>> “Oh, um, no, I’m good. Reward, please?”

Chrys smirked. The boy was learning. Or giving up, which was the first step of learning. "Good..." Chrys kissed his neck, (maybe adding a light nibble or two based on the sensation on her own neck,) and her fingers tugged the elastic waistband downward. "Now relax. Let me show you I'm not all bad..."

***

Chrys rested on the carpeted floor, feeling the soft, plush surface against her bare back. Her body was still tingling all over and glistening with sweat. She used all the tricks she was taught to remind Akshay that she could be a very good girl when the situation called for it. Sure, he had some claw marks on his back that she was still feeling, but she could feel the pleasure far outweighed the pain.

Between exasperated breaths, satisfied words passed through Chrys's teeth. "Good... good boy..." Her hand blindly patted around beside her until it found his head. her fingers began running themselves through his hair in a petting motion. He did well... for his first night.

There was much left to come.

>> "Good... Now relax. Let me show you I'm not all bad..."[/color]

Oooooh my…

***Fade to Black***

>> "Good... good boy..."[/color]

That….had to have been one of the most…traumatizing things he had ever gone through. Oh, yes, he played his part well and did his best to keep things going for his kidnapper. But the problem was that her abilities worked in…um…more ways than just one. It seemed that when he decided to go for the reward for his sufferings, that there was still some to be had. He felt the itchy claw marks on his back, the bites on his neck, but none of that was as bad as…the other thing.

The Captain…had betrayed him. Or at least a ghosty facsimile of it. He didn’t make the connection until it was too late that not only did he feel pain she inflicted on herself…but he felt…other things.

Sooo…wrong.

But he played his part. And she definitely knew how to reward. Though he was still utterly creeped out by everything he felt, he had to admit that she indeed had skill with what she did. If it were not for the little things like kidnapping, torture, and the unwanted ghostly man sex, Akshay would have gladly thought of this as one of his best experiences. Unfortunately all those things had happened and slightly skewed his enjoyment of the situation.

God, now much longer did he have to go through this. Though this night was still not done and there would still be a week left (according to her), Akshay felt as if he had gone through a week already. How on earth was he going to survive.

He then remember his part as Chrys breathless petted his hair. He shuddered but did his best to hide it with his response.

“Thank you, Chrys,” he muttered. Hoping that would appease her. He just wanted to go back to sleep now.

>> “Thank you, Chrys.”

Still continuing her petting as her heavy breathing converted to yawning, Chrys smiled sleepily. "I prefer Master, Mistress, or Gumdrop, but you did so well tonight, no punishment." She was such a kind mistress.

Chrys got to her feet and walked away to her room, calling back over her shoulder. "Going to bed! Sleep well, sweetie. Tomorrow's gonna be a fun day!" She would return to her large, comfortable bed, and Akshay would enjoy his plush carpet and doggy bed of pillows.

***

"What??" Chrys did her best to keep her voice down on the phone so as not to wake her new pet up. "Daddy, I can't come into work today! ...Because I have... home things to do... Gah, fine! Just for a few hours, but if anyone tries to hand me more work, I'll nail them to the janitor's closet door!"

Chrys hung up the phone and looked down the hall, listening closely to hear any rustling from Akshay. She heard nothing, so it was possible she kept her voice down enough to let him sleep. They were going to have so much fun! But the fun would have to wait; she had some unavoidable (and boring) paperwork to get done at the office if she expected to sit out and play for the rest of the week.

Looking through her fridge, there was leftover steak and lobster from her family dinner two nights prior. Chrys was not a big eater, but she always ordered plenty of food so she could bring leftovers home for the very purpose she now needed them for.

Quickly heating up the food, she assumed they might be passable for her puppy. It was not the best lobster she had ever had, (which was actually just a testament to the quality of food she was accustomed to,) and she hoped Akshay would not mind it. The puppy needed to get proper nutrition so he could be ready for playtime.

Placing the food in a dog bowl she kept in one of the dish drawers, she quietly left the bowl near Akshay's bed and went through a coffee table drawer to find her post-it notes and a pen. With those in hand, she darted to the hallway closet and found an old sketchbook and a pencil set.

