Rita's Story: Part 3
By: Rita LaShette Warning! Rated PG-13 for adult situations, language, and violence. Don't say I didn't warn you. ~*~ Big Momma's Place was a popular hangout for the mercenaries and miscellaneous persons from the dregs of Lylat's population. The establishment was nestled into the side of an asteroid floating somewhere in the no-man's land between the areas controlled by Andross and Corneria. It was an ideal place for parties from either side of the war to get together to "socialize". Big Momma didn't mind if fights broke out every so often... as long as no one got killed... and someone paid for the repairs. No one wanted to piss of Big Momma, and having authorities from either government knocking on her door would really be asking for it. "Glad you could make it, Fox." Wolf O'Donnell spat out the name as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. The one-eyed lupine grinned at the seething pilot standing in front of him. Fox's attention was split between his rival and the sobbing vixen that the other members of the Star Wolf team were holding hostage behind their leader. She tried to reach for him, but Leon yanked her back to the floor roughly. She cried out in pain. Wolf's grin widened. "Andross doesn't have any more use for her... so he's letting you have her back." He rubbed his cheek below his eye patch. "What did you do to her?" growled Fox between clenched teeth. "Oh, Rita-darling," Wolf reached behind and dragged the sobbing girl to her feet. "Why don't you tell him." He ran a hand down her throat and let it come to rest on the swell of her breast. She whimpered as if the act caused her tremendous physical pain. Fox let out a scream of primal rage and threw himself at Wolf. Falco intercepted the enraged vulpine before he landed on his opponent. Laughing, Wolf shoved Rita at them, then turned and walked away still chuckling softly to himself. Fox pushed Falco away roughly and fell to his knees pulling the vixen into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed loudly into his chest. Falco shuffled his feet uncomfortably while he contrived many slow and excruciatingly painful ways to have Wolf castrated. Peppy watched the sleeping vixen curled up like a scared child on the examining table in the med bay of the Great Fox. He could sense that something wasn't quite right about her. Cursing himself silently for doubting her he walked over to a control console set into the wall next to the table. Punching a few buttons he spoke to the computer unit, "Run DNA scan on patient." He didn't know why, but something in the back of his head told him that this was the quickest way to get an answer to his questions. A wide green band of light swept slowly across the sleeping figure on the table. Peppy jerked in surprise as the mechanical voice of the computer reported. "Patient unknown. Unknown android type. All biological components identical to Rita LaShette." "What!?" "Patient unknown," repeated the computer. "Unkno..." "I heard that!" Peppy yelled at the console. There was the soft sound of someone taking a deep breath behind him. He turned to find Slippy's wide eyes staring at him wider than usual. "B-b-but..." stammered the amphibian pointing at the 'sleeping' android on the table. Peppy glanced at Rita's double. "I don't know, Slip. And I really don't want to be around when Fox finds out." "Me either." "Well I'M not telling him." Falco boomed from the doorway. "He's ballistic enough as it is. I'm in no mood to be anywhere near him when he hears this. I don't even wanna be on the same side of the solar system!" "What about her... um, it?" Slippy asked pointing at the android on the examination table. Peppy scratched his chin. "Well... we ought to find a way to deactivate it until we find out if it's dangerous to us or not." Falco snorted and crossed his arms. "It's dangerous to us just because it's NOT Rita. Fox is gonna go ape-shit and use our heads as punching bags." He walked over to her and knocked on her head. Slippy smacked him. "You'll wake her up, stupid!" The avian pulled Slippy's hat over his eyes. "If she acts as much like Rita as she looks like Rita, then nothing short of a small nuclear explosion is gonna wake her up." Peppy gave Falco a withering look. "In all likelihood this is the work of Andross. Who else could have done this? And we just don't know how she... er... it has been programmed. We'd best find a way to deactivate her. And fast!" Slippy was already running an x-ray on the android. He pointed to a spot on the x-ray monitor near the base of her neck. "I think what we're looking for is right there." Falco looked at the jumble of wires lacing through the organic tissue on the monitor. "How can you tell?" "I'm an engineer!" bragged Slippy. Peppy peered at the monitor. "Do you mean that switch that says 'off'?" Slippy stood poised over the android with a scalpel in hand. "Why do I have to do this?" he whined. "Because you're an engineer." Smirked Falco. The amphibian gave him a dirty look before returning his full attention to the task in front of him. "Hurry up before it wakes up, Flippy." "Go away, Falco..." he tried to ignore the irritating avian as he made an incision in the back of the android's neck. She jerked awake. "What are you doing!?" she screamed in horror. Falco pinned her down as Slippy desperately poked around for the 'off' switch. Finally he found it and turned her off with a sigh of relief. Slippy stared at the blood covering the surgical gloves on his hands. "All this blood kinda makes me queasy..." Fox burst into the room swaying on his feet somewhat unsteadily. "What's going on in here!? What are you doing!?" his voice cracked in rage. Slippy ducked behind Falco. "I thought you said that stuff'd knock him out for hours." He whispered. "Apparently I was wrong..." Falco looked around for something to defend himself with, but found nothing. Fox stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted the unmoving body on the examination table. The blood on the back of her neck hadn't begun to dry yet. "What have you done?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. "What have you done to her!?" he screamed and stumbled forward. His forward progress was abruptly halted when Falco's fist slammed into his jaw. He slumped to the floor with a whimper. Falco dragged him to his feet and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Fox. That is not Rita. Andross slipped up a double." "What?" Fox glared angrily at his friend. Falco sighed. "That woman... no... That thing over there is an android. We deactivated her until we can figure out what kind of twisted plan Andross had in mind this time." He let Fox slide to the floor. "Why... why?" He slammed his fist into the floor. "He's messing with us." Peppy appeared in the doorway. "He knew that this would happen. Don't you see? Andross found a weak spot and is exploiting it." The aging hare helped Fox up and started to lead him back to his room. "Come on, Fox. You need some rest." Falco turned to Slippy as the other two left. "Now what?" "I don't know much about this sort of stuff." He admitted. "My specialty is in stuff like Arwings, the landmaster, and the blue marine... I think I should let my dad take a look at this." Peppy tucked Fox into bed as he had done when he was a pup. "I need to say something to you, Fox. I realize that this might upset you, but it needs to be said." He sighed softly then continued. "I don't know how much Rita means to you. I know you tow have feelings for each other that are deeper and more real than anything I've ever felt or sensed before. Seeing you two together is like watching a modern day fairy tale where the hero and heroine will live 'happily ever after'... though without the mushy embarrassing stuff..." "I don't do public mushiness." Peppy could see the sadness in Fox's eyes. "Anyway..." Peppy stared at his hands folded neatly in his lap. "I and the others want Rita back too, but we have to realize that she might not... might not be coming back." He sighed deeply. "I know you're hurting, Fox. You've been on the receiving end of a lot of crap in your lifetime. You've had to deal with more than any person should have to deal with at your age... or at any age." Fox was glowering at him. "There is a point to this, yes?" "Yes... I'm getting there. This isn't easy for me, Fox. Please think about what I'm going to say next." He gave Fox a pleading look. "You're young yet, Fox. If Rita doesn't come back to us, and you continue being angry at everything around you, then you will become a very very bitter man. Andross way angry and bitter when your mother refused him and married your father, and look where all his bitterness has led. Andross was bitter a lot of things though... Just don't push everyone else away because you're hurting. You need your friends' support. They need your support." He ran his fingers through his graying fur. "This isn't coming out quite right..." Tears began to run down Fox's cheeks as he stared up at the ceiling. "Rita would be so disgusted if she'd seen the way I've been acting..." Peppy stared at him. "That's pretty much it in a nutshell..." Beltino Toad walked around the table that the android was laid out on. "Hmm..." he poked at the incision on the back of her neck. "Interesting..." He turned to face the group assembled behind him. They waited anxiously. "It's an android!" he declared happily. Slippy groaned. "Dad! We already knew that!" "Oh..." Beltino turned around again and made another incision in the android, this time at the base of her skull. Carefully using a pair of tweezers he removed an object