The Vespidian Arc 3 All These Squares

Chapter 8

“Your hors d'oeuvres, Madam,” I smiled lowering the tea cup filled with protein paste down to the table top in front of Fluffles.

We were having a bit of a tea party. Just me and Mrs. F. The moth squeaked happily, her long proboscis rolled out stabbing into the white goop. I sat across sipping from my own cup filled with the same thick viscus goo. If I had to describe it was sort of like a smoothie or yogurt. More or less it was a protein shake. Today’s flavor was, strawberry, which would explain the slight pink tinge to the normally white substance. Come to think of it I had not eaten anything solid in a long while, not since before quarantine.

I glanced at the digital clock outside of my enclosure. 7/16/2111, 12:51 Pm. I hummed, peacefully as we slurped our meal. Another day. In this… this… hmm is it torture? I might be starting to go off the deep end. I mean I am actively personifying my pet like a person. This is most certainly a prison.

A whole three weeks had passed already since the beginning of quarantine, actually, wait wasn’t today the last day that I could be held? My thoughts shifted, come to think of it, when was the last time Neon Nurse or Dr. Arbor had come by? It was a least a week ago. I am being more and more isolated. It must have been while I was sleeping or something, they messed with access to outside, I can’t stream any more or play online games. I haven’t really interacted with anybody in a while have I?

My eyes fell on the team of scientists that as per usually watched my every move. I shuddered a little, it was creepy always being watched, but I had been able to ignore it mostly till now by drowning myself in distractions, but now with my freedom imminent I was becoming very aware of them yet again. I mean it is hard not to when they are right there. Not to mention my outlets to ignore my problems have been steadily decreasing.

They had to let me go right? I mean I haven’t done anything bad. I have just been sitting in here vibing with my moth cat. Speaking of Fluffles, she had finished her meal staring at me expectantly, those cute little cat ear antenna vibrating in my direction. Yes, yes, I dismissively rose lifting the tea cup and taking it over to the protein paste dispenser on the wall. Hmm this kinda like a hamster water bottle… By Swolix above I am being treated like an animal.

No, no, no. Just play it cool, calm down. I let out a long sigh. You are just thinking too deeply into it. It is the Hero League, surely they wouldn’t allow freaky deeky experiments and torture.

I gave the scientists side eye as I returned to the table lowering the cup before my little princess. The moth eagerly slurped it up, sitting on the table with that fat squishy abdomen hanging off. I stole another glance at the swollen folds. Yeah gonna nuzzle that later.

“Well, well, well. You seem to be holding up just fine.” Rose a voice that I knew all too well by this point. It was Dreamer.

I squinted at her, “What, disappointed I am doing ok?”

She smiled and I shivered, that bitch was creepy. “No, in fact I am very pleased that you are doing good.”

“Oh really now?” I scoffed not believing her for a moment. “So what do you want?”

“Well, in light of your imminent release I have brought your family for this wonderful occasion. A bit of a reunion.”

“My family? Wait how do you even know who my family is?”

She crossed her arms, “Was I mistaken, are you not Vesper Walda Vasska?”

“No I am, but how… I suppose you could just look it up. Why did you bring them? You are not going to threaten them to get at me are you?”

“How vulgar, I would never.” Dreamer dismissively waved away my complaints.

Behind her two people entered, it was my dad and mom. Dad in his nicest leather jacket, head smooth and shiny bald, more or less looking like some body guard or something… wait isn’t he more or less since he is a bouncer? Mom in her usual uptight business suit dress, her black hair bunned up. Both of them gawking at me through the glass like some zoo animal.

“So it is true.” Said my Mom.

“Yes Caroline, as I said. We captured her, she was caught up with some villains.”

“I ran away from them and came here willing I will have you know.” I corrected Dreamer.

“So before was.” Started my Dad.

“Yeah big bad villain, you guys are lucky she didn’t kill you.” I supplied.

“So we were lied to?”

“About the hero league part back then, yeah. That was Molotov, a villain. I can’t remember that encounter too well, but I think most of the rest was more or less accurate.”

