Titans

(Note: this chapter might be a day late, I caught a small but glaring continuity error while working on chapter 6 and had to reupload before it went live on the website. Sorry about that)

Another month, another chapter! Apologies once again for the short length, but I've made a conscious decision to prioritize regular uploads over quantity because if I don't I'll just procrastinate until everyone forgets about me. I have very limited free time which I can put towards writing, and this turns out to be about the amount I can get done in that time (15 pages in Word, font size 11, so it's not a small amount to write).

I'm not sure why the previous chapter ended up in Incest/Taboo. Maybe the website staff changed it, or maybe I was just tired when I pressed "upload" but my money is on the second one. Regardless, it sort of fits so I'll be leaving it there.

I've decided what I'm doing with regards to future projects: I have 5 or 6 more chapters of Titans planned so I'll wrap that up first, then the month after that I'll do a final edit of the master document and upload the story in full as a single entry. The final version will have some slight changes as I fix what I think could be improved but the content will all be the same, the original chapters won't be going anywhere.

After that is done, I'll be taking a break and working on a new short story (and I mean short) in the Mind Control genre about a gentleman corrupting the newest employee at his favorite coffee shop. I have a brief outline written up currently under the title "Spider's Web" which I'll upload whenever it's finished. No committing to upload schedules for that one.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey, I hope you're all enjoying it as we approach the halfway point. Without any more waffling...

Are you sitting comfortably?

*****

The morning was met with a fine drizzle from a uniform, gray sky. It reminded Alex uncomfortably of the strange dream-realm, though when Talia asked about his silence he pretended nothing was wrong and made more of an effort to make polite conversation as they ate and packed up their tent.

The army left the little village behind to pick up the rubble and rebuild their lives. Marching onwards through the rain and mud, they made slow and steady progress in their relentless journey north. After a bit of thought and some clever use of ropes, the dwarves managed to sling the sword behind the mech's back and string up the tent canvas above the its head like a shawl. The Irregulars travelled on safe from the rain, much to the jealousy of the column of damp and muddy troops beside them.

Alex left the monotonous task of keeping pace to the limited automatic systems of the mech, keeping himself busy by scanning the area and noting features and lifeforms to pass on to Elizabeth when she occasionally came by to check up on them. After a long period in which there was no sound except the tramping of feet and the pattering of rain, Thrak turned the final page of his book and shut it with an audible snap. He looked up at the captain, a ponderous look on his face.

"Does your armor have a name?" the orc asked slowly.

Alex let out a short laugh, losing himself in nostalgia for a moment.

"It does," he smiled, remembering, "Coeus."

"There is meaning in that name," croaked Gelb, not looking up from the metal bracer he was carving into; identical to the one Thrak was wearing.

"Not a whole lot," Alex shook his head, "It's just a name."

"It's never just a name," said Thrak, drumming thoughtfully on the spine of his book, "Especially if Gelb says so."

"Aye, Gelb is rarely wrong ye ken," Borren chimed in, "Wha's the story?"

Alex paused, wondering how best to explain.

"There was an ancient society back on the planet humans came from in my universe, they had a very complex system of mythology, but the relevant thing is that they believed in a pantheon of godly giants - the Titans - who ruled the world long ago."

"Godly giants?" Daine asked, a little fear in his voice.

"

Mythological

giants," Alex corrected, "The mechs are all named after these titans; Coeus was the god of intelligence and foresight."

"That sounds like meaning to me," Thrak pointed out smugly.

"Hah," Alex suddenly remembered an old in-joke, "And what if I told you that my foul-mouthed, gambling, weapons-expert lieutenant pilots Leto; known as the kindest and gentlest of the titans."

"Then I'd tell you that there's meaning in irony too," said the orc with a smirk.

"Is that Anna?" Talia asked, almost simultaneously.

"Yeah; Lieutenant Anna Carroll, number sixteen," Alex smiled wistfully, but then his face suddenly fell, "I really hope she's okay."

"She sounds like a great lass," Borren grinned, "If anythin' I reckon everyone else should be scared."

"You're probably right," Alex answered with a grin of his own, still not entirely convinced.

