Hello. Here is CupiGest.
Fist of all, please donate to the Nifty Archive, so you can continue to enjoy these stories: https:/www.donate.nifty.org/donate
Second, this story as, in fact, a kind of fanfiction of two other stories:
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/cupid-inc/
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/saint-valentino/
Both stories inspired me to do a fic, re-imagined how a magical girl(Mahō shōjo) or, in this case, magical boy. The original author, Zuke, give me permission to publish that story, so check he works too.
This story is a mere work of fiction. Any resemblance with real life is mere coincidence.
This work is for adult audience only. If you are underage or are offended by this type of content, please do not read.
This story will show underage characters having sexual interactions with each other. If this content is type of content offend you or is illegal in our region, please don't read.
Hi, firstly, I'd like to thank Earth-boy for editing my chapter - he even coined a term for people Vic helps, Donee. I used node, Target... but the explanation went down well, and I intend to use it.
Secondly, in this chapter, I start referencing much more the original story I'm creating this fan fiction for. I thank Zuke for giving me permission to do so. I'll try to make both works unique in themselves.
The stories what I am paying homage are in the `Before read' section.
In this chapter, I also start to make more references to other works of pop culture. Maybe you'll notice some of them. If so, please comment.
Comments can be sent to: wanjosh@protonmail.com
Have a good read.
The next days were a great mess. Not for Vic but for everyone else. With some sort of forbidden skills from Custard, Vic and Custard called for help for Davis and Zacky. It was a shot in the dark, since Davis or Zacky could tell Vic was there. Fortunately nothing bad came of it.
Rumors swirled that Zacky had raped Davis, then some sort of hero had beaten Zacky. And the `hero' was the new school hero.
With Zacky gone, many of his victims came forward, demolishing his facade of a golden boy and revealing it was nothing more than a big lie. Zacky was a sadistic and narcissistic boy. He was super gifted by standards of a normal school, but not quite as gifted for an elite school. He had struggled there, but nothing he could not handle with some effort and hard work.
Except Zacky did not believe in effort and hard work. He wanted to feel gifted, and used bullying for that. Using his tactic of pretending to be weak and submissive--a low price to pay--he broke and controlled a few strong jock students. Then he used them to bully everyone else to get what he wanted.
And now he was gone. The hero had beaten him so badly there were rumors he'd lost his five senses. The truth had come to light. Zacky had extorted his classmates, stolen from them, and made them steal from his own parents. It was how he had obtained materials for his gadgets.
And forced some of them into sexual acts. Davis was proof enough of that.
The school expelled Zacky and banned him from the premises. Very few people knew if any further legal actions would be taken. To suppress the news, the school paid medical bills for Davis and any other student who needed help.
Vic passed the last few days using his powers to help some of the victims, to prevent grief from transforming into rage. It was over now; Zacky was no longer a presence in their lives. In fact, the students noticed the wellness feeling all over the school, and suspected it was work of the `hero'. But one guy didn't merely suspect. Berto. To him, it was a certainty. He knew it, and knew it was the same warrior who saved him earlier. Knowing he was close greatly improved his mood.
From afar, Vic saw Berto happy, and by extension he was happy too. But now was not the time to talk to him. After a busy week, he needed talk with Davis.
-//-
Vic and Custard had come to the hospital to visit Davis. It was as Custard said, a hard thing to do. Very hard. Which was why Custard come along hidden in a backpack, to help Vic.
Like Custard warned, Vic felt extremely uncomfortable being back in a hospital. "I know a hospital is a place with death and suffering. But it is much stronger than I expected. It's like the death has its scythe to my throat."
Vic regained some focus when he entered Davis' room. He was laying in bed, a little distracted.
"Davis. Hi... I... well, I"
Davis shot back, "If you say `sorry,' you'll be the next one in hospital. What happened with Zacky?"
"He... I beat him so hard. He was banished from school. And all the stuff he did has come to light."
"That's my boy."
Both boys did a cool handshake. It was like they had been friends for a long time and not just a few days.
Vic asked, "Is it that bad--what Zacky do with you?"
"A little. I had to go under the knife. My ass was in awful shape. I'll need to stay here until they remove the stitches."
"And how do you feel?"
"You mean about... being raped? I don't know. Nothing? Just... I'm not having anything in mind... It's hard to explain. I feel something inside my heart, but..."
"Look," said Vic, "you probably will feel some wounds in your mind and soul. And if it happens, I'll be there to look after you. You're not alone."
"Thanks. Well, I don't want to check the wounds in my soul for now... I know why you're here. Like I said, I'm a medium. My family on mother's side was adept in voodoo."
"Voodoo?"
"Yes. It's more than a bunch of strange mumbo-jumbo. In lots of places it's a genuine religion and faith. And my mother was very involved in the practice. She was a powerful medium."
"Was? I'm sorry..."
