 
                     CAMP: Ron's Journey, Chapter 9
 
Chapter 9
 
The Horrors of Battle
 
 
 
            The plane ride seemed to take forever.  Ron thought it
would never end.  He occupied his time trying to teach James to turn
himself invisible.  The two girls slept on the couches in the plush
private jet.
 
            "Nope, I'm just not getting it.  Oh well.  I'll figure it
out someday.  It takes longer for me to learn a new skill.  But then,
once I've mastered it, it's perfect: no flaws.  Give me a year, and
I'll have this one down."
 
            "Hey, what was with that girl the other day, by the way?"
 
            "Which girl?"
 
            "The one in the maroon jumpsuit, you know, with the ninja
mask."
 
            "Oh, her.  That's called garnet, not maroon.  Anyway, she's
a messenger.  You're not supposed to know her identity.  She didn't
speak to you because she can't speak to anyone who is not an employee
of CAMP.  She could speak to you now, of course."
 
            "What's gonna happen when we get there?"  Ron was getting
more nervous with every mile.
 
            "I'm not entirely sure.  However, Ron, the important thing
is, I won't do anything until it looks like you're in trouble, okay? 
Make this a learning experience, I'm here to back you up if you need
it."
 
            "Thanks for being here.  What about those two?"  He
motioned to Megan and Jess, "will they be safe?"
 
            "They'll be fine, your control over them is total.  Not to
be cruel, but this crisis is mostly your own damned fault."
 
            "What'd I do?" Ron sounded, well, like a typical
thirteen-year-old.
 
            "What you *didn't* do, actually.  By not establishing full
controls over all of them, you left this bitch an opening.  If your
control had been established, I don't think she'd have been able to
break it.  Learn the lesson:  You can leave their personality intact,
but you must make their will your own."
 
            "Okay, I'll remember that.  What do we know about this
psionic?"
 
            "All I've been able to come up with is this:  Her name is
Marinda.  She passes herself off as a witch, but she isn't.  She
doesn't even practice witchcraft or belong to a coven or anything.  I
think she just feels people think witchcraft is less strange than being
a psionic.  Anyway, she is working for your father, that I learned. 
Beyond that, I can't say.  I can't tell how strong she is, or what
powers she has.  You do have an advantage, in that she has probably not
learned to defend her mind.  But, beware, her offensive attack can be a
good defense.  If you can't fend off her attack, you can't make an
attack of your own, so be careful."
 
            "Gotcha.  What about the family?"
 
            "If she's already taken control, which she probably will
have, that's no big deal.  Most likely she won't try to use them
against you, and I'll stop-motion them if she tries.  Freeing them from
her power *has* to be done by you.  Which is okay, it's a relatively
simple process, and you already know how to remove commands.  The
likelihood is that she is nowhere near as strong as you are.  I'm
coming along mainly as an advisor, but I'll back you up if I need to."
 
            They chatted for the rest of the flight.  There was no way
to make plans, because there was no telling what they were getting
into.  Ron didn't want to teleview, because he worried about alerting
Marinda.
 
 
 
            They arrived at the house to find chaos.  There were people
standing in various states of undress on the lawn.  He could hear
screaming inside the house, and he knew he had to get in there.  And,
standing in front of the door to the house, was a woman that had to be
Marinda.  She was dressed in the kind of black dress you see in witch
movies.  But, contrary to fairy tale, this woman was a knockout.  Her
breasts were threatening to tear the fabric of her dress, her face
looked like a covergirl, and she had a mane of long, flowing black hair
that reached well below her ass.  She was holding what appeared to Ron
forever like a crystal ball on a stick.
 
            "Stop!  Whoever you are!  I am in control of this abode!" 
*The nerve of the bitch!  I'll show her a thing or two.*
 
            "Like hell you are!  This is *my* home, Marinda!  Leave
now, and I won't have to hurt you."  Well, it sounded good, anyway.  He
knew she wouldn't go for it.  Ron erected his strongest mental shield. 
He could only hold it for a few minutes, but he was hoping that was all
he would need.
 
            "Who are you, whelp?  I will crush you!"  A surge of mental
energy lashed out at Ron.  *Well, if she wants to make this look like
the cartoons...*  Ron held out his hand and cast aside her energies
with a flick of his wrist, then sent a surge of his own.
 
            Pete had once told Ron he was using enough energy to move a
small office building.  Peter wasn't exaggerating.  Ron sent out enough
power in a single blast to knock her through the back wall of the
house.  She was able to withstand a good portion of it, but it still
knocked her across the room.  Ron stepped inside.
 
            "Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it."
 
            "I will destroy you, boy!"  *Who *is* this kid?  And how
the hell did he do that?*  Marinda lashed out with a mental control. 
Ron laughed.  He twisted her control around, and threw it back at her. 
She dematerialized it before it hit her, but it was close.  Ron was
actually enjoying this.
 
            Marinda started telekineting things at him from all corners
of the room.  Ron was not impressed.  He set up an invisible barrier:
the objects would hit, and then fall to the floor.  Just then, he heard
his mother scream from her bedroom.  That's when Ron realized he had
not seen his father outside.  *That mother-fucking son of a bitch!* 
Ron decided it was time to wrap up this little duel.
 
