Wakfu:AER (ABDL Story)

Wakfu: The Automaton Empire’s Reign (ABDL Story)

Note: Due to the work-in-progress nature of this story, everything is subject to change.  Anything inside curly brackets will definitely be changed in future updates. For example, {“Suck my dick, motherfucker!” Yugo said, doing a pelvic thrust.}

Last Updated: 4/14/2016 (Chapter 6 is up)


Chapter 1: Hard Time

“Hey, bro, you want to play some dice for gears?” An odd voice said, making Evangelyne wake up. The air was clammy and smelled of bark while the steel bars in front of her glistened in the dim light. “Am… am I where I think I am?” Eva thought. Surveying her surroundings confirmed her fear. Of all the time she lived in the sadida royal palace, she never thought she would find herself in a cramped cell of its dungeon.

“Are you kidding? We’re on duty,” another voice replied. While her abdomen still ached from the blow earlier, Eva felt her strength returning to her body. Out of instinct, she tried moving her arms but something was binding her wrists to the wall. She found that, much like her hands, her legs were shackled to the floor as well. She was at least thankful that she was sitting down.

“I bet she’s still out.” Two figures looked into the cell. They appeared to be humanoid, but Eva couldn’t quite pin a race to them. With their black bodysuits, she wanted to say they were srams, but their grey armor wasn’t something an assassin would wear. One thing was for sure, they weren’t the green haired sadidas. Looking through the eye slots of their helmets was like gazing into an abyss. It sent a chill all throughout Eva’s body. They were both armed with spears, making them resemble toy soldiers.

“Oh, I guess not,” The guard on the right said. “Well, I mean, she ain’t going anywhere. We could still play.”
“Yeah, we could and get our butts dissembled if one of the legates or, even worse, the emperor himself shows up,” The guard on the left said.
“Come on, the chances for the emperor visiting is as probable as me rolling a snake eyes. Speaking of which…” The guard took out a pair of dice and jangled them in his hand. “Come on, you know you want to…”
“What about one of the legates?”
“As probable as me rolling a hard ten.” The guards looked to each other.  The guard on the right crouched, shook the dice, and threw them on to the ground. Curious, the guard on the left gazed down. “Huh, wouldn’t you know… it’s a hard te-“

A set of footsteps echoed the hallway. “Oh crap, sounds like Tiberius! Quick, look busy!” The crouched guard picked up the dice and immediately stood up. Both guards got back to their spots and stood upright. The guards saluted Tiberius as he stepped into Eva’s view.

He was a hulk of a being that towered over the other guards. His outfit looked similar to theirs, but he had a rather stylish grey plume for his helmet and his armor had some rather odd engravings. His overall guise, however, was ruined by the huge indentation in the center of his chest plate. Eva recognized him and, while she was sure he couldn’t see her face in the darkened cell, she scowled at him.

“What a pleasant surprise, sir,” The guard greeted. “We’ve been totally guarding the cra and not playing dice. Yes, sir, guarding like a-” Tiberius stared at the guard with his eyeless glare. “I’ll… I’ll be quiet.” Tiberius looked down to Eva.

“I see you’re finally awake, little cra,” Tiberius commented. His deep voice made the very air tremble. She didn’t respond. “I trust your accommodations are to your liking.” Eva looked around her cell and her shackles. She gave Tiberius an unpleasant look. “It’s not the royal quarters, sure, but at least it’s roomier than what I gave your boyfriend.”
“Tristepin?” Eva gasped. “Is he-”
“Alive. Just like the rest of your friends,” he replied, folding his arms. “For the time being.”
“If you do anything to them-” Eva said sternly, leaning forward as much as she can.
“You are in no position to make threats, little cra. If it’s not apparent to you, you’re our prisoner now. Your life is at the mercy of my emperor.”
“Emperor? What are you talking about?”
“Oh right, you were in la-la land. All you need to know is that Emperor Machina is now on the throne and Automaton Empire is now in control of the sadida kingdom.”
“The entire kingdom?” Eva said in disbelief. “That’s impossible.”
“We made it possible,” Tiberius said. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I have more important things to do than to babysit you.”

Eva was too deep in thought to respond. She needed to escape but, with the way she was trussed up, there was no way she could do so without help. Tiberius and the guards were her only ticket out and she had to come up with a good reason for them to let her out. Tiberius turned around and started walking away.

“Wait!” Eva cried out. Tiberius stopped and looked to her.
“Yes?” Tiberius said.
“I… um...” Eva said timidly. “I need to go to the bathroom. Would you take me there?”

Eva’s cheeks and ears turned red. It sounded a lot less childish in her head. Tiberius continued to stare. Even the two guards peered inside. Eva looked to the floor.

“No,” Tiberius answered.
“No?” Eva replied befuddled. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not stupid. I know the second we lower the bars and undo those shackles, you will try to leg it or sneak out of the bathroom.”
“But… but…” Eva said, trying to come up with a response. “But I really… really need to go.”

Eva pressed her legs together for effect and even squinted her eyes for good measure. Her cheeks were getting redder.

“Wow, it looks like she’s about to burst,” the guard on the right remarked. Aggravated, Tiberius caressed the forehead of his helmet.
“Um, sir, we could use the… um… you know,” the guard on the left opined.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, grunt,” Tiberius replied.
“You know, the…” The guard leaned in closer and whispered to Tiberius.
“Fine, that’ll work. Go get them from lockup.”

The guard briskly walked away. Eva couldn’t pick up what he said, so she was utterly baffled. What could the guard possibly be getting? Eventually, he returned. Thanks to the bars, Eva could not clearly see the mysterious item he was holding. Tiberius motioned to the guard to open the cell and took the item from him. The guard held out his free hand. The top digit of his middle finger folded backwards, revealing a simple key. He stuck the key into frame of the cell and turned his finger, making the cell bars descend into the ground. Light flooded the cell. She could finally see what Tiberius was holding in his firm grip.

It was stark white and looked smooth. It also appeared to be fairly thick and, judging by the creases on both its sides, was folded up. Something about it seemed very familiar to Eva. Her eyes widened in shock when she finally realized.

“Is that a…” Eva uttered fearfully.
“A diaper, yes,” Tiberius replied. “A nice compromise, I think. You can have your bathroom without leaving your cell.”
“No, no way are you putting that on me!” Eva protested, trying to break free from her restraints.
He drew closer, unmoved by her protests. He knelt before Eva and set the diaper beside him. His hands pinched a lower section of her bodysuit. “Hey! What are you doing?”
“Don’t want you to ruin your own outfit…”

He made a small hole just below her belly button. He stuck his finger into the hole and then made it bigger until the hole revealed her nether region, hips, and buttocks. Eva’s face was as red as a rose. She didn’t realize how dank the cell was until her bare bottom touched the ground. Tiberius picked up the diaper and unfolded it.

Not even bothering to ask her to raise her butt, Tiberius grabbed her thigh and lifted her off the ground. He placed the diaper underneath her and lowered her onto it. While the diaper seemed to be made of a material that Eva had never seen before, it felt very soft and cushy against her skin. {Tiberius brought the front of the diaper to her stomach. He then brought the wings from the back to the front and unfolded a thin, grey strip from one of the wings. He rubbed the strip down on the front, which stuck in place. He did this until four strips adhered to the diaper. Tiberius leaned back to look at his work.}

“Does it fit?” Tiberius asked out of courtesy. Eva looked down to her new undergarments. Although it did fit well and the padding was very comfy, she wouldn’t admit it. With her face still red, she looked to her side to avoid eye contact with Tiberius. “I’ll take that as a yes. I trust you will be a good baby girl from now on,” he said. He clutched Eva’s chin and turned it toward him, so she had no choice but to look at him. “Who knows? I might feel generous and let you see your proud hero one more time.”

She was silent as Tiberius let go of her, stood up, and exited the cell. He signaled to the guard as he left. The guard turned his hand, closing the cell once more and returning Eva to the lonesome dark. Her diaper crinkled as she shifted her body. While she very much wanted Tristepin to storm in and rescue her, she didn’t want him to see her in this pitiable state. Her mind wandered back to the last time she saw him.

He was on the floor, surrounded by those white armored soldiers with lightning coursing through their arms. His cape was completely tattered. With one eyed closed, he looked to her longingly. With the last bit of strength, he reached out to her. Eva did the same, but they were too far for their hands to embrace one another. Tiberius stepped between them. His back was turned to Eva as he looked down to Tristepin. That’s when things went dark.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes to stop the tears from welling. “Not again…”


Chapter 2: Post-Coup Meeting

The sadida royal throne wasn’t to Emperor Machina’s liking, so he had his very own metal throne built over it. Since it was made in parts prior to the coup, it was only a matter of assembling the pieces together. Along with the new throne, he ordered the room to be darker, so the general ambience was more moody. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do about the grass floor. “And it was almost perfect,” Emperor Machina thought, slouching in his seat. Shrouded in the darkness before him were three of his loyal legates. The sound of steel scraping against stone filled the air.

“Do we have to wait for Tiberius?” Gladius asked, running the blade of her short sword along some whetstone. She sat cross legged on the floor. “It feels like my gears are rusting just sitting here.”
“How about passing the time with a round of Kings and Queens?” Julius replied, moving a piece across a checkered board. He sat in an arm chair in front of a simple table. “Oh, I’m sorry. With your age and mental faculties, perhaps droughts would be more fitting.”
“Hey, watch your voice box, old man, or I might use you as target practice,” she said, pointing the sword at him.
“So quick to use violence…” he said while moving another piece calmly. “You’re such a savage little thing, aren’t you?”
“Come over here and I’ll show how savage I am.”
“Calm yourself, child,” Larentia said in a gentle voice. She lay on a chaise longue. “No reason to get so worked up.”
“You should listen to my dear Larentia, Gladys,” he said patronizingly. Gladius grumbled, lowering her weapon.
“And stop teasing the girl, Julius. It’s very childish for someone your age,” Larentia scolded.
“Of course, dear.”
“And don’t call me dear.”
“Of course, dea-”

Embarrassed, Julius groaned, which made Gladius giggle. The main door made a loud clang, making all the legates look back to it. The giant silhouette of Tiberius stood in the illuminated doorway. He walked in confidently as the guards from outside closed the doors behind him, putting the room back into the darkness.