"What, no. She's still alive, but she really let the voodoo go. But some of it got into me. It's not something I control--it sort of goes on and off. I just see and feel very strange things, very hard to explain. It's like a..."
"Sixth sense," both boys said together.
Vic was scared, but there was little he could do about it now. He put his backpack on to the bed and opened it.
To Davis' surprise, there was a rabbit in there. Like a plushie rabbit, but one that moved and then spoke.
"Davis, right?" said Custard.
"Who's the critter?"
Vic introduced him. "Well ... Davis, meet Custard. This cute horny bastard was the guy who gave me my powers."
"Hey, what do you mean by `horny bastard'?" Custard retorted.
Vic gave no answer; he just glared at Custard in a seriously scary way. Custard felt his soul get cold.
"All right. Davis. I brought Custard along to make it easier to explain this mess... just be quiet until I finish, okay? Well... a few weeks ago..."
Vic explained it all: everything that had happened. His suicide attempt, his meeting with Custard, his battles with the Misitos. With help of Custard, they explained about the Erotes, the protection of love, and the siege of the sanctuary. And how Custard used Vic to protect the powers of the Champion of Eros.
Davis listened to it all. It was quite the story.
"Well, this is something," he said when Vic and Custard had finished. "So, as long as you have the powers, nobody can force you to give them up, right?"
"Yes."
"But you also need to fight, because if you don't, the Misitos will steal and corrupt the love and weaken the Erotes."
"Yes."
"Just you? You don't have any help? The other Erotes can fight too, right?"
Custard tried to explain. "Davis... look. The sanctuary is under siege now. Not all the Erotes can fight; only a few of them, And their priority has probably been protecting the sanctuary and those who live there. They cannot fight here, yet."
"How many warriors do they have?"
"Only a few. Most Erotes just learn enough for self-defense. But the few who are warriors are very powerful."
"Like Vic?"
"Maybe even more powerful. And there are at least twelve of them."
"So... the Misitos are much more powerful, if they're still besieging the Erotes. How Vic can defeat them?"
The question made Vic shiver. Davis was right: if the sanctuary had so many strong warriors, how could Vic defeat the Misitos when so much effort had already been expended against them?
Custard answered. "Don't worry--Vic can do it. He will get stronger and stronger. Also remember, if we can stop the Misitos from corrupting love here, the Erotes in sanctuary can turn the tables. Think of it like a long term clamp strategy."
Vic didn't know if Custard was telling the truth or was just motivating him not to give up. Vic still felt Custard was hiding some facts, but without evidence he could not do anything. And Custard had promised he would not keep secrets from Vic.
"Vic..." Davis asked. "Can I have a word with you? About Berto?"
"What?"
-//-
Vic really was feeling like a fool after that talk. Davis was straight and to the point: if Vic really liked Berto, Berto's hate could not be an excuse to avoid him. Vic should reconcile with him. Davis was upset with Vic's cowardice, and it was not like Davis had much experience with love. His former lover was psycho freak.
Berto didn't want help from Vic, so Vic needed to fight for his love. It was so much for his head. How could he, at least, approach Berto?
And worse, Davis had put some more worries into Vic's mind. Could he be strong enough to defeat whole of the Misitos? If even more powerful warriors couldn't win, how could Vic, alone, do so?
The last days had been stressful, but until now Vic hadn't had any worries.
He really needed to take a break from these thoughts. And he did, but how it happened wasn't what he had in mind.
Returning home, Vic saw his mom cleaning his bedroom. He was frightened; this was the same place where Custard was keeping Praetor's sword.
"M ... mom. What are you doing?"
"Well, you've been busy these last few days, so I wanted to give you a little surprise. Your dad and I basically gave most of the housework to you. So, why not relax a little while I take care of your chores?"
"I'm flattered, but I think..." But before Vic could think up an excuse, he felt something poking into his back. Custard, probably, doing it from the backpack. Was he sending a signal? Quickly changing tack, Vic said, "All right, thanks mom."
"Later, we want to go to church."
"All right. So see you later."
Both Vic and Custard headed out to the closer square. At that hour it had only a few people, so Custard could speak and move more freely. Vic bought two ice cream cones, one for each of them.
"Did you move the sword, Custard?"
"Yes. I knew it would not be safe to keep it in your room."
"A stroke of luck."
"Not really. I needed a more prepared workplace to check it out. Maybe it has some clues."
"What type of clues?"
"Anything. Who the Misitos really are. If they have any weaknesses. Maybe some info on how they teleport."
"Can we talk about something else? I'm not in a mood to talk about the Misitos," Vic muttered, and took a slurp from his ice cream.
"Sorry. Why the long face? Your friend is okay, you're on a winning streak, and you got a day off from your house chores."
"You know. How can I defeat--"
"Stop already. We talked about this earlier, no? Your powers are still growing. Look, you're not alone; I'm here. And I trust our ability to beat down the Misitos. Isn't that enough?"
