3 slices to myself.

"Jesus Christ, ladies! How were you able to eat SO MUCH?!"

Both of them were obviously regretting the decision, as Melody was leaning back a bit and rubbing her slightly distended belly, and Jess had her head in her arms, moaning softly.

"I have no clue, how, Gabriel," Melody replied. "But at least I didn't make it easy on you, Jess!"

"You'll be lucky if you are able to hold it all down! Jess, you okay, babe?"

Jess kept her head down, but raised her left hand to point at me.

"Your fault."

"Come on, now! How was this my fault?

She pointed up.

"You picked pizza."

"Well, isn't it kind of a tradition to order pizza to christen a new place? Besides, they're pretty close to us!"

She lifted her middle finger to note the number two.

"You picked extra large."

"Because I figured we'd be able to afford it at that size, and have some leftovers."

She lifted up another finger, counting to three.

"AND THEY WERE OFFERING 5 EXTRA LARGE PIZZAS FOR FIVE DOLLARS A POP AND DIDN'T THINK TO STOP US FROM MAKING A BAD DECISION!"

I could only shake my head at her last accusation. SHE was the one who wanted to go for the deal. Jess is notorious for how much she doesn't like to cook.

"Look, I wasn't the one who-"

Melody thumped her belly hard, making me stop mid-sentence.

"It might be best if you just take the blame on this, Big Man."

Jess quickly pointed at me aggressively, then pointed at Melody, and gave us a thumbs up. I sighed and rolled my eyes, acquiescing to their demands.

"Alright, fine. It's my fault, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Melody replied. Jess just threw the okay gesture before getting up from her seat and walking into the living room.

"God, I feel like I need to throw some weights around after that bit of idiocy."

Melody quickly followed behind.

"You and me both, sister!"

I stayed where I was, and grabbed another slice.

"And since you got us into this mess, you got clean up duty, Hill Giant!", Jess called out before unleashing one hell of a belch.

I just chuckled and opened a fresh can of cola.

"Love you too, Elf!"

[GLKnight]

Several hours after the girls ate themselves into a stupor with pizza, we were finally finished moving everything in. In fact, we somehow got everything put away already (Melody surprisingly didn't bring much with her, saying she needed "new clothes", which isn't all that hard to believe). Only issues were some of our books and collections, and the fact we needed to go grocery shopping. But all in all, this place was now ours. And to commemorate the event, we all went outside into the front yard, and sat around one of our home's new accoutrements, a nice as hell fire pit, and toasted to our new home as much as we did to our new adventures.

"To new friends," Melody cheered, raising her drink, Royal Fuck (one of the things Melody DID bring with her, it turned out, was a FULLY stocked bar).

Jess quickly raised her drink, a mix of White Rum and Orange Soda, topped with whipped cream and blue sprinkles, to join in.

"To new opportunities! And whatever fate has in store!"

I just lifted my drink, a Jack and Coke, and shrugged my shoulders.

"Uh, to new comics, I guess?"

Melody slapped one arm while Jess straight up socked the other, laughing riotously.

"Honestly," Melody interjected. "That's what you go with? There's more to life than just hot people with powers, flying around in underwear and spandex you know!"

Jess couldn't help but become boisterously louder as she started laughing harder at me, clearly at a point of drunkenness that made everything entertaining. Melody, probably noting my obvious embarrassment, chuckled as she stood up, and sauntered over to me before straddling my lap.

"It's okay, big man," Melody said, wrapping her arms around my neck and placing her face intimately close to mine. "I'm sure both the hot ladies in the house would be glad to wear spandex for you, anytime."

"I- I'm positive it'd be awesome to see both of you in some cosplay (you as Emma Frost and Jess as Psylocke would be fucking HOT, by the way), but I think JESS WOULD LIKE TO SAY-"

"WOOOOOOO!!! GIVE HIM SOME SUGAR, BABY!!!"

Fuck, I miscalculated Jess' drunkeness. She's at "down for anything" mode, now.

"You heard the lady, Big Man. A treat for someone sweet..."