“Would it kill you to be on time for once, Tiberius?” Gladius asked, standing up and sheathing her sword.
“Would it kill you to wait ten minutes?” Tiberius replied.
“Since I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes and I’m still functioning, no. What were you doing anyways?”
“Checking up on the cra.”
“How long does it take? Were you pampering her as well?”
Tiberius hesitated in his response.
“You could say that, yes.”
“Well, this is all very banal,” Julius remarked, tapping the side of his board. “Since we’re all here, could we please start this little meeting?”
The pieces vanished as the board folded itself until it was the shape of a cube. He took the cube and stuffed it in the pocket of his coat.
“Not yet, Julius,” Machina said. “We’re still missing Unum.”

The main door opened once more, revealing a petite figure in the doorway. Like the legates, Unum was a being made of metal and brought to life by a complex series of mechanisms. She wore a simple black maid dress that contrasted with her hard grey skin. Her face was nothing more than a mask engraved to look like a woman with a neutral expression. Despite her stiff walking, she balanced a goblet on top of a tray as she made her way to the emperor. Her silky, white hair swayed with each step. She bowed as she presented the goblet to Machina. He took it and had a sip from it. Julius and Larentia stood up from their seats and walked next to Gladius and Tiberius.

“Good year,” Machina said. “Thank you, Unum.”
“You’re welcome, master,” she replied in a deadpan voice. The tray folded up and retracted back into her arm. She moved to the side of the throne and stood there with her hands together.
“Okay, we can start now,” he said, sitting upright. “And I know we all find this boring, so let’s make it quick so we can get to the good stuff. Tiberius, you first.”
“We have troops stationed all over the palace and all the security checkpoints have been set up.”
“Good, good… Gladius, how are things outside the palace?”
“We did a sweep and didn’t find any stragglers. It looks like we pushed out all the civilians, but we have patrols running rounds just in case we missed any,” she reported.
“Good to hear. Julius, how’s the dome?”
“Working properly, your majesty. Nothing is getting in or out.” Julius said.
“Larentia?”
“Our scouts report no outside activity from the sadida army,” Larentia explained.
“Looks like we’re in the green.  Figuratively and literally,” Machina stated. He slouched back in his seat. “One last thing though, I know we have the Brotherhood of Tofu, the king, and the prince, but did we get the other cra?”
“Other cra?” Julius repeated. “You mean Evangelyne?”
“We have Eva, Julius,” Gladius answered. “He’s talking about her sister, Cleophee.”
“Oh, right. I get those two confused. Those cras all look the same. Was she even here?”
“Yeah, she was,” she replied. “Some troops reported she was fleeing with, get this, two babies.”
“So she got away?” Machina said.
“Looks like it. Sorry, sir…”
“I’m fine with that,” Tiberius stated. “Babies are the last thing we need to deal with.”
“You shouldn’t worry about her, your majesty,” Julius said. “There’s no way she can get inside the dome and, even if she could, our troops would make short work of her.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” Machina replied.

Machina looked up to the ceiling. Hung up high by a chain was a big copper-plated birdcage. He very deeply wanted to press the button embedded in the arm of the chair, but he would prefer to socialize with the captive when they were alone. He sighed and took a sip from his goblet.

“Okay, let’s finish this up and divvy up roles,” Machina said, bringing his attention back to the legates. “Julius, you’re on guard duty for the old man, the other old man, and the prince.”
“Yes, being a warden is an excellent use of my superior intellect and brilliant strategic ability,” Julius replied begrudgingly.
“Just check on them every hour or so. You can still write up your plans in between.”
“Of course, your majesty.”
“Very good. Larentia, you’re on eliatrope and dragon duty. I want you to work your magic and get as much information out of them as possible. Oh, and Larentia?”
“Yes, my emperor?”
“Make sure they’re comfortable.”
“Of course. They’ll have nothing but pleasant dreams,” Larentia said.
“Gladius…” he said. “You’re with the iop.”
She pumped her fist while uttering, “Yes!” Tiberius shook his head and sighed.
“Disappointed, Tiberius?” Gladius asked teasingly.
“Of course not,” he replied. “You do understand you’re not fighting him, right?”
“Yeah, but at least I get to see the legend in person.”
“Whatever makes you happy,” he said. “So that leaves the cra to me. Great.”
“Looks like you all know what to do, so if there isn’t anything else...” Machina said. The legates were silent. “In that case, you are all dismissed.”

The legates brought their right hand to their chest, bowed, and left the throne without saying a word. The emperor breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed one last time. “Finally...” he remarked, pressing the button on the arm of his chair. The chain jangled as the birdcage made its descent. He rose from his seat and walked to the cage with goblet in hand and Unum following behind him. The chain made a thunderous clang as it stopped. A wicked smile crossed his face as looked to the prisoner inside. “Ah,Princess Amalia…”

She sat inside the holds of the birdcage with only a few pillows for comfort. The chain that restrained her ankle to the center of the cage clacked as she moved her leg. Her royal gown was fraying due to the short lived battle from earlier. Even with her eyes closed, she had a grimace on her face. An iron collar was locked around her neck with a misshaped gem entrenched in the center. It glowed in an eerie yellow color.

“I apologize for leaving you hanging, but I had some important business to take care of,” he said. “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”
“First, I want more pillows. Second, I want a berry juice {smoothie}. And third…”Amalia said. She clutched a nearby pillow. “I want my home back!”

She threw the pillow at the emperor. It managed to fly between the bars and was about to collide with his face when Unum clasped it in midair. Unum moved it away from his unsurprised face and held it in front of her. An intense blue flame erupted from the pillow, consuming it entirely in seconds.

“I’m sensing some hostility here,” he remarked. Amalia grabbed another pillow and stood up, ready to launch another at him.
“Please refrain from throwing pillows at my master or I might have to use more drastic measures,” Unum requested.
“I would do what she says if I were you,” Machina said. “She has some tools installed that are… well, let’s just say you don’t want to see them.”

Amalia gritted her teeth as the pillow trembled in her hand. She wasn’t intimated by Unum or that poor excuse for an emperor, but she knew deep down that landing one on his smug face wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t release her from her cage nor free her friends and family. It would, however, make her feel a lot a better. With an aggravated groan, she threw the pillow into the floor of the cage. She immediately sat cross legged and folded her arms, looking away from him. Machina smirked and motioned to Unum. She walked into the shadows, leaving the two alone.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Machina asked mockingly. Amalia sighed.
“Why have you taken our kingdom?” she asked, looking at him with utter contempt.
“A conquest has to start somewhere, princess, and we just don’t have the resources for Bonta or Brakmar. Not to mention, automatons don’t grow on trees and there’s plenty of unused ore down below-”
“My home is not a quarry for you to plunder!”
“Oh, it will be more than just a quarry, dear.”
“And my friends? You have no right to imprison them!”
“Actually, I have every right because I’m the emperor and I can do whatever I want, princess. As for your friends, they just have a strange tendency to cause trouble wherever they go, and I just can’t have that in my new world order.” He looked to the darkness. “Ah, you’re back.”

Unum walked to Machina’s side, drawing Amalia’s attention. Despite her small frame, Unum carried a metal chest on her shoulder with ease. She then dropped the chest onto the ground. The force from the drop flung its lid open. Unum kneeled down and searched the contents of the chest. Amalia leaned forward to see what was inside, but Unum’s behind was in the way.

“Do you like that collar we gave you?” Machina asked. Amalia ran her fingers across the rough surface of the collar. The gem was ice cold.
“It’s horribly rustic looking and it irritates my skin,” Amalia said. “Oh, and I can’t use my powers while it’s on.”
“I knew you would like it. The gem really matches with your skin.” He gave her a quick look over. “Although… it doesn’t really match you current outfit.”
“Finally, something we can agree on,” Amalia replied.

At last, Unum got what she wanted from the chest and stood up. She pivoted around and presented Amalia with two items: a rather elegant grey {babydoll} dress and something thickly padded that Amalia could not recognize. The dress made her face contort in disgust.

“What an appalling outfit!” Amalia proclaimed. “Who would wear such a… wait, you’re not thinking of...”
“I think you’ll look absolutely adorable in it,” Machina remarked.
“No, I refuse to wear such... such childish attire.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. At what point did you think you had a choice in this matter?” He signaled to Unum. “I’ll just step out for a bit to give you some privacy.”

As Unum approached the door the cage, her arms split in two. The top set of arms carried the garments while the bottom two were free to unlock the door. Machina waved to Amalia before heading out the door. Unum stepped inside the birdcage. Amalia’s heart pounded against her chest as she pressed herself against the cold bars. That horrible dress was getting closer and closer to her. “S-stay away from me!” Amalia cried. Unum inched forward. “Be a good little girl…” Unum said.

~

The automaton guards stood vigilantly around the silent foyer. Emperor Machina wasn’t too far from the main door as he sipped from his goblet once more. A sharp shriek emanated from the throne room, grabbing the attention the guards. Machina didn’t look behind. He knew exactly what was going on and couldn’t help but smile.


