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Envy and Lust (Ch. 17 added)


Philosopher

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Wow... just wow.  Indeed, a very sexy update!  Well written, great detail, and the story is progressing in an interesting direction - I didn't expect him to share the injection.  I'm not embarrassed to say, I check the forums a couple of times per day for an update on this story.  I'm really enjoying it!

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6 hours ago, Philosopher said:

Jason cooes with his seductive voice. I nod and try again to relax as much as possible.

Jason moves his hips a bit and his cock somehow enters my throat

You put Jason's name here instead of Luke..

 

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7 hours ago, Philosopher said:

As I drift into sleep, the last thought that crosses through my mind is a peculiar one. I barely have time to think about it before I'm taken to the lands of dreams and nightmares.

I'm sorry, Luke.

Oh God Oh Scared GIF - OhGodOh Scared GrossedOut - Descubre & Comparte GIFs

This story si so engaging. I am rooting for Jasona dn Luke to be together but teh tingshapening are making it really hard.

 

I expect a flashforward or even a change in POV where we dont see what is of Jason in the next couple of days, months? and we see Luke growing stronger, virile and working the virus he knows he has and unaware that Jason gave him a new type of it that will make him greater.

Or maybe a shifting POV where we see Jason working with teh Astral corp people and meeting father and how Father wants to take him as his right side and fuck buddy and make him the best and that will fuel Jason desire to be the biggest and be a perfect man for Luke.

There are so many thingsthat can happen and i know i will be here to read them

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I recommend reading the first part of this chapter with Prince's 'Fall in love 2Nite'. The lyrics are made for the setting, might even set up the mood! Also, I'm probably not going to post anything tomorrow, I have a looming deadline and I have to finish it on time :D

Chapter 10

The speakers have played a single song on repeat for the better part of the hour, and I'm seething with annoyance at the managers of the airport. I must have listened to it more than fifteen times, and I've already learned the lyrics by heart, all against my will.

'Don't, don't, don't you wanna-

Don't you wanna-

Don't you wanna fall in love tonight?'

I'm currently waiting for the airplane to finally be prepared for our transatlantic flight to California. Thick, heavy clouds have appeared outside the window, and I know that if we don't hurry with the lift-off, our flight might be cancelled. I nervously tap my feet in the rhythm of the song, trying to send my anxiety elsewhere to no avail. The song continues undisturbed.

Special night, my favorite crew-
The moon threatened to dance her out of her shoes-
In his ear, he was about to hear-
An offer that he could not refuse-

Jess bumps me in the shoulder. "What's gotten into you? You look like you're about to start dancing," she laughs and I do nothing but smile back. Jess is wearing her old contacts again, and the deep ocean blue has returned in her eyes. In my humble opinion, she looks far better with blue rather than gray.

"Why are they taking so long? Didn't you say that the private jet would immediately leave as soon as we went to the airport?" I ask as I look around me. This entire section has been cleared off by all other passengers, and nothing but the casual rhythm of the song can be heard in the wide space.

"Oh, will you relax? There's been some slight miscommunication from our part, but the people responsible have been... taken care of," she says casually, yawning as she checks her phone for the thirtieth time. I pretend I didn't hear her last sentence, and I know better than to ask what she meant exactly.

Jess suddenly turns to me, and her eyes sparkle with interest. "You know, I honestly didn't expect you to take my offer. Most people I know would just take the money and escape the madness. But you Jason... you're different. You can't imagine my shock when the agent told me that you had tested positive for Inferno. It was one of the few times I allowed genuine happiness to engulf me," she smirks and her teeth glimmer like they're made of stars.

It was true, obviously. When the agent had arrived the following day, he checked the empty syringe and then asked me to wear a silver bracelet, made of some kind of unknown metal. A small screen had been installed on top of it, and after a few seconds, its dark color turned bright red, producing a grunt of acceptance from the tall agent.

Positive for Inferno. So, even half of a dosage is enough to awaken it.

"I still have some unanswered questions Jess," I say, annoyed. I still didn't understand how I was infected without realizing it. Was it from Lu--him, or was it from something else? Why did the viral load 'activate' the dormant virus inside me, and more importantly...

Why do I feel the same as yesterday? Why haven't I grown twenty inches into a massive beast of muscle and testosterone?

Jess looks at me with mild interest. She's completely dropped the quirky best friend act, and now most of her mannerisms remind me that of a very old, professional woman who has been in the business for decades. "I am aware of that," she lowers her voice. "Remember what I told you? You and I are different than the rest of them. Hell, you have a purer version of our variant than me," she explains and her voice turns sour. "Look, I'll explain everything when we get to the frikkin' jet. Just know this; Some people are born to be soldiers, and others are born to lead them. Capeesh?" she mumbles, and raises from the sofa.

