Angel’s Tears
Part 2 — Featherfall
Celine slowly descended the stairs leading to her foyer, trembling at the prospect of the coming confrontation. A few short minutes from now, everything she had earned, everything she had worked so hard to build, could be taken away from her.
Her only comfort was the soft scent of lavender wafting up from her dark fox fur jacket. Her trump card. Her very, very untested trump card. As she slowed her descent, she straightened up. Elegance and grace were important for any grand event after all, and the debut of the Black Fox would be grand indeed.
Within the foyer, the two heroines who had so rudely burst into her home were waiting. She looked down to meet their stares. Both were already in the air. One floating as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Persephone Winters, better known by her moniker, Zephyr. The small heroine was one of the more recent faces to grace Rapture City’s superhero community. But, in the few years since she had arrived, she had already become the people’s darling. It would be hard for anyone to question why. The woman was sunshine personified, always ready with a quick smile. Winds manipulated by her aerokinesis were keeping her aloft. Her short black hair, styled in a pixie cut, was wafting this way and that. Her hero uniform was a classic skintight bodysuit in light blue, with silver streaks running across the arms.
By contrast, the other heroine was terrifying. The Amazon was almost a head taller than Celine, with azure eyes staring daggers at the villainess. Bright golden wings extended from her well-toned body, the same wings that had tormented Celine for almost a decade. They would occasionally beat, somehow keeping the giant in the air. Her matching blonde hair flowed freely behind her, settling just below her shoulders. She was still wearing that ridiculous bikini armour she had donned as her heroine outfit all those years ago. The shining silver metal left plenty of the hero’s body on full display for all to see.
Celine smiled to herself. Lucy would definitely appreciate this view. When you’re blessed with invulnerability, when you’re oh-so untouchable, there must be little point in covering yourself with flimsy protection.
“Angela Fields, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“DON’T call me that. It’s Valkyrie to you,” the winged heroine growled. “You don’t have the right to call me by that name anymore.”
Celine let out an amused chuckle. “Oh, come now, Angela, it’s not exactly like you ever played the hero-masquerade game. You can hardly hide a secret identity with those wings sticking out of you all the time.”
“She chooses not to hide her identity because she’s not afraid and wants people to know she’s proud of what she does,” a much brighter voice ed the exchange. “And I wouldn’t be able to call myself her partner if I weren’t prepared to do the same.”
“Partner? And here I always thought you were the sidekick, Persephone.”
“Hey! I haven’t been her sidekick for almost a year.” The smaller heroine’s smile briefly faltered.
Angela’s wings suddenly spread wide. “Alright, Celine. Since you seem so hung up on names, let’s talk about yours.” She shot through the air, stopping with her face right in front of Celine’s. “Black... Fox...”
Then, with a single beat of her wings, she returned to the centre of the room.
Celine had to grit her teeth. Either of these women could destroy her in a heartbeat. One of them clearly wanted to. “Angela, darling, did you honestly barge into my home, private property, I should remind you, to accuse me of being our fair city’s greatest criminal mastermind? The Black Fox has eluded—”
“DON’T PLAY DUMB, CELINE!” Angela cut off. “Sidereal Industries, Novastar, Cinder Systems, Aetherion Holdings, gods knows how many others. Persephone found slight inconsistencies in ALL of them. Expenses for projects none of the staff had even heard of. A convenient bit of money shuffled overseas here and there. All of them under the Blackwood Conglomerate. YOUR conglomerate.”
The hero raised a hand to her head. “Gods, it was so obvious. All this time, Celine, all this time the Black Fox was YOU!”
“I’m more than just a cute face, ya know?” Persephone added with an insufferable wink. “Once I knew what we were looking for, we just had to follow the money.”
Celine could only shake her head. Caught because of suspicious bookkeeping. Lucy was going to kill her for this one. She resumed descending the stairs, watching as Angela slowly lowered to the floor with her. “Very well. I suppose there is little point in trying to hide it now, is there, darlings?”