Chapter 3: Breakout

“So, Sinistro…” the right guard said hesitantly. “Um… ah, screw it. Why do we have diapers in lockup?”
“Technically, they’re called oil leak guards, Dextro,” the left guard replied, humoring him. “And apparently there’s a chest of them for each security checkpoint.”
“Still doesn’t answer my question, dude.”
“My guess is it’s for anyone who’s having an oil leak.”
“Sure, but who has problems with that anymore? I mean, the mark ones had those issues, sure, but I thought Emperor Machina ironed that out with the marks twos and we’re mark threes.”
“Look… we’re not built to question the higher ups’ decisions. They’re there because they apparently need to be there. End of story.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll drop it.”

Eva wasn’t really paying attention and even less so when he said diapers. There was a particular unwelcomed feeling growing in her nether region that made her close her legs together. Unfortunately, the thickness of the diaper didn’t let her close them all the way. She grunted uncomfortably as she readjusted in her spot.

“So what was your bag number?” Dextro asked. “I was in bag twelve.”
“I was in bag six.”
“Wow, so you raided the throne room?”
“I wish. I was throne room round two so to speak.”
“So you…?”
“Went toe to toe with the eliatrope, the dragon, and Princess Amalia. Not by myself, of course.”
“Huh… how did that go?”
“Besides getting kicked in the head by that twerp, it went pretty well actually.”
“Cool, cool…”

Eva’s eyes twitched as the building pressure became unbearable. She knew the inevitable was coming, but she refused to relax.

“Will you guys please take me to a bathroom?” Eva blurted out desperately. Maybe they would take pity on her without Tiberius around.
“Hey, I thought you had to go the bathroom like an hour ago?” Dextro replied, looking inside. “Have you been holding it in for that long?”
“No,” she answered without thinking. “Wait, I mean…”
“Ah, I figured you were lying,” Sinistro stated, peering into the cell as well. “Tiberius was right; you were just trying to escape.”
“And by the way, you’re wearing the bathroom,” Dextro said. Sinistro groaned in disgust.
“I’m so glad you said that instead of me.”
“No way am I using a diaper,” Eva proclaimed.
“I don’t see why you’re so up in arms about this,” Sinistro stated.
“Because I’m not a baby, you dolts!” Eva shouted.
“Well, you’re kind of acting like a baby right now.”
“Yeah, it sounds like you need a nap,” Dextro said. “Oh, and probably a diaper change soon.”

She let out an irritated growl as she fought against her shackles in a futile attempt to break free. It soon proved to be a big mistake. With her strength diverted to her limbs, her bladder was now free to oust its contents. She tried clenching, but it was already coming out like a stream of warm water. “No… no…” Eva said under her breath, trying to hold it back. The diaper swelled as she continued flooding it. After what felt like forever, the stream petered out.

“Hey, did you use your diaper?” Sinistro asked, knocking on the bars. Eva said nothing as she looked down. “Is that a yes? I’m going to take that as a yes.”
“Do we have to change her?” Dextro whined.
“Yeah, I think we do. I heard diaper rash is a plague to these organics and hundreds die every day to it.”
“What a miserable existence they have,” Dextro replied woefully. He took out one of his die, and threw it into the air. “Odds.”
“Evens,” Sinistro called out.
The dice landed with a gentle thump. Both of them glanced down. Dextro angrily snapped his finger while Sinistro did a fist pump. Dextro picked up the die as he started to walk off.
“Where are they in lockup?” Dextro asked.
“They’re next to you-know-what.”
“The bow?”
“Dude, she can hear you,” Sinistro said, pointing to Eva.
“Oh come on, she’s not going anywhere. So is it by the bow or not?”
“Yes, it’s next to the bow.”
“Was that so hard? I’ll be back.”

Sinistro shook his head as peered inside the cell. After seeing she hadn’t moved an inch, he returned to his position. Sniffing, Eva choked down a sob. She was absolutely ashamed with herself, and even more so for being on the verge of crying. Despite her efforts to hold them back, tears streamed down her cheeks. How could she be crying for something like this when everyone else might be experiencing worse? For Cra’s sake, Tiberius was probably using Pinpin as a punching bag as she sat in this cell.

Using her left glove, she wiped her eyes dry. She abruptly stopped and looked at her hand.  There was nothing out of the ordinary besides the curious fact that it was free unlike her right hand. She quickly looked up to the front of the cell and Sinistro. He wasn’t even in view. She glanced over to the restraint that used to bind her hand. It was a curved strip of metal that was hanging loosely from screws that were slightly pulled out from the wall. It didn’t look like the screws were put in tight to begin with, so that tantrum was enough to completely slacken them.

Eva quickly eyed for Sinistro before examining the cuff for her right hand. This time the screws were tightened, effectively securing her wrist. She shook her hand and listened for any sounds. There was a hush jangle from the screw closest to her. Thanks to the blocky hexagonal shape of the screw, Eva was able to wrap her fingers around it.

“I’m back!” Dextro announced. Eva’s body tightened. She looked to her front. Dextro was barely in view but she could see he was holding a diaper. “So… how do put this thing on?”
“Seriously?” Sinistro said. He nodded. Seeing Dextro’s attention was completely on the undergarment, Eva exhaled in relief and immediately started untightening the screw. “Okay, fine, I’ll explain. First, you open it up…”

The cuff was now loose enough for her to slip her right hand out. Using both hands, she felt the shackle around her left leg. The only thing keeping the thing fastened around her ankle was a peg wedging two holes together. She loosened the pegs on both shackles and slipped her hands back into the cuffs on the wall. She took a deep breath. It was all a matter of timing now.

“And then you finally rub the tapes down until they stick,” Sinistro explained. “Did you get all that?”
“Yeah, I got it,” Dextro said. “I think.”
“Well, there isn’t really a wrong way to change a diaper,” he said, readying his key finger. “I’m just going to look the other way until you’re done.”

The bars descended and Dextro stepped inside. He had apparently ditched his spear because he was only carrying the diaper. Even if he did have the spear, he still wouldn’t have the intimidating aura that Tiberius had. He dropped the diaper on the floor and knelt in front of Eva. “Okay, baby girl, let’s make this quick,” Sinistro said. “Move your legs.” Eva nodded while subtly pressing the pegs against the floor, releasing the shackles from her ankles.

Sinistro was too busy humming the Automaton Empire’s anthem “Ode to Iron Mountain” to hear the metallic thud of Dextro’s head hitting the wall. He did, however, hear the rattling of armor and footsteps. “Done already?” Sinistro asked, peering inside. “That was qui-” Dextro’s unconscious body was pushed into Sinistro, knocking him to the floor. The key broke off his finger but was still lodged inside the keyhole. Sinistro groaned before conking out.

“It would have been less painful if you hadn’t called me baby girl,” Eva scolded, standing over both guards. Wasting no time, she dragged both of them into the cell. She then turned the key, raising the bars and locking them in. Finally, she tossed the key to the opposite cell.

She rubbed her wrists as she headed over to lockup. It felt great to be free from those shackles and walking, but the feeling didn’t last long. Her diaper was sagging and rubbing against her inner thighs. Worse, it felt soggy and humid in the inside. She was seconds away from just tearing it off her when she came across the entryway to lockup and stepped inside. The room was rectangular with squares dug into the walls with numbers written below them. Obviously, this was where prisoners’ belongings were stored.  Eva gaze shifted to a particularly out of place steel table and weapon rack along the wall.

“Is everything they have made of metal?” Eva thought aloud. Her pondering came to an abrupt end when she spotted the familiar green leaf and the bow it was attached to between a chest and canisters of black goo. Her heart filled with joy as she grasped it. The string was a little loose but besides that the bow was in good shape. She returned it to its compact form. “Things are finally looking up.” Her diaper crinkled as she put her bow back on her belt, reminding her of its presence. “Oh right…”

Searching for anything resembling clothing, she looked through all the slots in the wall. No such luck. They were all empty. Eva grumbled as she tried to come up with an alternative. She was considering taking the thing off and going half naked, but the mental image of Yugo’s mortified face or Ruel’s perverted leer put an end to that thought. As much at it made her appalled, it looked as though she had to carry on in a used diaper. She was on her way out of the room when her eyes came upon the chest on the table once more.

“Maybe there are some clothes I could use,” she said, approaching the chest. She opened it and peered inside. She frowned. “Of course…” The chest was filled with nothing but diapers of various sizes. She paused and thought for a bit. Reluctantly, she sifted through the diapers for one in her size until she found one. “I might as well wear a clean one,” Eva said. She examined the folded up undergarments skeptically. “So… how do I put this on?”

~

“Damn, I thought I had it this time,” Eva muttered. She had screwed up the sticky strips, so the diaper was too loose around her hips. If these things used safety pins or snaps, she would have had it four diapers ago, but they instead used these terrible strips that can only stick once and only once. She was too embarrassed to watch Tiberius put the diaper on her and was too distracted to listen to Sinistro when he explained it to do it the proper way.  She undid the tapes, dragged the diaper out from under her, and threw it to a pile of failed attempts.

Next to the balled up used diaper was the last fresh diaper. She carefully picked up the clean one and took a deep breath. There was no more room for screw ups. She shook the diaper open and slipped it underneath her. The first strip went on fine. The second one was a little shaky. The third one was decent. She was reaching for the last one when she heard footsteps.