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE JET?" she suddenly screams like a banshee, and instantly fifteen different men and women, all in black suits and black glasses appear out of nowhere and start scrambling around the gate, doing everything they can to answer her question. Even I get the sudden urge to get off my seat and join their attempt to fix Jess' problem with all my might, but she gently touches me and the compulsion vanishes.

"...Jess?" I whisper, stunned at the response from my body. It felt as if my entire free will had been taken out of me and made into a smoothie.

"Don't worry about it. With proper training, your variant will make you immune," she seethes and stars walking towards the terrified air-flight assistance in front of the gate, her heels tapping against the floor of the airport.

I take the chance to slowly get up from my seat. I need to visit the restroom, and maybe grab a snack from the nearby shops. My appetite has increased dramatically from yesterday, and Jess had explained to me that it was normal. I guess the virus really takes a lot from the body, and it needs the energy to conduct its modifications.

As I enter the restroom, my nostrils are immediately assaulted by the repugnant smell of urine. I try to ignore it, and I approach the wall-like mirror plastered in front of the toilets.

The man who stares back at me is smiling. He looks so much better than a day ago. His skin looks plum and healthy, the paleness remaining but without any pimples or moles on its smooth surface. The hair is fluffy and longer, giving him a pleasant 'I-just-got-out-of-bed-and-I-look-this-good' kind of feel, while the color has significantly darkened, almost appearing as if it was dyed with tar.

But the most important feature are the two, light grey eyes staring back at me. The irises almost look white under the bright lights of the bathroom, but I can still see the stainless steel winking back at me.

Needless to say, I look good.

Really good.

When Jess had first seen me this evening, she had to do a double-take. "You look... you look like that celebrity! What's his name... Dylan! Dylan O'Brien! Dude, you could literally play as his double if you wore contacts," she had gasped, and I couldn't help but take pride in the comment.

Wow. If Inferno had made me look half as good as that superstar, then that choice had been the right one to make.

At the thought started branching further and further into a tree, I had to stop myself from focusing on Luke. Although a high percentage of me agreed that this was the right decision to make, a tiny part still clung on the idea that Luke had been the one for me.

But real life isn't a fantasy. How long would I have stayed happy as I saw him grow bigger and bigger, until I was nothing more than a simple distraction? Our confusing relationship wasn't viable in the long run, to say at least. Besides, he got what he wanted from me...

...and I had gotten what I wanted from him. Half of the shot had been both a parting gift and a transaction, fulfilling the debt I had on his blood.

I may not look like a powerful muscle god, but my eyes are telling me that he won't be able to hold a candle on my power when it manifests. The song is still playing through the speakers inside the bathroom, and I finally let myself dance to its catchy rhythm.

She said don't, don't you wanna-
Wanna fall in love tonight-

.

.

.

The inside of the private jet is a dream turned into reality. The sheer level of luxury boggles my mind. Everything is coated in a soft baize leather, including the seats, the walls, even the windows. On the back of the plane, there's a jacuzzi bubbling with exquisite aromas that make me want to drink the water from it. On the front are five different flight assistants, beautiful men and women that are ready to make every single desire I have into reality.

"Can... can I have some profiterole?" I ask one of the nearest assistants. He's a brown-haired man, and if he wasn't wearing a blue suit with a weird logo on it, I'd say that his job was modelling. His face adorned a five' o clock shadow, coating his angular face with a tuft of brown hair. Nothing compared to Luke of course, but I was certain that both men and women turned their heads when he walked down the street. With a smiling nod, he disappears for a second and returns with a massive plate of pastry balls, all filled with whipped cream.

The sight reminds me of a particular night, and I suddenly regret ordering it.

Jess is a few feet away from me, currently enjoying a massage from one of the automated sofa chairs. She moans in pleasure and delight, and I try to drown out her squeals.

I check my phone for the first time today, and I find eleven unanswered calls and more than thirty messages wait for me. I knew that would happen, but I had stopped myself from checking it until we were on air. The airplane has its own WiFi and mobile network, and with my hands shaking, a press my text messages.

All the messages were from Luke.

-Hey, last night was something else, wasn't it 😉? I bet your ass is still stretched after I was done with you...

-Um, can we talk when you get back from your classes? It's important.

-Hey, where are you? It's early in the evening, and you don't have anything else today. Please text me.

-Jason, are you ignoring me? Did I do something wrong? Why are you not picking up your phone?

-Please please please pick up your phone.

-PRKD IPTJE PHROEJNE!