"A little."
Custard took a bite of his ice cream. "You really need to improve your self-esteem. We will work on that."
"Look, I don't think we..."
"Oh, I wasn't talking about you and me. I was referring to me and Davis. You'll have a happy normal life, at least normal you can get."
Vic felt so weird. He felt embarrassed to have people claiming he needed to have more happiness, then forcing him to have some. But... he never had people helping with his self-image. Was his life really this miserable?
But for now he wanted to use this time to talk about something else.
"Custard, can I ask for advice?"
"Of course."
"Do you think would be a bad idea to reveal my identity to Berto?"
"Yes. Now Davis, he was a special case. But telling the truth to just anyone without a good reason is a very bad move. I don't know if you noticed, but Davis is in the mission now. And he is just a victim."
"I noticed. Maybe if Berto knows I'm the hero, he would listen to me."
"It's just as likely he'll be disappointed."
"So I don't know what to do."
"Well kid, your job is figure it out."
"But what if I mess it all up?"
"You will miss and fail from time to time, Victor. And when it happens, learn from your mistake and don't do the same thing again."
"But the stakes are so high."
"Maybe. But you are the champion."
"But..."
"Vic, we could talk like this all day long. Look, if you want to do something stupid, I'll have your back. Just don't do anything really stupid."
Custard was right. Vic was a newbie, and any plan he made would be prone to be bad. So he needed to follow the less bad path.
He still had a couple of hours before church. It was time to see Berto again.
-//-
Berto was in the same place where he was always in his free time: the public bathroom in the park, servicing men.
For as long as he could remember, Berto had a great lust for men, even at a young age. He could not remember if something had happened to him as a child, but he didn't care. He had a heat in his body that would be tamed only by two things: sex and men.
From time to time he would move to new cruising spots. Public bathrooms, erotic movies, low profile parks; changing when someone didn't like the idea of a minor in this space. Now he was in the square's public bathroom. To avoid being kicked out too soon, he was just doing a glory hole this time, and couldn't see who he was milking.
It was boring.
Just sucking one dick after another was not enough for him. He needed to see, feel his partner, see the satisfaction in his face, hear the answer to "am I a good slut?" But now Berto had been forced out of the closet against his will. He needed to keep a low profile.
After satisfying a man, he waited a couple of minutes before leaving. Maybe his lover could give him some fun.
"You know, after the last time I thought you would take a bit of time off from cruising."
That voice. Can't be.
But was. The petite warrior from before. The cute chubby frame, the chiffon, the pink hair. He was there, waiting for him. Berto ran to give him a hug. Vic's checks went red. He couldn't remember when Berto had ever given him a warm hug like that.
"Easy, easy. Remember only you can see me. If other people see you hugging air, they'll be suspicious."
"Sorry. It's so... wait... does this mean there's trouble again?"
"Nope. All is fine. Are you hungry?"
Both went to the game tables in the square. Berto realized the warrior had a lunch bag with him. So they could talk with each other, Berto put his phone in the table, as if making a call using the speakerphone. It wasn't perfect, but good enough.
The meal was just a burger. Only one, for Berto, and he was hungry. While he ate, he talked.
"I need to ask. Did you beat that boy Zacky?"
"Yes."
"I knew it. But why?"
"Because he tuned into a monster. That's why I'm here. Wait--I never asked your name."
"Berto."
"Berto... good name. Well, yeah, the same guy who made the monster that attacked you earlier also turned Zacky into a powerful demon. I needed to fight."
"But why Zacky?"
"Because he was a horrible person, with great hate and evil in his heat. He was made into a demon, not to steal love like that earlier monster, but to destroy me. He had already assaulted other boy before I showed up."
"A boy called Davis."
"Yes. And in the process, I noticed you. You're a student from that school right?"
"I am. I already noticed you were calming people with your magic. So, they were telling the truth about Zacky. But he never touched me, so how did you... are you a student too?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Who are you?"
"Sorry, can't tell. You know, for your safety."
"Come on."
"No. Sorry. The Misitos don't know who I am, or at least they don't care. I want to keep it that way. Look. I need to go. Can we talk later? Here or any place you like?"
The obvious answer was yes. Vic said goodbye, and left. Berto once more forgot to ask his name, or at least for an alias. This warrior made Berto feel strange things. Maybe it was just emotions from being saved by him, but he made Berto feel warm in a good sense of the word. Like a warm and tender hug.
Vic, after knew he was far enough away, reverted to normal and returned home. He went to his room and closed the door.
"Welcome back," said Custard. "So how was it?"
Vic didn't say anything; he just dropped in the bed, almost melting, with a big and funny smile in his face.
"Well, you did it."
