Chapter 11

From the shadows,we stepped out of an alley. Walking into the middle of the street, Won-Ho stayed a few feet behind me. The military-grade transport sped down the street. Somewhere between an SUV and a tank, the vehicle had Cold Iron's signature three bars across the hood. Inside, there would be at least two soldiers. In the back, I couldn't fathom how many soldiers they'd have to keep Diesel and Clint in check.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

"Your worry is misplaced."

"You're about to break the law."

"I have years of saved karma."

The transport picked up speed. "This is going to get messy."

"I've done plenty of work for the inmates of Cold Iron. These soldiers aren't innocent."

"If you can sleep at night…"

I slammed my heel into the asphalt, and the shadows erupted from my body in massive spikes. Another strike against the ground. I created a barricade surrounding us. I thought the soldiers would slam the brakes, but the fools inside thought they'd smash the construct without consequence.

Simpletons.

The transport slammed into a spike. Steel sheered, and sparks flew as the front of the transport crushed itself. From the shadows, I watched the truck fly overhead. The driver had been arrogant, and it'd cost him. First, don't fuck with my friends. Second, I had pent-up anger from my time in lockup. This would be fun.

"Get the idiots. I've got the guards," I said.

"Demanding."

I launched myself into the air, drawing the shadows back into my body. I flipped onto the upside-down transport. Diesel and Clint would owe me. This would be more than a simple drink at the pub. I'd hold on to that favor until I needed something shady from them.

The doors flung open on either side. The soldiers stepped out, guns leading the way. As soon as they saw me standing on the truck, they opened fire. On one side, I threw up a shield of darkness. I wasn't fast enough with the second guard. The bullets penetrated the shadows and nailed me in the chest. The gem kept it from drilling through my skin. I'd have a welt come morning.

The soldiers of Cold Iron were no better than the crooks they promised to lock away. During my incarceration, I found them to be far more dangerous than the inmates. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this.

I jumped off the truck. "Die, asshole."

I thrust my hand forward. The shadows flew out, focused to a narrow point. It drilled through his bullet-proof vest and into flesh. The shadows vibrated with the beat of his heart, each growing further apart from the last. It was a swifter death than he deserved. I couldn't enjoy the victory as the air shook and a loud boom made the windows of the transport crack. The second blast from that god-forsaken weapon sent me airborne.

I spun about to see Won-Ho tearing the rear door off the vehicle. He had the idiots covered. I turned to the remaining soldier with an enormous gun braced against his shoulder. At least he realized his sidearm wasn't doing the trick. I always found it laughable when bullets didn't work, and they continued firing as if the next one might be the shot. He deserved brownie points.

I hit the ground and sank into a pool of shadows. I reappeared behind the man. It wasn't a fair fight, no matter how big his weapon. I grabbed him by the helmet. Snap. One swift turn of the skull, and he dropped dead. Now it was time to?—

An explosion sent Won-Ho flying through a storefront. I had seen his strength before. It would take a tank to hurl him about. I expected to see Diesel or Clint stumble out of the back. When a human-sized machine stepped out, I realized we had a different problem. This had been a setup.

"Machinist."

My blood boiled as I waited for Won-Ho to climb out of the crater. He shouldn't have been here. The Machinist had made a mistake going after Diesel and Clint. The bigger mistake was touching Won-Ho. I'd tear him limb from limb.

"Machinist!"

The mechanized suit turned. Underneath, the hardware housed one of my biggest rivals in the business world. I only wished I could brag to the board that I killed the man who prevented our monopoly on Vanguard. Canons sprung from his shoulders, launching missiles toward the transport. Without their powers, Diesel and Clint were helpless.

"Fuck," I growled.

I flew after them, thrusting my hands out. I couldn't outrun the missiles. Thankfully, darkness moved quickly. The shadows about the transport shot upright as if they were alive. Phantom figures detonated the missiles, spinning the transport around. The goons inside would be shaken, but they'd survive.

Diesel stumbled out of the back, falling on the pavement as he wrestled with the collar. It'd take time to remove them, a commodity I didn't have. Machinist wasn't a slouch, especially not when he had his gadgets. I spun about to a hammering blindness. It hit with enough force to send me through the transport and into the second story of a nearby building.

I couldn't breathe.

The shadows faded away as I clutched at my t-shirt. I found the eyes of teenagers staring at me from a living room couch. Bricks fell from the wall while a chunk of the ceiling collapsed on my head. The boy furthest away continued jabbing at his controller, his eyes never detaching from the television screen.

"Are you okay?"

No, no, I wasn't. I gasped, barely drawing in air to stay conscious. Sliding down the wall, pictures fell off their hooks. I couldn't think about Machinist or the guys. The only thing that mattered—breathing. The world turned dark.

"Fetal position." The girl on the couch brought her knees to her chest. "It helps."