“I told you that thing isn’t our daughter.” Said Caroline.

Surprisingly Dreamer spoke up in my defense, at least partly, though she was still throwing shade, “Actually, Mrs. Vasska, we are about 90% that is your daughter. As to her intentions, well that is something we are working on currently.”

“What intentions? I just want to be left alone and not locked up.”

“And we still don’t know if you are a danger to society or not.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at her. “Well you have had me locked up for almost a month already have I done anything to make you think I am aggressive? I have just been binging games and watching moon sailors.”

“Can we go in?” asked my Dad.

Dreamer thought on it. “She is technically still under quarantine.”

“For what exactly?” He asked.

“Diseases or infections.”

“Have you found any?” His eye brow raised.

“No, she appears to be clean.”

“Then why are you still holding her?”

“We have, other concerns.”

“Such as?”

“I am not sure that I am at liberty to tell you. Hero League business.”

“That is my daughter that you are holding hostage more or less. She has been in there for almost a month. She needs to be released.”

“How do you know long she has been in here?”

“She just mentioned it. Besides Neon Nurse contacted me about this. Why do you think we came today?”

“Meddling as always.” Dreamer crossed her arms and sighed, “Don’t be fooled even if it was your daughter at one point that thing in there, is very dangerous. She has already hospitalized a certified hero, a former captain no less and injured some of the lab personal here.”

My Dad sounded impressed, “Oh she kicked their ass huh? She must be pretty strong then. Who was it?”

I pointed at her knocking on the glass, “Weren't you the one saying that I showed restraint since I didn’t kill Captain Metal after he shot me in the lung?”

My Dad raised his hands in disbelief, “Wait he shot you? Where is that son of a bitch I am gonna punch him in the face.”

Dreamer quickly replied. “No need for that, he has already been dealt with. But yes there were several altercations when she was brought in.”

“No.” I retorted, “I ran because I was scared originally, I mean if a Hero is just gonna start blasting what the fuck would the police do? But I turned myself in after I had cooled down, peacefully, despite all that had happened that night. Fire Chief brought me in.”

“I have heard enough, let my daughter out or I am going to sue the Hero League for unlawful imprisonment.” Dad crossed his arms intimidatingly.

“That depends on her, today is the last day of her quarantine, however she refuses to be mind dived again and we have reason to believe that she is a villain plant.”

“Open it up, I am tired of your excuses. I know my daughter, she is not a bad person.”

Dreamer squinted at him. “You might have known her before, however you don’t understand how fucked up her head is now. Vesper is in there, but so is something else. Something inhuman and horrifying.”

My Dad loomed over her, “Stop making excuses and open that fucking door. Or do I need to go to your higher up, together with Neon Nurse.”

“And what will that do? It was his order to keep her contained until she is properly processed.” Dreamer didn’t back down. “Until she is Mind Dived properly and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she isn’t a villain, she goes nowhere.”

He thought on that, “Isn’t there a law against mind diving people?”

“There is not. However it is frowned upon if they are not criminals. Vesper here though, is a criminal.”

“Criminal? What crime did she commit?”

“A laundry list on her spree through the city. Lets see, assault, property damage, attempted murder, actual murder and consumption of a human-“

I interrupted her, “WHOA, whoa, whoa. What the fuck are you on about I didn’t kill nobody let alone eat anyone. It is bad enough you bastards kept insinuating I was eating pets.”

Her eyes glinted at that. “After what I saw in your head I started looking around on camera feeds throughout the city and do you know what I found?”

I was confused, “No?”

She smiled with that gotcha bitch look in her eyes, raising a holo tablet, after a moment of scrolling she brought up a recording. It was a security camera, one of many that the hero league have throughout the city. It depicted a side alley near some warehouses. A large crane could be seen in the background. Hmm that did look awfully familiar. Come to think of it that looked pretty close to where Dr. Tesla’s lair was at.

A construction worker in his bright neon green safety vest was in the side of the screen, squinting it was pretty clear that he was draining the lizard. As the video continued, something black, shiny blue carapace crept down from the roof behind him, crawling down the wall. He looked up right as it pounced pinning him to the concrete with a loud smash. Blood began to pool, his head splattered across the pavement. That familiar visage of bone white, my face. But a little different, the chin was less pointy, I could tell.