I could feel the softness of her lips on mine. I could taste her drink on her tongue, as it danced with mine. I could feel the strength in her arms and between her thighs as she held me tight. The way her hair brushed across my face and neck as she bobbed with each peck. The shifting weight of her body as it writhed and moved. The smell of her hair and the perfume she was wearing were both sweet but warm. As I could feel the palpable hunger in each savoring of passion, I could feel an intense warmth flowing through her, most apparent where she was grinding into me.

My heart was pounding in my chest like a fucking jackhammer, man. I'm faithful to Jess. It's how I'm wired. But I'm just a regular man. And any time a hot lady practically mounts you in front of your girl, and your girl seems to have absolutely NO QUALMS? I couldn't believe this was happening. I decided to go full bore into it, and let it happen with the sensation of a billion suns. Just a flowing sensation like...

Like...

My eyes snapped open, and realized the shifting weight was more than just her moving getting comfortable. I could feel the growing power with each pump of her thighs, as more and more they began to completely crush my waist. The space around my head was beginning to encompass my head as I saw the sleeves of her shirt fill to capacity, and then more as the seams fought to contain her burgeoning flesh. I began to panic as her body began to loom more and more, her tits sliding further up higher as I saw her overall person filling my sight.

"MmmmMELODY, STOP!" I shouted between breaths, to no avail as she continued to assail me. I began to struggle to escape her grip, but with each second it was growing harder and harder to do. Every single movement spurring her to hold on tighter, amd her increasing weight and size was starting to be overwhelming. I could feel a wet sensation on my groin as she began to moan loudly, her ministrations becoming desperate.

In a blind panic, I did the only thing I could think of. I slid my hands across her torso, looking for a good spot (and inadvertently discovering just how firm her tits were, almost like they were implants), and quickly began pushing her away. But with every ounce of effort I gave to get her off of me, it seemed Melody was giving twice as much to make sure she got off ON me and resisted me the entire way. But like I told you guys before, when I go into autopilot mode, I just tend to ignore shit and do whatever it is others say is impossible. And slowly but surely I could feel her grip loosen, and then felt her fall away to the side, landing with an audible "flump". I quickly stood up and tried to get my bearings, trying to calm myself down.

When I looked at Melody visibly upset, I noticed that she seemed to be like she usually was. No extra mass, no larger form. I could tell she was as she became when I first met her. A former dowdy housewife who let go of her abusive ex-husband along with her age and infirmities, and was now pretty enough to get whoever she wanted. But it's obvious what she wanted. And sadly, not what I wanted at all.

What I wanted was Jess. And as I looked around, I saw that her seat was empty.

"What the Hell, Big Man," Melody spat out at me. "I thought you'd enjoy some-"

I raised my hand at her to stop.

"I said to stop, and you didn't listen. Oh God, I'm a real fucking idiot and an asshole..."

I ran into the house, calling out for Jess. I don't know how Melody was feeling at that moment. I didn't know whose fault it really was: the alcohol or me for letting it get that far. But I could tell something wasn't right with Jess. From room to room, I called out to her again and again, but each room was empty. I grew fearful that Jess had left, that I had gone too far. I ran from spot to spot, imploring for her to see her, to talk to her.

As I ran into the kitchen, I realized where she might have gone, and rushed through the cellar door adjacent to the entrance, where one of the "extras" was: the completely state of the art gym that her new job was providing, behind two bronze doors bearing a giant steel bull on either side.

[Jeremy Lightning]

Really nice chapter, once again showing the downside of this power he has. Melody was just too strong and growing stronger by the minute, there was no way to stop her from doing whatever she wanted to him, and if she squeezed him any harder, he could've been more seriously hurt. But thankfully he was able to stop her before that point. So yeah, good writing. I look forward to more. k+!

[GLKnight]

Running into the brightly lit basement, I took in the overall sight of the entryway for the first time.