"More or less," Vic replied. "I just told him I wanted to see him again. And that it doesn't mean trouble always comes along with me." He spoke with a happy face; he almost glowed happiness. Custard knew Vic had a crush to Berto, but not it was something as passionate and fruity like a girl with a pop star. It was cute.
Vic just wanted to fantasize about Berto all day, but he needed to go to church with his parents. He dressed and waited to go. Church was not something that held Vic's attention, but he wanted stay close to his parents.
The church was very empty. Vic really didn't care that much but... a lot of the regulars didn't show. That was strange.
But Vic had a more important thing to care about. He needed to give closure to Berto's hate. And in the process, perhaps even have a good time with him.
-//-
Next day, Vic was too distracted to care about his classes. He just wanted see Berto, who was in the school. Vic could only watch him from afar, but it was enough to see how happy he was.
Vic needed to be very careful. If Berto realized he was watching, all the efforts to calm down his hate would blow up. But Vic's heart was stubborn. He wanted to be close to Berto so very much.
He needed to focus. It was a mission, and it wasn't good to let Berto's hate grow to the point that he became transformed, too.
Maybe because of his focus, he didn't notice some keys aspects from his day. Like his new math teacher.
Once school was out, Berto went to the square. Vic already had his chores done by his parents today, so he had all time in the world. Vic transformed into his hero persona and headed there too.
Like church the day before, the square was very empty. Even Berto noticed it. But both boys forgot about it when they saw each other.
"Well," said Berto, "you know my name now. But I didn't ask yours."
"I don't have one. I prefer it this way."
"So what you want to talk about?"
"Well, Berto, when I saved you, I made your sixth sense grow a little. That's why you can see me. And you can probably see the other monsters and the Misitos. I don't know if you care much about them, but... it's possible you could end up in trouble again. It's why I decided tell about my mission and a little about this mess. So hear me out, all right? All started when I ended up in the ICU..."
Without mentioning his name or anything else that could imply his identity, Vic told almost all of his adventure to this point. About Custard and the sanctuary he came from. His fights, the Misitos, and the siege they had put to the sanctuary. And how he had agreed to be Eros' avatar, to learn more about love.
He spoke about his fights against Praetor and the clash that had happened in school. How he defeated Zacky and cared for his other victims, to prevent hate and suffering from being used by the Misitos. He didn't talk about his new friendship with Davis: Berto would recognize Vic's alter ego when he saw the two of them together.
"Well... that's all. Any questions?"
"Yes. You really just want my trust to tell me all that?"
"You noticed. No... Berto... you are my donee now."
"Donee?"
"It's the word I use for people I'm helping. I'm donating some of my time and energy to helping them, so they're a donee."
"But why?"
"Because I can feel all this hate in your heart. If I don't do anything about it... the Misitos can turn you in a demon, just like Zacky. I can't allow it to happen."
"I..."
"No. Don't say anything for now. This isn't your fault. We can't control what grows in your heart."
"For someone who's a newbie, you know how to talk about it."
"I had a prep talk with Custard before coming here. And I'm learning. Look... I don't know what you hate so much, and I'll never judge you for that. But do you want my help?"
"Of course. Well, I think I need talk about me now. Unless you know about me."
"Well, actually I know some things about you."
"Really? Like what?"
"Well... you are super fruity but... you don't like pop divas or something. I know you're very smart with some school things. You like some foreign shows. And you have a great lust for older men, so I'm out of the deck."
Berto smiled a little. The cupid had done a great job, and Berto really wanted to know who this hero was. But for now maybe it was better not to know.
"Well... yeah, those are just some of my tastes. The foreign shows I like to watch are mostly anime. And... you're not out of the deck. Just... I don't know. Guys my age don't satisfy me. So... are you into men too?"
"Yes."
"So... do you want to do this a two-way leaning?"
Berto came closer to Vic, in a very sexy way. He was hungry for him. Vic felt flattered but now was not the time for this. Usually he just would plant a lustful idea in Berto, but now that he was the donee... he felt it would be wrong. He had made a vow to never use his powers for personal gain. It meant Vic would repair Berto's feelings the slower way, by making amends with him.
That didn't mean he couldn't mess around a little. But... it was Vic who wanted to do that, not the Cupid warrior.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize Berto had already put his hand into his crotch. Vic didn't scold him; he just took his hand and moved it away, with grace.
"Look Berto, I won't lie about this. I'm really curious about messing around with you. I've talked about a lot of sex stuff with Custard. But I can't be distracted. Berto... I really think you are a good and beautiful boy. But I need to focus on the important matters now."
"Your mission is that important? You know if you want to learn about love, you'll need to learn about sex, right?"
"Yes. But I have a great responsibility."
Vic had Berto's hand in his. It was delicate. Berto perceived his suffering. He tried another tactic, coming closer and kissing his cheek. It made Vic blush.
"I'll release your inhibitions," said Berto. "I feel I want you, no, I need you, ever since the day I met you."