A shiver ran down my spine. I wasn’t alone, there are more Vespidian… well of course there are, Imperatrix is out and about. Speaking of it, it is odd that a giant wasp woman isn’t all over the news. My head hurt a little at the thought. Oh shit that means I am going to be getting a bad rap for the stuff they do.

The video continued as the wasp woman tore at the body, ripping, biting, tearing, face covered in blood as she ate him. Her antenna twitched, shifting then she scuttled, ripping open the manhole cover and slinking away, dragging the body down into the sewers. My mom went a little green and started throwing up.

“That ain’t me.” I said confidently.

Dreamer stared at me. “If that is not you, then who is it?”

“I don’t know, another Vespidian. We do all look similar, but it is rude to assume we all look the same. There are others you know, didn’t you read the reports of sightings of me after I was in custody, the ones about pets being eaten. Besides I never went into the sewers until my neck was broken by Panther and I fell into it, being left for dead to fend off the denizens of deep. Those dog sized rats are no joke.”

She held her chin thoughtful. “Very perplexing. How come your dna matches the crime scene then? If it was someone else the dna should be different, but it is an exact match. Are you sure it is someone else, or did that other you in your head take control and not tell you?”

That… that was a good question. I don’t remember blanking out, but it could have happened.

‘Sub, did you eat somebody?’

Nope. Was not me.

‘You sure? You lying to me again bitch?’

Vesper, I would be bragging about how good it tasted and be seducing you into doing it again if I had. But now that you mentioned it. I do wonder what human tastes like. You have kept me from indulging at every opportunity that we have had.

That checked out. Sub wasn’t exactly subtle.

My Dad stood there staring at me, “Vesper is that you in the video?”

I met his eyes, not even blinking, “No I hid in a cargo container until dark after I first escaped the facility. I avoided everybody like the plague. I did get in a fight with some bums though. Still I didn’t kill anybody.”

He squinted a little bit assessing me. “She is telling the truth.”

“What makes you say that?” asked Dreamer.

“Oh well Vesper can’t make eye contact when she is lying. She always does that shifty side eye without realizing it.”

“Huh, I do?”

“How else do you think I always knew when you were trying to pull a fast one?”

Dreamer thought on that, “Prove it.”

Me and Dad looked at each other.

He contemplated it. “Vesper.”

“Yeah?”

“You love my apron right?”

My mind flashed with the images of the pink ‘whats cooking good looking’ apron. I tried to stare him in the eyes, but found that my gazed drifted to the side as I talked… my Swolix, it is true. “Yeah… Totality, I love it, it is cool.”

He pointed at me, “See, she is fucking lying. Notice how she not looking me in the eyes.”

“Huh, that is very Vesper like.” Said my Mom. “She does hate that apron with a passion. Even though it is so cute.”

“Ok fine, I hate that stupid apron.” I said staring him down.

“See, told the truth.”

“Huh… I suppose she is a very simple creature.” Said Dreamer, observing.

“Yeah she is a terrible liar. That is why you have to be honest Vesper, can’t get caught in a lie if you never lie to begin with.”

“I know, I know Dad…. It is still cheating.”

“Are you going to hurt anybody if we open that door?”

“No?” I questioned looking up to think about it. After a moment my eyes met his again, “Maybe. I do kinda hate all the scientists and Dreamer. But if I get let out I will let it be.”

“She is telling the truth. Open it up, I want to visit my daughter.” Said Saar, slightly tilting his head to give Dreamer a venomous glare.

Dreamer motioned and some security personal entered, the large bulky members of the cyber swat stood by the door, weapons drawn. “Alright, but at your own peril.”

Caroline, baulked, “Saar, hold on you can’t go in there she might eat you.”

“Honey, this is Vesper we are talking about, she is more likely to ball up in the corner than fight.”

She thought on it, “But that is if, it is Vesper. What if it isn’t?”