I gulp as I start going through my voicemail. 

Luke's deep voice almost shocks my phone out of my hand. In the first voicemail, he sounds hopeful and relaxed, laughing as he recounted some of the events that transpired last night, and how he "wasn't even rough with my tiny body". However, the voicemails soon begin to sound more and more desperate, then sad, then angry, and then furious.

"JASON, IF YOU DON'T PICK UP YOUR GODDAMN PHONE, I'M GONNA REALLY SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FUCKED BY LUKE FUCKIN' ZIMMERMAN! I'M GONNA ROCK YOUR FUCKING WORLD WHEN I FIND YOU LITTLE MAN, YOU HEAR ME?!" he screeches like a lunatic, a massive, gargantuan lunatic that could kill me with a gentle tap on the shoulder.

My phone shakes from the volume of his voice, and even Jess can hear it. "Why are you playing sounds of a thunderstorm?" she says with a frown. As I'm about to answer her that this thunderstorm has taken the shape of a stud, my phone starts vibrating again.

My reaction was automatic. With a swift move, my thumb presses 'Answer', and I stare in horror on what I had just done.

"JASON?" the thunderous lion roars and my poor little phone starts to overheat from its attempt to send the true volume of Luke's voice to me.

"H-h-hello?" I whisper like a scared puppy. If I had a tail, it'd be right between my legs. "Th-th-the number you hav-v-e called-d ha-a-s been ch-ch-changed," I try to weasel myself out of this situation, but needless to say, my body is not good when I start panicking. And right now, I'm sweating bullets.

"Jason, I swear to god, when I find you, I'll fuck you so hard that your actual organs will escape from your MOUTH!" he roars and part of me knows that he could do that. "I broke my stupid phone, thanks to you! Flattened it like a pancake with my grip! You owe me a new one, you little shit! he complains, but I can sense his anger dissipating. "Where are you?" he asks with sudden hope, and my heart breaks a little.

"Uh. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?" I tremble, and that I can hear a deep, reverberating chuckle from the other side of the line.

"No, seriously. Why haven't you been answering your phone? I... I'm sorry if last night was sudden. I was really taken by the beast inside me, and I had to try so hard to not let it fuck you to oblivion," he chuckles again. His voice then turns serious. "I-I haven't said this to anyone else before, but I like you Jason. Like, really like you. For a long time too," he cooes, and my entire body rumbles with static. "Uh, aren't you gonna say anything? You can't leave me hanging man," he whispers and I can hear the desire and hope and love in his voice.

Jess has now completely stopped having her massage, and instead she slithers closer, eager to hear what I will say next. She gently places her hand on mine, and without telling me anything, I know what I have to do.

"Hi Luke. Last night was indeed fun. I really enjoyed it how you manhandled me, so kudos for that. But... we both know what needs to be done... You and I, we're looking for different things in life. We are not... compatible," I say, and my voice sounds hard and powerful. As if saying this made me stronger. As if breaking his heart made me tougher.

Several seconds pass in nervous silence, until Luke replies. "...What? Jason, what are you saying?" he trembles. I had never heard his voice filled with such despair, such anxiety. It didn't sound like him at all.

"...Luke. I was offered a chance. I was given a choice by some very influential people. Either stay with you and never live up to my potential... or join them, and fully understand what I'm capable of bringing to this world. Luke, do you have any idea how long I lusted after you? Did you never notice the long stares I'd give you in middle school, and then even more in high school? I was in your every game of rugby, cheering as you dominated the field. I was in every after-party, desperately trying to shine in your eyes as you lifted cheerleaders with your strong arms. And yet, you never saw me. You never saw who I was, what I wanted, what I had to give to you. Until... until what happened with Astral Arc. Tell me, please tell me, what made change your mind? I realize now that all this time, you were trying to gauge if I liked you or not. What changed?" my voice almost starts to tremble, but I fight it down. Jess nods at me.

Luke takes a few minutes to respond, and I was about to sever the connection, until he finally speaks again. His voice sounds hoarse and in pain. "I... I don't know. It started when I saw you outside the lab complex. After the big boom. You were glowing, Jason. You were glowing like a star. Nobody else mattered, nobody else but you. Everyone else were filled with a muddy darkness, but you, your face, your body, you glowed like a supernova. I can't explain it. It was like I was blind my entire life, and then I could finally see. You wer-you ARE my star."

I don't know how to respond to that. No words will come out of my mouth. Jess grips my hand harder, and I'm flooded with the strength I need to continue.