            Ron formed his extension into a solid wall.  He slammed it
full force into Marinda.  She was pinned against the wall, and, when he
released her and she fell to the floor, there was actually an
impression of her body in the wall.  She was dazed, but Ron wasn't
waiting for her to get up.  He rammed his control into her mind.  What
feeble defenses she had he cast aside as a tornado tosses cars:
violently.  He snapped a movement control on her so harsh that she
almost couldn't breathe.  "That'll teach you to fuck with my family!" 
He didn't figure she was going anywhere.  He turned to see James
watching.  James nodded in approval.  "Keep an eye on her, would ya?"
 
            "Sure.  Go take care of your mother."
 
            Ron ran into her room to see his father on top of her,
brutally raping her.  He had hit her just as Ron came in, and had his
hand raised to hit her again.
 
            "STOP!"  That single word might has well have been a crack
of thunder.  Ron's voice sounded like an angered storm god, berating
his subjects.  Mike lost his momentum, then looked over at Ron.
 
            "Get out of here, you little shit, or I'll give you some of
the same!"  His confidence was high, because he didn't know that his
ace in the hole was lying bleeding on the living room floor.
 
            "Apparently you didn't hear me."  These words were uttered
in a very soft voice.  They *were* heard, however.  Mike's face grew
pale as he felt something cinch around his waist.  It raised him up off
of Sandra, held him in mid-air for a few seconds, then slammed him full
force into the opposite wall.  Ron repeated this several times, until
his father was almost senseless.  Ron paused, and said,  "I told you it
would be a bad idea to return.  Now you find out why."  And with that,
Ron's extension flew him right through the window.  Glass flew
everywhere, and Mike just barely missed one of the figures on the
lawn.  Ron let go, and Mike slumped to the ground.  Ron couldn't yet
bare to look at his mother.  He went outside to face Mike, and he found
James there.
 
            "Marinda's toast.  She won't be able to move unless you let
her up."
 
            "What do we do about her?  I mean, she's responsible for
all of this."
 
            "All I'm allowed to do to punish her is to remove her
powers."
 
            "You can do that?"
 
            "Only the Skills.  No one else has ever managed it.  After
that, I'll leave her punishment in your hands.  But, I don't suppose
there's any chance you'd let me have a little fun with her first?"
 
            Ron almost laughed, then he grinned wickedly.  "By all
means.  I suppose I need to remove my clamp?"
 
            "If you would be so kind."
 
            Ron reached out and removed the mental control.  Marinda
still did not move, mainly because she didn't think she could, she was
in so much pain.  James entered the house, while Ron moved over to Mike.
 
            "You asshole!  I told you not to come back.  It's not Mom's
fault you're a jerk!"
 
            "Ron... I-"
 
            "Shut up!  Just shut the fuck *up*!  I don't really care
what you have to say!  I should kill you here and now!"
 
            "Ron, please, for God's sake no!  I'll do anything,
*anything*!"
 
            There was something in the plea.  It made Ron pause.  He
for the life of him would never understand what made him stop.  He
decided that before he could make a proper judgment of punishment, he
needed to know more about his Dad.  Ron slipped his way into his Dad's
mind....
 
 
 
            Meanwhile, in the living room, James was approaching
Marinda.  She was stirring now,  shaking badly and groaning.
 
            "You can get up now."  She looked up in terror.
 
            "You!  I've seen you before...."  She couldn't place the
face.
 
            "Yes, you have.  I didn't realize it until I saw you,
'Marinda'.  Or should I call you Diane?  You were wise to turn down our
offer if this is how you wanted to live.  You have broken almost every
rule in the book."
 
            "Go to hell."
 
            "Maybe, but you'll be going first, I'm afraid."  With that,
he reached down and yanked her up by the hair.  "You have caused one of
our members a whole heap of trouble.  But, as you can see, you picked
the wrong guy to fuck with.  Actually, you should be happy.  He could
have cracked your head open with a single thought, or made you go stand
in front of an oncoming train.  You picked the single most powerful
Talent that CAMP has ever seen to screw with.  How stupid are you?"
 
            "What is he going to do to me?"
 
            "I don't know, and I don't care.  He has only made one
request of me, and since it coincides with my duties to CAMP, I will
now fulfill that request.  You will no longer have any abilities to
control people or things."
 
            "You can't do that!"  She shrieked.
 
            "Oh, yes I can."  He had her by the arms, and now he
plunged into her mind.  She fought, but she wasn't even a psion-7, and
an untrained, undisciplined psionic is no match for a Skill psion-46. 
He grabbed hold of her mind and would not let go.  Just to distract
her, he also grabbed hold of her tits.  He had backed her against a
wall, and she wasn't going anywhere.  He pulled down and away, and her
breasts fell free from the confines of the dress.  He mauled her
breasts while he penetrated her mind.  He searched for that one little
spot, always in a slightly different location, that held The Ability. 
As he probed, he tore away more dress, until she was completely nude. 
She was panting from the strain, and James took advantage of this.  He
pressed his mouth to hers and forced his tongue inside.  Meanwhile, one
hand strayed down to her pussy, and he plunged a finger deep inside her
cunt.  Now she was squirming, trying to scream, trying to fight
back.... and failing, miserably.  James removed his other hand from her
tit to undo his pants.  He pulled out his cock, and stroked it to
complete hardness.  Then he removed his finger from her pussy, and
replaced it with his dick.  He sunk deep into her, and she moaned into
his mouth.  Her legs came up and wrapped around his waist, and she
started bucking, using the wall for support.  While he fucked her body,
he ravaged her mind.  He found that tiny spot, (very tiny in her case) 
And squashed it.  He crumpled it like a paper doll, and then he plunked
it into her mental trash can.  It would be washed from her mind
completely the next time she slept.  There was no way for her to
recover it, even with the help of an expert psionic.  This was the one
change that could not be undone.
 