“I am sure that the security will rush in to stop her.”

“But you could get hurt.”

“If it helps our daughter I don’t mind getting hurt.”

“Ok, but if anything gets sketchy get out and don’t hold back.”

He leaned over giving her a hug, “Don’t worry I can take care of myself.”

The door opened and my Dad entered alone. His face scrunched a little from the smell of thick musky animal in the room. It couldn’t really be helped what with the mixture of my pheromones and Fluffles stinking up the place. He opened his arms wide, disarming. It was clear that he wanted a hug.

I hesitated for a moment, squeezing my fluffy moth a little tighter. Was I scared? This was kinda awkward… I gulped and lowered the moth to the floor. Tentatively I took a few steps closer. Why was I being all weird about this? I don’t know. Maybe I feel guilty or something.

Finally I managed to edge my way over. He gave me a hug and I began to relax. Safe in his arms. Started to realize how on edge I had been. All at once all the tension melted away and I didn’t feel all weird any more. I returned the hug giving him a good squeeze and lifting him off of the ground. I heard his back pop.

Bottom righty reached up rubbing his bald head obsessively. Hehe. Always did like how smooth it was. After a moment we separated and I leaned over grappling up my floofy pet.

“Hey Dad check this out. Dr. Arbor made me a pet. It is a moth genetically engineered with cat dna.”

Fluffles vibrated in my grasp, those large black fractal eyes gleaming as it wiggled.

“That is a weird looking cat.”

“That is what I thought when I first saw it. It is pretty cool though and super soft and fluffy. I named her Mrs. Fluffles. Go on touch it.”

I held out Fluffles as it squirmed, the cat ear shaped antenna shifting back and forth between me and my Dad. Slowly he reached out and plopped a hand on the moth’s head petting it. His thick callused hands sinking into the soft floof.

“Damn that thing is soft.”

“I know right? Oh, oh I have been teaching her tricks and training her.” I said lowering the moth back onto the floor. I swished a finger. “Roll over.”

Slowly Fluffles observed me, tilting its head until it flopped over onto its back, legs twitching in the air.

“No, no, not play dead. Roll over.” I motioned with my finger again.

This time it understood and shifted, rolling back and forth to get enough momentum to roll in one direction several times. I leaned down scratching and ruffling the fat abdomen, making sure to tickle between the folds just like Fluffles likes.

“Good girl. Paw.” I said hand extended, palm facing up.

Fluffles head tilted, then she smacked her little claw paw into my hand.

“Good Girl.” I smiled nuzzling my pet.

“See Dad, she is super smart, at least as smart as a dog.”

Speaking of like a dog. The moth latched onto my leg vibrating, her abdomen rubbing against me. Yeah, definitely humping my leg. I shook my finger at the moth and it let go, scurrying under the bed, knowing that it did wrong.

“It is kinda cute.”

“I know right. Fluffles is adorable. Oh, oh check this out Dad.”

I led him over to my desk where we observed the aquarium. Within the the little submerged castle sat. I darted over to the fridge and rummaged about pulling out a cube of blood worms. With a clunk it plopped down into the water. Slowly it sank to the bottom. Thawing out the worms wriggled and started to separate from the cube. White with black spotted tendrils poked out of the castle as Mr. Bubbles emerged. The little water dragon slithering out of his lair. The smooth body floated on the current as he approached the food. The red and yellow tail a flare of color in his otherwise pearly scheme.

“That is Mr. Bubbles, my Axolotl that Neon Nurse gave me. He is pretty cool, see his tail it is a different color cause it from a different Axolotl. They got regeneration like me. Well, sort of, it not like a super power or anything.”

Mr. B glugged making a big bubble as he slurped up the whole cube greedily. The remaining worms squirmed trying to escape as he drifted along nomming them up like a vacuum. Sticking my finger in, he rose to the surface, belly up. This little guy really liked his tummy pet. Slowly my finger slid over his soft flesh.

“Those are my pets, so eh what do you think?”

“It is good to see animals starting to like you.”

I shifted, “What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you remember, you always lamented us not having pets.”