They continued on through the gray afternoon. Nobody ever came by to debrief them from the combat the previous day, which Alex found a little strange; then again he didn't really want to see any more of the command structure here than was absolutely necessary, given his previous experiences.

The day passed without incident, and in the evening as they were setting up the tent Elizabeth came by. She was wearing fresh clothes rather than her armor, but was still windswept and bedraggled from a day of hard riding; hair slicked slightly flatter than its usual volume from the minor drizzle that had been pouring down all day. She wordlessly sat by the fire, Thrak handed her a pewter mug of herbal tea which she took gratefully. Talia sat beside her, giving her a kiss on the cheek which she received with a blush. Alex gave a friendly wave as he pulled on a lanyard to draw the canvas tight.

"Busy day?" Alex asked, sweeping his hair back and causing water droplets to fly out from his close-cropped head.

"No more than usual," she grumbled and took a deep gulp of hot liquid.

"Why the long face then?" Talia shuffled even closer, and put her arm around her friend.

"Just got back from a meeting with the war council, they've decided on our route," she sighed.

"And you don't approve?" Alex guessed, joining the two women on the damp grass.

"No, it's definitely the best path," the major took another sip, "But it takes us past Ravenholm in a couple of days."

"Ah," Talia nodded in understanding and sympathy, "Vanessa?"

"What's Ravenholm?" Alex asked, accepting his own cup of tea from the orc, "And who's Vanessa?"

"A childhood friend," Elizabeth said, shrugging.

"Her first crush," Talia immediately corrected her with a mischievous grin.

Elizabeth shot the elf a glare, blushing furiously. Nearby Alex could just hear Borren stifling a chuckle.

"Vanessa is the youngest daughter of the Ravenholm family," Elizabeth mumbled, "She's about my age. Ravenholm is their estate, they'll all be there at this time of year."

"Okay," Alex leaned forward onto his knees, "Why is that a problem?"

"I haven't spoken to her in ten years," Elizabeth grimaced, "We used to spend every summer together, for her birthday, but once she turned eighteen her family wouldn't let me see her anymore; said she didn't want to spend time with someone like me. And they

know

I'm in the army that's going to be crossing their doorstep. I don't know if I'm hoping she'll come see me or if she'll just ignore me."

"Whatever she does, we'll deal with it," Talia wrapped her arms around the major and squeezed, "You don't have to deal with it alone."

The two dwarves sat not too far away muttered their agreements and Thrak nodded encouragingly. Elizabeth seemed to perk up a bit at that, but she was quickly overtaken by nerves as a question came to the tip of her tongue and then got stuck. Eventually she opened her mouth.

"Have you all been sharing the same tent?" she asked, looking between Alex and Talia but not meeting their eyes, "That can't be comfortable."

Alex and Talia shared a look and a raised eyebrow. They both immediately knew what she was asking. Alex cocked his head, silently asking permission to have some fun. Talia gave a small smile, and nodded slightly.

"It's not too bad," Alex said pleasantly, "How's yours?"

"Comfy," she wrung her hands, "But lonely."

"You could join us if you want," he shrugged, pretending to be oblivious, "Even bring your bed if you like it that much."

At this point Thrak seemed to notice what was going on, and tapped the dwarves on the shoulder, gesturing them to follow him as he left to give them some privacy. Elizabeth looked around at their retreating backs, then leaned in close and whispered furiously.

"You said I could come join you in the mornings, remember?"

"I remember," said Alex, trying desperately not to look over her shoulder at Talia who was holding her sides in silent fits of laughter.

"Well I can't really do that if you're sharing a tent with the rest of your squad now, can I?" she blushed and finally looked into his eyes.

As soon as Elizabeth looked up he darted in and pressed a quick kiss onto her lips.

"We would both love to sleep with you tonight," Talia giggled, leaning forward and nipping delicately at Elizabeth's neck.

The major closed her eyes and shivered slightly. Talia kept nibbling on the sensitive skin as Alex moved forward to match her ministrations on the opposite side.

"You two are so cruel," Elizabeth gasped.

"Maybe," Alex whispered into her ear, "But you love it."

"Yessss," she hissed, clutching at his collar.