“Thank goodness we had that spare key or we would have been done for,” Dextro said. His voice was faint but it was getting louder. Eva was paralyzed.
“I know. I was there, Dex,” Sinistro replied in a clearly aggravated tone. “Let’s hope she hasn’t gone far.”
“Are you sure we should check lockup?”
“Well considering someone spilled the bolts and more or less told her where her bow is, yes.”
“Come on, Sin. We got this.”
“Do we, Dex? Do we really got this?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we do. We just need to find her and nab her.” Both guards stepped inside. “Nobody has to kno-”

They instantly spotted Eva on the ground. Their bodies stood absolutely still as if not totally sure on what to do. Eva regretted not getting her bow ready. If she drew it now, she would only be able to get one shot off before being subdued by the other guard. She looked to the used diaper on her right.

“Okay, cra, you had your little walk. Time to go back to your cell,” Sin said, inching forward. Eva took hold of the mushy sphere.
“Yeah, be a good baby for dadd-“ Eva chucked it at Dex. It opened up mid air and latched onto his helmet, blinding him. “Oh Machina, get it off me!”
“Oh geez,” Sin said. Dex waved his arms around as Sin tried to get in close. It was enough time for Eva to grab her bow and ready it. “Hold still I’ll get-“

Sin was interrupted by a yellow, glowing arrow hitting his chest, sending him flying toward the wall. He banged against it and fell to the ground. Eva readied another shot and unleashed it on Dex. With the diaper still around his face, he hit the floor with a clunk. Both lay motionless. Eva sighed in relief and then shivered in disgust. “I can’t believe I just used that diaper…” She stood up and dusted off her backside. She saw that the last strip was still undone and, with one hand on still on her bow, she unfolded the strip and rubbed it down. The diaper now fitted perfectly on her. “Finally…” she remarked, exiting the room.

Her diaper crinkled with each step as she headed toward the dungeon’s exit. With unshaken determination, she looked onward, but many questions swarmed her mind. Were her friends still okay? Was Tristepin alright? What did this Emperor want with Sadida? How many of these things did he have? Did Cleophee make it out with Elely and Flopin?

She exhaled and shook her head, clearing her thoughts. For her sake and her friends’, she needed to keep her mind focused on the path before her. “Hold on, everyone. I’m coming,” Eva said, unafraid of the dangers that lay before her.


Chapter 4: On the Outside

“Mari had a little gobball, little gobball, little gobbal, Mari had a little gobball, its fleece was white as snow,” Cleophee crooned. Despite her lullaby, Elely continued to wail. “And everywhere Mari went, the gobbal would surely go.” Cleo rocked the bassinet that was cobbled together from twigs, branches, and leaves, but that and the lullaby wasn’t lulling Elely back to sleep. Cleo peered quickly to her side. Much to her surprise, Flopin was still sleeping in his own bassinet. Considering how long it took to get him to fall asleep, she aimed to keep it that way. “Come on, Elely, what’s wrong? Do you want your bottle? Do you want your rattle?” Elely responded with more crying. “I know you want to see mommy and daddy but they’re…” Cleo paused, looking for the right words.

Her ears perked up when she heard the rustling of the leaf door of the tent. She turned her head and saw Alibert. His presence filled her with hope.

“Is everything alright in here?” Alibert asked despite knowing the answer.
“Oh, thank Cra you’re here,” Cleo replied. “It’s Elely. She’s been crying nonstop and I… I just don’t…”
“It’s alright, Cleo,” Alibert said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Let me take a look at her.” He gently picked Elely from her bassinet and examined her. “Well, that’s the problem. She just needs her diaper changed.” Cleo hit her head with the palm of her hand. “Do you have some spares handy?”

Without saying a word, she pointed to the diaper bag in the corner of the tent. Like the tent, it was also made of leaves. With Elely in his arm, he walked over the bag and pulled out a leaf diaper.

“It was very nice of those sadida mothers to make all this baby stuff for you,” Alibert said, laying Elely on the ground.
“Yeah, it was,” Cleo replied. “Just couldn’t believe they thought they were my children. I mean… me? A mom?”
“You’d be surprised what tomorrow holds for you. You might meet a nice fellow and have children like Evangelyne.”
“I’m not sure about that latter part but sure,” Cleo said, looking over to Flopin. Alibert finally secured the diaper around Elely’s hips. Her crying was replaced with giggles of joy as she wiggled on the ground and kicked her feet. Alibert picked her up from the ground and gave her a hug before putting her back in the bassinet. Cleo sighed in disappointment as she rocked the bassinet. If only Elely was good with her.

“So… did you get a chance to talk to Joris?” Cleo asked.
“He’s been very busy talking with the sadida army but, yes, I did manage to get a minute with him and…” Alibert said.
“And?”
“They still don’t have a plan to take back Sadida.”
Cleo stopped rocking the bassinet.
“Are you kidding me?!” Cleo blurted out.
“Cleophee, please,” Alibert said in a hushed voice. “You’ll wake up Flopin.”
“Sorry… sorry…” she said bashfully, lowering her voice.
“I know you’re frustrated but you must remain calm.”
“Calm?” she whispered. “How can I remain calm when no one is doing anything?”
“Cleo, this isn’t as simple as you might think it is. We don’t know anything about these… machines or what their goal is. Not to mention we don’t know what they are fully capable of. You have to understand that the sadidas don’t want to make a move that’ll make the situation worse.”
“What about our friends and family? What if they need help?”
Alibert was silent for a moment.
“The best thing we can do now is to wait and pray that they’re okay,” Alibert said soberly.
“Sure, that’ll help,” she scoffed. “Any word from Cra City?”
“I’m surprised you’re asking about them.”
“Hey, any help is better than none. Besides, I can sneak away if things get too hot.”
“They wanted to send reinforcements, but they’re having some trouble themselves.”
“What, are they having problems with a big pack of boowolfs, too?”
“As a matter of fact, they are.” She instantly looked up him. “They don’t know if they’re real boowolfs or those automaton ones the sadidas were baited with.”

Cleo looked inside the bassinet. Elely had fallen back to sleep. She smiled and exhaled in relief.
“Finally,” Cleo said. “Looks like I’m doing something right.”
“You see. You have what it takes-“

Flopin started crying. And then Elely started wailing once more. Cleo stared onward. She sniffed as her lips began to quiver. Alibert was sure he was about to take care of three crying children instead of two.

“Cleo…” Alibert said.
“Y-yes?” she said.
“Could you do me a favor and get some milk from the town nearby? I don’t see any in here.”
“Don’t you need help?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them. Besides, I think a nice little walk will do you some good. It’ll clear your head. In fact, take all the time you need.”

Alibert felt her arms suddenly wrap around his torso. “Thank you…” she said tearfully. He reciprocated with an awkward pat on her back. She let go and exited the tent.

Cleo passed many makeshift tents like hers as she walked toward the forest clearing. This was as far as the displace sadidas could go without leaving their forest entirely. Little sadida children played boufball, blissfully unaware of what happened or trying to forget, while their somber looking parents huddled together to talk about the events that had transpired. There were a number of soldiers on guard duty although, by the way stood impatiently, Cleo could tell they wanted to be somewhere else.  Some of their eyes were still red from the “Burning Mist” that was sprayed from the downed bodies of the automaton boowolfs. She could only imagine how they felt leaving their home for a seemingly easy task, only to witness it being sealed off and occupied by an unknown foe.

As Cleo stepped onto the clearing, her eyes came across a wooden sign that read: Welcome to Tserof Town! Enjoy your stay! There was a piece of parchment pinned on the sign that said: No vacancy in Herbert’s Lodge or Lupine’s Inn. There was a second sign behind the first one, facing the town itself. It read: Sadida territory ahead! No foresting beyond this point! The town itself was decently sized but very run-of-the-mill. Bonta it wasn’t. If Cleo was on an adventure, she would have passed it by and not look back unless it was an emergency. The forest beyond the town was notably thinner than the one where the sadida resided in.

Although she spotted the general store, Cleo headed over to the local pub. She could go for a drink and Alibert did say to take her time. She was sure he wouldn’t mind. Before she went inside, she looked back to the forest and above its canopy. She could see the grey translucent dome over Sadida in the distance. {The sight made her want to kick something, preferably an automaton.} The interior of the pub was rather drab. There was an eniripsa woman behind the bar and an elderly looking osamados lumberjack sitting at a table. She was cleaning a glass while he was reading a book with a tankard nearby. Cleo took a seat at the bar.

“Hi there, what can I do for you?” the eniripsa asked kindly with a smile.
“Hi, could I have some-“ Cleo yawned uncontrollably. “Oh, excuse me.”
“Sounds like someone didn’t sleep well.”
“More like had a busy morning,” Cleo said. “I think I’ll do some coffee.”
“Coming right up.”

Cleo rested her chin in her hand. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Some trip this turned out to be…”

~

“I’m not sure about this,” Cleo said worriedly.
“Don’t worry you’ll be fine,” Eva said. She set Flopin into Cleo’s folded arms. His weight put her at unease as he looked up to her with his auburn eyes and his confused face. “Look who it is, Flopin. It’s Aunt Cleophee. She’s a cra just like you and mommy. Say, ‘Hi, Aunt Cleo!’”
He just stared at her. The label of aunt made Cleo feel very old.
“Hey, Flopin,” Cleo said, awkwardly smiling. “How are you doing, little guy?”
Flopin giggled with joy and reached out to her.
“You see? He likes you.”
“Yeah, I think he does,” Cleo said happily. The side of her head stung as Flopin pulled her braid blissfully. She kept smiling to hide the pain. “Yep, likes me a lot.”

Elely was also in the guest room, but she was sleeping in a bassinet. Tristepin, Yugo, Amalia, and Adamai had went on ahead, leaving the pair of siblings alone. No one knew what happened to Ruel, but they were sure he was up to no good. Eva had Flopin back in her arms and feeding him with a bottle.