"You have been infected with Inferno, Luke. I'm sure you already know that, but I don't know or care why you never told me anything. Perhaps you thought what was happening to your body wasn't real? Right now, I'm with the same group of people who engineered this gift to humanity and together, we will change the world. My advice to you, get ready for the waves of change to drown everything you call reality now."

"N-no, no! What are you TALKING about?" Luke shouts and I hear a crack from the other side of the line. "DAMN IT! Not another one," he fumbles with something, but his voice sounds somewhat glitched. "If... if you ever truly loved me, Jason, then tell me where you are. I'll do anything on my power to come get you," he pleads like I've put a gun on his head. I know he has the power to do anything he wants, but I resist the urge to tell him the name of our approaching location.

The next thing I say almost cracks the facade of confidence I've put for him.

"Never contact this number ever again. Next time we meet, we will not be friends. We will not be lovers. We will be strangers. I promise, I promise you Luke, I'll make you see what real power is like, you'll experience what a star can truly do," I seethe and my eyes burn with tears. I feel the roaring fires of rage within me, burning every last bit of love I have for this man. This god who can't even understand what he's been given, this being who can't even see its own unlimited potential. "...Luke."

"Yes?" he whispers, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Next time we meet, we will be enemies," I say with an odd calmness, and I hang up the phone.

Jess takes my hand and holds it between hers. "What you just did was the first part of your training. The fury of emotions you're feeling right now, all of them will be converted to power, Jason."

I don't understand her words. They sound like they're coming from somewhere far, far away. "Why me?" I look at her and I see her flinch in surprise, taking her hands away from me. She almost looks scared of something, but I can't see why she would be afraid of me. Perhaps it's something I'm not seeing.

"You were the only one with the most potential to hold the mutation of the virus. The lab you were stationed on, Lab 1, it didn't work on an agent to detect epithelial cell damage. It worked on a modified version of the Inferno Virus, a variant. All of the interns were specifically chosen because of their genetic potential to host the virus, but only you were selected by the virus itself."

"How did you get access to our genetic data?"

"Don't you remember? During the interview days in the assessment center, we ordered a mandatory drug test. It was easy to extract your data from a droplet of saliva or urine. Disgusting, I know, but it did the job. Then, we organised the labs according to the potential of each candidate."

"You mean... the five labs? Five... variants?" I gasp as all the lines are suddenly connected. That's why Luke had been invited to the test that day. They had his DNA stored in their databases, they knew he had the most potential to survive the infection. It made perfect sense now that I could see the entire picture.

"You catch on very quickly," Jess observes and then gives me a wicked smile. "Your... our variant is the rarest of them all. That's why we placed you on Lab 1. First on the line, first to take the throne. Lab 5 was intended to be the main virus that would infect the entire human population. We just needed a suitable host, and let me tell you, the main variant needs someone with a very powerful body to contain it. And well, we found him. Now, with the far milder version of the virus in his bloodstream, Luke can infect everyone without making them explode," she laughs like she just told a hilarious anecdote. "Unfortunately, the... implications in Lab 5 caused us to lose all our research on the 'Power Variant', as we called it, but you helped us with that," she winks at me.

I can't believe I hadn't seen the signs before. But then again, nobody can without having every piece of the puzzle. Hindsight is a powerful tool.

"I have one more question."

"Ask away," she grins and stretches her body. "Man, this massage was so good. You should try it!"

"What's... what's the name of our variant?"

With a knowing smile, Jess buries her dark gray eyes deep into my light ones. Then, she moves close to my ear, before whispering a single word that sends shivers up my spine.

"Authority."

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I was so stoked to see a new update!  Gotta say, Jason's a dick.  lol.  I'll miss the daily update tomorrow, Philosopher, but definitely appreciate the rate at which you're writing this awesome story!  Can't wait to see what happens next!

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Sorry for the delay. Real-life has its way of interfering with our plans, and needless to say, sometimes it's hard to find the best way to continue the story. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 11

A strange silence surrounds me. I'm in someplace unknown, unexplored. Gray clouds populate the infinite space above me, surrounding me with their obscene shapes. All around me is nothing. It's like I'm on the inside of a vortex, a gargantuan cyclone of ice and fury. This place is cold, uninviting. I feel like I don't belong here.

I'm trespassing, and it does not like that.

The clouds grow darker, their silver color flashing in alarm as I sense energy being fed into them. The ground below me turns dark, a black liquid starting to breach through invisible gaps of this realm.

The clouds grow closer. They feel colder.

"You're not ready. You're not ready to suffer our gift," they whisper, and they sound like the howling of the wind. A cacophonous blast of gray thunder flashes before my eyes, and the black water engulfs me. It swallows me with vengeance and glee, the clouds now raining shadow droplets of darkness on the massive sea of ink. The current drags me down and down to the deepest depths of the sea, and I lose myself. My perception is stripped away, and I see myself floating around the ocean of darkness, its tendrils seeping into my body with uncontrolled hunger.

