Meera Syal, Anita and Me

D.X. Machina
Flight 203, Chicago to New York
Somewhere over Ohio

I looked out the window at one of the Great Lakes--Erie? Huron? I never can remember of any of 'em East of Lake Michigan--and pondered. Was I doing the right thing? I had set things in motion here that would affect the lives of all six of us--and while Anon and I had signed on for this, Scott, Sarah, Teri, and Kelly were here because I'd asked them to come. It seemed hardly fair to them.

But I needed them with. I looked at Teri. She was beautiful, I loved her deeply, and I wanted nothing more than to go back to the Twin Cities and be with her.

I hoped I knew what I was doing.

* * *

Scott Chelgren
La Guardia International Airport
New York, New York

The last time I flew, it was the ride back from L.A. I had spent the entire flight curled up in Sarah's ear, telling her of my misadventures in Los Angeles, leaving out the part about Sandra Bullock--well, part of it, anyhow. It had been a good way to fly.

I'd forgotten how tight seats were in coach. I considered shrinking, just a bit, to give myself more legroom, but D.X. would have none of it--he wanted me saving my strength. Instead, he had pulled me aside, and said:

"Scott, things are going to get real hairy real quick. I'm not going to lie to you: you're going to be faced with some bad stuff."

"Well, D.X., thanks for the pep talk. I feel great," I said, sardonically.

He smiled. "You need to know the truth, young Adept. There are a couple more spells I want to teach you...."

He taught me the incantations; they were easy, I knew instinctively that I could do them. Then he said, "Scott...if we're ambushed by the League, I don't want them knowing right away that we've got an Adept in our party. If we get in a fight with them, don't cut loose until I give the word."

"What if you die?" The question shocked me; I didn't want to consider that possibility. But D.X. smiled a bit.

"That's always a possibility. If I'm dead, cut loose with everything you've got; your honor guard in Hell is determined by how many you take out on your way out. But that's only if I'm dead; let's hope that doesn't happen."

I walked down the jetway, hoping against hope that we wouldn't lose D.X.; that would lose our battle for sure.

It was as we exited the jetway that I saw them.

There were eight of them--all women, ranging in age from about fifteen to fifty. They were all attractive, but that wasn't what I noticed.

One of them was stepping forward, hand outstretched in an attack posture.

My instincts screamed at me to defend the group, but my training paid off; at least, I did what D.X. said. I raised my hand in a defense posture and thought:

Defend--just a touch

My personal forcefield winked out of existence at the barest touch of her spell, and suddenly I saw the ceiling shooting upwards.

I knew--I knew--that I could easily overcome this. But I looked at a rapidly shrinking D.X. and could tell that this was not the time to do so. Instead, I kept shrinking until I was about an inch tall.

"ISIS, YOU HAVE DONE VERY WELL," said an approaching giantess, with long, dark hair streaked with grey. "D.X. MACHINA, ANONYMOUS, AND--WHO IS THE BOY?"

I was numb with shock when I realized she was talking to Teri.

D.X. was livid. "Teri--how could you? You sold us out!"

She was kneeling down over her tiny lover, a malevolent look in her eye. "JAKE, YOU KNEW I WAS PART OF THE LEAGUE. DID YOU REALLY THINK I'D TAKE YOUR SIDE OUT OF LOVE?" The last word was sneered.

I was shocked, but not as shocked as what happened next. "THE 'BOY' IS NAMED SCOTT, MISTRESS CERES. HE IS MY PET."

That these words were spoken at all sent shivers down my spine.

That these words were spoken by Sarah made my blood run cold.

I wanted to strike out, but I heard D.X.'s voice: Stay calm, Scott. This is not the right time. They have us outnumbered and outgunned. Remember your training.

He was right; we were badly outclassed. D.X., Anon, and I all had powers, but with the addition of Teri, Sarah, and Kelly, we were outnumbered 11-3.

Instead of fighting, I screamed, "Sarah--why?"