            The pace of their fucking increased until she arched her
back and screamed into his mouth, pouring her juices all over his
cock.  She hadn't even noticed her power being taken from her, so
enraptured was she in the feelings of sex.  James knew how to make his
own job easy, and he took every opportunity he could get.  As she
started to come down from her climax, he thrust even harder into her,
and started to twist her nipples.  Then he came.  This set her off yet
again, and she was on another roller coaster ride of pleasure.
 
            When she finally came to, she was lying on a couch, unable
to move.  *Oh, shit.  What did I let him do?  Why can't I move....
Wait!  I can't feel it!  Where is my power?  Oh shit......*
 
 
 
            Ron finished up his exploration of his father's mind, and
was startled to realize that he sympathized.... with his father.  Not
that what he'd done was any less terrible, it was just that there had
been an awful lot of 'mitigating circumstances', as the judges on TV
called them.  His father had been abused in every way imaginable as a
child.  He'd suffered through hell in battles that no one ever knew
happened.  Ron had not known that his father was a special-forces
operative for the Marine Corps.  The stuff he'd done.... well, no
wonder he went nuts.
 
            He understood his father better now.  He realized that what
his father felt was a complete lack of control in this world.  On the
battlefield, he'd been in control: of his unit, of the situation, of
himself.  Now, back in civilization, he had no idea what the hell was
expected of him.  He'd been retired from the Marine Corps due to an
injury, minor in everyday life, but critical to a soldier.  He had
never found a place in society.
 
            Ron wasn't sure what to do.  He knew he couldn't kill his
father now.  Ron knew that what his father needed, short of long-term
psychiatric care, was someone to dominate completely.  Someone who
would jump at his least command.  Someone who would do whatever shitty
things he asked of them, without hesitating, without resisting, without
complaining.  And his father had fixated on... his mother.
 
            But Ron couldn't bring himself to do that.  He had
developed way too many levels of feelings for his Mom to turn her over
to this slug.  He sympathized with his father, but he still didn't like
him.
 
            On the other hand, if he could substitute someone, but
who?  Just then, he saw James walk out of the house, and he got an idea.
 
            "Don't you dare move an inch"  he said to Mike.  Ron
stepped over to James.  "Well?"
 
            "No problem.  No more powers, gone, bye-bye."
 
            "And CAMP doesn't care what happens to her now?"
 
            "She's a non-entity.  No powers, no concern.  CAMP will
make no judgment concerning anyone under psion-4."
 
            "So I can do with her whatever I like."
 
            "That's right.  What have you got in mind?"  James was
curious to see how Ron was going to handle this.  He was very surprised
to see that the father was still alive.  He was sure the guy needed
medical attention, after going through a closed window at a speed of
about 50 miles an hour.
 
            "I'm going to give her to Dad."
 
            "Huh?"  Ron had just shocked James into total
incomprehension.
 
            "I scanned Dad.  I understand more now why he is like he
is.  I think, if I can get him to fixate on her instead of my Mom, and
reprogram her to be the slave he wants, he'll be a relatively harmless
person to the rest of the world, including us."
 
            "Well, whatever, Ron.  I'm not going to argue with you,
it's your family."
 
            "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"
 
            "I don't know.  I would have handled it differently, but I
have a different personality, and a different perspective on life. 
Whose view is right?  Beats the hell out of me.  I'm not going to try
to sit and judge which way to go.  This time, I'm not even going to try
to advise.  This has been a unique situation.  Your solution may be the
most ethical, for all I know.  What counts, I suppose, is that your
decision to kill him was made in anger.  Those kinds of decisions are
often the wrong ones, and the ones you usually regret.  Your present
course of action has been thought out and reasoned.  Maybe not as
satisfying, but probably more productive in the long run.  Anyway, 
it's your decision.  And you don't need me here anymore.  I've done all
I can.  The problem now consists of two non-entities, and I cannot
interfere.  Good luck to you, and keep in touch.  Oh, there's some
stuff in that briefcase I gave you that you'll need to read, some case
files and instructions.  It's all self-explanatory."
 
            "Okay, thanks a lot, James.  Will I see you again?"
 
            "Oh, I'm sure we'll meet again sometime.  Maybe in four
years, when you come back to CAMP."  With that, James got in the rental
car and drove away.
 
 
 
            Ron turned and surveyed the mess.  His father was laying on
the ground, his sisters were staring at him in their nightgowns, and a
young lady he didn't recognize was staring at them all.  He felt a
presence at his side, and looked to see Jess and Megan there.
 