I try to scream, but the ink drowns my voice away.

.

.

.

I shoot up from my bed, wide awake and struggling for air. The room is dark and foggy, and yet my body is flowing with adrenaline and fear.

This time, it felt so real.

I've been having these recurring nightmares for days now. They had started the first night in California, when Jess had shown me my own private suite in one of the tallest buildings that the large city of Los Angeles offered. It was three times the size of my old apartment, and this time I didn't have a giant roommate to share it with. Apparently, the tower belonged to Nicholas Sanders, Jess' father, and he used it as his own headquarters to oversee the numerous companies he owned.

A gentle knock on the door reminds me that it's time for my daily tests.

I slowly drag myself my tired body towards the large mahogany door, trying to forget about my nightmare, and I unlock it to see Agent Millers. He gently smiles at me, waving a small device on his hands. He's a handsome man, with icy blue eyes and a smile that would make you drop dead with a kiss. He's on my eye level, and I like the fact that I can see someone's face without having to crane my neck up.

"Good morning, Jason. You're turning prettier with every day that passes. Are you ready for your daily virion count?" he flashes a bright smile, and I chuckle back.

"Thanks. I've actually never felt better. It's like my body's metabolism has been fully optimized. I never seem to get a single pound of fat!"I exclaim happily as I offer him my hand, rolling my pj's to reveal a nice forearm, some veins bulging out and rushing with blood. Agent Millers brings the device closer, and I feel a small pinch as it draws a tiny drop of blood out of me. After a few seconds of observing the machine, it suddenly starts beeping and Millers repeats a number.

"Tw-twenty thousand! That's amazing, I've never seen such a high count in my entire career," he gasps in surprise. "It only seems to increase every day!" he hums and hides the machine away. "I have news. Mr. Sand-, I mean Father is now ready to see you. He had to fly back from New Mexico, he was overseeing one of his shell companies. Please take the elevator up to the 50th floor at 9 PM sharp. Accuracy is one of the few things that impress him," he winks and with that, he starts walking away towards the skyscrapers' private elevator.

After that, I quickly dress up, a white collar shirt and some black jeans that I take from my room's closet, filled with clothes that are tailored exactly to my size. I don't know how and when they took my measurements, but I'm not ready to dig that hole yet. Locking my room behind me, I take the elevator down to 10F, the cafeteria area and I take my usual breakfast, waffles with eggs and bacon.

My taste has returned back to normal by the way, and I can fully appreciate how tasty the food here is. My guess is that the viral boost I injected myself with eliminated that symptom, and now my sense of taste is the best it's ever been.

The cafeteria room is divided upon five sections. Each section is labelled with a specific color. The first and largest one is adorned with a crimson red, and all the agents eat and talk there. It's rather empty this early in the morning, but it gets full as noon approaches. Both men and women on that table are bigger and taller than their average counterparts, with the men towering above others at 6'3 and with woman standing at a very proud 5'10 to 5'11. Their bodies are toned and packed with lean muscle, and all of them look like a horde of models that escaped from a fashion show. That's the gift of the 'Power Variant', it seems.

The second section is painted green, and usually, there are far less people sitting on it. They look far more unassuming than the agents, but every time my eye passes over them, they're all buried deep into high-quality computers, smashing at the keyboards with incredible speeds. Jess had told me that the average IQ of that table averages at 140, but that number would mean that everyone there was a genius. "The virus gives a different gift to everyone. The 'Mind Variant' is uncommon compared to Power," she had gladly explained.

The third section has been colored a beautiful azure blue, and around thirty small tables are located in it. The people that usually sit there are always on a phone, their mouths moving like magic, always with a wide grin on their faces. According to Jess, they are the main organizers and 'influencers' of all of Astral Arcs' operations. They possess the 'Charisma Variant' and their ability is that they can win over any argument or conversation, being great at manipulating the public's opinion to their favor. They can dig into your brain and find out all your secrets, just from your body language. Their own eyes have evolved to detect micro-expressions, making them into human lie machines too. I was warned not to talk to them, because even a small conversation would make an unbreakable attachment to them, and that I'd agree to do anything they wanted, even if that meant joining a cult.

Scary, but silence is golden.