“So…” Cleo started saying, searching for something to talk about. “You look good.”
“Thank you. You too,” Eva replied. “What have you’ve been doing since we last spoke?”
“Oh, you know…” Cleo said confidently. “Adventuring. Fighting rogues. That kind of stuff.”
“Uh huh…”
“More recently, I’ve been hanging around Bonta and doing some fighting tournaments there.”
“They have fighting tournaments?”
“Well… they’re technically not official, but they have rules so it’s okay…” Cleo was expecting that all too familiar disapproving glance, but Eva seemed rather neutral about it, although she seemed to be distracted. “But, yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing.”
“Sounds exciting…” Eva said, clearly not excited. “Before things get busy, I… just wanted to say that I’m glad you came.”
“Oh, no problem, sis. It’s good to see the old gang again.”
It’s so quiet that they could both hear Flopin sucking on the bottle.
“So… should we catch up with the others?” Cleo asked.
“In a moment, I, um, have something to do first,” Eva said, taking the bottle out.
“Do you need to change his diapers?”
“Probably… but that’s not what I mean…”
“Then what?”
Eva took a deep breath.
“There’s… there’s reason why we invited you besides seeing you again,” Eva explained.
“Hey!” A sadida guard called out from the hallway. Alerted, both Eva and Cleo looked to the door. “Who the hell are yo-”

The guard grunted in pain and then there was a thud. {Cleo felt goose bumps all over her skin.} “So much for stealth…” The voice had a certain hollowness to it that did not sound human. “Take him to the others, Gaius. Everyone else… let’s start with door number one. We almost have the entire palace under control, so let’s make this quick.” Footfalls approached the door. Out of instinct, Cleo reached over to her crossbow while Eva held onto Flopin more closely. “Three…” Cleo took a deep breath. “Two…” She charged toward the door. “Cleo, wait!” Eva half whispered. “One!”

Cleo’s shoulder collided with the wooden door, knocking it off its hinges and sending it and whoever was behind it toward the adjacent wall. The action of bashing door took her off her feet and sent her diving into the hall. Despite outnumbering her, the automaton soldiers positioned outside were there stupefied by Cleo’s dynamic entry. Before they could react, she unleashed a stream of bolts at them with her crossbow. The last one fell as Cleo landed on the ground. “Weren’t expecting that, were you?” Cleo said with a grin.

Her grin didn’t last long as she felt a presence behind her. She quickly turned around, but the blade of the sword was already pointed to her neck. “Wrong move, little girl,” the soldier said. She couldn’t move her crossbow without him noticing it and promptly stabbing her. She was helplessly at his mercy, and she utterly hated it.

Suddenly, there was a yellow flash. The sword moved away from her neck as the soldier’s stance wobbled. Eventually, he tipped over and fell to the ground. Cleo looked over to the doorway. Looking serious, Eva stood there with Flopin in one hand and her bow in the other. Confused, Cleo stared at her

“How did you-”
“With my teeth,” Eva replied. “Yes, it did hurt. Also, you’re welcome.”
“I could have taken him…” Cleo said, brushing dirt off her.
“No, you couldn’t,” Eva said. “Do you have any idea how reckless that was?”
“Hey, it worked,” Cleo said, standing up. “Mostly.”
Eva shook her head and sighed.
“Stand guard while I go get Elely. If what they said is true, then we’re not safe here.”

Cleo begrudgingly nodded. She kept her crossbow out and ready, keeping her eye on both sides. There was no way she was going to let someone sneak up on her again. She took aim as she heard more of them toward the main hallway. A whole platoon of soldiers charged across. They were so focused at the path ahead that they were unaware of Cleo.

“That’s… a lot of troops,” Eva commented, now standing next to Cleo. Elely was still sleeping while Flopin was sucking on his thumb. Both were in Eva’s hold.
“Wonder if the gang has bumped into these guys,” Cleo said.
“No doubt,” Eva said. “Which is reason enough for me to get back to them.”
“You and me both, sis,” Cleo said, approaching the main hallway as the last soldier jogged by. It was now completely vacant and silent. Deep in contemplation, Eva was just as silent as the hall.
“Can I ask you a big favor, Cleo?” Eva asked reluctantly.
“Sure, why not? Shoot.” Eva gently took Cleo’s free hand and wrapped her arm around Elely. “What are you doi-”
“Cleophee, I want you to take them to a safe place beyond the palace and look after them until this is over…” Flopin started fussing as Eva moved him toward Cleo. “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. Mommy’s just going to see if daddy’s okay.” As he quieted down, her focus shifted back to Cleo. “But if Tristepin and I… if the worst happens, I want you to be their mother. Can you promise me that, Cleo?”
“Are you serious?” Cleo exclaimed, completely dumfounded. “Look, fine, I can get them out no problem, but I… I’m not good with little children and I’m not a...”

Eva had an expression that Cleo had never seen before. Not angry, definitely not happy, slightly sad, a little determined, and surprisingly patient. Cleo unclenched her hand as she retracted the arms of the crossbow.

“I promise,” Cleo said, presenting her hand to receive Flopin.
“Thank you…” Eva said, looking comforted by Cleo’s response. She hugged Flopin one last time before gently placing him in Cleo’s arm.
“I promise, but you two better not die on me.”
“Trust me, we won’t,” Eva said, brandishing her bow. “Please be safe.”

Eva cautiously walked down the main hallway. She paused and peered back to Cleo. Reluctantly, she looked on ahead and started running. Flopin stirred uneasily as Cleo headed in the opposite direction. Everything after that was a blur.

~

“Coffee’s ready,” the eniripsa said. Cleo opened her eyes to see a mug of steaming coffee before her. “Looks like you really need it.” She yawned, picked up the mug, and took a sip. It tasted okay.

“Some aunt I turned out to be…” Cleo thought. A younger looking osamodos walked inside and sat at the same table as the older one. He set his axe down on the table.

“Hey, old man, what’s the word,” the younger man greeted.
“Nothing much, son.”
“So… any reason why there are a whole bunch of sadidas camping out near the border? Did the kingdom raise their taxes or did Prince Armand take the throne?”
“Apparently, there was a coup…”
“So Armand took the throne?”
“No, no. Apparently, this army came out of nowhere, took over the palace, kicked everyone out, and put this dome up around the kingdom.”
“Huh, I was wondering about that grey thing in the distance,” he said. “Should we tell them about the tunnel we found? I mean, it does lead toward the center of the kingdom.”
Cleo’s ears perked up.
“No,” the old man said.
“What if we get an award?”
“Listen, son, it isn’t our place to get involved in this kind of thing. Besides, the town already has a shaky relationship with them to begin with and they would have a field day if they learned what it was used for. Damn tunnel… we should have caved that thing in a long time ago.”

Cleo picked up her mug and walked toward them. Without asking, Cleo set her mug on the table and twirled the chair around so she could sit it in it backwards. Both men looked at her curiously.

“Um… can we help you, little miss?” The old man asked.
“I hope you can,” she said smiling. “Can you tell me more about this tunnel?”


Chapter 5: Anything for you, baby

Due to its size and circular shape, the room was originally used as an indoor training arena for the sadida army despite Prince Armand’s ramblings about how it would make them soft. However, the training dummies and racks of staves were removed in favor of steel crates and automaton troops. Amongst them was Legate Gladius.

Without the dark shroud of the throne room, the light showed her petite frame and grey, metal skin that contrasted with her black halter top. Her baggy pants were held up by leather belt with a gear for a buckle. The mask she adorned was engraved with the face of a young woman who donned a self-assured smile. Black steel was forged to the appearance of short, black hair with a chain in the back for a ponytail.

“Are you sure about this, ma’m?” one of the troops asked nervously. He, like the other six troops that encircled Gladius, held his sword uneasily.
“Absolutely,” she replied confidently, rolling a kama across her knuckles.
“Are you really, really sure? What if we hit you?”
“As if you any of you could,” she replied. “Come on, get ready.”

They gripped their weapons tightly as she rested the kama on top of her index finger and thumb. With a flick, the kama was sent into the air. She grabbed one of two short swords sheathed on her back as they began to strike. The blade whistled as it sliced through the air. The kama landed on its side on the ground. The troops stood frozen with their swords broken. She re-sheathed her weapon as the kama split in two. {Somewhere an Enutrof cries}.

“Boo! You suck!” The troops shuffled out of Gladius’s spiteful glare. Staring back was the single eye of Rubilax, who was pinned on top of a crate a few feet away.
“Hey, I didn’t ask for your opinion!” she said.
“Well, you’re getting it, honey. I’ve seen tofus mating that was more impressive than you.”
“Shut it, shushu!”
“Come over here and make me.”

Within seconds, a cord was wrapped around Rubilax’s handle. It retracted back into the inner forearm of Gladius, hauling Rubilax over to her. She whipped him into the air before grabbing him with her left hand.

“You want to run that by me again?” Gladius said sternly.
“Since apparently you’re slower than a iop…” Rubilax replied. “You are mediocre. Average. Run-of-the-mill. Do you understand or do you want me to speak slower for you?” Her grip tightened. “Ooh, easy there. You might break your little fingers on me. Don’t want you getting boo-boos, now do we?”
“Do you see that?” she asked, pointing ahead of her.

A giant bronze vat stood ominously toward the other side of the room. Contained within its holds was a bubbling pool of green fluid that hissed. Suspended over the turbulent surface was the ginger warrior himself.  He snored loudly despite being hung upside down and wrapped in chains. Rubilax blinked.

“How did you get that in-“
“Do you see that green stuff?” Gladius asked. “Once you go in, you’re not coming back up. So I suggest you zip it unless you want to end up as a dissolved pile of crap.”
“If it means never seeing your routine again, toss me in, babycakes.”