Dear Puppy,

I was called into work. Sad face.

Away for a few hours.

Don't try running. We're still connected

So I'll find you.

Sure, he'll believe that.

While I'm out, make me something pretty.

Like something in a comic.

Do good and no cutting tonight! Winky Face

Yep, he'll believe that too.[/color]

Chrys set the post it notes on the wall next to Akshay's pillows and begrudgingly left the apartment to get to work.

Akshay had had a horrendous night. After Chrys was done with him, she had sauntered away to another room in the penthouse, leaving him completely isolated in a part that didn’t allow him any sort of freedom. Doors were locked, windows were out of question since he was so high up, and he was fairly certain that he couldn’t harm the woman without hurting himself in the process. No, he was trapped and the truth of that was sinking in fairly deep.

All he could do was try and sleep for now. He was exhausted and considering that he still have several more days to go of this, he was rightly so.

Seeing no other comfortable place to sleep, Akshay attempted to lie on the soft, cushiony, carpet but his back still hurt; damn scratches. Finding himself at a loss for what was awaiting him, he sighed as he curled up and closed his eyes. Maybe, just maybe if he wished it hard enough all this will turn out to just be some horrendous nightmare.

Heh. He could only hope…

***

He could scarcely believe that he had slept at all. But maybe he really was that tired after everything that he was put through. The sad thing was that he still woke on that same, soft carpet, in this penthouse from hell. So much for wishing against wish while he was sleeping; that had apparently solved nothing. Groggily he moved into a sitting position, a small portion of his back asleep from having to sleep on the floor and he winced. This was definitely not a comfortable position. How the hell did dogs do this all the time?

Quietly he shook his head and was about stand when he noticed a strange scent in the air. It was something…savory. Turning curiously, he spotted a strange bowl, like a food bowl nearby. Nestled inside was…was….lobster and steak? Akshay gently picked up the bowl and began to inspect the food within; it was warm. It was warmed up…especially for him. Yet put into a dog food bowl.

Grumbling he tossed the bowl aside with a clatter. But as soon as he had done it, he jumped. Was Chrys around? He didn’t need for her to see him being ungrateful. He turned, though, and found a note sitting atop a sketchpad and pencils. He plucked it up and read.

He could only shake his head when she was done.

“Are you F****** kidding me?!” he growled as he tossed the note aside.

His anger starting to boil up, Akshay moved onto his feet and started to stalk about the room. He checked doors, windows, everything and there was absolutely nothing that could allow him freedom. Soon panic set in as he grabbed onto doors and pulled and kicked at them with everything he had. But they wouldn’t budge. Whoever this woman was, she obviously had the resources to construct herself a rather posh looking dungeon.

Akshay was doomed.

He let at least an hour slip by in a combination of just wandering in circles and trying to think of what to do, trying to fend off turning into a blubbering mess, and trying to keep from breaking his arm on something.

Before the next hour started, the grumble in his stomach and the weakness in his legs meant that as demeaning as it was, he needed to eat. So, he did…with his bare hands…like an animal. It would be an experience that he would never want to think about again. He did what he had to out of necessity…just like last night.

Another glance at the note, and Akshay sighed. He hated drawing under pressure but he was going to need to survive. And she wanted something pretty…so be it. Sitting himself upright against the wall, Akshay sighed and started to sketch and draw. Before long, after several drafts, after even more attempts, he started to come up with something passable. It was Chrys, sitting on the a giant flower of her namesake.

Hopefully it would be enough to keep him from being cut…as she promised.

Work was not as quick as her father promised. She started with her paperwork when her secretary told her of an emergency chair meeting she was being required to attend. Chrys tried to call the secretary into her office, but her father entered instead.

"Chrys... it's a meeting. You have to go, and you can't just... well, your secretary disappearing would be suspicious."

Chrys's body tightened up at the tone of her father's voice. She was straddling the border of being in trouble, and she was not willing to get on her father's bad side. "I know... It's just so boring."

"It's a job. It cannot be fun and games." His authoritative voice made it clear: this was not a debate. It was a command.

Chrys's eyes lowered to her desk and her shoulder's slouched forward. "Yessir..."