The fourth table has a multitude of yellow flowing out of it like radiant sunshine. It's filled with couches and coffee tables, and all people sitting on them are always smiling and laughing, and talking to each other. There's one thing I would describe them with. Beautiful. If I considered the agents in the red section pretty and handsome, then these people were supermodels. I can't describe their beauty, they are just so exquisite to look at. My eyes take great pleasure at seeing how symmetrical and shapely their faces are, with bright hazel eyes twinkling in the supermodel eyes. They too are tall, less than the red table, but the beauty they hold is so rare and exotic, that I can barely control myself from jumping at them and pleading for a date, a hookup, anything. Jess fully agrees with me, as the 'Clarity Variant' can make one so beautiful that they can steal your breath away with just a simple look or wink.

The fifth section is tiny compared to the other ones. It's a single crystal table and two large chairs, overseeing the other sectors from an elevated level, covered with pristine glass. That is because the only occupants are usually just me and Jess. "Our variant is the rarest, silly!" Jess always giggles with joyous glee every time I ask her. "We are the ones meant to control every person you see below you. Because that's what they are, BELOW us," she smiles sweetly, taking great appreciation on the fact. They still haven't told me what the ability of the 'Authority Variant' is or what it does, but I have a feeling that I'm soon going to experience its powers first-hand in the future.

I take my seat at the glass table, gazing over the myriads of people happily chatting and eating their breakfast. It honestly looks like a very organised camp, with everyone divided to their respective variants.

Today, Jess doesn't take long to arrive.

"You look wonderful, Jason. Gee, its like you were hit by a blast of the Clarity Variant, even though that'd be impossible. Your body really took in the shot without any troubles, huh?" she says as she sits down the table, snapping her fingers for the chefs to prepare her meal. A waiter doesn't take even a minute to bring over a delicious plate of crepes, filled with hazelnut chocolate and strawberries. My stomach growls as it sees that, and with another snap of Jess' fingers, a plate gets placed in front of me too.

"How do you do that?" I ask the gray-eyed girl as we finish our meal. It's time to get some answers.

"Do what?" she doesn't really pay any attention to me, her gaze instead falling on the Power Variant table. I don't know who's she looking for in particular, but she doesn't look in the mood for conversation.

"Like, everyone does everything you say. As if your words are... commands," I blurt out my theory. She could either accept or deny it, but frankly the outcome would be the same.

She snaps her eyes back at me, and for a second she looks angry. I don't know why, but the way she stares at me makes me want to run away, screaming in panic and fear. "Father has arrived, you know. I think you'll get a better understanding of the picture once you converse with him," she says in a neutral voice, but I can hear the fragments of anger in it. She's angry, furious even, but she hides it very well and I don't know why. "My father is a very peculiar man. It'd be in your best interests to satisfy him, unless you don't mind bearing the consequences."

I'm too afraid to ask what the consequences are.

The rest of our conversation quickly dries out, and its not before I take my leave to return to my floor and the safety of my suite. I try to ignore the fact that 'Father' begins to sound more like Emperor Palpatine than a benevolent figure that tries improve our planet by enhancing the human race.

I wonder how the world will look in twenty years. Will Father's plan succeed, or will it fall into obscurity, as so many had fallen before him? The possibilities are endless, infinite little stars shining at the nebula of space. I can only hope that I will stand at the right side of history.

The winning side.

.

.

.

An alarm on my phone reminds me that I have 10 minutes to take the elevator to the 50th floor.

I am ready. I wore the most expensive suit I could find in the expansive closet, a beautiful tuxedo that only movie stars wear at the Oscar Awards. Yet here I was, wearing one of them. It's been tailored down to my exact size, and when I look in the mirror, I'm stunned by how good it covers my body. It brings attention to my sturdy core, the effect of the virus having made it leaner with small but dense bits of muscle that enhance my frame, making it look taller than it really is. The pants exclude an aura of professionalism, and they engulf my thighs and calves as if they were made for this. Which, they were, but whatever.

A second alarm screeches that I have less than five minutes, and that Father will be angry if I'm late.

Jeez, alright. Calm down. He's just an old guy with an unknown amount of wealth, power and reach. How bad could it be?

The elevator takes its sweet time to climb to the highest floor of the building, but when it does, I can see that I have less than a minute to run a long corridor, towards the massive steel doors that reside at the end of the floor. I barely manage to make it in time, 20:59:40, giving me just a few seconds to breathe the precious oxygen in my lungs. While the virus might have melted the fatigue and tiredness from my face and body, it hasn't really given me any exceptional physical prowess, and my gasps for air are evidence for that.

When the clock reaches 9 PM, the massive steel doors slowly stir in to life, loud clangs echoing from a hidden mechanism of the lock. The doors open and I can hear steel bending outwards, finally allowing me to enter the confines of Father's floor.