"Sorry, but you don't know who I am."
"I'll find out. Well... how can I contact you?"
"I don't know," said Vic.
"Come on. Don't you have a phone?"
"No."
"Really?"
"My parents don't have much money."
"Mine neither. I mean, not with me. They never spend any money on me. I pimped myself to get mine. Alright, I'll get you one tomorrow."
"Wait--no."
But it was too late; Berto had already disappeared, probably to sell his body to an old man, so he could buy a phone. How could he have sex with just anyone so casually? We he, in fact, a slut? Of course, he was. Well, Vic's goal was to help him, not to judge.
Calmer now, he reflected on what happened. Berto was flirting with him. Of course, he didn't know he was Vic. But... for a minute, he really wanted to go on and give his body to him. But he couldn't. They had just one thing to do now.
But before he could leave for home, Berto came back, worried.
"Some problem?" asked Vic.
"Didn't you notice?"
Vic looked around. "Is it just the two of us in the square?"
"Yes. In the square, and everywhere else."
"Now that you mention it, yesterday there were just a few people in... the street." Vic didn't want Berto know he went to church. It could be a clue to his real identity.
"I think we're the only people outdoors," said Berto.
Vic agreed. "I can't feel anything."
"I was just... so excited about talking with you that I forgot about it. But it's so weird."
"Same for me. All right, let's do this. I'll drop you off at your home, so if this is a Misitos thing, I can protect you."
"Look, if it's for my safety my home would be the last place I'd want to go to. Can you drop me off somewhere else?"
"All right. A safe place. Now isn't the time for cruising with strangers."
"Fine."
Both started to walk, carefully. Vic felt like such an idiot. How could he have missed such a strange thing? Then he remembered... he was too involved with Berto. And it was not like they were going to date after all. It was just so Berto's hate would not harm him or anybody else.
It was so strange. On the one hand, Vic knew that no matter what happened Berto would not date him, or even like him. But on the other, just the fact he could be closer to Berto now made him so happy.
His thoughts were cut off by a sound; some type of music. Like sexy music. And now they both saw a man in the street, finally. He was strange, with empty eyes.
"Is that a zombie?" Berto asked.
"I don't think so. And I don't think he's being affected by the music; after all, we're okay, and we're hearing it too. Let's follow him."
The pair followed the solitary man without difficulty. He was obviously hypnotized. Just a few metres from there, the duo arrived at an old and dilapidated building. By the music, both boys were expecting something like a nightclub or a striptease house. But what they found was an old movie theater.
Berto didn't take much time to notice something. "This place isn't a regular theater. It's a vintage porn grind house."
"What?"
"A movie theater where the movies are all vintage porn. People are mostly cruising in the seats, or they go to a back room for some intimacy. I've been in places like this sometimes. This place has seen better days. Maybe they just run a nightclub here now."
They went inside. Most of the seats were missing. A very large group of men was in there, some young, some old. In fact, some of the church regulars were there too. None of them seemed to care about two boys suddenly showing up.
"Look." Berto pointed where the big screen would be. In its place they saw some lights and speakers, making an improvised stage. So would there be a show of some sort? Vic noticed some type of couch on the stage.
The duo made their way closer to the front. The music stopped suddenly, followed by a loud bip. The show was about start.
Three actors appeared onstage, a lady and two boys. The lady was beautiful, both Vic and Berto agreed on that. She was wearing very sexy lingerie and her legs were covered just by black pantyhose, showing her thighs. Her bust was very highlighted by her top, made of some type of black leather. She had a short brunet hair and her eyes were covered by a mask.
The two boys who followed her were wearing very little, just what appeared to be underpants. Not underpants like people wore normally, but more like a small, tight article of clothing. The boys were quite distinct. One of them had yellowish skin, almost like gold, while the other was black with some very clear skin spots from vitiligo on his hands. Both were most of Vic's and Berto's age, and very fit. The lady probably was in her late twenties.
The boys were just supporting actors. The star was the woman, who right now was doing a very sexy dance. Vic didn't care much for girls, but he could see the sexy and erotic energy from it, in a good sense.
"Who is she?" Vic asked.
"I think I know her... yes, on the internet." Berto replied. "I'm not really sure, but I think she's a porn actress or something like that. I mean, she's beautiful but is little off from my tastes."
The lady suddenly spoke. "Of course I am. Your tastes are big brute pedos, right?"
She had spoken directly to Berto. Vic was suddenly on guard.
"How you...?"
"Every living thing is an open book to me... I know every pleasure from everyone... especially men."
"Who are you?" Vic asked in a harsh tone. At least as harsh a tone as he could muster.
"Me? I am you. I'm a little lady who was once enamored with the gods of love... unfortunately, I now see the truth. And I want them to repay me. I gave everything to them--my faith, my youth, my work... and it was never enough!"