I had nothing to lose. I rolled to my side and pulled my knees against my chest. At least if I passed out, I'd be comfortable. Two run-ins with heroes, and both times I had my ass handed to me. My ego couldn't take much more of?—

Gasp. My lungs pulled in air, the tremors in my torso subsiding. I sucked in more, worried it might only last for a second. I pushed upright, hand on my chest. Nothing broken. Another ragged breath. It had worked. I glanced at the teenager, surprised that advice from a kid saved me.

"I play soccer. It happens a lot."

The kid playing video games didn't stop. "Mom's going to be pissed about the wall."

I pulled at the shadows in the room, rallying them about my body until I vanished within the darkness. Machinist was going to pay. It wouldn't be a clean death. I'd consider it a failure if he didn't scream at least once. Hovering upright, I walked to the edge of the living room overlooking the street below. Machinist swatted at Won-Ho's fist, knocking it to the side. With the thrusters at his back roaring to life, he drove knuckles under Won-Ho's chin.

"No!" Crashing into a building, I couldn't see him. Was Machinist strong enough to hurt him? There wouldn't be a chance for him to find out.

I leapt from the building. Flying straight for Machinist, compartments sprung open, launching more of those tiny missiles in my direction. I threw up a wall of darkness and vanished inside to reappear at Won-Ho's feet. Now, I stood between him and Machinist.

"Don't fucking touch him."

"Vex." Machinist's voice went from mechanical to human as his helmet opened. "Saving people? Getting soft in your old age."

Won-Ho moaned. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure he didn't have a fatal wound. Other than a smoldering shirt, he didn't look harmed. But that wasn't the point. Nobody touched what belonged to me and survived.

"I'm going to kill you, Stephen."

He smirked before the helmet flipped back into place. I didn't give him a chance to react. I summoned the shadows, forming them into spikes and hurling them like spears. He batted them away as if they were a minor inconvenience. Or… a distraction. Rushing forward, I slammed my fist into the glowing laser in the middle of his chest. The armor cracked under the force of the blow. His thrusters kept him in place as he grabbed my hand and tried twisting the arm out of the joint.

It was too late… for him.

The shadows pulled from my body, snaking their way along his arm until they found the cracks in his chest. Like bathwater going down the drain, they vanished.

"Calling it quits?"

"You should have left him alone."

Through his armor, I could feel the man tense when I smiled. He stumbled backward, freeing my arm. I could sense the shadows inside his suit as they wrapped themselves around his exposed flesh. He tried batting away at the armor, but it wouldn't help. Hiding away in one of his inventions, he stupidly forgot that I controlled the darkness.

"What's the matter, Stephen?"

He raised a fist. It flared as he prepared to fire a blast of energy. I clenched my fist, tightening the shadows until his arm exploded inside the armor. The mechanical tinge to his screams wasn't as satisfying as seeing his face. The light around his gauntlet faded as the lifeless limb dropped to his side.

Machinist tried launching himself into the air. Tendrils of smoke shot upright, weaving about his suit until they suffocated the flames. This fight would not end with a ‘to be continued.' I'd sacrifice the ongoing game of cat and mouse between our companies to annihilate him.

"You shouldn't have touched him," I whispered.

The left leg went next. The shadows inside the suit clamped down until they crushed flesh and bone. He continued screaming. Hissing came from the suit as he attempted to remove it.

I had enough.

With a flick of the wrist, the shadows tore the remaining limbs from their sockets. Stephen Hudler had died, even if his brain hadn't realized it.

"What the hell?" I looked past the Machinist to see Diesel. He and Clint held weapons from the soldiers, ready to save the day. It was almost endearing that they thought I'd need rescuing.

"He'd be alive if he kept his hands to himself." Sure, I'd have clobbered him and broken every bone in his body, but he'd have lived. Maybe. Then he had to go and attack Won-Ho. He might as well have placed the tag on his toe.

"Brutal," Clint said.

The Machinist collapsed. The screaming had ended. It had been the ending I dreamed of for years. I'd miss our venomous banter at social gatherings, but I'm sure whoever replaced him would be just as delightful. I gave the Machinist's foot a poke with my shoe. Definitely dead.

Diesel was already trying to look past me to his other savior. The last thing I needed was him asking questions. I raised a wall of shadows shielding Won-Ho from prying eyes. The moment I did, Diesel scowled.

"Do you think you can get the collars off? Or do you need assistance with that as well?"

"I could use a?—"

Diesel hit Clint on the shoulder. "He's mocking us." At least one of them had the smarts to know when I hurled insults. "We can take it from here."

That was my cue to step back through the barrier. I turned in time to see Won-Ho covered in the blue light from his tattoos. I was about to ask if he was alright when the dragon separated from his body. He didn't appear angry, but I wouldn't know by the way the serpent flared a bright blue as it raced toward me.