If my room could be described as luxurious, then Father's was the Buckingham palace squeezed into the top floor of his headquarters. It was a magnificent architectural conception of glass, steel and crystal. All walls were see-through with the help of a massive window panel residing in the middle of the concrete and there was even a small balcony outside, while in the middle of the room stood a tall desk made of shining silver.

Yes, it was an actual block of silver, it looked like a monolith. On top of it was one of the weirdest computers I had ever seen, the inside of the control tower flashing with azure blue. It looked like an alien machine, nothing a human could ever dare creating, and yet there it was, standing on top of a giant silver block. There was no screen, just a flurry of holograms all floating around the desk, numerous different diagrams and reports flying through my eyes at incredible speeds. I saw redacted information about the CIA, essential government reports and sanctions that could cause entire continents to go to war, pictures showing the next potential Presidents of the 2028 USA Election, secret international projects showing expeditions on unknown planets, a coalition of numerous countries that the public was unaware of. So much forbidden bits of information, all in this room.

With a wave of his hand, the holograms all disappeared from the face of the Earth, and Father finally revealed himself to me.

He was... different than I expected.

First, he was short. Shorter than me at least, perhaps 5'7 or 5'8. Now that might be below average for a male's height, but what really drove the point of how small he was, was the amount of meat hanging off his frail body. He was a walking skeleton, I couldn't trace an ounce of fat in his brittle bones, that seemed to shake with effort. He was wearing an expensive suit, even more luxurious than mine, but even then I could see that it was a few sizes bigger than his body.

But then my eyes moved towards his face, and I froze.

He had the same eyes as me. The same silver color, tingling with mischief and potential. They looked younger, far younger than the rest of his face, which was riddled with wrinkles and slogging skin. They shined the way my eyes did when I looked myself in the mirror, but his were sharper.

Trained.

"Welcome," he smiled and motioned me to move closer. Not wanting to insult perhaps the most powerful man I've ever met in my life, I forced myself to stop trembling like a leaf in the wind. He showed me a small chair in front of his desk, and I quickly moved to sit on it. "A drink, perhaps?" he gently asked, waving his hand again, causing a secret compartment in the desk to open and revealing a small cryogenic compartment containing several bottles of scotch, along with some tubes containing unknown liquids that didn't seem safe for consumption.

"No thanks. I d-don't drink," I smiled back, squinting my eyes like an idiot. His voice was rough and rugged, but gentle at the same time, a melody that my brain instantly liked. It sounded like the soothing whispers of a loving mother, the joyous exclamations of a proud father, the mischief of brothers and sisters, and the love of family. He had the kindest, softest voice I've ever heard.

"I insist. Grab a drink." His voice, it was so soft. I couldn't resist not scrambling to grab the first bottle I could find and two glasses, and pour a copious amount of honey-brown liquid. I stared at my hands in confusion.

What did just happen? I don't even like scotch. I don't even like drinking.

"What's your name?" he asked, and his voice was so powerful, so intoxicating that all resistance was futile.

"Jason Goldwater, sir."

"Jason, is it? Ah, I doubt you are familiar with Greek mythology, but Jason was the leader of the Argonauts, leading them through their perilous journey in the Mediterranean sea. I like your name, Jason. I suppose I need to thank you for retrieving the sample of the newest modified Inferno Virus. Without your help, we risked killing everyone with the infection, but with this milder but potent form, our plan will sail like the ship of the Argonauts," he laughed and I could only stare in silence as his laugh was seared into my brain. It was angelic, divine, like a god was talking to me and offering me his support.

"Th-thank you, sir. It makes me so happy that I could assist with the plan. It's all I wanted in the first place," I squeak like a twelve-year old on a concert of their celebrity crush, and even though I lied, I don't care. I'll say anything to please this man. His aura is so warm.

Some seconds pass in silence, but Father's gentle voice fills it with its golden sound. "You're an interesting young man, Jason. I can see that the virus has agreed as well. The Authority Variant is the rarest variant that the Inferno Virus can gift to its host. The reason behind that is that most people lack the potential to control it... but not you. That makes you valuable, so valuable Jason. Your dream is becoming a reality. You're turning into the star you so longed to become," he smiles again, revealing perfect white teeth. Even for his old age, he's a very handsome man, and he probably was a major heart-breaker back in his prime.

But wait, how did he know about my dream? My desires? I never told anyone-

"Would you like a demonstration of what our variant can do?" he suddenly says, interrupting my train of thought.

"Yes, please." I couldn't imagine what he was about to do, but I was sure to pick every detail apart later when I was alone.