She loomed over me. "BECAUSE I WANT A MAN I CAN BOSS AROUND, SCOTT. AND THAT'S NOT YOU, NOT SINCE YOU LEARNED HOW TO CONTROL GTS."

I stammered, but then heard the leader of the group say, "ENOUGH WITH THE CHATTER. ISIS--GRAB THE THREE. COME WITH US. VICTORY WILL BE OURS!"

Teri grabbed the three of us--now only one inch tall--with one hand. We were balled neatly into her fist.

The ride was rough, until we were thrust into a velvet bag. Then, it was merely disquieting.

"D.X.--what the Hell happened?" I finally said, after regaining my voice.

"It was not unexpected," he said. "Why do you think I pulled you aside? Good work concealing your power; nobody but I knows your true power. The women know you have GTS ability; they don't know how much. Keep it that way."

"How can you say the betrayal was not unexpected?" I shouted. "These--these are our closest lovers! Maybe Teri--but Sarah--"

"Enough," he said. "They are in the thrall of the League. They are a powerful organization, and they indoctrinated Teri. Have you never seen The Manchurian Candidate? These are easy tricks, Scott. Better you hold tight. Trust me. I will not steer you wrong."

* * *

We were dumped unceremoniously onto a table.

There were about a dozen women staring down at us, including Teri, Sarah, and Kelly; Teri looked happy, Sarah looked--I don't know, I'd never seen her look like that, and Kelly looked bemused.

There were others. The woman from earlier--"Mistress" Ceres--was there. So was an older, red-haired woman, probably in her late forties, with a girlish figure. I thought I saw Mia Hamm there, and--maybe I imagined this--the First Lady.

The red haired woman spoke. "SO, D.X. YOU DECIDED TO JOIN US IN OUR HOUR OF TRIUMPH?"

"I did no such thing, President Jackson," he said, evenly; he was almost respectful. "I am here to prevent you from making a grave mistake."

The women--all of them--laughed heartily, as if D.X. had just told the funniest joke in history. "OH, D.X. HOW FOOLISH OF YOU. STILL HOLDING TO THE CADRE'S TEACHINGS. I HAD EXPECTED SO MUCH MORE."

"Madame President, I hold to no teachings. I am here to defend humanity, not to defend mankind."

"HMMF. SO YOU SAY. WE SHALL SEE. ANONYMOUS--YOU ARE HERE AS SANCHO TO D.X. QUIXOTE, EH?"

Anonymous shrugged off the slight. "Ms. Jackson, I am here to defend our species from your meddling. That is all," he said, sounding somehow more regal than ever.

"YOU TWO. YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE TEACHING OF YOUR MR. HEINLEIN: TITLTING AT WINDMILLS HURTS YOU MORE THAN THE WINDMILL. BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY." Suddenly, she turned her attention to me. "YOU--SCOTT--I AM TOLD THAT YOU ARE TRAINING IN THE WAYS OF GTS. SHOW ME."

I looked at D.X. He was impassive, and I knew that he wanted me to hold back.

I was beginning to doubt his strategy, but I decided he knew more than I about such things. I turned back to the President, and said, "Ma'am, I don't know much--just a few--parlor tricks, I guess. Master Machina says that maybe, someday, when I'm ready--"

"SILENCE!" she roared, pounding the table so hard that D.X., Anonymous, and I flew several feet into the air before landing in a heap. "YOU WILL SHOW ME HOW MUCH POWER YOU HAVE BY SHRINKING ME. NOW."

I sighed, and closed my eyes. I could feel the raging current of power within me. I wanted desperately to strike, to attack her, but instead, I thought:

Shrink, 72:71 scale

I then made it look like I was struggling, straining, working mightily to shave less than an inch off of her figure.

Then again, that was six feet to me.

She laughed, loudly. "YOU WERE RIGHT, SCOTT. NO BETTER THAN A PARLOR TRICK. AND D.X. WAS COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP. ISIS!"