All at once, the world flashed a vibrant blue light.

* * *

I landed on the bed… my bed. It took a moment for my brain to catch up with my body. I scooted backward, reaching for the nightstand. With a tap, a soft glow filled the room. At the foot of my bed, blue light continued radiating from Won-Ho's tattoos.

It took a moment for me to connect the dots. He had teleported us from the street to my bedroom. We could have landed in the gardens, my living room, or the balcony, but he had chosen this location. My mind had imagined this moment, but I had been the one to throw him on the bed. I couldn't complain, considering the circumstances.

"You killed him." It wasn't an accusatory tone berating me. Good, ‘cause he deserved what I delivered. I only regretted not being able to see his eyes as the life drained from them.

"He shouldn't have touched you."

"You killed him… for me?"

"I'd do it again."

"Nobody ever…"

Disbelief? There wasn't an ounce of anger in his voice. He couldn't fathom that I had put my life on the line to protect him. I swung about on the bed, walking on my knees until my eyes were level with the logo on the chest of his suit. The circle had twelve dashes around the exterior, representing the zodiac.

"Nobody fucks with my circle."

I was about to put a hand against his suit when it faded in a dull blue glow. My hand stood out against the black fabric of his t-shirt. He had me at a disadvantage. It wasn't often I was on my knees looking up at a man's face. I was about to speak when he reached to his waist and pulled his shirt over his head.

Won-Ho's chest was almost invisible under the black tribal tattoos creeping over his shoulders and working their way down his torso. I found the dragon and tiger intertwined in a fight. I recognized the rooster and rat hidden within decorative flowers. My fingers brushed through the small patch of chest hair before stopping at a small circular scar.

"Armor-piercing artillery."

I leaned forward, kissing the skin beneath the scar. Won-Ho put a hand on my shoulder, preparing to throw me back. Oh no, mister. That's not how this would go down. I slid to the side, grabbing him by the belt and jerking him onto the bed. He bounced as he landed. Rolling over, his eyes were wide, mouth ajar. My bedmate wasn't only unfamiliar with men, but also with strength that matched his own.

"Powers are just as useful behind closed doors."

Won-Ho, Vanguard's first hero, a powerful man without the suit, looked nervous. While I had seen plenty of brutes come and go from my bed, it hadn't dawned on me this might be his first time. Uncharted territory laid before me, ready to be claimed. My cock jumped at the prospect. As much as I wanted to roll him onto his belly and tear off his jeans before forcing my cock in him… he wasn't a nameless booty call.

I crawled along his body, kissing his stomach. Stealing a glance, he leaned his head back. With each peck, his muscles tightened. I took my time, appreciating every inch of my journey along his body. When I reached his chest, I hovered, enjoying the feel of his chest hair against my cheek. I could have stayed there, tracing the contours of his chest, but I had a destination in mind.

At his neck, the kisses grew longer, a flick of the tongue moving toward his ear. With each, he let out a slight gasp. I could feel the hardness through his jeans. I couldn't hide my excitement. More than that, I wanted him to know and let go of his inhibitions.

I sat back, straddling his waist. It was almost comical, the thought of me riding a man. Many guys had tried, and none left victorious. I pulled off my shirt. For whatever reason, the gem glowed, bathing us in a green light. Won-Ho looked down at me as I took his hand, placing it on my stomach.

"It's…"

"Shh." I let my fingertips grace the fine hairs on his arm, following them until I reached his elbow. "This isn't a race. Explore."

He sat upright, his hand reaching for my nipple. His finger circled, hesitant. I moved so his finger grazed the tip, and I let out a low growl. He grew bolder, leaning forward, a hand in the center of my back, forcing me closer until his lips pressed against my nipple. When he dragged his tongue across it, my back arched. My body responded, praying he heard its permission.

When his other hand moved south, grazing my waistband. I made it clear he had my enthusiastic consent to touch me wherever he pleased. Reaching down, I unsnapped my jeans and pulled down the zipper. I stopped there. As much as I wanted to drop my pants and feel his skin against my cock… this wasn't about me. The conquest shifted from getting off to Won-Ho conquering a deep-rooted fear.

Right now, guilt stood in the way of pleasure, and it needed to go.

"Can I take off your pants?" The fact I asked instead of demanding was an uncharacteristic request.

He didn't speak as he nodded. My bedmates, up to this point, had been mundane humans. With my secret already on the table, I wanted to explore the benefits of having powers. Levitating off Won-Ho, my powers sent shadows along my arms until they snaked their way around his body. Lifting him off the bed, I closed my eyes, needing to focus on their fine motor skills.

The button on his jeans proved a struggle. I resorted to tugging at the legs, pulling them free before returning him to the bed. The smoke pulled my pants free, leaving me in my briefs. I fell next to him, my body wrapped around him with a leg over his thigh. In nothing but red briefs, Won-Ho redefined handsome.