"Good, very good. A risk-taker too. You'll do very nicely in our ranks," he rises from his large leather seat, and motions me to move up too. His eyes then dig deep into mine, and a single sentence leaves his mouth. "Go to the balcony."

I want to ask the reason why, but I can't. My body isn't cooperating. It's starting to move on its own, step after step towards the glass doors on the other side of the room. I try, I desperately try to stop myself from moving forwards, but I can't. A pitch-black darkness grows inside me, and my free will is stripped away from me like a sticker. I'm a marionette, a puppet guided by an all-loving voice.

My hands touch the handle, and with a gentle push, I find myself at the top of the skyscraper, walking into the small outside balcony, all made of steel and concrete. I realize that there are no bars to prevent people from falling, and the wind is so loud and powerful here, that its hard to maintain balance.

Father's voice is behind me, sounding as soft as ever.

"Move closer to the edge."

My body responds to the command like an automaton. I'm not the pilot anymore, that wonderful voice is. I have to do everything that it commands, even stepping closer to the terrifying edge of the building, inches above the all-devouring void. I step closer and closer, until one of my legs rests on the edge, waiting for more commands. A tiny part of my mind screams at me to stop, but it's drowned by the irrefutable command of the Father. His will is the law, his voice the lawmaker.

I have to do everything he says.

"Dance."

I start dancing like a lunatic, all the different dancing techniques and moves I know flooding into my brain and delivered by my body, which is now making hoops and jumps just a few inches from the inevitable move. Without realizing it, I move closer and closer, until I'm just a breath away from falling to my doom. And yet my body keeps moving, possessed by Father's voice.

The moment I'm about to leap forwards to the void, Father speaks again.

"STOP. Move back."

With frightening speed, I fly backwards like I was struck by a lighting bolt, and I gasp for breath. I've regained control of my body, and the level of adrenaline is enough to make me vomit my breakfast and lunch in front of the most influential person in the continent. I heave and gasp, and my body is locked on the spot.

He speaks again, now sounding like a mentor. A friend. "Now you see what I can do. Now you see what the gray eyes can do, what they signify. I can teach you how to awaken your power, Jason. How to control it. I can only influence people who've already been infected with the Inferno Virus, make them do anything I want. I can override every animal instinct in their brains, I can make them kill themselves while they laugh with insanity and happiness," his voice sings to my brain. "But only the ones who are infected."

I still can't find the power to speak. I can only cower in fear to the man towards me. He's so frail, yet so powerful at the same time.

"I plan on removing that limit on you, Jason. Your variant is purer than mine or Jess' variant. With enough training, you'll have the power to control everyone. Everything, without them even being infected. I'll make you into our most powerful weapon. Do you want that, Jason? Do you want absolute power? Absolute strength? Absolute dominion over the world?" he asks and stops.

"Even Luke?" he adds with a mad, terrifying smile.

 I already know my  answer.

"T-t-teach me. Teach me Father," my voice returns, and it sounds desperate. Pleading. Nothing like Father's.

He smiles again. "I will not make you into a star, Jason. Oh no."

"I'll make you into a black hole."

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Well worth the wait!  You're adding more complexity with the virus variants, which makes the whole world-building effort even more complete.  Great chapter!

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I’ve caught up with this story this week and it’s quite wonderful. I love how you keep expanding the world you’ve created while keeping the central conflict and themes very focused - it’s very hard to achieve both objectives together. Descriptions are great; sex scenes are hot. I care about the character and rooting for a happy ending for them, but at the same time turned on by the power lust and will be satisfied with a different type of ending. You definitely have me (and I’m sure a lot of other readers) intrigued and invested. Great work and thank you for producing new chapters in such consistent and reliable pace. 👍💪

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I'm always excited to see a new chapter up on this great story.

 

Astral Arc and their virus reminds me a lot about Kilgrave from Jessica Jones that can control people (in the Netflix series they even made it a virus he infects people around him with).

 

I can't wait to see Jason develop his ability and see how it changes him in the process (plus the return of Luke at some point!).

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2 hours ago, jontron said:

I'm always excited to see a new chapter up on this great story.

 

Astral Arc and their virus reminds me a lot about Kilgrave from Jessica Jones that can control people (in the Netflix series they even made it a virus he infects people around him with).

 

I can't wait to see Jason develop his ability and see how it changes him in the process (plus the return of Luke at some point!).

Ding ding ding! I got the inspiration from Jessica Jones, I was just enthralled by the way Kilgrave was able to be so powerful with just his voice. Although, I'm not planning to completely plagiarize his powers, he is indeed the nexus of the 'Authority Variant'. I'll try spicing up Jason's powers with my own, unique view :)

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