"You are with the Misitos? Lady, I understand you, but Misitos are bad news and they hurt people. You can't get revenge by hurting others."
"But I can. Tell me, fake cupid, did you really think the Misitos cause only chaos and destruction? Look more closely."
That was all she said before returning to her dance, ignoring them. What did she mean? What was to look more closely?
Just then Vic realized: the show was odd. The star had been doing a great performance... where was the awing, the accolades, the applause? The sound was coming only from the stage. All the men in the audience were just watching and drooling, lusting for her.
Vic felt like fool when he realized that all this time corrupted love was being siphoned from them. Now he saw strings of purple aura flowing to the stage. Just a little from each man, but together probably enough to do a lot of things.
Now the lady spoke again, this time softly and with a smile. "And these are just my few of my faithful public. I have many more in my social media. Tell me kiddo, when did you notice these men coming to see me? I think it was today. Well, I take pleasure in telling you I've doing it even before we besieged the sanctuary."
"What?"
"Why cause panic and release monsters when I can grab lust from these fools? Just a little bit, but for a long time. I've collected more energy than any of the Misitos. And now the numbers grow at a great pace."
"That's how I never noticed!" Vic exclaimed. "Just now the numbers are big enough to make a whole neighborhood disappear."
That meant all the effort he had made to now was useless. The Misitos already had a huge supply of corrupted love--much more than he had ever realized. Vic never had a chance.
He fell to his knees. Suddenly he felt a great weight in his body. It was not a spell or anything of the kind: it was the weight of realization. He would never make it. He would never defeat the Misitos.
Berto didn't like what he saw. He could not see what his hero had seen, but neither could he miss the obvious blow he had suffered.
"Bitch!" he cried. "What did you do?"
"I did nothing. Not with him at least," she said casually, laying on the couch. "He just perceived all his fight is meaningless. I don't know why you're so nervous. Someone like you can't care more about love."
"What?"
"As I said, every man is an open book to me. I know how much lust you have, and desire to be dominated. One as young as you cannot control yourself when you get into sex. Well, you can still have it all."
"We're talking about living things!" Berto shot back. "My desires aren't greater than that."
"It was the same thing I wanted a long time ago. But it was a lie, the same as all the gods of love tell. But come now--a world of debauchery like you always wanted awaits you! Just follow me."
"But..."
"And what is here for you?" She spoke calmly, with no hint of malice. "Two crap parents? A useless school? An ex-love who betrayed you? I always have space for one more member in my gang."
Berto listened to the woman's voice. It had a warm tone, like a loving mother. Everything she said was true. He didn't have anything to care about. His life, his loves; the final result of the Misitos' goal was not his problem.
He could do that. He could follow her.
But he never got a chance to give his answer. Vic was now on his feet. He stormed the stage tried to hit the lady, but was stopped by her two assistants who grabbed Vic before he could throw the punch. He could not move forward, but he was strong enough to wrestle out of their grip and fall back a little. The boys were strong, and Vic could not let his guard down.
Berto was awakened from the trance.
The lady grew angry. "What?" she cried.
Vic responded, "Lady, you're not the only who can see thoughts and feelings. I strongly suspect Berto will not be favoured like your minions."
"Who are you calling minions?" one of the boys asked sharply.
"How dare you?" cried the other.
"So, they can speak after all," Vic mused.
"Enough!" the lady said. "You were defeated. I broke your spirit. It was my job, and you fell!" She was very angry.
"Maybe I cannot defeat the Misitos," Vic retorted, "but I can save Berto! This is something I know I can do."
"You...!" She launched into a volley of angry threats. She didn't have the calmness that Vic thought she possessed; in fact, now she just sounded like a spoiled brat.
Vic didn't care about the threats. He needed to know how defeat the trio. Or, at least, put an end to their scam.
"How did she do it? How did she hypnotize those men? It wasn't the music or her show, because me and Berto didn't fall for it. It's a low profile process of some sort. Wait..."
Vic remembered something. Corrupt love was flowing from the men, but he didn't see where it was going. In fact, it didn't seem to be going anywhere...
Before he could think about it more, the two boys pounced. They were good, but compared to Prateor and Demon Zacky they were piece of cake. Vic just needed to dodge them.
"Come on guys. I already defeated a love demon of yours. Give up! For me, beating you both is almost like cowardice."
"Who you think you are?" the gold toned boy asked.
"Who you think YOU are?" Vic snapped.
Both boys started emitting a strong light. Together they shot combined black and white energy against Vic. There were so many people in the theatre, and to protect them Vic took the hit alone. He felt it. Their tech had a very destructive power.
"Boys, are you crazy?" the lady asked. "You can't use that tech while I'm still siphoning from these simps!"
Their move burned all of Vic's chiffon and part of his black pants. Thankfully, it was no more than that, just destructive power with no kink or detail. Vic could handle it.