Not looking at his daughter, Mr. Van Hart walked toward the large windowed wall of her office. "Speaking of fun and games..."

Chrys knew where the conversation was going, and she mustered up whatever ability she had to lie to her father. "It's nothing daddy. It's just a home thing. Pet Games."

"Pet Games don't work with strays. You can't trust strays when you let them go."

She could feel a chill in her spine. It happened when her father spoke of the Games and she could not understand why. "It's a good puppy! He'll be fine."

"They are all fine until they get away. And then..." He did not need to complete the sentence: police. Questions. Disappointed daddies.

"I know, sir..."

Her father left the window and moved to his daughter, whose eyes were still averted. "There's only one way Pet Games end well."

Chrys whimpered. She did not like how Pet Game had to end when she had a good puppy.

Her father took her chin very tightly in his hand and turned her head, forcing her to look up at him. He was very conscious to keep his hand on her chin and away from her mouth. "One way, Chrysi.

"You put the puppy down."

Chrys looked up, but her father's eyes were empty and unforgiving. "Understood?"

"...Understood."

***

The meeting dragged on for three hours, keeping her out of the office until the late afternoon. She was exhausted for multiple reasons. The rest of her week was work-less, so she needed a day to unwind.

Chrys entered through the door to see Akshay still on the ground of the living room. (Where else would he be? He was chained up.)

Before Akshay could say anything, Chrys kicked off her heels and took strides over to lightly tousle his hair. Once she was done with that, she stepped back and plopped herself down into the sofa.

Chrys grabbed the remote and turned the television on, switching over to Discovery in hopes of a medical special of some sort. After a deep sigh, Chrys patted the spot on the couch next to her. In a quiet, almost apathetic voice, she commanded, "Come. Sit."

Akshay was nearly done when he heard the door open again. He had just finished shading in Chrsy’s body (which sat elegantly on the large Chrysanthemum flower) when he heard the clip-clop of a woman’s high heels. For a second he began to wonder if she was in fact coming back at all; not that he was complaining! It was just that she made a rather big deal of torturing playing with him, that he was surprised she was not around more often.

Then again, who was he to judge? She was a sociopath.

He ground his teeth, feeling his heart rate begin to raise just a tiny bit. He would not have been surprised a bit if his blood pressure would forever be skewed after this incident (if he survived, that is). He really did not want to face other evening of what she considered “playing” but really what choice did he have. Her powers were quite effective; if he attempted to knock her out, wouldn’t he just knock out as well? Or worse, what if he killed her? The only silver lining was the killing him couldn’t be in the cards because then she herself would die as well.

Small victories, he needed to hold onto them wherever he could. And only by playing his part would be indeed continue these victories.

She sauntered into the room. There was something different about her; the sexy, psychotic, cheerfulness which he had seen last night was gone. Instead there was a woman who looked beat and exhausted from things on her mind. Well poor f****** baby! But, again, he couldn’t risk speaking up in such a manner. Instead, he turned back to his drawing.

>> "Come. Sit."[/color]

His gaze raised up, he noticed that she was indicating for him to sit on the couch net to her. Mentally he sighed. Great, was she going to take her frustrating day out on him now? What, was she going to stick him through with needles? Poke out at his eyes? Repeatedly kick him in the groin until she felt like she got her revenge on all men? None of the options were…pleasant in his mind.

Reluctantly moving onto his feet, Akshay adjusted the chain around his neck just enough for him to move across the floor and to very cautiously sit at the edge of the sofa next to her. So tense was his body that he probably could have remained in a seating position even if the sofa were taken away. He really, really didn’t want to think about what she planned next.

After a second or two of silence, her watching the TV and him awaiting her wrath, he hoped to defuse things by casually sliding the sketchpad and drawing of her over with a silent and respectful “Here” escaping his lips. God, he really hoped she liked the finished product.

He had a feeling his life depended on it.

Akshay took his spot next to her and Chrys remained oblivious to just how rigidly he was sitting there. Her focus remained on the television. It was not a medical show, but it was a show about the deadliest animals in Brazil. That would probably ease her tension a bit. She let her body rest loosely on the sofa, hoping her stress could sink into the cushions.