I chuckled at his wide eyes. "Powers, that's a first for me," I admitted.

"You're—"

"Arrogant?"

"Handsome."

I ran my hand down his chest, leaving the tattoos behind as I reached his belly. As I approached his waist, he closed his eyes. I lingered, letting the tip of my pinky touch his cock. There was already a dark red spot, giving away his enjoyment. This is where I'd shove my hand into his underwear and take what I wanted. If I wanted to play with a cock, I'd do it without permission. But… I risked spooking him… or worse, rejection.

"Are you sure?" He bit his lip but didn't respond. "We can stop." What the hell was I saying? Had I been possessed? I didn't recognize that little voice in my head telling me to tread carefully.

"Damien. No," he said. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't stop."

I focused on the gem, pulling at my powers. The shadows surrounded us like when I teleported. All light vanished, leaving us in a perpetual darkness. The sounds of the city vanished, leaving the raspy breaths between us. Even the softness of the bed grew distant as if we were floating. I never thought to use my powers in the bedroom, not like this. I wanted Won-Ho to have no distractions, nothing to take his mind away from the sensation of me touching him.

He reached under me, holding me tight. My first kiss missed, landing on his cheek. I almost laughed at the haphazard search for his lips. His body relaxed as I pressed against him, the tip of my tongue grazing his. In the darkness, our kissing came like a roar.

My hand slid past the elastic of his underwear. Won-Ho gasped, his hips thrusting upward as my hand slid along the shaft of his cock. Pressing against him, I rubbed my cock along his hip. I didn't hump him like a teenager in heat, but I wanted him to understand the reaction he caused.

I slid his underwear under his balls before he turned onto his side. His stubble brushed against my cheek as his hand slid down my arm. His fingers reached my underwear. When his hand cupped my package, it was my turn to gasp. Hesitant. Tentative. Curious. He traced my cock as if he were attempting to memorize every vein. With nothing of the outside world to distract me, my body became hyper-aware of every touch.

I wrapped my fingers around his cock. Thick. Short. Uncircumcised. Hard as steel. His hips bucked, forcing the skin back as he fucked my hand. He gasped in my ear. Turning to kiss my cheek, he continued thrusting his hips. He grew impatient, fishing in my underwear until he held my cock in a similar manner.

"I want you to come," I whispered.

He responded by picking up the pace. There were a thousand things I wanted to do to this man. I filed them away for future sessions. My insistence on putting his needs first would be a decision I'd reflect on later. For now, I wanted this beautiful man to discover the simple pleasures of another man holding his cock.

His rhythm faltered as he thrust. They grew shorter, faster, and more eager, all the telltale signs of a man about to orgasm. One second, we were in darkness, and the next, a blue light pushed away the shadows. The dragon wrapped around us as he let out a low growl. I squinted as the light grew brighter.

Out came the roar of a tiger.

His cocked thickened as his grip on my shaft tightened. His entire body shivered. He didn't let go of my cock as he flooded down my hand. With another thrust, I could feel the heat of cum splashing across my balls. I had resolved to save my orgasm for later, but that brought me to the brink.

"I'm going to come," I hissed through clenched teeth. Won-Ho continued gasping for breath as he stroked. It only took a few up-and-down motions before my muscles stiffened. The tingling turned electric as my cock pulsed. My growl matched Won-Ho's tiger.

Minutes passed as the tremors continued working their way down my body. I reluctantly let go of Won-Ho's cock. The shadows faded, and we returned to my bed, our legs intertwined. I gave him a kiss on the forehead before pulling him tight against my chest. We were a mess, and I'd need the maid to clean the duvet, but it was exactly what the night called for. Fighting for survival served as foreplay, and now I had a handsome bear nuzzling my chest.

"I should go," he whispered.

"No." I didn't leave room for negotiation. "I want you to stay right where you are." I couldn't recall a time I asked a man to spend the night. Once the orgasm subsided, I usually ushered them out the door before preparing a shower.

"Sorry." He didn't look up as he spoke. The blue light returned, the dragon slithering from his chest around his torso. With a flash, he vanished, leaving me on my side with my underwear half down my thighs.

"That didn't go how I planned it."

I ran my hand along the cover, savoring the fleeting warmth of his imprint. What about Won-Ho made him different from the others? I wouldn't have asked for a slumber party with any of the other men. But then again, I wouldn't have killed for them either. He had not only gotten under my skin, but without trying, he chipped away at my rocky exterior. I'd need to dwell on this. I brushed my cheek, still feeling the scratchiness of his stubble.

Inside, a conflict raged, and I hated not knowing the outcome. Being soft could be seen as a sign of weakness, and that was a trait I couldn't afford.