Alex slipped his arms beneath her legs and across the small of her back then easily got to his feet, picking her up. He kissed her forcefully, tongues intertwining; when he looked up Talia was gazing at them longingly, biting her lip. Alex gave her a wink and then began to walk back in the direction Elizabeth had come from. She nestled into the crook of his neck for a moment, then suddenly jumped.

"You can't carry me through the camp," she shook her head and tried to push away from him, fruitlessly, "Everyone will see it."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Alex pointed out.

"Ugh, don't remind me," she blushed and crossed her arms.

"Why should you care anyway? Since when do you give a damn what people think?" Talia scampered to catch up to them.

Elizabeth went limp for a minute, relaxing back into his arms and staring upside down at the elf. Eventually she smiled and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck.

"You know what? You're right. Fuck 'em."

"Fuck 'em," Alex agreed, kissing her cheek.

"Fuck 'em," Talia giggled.

The trio wandered through the meandering pathways of the temporary camp, finding their way towards Elizabeth's tent. They drew stares, as expected, but Elizabeth stared back defiantly; her skin becoming flushed and her heart racing with the adrenaline rush from the minor exhibitionism.

Talia scampered ahead and disappeared through the flap into Elizabeth's tent, then her face reappeared through the gap with a wink and a mischievous smile. She moved off to one side, keeping her body covered with the canvas, revealing her dress in a crumpled pile in the middle of the floor. Elizabeth looked at it for a second, then her eyes bugged out as she realized what it was.

"She's really quick at that," Alex chuckled, striding through the doorway.

Talia let the flap swing shut, standing there in all her naked glory. Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, and it was Talia's turn to blush under the major's longing gaze. Alex deposited her on the soft furs of her bed then turned around, wrapping the naked elf in his arms and kissing her. Talia sighed pleasantly then pushed past him, springing nimbly onto the bed.

Elizabeth yelped, but was cut off as Talia pressed their lips together. Talia's long fingers went wandering, darting beneath the hem of her blouse and grasping at the redhead's generous breasts. Alex began to strip off his clothes as the elf began to unbutton Elizabeth's shirt. By the time he was naked Talia had removed the blouse and was alternately sucking and nipping at hard pink nipples, one of her hands tangled in mussed up ginger hair and the other working away down the front of Elizabeth's britches.

Alex approached slowly, drinking in the sight of the two women writhing in erotic pleasure. The air was silent save for stifled moans and the slight, wet sound of Talia's fingers. He walked up behind the pair of lovers and cupped Talia's perky backside, squeezing firmly. She hummed her appreciation into Elizabeth's mouth as he knelt behind her and slipped his cock in between her silky smooth lips. He caught sight of the redhead looking up at him and gave her a wink. She smiled dreamily, as if not quite sure this was really happening, then her eyes rolled back as Talia did something between her legs.

Alex kept his rhythm steady, pacing himself, but Talia had no such concerns. She just managed to make Elizabeth cum in a writhing fit of ecstasy before she lost control, falling down so her face pressed into the major's neck as she squealed in delight. Alex pulled out and got to his feet again, which Elizabeth took as an opportunity to go on the attack.

The major rolled over, flipping the lightweight elf onto her back and returning the favor; her mouth almost magnetically drawn to Talia's petite breasts. Alex took another moment to take in the scene, watching his two lovers pleasuring each other, then reached out to grab Elizabeth by the waist. Lifting her slightly, to her surprise and Talia's dismay as the elf's fingers slipped away, he grabbed the back of her britches and pulled them down to her knees. Dragging her backwards, she protested the loss of a target for her questing lips until he positioned her at the juncture of Talia's legs.

Elizabeth paused for a moment, unsure, but lust won out and she dove in enthusiastically. Talia groaned and intertwined her long, damp fingers with the major's hair, pulling her closer almost roughly. Alex knelt once more astride Elizabeth's legs, giving her a swift spank and then pressing his cock firmly into her soaking pussy. She yelped, causing Talia to twitch and buck at the vibration. He drove into her much more rapidly than he had with the elf, forcefully holding her hips in place so he didn't jostle her head away from where it belonged.

Talia met Alex's eyes, unadulterated pleasure written plainly on her face. They kept their gazes locked as she arched her back and came again, pulling hard on Elizabeth's hair. The eroticism of the act brought Alex to the edge, and he pounded into Elizabeth's sex faster and faster. Pleasure and pain formed a potent mix, and the major was the next to cum; her squeezing and rippling internal muscles finally setting Alex off as he erupted inside her.