I took a sharp, gasping breath as I stood in front of the doors, bigger than me by a good bit in most dimensions and shining bright partly because of the two domed above each door. Each door held a relief of a bull, each facing the other in an unending contest of strength and domination. The sheer presence of the doors alone stole enough of my attention that I didn't notice how cold the basement was until I noticed some mist coming off of the doors, and my breath billowed out clouds that blocked the bulls from my eyes. I started to shiver a bit, and looked around for something to cover myself up, but outside of the doors and lights, it was barren and gray.

"Jess," I called out. "Are you in there?"

As I walked towards the doors, the sheer size of the bulls began to weigh on me. Something in me was telling me to run, that approaching was the stupidest fucking thing I could have possibly done. If I could be completely honest, I was starting to feel like Atreyu, and the bulls were the Sphinx Gate for the Test of Courage, especially with how an inordinate amount of vapor seemed to originate right next to the snouts. It felt like they were looking at me with their pupil-less eyes, and snorting at me in an outright act of intimidation. Like I was not even supposed to know about the gym.

"Elf? Come on, can you please come out to talk to me? I want to apologize."

I raised my hand to slap on the door with my palm, but I stopped to take a quick look at the bulls. Even though my mind kept telling me they would spring to life, I knew I had to man up more than be a little baby and run away. Safety be damned. Something was going on, and those bulls were getting in the way of this bull. And I wasn't gonna let them do that.

"Jess, please? I really need to talk to you about-"

The second my hand touched the metal door, it felt like it was on fire. Panic started to set in as I dumbly tried to pull it away. But try as I might, my hand stayed connected to the door. A prickling sensation began to climb up my trapped arm, as I tried to wrestle it free. But as the numbness gave way to pain, I began to sweat as adrenaline surged through me. I was starting to become more aware of the temperature in the room dropping lower and lower, as more mist billowed off of the bulls. The pain was indescribable for the most part. If pressed, I guess it was like a flash frost made of flame, kind of like when you overload your body during a workout, and lactic acid just flushes through you. A sickening sensation, mostly. But without the recovery and growth element of a workout. Except for the chill and the tingling of nervous system response from panic, all I could tell was searing pain.

I could feel myself retreating into auto pilot as I applied more leverage from the door. I wasn't gonna let this fucking door keep me from my girl! I wasn't gonna let these stupid fucking ORNAMENTS prove they were my better. I put my feet on the door, and began using my legs to push off it. As I stared at my hand, letting the intensity of my rage keep the chill at bay, I swear I could see my hand turning a dark blue color. Almost like my entire hand was getting frostbitten. But then I noticed something new: the feeling that my hand was starting to pull away from the door. The metal was starting to get lethally cold, if the chill seeping through my shoes could attest.

I started to scream at this point, bellowing out in my absolute furor. THESE DOORS WERE GONNA FUCKING LOSE BECAUSE I'M STRONGER THAN THEY ARE, AND I KNEW IT!

"YOU!"

I could feel my fingers move.

"CAN'T!"

They stung as I pressed them back against the door, and tried to free my palm.

"HAVE!"

The numbed sensation of flesh tearing was coupled with the sound of something ripping. I was almost there!

"HER!"

I her a pop, accompanied by the loss of flesh as I flew backwards, launching myself directly into the wall on the other side of the basement. I felt my head smack against the concrete and everything flashed white. I don't know how long I lay there. My vision grew more blurry as I lifted my now freed hand, seeing that I had lost one or two layers of skin because of the cold door. I could feel my warm blood dripping on my face. One drop. Two drops. Three, then I lost consciousness.

[GLKnight]

I found myself in a giant... catacomb, I think? I'm not sure what it could be called, except for the fact it was dark, there was stone slabs everywhere, it was rather dank (no, not memes, but the actual definition of the word), and somewhat semi-lit. I tried to get up, but for some reason, I was unable to move. No matter how much I tried to strain or exert myself, I was just completely paralyzed. I could still feel everything, but nothing was responding. There were no chains, no ropes, nothing. I was just stuck there, on the cold stone floor.

"Hello," I called out. "Can anyone hear me?"

The only sound I heard was the echo of my voice fading into the distance.