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she gave a dramatic spin and bowed. “I, Celine Blackwood, am none other than the Black Fox and the woman you’ve managed to piss off for years. Please, allow me to formally welcome you to my home, heroes.”
There was stillness between the three women. A quiet acknowledgement of each other and their places in this long game they had been playing.
Eventually, Angela broke the silence. “Persephone, we have our confession. Sweep the building. I’ll stay here and make sure the Black Fox doesn’t try to slip away.”
“Aww, but this is our nemesis, Ange. Don’t I get to be here for—” Persephone was cut off as Angela narrowed her eyes. Knowing this was non-negotiable, she performed a rigid military salute and answered in an overly deep voice, “Yes, boss-lady,” before floating out through an archway leading to Celine’s dining room, leaving only the Black Fox and Valkyrie in the Foyer.
For a while, the two rivals just stared bitterly at each other. Then, Celine began approaching Angela. With only one heroine in the room, it was time to make her move. “You know, for what it’s worth... I am glad it was you and your sidekick who finally caught up with me.”
“Partner! And I wish I could say the same.” Angela snapped back, unfurling her wings to their full length. “How long, Celine? How long has my friend been scheming behind my back?”
Celine sneered, a little trip down memory lane was just what she needed. “I have always been planning your downfall. Since the very day these beautiful wings sprang from your back. Tireless study, networking, building s with more... unsavoury individuals, and three years as the Black Fox herself.”
Angela shook her head in frustration. “So, for all her brilliant schemes and master plans, the Black Fox is just a jealous brat. Dammit, Celine, I’ve heard this sob story from at least a half-dozen villains before.”
“Hmm, jealous? No, not quite, my dear.” Celine reached out, brushing the fur of her jacket against Angela’s side, and ran her gloved hand along her wings. “The day you grew your wings was the greatest moment of my life. You see, sweet Angela, of all the heroes in Rapture, YOU are the one I could never outplay. You never used your powers to indulge yourself. Never ONCE did you have the decency to be indecent.” Celine’s eyes were burning into Angela’s with a wild grin. “It was BEYOND infuriating. You were extraordinary, no, you were flawless! What I can’t stand is that I cannot think of anyone MORE deserving of your gifts. And me... I was the girl next to the goddess. Nothing more than ‘Valkyrie’s shadow’.”
Angela’s hand tightened around Celine’s. “I’m sorry, Celine. But—”
“Don’t be.” Celine pushed in close to Angela, pressing the treated fur directly against her bare skin. “All these years playing with you... best damn years of my life. Don’t you DARE ruin this with your sanctimonious sense of pity. Without your wings, I never would have become who I am now. So thank you, Angela, I mean it.”
Angela knew she should be angry. But the sincerity in her friend’s voice, her gentle hand brushing her wings, and that sweet scent in the air... Somehow, she felt as though she was talking to her friend again, not the Black Fox. “Celine... I still don’t understand why.”
“No, of course you don’t. I always was the smart one.”
Celine stepped back and opened her fur jacket, releasing a wave of trapped lavender fragrance. “Well, my dear, aren’t you going to search me?”
The black dress underneath looked lovely. Her friend must have been preparing for something. It was upsetting that she wouldn’t have the chance to show it off. “That... would be pointless. We both know you have nothing which could harm me.”
Celine smiled warmly. “Ahh, but I am a crafty fox. You don’t want to take any chances, do you? Who knows what innocent little thing on me could be my ultimate weapon?”
Angela returned the smile. There she was. The friend who was always worried about her. She was right, of course. She was always right. The Black Fox was a dangerous criminal, even cornered. So, she approached and began to gently pat her down.
Celine could not believe how perfectly this was playing out. But she knew to be patient. ‘Prolonged exposure’, that’s what Lucy had said. And if she was going to take her time, she might as well enjoy herself for a bit. She closed her eyes as Angela’s strong hands ran over her sides, sliding up her arms. Each stroke gently bristling the thick fur of her jacket and unleashing more Angel’s Tears on her unsuspecting victim. She slowly took Angela’s hand in hers and guided it inside her jacket, pressing it directly against the side of her breast. “Tell me, Angela, what was your favourite scheme? Which of my failed attempts to defeat you do you most fondly?”
