Those who play with the devil's toys, will be brought by degrees to wield his sword

Adam didn't like it. Feeding this thing. Nursing it back to health. It felt wrong. Like a betrayal somehow. He could almost heat the Instinct screaming from behind the veil of Halcyon. It wanted the Typhon dead. 'Join the club', he thought.

The creatures arms and legs had nearly grown back, and it scuttled with a confidence Adam didn't particularly like. It least he didn't have to feed it by hand anymore. He reached into the cage, as always the Typhon- Kat had said it was an 'Adolescent' in the notes she'd uncovered -scurried to the far side of the cage. He dropped the food. Waited. The Adolescent didn't move. It's back was pressed firmly against the bars, feet slipping on the steel floor as it kept pushing back.

"Fascinating." Kat breathed. "The Subject's fear response is so powerful when directed toward you that it overrides even a strong hunger."

Strong indeed. They'd starved it for two days just for this test. And it was always hungry.

The cage was strong, even if it was makeshift. Adam had spent an hour locked inside, using every bit of brute **** he could manage to escape. Cindi did good work. The bars were unbreakable.

"Let's try adding a second variable." Kat spoke into her audionotes before calling out to Adam. "Watch your hands, hun."

A moment later the cage lit up with electricity, 10,000 volts give or take, the smell of ozone and burning flesh filled the air as the juice flicked on again and again. The Typhon didn't let up. It stayed pressed against the cage, eyes full of fear and pain, but fear was clearly the dominant ****.

"Incredible." Kat said with a note of satisfaction in her voice. She turned off the juice and motioned for Adam to step back. No sooner had he done so, than the Typhon pounced on the food. Just ration packs and raw protein, but it was hungry.

Ada noted with some alarm, the casual ease with which his Aunt was inflicting pain on this thing. It worried him. He thought he could feel the Instinct agree, where ever it was, trapped deep inside. It had been getting louder, even with the Halcyon. How much longer until the voices and urges came back, he wondered? Maybe Kat had it right, they needed to understand their enemy, if they had any hope of defeating it. Much less curing him. Maybe that justified a little ****. Maybe it didn't matter, the Adolescent wasn't going to be around much longer anyway.

He studied the creature. It was staring at Kat now. Eyes hateful and dark. They'd been that way even before the tests. It had hated her in the tunnels too. Hurt her. 'Just because it was weak, didn't make it a victim'. Kat seemed to read his thoughts without even looking up.

"You have a big heart, Adam. But you shouldn't waste it on these things." She held out her arm to the cage. In a flash, the Typhon lept up from its food and was stretching, straining to reach his aunt. It's hands clawed at her flesh just millimeters beyond its reach. She flicked the juice back on, and the the storage room they'd converted to a prison instantly reeked of ozone and burning flesh once more. It didn't matter, the Adolescent was still trying to reach her, even as its flesh darkened with burns.

"These things." Kat repeated as she killed the power and put down her arm. "All they are is hunger."

'And what does that make me'? Adam didn't dare to ask Kat's retreating form as she turned back to her samples.

It was dark outside when they found the ship, which meant inside was darker. Pitch black shadows layered onto midnight. Anything could be hiding in there. Quarterback flicked his suit optics over to night vision. Useless. There was no light to enhance. In those suits, the Crisis-Team were cold anyway. They'd be even more invisible in this. He didn't like. Which meant Vic HATED it.

"Hmmm, what a dilemma." His little green homunculus whispered in his ear. "I wonder if you should risk your life, venturing inside the dark scary spaceship or bomb it from orbit?"

"Five minutes, in and out, and its over either way." There was a tac-nuke on his hip, perfect for a suicide run if it came to that. He'd already set the arming switch.

"You know, keeping you alive is my primary directive?" Vic reminded him as they plunged into the darkness. "I get a bad quarterly review if you die. No bonus, either."

Quarterback felt his way along the wall, he commanded the suit to roll back to his wrist. It did so with barely a whisper, though the sound nearly echoed off the dead walls. He traced the walls as he walked, eyes uselessly searching for light. Vic would flare every suit lens to maximum if they found someone. Or something. It would be small advantage against their enemies, but he'd take whatever he could get.

There was only blackness and silence. A gaping maw of nothingness.

His heard nothing. Saw nothing. Just more blackness. His pupils must have been stretched nearly to the size of dinner plates, trying to catch even a hint of light. And finally they did. At first he thought it must have been a sensory deprivation hallucination. The mind could only withstand so much emptiness, before it began to fill in the dark with light of its own, but Vic confirmed it. There was something glowing faintly up ahead of them.