Gladius groaned. In all actuality, she was ordered to keep Rubilax intact, but she thought being intimidating would have shut him up. It clearly didn’t work.

“Are you letting a little dagger push you around, Gladys?” A voice asked behind her.

She immediately grabbed her sword and pivoted around. She delivered a strike, shattering the blade against Tiberius’s chest. She let out an irritated growl.

“Look what you did!” Gladius said angrily, holding up her now useless weapon.
“You were the one who struck me,” Tiberius replied unperturbed, dusting off his chest. There wasn’t even a scratch. “Didn’t I tell you not to sharpen your swords so much? It makes them brittle.”
“You know that I have a built-in response whenever someone sneaks up behind me. And how are they supposed to be razor sharp if I don’t sharpen them, Ti?”
“Well, that explains it,” Rubilax stated. “You’re built to suck.”
Gladius grumbled.
“Look after him while I go get replacements,” she said, throwing Rubi straight up in the air. She turned around and walked over to a nearby table with a small leather satchel on top. Tiberius crossed his arms as Rubilax plummeted right into the ground.
“Nice catch, big guy,” Rubilax said. Gladius held onto both scabbards as she demagnetized her back, releasing them.
“You’re lucky I brought spares,” she said, setting the scabbards and the broken sword down on the table. “Weren’t you supposed be looking over the cra?”
“I… already checked on her. She’s fine. How’s the iop?”
“He somehow went from being unconscious to sleeping like a baby,” she said, opening the satchel. “I don’t know organic biology all that well, but I’m pretty sure he should be dead.”
“It’s almost impressive.”
“I should go with singled edged. Haven’t done that in awhile,” she said, rifling through the contents of the bag. “So what are you doing here anyways?”
“I wanted to-“
“Oh hey, you want to spar for a bit?” She pulled a new set of swords out. “My adren-oil hasn’t quite thinned out yet.”
“Sorry, Gladys, but not right now. I’m just checking up on things here.”
“What, you don’t think I can’t handle this?”
“No…”
“Oh, you totally don’t think I can do it.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, but you were thinking it.”
“Stop acting like a petulant child, Gladius,” Tiberius stated.

Gladius held her head down as she secured her new swords to her back. Tiberius grumbled and caressed the forehead of his helmet. Rubilax chuckled. Tiberius kicked him up from the ground, only to slam him back down with the bottom of his hand.

“Is… is that the best you can do?” Rubilax grunted.
“Does he ever shut up?” Gladius asked.
“Without his master, it’s the only thing he can do,” Tiberius replied.
“And why’s he even here? We all know what can happen if the iop gets his hands on him.”
“Julius said it’s impossible because, even if he broke free, he would fall into the acid…”
“As if the iop knows what acid even is. This sounds like that old, broken phonograph’s elaborate scheme to get him killed.”

His lack of response indicated to Gladius that Tiberius wasn’t listening. She was about to scold him, but she sensed how concentrated he was on Tristepin. It at least gave her the chance to look at his chest more closely and the dent.

“I know you’re looking at it, Gladys,” Tiberius said.
“You know you have a spare set of amour, right?” Gladius said. “You don’t have to wear that chest plate.”
“It helps me stay focused,” he replied. His line of sight was broken by Gladius’s waving hand.
“More like distracted,” Gladius commented. Tiberius looked down to a crossed armed Gladius. “You’re here because of him, aren’t you?” Tiberius remained silent. “If you think I’m going let you…” she trailed off abruptly as her hand went to the side of her hip. “Damnit…”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, fine. Just need to, you know, lubricate my internal mechanisms again,” Gladius said. “I’ll just, um, duck out for a bit… but you better not do anything stupid while I’m out, Tiberius, or else.” With an awkward gait, she walked behind Tiberius and passed the guards. “Um… aren’t you going to help me?”
“You’re a big girl. You can do it yourself,” he replied with his gaze focused ahead. Gladius clenched her fists.
“Fine then,” Gladius said crankily.

She exited the room. The guards looked at each other nervously and then at Tiberius. While no words were spoken, they all knew that they should keep their distance from him and his intense disposition. They slowly stepped back. “So…” Rubilax said. “Are you just going to stand there and gawk at him or actually going to do something?” Tiberius had no interest in humoring his question, but he sensed someone walking up behind him. Taken aback by his sudden turn, an automaton worker shook in his boots.

“Um… um… excuse me, sir, um, Legate Tiberius, sir…” the worker said. “Since… since we heard you were in the area and, um, really strong… we… we were wondering if you, um, could help us move something. I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t’ want… um, I mean, you I’m not ordering you or anything… I know you’re a busy person and all…”

Tiberius turned back to Tristepin. Much to the legate’s disappointment, he was still sleeping, making his trip pointless. He let out a low grumble.  “Fine,” Tiberius said. “Lead the way.” The worker nodded gratefully and walked up on ahead. Tiberius kicked up Rubilax from the ground and grabbed him in the air as he followed the worker.

~

Four guards on patrol walked down the hallway, passing one of many imperial banners placed all over the palace. This one was long enough to touch the floor and predominantly wide.  One of the guards stopped in his tracks and looked around.

“Did you guys hear anything?” he said.
“No, what did sound like?”
“I dunno… like a crinkling sound?”
“Nah, I didn’t hear anything like that. You should get your auditory apparatus checked.”
“Maybe. Never mind then.”

They continued on their course until they were gone from view. Exhaling in relief, Eva stepped out from behind the grey banner. She caressed the backside of her diaper, making an audible sound. “This damn thing almost got me in trouble again,” Eva thought. She stalked further up the hallway. Unfortunately, it couldn’t really be considered stalking with her padded undergarments making a noise with each step, throwing stealth out the window. The fact she managed to get passed so many of them astonished her.

Eva came to a t-shaped crossing and took a peek from the corner. “Great… another checkpoint,” Eva thought. Much like the ones before, there were five troops in front of a circular, metal door. While most stood vigilantly, one sat down at a table much like the one in the dungeon. This one was notably less cluttered with only a few canisters on top and, like the other checkpoints she scouted, this one also had a very odd steel box with a slanted side that had a series of buttons strewn across it.

Breaking the silence, the steel box rung like a bell while one of the buttons on started flashing.  The guard sitting next to it groaned and pushed the button. A hole appeared on top of the box and a light shined through it. A translucent bust of an automaton soldier was projected into the air.

“This is central comms speaking, what is your status, sector B3?” the projected image asked. His voice sounded like it was coming from the box itself.
“Like I said an hour ago, nothing to report,” he replied snappily.
“Good. Just press the red button if anything happens. I’ll call you again in an hour.”

Like a mirage, the image dissipated into the ether. Annoyed, the automaton caressed his helmet. The steel door spiraled open. The guards urgently turned their attention to the doorway, only to find two soldiers with a crate between them.

“Uh hey,” the soldier said. “We’re just moving some surplus ‘room cleaners’ out.”
“Why?” the grumpy soldier asked. “You worried the iop is going to break free and use them?”
Eva felt her heart beating harder.
“Well, um, he could use them like a…” His response was met with silence. “Can we just move along?”

The sitting guard motioned with his thumb, giving them the signal to pick up the crate and start walking. Eva knew she needed to act now, especially with the door still open. While a barrage of arrows would do the trick, she didn’t want to risk one of them pushing that button and drawing unneeded attention. She needed to cause a distraction.

As they shambled forward with the box, she noticed that the cover of the crate was shaking. If they were to “accidently” drop the crate on its side, the contents would spill out and they would have to spend the time to clean it up, allowing Eva the window to sneak by. She could get caught, but she was willing to take the risk for Tristepin’s sake.

Eva readied her bow as the troop leading the crate passed by. Using her foot, she snagged the troop following behind by the foot and gave it a tug. With his balance off, he began to fall forward. The sudden shift of momentum made the troop in front fall down along with the crate. The lid came off and landed on his head, causing a torrent of round grey spheres with fuses to spill out of the container. The grumpy soldier scoffed.

“Way to go, guys,” he said.
“Hey, it’s not my fault. Something tripped me!” the fallen soldier protested.
Eva took a step back away from the crossing.
“Yeah, sure that’s what happened. Come on guys let’s get this cleaned up before a centurion or, worse, a legate shows up.”
“Or, you know, accidentally light one of them and blow up the place.”

Eva took a step back as the she heard the footsteps approaching. One guard passed by and then two followed by another one. The grumpy one took up the rear. Their attention was completely on picking up the bombs and they made enough noise to mask the shuffling of Eva’s diaper. As quietly as she could, she sneaked on through the opened door. It closed behind her with a clang.

It wasn’t long until she was entering the spacious indoor arena from one of three entryways. The gleam of one of the guard’s helmets made Eva immediately hide behind a nearby stack of crates. The lack of approaching footsteps meant they didn’t spot her, putting her at enough ease to peek her head out of cover. There were four guards.  One was on the far side sharpening a battleaxe while another nearby was practicing his sword swings. The last two stood on guard in front of a vat. An uncomfortable rush went throughout Eva’s body as she gazed upon who was hanging above the boiling pool.

“Oh no… Pinpin,” Eva gasped. She wanted to run to him and free him, but she guards would make short work of her. They had to be taken care of, and she wasn’t up for crate shenanigans as a distraction. She held on her bow tightly as she readied two arrows while aiming at the two guards furthest from her. She let go of the drawstring, sending the arrows in flight toward their targets. The sound of the arrows colliding with their armor confirmed she had hit her marks, so she quickly drew two more arrows and releasing them at the last two. With all the guards down, Eva wasted no time getting over to Tristepin and the vat.