Angela paused her search for a moment, thinking carefully before she responded, “The time you cut the power supply to the city, just last year.”
Celine laughed at the memory as she turned around, keeping Angela’s hand on her breast and pushing her back into the heroine’s chest. “Ahh, I that. I had hoped to create a panic, instead—”
“Instead, the people treated it like a festival.” Angela finished as she slid her hand down Celine’s chest, making sure she had nothing hidden under that dress of hers. “Some people wanted you to make it an annual thing.”
“Bastards. They have no idea how much it cost me setting all that up. All that planning and nothing to show for it. So embarrassing.”
Celine started guiding Angela’s hand in its ‘search’. “Mine was from my very first year as the Black Fox. I had hired Gridiron to break into the national bank. A simple enough job. But then you arrived, and the idiot insisted his superstrength could overcome your invulnerability.”
Angela’s second hand had slipped inside the jacket to the first, wrapping herself around Celine, who leaned back into the embrace, slowly rubbing up and down the hero’s exposed skin, treating her to a healthy dose of sweet lavender. “I was watching the security footage, you know? He had you by the leg and was smashing you around like a ragdoll. But, when I saw your face... You were bored! You were, literally, waiting for the moron to get tired of throwing you around. He never even scratched you. You truly are in a league of your own, Angela.”
Angela sighed, letting her eyes drift shut. “When he finally did tire, all it took was one solid blow between his legs to bring him down. Not my proudest moment. Very unbecoming of a hero, but it worked.”
“He’s still pissed about that, you know? Not too keen on a rematch, though.” Celine rested her head against Angela’s shoulder, enjoying the heroine’s soft caresses while she guided her hands deeper inside the jacket.
Her gentle giant was blissfully unaware of how far gone she already was. Her victory was so deliciously close.
Years of scheming were finally coming to fruition, and the best part was that little encounter hadn’t even been planned. Angela was never supposed to find her. Her rise had been mere chance. Now her fall was going to be just another accident of fate. The beauty of it made her victory all the sweeter.
She turned, facing Angela once more and settled in close, not allowing the Amazon a moment away from the Tears. Angela’s hands were freely roaming inside the jacket. Their original purpose long forgotten. Slowly, they drifted down, settling on her hips.
“Look at me, sweet Angela. We have created so many wonderful memories together. It would be such a shame for all of that to end, wouldn’t it?”
Angela slowly opened her eyes. Of course it was unfortunate she could no longer spend time with her precious friend. But before she could answer, she felt Celine fumbling with the clasps of her outfit. “My armour... is it loose?”
“Shh, don’t worry about your little uniform. You’ve never needed it after all.”
The silver armour soon dropped from her hips and clattered to the floor. A cool breeze tickled her exposed flesh. The reasoning was solid. Her armour was only aesthetic, so of course she didn’t need it. “Still, why are you—”
Celine abandoned her attempts with the bikini for now and brought a single finger under Angela’s chin. “Don’t think too hard, darling. You’ve won, ? Your nemesis is captured in your arms... You’re reminiscing with an old friend... Look at me. Look at your powerless friend. She still needs you to protect her. Look into her eyes and tell her everything is fine.”
For a moment, Angela was perfectly still. The soft, warm fur gently swaying against her skin was all she could feel. Celine was the smart one. It made sense to trust her. She was making sure they did this right. She had insisted Angela perform a proper body inspection and... what was it she had asked just now? Look into her eyes?
But... if she was searching for weapons, why would they be in her eyes? And why was she performing her inspection so... inappropriately?
“Angela, dear, is something wrong? You look tired. Here, let me—”
Celine suddenly felt a knee slam into her stomach. Before she could even gasp for air, she felt a hand clasp against her face and drive her against the wall.
The villainess processed as quickly as she could. Angela had her pinned. She couldn’t see; her eyes must be covered, and... and she wasn’t hurt. Oh, this was delightful. A smile soon returned to her face. Angela was still holding back. The game wasn’t over quite yet.