I called out, again and again. Time after time, echoes would fade and the only sound I could hear was my breath and the beating of my heart. Panic was setting in. But then I noticed something, way off in the distance: a tinkling sound. Maybe metallic? I couldn't tell. But it soon came closer and closer. Someone was coming!

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

Whoever it was drew closer to where I was trapped. Turning my head towards them, I could feel myself becoming desperate.

"P-please! I need help! I don't know where I am or why I can't-"

When I saw the outline in the shadows, I could immediately tell who it was.

"Jess! Oh my God! Baby, please! I need your help!"

As she approached, I was shocked by what she wore. Her arms and legs were chained together, forcing her to walk in a shuffling gait. Her clothes were tattered black rags, caked in mud and sand. I don't know what had happened to her, but her face told me all I needed to know. Someone had done this to her, and brought her into a cowed state of submission.

"Oh... God, Jess. Who did this to you? Who DID this?"

She knelt down by my head and placed it in her lap, lovingly stroking it as I began to cry.

"I swear, baby! Whoever did this, I'm gonna make them pay! I'm gonna make them pay, Elf!"

Her smile shone down on me, as a feeling of contentment washed over her. She leaned forward, and kissed me. The absolute love I felt in it, filling me with hope and a desire to make sure she was safe. Even as her teeth scraped my lip, I knew all she wanted was to be here with me.

"Gabriel, I-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut short as a clicking sound rapidly made its way towards us. Jess fearfully put my head back on the ground, and scooted away from me. I was in a full on rage, at this point.

"Come out where I can see you, you bastard! You hurt my Elf, and I promise I'm gonna-"

"Or you'll do WHAT, my Gentle Giant?"

My blood ran cold.

"No. No no no NO NO NO NO NO!"

The clicking of her heels quickly made their way over to me, and she leaned over, giving me a perfect look at her cruel smile as her huge tits framed her face through her open blouse.

"Yes," Birgit taunted. "Yes, yes, YES, yes yes!"

[GLKnight]

Suddenly, I felt hands on my legs. I lifted my head to scream at whoever was there, but was shocked when I saw it was Sheena. She looked exactly like she had that day in the store. The day Birgit stormed her way into my life. Before she forced me to... To change her against my will. I threw the back of my head against the floor in absolute frustration. Did this mean she got her way? That no one knew where we were?

"You BITCH," I screamed at Birgit. "What did you do to Jessica?!"

She clicked her tongue as she sauntered over to where Jessica was kneeling. Running her hands through Jess's hair with a look of pure, unadulterated lust, she kicked one leg, then another over her shoulders, and proceeded to grind herself into the back of Jess's head.

"Only what YOU could have done by this point, big man! All this power, all this privilege, and what do you do? You choose not to really use it to your full advantage! An entire cotillion of lustful, Primal amazons at your beck and call, pleasing you at your leisure. Willing to kill and die for you."

She forcefully pulled Elf's hair, causing her to cry out in pain.

"And yet you only care for THIS lowly slut! The both of you are fucking PATHETIC!"

Still holding on to her hair with one hand, Birgit climbed off of Jess's shoulders, and snapped her fingers.

"Apprentice, chain this worthless waste of potential on the platform. It's time to build what he neglected to plan for."

With a simple "Yes, Mistress", Sheena began to drag me as she followed behind Birgit, working their way through pillars lined with art of people. Well, not really of ALL people, I'd say. Just one type of people: the brutal slaughtering of men, women and children as powerful women, gleefully portrayed in their efforts, took to their task with the utmost efficiency. The innumerable number of scenes of rape, violence, and pure wanton delight in destruction and suffering I looked at was making me sick, so I closed my eyes until I felt some cold raised stones touch my back, and rub my neck. My eyes sprung wide open when I felt a hand grab my throat, and deftly lift me upright. Ahead of me, I saw two massive metal doors, each emblazoned with an intimidating looking bull looking at each other. I could feel the sensation of metal on my wrist, but try as I might, I still could not fight back. And in front of the altar itself, Birgit was embracing Jess, and where Birgit's hands were, I knew what she was doing to my Elf.