from the new incision. He held it triumphantly above his head. "What is that?" Falco's question sounded more like a demand. "The main control chip." Beltino beamed happily. "The what?" Falco eyed him dubiously. "He means that it's the thing that controls her," explained Slippy. "I knew that..." "It contains all her programming. Pretty small. Impressive really." Beltino was as excited as a small child with a new toy. "I can't wait to examine this!" Fox quietly detached himself from the rest of the group and walked over to the deactivated android as Beltino continued rambling on about his newest 'toy'. Sighing gently to himself he twisted a strand of her hair through his fingers. Looking at her now he could see several differences between her and Rita. Her arms and legs were to skinny, she lacked the definition that Rita had built up through years of working out. The angle of her jaw was too sharp: Rita's face had retained some of its girlish roundness into adulthood, it was what made her cute but prevented her from ever being one of the great beauties of her time. She would probably be considered pretty by the time that she hit middle age... if she lived that long. Fox felt the urge to cry well up in his chest. A hand gently touched his shoulder. General Pepper looked at him for a moment. "We'll get her back, Fox. I know we will." Fox stared at his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. "This is going to sound weird, but... it was easier when she was in that coma. At least then I could be by her side..." A tear ran down his cheek leaving a moist trail in his fur. He reached out and gently took the android's hand in his. It was cold. Rita sighed and rolled over on the narrow bunk in her cell. Bored. So bored. Really really bored... It was late and she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept in days; her dreams had become more and more disturbing. She concentrated on the sound of James's breathing across the hall from her. It was deep and the even rhythm comforted her and helped her to relax somewhat. The relaxed feeling abandoned her suddenly at the sound of someone opening the door to the cellblock. Footsteps echoed down the hall as they moved closer to her cell. Rita tried to act like she was asleep, but her heart pounded in her chest. She was certain that whoever was coming would be able to hear it. The footsteps stopped in front of her cell, and she could hear one booted foot tapping the floor impatiently. "I know you're not sleeping, dearest." She cringed at the sound of Wolf's voice. He laughed as he noticed her slight flinch. In a fit of desperation she tried to make herself as small as possible, even though she knew it was useless. Wolf laughed again, but softly this time, as he unlocked her cell. She jerked up as she heard the door open. He clamped his hand over her mouth before she got the chance to scream. "What's the use? No one here is going to help you." He grinned as he bent down and placed his mouth on the curve of her neck. She let out a muffled cry and clawed as his face. He immediately released her and took a step back. An enraged look slowly spread across his face. "Bitch!" he spat out the word. "You should be happy that I still want you." He slapped her hard. Rita's head snapped back and slammed into the wall with a loud thunk. The noise woke James and he lurched out of his bunk and pressed himself against the bars of his cell. "Leave her alone!" His deep voice boomed in the almost empty cellblock. Wolf turned quickly on his heel to face James. He narrowed his good eye at the aging fox. "Just who are you anyway, old man?" He was annoyed by the interruption. James snarled at him. Wolf's eye widened with recognition then he laughed. "You're Fox's old man aren't you? Why aren't you dead?" He grabbed Rita by her long hair and dragged her struggling from her cell. Laughing he shoved her against the bars of James's cell. "Say goodbye to her. Next time you see her she won't be quite so innocent." He laughed in a way that left no doubts about what his intentions were. He confirmed this by pulling her against him and cupping one of her breasts in his free hand.
Rita retaliated by stomping on his foot as hard as she could, which would have been more effective it he hadn't been wearing steel-toed boots. None the less it still hurt and he shoved her into a wall. Her head cracked against it and she slumped to the floor. James lunged for Wolf through the bars, but the lupine took a step back so the he was just out of reach. Laughing he picked up the semi-conscious vixen and threw her over his shoulder. "Andross decided that I could have her, so I'm taking her." With that he swaggered out of the cellblock with Rita sprawled over his shoulder. James yelled obscenities after him. After several moments he sagged to his knees with his forehead pressed to the cool metal of the bars. A feeling of helplessness and inadequacy swept over him. I couldn't help her! Just like I couldn't help Vixy! He slammed his fists into the floor until his knuckles were bloody. Then he sunk into a fetal position and cried, wishing he were dead. Rita felt something wet and cool touch her face. She struggled to wake up, slightly panicked. Her eyes snapped open, at first all she could see were blurred colors. Slowly they became clearer and she realized that Wolf was standing over her pressing a damp washcloth to her forehead. "Are you alright? You've been out of it for quite a while." He lifted the cloth from her forehead and brushed some stray hairs out of her eyes. She swatted at his hand. "You threw me into a wall you jerk!" Wolf had the good sense to look embarrassed. Sighing he sat down next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry, Rita." "You're sorry!?" She sat up angrily ignoring the sudden throbbing in her head as she did so. In disgust she yanked the sheet up to her chin and used her foot to unseat Wolf. He landed on the floor unceremoniously. Grumbling he got to his feet and glared down at her. "Would you stop being so difficult?" She glared back at him. He slowly lowered his face until it was level with hers, his hands rested on the bed on either side of her hips. Wordlessly he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her as tenderly as he could. Rita's heart pounded wildly. Fear and revulsion mixed with other more physical responses overwhelmed her. Wolf took her momentary confusion as a go-ahead to go further. Before she knew what was happening she found herself on her back with Wolf on top of her. His hands were gently trying to pry the sheet from her grasp. Rita's self-defense mechanism finally kicked in and she kicked out. Wolf jumped back and swore profusely. "How the hell did you do that!?" he screamed while rubbing the sore spot between his shoulder blades. "Don't touch me again." She growled low in her throat, and pulled the sheet closer to her. Even though she was fully clothed she felt less vulnerable with the thin material surrounding her. Wolf snarled then ripped the sheet out of her grasp. Throwing it aside he then seized her by the arm and undid her belt in one swift movement. She screamed and used her free hand to try to claw his face. He slapped her hard enough to make her ears ring. Using her momentary confusion to his advantage he managed to strip her down to her underclothes. Rita renewed her struggles certain that she was about to be raped. But Wolf dragged her through a door near the foot of the bed. She realized it was a bathroom and she stopped fighting him so vigorously. Wolf kept a hand clamped on her wrist as he ran some water into the bathtub. "Get in." He ordered gesturing to the now full tub. "Leave." She responded. She had no intention of bathing while he watched. Wolf's temper was frayed and he was in no mood to argue with her. Keeping a firm grasp on her wrist he bent down and grabbed her knee. Rita kicked at him with her free leg, an action that sent them both sprawling into the tub. Hot water closed over her head and went up her nose. Sputtering she surfaced and saw Wolf sitting at the other end of the tub with his legs hanging over the edge. He looked pissed. Rita laughed at him anyway, and he gave her a wary look. "You just won't cooperate will you?" he snapped, struggling to get up and failing miserably. He finally managed to get out of the water, then turned and shoved Rita's head back under. She came back up coughing. Wolf pushed her under a second time, then let her sputter indignantly. "You've been in that cell a long time... Gods know when you last had a bath." She finally stopped coughing and glared up at him feeling self-conscious knowing that wet underwear were hardly any protection from the prying eyes of a potential rapist. He sighed and pointed to a bottle. "There's the shampoo. Soap's behind you. The towels are on the shelf." He turned and left. Rita stuck her tongue out at him, as he closed the door. She waited several minutes before stripping off her bra and panties, then leaned back and let the warm water soother her tired body. After scrubbing thourally she drained the water and toweled herself dry. It was then that she realized she had no clothes. She sagged and wrapped the towel around herself as tightly as she could. Taking a deep breath she opened the door a tiny fraction and peered into the room. The door was almost immediately ripped from her fingers by Wolf. "You sure took your time!" Rita wrapped her arms around her body to keep the towel from slipping. "Where are my clothes?" she glared at him. He growled and rolled his eye in frustration. With a few quick strides he walked to the other side of the room and pulled a large tee shirt out of a drawer and handed it to her. She accepted it warily. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" "Enjoying this!? You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met!" "Maybe you should take the hint then!" "Dammit, Rita! I love you! Why won't you accept that!" For a moment she thought she saw a tear sparkle in the corner of his good eye. She gave him a look that could have curdled milk. "Love? You call this love?" She backed away from him. "You're a sick twisted... You almost killed me!" "That wasn't meant for you!" "You beat me..." "Rita!" "How many times have you tried to rape me!?" a hysterical edge entered her voice. He held a hand out to touch her, but she remained out of reach. "I love you... Every time I've been with a woman it was you I was thinking of." "Argh! I could've lived without that little piece of knowledge. Thankyouverymuch!" "I love you!" "I hate you..." Time seemed to slow down. The look in Wolf's good eye changed from sadness and desperation to a foggy and unreadable gleam. In that moment Rita finally understood. Wolf's childhood had been miserable. He had been beaten and abused by his parents, and had witnessed his father beat his mother and baby sister to death. His father had only served a short prison sentence before he was released and regained custody of his young son. The abuse grew worse without the others around for the elder O'Donnell to take his drunken rages out on. Finally Wolf found a way to escape from his father. He applied to the Academy and was accepted. A few months later Wolf was pulled out of class and given the news that his father had been found dead. A local illegal moneylender had murdered him. Wolf didn't even bother to go to the funeral. Rita finally understood just how badly the childhood trauma had affected Wolf. Children learn from their parents after all. Part of him yearned for the unconditional love and comfort of another being. But inside him something was twisted. He'd never really seen a loving relationship between two people, all he knew was abuse. Something inside of him said that he could make her love him, if not, he could beat it into her. She couldn't hate him now. Fear? Hell yeah! Rita was terrified of him, more so now than ever. She felt pity for him too, and somewhere deep inside of her was the desire to comfort him and show him what love really was. She knew she could never love him, and nothing she could ever say to him would be enough to convince him to see life in a different light. Rita knew she was going to be in a whole lot of pain very soon. Wolf knew this feeling and he hated it, but he let it control him anyway. Only a tiny fraction of coherent thought remained in his mind. Just enough to keep himself from falling into the abyss of complete madness. He had truly believed that she did love him but refused to admit it. He loved her... She was supposed to love him too! He felt betrayed. Rita... love me! Why don't you love me!? Rita felt strangely calm. Even as his hands closed around her neck and his thumbs pressed into her windpipe she found that she could not hate him. She wanted to. Contrary to popular belief strangulation is not a quick way to kill someone. If you are trying to kill someone you had better keep a damn tight grip on their throat long after they've stopped twitching. It takes quite a bit of work to even make someone go unconscious this way. Fortunately for Rita Wolf was neither trying to kill her or make her pass out. His grip loosened and she could breathe again. To Rita it felt like the room was spinning. Air rushed back into her lungs as she gasped for breath. She thought she felt Wolf support her as she sank to her knees. He lifted her up and placed her on the bed, kissing her forehead. His rage was gone but he wasn't done with her yet. Gently he unwound the towel from her body. She had no other choice but to let him. Her muscles felt like pudding; she could barely lift an arm let alone fight him off. She tried to ignore the feeling of his hands and mouth on her body. Fight back, stupid! Fight back! Your ass is gonna get raped if you don't do something! Her head was beginning to pound again. Little flashes of light danced in front of her eyes as she tried to push him away. The one mercy that Rita got was that he didn't drag it out and it was over with quickly. Compared to her other aches and pains it didn't hurt too badly... physically. Wolf buried his face into the pillow beside her and cried out her name. Rita willed herself into unconsciousness. She didn't know how long she had slept, but she felt better by the time she woke up. However her sore and bruised muscles had tightened up and ached horribly. Wolf was gone and the door was locked from the outside. Rita rolled out of the bed and immediately had to fight back the urge to throw up. There was a large bloodstain in the sheets. Her blood. Checking quickly she found blood dried on the insides of her thighs. Gagging she ran to the bathroom. It took her several minutes to calm down enough to run water into the bathtub. Her hands were still shaking as she lowered herself into the warm water. After she'd finished bathing she peeked out into the bedroom again. Someone had straightened things while she had been in the bathroom, but had left before she had finished. The sheets on the bed had been changed and some neatly folded women's clothes sat at the foot of the bed. The knee-length green dress was a few sizes to big for her and the bra was a cup size too small, but it was wearable. Overall the outfit made her look like a little girl trying on her mother's clothes. It took her several minutes to locate a comb in the drawer next to the sink. A few of Wolf's hairs were caught in the teeth of the comb. After picking them out she set to work trying to untangle her crimson locks. She didn't care how she looked, but she hated it when her hair was all in knots. Someone cleared their throat behind her. Startled she whirled around into a defensive pose, only to find herself face to face with Leon Powalski. He made a disgusted half-laugh deep in his throat. Rita didn't relax her stance. Desperately she looked around for a way to escape, but Leon stood directly in the path of the only escape route. "What do you want?" she hissed at him, forcing a bravado into her voice that she did not feel. The strange chameleon frightened her worse than Wolf ever would. The again, Wolf didn't get his kicks from torturing people either. "Enjoy your little sleepover?" He took a step closer to her. "Hmm... you look rather tomboyish to me." He cocked his head to one side in a manner that made Rita's skin crawl and her fur stand on end. "Heh! Pretty girls are supposed to look delicate and feminine. Only thing feminine about you is your voice... and that scrawny little waist. 'Course I'm not the one sleeping with you..." Leon narrowed his eyes at her. "The long hair makes you look like a little kid..." With that parting insult he turned on his boot heel and left. She yelled after him, "What are you? My personal fashion consultant?" A slamming door was the only response she received. Leon's comments were meant to make her feel insecure, but had only succeeding pissing her off. Rita slumped down beside the tub and took a deep breath. Slowly she let it out trying to calm herself. She took another deep breath, then screamed. Leon had noticed a change in Wolf that morning. He seemed calmer and almost happy. He hadn't even yelled as loudly as he usually did when Pigma ate everything in the kitchen before anyone else had gotten up. But Wolf was also more alert. This intrigued the mysterious lizard; he wanted to know what was so special about that overdeveloped tomboy of a vixen that Wolf was so taken with. Rita's reaction to his presence pleased him immensely, the smell of fear practically oozed from her. He knew what had happened the night before; the entire StarWolf team knew. Despite all that had happened to her a gleam of defiance still shone in her eyes. This still didn't get Leon any closer to a desirable answer. From what Leon knew about his leader he didn't think that Wolf was the kind of guy who went for personality over looks. And that girl has got plenty of personality... a little shy in the looks department... Wolf usually only goes for the really gorgeous ones. He knew there was something about her that he just wasn't seeing. Rita paced across the small room for what seemed like the billionth time to her. There was absolutely nothing for her to do to keep her mind occupied while she was locked up in Wolf's room, except to look at porno magazines or fold his laundry. Neither option sounded the least bit attractive to her. She turned to pace back the other way when something caught her eye. The bottom drawer of the dresser was half-open, inside of it sat a locked box. She pulled it out of the drawer, not really knowing why she did so. After examining the lock she found that it come undone easily by applying a small amount of pressure on either side of it. The lid popped open and a plethora of photos and newspaper clippings fell out and scattered on the floor. Gingerly, as if handling a poisonous snake, she picked one off the tope of the pile. Her heart nearly stopped when she looked at it. She reached into the pile and picked out two more photos and a piece of newspaper. A sick feeling started in her stomach and she fought back the urge to gag as she looked at them. Shaking she spread the pile out around her and looked at them in horrified fascination. They were all of her... She hadn't known that the majority of these pictures had existed. One by one she looked at each one with a growing sense of unease. Wolf was even more twisted than she had previously thought. Where did he get all of these? Lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the door open and Wolf walk in. She didn't even realize he was there until he touched her shoulder. At his touch Rita screamed and had herself flattened into the nearest corner in an instant. Without saying a word he knelt down and very carefully began to gather up all the pictures. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he put them back in the box. "It's not polite to go through other people's things, love." He smiled at her. "You wanted me to find those..." her voice was barely above a whisper and had a raw edge to it. He dropped the last of the pictures into the box then slid it under the bed. His grin widened. With one quick movement he was face to face with her. Not even attempting to be gently he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her hard enough to bruise her lips. In her confusion he had managed to get her into a position where she couldn't knee him in the groin. Hoping to startle him into giving her a chance to get away she leaned into him and briefly kissed back. Unfortunately this only gave him room to get his arms around her. Rita began to panic. In this position there was nothing she could do to defend herself; in kick boxing you had to have some space between you and your opponent or you would kick past them. She found a little comfort in the knowledge that she could kick him between the shoulder blades again if he tried to rape her. Once she was one her back... pow! She had learned that little trick when she was much younger while wrestling with Fox... only she never kicked Fox hard enough to make it hurt. Wolf moved down to kiss her neck. He nuzzled her cheek gently then looked her in the eyes. "Are you going to make love to me willingly or do I have to force you again?" His voice was soft and almost seductive. Rita resisted the urge to say 'fuck you'. It seemed like a poor insult, especially since that was exactly what he wanted to do. Instead she sank her teeth into his shoulder and gave a low menacing growl. He didn't swear, heck he didn't even flinch. Something pricked the back of her neck and she felt her muscles start to go limp. "You're going to regret doing that... " his voice was a hiss. It was a horrible feeling. She could see, hear, and feel everything that was happening to her, but she could not fight back. He dug his nails into her flesh hard enough to draw blood. She could feel the bruises starting to form where he hit her, grabbed too hard, and in her most sensitive areas. He was deliberately trying to hurt her. His scent lay heavily in her nose. It overpowered her and made her want to throw up, but she couldn't. Even after he left her the scent hung heavily in the air. Rita lay awake for a long time wishing she could get up and be sick in the bathroom. Eventually she drifted off into a fitful sleep, waking every half-hour or so. Sometimes Wolf was there beside her or above her, other times the rooms was mercifully empty. When she finally woke up for good she could move but her entire body felt as heavy as lead, and the places where Wolf had hurt her the night before either throbbed in a dull pain or burned like fire. She could still smell Wolf's scent on her, but it wasn't as cloying as it had been. Her stomach rolled and she fell out of bed and stumbled to the small bathroom. Her stomach heaved and relieved itself of its contents until it was as empty as Rita felt. Groaning, Rita sank to her knees and leaned back against the sink. Slowly, to avoid aggravating any of her injuries, she drew her knees up to her chest and wished she could cry. But the tears wouldn't come. A hand caressed her hair, startling her. She knew it was Wolf and buried her face further into her knees. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms in a surprisingly gentle manner. She tried to pull away but he tightened his grip causing her to cry out in pain. Wolf relished having this kind of power over Rita. Seeing her hurt, helpless and hearing her pitiful yelp of pain stirred desire from deep within him. She had managed to wrap herself in a bed sheet as she'd stumbled to the bathroom. Wolf now grasped a corner of the sheet and began to untangle her from it. She pushed him away, ignoring the renewed pain in her body as she did so. This only heightened Wolf's desire and he began to laugh softly as she struggled to push him away. The sheet slipped down exposing her shoulders and most of one breast. Wolf grabbed her by the back of the neck and twined his fingers into her hair. He managed to get her on her back without releasing his hold on her hair. Breathing heavily, almost panting, he buried his face in her neck and kissed her passionately. Rita went limp and hoped that he'd lose interest if she didn't react in any way at all. Wolf took Rita's sudden lack of resistance as compliance and untangled his hand from her hair. He also became less cautious. "Has my wild little vixen finally been tamed?" he whispered into her ear. As if! Rita managed to glance over his shoulder for a moment to see Leon standing in the doorway watching the proceedings with a sadistic grin plastered on his face. Behind him Andrew and Pigma jostled each other quietly trying to get a better view. Wolf moved into the perfect position and Rita decided to make her move. Get a load of this, you twisted sickos, she thought. She gathered every ounce of energy, rage and anger that she could muster. Feeling the adrenaline make her heart skip a beat she brought her knee up between Wolf's legs with as much force as possible. He screamed in pain and Rita managed to throw him to one side and scramble to her feet. Hoping to use the momentary confusion that ensued she charged straight at Leon then dodged around the side of him at the last minute. Pigma was too slow to catch her and Andrew was easy to knock over with a quick swipe at his knees. The door was open just as she had hoped. Jumping over the couch in the living area she silently gave thanks that she had managed to keep a tight grip on the sheet that was her only covering. She could hear Leon crashing around behind her as she reached the outer door. She knew that once she got out of this confined space that she would have a far better chance of escaping him. Keying the door she sped out into the hallway. . and came to a screeching halt. A dozen heavily armed guards stood in a semi-circle facing the door. All of them were pointing guns at her. Leon's arms closed around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Trapped again. Immediately she twisted, kicked and screamed trying to get free. Leon simply picked her up until she couldn't reach the floor, giving her a lot less weight to throw around. While trying to free an arm she kicked at his knees with her heels, but her feet were bare and Leon was wearing boots with knee guards. Leon gritted his teeth and tried not to let the pain of the vixen's kicks to his knees show in any way in his demeanor. He was going to have trouble walking tomorrow. After several moments she felt completely drained and could only resist half-heartedly. Leon set her back down on her feet, but didn't lessen his hold on her any. "Remind me not to piss you off when you're fully healthy."
Pigma finally waddled up to the group and looked around a little disappointedly. Squealing slightly he pulled one of Rita's ears in a mockingly affectionate way. He jumped back as she snarled and snapped at him. Wolf half leaned-on half-dragged Andrew up to Leon and Rita. Rage simmered in Wolf's good eye as he glowered at the defiant vixen. "You." he growled as he reached for her. Leon deftly kept her out of Wolf's reach. "Andross wants to see her." Was his curt explanation as his team leader scowled at him. Wolf narrowed his eye at her as if Andross's order were somehow her fault. He took a few steps closer but was knocked back as Rita's foot slammed into his jaw. "She's a little hell-cat, that one." murmured one of the guards. The half-circle of guards parted on one side and Andross strode into the center, the gap in the ranks closing behind him. He studied the scene before him for a moment then began to laugh softly. "It seems that she's still got a little fight left in her after all!" Suddenly he was solemn as he turned on Wolf. "I distinctly remember you saying that she'd become more docile and compliant after a few days with you." His voice was accusatory. Wolf wiped the trickle of blood that had formed off his chin with the back of his hand. "She's a bit more stubborn than I thought, my liege." His voice was laced with thinly veiled annoyance. Andross motioned for Leon to turn Rita over to him. As soon as his hand closed around her upper arm she sank her teeth into it. He yelped in surprise as he let her go, then backhanded her across the face. Rita collapsed into a heap on the floor, completely exhausted, though defiance still shone in her eyes as she glared up at Andross. He examined the teeth marks on his hand as blood began to well up and trickle out of the pierced flesh. Then he glared down at her, completely forgetting about his hand. "Leon, bring her." His order was curt. As Leon stooped to pull Rita to her feet Andross turned to Wolf once more. "Don't forget that this tiny little female was the one who made you look like a fool, Wolf. You've been too confident lately. Perhaps you've learned something useful from this." With that he marched off down the hall with Leon half-carrying Rita, and the guards in tow. ~*~