He was being hoisted from a crane like device that was controlled by a box similar to the mysterious box at the checkpoint. It didn’t take Eva very long to figure out the contraption and get Pinpin down on the floor safely. She shot the lock securing the chains together and unraveled the binds. Despite a few bruises and his cape looking more like a scarf, he looked relatively unharmed. Not surprisingly, he was still asleep.

“Come on, Pinpin,” Eva said, shaking him. “Wake up.”
“I’m… I’m up, I’m up,” Pinpin groaned, slowly sitting up. With his eyes half closed, he yawned. “I’ll… go feed Elely in a sec.” His sleepy eyes became fully awake as he looked upon Eva and her smile. “Eva, you’re-“ She couldn’t hold back and embraced him in a hug to which he reciprocated. “Oh, Eva, I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”
“I’m so glad to see you, too,” Eva replied happily. “I… I really thought I wasn’t going to see you again.”
“Well, you know me. A few punches and a little lightning aren’t going to do me in.”

While she knew they had to let go, she just couldn’t get herself to do it. The warmth of his body comforted her as his strong but gentle arms made her feel safe. It all made her forget about everything for a moment. She wanted it to last forever.

…and then her diaper crinkled as Pinpin stroked its backside and, with it, reality returned. She leaned back and gave him a disapproving look.

“Really? Now?” she said peevishly.
“It’s... softer… and thicker than usual,” Pinpin commented. Eva scowled harder. “Um… I mean, in a good way.” Eva rolled her eyes as he looked down. His eyes affixed to her new undergarments. “What are you wearing?”
“Um… it’s…” Eva said. She suddenly felt very hot. The words “I’m wearing a diaper” were in her mind, but she couldn’t get herself to say it, especially to Pinpin. She couldn’t imagine his reaction nor wanted it. It was almost good that they were in this current situation otherwise she wouldn’t have another topic to change to. “No time to explain,” Eva blurted out, standing up. “The entire kingdom is in trouble.”
“Why’s your face getting red?”
“Focus, Pinpin. Everyone has been imprisoned and we need to save them,” Eva explained. “Now let’s get going before…”

Eva’s eyes got big as she looked toward the entryway before her. Her rosy cheeks turned pale. Sensing a presence of another, Tristepin turned his head. A bulky, shadowy figure stood in the entryway. Recognizing the silhouette, he clutched his fist.

“Did you two want to be alone?” Tiberius asked, stepping forward into the light.


Chapter 6: Grudge Match

“You!” Tristepin barked, standing up and facing the legate. His nails were digging into the palms of his hands as the tips of his fingers turned red.
“Ah, good, you remember me,” Tiberius stated.
“You hurt my Evangelyne!”
“She interrupted our bout,” he replied. “It’s not my fault she tangled in matters she shouldn’t have. I would expect a warrior such as yourself would know that anyone is fair game in the ring.”

The lack of remorse in Tiberius’s voice fueled Pinpin’s desire to punch him until his fists ached, but with Eva near, he felt that his place was by her side. Tiberius struck his fist against the closed door behind him. Suddenly, steel doors sealed off the other two entryways, trapping Eva and Pinpin with Tiberius. The automaton titan’s armor echoed in the arena as he walked forward. A wave of unease crept throughout Eva’s body, but she kept a straight face.

“Is it true you have our friends?” Pinpin asked sternly.
“Hmm, I see your lover filled you in already.”
“Answer me.”
“You really are dense. Yes, the kingdom and the rest of your brotherhood are ours.”
“And our children? Do you have Elely and Flopin as well?” Pinpin demanded.
“No,” he answered. “We don’t have your children.”
“You better not be lying to me because I’ll-“
“What would I gain from lying?”
“Because…” Pinpin replied, thinking. “Because you’re a bad guy?”

Tiberius just stared at him silently. Pinpin let out a cough. Eva just shook her head.

“They weren’t a priority like you nine,” Tiberius explained. “If they were, I can assure you they would have been ours.”
“A bit forthcoming, aren’t you?” Eva stated.
“You’re enough of a distraction to him,” Tiberius replied. She scowled at him. “Although I might have to thank you for freeing him. Now we can continue where we left off.”
“I didn’t free him for you, Tiberius,” she snapped.
“Wait, that’s your name?” Pinpin remarked.
“Look at it this way, little cra. We’re even now.”
“Even?”
“Of course,” he replied. He then pointed to her diaper. “I guess I was wrong about you lying. You did have to use the bathroom after all.”
“W-what?” Eva exclaimed. “How did you-“
“The tapes,” he replied. “Those are too sloppy to be done by my hands.”

Eva was at a loss for words, especially with Pinpin confused eyes upon her. She wanted to cover it up, but she knew it would be pointless. She averted her gaze from him.

“Nothing to say for yourself, little girl?” Tiberius asked.
“What is he talking about, Eva?” Pinpin asked.
“Really? You don’t know?” he replied.
“No. And on second thought, I don’t care,” he said. He pointed to Tiberius.  “You better free everyone and leave this place or else you and your pipsqueak emperor are going to get your butts kicked.”
“Oh, we won’t be leaving or freeing your companions any time soon,” he replied, uncrossing his arms. “It would be fair to warn you two that in the event of any of you escaping, I am ordered to recapture you. However, if you prove too difficult... well, you can figure it out.”

A chill went up Eva’s spine. Pinpin blinked and scratched his head in confusion.

“It means he’s going to kill us,” Eva whispered to Pinpin.
“Oh no, that’s bad!” he exclaimed. “I think my friend and I have something to say to that!”

Without looking, Pinpin reached for Rubilax. Instead of feeling a sturdy handle, he felt nothing but air. Confused, he looked to his hip, only to see Rubilax absent from his sheath.

“Looking for this?” Tiberius said, brandishing the shushu.
“Hey-oh, about time you got up,” Rubilax said. He looked at Eva confusingly. “What are you wearing?”
“Rubilax!” Pinpin exclaimed. “Give him back, you fiend!”
“If you’re half the legend they say you are, you won’t need it,” Tiberieus said, stowing Rubilax away. “Besides, only imbeciles rely on weapons.”
“Fine by me,” Pinpin replied, clashing his fist into his palm.
“Good…” Tiberius loosened his shoulders. “For your own well being, I suggest you do not intervene this time, little cra.”
“If you think I’m going to stand around while you two…” she said, walking forward. She felt as though she was going to burst a blood vein. Pinpin arm gently blocked her from going any further. “Pinpin…”
“Let me take care of this,” he said.
“But…”
“Please, Eva,” he said, looking to her. “I don’t want you to get you hurt again. Just this one time.”

{If he was using his typical baby bow-wow face, she would have pulled out her bow, but she could tell by the look in his eyes he meant it. However, she very much wanted to knock a few arrows into Tiberius just to spite him. After a moment, she reluctantly stepped back.}

“Finally…” Tiberius said, cracking his knuckles. “Now where were we?”
“I was kicking your butt,” Pinpin taunted, shifting his body into a fighting stance.
“Sure you were, little boy.”

Pinpin and Tiberius lunged toward each other. Barely dodging Tiberius’s fist, Pinpin delivered a right and a left to the chest and finished with a hook to the head. The metal giant stood motionless, unaffected by his blows. Distracted, Pinpin almost didn’t see the back of Tiberius’s hand zooming toward his face. He got his arms up just in time to absorb the strike, but it still sent him skidding across the floor.

“I suggest you hit harder,” Tiberius said, repositioning himself. “Both of us would be disappointed if this was a short fight.”

With a roar, Pinpin dashed forward, ready to strike once more.

~

“What are you two doing?” The centurion asked.

Like all centurions, this automaton looked similar to the soldiers but was adorned with a short cape around his left shoulder. There were two troops standing in front of a steel door. Standing upright, they saluted the centurion.

“We would be patrolling, but the door is locked, sir,” the soldier explained
“Then unlock it,” the centurion replied impatiently.
“Um… we can’t.”
“What do mean you can’t?”
“It didn’t open when we walked up to it and our keys don’t work.”

Grumbling, the centurion pushed the soldiers aside. The fact it didn’t open as he approached indicated that the first part was true. He readied his key finger and jammed it into the keyhole in the center. He tried turning but it wouldn’t budge.

“Damn, someone locked it from the other side,” the centurion said, fixing his cape.
“Do you think the iop got out and locked the door?”
“Are you daft? Only centurions such as myself or legates could lock these doors,” the centurion explained. “And since I’m the only centurion in this sector, it would mean that it was Legate Gladius.”
“But why would she-“

A faint roar emanated from beyond the door followed by series of clangs. All three were taken aback by the sound. The centurion gripped the handle of his sheathed saber as he pressed his head against the door. He could hear grunts, hard breathing, heavy footsteps, and even subtle whirring of gears.

“Damnit, he got out,” the centurion said.
“Who?”
“Who do you think, you moron? The iop. And it sounds like Legate Tiberius is fighting him right now.”
“Oh no, what are we going to do, sir?”
“Good thing I’m the one calling the shots. Get everyone you can and get some charges to blow this door open.”
“But, um, sir. Should we do that? I don’t think he likes it when people interrupt his duels. Besides, shouldn’t we contact-”
“You’re not constructed to question orders, grunt. Get to it.”

Both soldiers nodded and ran off.

~

Pinpin forgot from his first encounter with Tiberius that despite his size, he was surprisingly fast. Still, Pinpin was able to dodge his strikes. The real problem was that his punches weren’t doing anything to him. Thankfully, he had brilliant strategy.

Punch him harder.

“Heads up, fatty!” Pinpin yelled, gaining the window to attack. With all his might, he delivered a punch straight into Tiberius’s face. The automaton immediately retaliated by upper cutting Pinpin, launching the hapless iop into the ceiling. As he fell back down, Tiberius punched him once more, sending him flying into a stack of crates.