>> "Here."

Chrys came out of her television-induced daze and turned to see Akshay's drawing. He was not being arrogant or facetious regarding his artistic talent. She was looking at a dead ringer of herself if she had been warped into a comic book world, and it was no challenge recognizing the flower he cleverly had her sitting on.

"Wow. She smiled sheepishly; he was a good puppy. "Very pretty. Thank you." She ran her fingers through his hair and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. It was actually less of an affectionate action than a pragmatic taste. He did not realize it, but he had been unlinked with her until her lips pressed against his cheek and her tongue flicked and caught a little touch of his skin.

Now that necessary business was out of the way, she turned back to the television and peacefully watched as an announcer described why a Brazilian Wandering Spider was dangerous as the creature ran up a broom handle to bite a man's hand. Nature was so beautiful.

Chrys could still feel plenty of her tension sitting squarely on her shoulders. With a weak groan, she asked, "Hey, do you know how to give massages?" Sure, she could just massage him for the same affect, but if there was a route where she could do pretty much nothing, that would put her more at ease.

>> "Wow…Very pretty. Thank you."[/color]

He watched her for a moment. There didn’t seem to be any sarcasm in what she said which probably would have been followed by a shank to kidney! He held onto that tiny glimmer of success, even when she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

He was confused, needless to say.

The real problem here was that Chrys, so far, proved to be rather unpredictable. He had not seen her swing into violent mood swings, but it was simply the fact that she could go from sweet, to sexy, to sociopath all within the span of seconds that made him nervous. Sure, she may LIKE the drawing but there was no saying if that was going to derail her from attempting to carve a scale map of the United States into his back.

The whole thing, all of it, just left him even more tense. With no idea how she was going to react now, Akshay just did his best to remain silent and try to watch the TV along with her. She had said nothing else and was watching it with some interest so maybe he should as well? Besides, so long as she was watching TV then she was not going to do anything to him, right?

Quietly he watched until he heard her speak once again…

>> "Hey, do you know how to give massages?"[/color]

Duh. One of the things a nerd needs to learn how to do is appease a partner with a vast array of knowledge. He didn’t have the strength and body of some movie star sex symbol so of course he would have to have an arsenal of techniques that would win a woman’s heart; massaging was just one of them. And, despite the annoyances of being so degraded, at least it was not something harmful to himself she was asking for.

He nodded.

“Yes, I do,” he said quietly. “Would you like one, Chrys?”

>> “Yes, I do. Would you like one, Chrys?”

Chyrs was glad to know massage was in Akshay's skillset. She was beginning to wonder if any pet before him had been so diversely useful and enjoyable. He was displaying a pocket knife-level of versatility between the dancing and the drawing (that she would find a place to hang up) and the sex and now shoulder massage.

If she listened to her daddy, the end of the week was going to be quite a shame. More puppies--well, men; once they were out of their collars and back on the streets, they weren't really puppies anymore-- more men should be like the scrawny Indian boy.

"Yes please." She turned her back to him and unbuttoned the top buttons of her blouse so it could be pulled over her shoulders, revealing her skin from the bra upward. The benefit of massaging Chrys in particular was the instant feedback; even an amateur could tell if something hurt or felt good when they were sharing the sensations.

As Akshay started in on her, Chrys looked back up at the television as it described the assassin caterpillar. It was a regular caterpillar with a back lined with tiny, sharp barbs that injected a painful toxin into anything they came into contact with. It paralyzed and killed someone as they bled out for nine hours.

Some animals were so lucky! "Isn't that crazy? Just imagine something so tiny and harmless looking being so deadly! Hard to believe, huh?" Chrys could feel her stomach quietly churning; dinnertime was closing in. She would figure out what she wanted after her massage.

>> "Yes please." [/color]

She began to pull down her top but Akshay was not concerned with the pale flesh that was slowly revealed. He was more trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Chrys had just said “Please.” For whatever reason that was the most shocking part of this entire conversation. For lack of a better term, Akshay was pretty much her slave. She didn’t have to ask for anything, especially not with such good manners.

But, it seemed as if she were an onion; with layer upon layer of crazy attached to her.

