Chapter 24: Modded

“I’m not complaining – far from it – but why’d you remove the scars?” Sophia asked as they walked along, their time at the med-tubes done. She was fingering the collar around her neck absently. She’d been surprised to be wearing it when she came out of the med-tubes but the medic had explained it was standard. It allowed her to communicate with the AI, among other things.

Evidently, Calix hadn’t known about it – because he’d never mentioned it. Truthfully, she probably should have figured it out herself – it was the only thing Avery had been wearing, but Avery’s looked more decorative. This one just seemed – functional.

“Heather suggested it,” Calix admitted. He was decidedly off-balance. Nothing felt right, not the way he walked, not the way his body moved. He was also sporting a massive erection which he couldn’t seem to get to go down. “Personally, I’ve lived with most of those scars for so long I don’t even notice them – but I guess she does.”

He thought back. “Wow. It seems like I’ve had them forever, but it hasn’t been more than two or three years.”

He shook his head. “I got used to them so fast.”

“You had to,” Sophia offered. “They were even useful. When the gangs saw them – Cholos and the others, both men and women – they knew they were dealing with a dangerous man. With the men, it inspired fear. The women,” she paused with a sly smile, “something significantly different than fear.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “I think women are drawn to power.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because they often feel so helpless or maybe it’s because they’re looking for the best mates or something.”

“Is power why you’re with me?”

Sophia chuckled. “And if I told you it was?”

She looked up at him from the corner of her eyes, her brows arched. Then, she giggled. “I was with you, at first, because Rico asked it of me. He was my patrón – and, even though you weren’t much more than a boy, you were a handsome boy, so it was not such a great chore. I think, at first, I kept having you come back because of your power. After a while, though, it grew into something else. It grew into an empty feeling I’d get when I’d reach for you and you weren’t there – and even, sometimes, jealousy when I would hear you or watch you with another.”

“I’m sorry,” Calix said, his brows knotted. “Do you still feel jealous?”

“Once in a while,” Sophia admitted. “But not for the reasons you think. Now, I’m not jealous because you’re with another woman – I’m jealous because I cannot feel what they’re feeling. Like tonight, with Tamara. She’s going to be with you for the first time, and I find I’m jealous of the experience – because I can never feel you for the first time again.”

She sighed. “It’s strange, I know, and it’s difficult to explain.”

Calix chuckled. “I think I understand.”

“I don’t think you do,” Sophia said softly, pulling him to a stop. “I know it’s silly but I’m actually proud that you have so many of us.”

She waved her hand around. “You look around and you see people with two slaves and a few with four. You have eight. It’s – thrilling – knowing I am with a man who commands so much more ... I don’t know ... respect? I don’t know the right word.”

“Soph, I’ve not done anything yet,” Calix started.

“But you have,” Sophia turned to him, gripping his hands. “You have. You always have. They recognize how special you are. We recognize it. The only one who doesn’t is you ... and I think it makes you all the more special.”

“Truthfully?” She queried, not letting him say anything. “I wish you had more of us. I wish you had ten, a hundred, a thousand! I want everyone to see my man is the best of them all – that he deserves the most because he is the best. It’s one of the reasons I don’t care that you and Octavia will probably end up together. Or you and Avery.”

“Avery?” Calix asked in disbelief. “Octavia’s Avery? I’ve barely even met her.”

“Well, then, Octavia must be telling tales or something,” Sophia chuckled. “Because she’s definitely given you the eye anytime you were near.”

“Love, I think you may have an inflated sense of my worth,” Calix said, embarrassed.

“Maybe,” Sophia smiled. “I don’t think so. None of us think so – well, maybe Alicia but I think even she understands how special you are, she just can’t stand you’re more special than she is.”

“I’m not sure you’re right,” Calix shook his head.

“I am,” Sophia chuckled, then looked behind her. “However, we probably shouldn’t let them get too far ahead of us.”

They rushed a bit to catch up to the others. As they reached them, Sophia looked over the women walking in front of them. They were talking amongst themselves, a few of them laughing. What was noticeable wasn’t so much what they were doing – but how they looked. More specifically, how they had looked yesterday as compared to today. Most of them looked largely the same but the change in some was fairly striking. Julia, for example, looked so much younger now, if not quite as big busted.

The biggest change, though, was Yolanda. She was virtually indistinguishable from her twin daughters – something Sophia’d asked Calix about, and he’d admitted Yolanda had asked for the change. She was about to ask why the woman wanted something so drastic but held her tongue at the last moment.

It wouldn’t be right for Calix to share Yolanda’s reasoning with her. She decided to ask Yolanda herself the next time they were alone together.