            Megan asked, "Master, what happened here?"
 
            "Someone decided to mess with your master's family."
 
            "What did you do, Master?"
 
            "I protected my family.  That's my job, Megan.  And
remember, you are both part of my family now."  He thought they would
both come, with the look on their faces.  Their smiles, however, were
gratifying.  "Come on, girls, we've got work to do."  He took the girls
into the house and set them to cleaning the place up somewhat.  Next,
he turned his attention to the naked woman on the couch.  *Yow!  I
guess James did have some fun!*  Ron moved over to her and sat on the
coffee table, staring at her.
 
            "What are you going to do to me?"
 
            "I'm going to kill you."
 
            "What?  NO!  Please!"
 
            "Oh, don't worry.  I'm not going to kill your body, just
your mind."  With that, Ron reached into that central place he had
taken so much care to find with Megan, and tore it out.  Then came the
scream.  Ron didn't think he'd ever get used to that noise, but he was
hoping he wouldn't have to hear it too often.  He figured that only the
most stubborn of people would actually need reprogramming, as opposed
to conditioning.  It's just that conditioning was a little slower, and
less absolute.
 
            He spent twenty minutes rearranging her mind, taking care
to make sure that all the right pieces were in place in the right
order, and so on.  He was not cruel:  He removed any knowledge or
memory from her that her life had once been her own.  Now she was
property.  To disobey her owner was to die.  He actually made her
believe that.  In her mind, disobeying a direct order from her master
would kill her.  Ron figured this was just what his father needed:  A
perfect slave.  Not as finely tuned as Megan, but he didn't figure she
needed to be.  Plus, Megan was *his*, and he had taken special care
with his own property.  He didn't want damaged goods.
 
            He had Megan get him a soda, and then he led Marinda
outside.  She was still nude, but Ron had cast a "you don't see this"
field around the entire house, so no one in the neighborhood noticed. 
Ron led her over to his father, and presented her to him.
 
            "Stand up, Dad."  Mike got up off the ground.  Ron noticed
he was limping rather badly.  "Don't you wish you'd listened to me,
now?"
 
            "Yes!  Yes, Ron!  Please, let me go, and I'll never come
back here, I swear!"
 
            "I wish I could believe you.  But, if I let you leave like
this, I don't think I can."  Mike got a look of terror in his eyes, but
Ron just shook his head.  "No, I'm not going to hurt you anymore. 
But..."  Ron reached in and reorganized a few of his Dad's thoughts,
switching his fixation on Sandra to Marinda.
 
            "I'm going to give you a present, Dad.  In return, I want
your guarantee that we will never see you ever again.  Move to the
other side of the country if you have to, but if I ever see you again,
I will kill you."  He wouldn't, but he wanted his Dad to think he
would. He wanted him out of town.
 
            "Okay, sure, Ron.  I'll move back home.  What's this
'present'?"
 
            "Marinda.  She's yours.  You can treat her like you were
treating Mom.  She'll do what you tell her to."  Then Ron threw the
phrase he knew would catch him.  "You can *control* her to your heart's
content."
 
            With those words, his father's face took on a serene
shine.  "Thank you, Ron.  Thank you."
 
            "Now then, I think you'd better go home.  Or go to the
hospital.  Either way, she needs to get dressed.  Now, go away."
 
            Mike had Marinda help him to the car, and they got in, and
drove away.  Ron turned to deal with the rest.
 
 
 
            Ron moved first to his younger sister, Nicole.  She was
staring at him, zombie-like.  His control never did this to people.  He
figured that Marinda just wasn't very good.  She hadn't been very hard
to defeat.  He almost felt ashamed of asking for help, but then he
remembered that James had removed her power, and Ron didn't know how to
do that.  He gently took Nikki's hand, and led her inside.  He sat her
down on the couch,  and started to probe her mind.  He found all the
controls, which were obvious, and not very well placed, and removed
them one by one.  In turn, he placed his own controls in the proper
locations to make sure this could never happen again.  Nikki would act
the same as she had before:  Ron had no need to change her behavior,
she loved him the way she was.  When he finished, he prodded her to
consciousness.
 
            "Ron!  Am I glad to see you!  There was this witch, and Dad
was here, and..."  Ron quieted her down with a hug.
 
            "I know, Nik.  Everything's okay now.  Did you get my note?"
 
            "Yeah.  How'd you do that?"  He knew curiosity would take
her mind off her problems.
 
            "Don't worry.  But, I also saw what you guys were doing
that day.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves."  Nikki blushed, and Ron gave
her a kiss.  She was too exhausted to respond properly, but Ron didn't
have time for more anyway.  "Jess!"  Jessica hurried into the room.  "I
want you to take Nikki up to her room and clean her up.  Get her into
bed, and let her rest.  She is your responsibility until she gets
better.  Nikki, was Tammy here?"
 
            "Tammy....  Oh, no!  Tammy's locked in the garage!"
 
            "Shhhh, shhh.  I'll take care of her, Nik.  You go with
Jess now."
 
            Jess led Nikki upstairs while Ron went to the garage.  He
unlocked the door, and there he found Tammy, naked, and shivering.  She
didn't seem to be under any control.  "Tammy?"
 