“Careful, Angela. I’m such a delicate flower, you wouldn’t want to break me, would you?”
Instantly, she felt Angela’s grip loosen. Perfect. A chuckle began building in her throat as she wrapped her free arm around the heroine’s waist. “That’s no way for you to treat your friend, Angela. You should be ashamed.”
“Don’t play coy with me, Celine. I’ve faced hypnotists before.” Angela pressed Celine firmly against the wall, panting. “I know exactly what you were trying just then. But, with your eyes covered, you can’t do a thing to me, you’re done.”
The villainess could scarcely contain her laughter. Angela continued to press deeper into her embrace, letting the soft fur brush against her skin and the sweet smell of lavender waft between them. She was serving herself on a silver platter.
“Oh, Angela, how right you are. My final trick and it failed. Bravo, little Valkyrie. To the victor go the spoils.”
“No... you’re still in my head...”
Celine could hear feathers rustling as Angela shook, trying to clear her mind. She had absolutely no idea what was really going on.
“Angela, I’m itting defeat. This time, I mean it. As a hero, isn’t it your duty to accept my surrender?”
“Celine... I want to trust you.”
“And you can, sweetheart. I wouldn’t lie to you, would I?”
Angela’s hand began to tremble. Finally, she let out a contented sigh. “No, you wouldn’t.”
She released her grip on Celine’s arm and returned her friend’s embrace. It was only right after all. She had to protect her friend, even from herself. She ran her strong arms through the wonderfully thick fur of Celine’s jacket as her wings slowly folded around the two of them, sheltering them both from the rest of the world, together... with that lovely perfume.
“My dear sweet Angela, thank you for being so understanding. Please, let me show my appreciation.”
Celine’s hands slipped under Angela’s bikini, cupping her breasts and coaxing a helpless moan from the blonde heroine. Celine no longer felt any need to restrain herself and began squeezing the firm mounds together, rolling the nipples with her thumbs.
She had done it. Angela was hers. The supposed invulnerable Valkyrie was quivering beneath her every touch and couldn’t even question why.
She started to slowly kiss her way up the heroine’s neck. “Thank you, my dear. Thank you for trusting me, for inspiring me. Wonderful things are coming for Rapture City, I promise.”
The villainess could feel Angela shivering as she ran her gloved hand slowly along her spine. Her victory was beyond perfect.
“Celine, please stop talking. Can’t we just enjoy this moment together?”
“Then silence me, little Valkyrie.” Celine slowly traced a finger from Angela’s breast to her chin, ready to claim her prize. “Kiss me.”
Not needing to be told twice, Angela leaned in and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. It was soft... warm... trusting. Angela opened her mouth slightly to welcome her friend inside.
“Thaaaat’s it, my dear.” Celine purred into the kiss. She slid her tongue further inside, tasting everything Angela had to offer.
“Just let go.”
Angela closed her eyes, lowering her hand from Celine’s face to caress her neck. She wanted to draw that wonderful tongue deeper inside her, and the Black Fox was more than willing to oblige.
The villainess openly laughed as she continued kissing the fallen heroine, sliding her hand up between her legs, then... slowly... she started teasing her dampening slit.
“So strong, Angela. You take such good care of your body. I must feel so fragile to you.”
“NO!” Angela tightened her embrace around Celine, feeling water start to pool at the corners of her eyes. “I would never hurt you. Please, don’t be afraid.”
She gasped as Celine began massaging her breasts again, squeezing into her flesh and dragging her nails over her hardened nipples. Everything felt so right. Why had they ever been fighting?
Celine grinned. “Gotcha.”
Suddenly, a mighty gale slammed Angela’s full weight against Celine, pinning them together against the wall, forcing Angela’s wings open and spreading them wide.
“Aww, you two made up.”
Floating at the top of the stairs with her hand outstretched, Zephyr had returned. Accompanying her was a very nervous Lucy.
“How sweeeet.”
“Shit.”