“Pinpin!” Eva shouted. She rushed up to him and helped him up.
“Is that the best you can do, little iop?” Tiberius asked, peevishly. “Where’s the rage? Where’s the might I saw earlier? Did you forget about this?” He pounded near the dent in his chest. He looked to Eva and then to Pinpin. “Would you do better if I struck her again?”

Like a shooting star, a crate shot toward Tiberius. He deflected it, but it left him open for a direct attack from Pinpin. The punch sent Tiberius skidding a few feet across the floor, kicking up dirt and leaving a trail. Before Tiberius could recover, Pinpin then punched him with his right hand. And then his left. And then his right again. His left was about to connect but was caught by Tiberius’s palm.

“Good… good…” Tiberius said. “I actually felt that one.” Tiberius head butted Pinpin. Groaning and caressing his forehead, the iop picked himself up. “You finally awake?” Pinpin brought his fists ups, readying himself once more. “Now the real fight can begin.”

The room was silent once more. Eva could hear Pinpin’s irregular breathing, but she could also hear a very peculiar sizzling sound. She turned her head to determine the point of origin. It was coming from one of the doors. It suddenly stopped. With a loud bang, the steel door was launched through the air. It whizzed in between Pinpin and Tiberius.

“Charge!” The centurion yelled, pointing his saber toward Pinpin. From the smoke, a phalanx of troops charged forward with their shields held together to form an impenetrable wall. Pinpin, still surprised by the fact that door just flew passed him, was carted off by them. Seeing their backs exposed, Eva readied her bow and let loose a few arrows, knocking some out and weakening the wall enough for Pinpin to press back and break through.

“What are you doing?” Tiberius shouted. “This is my fight. Back off!”
“What did he say?” A soldier asked.
“He said to send in more troops and take care of that cra,” the centurion replied. He still stood from the safety of the hallway. “Get in there and make our emperor proud!”

Another wave of troops poured into the arena. Eva picked off some of the approaching forces.  “The shield! Use your shield, you idiots!” the centurion commanded. The ones that were able to hear him quickly readied them if they had them. Eva’s arrows ricocheted off them. Seeking shelter from the deluge of arrows, the soldiers who didn’t have shields got behind the ones that did. The shield bearers charged toward Eva.

With their shields reflecting her shots and no openings to angle an arrow in, Eva had to come up with something to stop them from getting closer. She looked to the ground. It was like a beaten path, rough and flat. The ice arrow crackled in the warm air as she drew it. Eva aimed downward and unleashed a series of shots into the ground. The arrows dissipated, making the ground completely iced over. The soldiers teetered, unable to get any traction from the now smooth floor. They fell and slid like amateur skaters.

“Great one, Eva!” Pinpin cheered. Even though he was surrounded, Pinpin wasn’t having a much trouble clobbering automatons. He thought of Rubilax and how he was missing the fun. “Pinpin, look out behind you!” Eva shouted. He looked behind. There was a soldier poised to strike. Before he could land the blow, another solider rocketed toward him, knocking him away. Confused, Pinpin looked to where the soldier came from. The point of origin was Tiberius.

“You… saved me?” Pinpin said.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Tiberieus replied, throwing another soldier aside. “I don’t want you dead yet. Not until-”
“I’m sorry what was that last part?” Pinpin asked while having an automaton in a headlock. “I didn’t hear you.”

Tiberius’s response was his fist. Pinpin flew through a stack of crates and landed next to Eva. With the crate fallen over, the ‘room cleaners’ were free to roll across the ground. She immediately helped him up. They both faced Tiberius and the approaching automatons before him.

 “Oh no, this isn’t looking good,” the centurion remarked.
“But, sir, it looks like Tiberius is about to...”
“We need to resort to more drastic measures,” he replied. Seeing the pool of grey sphere on the floor gave him an idea. He pulled out a room cleaner of his own and flicked back his thumb, exposing a lighter.
“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking, sir?” The centurion lit the bomb. “What about Tiberius?”
“Oh, he’ll be fine.”

Eva and Pinpin looked on in surprise as the centurion lobbed the room cleaner into the pile of room cleaners. The centurion and the others in the hallway moved further back while the automatons in the room tried to get to the exit. Tiberius groaned. “I really hope this doesn’t kill you, little iop,” he said. Pinpin instantly scooped up Eva and was on his way to the open doorway. The sparkling light of the fuse disappeared into the sphere. The air went still. The sphere exploded into an expanding fire ball that kicked up dirt and anything that was in its path. What followed was nothing short of complete chaos.

~

“What the hell!” Gladius said, discovering that the indoor arena was now an outdoor one. The automatons that survived the blast were now sifting through the rubble to find survivors while the centurion observed. “I leave you guys for like a half an hour and this is what I come back to?”
“Ah, good you’re here, ma’am. Apparently, the cra got out of her cell and freed the iop,” the centurion explained. “But let me assure you, ma’am, that the situation has been dealt with. And efficiently, I might add.”
“Sure,” she replied. “Wait… where’s Tiberius?”

The rubble shifted upward like a growing mound. The dust and earth slid off the body of Tiberius as he stood upright. He walked over to the centurion and Gladius.

“Um, Legate Tiberius…” The centurion greeted nervously. “Good to see that you’re-“
Tiberius grabbed the automaton by the neck and lifted him into the air, so they were at eye level.
“I told you back off, centurion,” Tiberius said.
“I… I… I’m sorry, sir. I… I  couldn’t hear you,” he replied. He spoke as best as he can but Tiberius’s girp was pressing on his voice box. “I was merely following my orders.”
“Your orders are to capture them alive. Not blow them up.”
“I… I… was only-“
“Enough talking.”

The metal neck crunched in as Tiberius enclosed his hand. With a heavy clunk, the centurion’s head struck the ground followed by his body.

“Listen up!” Tiberius announced. “I want everyone here to clear the rubble. If you find any bodies, report to me.” He looked to Gladius. “We need to report this to the emperor.”
“Yeah, lead the way,” she said. They started walking before Tiberius paused and looked at the decapitated automaton.
“Pick up your damn head and help them, centurion.”

The body of the centurion sit upright and awkwardly reached out for his head. Before Tiberius and Gladius could get far, Sinistro and Dextro ran into the room.

“Sir, sir,” Sinistro said. “You’re not going to believe what happened!”
“We screwed up, man! We screwed up!” Dextro said.
“The cra got free!”
Tiberius silently stared at the two. Dextro and Sinistro shook nervously.
“Oh, I’m aware,” he said. “I’m well aware.”

~

Eva’s head was ringing when she regained consciousness. She was on her back, looking up to the bark ceiling of the hallway. She rubbed her temples.

“Am I dead?” she asked.
“Nopth,” Pinpin answered.
“Pinpin?” Eva said, sitting up right. “Where are you?”

As she looked down, she saw that his head was planted into the soft pillowness of her diaper.

“Gooth thingth I landedth on something softth,” he said.
“You okay?” she asked with a frown.
“Yeth.”
“Good…”

She moved backward, letting Pinpin’s head drop to the ground. Eva stood up and dusted off her backside. It made the all too familiar crinkly noise.

“Whatever you’re wearing makes a lot of noise,” Pinpin commented, sitting up. Eva offered her hand and helped him up.
“Yes, it does,” she said. Eva observed a steel door with a hole in it at the end of the hallway. There was rubble covering the hole from the other side. “Did we just go through that door?”
“I think we did,” he said, rubbing his back. “So, um… any idea where everyone is?”
“I wish I knew, Pinpin,” she said picking up her bow from the ground. “I was the only one in the dungeon.”
“Huh…”
“If our arrangements were any indication, they must have separated the rest.”
“Great…” Pinpin said. “Well, they ain’t going to rescue themselves.”
“True. Let’s get going then,” Eva said.
“Before we do, I was wondering about something,” Pinpin said.
“Okay, but make it quick.”
“If they don’t have our children and the last I saw them they were with you, so do you know where they are?”

Eva did not respond. She remembered the look on Flopin’s face as she handed him off. It was a teary, wide eyed expression. It was one that expressed longing to be kept in his mother’s arm.  It was a look Eva never wanted to see. At least Elely was sleeping to know what was happening, though that didn’t really help Eva feel better about it.

“I… I gave them to Cleophee and told her to get out of the palace. I dunno, I just… I was worried about you and the others but the kids weren’t safe where they were... Damnit, I should have…”
She felt Pinpin’s palm on her shoulder.
“Hey, you made the right decision. I mean, if anyone here is going to make a smart choice, it would be you.”
 “That’s very kind of you to say,” she said, stroking his hand. “But I don’t think… Never mind, we should really get moving.”
“Agreed,” Pinpin said, retracting his hand. “So…do you think Cleo’s going to stay put? She wouldn’t like it that she’s missing all the action.”
“She doesn’t like to listen to me, but I think she-“

Eva paused. She heard a soft hiss and felt a surge of warmth near her loins. The diaper bulged out a bit. It was the same feeling she felt back in the cell. Her body froze.

“Eva?”
“Yes?” she replied abruptly.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, fine. What were we talking about?”
“Cleo.”
“Oh right She’s doesn’t like to listen, but I think she understands how important this is to me,” she said. “I mean, us.”
He looked at her strangely.
“I’m going to scout out ahead.”
“Do you want-“
“No, you should lay back a bit, especially without Rubilax.”
“Come now, Eva, they are no match for my fists.”

Eva was now further ahead by this point to hear. She tried to keep her mind focused, but it was now completely in disarray.


Chapter 7: A Loving Tyranny