Seeing no other option, the young wordsmith mentally sighed before he raised his hands and carefully set them on the woman’s shoulders. He took only a moment to think. So close to her neck. Could strangle her into unconsciousness? Could it be done before he himself passed out since they were somehow connected?

He doubted it. That was the only reason he started to actually press his fingers into her shoulder muscles. God, it was so strange. As soon as he did, he could feel the same sensation on his own back, almost as if ghostly hands were attempting to knead and massage his muscles at the same time as he worked. It was just so damn creepy…and yet it felt good. He knew the spots that he felt tense and as he massaged Chrys’ shoulders, he could feel his own muscles loosening. So weird…and yet so helpful.

In silence he worked, using what skills he knew to knead the muscles of Chrys’ shoulders and back, hitting those spots that felt the most tense, not only on her body but his own as well. Before long, he actually felt those muscles turn to butter; and it was a good feeling.

>> "Isn't that crazy? Just imagine something so tiny and harmless looking being so deadly! Hard to believe, huh?"[/color]

…

“Imagine.”

The massage was doing wonders. Whether he was always so talented, or whether her mutation was giving him an advantage, or he just wanted to bring his A-Game and not die, his efforts were appreciated as he worked through the pockets of tension running through her back. Minus a few moans of relief when particularly bad knots were undone, Chrys was happy to silently sit and enjoy the documentary and a rare moment of peace.

Now that her stress was lowered, her hunger was the next on a list of basic needs to deal with. "Hmm, pizza?" Poor people liked pizza, right? Did pizza deliver to the top floor? Well, they would for her.

Chrys pulled up her phone, searching the internet for "nearby pizza delivery." The first option had a bunch of stars and was within a mile of her apartment, so it was a logical choice.

After hitting the "Call" button, Chrys put the phone to her ear and waited impatiently as it rang three times. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to place an order for delivery... yes, a large pizza with half eggplant and chicken, and half... um... one second."

She pressed the phone to her shoulder to mute her end. "What kind of toppings do you like on pizza?" She would have been a terrible owner if she forgot to feed him.

Heh. Akshay never thought his life would ever depend on his ability to massage a woman before. Sure, his sex life maybe, but his actual life-life? That was just something that even the imaginative wordsmith could have never anticipated. Though he guessed that there were stranger things out in the world, psychopaths born every minute of every day so why should this circumstance really be all that big of a surprise to him?

But there was no use thinking about it now. He was in it. He needed to survive so that he could get out.

So…he kneaded. He kneaded and he rubbed, hoping that every time he felt a knot loosen in his own muscles that it was doing the same for her. Eventually, though, with ever rub, Chrys did seem to loosen up and sigh a bit in satisfaction. So long as she was happy; he needed to keep reminding himself of that.

>> "Hmm, pizza?" [/color]

Momentarily thrown off by the question, Akshay stopped the message. Before he knew it, he nodded that “Yes, he did enjoy pizza!” but he didn’t know if that was because he really did like pizza or because Chrys sounded like she liked it. Again, keep her happy.

She must have taken his silence and nod as a confirmation that he did want pizza for dinner and quickly pulled out a phone to call from. Quietly he tried to put a little more distance between the two of them, edging over on the couch and waiting for her next order. But in reality, he was listening to her on the phone.

>> "Hello? Yes, I'd like to place an order for delivery... yes, a large pizza with half eggplant and chicken, and half... um... one second." [/color]

She was talking to someone. Another person! Alive! On the other end of the line! Maybe…maybe if Akshay screamed loud enough that would alert the person on the line and they could call the cops! They could easily trace the phone number that was calling them, right? But the big flaw in that was that it would take time for all that to be done. Akshay, though he tried, would end up dead since he doubted that Chrys would just flee into the wind.

He’d just be another unknown body found in some ditch with his hands and feet cut off to prevent identification.

God, what a horrible fate.

>> "What kind of toppings do you like on pizza?"

He blinked, shaken from his musings. He glanced at the phone, then her, then the phone, then her…was it worth it? Was forfeiting his life worth stopping her from doing this to anyone else?