By the time he found the storage room, there were only a few glow strips still giving off light. But it was enough to know two things; he was alone on this ship. And someone had died horribly here.

"Lights, Vic."

There was blood everywhere. Bright red ichor slathering the floor. He took it all in without a sound. Sadly, he was used to the sight. But not what he saw in the corner. That was something he would never get used to. The Strand, swayed menacingly in the shadows, fine filaments flecked with blood. He felt the slight discomfort of Vic seizing control of the suit, forcing his arm to raise as he scanned the room.

"I count four distinct DNA traces. One deceased." Vic announced. "They left hours ago."

Quarterback just stared at the Strand. His first thought turned to the impossible. The unthinkable. He had to be wrong, because if he wasn't, things were about to get much, much worse.

"So this is it, huh? You know I never actually did this before." Adam had a thoughtful look on his face. "Sam?"

"Me neither. Came close once, but it fell through at the last second."

There was a nervous energy in the air. Both of them turned to Cindi. "Don't look at me. I've only ever been with you guys."

They were all finally in a room together. Adam's bedroom, actually. Jerk actually had a bigger closet than she did. She make sure to arrange a room swap in the immediate future. The Invader's pilot deserved to have ample space for her shoes.

"How do we...?"

Adam dragged Cindi into his chest, his mouth latching onto hers and then she was flying again. She felt her brother break away a moment later, only to pull Sam into an open mouthed kiss as well. Then back to Cindi. He had a had cupping each of their asses, but it was Sam who had reached over and begun to tease Cindi's sensitive nipple. She shuddered and moaned into Adam's mouth. Her hand slid down to tuck under his belt and give her favorite toy a squeeze. It had missed her, she could feel it.

Before she could explore more, Sam grabbed a fistful of Cindi's top and dragged her in for a hungry tongue battle herself. Before Cindi could even finish squealing, Sam pulled back, lightly biting on Cindi's lip as she went. She cocked an eyebrow at her. "Let's give our boyfriend a show, Cinderella."

Sam dragged Cindi to the bed, peeling her out of her clothes as they went, until they were both naked and wanting, Sam's hands cupping Cindi's ample breasts, their lips and tongues battling for dominance. Adam was groaning, out of the corner of her eye, Cindi saw her brother fisting that massive cock of his, clearly loving the sight of them.

"I wanna eat you." She whispered to Sam, before she dove between her cousin's legs. She suckled the tangy honey in between. She knew Sam's hot box almost as well as her own at this point, she'd certainly had practice studying it. Sam was moaning her pleasure as Cindi drove her tongue as deeply as she could, hands gripping her thighs to keep her from escaping the painful pleasure she inflicted.

"She's good, Adam." Sam cried out. "She's so fucking good!"

"Mmmmmm." Cindi moaned into the weeping snatch.

"Eat that cunt. Eat it." Sam tensed, tightened, then snapped and flooded Cindi's face with her orgasm. "Fucking hell, eat me!" She screamed.

"My turn, ladies." Adam gave each of them a peck then laid on his back between them, cock pointed straight up at the ceiling like a weapon. It was nearly vibrating with desire. Cindi and Sam shared a look. They'd each been on the receiving end of Adam's unrestrained lust.

"That thing looks dangerous." Sam murmured.

"I'll protect you Big Sam." Cindi smiled, and dove on it like a grenade. She jammed inch after inch of cock into her mouth until she started to gag. Sam, meanwhile, not to be outdone, set about covering Adam's balls and shaft in as much of her saliva as she could. Above them on the bed, Adam shouted his pleasure and his cock began to thicken....

Sam gave Cindi's hair the lightest of tugs. A warning to pull back, and she reluctantly obeyed, contenting herself instead with gently fisting Adam's rock hard and saliva soaked cock as she and Sam made out once more.

"Enough foreplay." Adam growled before he threw the girls to the bed. Cindi had just enough time to shoot him an exasperated look before he grabbed her hips and slammed himself home. Cindi felt herself leave her body. She clung to Sam, who had begun to tease her nipples once more and plant hickies along her neck. Her pussy spasmed, once, twice, and then she came on Adam's cock, to his groan of satisfaction.

"Break this little slut, Adam." Sam said, voice barely above a whisper as she slid her hand down to tickle Cindi's clit. The doubled sensations overwhelmed Cindi. She screamed another climax as Adam managed to lodge himself inside her to the root. From the stretched lips of her labia to the fleshy knob of Adam's manhood pushing against her womb, she was so full of cock she could barely breath.