“Yeah I do recall. What does that have to do with animals liking me?”

“They didn’t like you and that was the problem. You kept getting sad when Joey would scratch you so after he got snatched up by coyotes we stopped getting pets.”

“Joey?”

“You don’t remember? When you were growing up every cat you got was named Joey. I think we were on the tenth. They always ended up being outdoor cats cause they would maul you when you cornered them trying to pet them.”

I thought on that, it did sound familiar. “Wait so you are telling me that animals have always hated me?”

“To a degree more or less.”

“Huh… I thought that was just a wasp person thing.”

He pat my head, “I wouldn’t worry about it. It seems you have learned how to take care of these ones.”

“Yeah, I love them. Love you too Dad and…” My eyes shifted over to Mom.

Dreamer and her were observing us, from this angle looked little like Dreamer’s hand was on her shoulder. I didn’t finish what I was saying. I could tell at a glance that Mom was still cautious. Maybe even angry. Uggh that an ant hill I am not sticking a dick in.

“Oh good.” Smiled that synthetic voice that I had been missing for a bit. It was Neon Nurse. “I see you are all here. Vesper I brought you some new models to test out, since you so fervently destroyed the last one.”

She came in carrying a large box. The cell door opened as she entered, not able to see where she was walking, Fluffles water dish skidded as she stepped on it, losing her stance and the box smashed onto the floor spilling its contents. What was in the box? Smaller boxes filled with… if this bone face could turn red it would be. Sex toys. Not just a robo puss but some rather intimidating looking shafts and is that a tentacle? At any rate some of them had been turned on by the impact and were wiggling, flexing and vibrating across the floor. If the circumstances were different, well I would certainly be enjoying that sight.

Damn you Neon Nurse and your lack of social cues. This could have waited until after my parents were gone. Fluffles pawed at the tentacle that wriggled about, chasing it around the room. She snatched it up and bolted zigzagging erratically. Get that out of your mouth you little shit! Disaster. It is a disaster! My wholesome family moment ruined.

While I was distracted my Mom had entered, mortified? She looked kinda angry, not sure why. Wait why is she picking one of those things up? That thought got slapped out of my head as the fake dick hit me.

“Stay away from my husband you perverted wasp.”

I retreated into the shower as more of those things pelted at me. Closing it and hiding away. I may have curled up in a ball and cried. I am sensitive despite how I look. After a minute or so passed. Caroline had been dragged away and my Dad escorted out. The stillness of the room had returned as I peeked out. It was just me and Neon Nurse again. She was cleaning up and organizing, giving me space.

Slowly I emerged.

She lowered her head apologizing, “Vesper, I did not realize things were that volatile. I made a mistake in my eagerness to please you.”

I sighed flopping on my bed, “Well, you didn’t do it on purpose. So I forgive you, you had good intentions. My mom was kinda just a powder keg and that set her off.”

“Still that did seem like an over reaction to some simple synthetic devices.” Said Neon Nurse contemplating it.

“Yeah that was a bit weird. Even for my Mom, I don’t recall her ever being stuck up about sex stuff before.”

“Stress perhaps?”

“I don’t know.”

We sat in silence for a moment, before Neon Nurse scooted next to me, laying her hand on my thigh. “So, Vesper. How are you functioning today?”

“Ehh good? Nothing particularly bad.”

She smiled. “How delightful, I am pleased to hear that. Oh, by the way,” her glowing green eyes fell onto Fluffles, “Dr. Arbor asked me to collect this little specimen for some tests. She said that there were some anomalies with a few of the other subjects.”

“So like a health check up?”

“Yes more or less. Nothing that would harm it.”

I gave her a long stare. “Nothing better happen to Fluffles.”

“It should be fine, she assured me it was just some tests.”

Hmm… I lifted up Fluffles, gazing into those large fractal eyes. My happy moth squeaked and purred. I trusted Neon Nurse. And well, Dr. Arbor despite being an absolute lunatic did know what she was doing. Hopefully it nothing to worry about. I lowered the moth into the carrier and closed it up. Better safe than sorry. It could be something serious.