"YES, MILADY," responded Teri.

"KILL HIM."

* * *

Teri crossed over to a position by me. She stared down at me, looming darkly, the angel of death.

I kept waiting for D.X. to give the go-ahead, to let me cut loose, but I heard nothing.

"ARE YOU SURE WE SHOULD KILL HIM? HE MAY BE USEFUL," said Teri to the President.

"ISIS, YOU WERE KNOWN TO BE IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH D.X. I'D HAVE YOU KILL HIM, BUT HE STILL MAY BE OF USE TO US. SO PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO THE CAUSE. KILL THIS BOY!"

I kept waiting. D.X. had to be waiting for exactly the right moment. He had to be. I trusted him.

I had deep faith. I trusted him even as Teri's hand came down upon me.

* * *

Anonymous

It was a bloodly, viscious sight, Teri crushing Scott to death. "Why?" I cried out, as much at D.X. as at the women. I knew D.X. had a plan--he was never this calm unless he had a plan--but at the present, that plan was clearly lacking.

Silence, friend, faith will abide, came the cryptic response from D.X. Laughter was the response from the women.

"NOW, ISIS," said Leah, callously, "DISPOSE OF THE EVIDENCE."

Teri gingerly scooped up the puddle of goo that once was Adept Scott Chelgren, and without so much as a word, swallowed the mess whole.

"NOW, ON TO YOU TWO. OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T WANT YOU TWO TOGETHER. VERONICA!" Leah called for Ceres, and Ronnie was only to happy to appear. "YOU WILL TAKE D.X. NICELY DONE, RONNIE!"

Ceres grasped my friend in her hand. "IT'S PAYBACK TIME, LITTLE BOY," she said with a smirk.

"NOW, ANON--YOU'LL ENJOY THIS. THERE'S A YOUNG APPRENTICE IN THE LEAGUE--JUST GOT HER OWN RECORDING CONTRACT. WE HAVE PLANS FOR HER, BUT SHE NEEDS TRAINING. BRITNEY? YOU WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF TAKING CARE OF ANONYMOUS."

A young girl stepped forward, probably about sixteen years old. She was stunningly beautiful, wearing a red t-shirt and denim jeans. She picked me up roughly, and said, "YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS 'MISTRESS SPEARS.' GOT IT?"

"Yes...Mistress Spears," I said.

With that, she smiled wickedly, and stuffed me into a blouse pocket. I wondered what the future held for D.X. and I.

More than it holds for Scott, I thought, glumly.

* * *

Scott Chelgren
Inside of Teri Rowland

As my body melted back into a body, I resolved never to get involved with something like this again.

I had cast the spell at the last second--Morpheus, the ability to morph one's shape. As her hand struck me, I changed my shape into a puddle of goo--and did well, by everyone's reaction.

I had been unprepared for Teri to swallow me, but the sensation had not been bad--like being on a waterslide, almost fun.

Now, though, I was inside her stomach, in a body that I had quickly envisioned--one impervious to stomach acid, with night vision so I could see my surroundings.

Having GTS powers did come in handy.

I could hear from the outside that D.X. had been handed over to Mistress Ceres, and Anonymous had been handed over to some woman named Brittany. I needed to find out more, though; I had to figure a way out, and more important, I had to figure out what was going on.

The spell--Claris was simple. My world dissolved away, and I was seeing through the eyes of my ingester.

We were walking through a hall, being led by the leader--the President was less imposing this way, I thought. "You will be rooming in here, Isis, along with your young apprentice Kelly. Well done, tonight."

"Thank you," the voice that was not mine answered. "What of my apprentice Sarah?"

"Oh," said the woman, laughing. "She seemed a bit off-put by your execution of the boy. She is young, and it is a harsh indoctrination; she will be working with Special Chairwoman Hamm to gain strength in her superiority."

"As you wish," slid the words out of my lips.