"Gabriel," Jess said, her voice warbling with fear. "H-Help! Help me!"

Birgit put her nose into Jess's hair, took a big sniff, and began cackling.

"Gabwiel! Hewp meh! Save meh! He can't save you, little elf! But did you know that he can make your wish come true?"

"W-what do you mean?"

I felt the final cuff on my left ankle, and found I could move again, quickly trying to break free.

"Jessica," Sheena said as she strode past me. "She's telling the truth. He can make you more than you are now."

As she stepped over the edge of the platform, her legs, hips and ass quickly grew in size, exploding the yoga pants she was wearing with insane muscular growth and definition.

"You see now," Birgit whispered. "He did that to her. Imagine what he can do for you?"

Sheena wrapped her arm around Jess's waist, picking her up over her shoulder, and carrying her.

"Mistress? It's time."

Birgit leaned in close, and passionately kissed Sheena with all the warmth to match her coldly cruel nature.

"I know, apprentice! Let us make his Elf far more than this little man could ever hope to see or help her achieve."

The sound of creaking metal filled the air as the doors at the other end of the room slowly opened. As Birgit and Sheena walked away, Jess screamed my name, as I screamed hers, cursing both Birgit and Sheena as they walked through the entrance. Jess screamed my name one last time before the doors slammed shut.

[GLKnight]

Over and over, I kept screaming her name. I thrashed against the chains holding me. I kicked and howled. I fought and cried. But no matter what, I couldn't break free. The weight of everything was bearing down on me now. Even the echoes refused to respond to me. I stared at the doors, feeling absolutely weak and helpless to prevent whatever their plans were. I even called out to the Union, begging for their assistance. To break my chains, teleport us out of there, smite Birgit and Sheena, anything. But I knew their answer when I heard the resounding silence between the pillars.

Tears streamed down my face. I had lost her. The one thing that meant the most to me in the world. I truly felt like I wanted to die at that moment.

Suddenly, a scream of suffering unlike anything anyone had ever known pierced the void. It was deafening, ringing through the darkness far louder than humanly possible. I screamed her name again, knowing it was her they were torturing. Doing God knows what to her. Again and again, she screamed in terror and agony. But every time I heard her, it seemed her voice was getting deeper, more coarse, more primal. The resounding booms of impact accompanied them, rocking the entire catacombs with each explosion of power. Then as quickly as it began, everything grew still. My heart was beating heavy and fast in my chest. I'm not sure if I was hyperventilating, but I was sure it was ragged.

"J-Jessica...," I whispered, questioningly.

The door dented underneath the left bull, the sound of something hitting metal creating a squealing clang that was painful to hear. Then the right bull was dented too, and more of the painful squelch of metal.

"W-what..."

A deep, bestial roar broke through the area, savage and wildly angry at its containment. Whatever was trying to get out struck the doors again and again in a fury, until with one last monstrous blow, the lights dimmed further as the doors swung wide. I peered into the darkness, trying to figure out the shape of it as its heavy steps shook the flooring. I could only make out some details: its size was massive, having to bend down to enter the room. Its build was inhumanly large, a twitching network of pulsing hills of power fed by unnaturally large streams of veins that quivered zealously as it pumped the amount of blood needed to keep the being alive. As it drew closer, I could discern more details, like the fact its skin was pale. That the thing in question was female. That she had dark hair. That she had a tat...too...

She had a tattoo of Wonder Woman's armor insignia on her thigh...

"J-Jessica," I whispered, bringing her to a stop in front of where I was being held. She leaned in close, and I could see her face. I could tell it was still her, but it wasn't like it was before. It was thicker. Broader chin, more pronounced forehead, bigger nose. Most striking of all was the fact that her head was completely bald. Not even any eyelashes, like it was either shaved, or all the follicles vanished completely. If anything, there was something... PRIMORDIAL about her appearance.

"What did they do to you, Elf?"

As she stood up, we both heard the clicking of Birgit's heels as she quickly went to Jess's side.