            "R-Ron, is that you?"
 
            "Yeah, Tams.  C'mon out, everything's okay now."  Tammy ran
into his arms and hugged him tightly.
 
            "Ron, I tried, really I tried, but she was too strong, and
she locked me in the garage and-"
 
            "Tammy!  It's okay.  You couldn't have stopped her anyway. 
What I don't get is why she didn't put you under like the rest."
 
            "She tried, but it wouldn't work.  I don't know why."
 
*            Bingo.  I do.  I've been manipulating you since before I
even knew it.  I'll bet if I look, I'll find my controls already stuck
in your head.... Yep, sure enough, there they are.*
 
            "Don't worry, Tammy.  Nikki is up in her room, Jess is
looking after her. Why don't you go up and help?"
 
            Tammy gave him one final hug, then ran upstairs.  Ron went
outside to collect Dawn, and repeated the process he had done with
Nikki.
 
            "Ron?  How'd you get here?  The last thing I remember is a
woman waving her hands at me.... Wait.  I seem to recall seeing her
flying backwards through the air... That was you!  Ron, how'd you do
that?"
 
            "Just something I picked up at CAMP.  Don't worry, I've
taken care of her, AND Dad.  We won't be seeing either of them again."
 
            "Ron, I love you."  She hugged him, and he hugged her
back.  Gingerly, because he could see she had suffered from some
mistreatment which he hoped she wouldn't remember.
 
            "I love you too, Dawn.  And I'll see to it that nothing
like this ever happens again.  Now then, Megan!"  Megan came in
quickly, ready to serve.  "Dawn, this is Megan.  She's going to be
living with us from now on.  Megan, I want you to help Dawn up to her
room.  Clean her up, and get her into bed.  Dawn is your responsibility
until she gets better, understood?"
 
            "Yes, Master!  I will do my best!"  She turned to Dawn, and
with genuinely felt sympathy, she said, "Come on, Dawn, let's go
upstairs."  Megan's heart really went out to the girl, and, since this
girl was special to the Master, she would make sure that Dawn was well
looked-after.
 
            Ron went back outside for the stranger.  As he approached,
he realized that she did indeed look familiar.  She was oriental, with
long black hair.  He didn't realize who she was until he saw her eyes: 
the deepest, bluest eyes he'd ever seen.
 
            "Miko!  What the hell are you doing here?"  Of course, she
didn't answer him.  He took her inside, and erased the evil Marinda's
controls.  Kumiko controlled herself, and managed not to embrace Ron in
a bear hug.
 
            "Thank you, Ron.  It was terrible to be able to see and
hear, but not move or talk."
 
            "Miko, what are you doing here?  Forget that, how did you
even know who I was?"
 
            "I didn't.  I saw you talking to Dawn.  I asked her.  She
told me who you were."
 
            "Okay, but why are you here?"
 
            "Because I needed to see you.  I need to ask a favor of
you."
 
            "What?"
 
            "I have seen that you are in control of all these women.  I
wish to become your humble servant as well."
 
*            WHOA!  Do I just naturally pick the weird ones?  I mean,
I've heard the old cliché about oriental women being eager to please,
but this is ridiculous!*  He did a quick sweep of her mind to prove to
himself this wasn't his doing, then he decided he needed to answer his
question.
 
*            <James, can you hear me?>*
 
*            <Of course I can, Ron.>*
 
*            <I have a question...>*  and Ron went on to explain his
question.
 
*            <So, you're wondering why this is the second girl who's
actually asked to become your slave, right?>*
 
*            <Yes, that's right.>*
 
*            <Well, I did quick scans of everyone there, to make sure
they were alright.  I noticed that she had submissive tendencies.  You
have probably noticed the same, but ignored them, at least
consciously.  I can't say for certain, but probably you are attracted
to submissive women.  How did you meet her?>*
 
*            <I was hiding out in the girls' room, and she walked in.>*
 
*            <And why did you choose her out of all the girls?>*
 
*            <I don't know.>*
 
*            <Well, now you do.>*
 
*            <Yeah, I guess so.  Thanks.  Bye.>*
 
*            <Think at ya later, friend.>*
 
            "Miko, why do you want to be my servant?"
 
            "I remember the night of the prom.  You made me not tell
anyone, but I remember.  You were kind then, even though I had no
choice, and you could have been very cruel, you were not.  I wish to be
away from cruelties.  From the beatings..."  As soon as she said that,
she wished she could unsay it.
 
            "Who's been beating you?"  Ron was almost as angry now as
he had been when he arrived home.  To think that *anyone* would beat
this beautiful girl was just beyond his comprehension.
 
            Just then, Miko's father decided to show up to collect his
daughter.
 
            "Miko!  You will come with me, Now!"  Miko cringed behind
Ron, and Ron stood up between the two.
 
            "Who are you?"
 
            "I am Miko's father."
 
            "So you're the shit that's been beating her."
 
            "How dare you speak to me in that manner...."  He found
himself flying out the door he had just come in.  "What is this..."
 