We were shown into a lavish room, and sat down in a leather chair. The President left, and as the door closed, the world swam.

At first, I couldn't figure out what was happening. I thought I was losing my connection.

Then, I realized what was causing my vision to blur.

Tears.

* * *

Anonymous

Miss Spears appeared completely naked, and I had to admit, for half a second, I was quite aroused.

"ANONYMOUS," she boomed, with the barest hint of a southern drawl. "I AM, AT PRESENT, A VIRGIN. AND I AM TOLD BY MS. JACKSON THAT MAINTAINING MY VIRGINITY WILL HELP ME TO INCREASE MY POWER. I AM TO BE, IN HER WORDS, 'THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT THAT LURES MEN IN, SO WE CAN CRUSH THEM!'"

At the invocation of Leah Jackson's tripe, Britney's nipples hardened to rock. She was obviously quite happy to be the forbidden fruit.

"NEVERTHELESS," she continued, "I HAVE NEVER KNOWN WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE A MAN BETWEEN MY THIGHS. YOU WILL SHOW ME. NOW."

With that, Britney laid down on the bed, and roughly shoved me into her maiden territory. "DON'T WORRY, BY THE WAY--I'VE BROKEN MY MAIDENHEAD MYSELF. I'M NOT THAT INEXPERIENCED!"

As I began to stroke her labia, I realized that this was hardly the worst sentence I could face. Indeed, I realized, as I began to work on her clit, it was very enjoyable.

* * *

Scott Chelgren
I was stunned to feel the body I was in shaking with uncontrollable sobs. What was going on here?

"Teri," I heard a familiar voice say, "pull it together! They'll hear you!"

"Oh my God, Kelly," said my host, looking up into the teen's eyes. "I killed him! D.X. said to do it if they made me, but--but he was dead!"

"It really looked like it," said Kelly, grimly, hugging Teri--and I--tight. "Oh my God, Teri--I can't believe we killed him!"

The sobbing stopped, and Teri said, shakily, "Even if we did, though, we've got to follow the plan. We've got to trust D.X.--he's dealt with these people. And we all knew this would be war.

"I just didn't think I'd kill one of my comrades."

Abruptly, I retreated into myself. This explained a lot, I realized. D.X. had staged this--he'd told the girls, but he hadn't warned Anon or I. Probably a good idea--our terror was real. That meant we'd fooled the League--

--and the women were on our side! I felt like dancing in the depths of Teri's stomach, but instead, I grabbed the side, and thought as strongly as I could, I'm still alive, Teri.

* * *

Teri Rowland

...st...aliv...ee

It sounded like a bad transistor radio in the back of my mind. I had to focus on it for it to come in.

...still alive. I'm inside you. Teri, can you hear me? I'm in your stomach.

I think I emitted a squeak; whatever the sound I made, it was one I would not soon make again. "Oh my...Scott?"

"What? What the hell's going on? Don't lose it on me..." said Kelly.

I shooshed her, and heard him as clear as day.

I'm alive, Teri. I cast a spell D.X. taught me. I'm still alive.

And my heart leapt. We weren't licked yet.

* * *

D.X. Machina

"That's a hell of a trick to pull. I'm just glad nobody caught it," I said to Ronnie, which was probably impolitic, since she looked to be about four hundred feet tall.

"WELL, YOUR BOY PULLED IT OFF--THANKFULLY, NOBODY ELSE WAS PAYING ATTENTION. IT WAS CLOSE, THOUGH. HE'S GOOD. JUST HOPE HE FIGURES OUT THE GAME NOW."

"He will," I said, gamely. "The person I'm worried about is Sarah."

She had looked bad as she left. None of the women knew the extent of Scott's power, and I knew from Ronnie they were taking Sarah off somewhere else.

I hoped Scott had made contact, but more fervently, I hoped Sarah was okay.

Phase Two of the plan was about to start; I needed everyone safe and sound.

And I worried about Sarah.

She was too gentle for this horrible line of work.