Alex kept going for a few more strokes, then he all but collapsed sideways onto the bed, lying down beside the two women. He came down slowly from the high, watching Talia reverse their positions so she was between the major's legs and her long tongue could search out every drop of his cum. The elf was slow and thorough, teasing excruciatingly for as long as she could while Alex caressed Elizabeth's breasts with his fingertips.

As Elizabeth came again, Talia moved up the bed. Alex and the elf wrapped their arms around the major, and the three of them lay together basking in the afterglow until sleep took them, one by one.

The city was seemingly empty as Alex opened his eyes and looked around. He wandered for a little while, not straying too far from where he remembered last seeing Anna, until a noise in the distance made suddenly him shrink into a corner.

A manic laugh, petering off into a heavy, frustrated howl filtered through the jungle of skyscrapers; the lack of an echo making it sound pervasive, and far too close in the silent city. Alex shuddered as he pressed himself deeper into the crease at the base of one of the buildings, minimizing his profile. The voice was a dark reflection of his own, far older and filled with insanity. It had to be number one, the prototype pilot he had seen two nights ago.

An indeterminate amount of time later, Alex blinked and suddenly Anna was stood opposite him, shaking her head to clear the fog from her mind. As she spotted Alex he held up a finger to his lips, she nodded and cocked her head to listen. The quiet was broken again by another laugh, female and further away. Alex sighed in relief. Anna broke into a grin and bounded across the space between them.

"Good, you're already here," she punched him playfully on the shoulder, "I've got plans for you, fucker."

She must have seen the look of shock on Alex's face, because she suddenly looked away, clearing her throat nervously.

"Not like that, you ass. You haven't seen the edge yet."

"Lieutenant Anna Carroll," Alex raised an eyebrow, folding his arms, "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Maybe," she scuffed her boot on the smooth ground, "You said you wanted to take it slow."

Alex leaned forward, lifting her chin with a finger and kissing her lightly.

"I'd love to. Now lead the way," he reached behind her and smacked her ass, causing her to jump.

"Bastard," she grumbled, but nonetheless set off walking, reaching her hand back for his as their fingers grasped each other.

They walked for a while without saying anything, until the dense atmosphere of the dream realm became unbearable, and Anna spoke up.

"Why do you think they don't allow fraternizing in the mech corps?"

Alex paused for a moment.

"You know perfectly well why," he said slowly.

"I know it's incest," she brushed it off, "But is there actually a reason for it?"

"We're made from the same genes Anna," Alex said, bemused, "You're more closely related to me than a twin sister."

"You know what else we are? Sterile. Why do genes matter if we can't pass them on? Wouldn't any theoretical kids just come out identical to one of us anyway?"

"Huh," Alex rolled her questions over in his head for a minute, "You're actually right. Maybe it's for psychological reasons?"

"Or maybe they're just fucking prudes," Anna suggested.

Alex burst out laughing at that, then stifled himself as an unwelcome reminder of number one came to mind.

"Feeling a bit better about this?" Anna gave him a sidelong look and squeezed his hand.

"I think so," he smiled.

After walking a few dozen monotonous blocks, Alex began to notice the horizon changing. Up ahead, the long, straight rows of skyscrapers simply ended, and the road stopped in perfect razor's edge. Approaching the drop-off, he cautiously leaned over the lip. The blank, gray sky continued down and around. The floor beneath his feet was about as thick as he was tall; below that, nothing.

Without warning Alex felt a firm shove on his backside. Toppling forward, arms flailing, adrenaline spiking, he cried out in surprise and fear. A strong hand clasped his forearm and hauled him back onto solid ground, face-to-face with his grinning lieutenant.

"That," he heaved a couple of deep breaths, "Was stupidly risky."

"You're not wrong," Anna's eyes sparkled, "But wasn't it exciting?"

Alex growled and grasped her head between his hands, shoving her backwards into the nearest wall as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Anna responded enthusiastically, pressing her body against his as her hands reached up to his wrists.

"I always knew I'd drive you to doing that one day," she leered as they broke for air.