            Ron whipped the man around pretty good, until he saw his
wife waiting in the car.  "Is that your mother?"  Miko shook her head
yes.  "Has she ever abused you?"  Miko shook her head no.  "Very well. 
Ask her to come over here, please."  Miko went and got her mother, and
they both returned to where Ron was standing.
 
            "Ron, this is my mother, Mrs.  Murakami."
 
            "Hello, Ron-"  Ron was not in the mood for pleasantries. 
He set her husband down next to her, and went charging through both of
their heads.  He convinced them to fill out paperwork with their lawyer
to turn over custody of Miko to Ron's mother, and to make up a story
about where she was staying.  He sloshed around a few commands to keep
him safe, and then sent them on their way.
 
            "I may stay, then?" Miko was very shy, and Ron found this
very attractive.  More so, since he had not instilled her willingness
to obey.
 
            "Yes, Miko.  You may stay as long as you wish.  I will not
hurt you.  However, I do wish to look at your bruises.  I can tell your
hip hurts, because you're limping slightly."
 
            "It is nothing, Ron, merely a small bruise."
 
            "That may be so.  But, the other girls are being attended
to, and before I try to deal with my Mom, I need to know that everyone
else is okay, because she is definitely not.  I've got her in a sort of
'suspended animation', so she can't feel anything right now.  That's
why I'm taking my time, I know she isn't suffering.  Now, let's go up
to my room real quick."  Ron led her up the stairs and into his room. 
He shut the door for privacy, and turned on a light.  He looked at
Miko.  She was beautiful.  She was an absolute goddess in Ron's eyes. 
Maybe it was her personality, maybe it was just that she was oriental,
but Ron loved just looking at her.
 
            "Okay, let's get you undressed, so I can see what I have to
deal with."  Ron gently helped her out of her clothes.  She had not
fared as badly as the others, since she was not a family member, but
she had not escaped Marinda's attack unscathed.  Standing in front of
him now, completely nude, Miko bowed her head.
 
            "Miko, are you ashamed of your body?"  She moved her head
in a very small nod.  "Well, you shouldn't be.  I think you are very
pretty.  Well, except for this nasty cut here, and that bruise there."
He was teasing, and he got the smile he was looking for.  "That's
better.  You look 100% better when you're smiling."  

            Ron lightly placed his hand on her hip.  He could see her
wince, but she said nothing.  Ron thought back to his training.  He'd
read the book on healing, but almost all of that applied exclusively to
his own body.  *Oh, well.  When in doubt, improvise.*  Ron simply
imagined that her body was really a part of his own.  He could feel now
where she hurt.  One by one, he eased the pains, and started her body
back to health.  When he was done, he opened his eyes, to see her deep
blue eyes looking back at him in wonder, and appreciation.
 
            "You did that?"  He nodded.  "Thank you."  Ron reached over
and kissed her gently.  She immediately responded in kind.  Ron moved
his hand from her hip to her buttock, and softly pulled her to him. 
Her firm breasts pressed into his chest, and his groin rubbed against
hers.  Her entire body was inviting him to take her, and he wasn't
about to object.  They broke the kiss, and he had her remove his
clothes.  Now they both stood, naked, and fully aroused.  Ron moved her
over to the bed, and laid her down onto it.  He had healed the bruises,
but her body was still sore, so he had to be careful.  He gently
massaged her shoulders, enjoying the sensuous feel of her skin under
his fingers.  He massaged her breasts, heightening her arousal with his
touch.  His fingers meandered across her stomach, down  to the outside
of her legs.  He brushed ever so gently across her hips, so as not to
cause pain, and moved down to her legs.  He had always enjoyed giving
massages to his family.  Now, he would give them to his extended
family.  Somehow, he never got quite as much enjoyment out of getting a
massage as he did giving one.  Probably just a strange quirk of his
nature.  He rubbed her feet, then moved up to massage her calves.  His
touches were gentle, his caresses sensuous.  Slowly he moved up her
legs, and she parted them to give him access.  His hands stopped just
short of her lips, and she moaned in anticipation.  Ron leaned in and
gave her a few short licks on her pussy.  She was already sopping wet. 
He sucked her clit into his mouth, and tongued it.  She wriggled in
pleasure.  Ron couldn't stand it any longer, he needed to screw this
girl.  But, that wasn't right.  Miko hadn't been like the others.  She
was the only one he was content to go slow with.......
 
 
 
*            "Ron, honey..."*
 
*            "Yeah, Mom?"*
 
*            "Do you know what 'making love' is?"*
 
*            "Well, yeah.  I mean, it's just sex, right?"*
 
*            "It's sex, yes, but it's sex with someone you love dearly,
and it's gentle and warm and sensual....*
 
 
 
            His mother's words echoed in his head.  *Love?  I can't
love her, I don't think I even know what that kind of love is!*  But
there it was.  Ron couldn't really deny it, he was in love with this
girl he'd only met twice, and had sex with, or was about to, on both
occasions.
 
            Ron looked into her eyes, and he saw a warmth he had never
known from any other woman, or girl.  She was also wondering why he had
stopped.
 
            "Is something wrong?"
 