By: Rita LaShette Warning! Rated PG-13 for adult situations, language, and violence. Don't say I didn't warn you. ~*~ Big Momma's Place was a popular hangout for the mercenaries and miscellaneous persons from the dregs of Lylat's population. The establishment was nestled into the side of an asteroid floating somewhere in the no-man's land between the areas controlled by Andross and Corneria. It was an ideal place for parties from either side of the war to get together to "socialize". Big Momma didn't mind if fights broke out every so often... as long as no one got killed... and someone paid for the repairs. No one wanted to piss of Big Momma, and having authorities from either government knocking on her door would really be asking for it. "Glad you could make it, Fox." Wolf O'Donnell spat out the name as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. The one-eyed lupine grinned at the seething pilot standing in front of him. Fox's attention was split between his rival and the sobbing vixen that the other members of the Star Wolf team were holding hostage behind their leader. She tried to reach for him, but Leon yanked her back to the floor roughly. She cried out in pain. Wolf's grin widened. "Andross doesn't have any more use for her... so he's letting you have her back." He rubbed his cheek below his eye patch. "What did you do to her?" growled Fox between clenched teeth. "Oh, Rita-darling," Wolf reached behind and dragged the sobbing girl to her feet. "Why don't you tell him." He ran a hand down her throat and let it come to rest on the swell of her breast. She whimpered as if the act caused her tremendous physical pain. Fox let out a scream of primal rage and threw himself at Wolf. Falco intercepted the enraged vulpine before he landed on his opponent. Laughing, Wolf shoved Rita at them, then turned and walked away still chuckling softly to himself. Fox pushed Falco away roughly and fell to his knees pulling the vixen into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed loudly into his chest. Falco shuffled his feet uncomfortably while he contrived many slow and excruciatingly painful ways to have Wolf castrated. Peppy watched the sleeping vixen curled up like a scared child on the examining table in the med bay of the Great Fox. He could sense that something wasn't quite right about her. Cursing himself silently for doubting her he walked over to a control console set into the wall next to the table. Punching a few buttons he spoke to the computer unit, "Run DNA scan on patient." He didn't know why, but something in the back of his head told him that this was the quickest way to get an answer to his questions. A wide green band of light swept slowly across the sleeping figure on the table. Peppy jerked in surprise as the mechanical voice of the computer reported. "Patient unknown. Unknown android type. All biological components identical to Rita LaShette." "What!?" "Patient unknown," repeated the computer. "Unkno..." "I heard that!" Peppy yelled at the console. There was the soft sound of someone taking a deep breath behind him. He turned to find Slippy's wide eyes staring at him wider than usual. "B-b-but..." stammered the amphibian pointing at the 'sleeping' android on the table. Peppy glanced at Rita's double. "I don't know, Slip. And I really don't want to be around when Fox finds out." "Me either." "Well I'M not telling him." Falco boomed from the doorway. "He's ballistic enough as it is. I'm in no mood to be anywhere near him when he hears this. I don't even wanna be on the same side of the solar system!" "What about her... um, it?" Slippy asked pointing at the android on the examination table. Peppy scratched his chin. "Well... we ought to find a way to deactivate it until we find out if it's dangerous to us or not." Falco snorted and crossed his arms. "It's dangerous to us just because it's NOT Rita. Fox is gonna go ape-shit and use our heads as punching bags." He walked over to her and knocked on her head. Slippy smacked him. "You'll wake her up, stupid!" The avian pulled Slippy's hat over his eyes. "If she acts as much like Rita as she looks like Rita, then nothing short of a small nuclear explosion is gonna wake her up." Peppy gave Falco a withering look. "In all likelihood this is the work of Andross. Who else could have done this? And we just don't know how she... er... it has been programmed. We'd best find a way to deactivate her. And fast!" Slippy was already running an x-ray on the android. He pointed to a spot on the x-ray monitor near the base of her neck. "I think what we're looking for is right there." Falco looked at the jumble of wires lacing through the organic tissue on the monitor. "How can you tell?" "I'm an engineer!" bragged Slippy. Peppy peered at the monitor. "Do you mean that switch that says 'off'?" Slippy stood poised over the android with a scalpel in hand. "Why do I have to do this?" he whined. "Because you're an engineer." Smirked Falco. The amphibian gave him a dirty look before returning his full attention to the task in front of him. "Hurry up before it wakes up, Flippy." "Go away, Falco..." he tried to ignore the irritating avian as he made an incision in the back of the android's neck. She jerked awake. "What are you doing!?" she screamed in horror. Falco pinned her down as Slippy desperately poked around for the 'off' switch. Finally he found it and turned her off with a sigh of relief. Slippy stared at the blood covering the surgical gloves on his hands. "All this blood kinda makes me queasy..." Fox burst into the room swaying on his feet somewhat unsteadily. "What's going on in here!? What are you doing!?" his voice cracked in rage. Slippy ducked behind Falco. "I thought you said that stuff'd knock him out for hours." He whispered. "Apparently I was wrong..." Falco looked around for something to defend himself with, but found nothing. Fox stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted the unmoving body on the examination table. The blood on the back of her neck hadn't begun to dry yet. "What have you done?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. "What have you done to her!?" he screamed and stumbled forward. His forward progress was abruptly halted when Falco's fist slammed into his jaw. He slumped to the floor with a whimper. Falco dragged him to his feet and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Fox. That is not Rita. Andross slipped up a double." "What?" Fox glared angrily at his friend. Falco sighed. "That woman... no... That thing over there is an android. We deactivated her until we can figure out what kind of twisted plan Andross had in mind this time." He let Fox slide to the floor. "Why... why?" He slammed his fist into the floor. "He's messing with us." Peppy appeared in the doorway. "He knew that this would happen. Don't you see? Andross found a weak spot and is exploiting it." The aging hare helped Fox up and started to lead him back to his room. "Come on, Fox. You need some rest." Falco turned to Slippy as the other two left. "Now what?" "I don't know much about this sort of stuff." He admitted. "My specialty is in stuff like Arwings, the landmaster, and the blue marine... I think I should let my dad take a look at this." Peppy tucked Fox into bed as he had done when he was a pup. "I need to say something to you, Fox. I realize that this might upset you, but it needs to be said." He sighed softly then continued. "I don't know how much Rita means to you. I know you tow have feelings for each other that are deeper and more real than anything I've ever felt or sensed before. Seeing you two together is like watching a modern day fairy tale where the hero and heroine will live 'happily ever after'... though without the mushy embarrassing stuff..." "I don't do public mushiness." Peppy could see the sadness in Fox's eyes. "Anyway..." Peppy stared at his hands folded neatly in his lap. "I and the others want Rita back too, but we have to realize that she might not... might not be coming back." He sighed deeply. "I know you're hurting, Fox. You've been on the receiving end of a lot of crap in your lifetime. You've had to deal with more than any person should have to deal with at your age... or at any age." Fox was glowering at him. "There is a point to this, yes?" "Yes... I'm getting there. This isn't easy for me, Fox. Please think about what I'm going to say next." He gave Fox a pleading look. "You're young yet, Fox. If Rita doesn't come back to us, and you continue being angry at everything around you, then you will become a very very bitter man. Andross way angry and bitter when your mother refused him and married your father, and look where all his bitterness has led. Andross was bitter a lot of things though... Just don't push everyone else away because you're hurting. You need your friends' support. They need your support." He ran his fingers through his graying fur. "This isn't coming out quite right..." Tears began to run down Fox's cheeks as he stared up at the ceiling. "Rita would be so disgusted if she'd seen the way I've been acting..." Peppy stared at him. "That's pretty much it in a nutshell..." Beltino Toad walked around the table that the android was laid out on. "Hmm..." he poked at the incision on the back of her neck. "Interesting..." He turned to face the group assembled behind him. They waited anxiously. "It's an android!" he declared happily. Slippy groaned. "Dad! We already knew that!" "Oh..." Beltino turned around again and made another incision in the android, this time at the base of her skull. Carefully using a pair of tweezers he removed an object