"You cum too damn quickly, Cinderella." Sam said with a smirk. "When do I get a turn?"

"You've got to learn to think creatively." Cindi answered between gasps. "Adam. Lay on your back. Sam needs to sit on your face!"

They were riding the tricycle together after that. Sam grinding her pussy into Adam as they shared another kiss. It was Cindi's turn to play with her cousin, and she did. Teasing her sensitive nipples to hardened points, each kiss or lick bringing a delightful little yelp from the tall brunette until-

Sam came screaming yet again. This time her hands wound through her hair and as she came down from the high, she started giggling.

"That sounded like a good one." Cindi said as she clenched Adam with her walls. She could feel him twitching insider her, **** to cum. She didn't make it easier on him either, working her hips in a circle, Adam's cock grinding between her G-spot and her hip bone.

"You two are gonna kill me." Adam groaned, hands clutching the bedsheets as he fought off his orgasm.

"Don't die, I didn't get any dick yet." Sam taunted.

They switched and Sam rode her brother like a woman possessed. The bed shook around them, Adam had his eyes clenched shut and jaw set. He was gonna blow any minute.

Cindi watched as Sam rode through another climax, but this time she didn't stop, she didn't even slow. "Guys? Guys I want another turn. Please?" Cindi pouted. She slid down to watch where her two lovers were joined. How erotic it was, to take so much of a man inside you. And Sam was taking it all like a good girl should.

"I can't hold it." Adam groaned.

Sam ignored them both. She was moaning with effort as she worked Adam's cock. "Give it to me. Please." She whimpered. "I need it."

"Hey." Cindi gave her cousin's nipple a sharp tug. Sam's eyes flew open and she seemed to remember where she was. "Come down here. I want to share it with you."

Slowly, reluctantly, Sam pulled inch after throbbing inch out of her womanhood. She settled in on her knees beside Cindi, seemingly still in a daze. The two of them began to lick, the ten inch rock hard shaft between them jumped with each rough stroke of the tongue. Once. Twice.

Adam's cock erupted before they could get to three and shot rope after hot rope of sticky cum across their faces. It fired out so hard it actually stung a bit, as it covered them in a flood of salty roe; while Adam roared in triumph above them.

When the shots finally tapered off to gentle drizzle out of Adam's still twitching cock, Cindi managed to squint her eyes open. Sam was nearly gasping beside her, as smeared with cum as Cindi as she rubbed Adam's cock reverently against her face. "Cock. Robbing. Bitch!" Sam shrugged and continued her adoration. "That was way more than your half! And you almost didn't share in the first place!"

Cindi dove onto Sam, tongue first, determined to steal it back and fell with her cousin in a tangle of limbs and laughter and love.

Adam's bed was every bit as comfortable as she remembered. Even if it had to sleep three from now on.

Crisis-4 and Crisis-5 were full of fear. They stank with it. When they returned to the cargo bay they'd been less than pleased to see what he'd don't to Crisis-3. He'd emerged from the Strand, naked and changed. Purified, though the process had left him drained. If the others had any sense at all, that's when they would have struck him down. But they didn't. They were weak, just as the voice had told him. It didn't matter, they were serving their purpose, and he had a stronger pack in mind to replace them.

He could sense them now. Ever since he left the Strand, he could feel them in the back of his mind. Shadowing them since they abandoned the ship. When the Adolescents finally showed themselves, the others' fear had transformed into sheer terror. He could tell that neither man truly had a grip on it, despite their attempts at remaining stone faced. Perhaps they knew what fate awaited them, perhaps they even accepted it. Either way, 4 and 5 hardly moved more than a handful of steps distant from each other now. Murphy, on the other hand made a great show of examining their new companions. So much so, that Crisis-2 had nearly had to kill Butch Jr., just to keep the doctor safe. As it was, Butch Jr wasn't liable to try any more rough play without his arm now, was he? And Crisis-2 had found something to eat. So everyone came out a winner.

"How do you feel?"

He took a breath, let it out slowly. "Stronger and yet...weaker. You were right about the Typhon part of me trying to destroy the rest."

“You'll need to find a suitable tissue donor to stave off degradation.” Murphy explained. He was the only human who still dared to look at him when he spoke.