            "No, Miko.  I was just thinking about something."  Ron gave
her clit another quick kiss, and then moved up her body.  Their lips
finally met, and her tongue urged its way into his mouth.  As they
kissed, she reached down and gently guided his tool to her opening.  He
pressed in gently, and her tunnel opened up to accept him.  They
continued to kiss, and they rolled onto their sides.  In this position,
they began a slow, easy rhythm.  Nobody's arms got tired, and nobody
was getting crushed.  It took a little getting used to, but once he
did, Ron loved this position.  This was almost an extension of the
massage, except that it was mutual.  Ron caressed her bruised back, and
she embraced him.  They continued in this way for some time.  Finally,
Ron broke it off, and asked her to turn over.  He had heard of one
other position, similar to the one they had just been in.  A little
more difficult, he entered her from behind.  His cock pressed against
the front wall of her pussy this way, allowing for greater friction. 
He lightly massaged her breasts, as she pressed back into him, and they
rocked back and forth, enjoying each other's bodies.  Gradually, the
pace quickened, never reaching a frenzy, but enough to make the bed
squeak.  They both came together, shuddering out their orgasms with
quiet moans.
 
            "Thank you, Ron."
 
            "For what?"  He wasn't sure what she was thanking him for.
 
            "For letting me stay.  For caring for me.  For caring for
my body..."  She couldn't continue.  He pushed himself up on one elbow,
and he could see tears in her eyes.  His heart leapt to his throat: he
didn't want her to be sad.
 
            "Hey, Miko, it's okay.  Everything's going to be okay."  He
kissed away her tears, and made a silly face.  Again, he got the smile
he was looking for.  "Now, do you want to help me with Mom, or are you
not up to that?"
 
            "No, I will help you.  You have already done so much for
me."  Miko and Ron got dressed, and headed downstairs.
 
            

            This was the part Ron was dreading.   He knew his mother
had taken the brunt of the attack.  Both because she was the ultimate
target, and because she would have tried to defend the family.  They
stepped into her bedroom, and Ron almost broke down.
 
            "Oh, God, Mom, I'm sorry..."  Miko felt his grief, and
rested her hand on his shoulder to show her support.  He rested his
hand on hers for a moment, then straightened up.  "Alright, let's get
to work.  I think we need to clean her up before I let her feel
anything again.  Miko, turn on the light please.  Low, so as not to
hurt her eyes. "  The light just made her look worse, but Ron had to
move past that.  “Okay, go in the bathroom and wet a washcloth with
warm water.  And bring me the first aid kit, it's in there too.
 
            Miko returned with the items to find Ron sitting on the bed
holding his mother's hand, whispering something to her.  "Ron?  Here
are the things you asked for."  Ron took them and thanked her.  He
started cleaning her bruises, and her cuts, but he'd never seen a woman
bleed from her vagina before.  At least, not in this manner.  "I don't
know how to fix this."
 
            "Ron?  Could you not help her the same way you helped me?"
 
            "I can try, Miko.  While I'm doing that, could you see if
you can clean her up down there?"  Miko set to work, while Ron rested
his hand on his Mom's arm.  It didn't matter where he touched her, just
so that he made contact.  He saw the damage, and he healed it as much
as was possible.  She would be very uncomfortable for several days, but
she would be okay.  He didn't have the energy left to deal with her
other wounds, but these were all minor.  He and Miko bandaged them up
before he woke her up.
 
            Finally, there was no more point in delaying.  Ron
hesitated, and Miko mistook his intent.  "I should leave."
 
            "No!  I mean, no, Miko.  I'm just not sure I can face her,
after what I let happen here.  I really need you to help me through
this."  Miko returned to his side, and placed her hand on his arm.
 
            "I will stay.  So long as you want me, I will stay."
 
            Ron nudged his mother's mind to consciousness.  He hadn't
yet fixed all of what Marinda had done.  He had removed the majority of
her controls, but he wanted to apologize first, before continuing.  She
came out of it, slowly, and the first words out of her mouth rent his
heart in two.
 
            "Oh, God, this hurts."  Then she saw them sitting there,
and, while she didn't remember the girl, or recognize her, she did
recognize her son.  "Ron."  She tried to sit up, but Ron held her down.
 
            "Don't move around, Mom.  You're pretty banged up.  Oh,
geez, Mom, I'm sorry..."  He couldn't even get the rest out.  He broke
down, and buried his face in her shoulder.
 
            "It wasn't your fault, Ron.  There's nothing you could have
done."
 
            "But there WAS!  I did fix the problem, Mom, just not in
time."  His words were muffled, but she understood him.
 
            "Well, there's no point in fussing over it now.  I'm not
dead, just bruised.  Bruises heal."  She patted her son's head as he
calmed down.  She looked to the girl.  "Do I know you?"
 
            "I'm Miko, ma'am.  I came just before the evil one
arrived.  I'm afraid I wasn't of much aid either."
 
            "You're a friend of Ron's?"
 
            Sandra understood the look she saw in the young girl's eyes
far better than Ron.  *Oh, yes, she is a friend of Ron's alright. 
Well, she looks like a very nice girl.*  Then Miko answered.  "Yes,
ma'am, I guess I am.  Ron has agreed to allow me to stay with him."
 
            "Hmmm?  Oh.  I see.  You asked to stay?"
 