She was proud of them – all of them. Calix had been in the med-tubes far longer than any of his women. He’d been in the tube for close to ten hours while Yolanda, who’d been in the tube the longest of any of the women, had only been in hers for six. The first few to come out, Sophia and Whiskey, had waited, but after an hour of watching nothing more than the other women coming out of the tubes in ones and twos, they’d elected to return to their pod.

The others had apparently opted to stay and wait for Calix – except Alicia, who’d come home looking slightly perplexed. When the AI had announced Calix was exiting the med-tubes, however, both Sophia and Whiskey had opted to return and greet their Sponsor. The remaining women had followed suit.

Sophia knew there were diverse reasons the other women would want to be waiting for Calix. Some would want to show off their new bodies, others would want to see how he’d changed after being in the med-tube for so long. A few – maybe even the majority – wanted both.

Each of them expected Calix to have major changes done – and they were all disappointed. Calix looked, for all intents and purposes, completely normal. The biggest change anyone could point out was his lack of scarring. Each of them, individually, felt there was something else different about him, but no one could pinpoint what it was. Eventually, they decided they were just making up a change since he’d been in the tube for so long.

Calix was feeling odd and the feeling went far beyond the lack of scars. As Espanto – or even as Calix running Parkour – he was unusually in tune with his body. Now, though, it didn’t feel right. He felt strangely lighter and his arms and legs – heck, his whole body – reacted differently. He knew it was the changes to his musculature – and the adaptation of his bones and who knew what else – but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was so different. He just didn’t feel like himself and it was driving him batty.

He looked at his wrist and noted that it was 0830.

“Artemis, may I use the Parkour run this morning?” He called out loud. “Say in a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Artemis replied. “The gymnasium is open to all residents, permanent and temporary, of the base.”

Calix chuckled. “I mean, is there anyone using the gymnasium.”

“The gymnasium is currently empty,” the AI responded.

“Don’t wear yourself out, Papi,” Sophia smiled, bumping him with her hips – and nearly knocking him over, though he recovered quickly. “Tamara is really looking forward to tonight, so I want to make sure you leave a little something for her.”

Calix rolled his eyes and gave a big sigh. “THAT was pretty unexpected.”

“What was unexpected?” Sophia asked softly.

“That whole thing,” Calix explained. “Tamara. I didn’t think she liked me at all – I thought she was mad I didn’t bring ‘Roh-bair’ along.”

Sophia just shook her head and laughed.

“Guys are so clueless,” she crowed. “You miss the most obvious things. I told you. Octavia. Tamara. Even Julia. It was actually fun watching you wander around those three, clueless, as they worked to bait their traps. Octavia was so blatant about it, I figured you had to know about her – but you didn’t. Tamara was less blatant, so I wondered – but Julia has been practically drooling. When we pulled Tamara’s name and not hers, she pulled Tamara to the side and tried to talk her into changing places, but Tamara would have none of it. Those two have it bad for you.”

She thought for a moment, her lips pursed. “You know something? I think we all do.”

She shrugged. “Maybe not Alicia, but then I absolutely can’t read her, so you never know.”

“We are not going there,” Calix laughed. Then his face turned sly. “While we’re talking about her, though...”

“Hermes--,” Calix grimaced and shook his head.

“Sorry, Artemis,” Calix said out loud. “You’d think I’d get it right by now. Anyway, are Alicia’s hormonal changes working? Is she becoming aroused?”

“Yes,” Artemis replied. “It will take a few days for the hormone changes to take full effect. However, her oxytocin levels are spiking. She should be bonding with you more efficiently.”

“Excellent,” Calix smiled. “I can wait a few days. Once she’s horny enough, we can try to negotiate some more.”

Sophia shook her head with a smile. “What’s to stop her from scratching her itch with one of the other women?”

“I’ll isolate her,” Calix explained. “Give her the small bedroom upstairs – by herself.”

He thought about it for a second. “If you don’t mind, could you talk to the others and make sure they don’t help her out?”

“What about just getting herself off?” Sophia asked.

“Shit,” Calix cursed. He thought about it for a second. “I don’t know. I guess we could put her in the sleep-tube and turn off her pleasure centers. It’s the best I can think of.”

“That’s evil,” Sophia shuddered.

“So is the way she’s been acting,” Calix shrugged. “I think it’s necessary to teach her a lesson – show her that her tantrums will no longer be allowed.”

They reached their door and Calix took his leave. He trusted Sophia would start coordinating the apartment and getting everyone situated. He needed to work out the changes that were made to his body and get used to the new normal. He needed to be able to rely on his body again. He knew it would take time, he just hoped it wouldn’t take too much time. He had some ideas that might make it go faster.

Yolanda was nervous as she entered the apartment. She’d not told her girls what she was going to do, and she worried they wouldn’t handle it well initially. From the time she’d left Calix after requesting the changes, she’d started working out how she was going to explain this to them. She had dozens of different conversations, dozens of different explanations. She just hoped they’d understand.