"One of them?" Crisis-2 nodded to the Adolescents, waiting on his every move. They were utterly his now. Their bond, strengthened a thousandfold since he had been changed. There had been power waiting inside that Strand, just as the Voices promised. The power to control.

"Too pure for now. You need a halfway point. A stepping stone. Perhaps several, until you reach metastability."

"Did you have any suggestions?" He ground the words out slowly. Speaking had become more difficult since he had begun to change. His jaws were not shaped for words after all.

"Anyone with similar levels of genetic drift will do. Though an increase in mass, could have potential synergistic effects."

'An increase in mass'. His meaning could not have been more clear. It brought a smile to his face, though his jaws were not suited for that either.

Crisis-2's teammates shifted uneasily, sensing a change in the air. Crisis-4 looked stricken, his face the picture of grim acceptance of his own violent ****. Fool.

Fool. The Voice echoed in agreement. As if he would ever take that weakness inside of him.

Crisis-2 sprang into the air and jackknifed into Crisis-5, easily batting aside the giant's feeble attacks. His hands, more claws now, tightened upon the man's neck until, with a single heave, he tore his head free and began to feast on the blood that poured forth.

It was madness. He was naked and transformed on an alien world, bathing in his teammates blood; his adopted children shrieking in joy as he devoured the man. But Crisis-2 didn't feel mad.

He felt like a God.

Adam rose from the bed, his lovers shivered at the sudden loss of body heat, until they snuggled closer into each other. He spared them a glance. The Instinct, freed of it's shackles at last growled appreciatively at the sight.

Worthy. The Instinct pronounced.

Adam made his way down to their prison. Some part of him railed against his intention. It begged him to consider the risk. To himself. To the others. He'd just gotten his family back, and if this went sideways...but it was too late to change course. The Typhon was gone.

Just as he'd planned.

He'd sealed off every blast door, after Kat went to bed. It's path cut off in all but one direction, the Adolescent had fled toward engineering.

Just as he'd planned.

His pad chimed insistently, he'd skipped two doses now. The last of the Halcyon would be gone from his system. He tore it off his arm and let it fall as he walked. It had been too long since he'd felt like this. Too long forcing his urges down. And for what? Without the **** weakening him, he could have matched Crisis-2 blow for blow. With just a little more power....

You would kill them all. The Instinct warned.

"That's the plan." Adam muttered as he crossed into engineering. Storage locker B was just off the port side. The reinforced door had been tore apart in the Adolescent's frantic urge to reach what was inside. It had grown large, overtaken the tiny room. The background radiation had been enough to feed it, along with a few protein packs Adam had left for nutrients. Instead of the tiny vial, there was jungle of tendrils oozing out into main engineering. 'I'm going to have to find some way to keep it contained'. Adam mused. Further thoughts were interrupted as the Adolescent slid out of the Strand right before his eyes.

It wasn't afraid. Not anymore. It was perhaps, serene? At peace? Tranquility looks so alien on a face meant for hunger. Meant for evil.

And you would take that evil inside yourself? The Instinct demanded.

The Adolescent knelt before him. It's eyes locked on to Adam's. What had it seen inside that forest of alien tendrils? As inhuman as the Typhon was, the Strand was something different, something powerful. He'd been treating the Typhons like the real danger, but that was a mistake. This was a different kind of evil. Not the base cruelty found in the slaking of dark thirsts, the meeting of terrible needs. This was corruption of souls, The deal with the devil. This was evil with a plan.

DON'T do this. The Instinct begged.

The Strand called to him, the barest few hairs landed on his arm. 'Power', they promised. A means to an end. Or an end in itself. They asked for nothing in return, but a chance to share this gift with him. They called to him. Showing him his enemies, growing stronger, growing closer. The shooter on Ya Fen.

'The Quarterback', the Strand said. And yet it wasn't words. It was the act of remembering. As if Adam had always known the answer, but couldn't recall it until just now. 'And others.'

Faces and visions flooded him. Crisis-Team was growing stronger. The Quarterback had followed them here. Keith Martell, had kidnapped his mother. Adam knew the last to be a lie for sure. Wherever his mother was, she wasn't in Keith's grip. The reverse would be more likely, though he was at a loss for what motive would stir Charlotte Carter from her tower, to bother hunting her husband across the galaxy. One does not send a lion, to kill a rat.

Adam pulled his arm free of the Strand, his thoughts became his own, once more. True or not, the threats against his family were real. The power he held was lacking and this was the source of more. He could do this. He could keep them all safe. As long as he was strong enough.

But at what price? The Instinct demanded.