"What did we do," Birgit mockingly asked, stroking Jess's prodigiously huge calf muscle. "We made her our definition of "more", Gentle Giant. Now, do as your queen tells you to do, my giant beast..."

She began to walk away from us, Sheena close behind her, submissively.

"Kill the Hill Giant."

Jess raised her massive arm into the air, a snarl coming to her face as she closed her fist into a large boulder.

"Yes, my queen," she replied, her voice deep and powerful. She swung down as I helplessly braced for impact. There was only one thing I could do, screaming out her name.

JESSSSIIIICCCAAAAAAAAaaaa..."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"...aaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

I shot up out of bed, swinging my arms haphazardly, launching me directly onto the floor. Popping up, I quickly looked around, and found myself in our bedroom. The room was brightly lit as the sun shined through the open window. I could smell freshly cut grass on the warm breeze wafting through the air. In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of a lawnmower. I was breathing heavy, quickly realizing that I was safe and at home. But the only thing I didn't see that had me worried was Jess wasn't there. The sudden sensation of pain shot through my right hand, and looking at it, I noticed the bandages wrapped around it were slightly bloody.

"So, guess that really happened..."

Stomping feet alerted me to someone coming at me, followed quickly by the person bursting into the room.

"Are you okay, Gabe?"

Oh, thank goodness. It was Melody. In a very skimpy bikini... That showed off her good bits... To ex-extreme detail... And

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay, Mel. Th-thanks for your concern..."

Melody looked relieved, and proceeded to sit on the bed, playfully bouncing with a smile (and also playfully bouncing to see my reaction).

"I'm so glad! When Jess told me before she left for work that you had hurt both your hand and head last night, we both grew really worried! She asked me to make sure you were totally accounted for, and that if you need anything, I should stay on watch."

Her gaze wandered down to her chest, and then coyly back at me.

"So? Do you need anything? I don't mind!"

It was pretty obvious what she meant. Unfortunately, I couldn't accept it.

"I think I'll be okay," I replied. "Just a bad night, is all. Are you okay?"

Her look saddened a bit at my sudden reversal of interest. She knew exactly what I meant.

"Y-yeah. I'm just-"

She proceeded to stand, and turn to me properly. The fact she drew close to me made my a little uncomfortable, but I could tell Galactus was drinking this all in by his sudden jostling.

"Look, I wanted to apologize for last night. I had a few too many, and stupidly let myself get spurred on, and-"

I raised my hand, and put on my best look of understanding and acceptance.

"It's alright, Melody. I completely understand. Remember, we were ALL drunk last night. So you're not alone in that. And if I wasn't with Jess, then FUCK YES, I'd get with you."

"R-really?", she asked with a somewhat hopeful look.

"Yes," I said, embracing her. "But right now, we need to remember that we have to respect each other, relationships or no. And I mean I have to remember that, too. So don't feel hard on yourself, okay?

Melody wrapped her arms around me, returning the hug in kind. When we let go of each other, she sighed deeply and smiled.

"Why do you have to be so damn nice all the time?"

"I'm not nice," I shot back at her. "I'm kind. Nice is an easy way for people to fool and manipulate others. Kindness is far more difficult to fake."

She shook her head, laughing at the field of Corniness I just planted in front of her, and walked towards the door. I looked down at my hand, and suddenly realized something.

"Hey, Melody? Before you go, I need to ask you something: Did Jess wrap my hand and carry me to bed?"

Melody stopped, and pondered at what I had just asked her for a second.

"No, she didn't. She just said that when she woke up, you were lying next to her, and there was a note about you hurting your hand and head in the basement."

As Melody left me alone to my thoughts, I had to really wonder.

Who bandaged me up? Who carried me from the basement all the way to the second floor, and put me to bed? And who the Hell wrote that note that Melody pointed out?

"Riddles wrapped in enigmas," I said to myself. "Riddles in enigmas..."

[GLKnight]

Open to comments or questions. Gonna take a couple days for me to get the next part up (this came with some free time in my schedule), so don't be afraid to comment.