But what the lady said was informative. She didn't sound worried about her victims; all she was concerned about was how the boys' move got in the way of her gathering the corrupt love.
Vic finally realized, "All this time... I'm inside some type of magic move. That lady's using a move that covers the whole building. I don't know all that much about it... but if this works like I think it works..."
Vic drew his bow and created a quiver of magic arrows. Then he started to shoot. Into a lot of places: the walls, the stage; not really aiming anywhere. His goal was to spread his aura as far and wide as he could.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorry lady, I see your trick. You can't maintain your spell if another aura is overwhelming the place. Well, so, what you think about my power?"
"Well, my boys can't overcome you; they're still learning. But me--"
The lady leaped off the couch and produced a whip, like the type used in sex games. But Vic was certain this was not a simple BDSM prop. She advanced on Vic with great speed.
Vic defended himself using his bow. His powers and the lady's clashed in a great show of bright light. She was a formidable opponent, like Praetor. And probably still alive, so unlike Praetor she could not be exorcised
"Your fight is useless!" she exclaimed. "I've been doing this since before the siege and I have all the energy I need! Defeating me is impossible."
"Look grandma, I'm just trying save one person here. I can't save the world, but I know I can save my love!"
"Who are you calling grandma?" she yelled furiously.
For just a fraction of second, she let up on Vic to prepare a stronger blow. But it was just what Vic needed. He was ready to do his move.
"Love power punch!!"
It was a direct strike. The lady launched away on the laser aura. Her clothes were ripped from most of her body, save for the panties. But this time was a little different, for Vic did not have time to prepare a full power move like he had done before.
And his bow was cracked and unstable. Vic saw small jets of energy breaking out from a myriad tiny cracks all over. Just in time he threw it across the stage. It landed and moments later exploded in a giant burst of pink light.
"Ha! You've lost your bow now. You really think I'm useless like Praetor?"
"No, I don't. But do you forget what that bow was made from? Spoiler alert! It was my energy."
"What?"
In fact, the theater was now flooded with Erote energy from the arrows Vic had shot, his finishing strike, and now his destroyed bow. Energy that started to burn, ever so slightly at first, the veil of the Lady's spell.
"Who cares?" asked the lady. "I still lots of power left. I can do this again and again!"
"Mom," the black boy asked urgently, "if your move was broken like that, does it become unstable?"
Indeed, that veil was now burning like gas, racing all the way back to its source: the lady, who was now being hugged by, if Vic was right, her sons. Faster and faster the flames approached while the three looked on in shock.
When finally they got there, lady and boys blew with a force strong enough to punch a hole in the ceiling. And when Vic went to check the scorch mark that once was the trio, he could see blue sky through the theater's roof.
"Well, this is something you don't see every day. Actually, I preferred dealing with them than another love demon."
Vic went to check on Berto. After Vic had snapped him from the lady's small talk, he had just stayed in the audience, probably confused.
"Hero! I mean--"
"Later," said Vic. "For now we need to get away from here. I need to put some ideas into these fellow simps."
-//-
Berto hid himself in the projection room. Most of Vic's energy still flowed through the theater itself, and Vic used it to break the influence the strange lady had put them under. It was not like the spectre influence he'd dealt with before.
After that, Vic went to the projection room too. He still needed talk to Berto a last time before dropping him off at home.
"How do you feel?"
"Strange," answered Berto. "I didn't know what I was doing."
"That lady must have hypnotized you. And she had some type of mind reading skills. She knew exactly what buttons to press to break you."
"How you are okay?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure how her powers worked. But I'll find out. Until then, this is why you need to care for your hate, and why you need to be more careful. You're a hot plate just ready to be turned into a monster."
"But... why? Why don't I feel angry about... all this? About all that happened to me?"
"You can. But this affair couldn't bring out your worst. That's the point. Look... I don't have to be sure too, right? I'm still learning. But you aren't alone. I'm here for you."
Vic gave his hand to Berto. He was right. It was not a matter of letting go, but a matter of not allowing things to take a turn for the worst. But it would be hard.
"You're naked, you know that?" Berto asked.
"Yes. I like being naked." At that point what remained of Vic's shorts crumbled. "Relax. You'll have time to get intimate with my body. Think of it as a prize to be a better person."
Both laughed a little. That was a crazy evening. But it was not over yet.
"Hey, you were affected too, right?" Berto asked.
"No... That was me... falling. She's right. If she has already given so much energy to the Misitos... then all my battles have been useless."
"No, it isn't. What about me and Davis? We're now with you."
"All I accomplished was kicking the can a little further down the road."
"No, that's not the case. Think about it... if they already had all they needed to accomplish a master plan, they'd be doing it already. But they haven't, right? You still have time. And you've defeated every opponent they've sent so far. Please, believe in yourself and your power."