from the new incision. He held it triumphantly above his head. "What is that?" Falco's question sounded more like a demand. "The main control chip." Beltino beamed happily. "The what?" Falco eyed him dubiously. "He means that it's the thing that controls her," explained Slippy. "I knew that..." "It contains all her programming. Pretty small. Impressive really." Beltino was as excited as a small child with a new toy. "I can't wait to examine this!" Fox quietly detached himself from the rest of the group and walked over to the deactivated android as Beltino continued rambling on about his newest 'toy'. Sighing gently to himself he twisted a strand of her hair through his fingers. Looking at her now he could see several differences between her and Rita. Her arms and legs were to skinny, she lacked the definition that Rita had built up through years of working out. The angle of her jaw was too sharp: Rita's face had retained some of its girlish roundness into adulthood, it was what made her cute but prevented her from ever being one of the great beauties of her time. She would probably be considered pretty by the time that she hit middle age... if she lived that long. Fox felt the urge to cry well up in his chest. A hand gently touched his shoulder. General Pepper looked at him for a moment. "We'll get her back, Fox. I know we will." Fox stared at his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. "This is going to sound weird, but... it was easier when she was in that coma. At least then I could be by her side..." A tear ran down his cheek leaving a moist trail in his fur. He reached out and gently took the android's hand in his. It was cold. Rita sighed and rolled over on the narrow bunk in her cell. Bored. So bored. Really really bored... It was late and she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept in days; her dreams had become more and more disturbing. She concentrated on the sound of James's breathing across the hall from her. It was deep and the even rhythm comforted her and helped her to relax somewhat. The relaxed feeling abandoned her suddenly at the sound of someone opening the door to the cellblock. Footsteps echoed down the hall as they moved closer to her cell. Rita tried to act like she was asleep, but her heart pounded in her chest. She was certain that whoever was coming would be able to hear it. The footsteps stopped in front of her cell, and she could hear one booted foot tapping the floor impatiently. "I know you're not sleeping, dearest." She cringed at the sound of Wolf's voice. He laughed as he noticed her slight flinch. In a fit of desperation she tried to make herself as small as possible, even though she knew it was useless. Wolf laughed again, but softly this time, as he unlocked her cell. She jerked up as she heard the door open. He clamped his hand over her mouth before she got the chance to scream. "What's the use? No one here is going to help you." He grinned as he bent down and placed his mouth on the curve of her neck. She let out a muffled cry and clawed as his face. He immediately released her and took a step back. An enraged look slowly spread across his face. "Bitch!" he spat out the word. "You should be happy that I still want you." He slapped her hard. Rita's head snapped back and slammed into the wall with a loud thunk. The noise woke James and he lurched out of his bunk and pressed himself against the bars of his cell. "Leave her alone!" His deep voice boomed in the almost empty cellblock. Wolf turned quickly on his heel to face James. He narrowed his good eye at the aging fox. "Just who are you anyway, old man?" He was annoyed by the interruption. James snarled at him. Wolf's eye widened with recognition then he laughed. "You're Fox's old man aren't you? Why aren't you dead?" He grabbed Rita by her long hair and dragged her struggling from her cell. Laughing he shoved her against the bars of James's cell. "Say goodbye to her. Next time you see her she won't be quite so innocent." He laughed in a way that left no doubts about what his intentions were. He confirmed this by pulling her against him and cupping one of her breasts in his free hand.
Rita retaliated by stomping on his foot as hard as she could, which would have been more effective it he hadn't been wearing steel-toed boots. None the less it still hurt and he shoved her into a wall. Her head cracked against it and she slumped to the floor. James lunged for Wolf through the bars, but the lupine took a step back so the he was just out of reach. Laughing he picked up the semi-conscious vixen and threw her over his shoulder. "Andross decided that I could have her, so I'm taking her." With that he swaggered out of the cellblock with Rita sprawled over his shoulder. James yelled obscenities after him. After several moments he sagged to his knees with his forehead pressed to the cool metal of the bars. A feeling of helplessness and inadequacy swept over him. I couldn't help her! Just like I couldn't help Vixy! He slammed his fists into the floor until his knuckles were bloody. Then he sunk into a fetal position and cried, wishing he were dead. Rita felt something wet and cool touch her face. She struggled to wake up, slightly panicked. Her eyes snapped open, at first all she could see were blurred colors. Slowly they became clearer and she realized that Wolf was standing over her pressing a damp washcloth to her forehead. "Are you alright? You've been out of it for quite a while." He lifted the cloth from her forehead and brushed some stray hairs out of her eyes. She swatted at his hand. "You threw me into a wall you jerk!" Wolf had the good sense to look embarrassed. Sighing he sat down next to her on the bed. "I'm sorry, Rita." "You're sorry!?" She sat up angrily ignoring the sudden throbbing in her head as she did so. In disgust she yanked the sheet up to her chin and used her foot to unseat Wolf. He landed on the floor unceremoniously. Grumbling he got to his feet and glared down at her. "Would you stop being so difficult?" She glared back at him. He slowly lowered his face until it was level with hers, his hands rested on the bed on either side of her hips. Wordlessly he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her as tenderly as he could. Rita's heart pounded wildly. Fear and revulsion mixed with other more physical responses overwhelmed her. Wolf took her momentary confusion as a go-ahead to go further. Before she knew what was happening she found herself on her back with Wolf on top of her. His hands were gently trying to pry the sheet from her grasp. Rita's self-defense mechanism finally kicked in and she kicked out. Wolf jumped back and swore profusely. "How the hell did you do that!?" he screamed while rubbing the sore spot between his shoulder blades. "Don't touch me again." She growled low in her throat, and pulled the sheet closer to her. Even though she was fully clothed she felt less vulnerable with the thin material surrounding her. Wolf snarled then ripped the sheet out of her grasp. Throwing it aside he then seized her by the arm and undid her belt in one swift movement. She screamed and used her free hand to try to claw his face. He slapped her hard enough to make her ears ring. Using her momentary confusion to his advantage he managed to strip her down to her underclothes. Rita renewed her struggles certain that she was about to be raped. But Wolf dragged her through a door near the foot of the bed. She realized it was a bathroom and she stopped fighting him so vigorously. Wolf kept a hand clamped on her wrist as he ran some water into the bathtub. "Get in." He ordered gesturing to the now full tub. "Leave." She responded. She had no intention of bathing while he watched. Wolf's temper was frayed and he was in no mood to argue with her. Keeping a firm grasp on her wrist he bent down and grabbed her knee. Rita kicked at him with her free leg, an action that sent them both sprawling into the tub. Hot water closed over her head and went up her nose. Sputtering she surfaced and saw Wolf sitting at the other end of the tub with his legs hanging over the edge. He looked pissed. Rita laughed at him anyway, and he gave her a wary look. "You just won't cooperate will you?" he snapped, struggling to get up and failing miserably. He finally managed to get out of the water, then turned and shoved Rita's head back under. She came back up coughing. Wolf pushed her under a second time, then let her sputter indignantly. "You've been in that cell a long time... Gods know when you last had a bath." She finally stopped coughing and glared up at him feeling self-conscious knowing that wet underwear were hardly any protection from the prying eyes of a potential rapist. He sighed and pointed to a bottle. "There's the shampoo. Soap's behind you. The towels are on the shelf." He turned and left. Rita stuck her tongue out at him, as he closed the door. She waited several minutes before stripping off her bra and panties, then leaned back and let the warm water soother her tired body. After scrubbing thourally she drained the water and toweled herself dry. It was then that she realized she had no clothes. She sagged and wrapped the towel around herself as tightly as she could. Taking a deep breath she opened the door a tiny fraction and peered into the room. The door was almost immediately ripped from her fingers by Wolf. "You sure took your time!" Rita wrapped her arms around her body to keep the towel from slipping. "Where are my clothes?" she glared at him. He growled and rolled his eye in frustration. With a few quick strides he walked to the other side of the room and pulled a large tee shirt out of a drawer and handed it to her. She accepted it warily. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" "Enjoying this!? You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met!" "Maybe you should take the hint then!" "Dammit, Rita! I love you! Why won't you accept that!" For a moment she thought she saw a tear sparkle in the corner of his good eye. She gave him a look that could have curdled milk. "Love? You call this love?" She backed away from him. "You're a sick twisted... You almost killed me!" "That wasn't meant for you!" "You beat me..." "Rita!" "How many times have you tried to rape me!?" a hysterical edge entered her voice. He held a hand out to touch her, but she remained out of reach. "I love you... Every time I've been with a woman it was you I was thinking of." "Argh! I could've lived without that little piece of knowledge. Thankyouverymuch!" "I love you!" "I hate you..." Time seemed to slow down. The look in Wolf's good eye changed from sadness and desperation to a foggy and unreadable gleam. In that moment Rita finally understood. Wolf's childhood had been miserable. He had been beaten and abused by his parents, and had witnessed his father beat his mother and baby sister to death. His father had only served a short prison sentence before he was released and regained custody of his young son. The abuse grew worse without the others around for the elder O'Donnell to take his drunken rages out on. Finally Wolf found a way to escape from his father. He applied to the Academy and was accepted. A few months later Wolf was pulled out of class and given the news that his father had been found dead. A local illegal moneylender had murdered him. Wolf didn't even bother to go to the funeral. Rita finally understood just how badly the childhood trauma had affected Wolf. Children learn from their parents after all. Part of him yearned for the unconditional love and comfort of another being. But inside him something was twisted. He'd never really seen a loving relationship between two people, all he knew was abuse. Something inside of him said that he could make her love him, if not, he could beat it into her. She couldn't hate him now. Fear? Hell yeah! Rita was terrified of him, more so now than ever. She felt pity for him too, and somewhere deep inside of her was the desire to comfort him and show him what love really was. She knew she could never love him, and nothing she could ever say to him would be enough to convince him to see life in a different light. Rita knew she was going to be in a whole lot of pain very soon. Wolf knew this feeling and he hated it, but he let it control him anyway. Only a tiny fraction of coherent thought remained in his mind. Just enough to keep himself from falling into the abyss of complete madness. He had truly believed that she did love him but refused to admit it. He loved her... She was supposed to love him too! He felt betrayed. Rita... love me! Why don't you love me!? Rita felt strangely calm. Even as his hands closed around her neck and his thumbs pressed into her windpipe she found that she could not hate him. She wanted to. Contrary to popular belief strangulation is not a quick way to kill someone. If you are trying to kill someone you had better keep a damn tight grip on their throat long after they've stopped twitching. It takes quite a bit of work to even make someone go unconscious this way. Fortunately for Rita Wolf was neither trying to kill her or make her pass out. His grip loosened and she could breathe again. To Rita it felt like the room was spinning. Air rushed back into her lungs as she gasped for breath. She thought she felt Wolf support her as she sank to her knees. He lifted her up and placed her on the bed, kissing her forehead. His rage was gone but he wasn't done with her yet. Gently he unwound the towel from her body. She had no other choice but to let him. Her muscles felt like pudding; she could barely lift an arm let alone fight him off. She tried to ignore the feeling of his hands and mouth on her body. Fight back, stupid! Fight back! Your ass is gonna get raped if you don't do something! Her head was beginning to pound again. Little flashes of light danced in front of her eyes as she tried to push him away. The one mercy that Rita got was that he didn't drag it out and it was over with quickly. Compared to her other aches and pains it didn't hurt too badly... physically. Wolf buried his face into the pillow beside her and cried out her name. Rita willed herself into unconsciousness. She didn't know how long she had slept, but she felt better by the time she woke up. However her sore and bruised muscles had tightened up and ached horribly. Wolf was gone and the door was locked from the outside. Rita rolled out of the bed and immediately had to fight back the urge to throw up. There was a large bloodstain in the sheets. Her blood. Checking quickly she found blood dried on the insides of her thighs. Gagging she ran to the bathroom. It took her several minutes to calm down enough to run water into the bathtub. Her hands were still shaking as she lowered herself into the warm water. After she'd finished bathing she peeked out into the bedroom again. Someone had straightened things while she had been in the bathroom, but had left before she had finished. The sheets on the bed had been changed and some neatly folded women's clothes sat at the foot of the bed. The knee-length green dress was a few sizes to big for her and the bra was a cup size too small, but it was wearable. Overall the outfit made her look like a little girl trying on her mother's clothes. It took her several minutes to locate a comb in the drawer next to the sink. A few of Wolf's hairs were caught in the teeth of the comb. After picking them out she set to work trying to untangle her crimson locks. She didn't care how she looked, but she hated it when her hair was all in knots. Someone cleared their throat behind her. Startled she whirled around into a defensive pose, only to find herself face to face with Leon Powalski. He made a disgusted half-laugh deep in his throat. Rita didn't relax her stance. Desperately she looked around for a way to escape, but Leon stood directly in the path of the only escape route. "What do you want?" she hissed at him, forcing a bravado into her voice that she did not feel. The strange chameleon frightened her worse than Wolf ever would. The again, Wolf didn't get his kicks from torturing people either. "Enjoy your little sleepover?" He took a step closer to her. "Hmm... you look rather tomboyish to me." He cocked his head to one side in a manner that made Rita's skin crawl and her fur stand on end. "Heh! Pretty girls are supposed to look delicate and feminine. Only thing feminine about you is your voice... and that scrawny little waist. 'Course I'm not the one sleeping with you..." Leon narrowed his eyes at her. "The long hair makes you look like a little kid..." With that parting insult he turned on his boot heel and left. She yelled after him, "What are you? My personal fashion consultant?" A slamming door was the only response she received. Leon's comments were meant to make her feel insecure, but had only succeeding pissing her off. Rita slumped down beside the tub and took a deep breath. Slowly she let it out trying to calm herself. She took another deep breath, then screamed. Leon had noticed a change in Wolf that morning. He seemed calmer and almost happy. He hadn't even yelled as loudly as he usually did when Pigma ate everything in the kitchen before anyone else had gotten up. But Wolf was also more alert. This intrigued the mysterious lizard; he wanted to know what was so special about that overdeveloped tomboy of a vixen that Wolf was so taken with. Rita's reaction to his presence pleased him immensely, the smell of fear practically oozed from her. He knew what had happened the night before; the entire StarWolf team knew. Despite all that had happened to her a gleam of defiance still shone in her eyes. This still didn't get Leon any closer to a desirable answer. From what Leon knew about his leader he didn't think that Wolf was the kind of guy who went for personality over looks. And that girl has got plenty of personality... a little shy in the looks department... Wolf usually only goes for the really gorgeous ones. He knew there was something about her that he just wasn't seeing. Rita paced across the small room for what seemed like the billionth time to her. There was absolutely nothing for her to do to keep her mind occupied while she was locked up in Wolf's room, except to look at porno magazines or fold his laundry. Neither option sounded the least bit attractive to her. She turned to pace back the other way when something caught her eye. The bottom drawer of the dresser was half-open, inside of it sat a locked box. She pulled it out of the drawer, not really knowing why she did so. After examining the lock she found that it come undone easily by applying a small amount of pressure on either side of it. The lid popped open and a plethora of photos and newspaper clippings fell out and scattered on the floor. Gingerly, as if handling a poisonous snake, she picked one off the tope of the pile. Her heart nearly stopped when she looked at it. She reached into the pile and picked out two more photos and a piece of newspaper. A sick feeling started in her stomach and she fought back the urge to gag as she looked at them. Shaking she spread the pile out around her and looked at them in horrified fascination. They were all of her... She hadn't known that the majority of these pictures had existed. One by one she looked at each one with a growing sense of unease. Wolf was even more twisted than she had previously thought. Where did he get all of these? Lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the door open and Wolf walk in. She didn't even realize he was there until he touched her shoulder. At his touch Rita screamed and had herself flattened into the nearest corner in an instant. Without saying a word he knelt down and very carefully began to gather up all the pictures. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he put them back in the box. "It's not polite to go through other people's things, love." He smiled at her. "You wanted me to find those..." her voice was barely above a whisper and had a raw edge to it. He dropped the last of the pictures into the box then slid it under the bed. His grin widened. With one quick movement he was face to face with her. Not even attempting to be gently he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her hard enough to bruise her lips. In her confusion he had managed to get her into a position where she couldn't knee him in the groin. Hoping to startle him into giving her a chance to get away she leaned into him and briefly kissed back. Unfortunately this only gave him room to get his arms around her. Rita began to panic. In this position there was nothing she could do to defend herself; in kick boxing you had to have some space between you and your opponent or you would kick past them. She found a little comfort in the knowledge that she could kick him between the shoulder blades again if he tried to rape her. Once she was one her back... pow! She had learned that little trick when she was much younger while wrestling with Fox... only she never kicked Fox hard enough to make it hurt. Wolf moved down to kiss her neck. He nuzzled her cheek gently then looked her in the eyes. "Are you going to make love to me willingly or do I have to force you again?" His voice was soft and almost seductive. Rita resisted the urge to say 'fuck you'. It seemed like a poor insult, especially since that was exactly what he wanted to do. Instead she sank her teeth into his shoulder and gave a low menacing growl. He didn't swear, heck he didn't even flinch. Something pricked the back of her neck and she felt her muscles start to go limp. "You're going to regret doing that... " his voice was a hiss. It was a horrible feeling. She could see, hear, and feel everything that was happening to her, but she could not fight back. He dug his nails into her flesh hard enough to draw blood. She could feel the bruises starting to form where he hit her, grabbed too hard, and in her most sensitive areas. He was deliberately trying to hurt her. His scent lay heavily in her nose. It overpowered her and made her want to throw up, but she couldn't. Even after he left her the scent hung heavily in the air. Rita lay awake for a long time wishing she could get up and be sick in the bathroom. Eventually she drifted off into a fitful sleep, waking every half-hour or so. Sometimes Wolf was there beside her or above her, other times the rooms was mercifully empty. When she finally woke up for good she could move but her entire body felt as heavy as lead, and the places where Wolf had hurt her the night before either throbbed in a dull pain or burned like fire. She could still smell Wolf's scent on her, but it wasn't as cloying as it had been. Her stomach rolled and she fell out of bed and stumbled to the small bathroom. Her stomach heaved and relieved itself of its contents until it was as empty as Rita felt. Groaning, Rita sank to her knees and leaned back against the sink. Slowly, to avoid aggravating any of her injuries, she drew her knees up to her chest and wished she could cry. But the tears wouldn't come. A hand caressed her hair, startling her. She knew it was Wolf and buried her face further into her knees. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms in a surprisingly gentle manner. She tried to pull away but he tightened his grip causing her to cry out in pain. Wolf relished having this kind of power over Rita. Seeing her hurt, helpless and hearing her pitiful yelp of pain stirred desire from deep within him. She had managed to wrap herself in a bed sheet as she'd stumbled to the bathroom. Wolf now grasped a corner of the sheet and began to untangle her from it. She pushed him away, ignoring the renewed pain in her body as she did so. This only heightened Wolf's desire and he began to laugh softly as she struggled to push him away. The sheet slipped down exposing her shoulders and most of one breast. Wolf grabbed her by the back of the neck and twined his fingers into her hair. He managed to get her on her back without releasing his hold on her hair. Breathing heavily, almost panting, he buried his face in her neck and kissed her passionately. Rita went limp and hoped that he'd lose interest if she didn't react in any way at all. Wolf took Rita's sudden lack of resistance as compliance and untangled his hand from her hair. He also became less cautious. "Has my wild little vixen finally been tamed?" he whispered into her ear. As if! Rita managed to glance over his shoulder for a moment to see Leon standing in the doorway watching the proceedings with a sadistic grin plastered on his face. Behind him Andrew and Pigma jostled each other quietly trying to get a better view. Wolf moved into the perfect position and Rita decided to make her move. Get a load of this, you twisted sickos, she thought. She gathered every ounce of energy, rage and anger that she could muster. Feeling the adrenaline make her heart skip a beat she brought her knee up between Wolf's legs with as much force as possible. He screamed in pain and Rita managed to throw him to one side and scramble to her feet. Hoping to use the momentary confusion that ensued she charged straight at Leon then dodged around the side of him at the last minute. Pigma was too slow to catch her and Andrew was easy to knock over with a quick swipe at his knees. The door was open just as she had hoped. Jumping over the couch in the living area she silently gave thanks that she had managed to keep a tight grip on the sheet that was her only covering. She could hear Leon crashing around behind her as she reached the outer door. She knew that once she got out of this confined space that she would have a far better chance of escaping him. Keying the door she sped out into the hallway. . and came to a screeching halt. A dozen heavily armed guards stood in a semi-circle facing the door. All of them were pointing guns at her. Leon's arms closed around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Trapped again. Immediately she twisted, kicked and screamed trying to get free. Leon simply picked her up until she couldn't reach the floor, giving her a lot less weight to throw around. While trying to free an arm she kicked at his knees with her heels, but her feet were bare and Leon was wearing boots with knee guards. Leon gritted his teeth and tried not to let the pain of the vixen's kicks to his knees show in any way in his demeanor. He was going to have trouble walking tomorrow. After several moments she felt completely drained and could only resist half-heartedly. Leon set her back down on her feet, but didn't lessen his hold on her any. "Remind me not to piss you off when you're fully healthy."
Pigma finally waddled up to the group and looked around a little disappointedly. Squealing slightly he pulled one of Rita's ears in a mockingly affectionate way. He jumped back as she snarled and snapped at him. Wolf half leaned-on half-dragged Andrew up to Leon and Rita. Rage simmered in Wolf's good eye as he glowered at the defiant vixen. "You." he growled as he reached for her. Leon deftly kept her out of Wolf's reach. "Andross wants to see her." Was his curt explanation as his team leader scowled at him. Wolf narrowed his eye at her as if Andross's order were somehow her fault. He took a few steps closer but was knocked back as Rita's foot slammed into his jaw. "She's a little hell-cat, that one." murmured one of the guards. The half-circle of guards parted on one side and Andross strode into the center, the gap in the ranks closing behind him. He studied the scene before him for a moment then began to laugh softly. "It seems that she's still got a little fight left in her after all!" Suddenly he was solemn as he turned on Wolf. "I distinctly remember you saying that she'd become more docile and compliant after a few days with you." His voice was accusatory. Wolf wiped the trickle of blood that had formed off his chin with the back of his hand. "She's a bit more stubborn than I thought, my liege." His voice was laced with thinly veiled annoyance. Andross motioned for Leon to turn Rita over to him. As soon as his hand closed around her upper arm she sank her teeth into it. He yelped in surprise as he let her go, then backhanded her across the face. Rita collapsed into a heap on the floor, completely exhausted, though defiance still shone in her eyes as she glared up at Andross. He examined the teeth marks on his hand as blood began to well up and trickle out of the pierced flesh. Then he glared down at her, completely forgetting about his hand. "Leon, bring her." His order was curt. As Leon stooped to pull Rita to her feet Andross turned to Wolf once more. "Don't forget that this tiny little female was the one who made you look like a fool, Wolf. You've been too confident lately. Perhaps you've learned something useful from this." With that he marched off down the hall with Leon half-carrying Rita, and the guards in tow. ~*~