“Spicy sausage and jalapeno,” he finally muttered, adding a small smile with his voice, just to show that he was thinking no such thoughts of escape.

So much for being a martyr.

>> “Spicy sausage and jalapeno.”

Chrys chuckled. "Figures you'd like something hot and spicy." She repeated the order into the phone and added the address and floor.

With the order out of the way, Chrys changed over to the History channel, which responded with a documentary about Flying Fox. It was the modern, gritty Flying Fox, but the hero brought to mind Akshay's heroic underpants, and Chrys could not help but giggle. How rare was it for her to pick up someone so comfortably nerdy from a club?

Chrys stretched out and turned herself around until she was officially lying there with her legs dangling off the armrest and her head resting in Akshay's lap. "Hmm. If they were in the same universe, do you think Spectacular Man and Flying Fox could stop Globe Gobbler on their own? I mean, sure they are popular and strong and smart, but the dude eats planets. Would they even stand a chance there?"

>> "Figures you'd like something hot and spicy."[/color]

Akshay gave a shy smile in response but other than that, he said nothing. He simply rested back against the couch, watching as Chrys returned to the phone conversation. Possibly his last chance at the rescue was being clicked away with the “END” button being pushed. He sighed and again said nothing as he just sat there. What further hell would he have to endure?

…

Her resting her head on his lap and a Flying Fox documentary? He sighed. He really was getting a bit tired of these games. It was as if one minute she was a psycho who wanted to cut into him and the next she was super sweet girlfriend material! Just what was her game?

A glance down at her, he ground his teeth, trying to think of the next logical move. She was being fairly sweet now, maybe he could keep that up if he just treated her the same? Such a fawning over her? Massaging? Acting sweet? It seemed like his best option at the moment. So, swallowing his pride over the fact that he was being held against his will, Akshay slowly reached over and started to run his fingers through her hair.

It was soft, silky, and just tender enough that he wanted to grab a handful and ram her forehead through the floor. But, again, that would do him no good. So…he just stroked her hair and was greeted with conversation.

>> "Hmm. If they were in the same universe, do you think Spectacular Man and Flying Fox could stop Globe Gobbler on their own? I mean, sure they are popular and strong and smart, but the dude eats planets. Would they even stand a chance there?"[/color]

Akshay shrugged, still stroking the young woman’s hair.

“On their own, no. Probably not without help from other heroes,” he said softly. “After all, working together with other heroes they managed to beat the Anti-Matter, and that guy swallowed entire galaxies and exists so long as anti-matter exists. I think Globe Gobbler would be easy to handle if they could handle the Anti-Matter. But…I…I guess that’s just one nerd’s opinion…”

God…please don’t cut me…

>> “On their own, no. Probably not without help from other heroes. After all, working together with other heroes they managed to beat the Anti-Matter, and that guy swallowed entire galaxies and exists so long as anti-matter exists. I think Globe Gobbler would be easy to handle if they could handle the Anti-Matter. But…I…I guess that’s just one nerd’s opinion…”

Chrys took Akshay's opinions into account; he was obviously more versed than her in comic lore, since she knew very little of Anti-Matter. She had no reason to doubt him, and comic books did have the annoying tendency to be very pro-heroes when it came to a fight between good and evil.

"Hmm... true. But that's why it's nice to get a nerd in here sometimes." Big guys knew very little besides sports scores and cars, neither of which was of much interest to Chrys.

Fingers were running through Chrys's hair, which caused her to almost purr with comfort. Akshay truly had some redeeming qualities and the idea of those going to waste at the end of the week was tragic. It was almost enough for her to consider pulling torture off the table so he could enjoy his last days, but if she claimed for it to be off limits, it would only be a more appealing option when she was bored.

Returning her attention to the screen, the voice-over man described the realistic elements of the Automofox. "I wonder if daddy would let me use funding to make someone a real Flying Fox. That would be fun." Sure, she was not typically on the side of conventional "justice," but having her own superhero could be as fun as playtime. She could even set herself up as a seductive nemesis! "Do you think I could make a good Thorned Petal-type villain?" It was a character Chrys always admired from the comics, and appropriately one of Flying Fox's major enemies.