            "Yes, he is much kinder than my family.  He and I met at
the dance.  He was very nice to me then.  That is why I am here now." 
Miko was very careful to leave out any description of what they had
done, since she did not know to what extent his mother had been
influenced.
 
            "I see.  Did you enjoy his... attentions?"  Sandra managed
to convey an entire array of messages with this question.  *I know what
you did.  I am not upset.  I have been there, too.  Welcome to the
family.*
 
            Miko blushed, but she murmured, "Yes, ma'am, very much."
 
            Ron finally sat back up and said, "You know, it's not nice
to talk about me like I'm not here."
 
            Miko refocused her attention fully on Ron.  Sandra took
note of this and smiled.  Then she said, "Ron, honey.  Maybe you could
have stopped him, but the important thing is that you got here before
he really hurt someone bad.  Where is he?"  She expected him to either
say 'dead' or 'in jail'.  

            "I don't know.  I don't care.  He won't be coming back here
anymore."
 
            "And the woman?"
 
            "She's with Dad.  She just has... a few minor modifications
to her attitude."  Sandra smiled at that, realizing that she herself
had undergone a few of his 'minor modifications'.  She had finally
understood, while he was gone, that Ron had somehow been manipulating
the whole family.  She was sure she should be upset, but she found it
impossible to be angry with him.  So, she just accepted it.  Besides,
he was a gentle lover, a good kid, smart, and would probably land a
good job when the time came.  She felt she could do a lot worse. 
Little did she know he'd already landed a job a hell of a lot better
than any she'd imagined.
 
            "Well, I need to go to the restroom.  Could one of you help
me up?"  Ron and Miko helped her out of bed, and Miko took her to the
restroom.  Though Ron had seen his mother's body, there were just some
aspects of girl anatomy he had no interest in, and how they go to the
bathroom was one of them.
 
            When his mother was finished, they got her dressed in a
robe, so that she could go see the rest of the family.  The living room
was a total disaster.
 
            "It looks like a battle took place in here" His mother said.
 
            "One did.  The little witch thought she could beat me." 
replied Ron.
 
            "Are you hurt at all?  Did she hit you with anything?"  Ron
could see his Mom still didn't quite get it.
 
            "It wasn't a physical battle, Mom.  It was a mental battle,
and, no, she didn't manage to hurt me at all.  I think you should rest
here, Mom.  Have a seat on the couch.  I'll get the rest of the
family.  Miko, would you stay with her, please, and get her whatever
she needs?"
 
            "Yes, Ron."  Ron nodded his thanks, and headed upstairs.
 
            Sandra turned to Miko.  "Do you love him?"
 
            Miko was not surprised.  "Yes, I think I do."
 
            "Well then, welcome to the family.  He'll make you happy. 
He takes good care of all of us."
 
            "We should make sure to take good care of him.  There are
many of us, and only one of him."
 
            "Many?  Has he added some I don't know about?"
 
            "Possibly.  I am new here."
 
            "Well, we'll take good care of him.  After all, we all love
him in one way or another."
 
 
 
            Upstairs, Ron went into each room.  Nobody was sleeping. 
He asked each of his sisters if they felt well enough to come down. 
They both did, again thanking him for his help with a hug and a kiss. 
The whole troop marched downstairs for a big family meeting.  Ron took
a look around, and realized for the first time how big his family had
become.  There were the originals: Mom, Nikki, Dawn.  Then there were
Jess, Megan, Tammy, and Miko.  He marveled at how his family had grown
in such a short time.
 
            Both Nikki and Dawn went over and sat beside Sandra.  Miko
discreetly backed off, and Ron motioned her to come sit by him.
 
            "It's good to have you back, Ron.  I see you've brought a
couple new friends.  Well, you called this meeting.  Go ahead."
 
            "Thank you, Mom.  First off, I want to apologize to all of
you.  I wish I could have gotten here sooner, to stop Marinda before
she got started."  Everyone acknowledged this in their own way, each in
turn forgiving him for his error.  "Further, I want you to know that
neither Dad nor Marinda will ever come bother us again."  There was
general relief at that announcement.
 
            "Now then... Tammy, when was the last time you went home?"
 
            "Oh, about a week ago."  He knew she'd been spending a lot
of time over here, even before he left.
 
            "Well, I guess you're as much a part of the family now as
anyone.  As you can see, there are now eight of us.  I can't say
whether or not there will be more of us in the future...." Just then,
he looked over at Dawn, and noticed the slight bulge in her stomach. 
He thought it made her look very sexy.  He smiled at her, and got one
in return.  "Actually, I guess I can guarantee there will be at least
one more."  Everyone laughed.  It was just what was needed to break the
mood.
 
            "Ron, where are we all going to sleep?"
 
            "Well, tonight we'll just have to make do, but tomorrow,
I'm going to find us a new place to live."
 
            "We can't afford a new place to live, honey.  I'm barely
making it as it is."
 
            "Don't worry about that, Mom.  I've got a job working for
CAMP.  You can quit your job and stay home.  My job pays way better
than yours."
 
            "Well.  I can't argue with that."
 
            "Other business that needs tending to....."
 
            And he carried on with the new orders of business, in the
new Chaffey household.
 
 
 