Hearing that was comforting. Ever since his talk with Davis in the hospital a few days earlier, Vic had lost much of his self-confidence. And he did not fully trust in himself. But Custard and Berto believed in him. Maybe he could do it. Maybe he could complete the mission.
"Well... thanks. We still can meet in a couple of days?"
"Of course. I owe you a cell phone, right?"
"Please, don't do that. It's dangerous."
"Relax, I have those creeps in my hand. Also, it will be a pleasure--literally."
"You're creepy and sexy at same time. Now I really need to get you home. Sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it. This adventure alone has been enough for tonight."
-//-
Next day Custard and Vic, now back to his human form, returned to the former grind house. Vic noticed the building was very discreet and in good shape for, at least, a base for dealing with their Erote matters away from home. The theater and lobby were out of question, but the former back-room cruising space, worker spaces, and the projection room were good enough to be a base of sorts. They expected that after their defeat the night before, the trio would not be returning.
Custard had already moved Praetor's sword there. Vic was sweeping and cleaning up a little.
"We had tough luck with this being a former cruising area. I think I'll be cleaning biohazard material for rest of our time here."
"Don't be harsh," replied Custard. "Places like this were the golden age of porn movies, before the industry shifted around to exploiting sex workers. So, that stage was where the fight happened?"
"Yes. Any ideas?"
"Well, we're lucky that Davis can access the internet for us. He confirmed Berto's story, that the dominatrix lady was sex star on the web. And she wasn't something made by the Misitos; she was working at that well before the invasion. In fact, Davis found some articles about her. She had two sons."
"But how could do she all that? And without us noticing?"
"We'll know more when we can get internet in here. But one thing comes to mind. She was like me--a priest who served the gods of love. It's the only way she could have known so much about men's minds."
"A priest? From the Erotes?"
"No. Only men can be priests to the Erotes. Women serve the holy feminine gods like Aphrodite, the mother of Eros. That female side of love is separate from the male side. They're siblings."
"So... just the Erotes, the men's side, is being besieged?"
"I... don't know. When I fled our home, once of the first things I did was try to contact the Venus sanctuary. I didn't get an answer. The same with the Lord Eros sanctuary."
"Meu deus!" Vic exclaimed in Portuguese. "So it's just us?"
"For now. Oh, I have bad news. I found what's left of your bow. The remains are still there on the stage."
Vic had already seen them. The bow was broken apart, with some pieces probably gone forever. Its vibrant colours had faded completely, leaving only a lifeless gray tone.
"Repair is out of question," said Custard. "That thing is unique. I know of only two people in this world who can fix it, and both are unavailable. But I have good news, too. The gang needed a little help to create that dimension spell. I found more beads of the Rosary; two, actually."
"That's good. Look, I can't fight against the Misitos forever. I mean, we need to strike them first, just once."
"I know, but I don't know how to reach them."
"Well, at least we've finally made some progress with Berto. Maybe I can prevent him from turning like Zacky did."
"Vic, you know you're walking a path of sorrow, right?"
"I don't think so. Even if I can't be with him once this is all over, I'm happy just to be closer to him. Being in the same place, breathing the same air."
"Ah, Vic, the last romantic. And your pretender is a slut. Who cares about romance in a world of debauchery?"
But his sarcasm had fallen on deaf ears. Vic was singing happily.
♩Eu te quero, te espero, te-lo junto a mim, apenas para mim. Tenho medo, em segredo, que talvez você não goste tanto de mim... ♩
Custard was happy, too. Earlier Vic had almost fallen into despair. Now he was enjoying the pleasures of simply getting closer to his beloved. He deserved that.
For now, the mission was to keep an eye out for that new trio. Custard could only pray they had gone some place far away. But Vic was finally living his life again. That was good.
-//-
Meanwhile...
In a small, dark and cold cell, a boy was chained to a cross. Injured, he didn't show any expression on his face. His blond hair was now a great dirty mess. He had never surrendered to any torture he had been subjected to.
In the cell with him was his captor, a mysterious man with covered face. More two entered: a tall boy and a girl.
"Any luck, master?"
"He locked his mind into the depths of his soul with meditation. I came here and tried to open it, but it is useless. I need to break his mind. Do we have enough dark love?"
"No. About that... the gang was defeated. And now the avatar knows about them."
"Just order them to continue the plan to get energy. The avatar is not a priority for now. I am already doing something to carry this matter forward. And the Twin?"
"Still looking for him." The one speaking gestured toward the captive. "Our best chance is he talks."
"He will... eventually. For now let me work on the other project."
The trio left the cell.
When he knew he was alone, the boy finally opened his eyes. It would be his last chance to send a signal. If by "avatar" they meant the avatar of Lord Eros... he would need reinforcements.
"Please, let there be someone closer to him who knows how to receive telepathic messages. I am Hugo... if you get this signal... "