Douglas's Dilemma - Chapter 5

While Tiffany grapples with her conscience, an intense battle breaks out in the city.

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"Well?" Major Kraam turned to Tiffany with a curious expression, eagerly waiting to see if the world's most powerful superhero would take Illyana's advice and incinerate him.

Illyana, still kneeling, let out a derisive snort and looked at Tiffany with disdain. "The girl is too soft for that."

Major Kraam raised an eyebrow, returning his attention to Tiffany, who began to feel uncertain as her unwavering gaze wavered slightly. "Is this true?" he said.

"Hey!" Douglas interjected, making his presence known as he stood behind his girlfriend, feeling a surge of courage to defend her. "Tiffany is not a murderer. She saves people."

"And what if it became a necessity?" Major Kraam said. "What if her indecisiveness could lead to the death of thousands, while all she had to do to prevent that was to kill one?"

Illyana interrupted before Douglas and Tiffany had a chance to speak. "She would let them all die and grant even mercy to the one she should have killed."

"No, she wouldn't! You don't know her!" Douglas defended his girlfriend, seeming that Tiffany had been degraded to a spectator of a discussion about her.

Illyana rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I know her well enough to see through her superheroness and recognize that she's just a soft layer of cake, incapable of doing what needs to be done."

Major Kraam smirked. "So, there is no danger for me if I decide to just," His hand darted out, and he grabbed Illyana's hair, pulling her up abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Douglas stepped forward, his expression filled with worry.

"What does it look like?" Major Kraam said as he forcefully tore away Illyana's clothes with his other hand. Anger filled Illyana's eyes as she realized she was powerless against the Major's strength. With a string of curses, she thrashed about, desperately attempting to escape as her shirt was torn away, followed by her skirt, leaving her clad only in her undergarments and boots.

His minions stepped forward, catching on to their leader's intentions. They eagerly eyed Illyana's beautiful form, ready to join in on the fun.

"She's mine!" Major Kraam growled at his minions, his stubs glowing with an ominous green light.

The minions backed off, knowing better than not to respect the boundaries of their leader.

"Stop it!" Tiffany was able to find her voice again.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Major Kraam winked at Tiffany as he tore away Illyana's bra, revealing her ample bosom.

Out of decency, Douglas averted his eyes.

With her head painfully wrenched backward by the iron grip of the Major's hand in her hair, Illyana let out a groan and struggled desperately to break free.

The sharp sting of his fingers gripping her hair and the prospect of what he was about to do to her only fueled Illyana's determination as she fought against his hold like a lioness.

Illyana's expression of fear and anger turned to disgust as Major Kraam's face inched closer and his blue tongue darted out to lick her cheek. She could feel a slimy layer of saliva left behind on her skin.

“Sweet,” he said.

As Major Kraam's hand began to fondle her breasts, Illyana could not hold back her sobs.

Tiffany stepped forward, jolted out of her numb state, and determined to take action. However, her path was obstructed as a group of henchmen interposed themselves between her and the Major.

Tiffany's voice regained its former strength as she said, "Get out of my way!"

Major Kraam smirked from behind his group. "I know I'm irresistible, darling, but you really should learn to wait in line."

Tiffany let out a roar and struck one of the men with a powerful punch in the face, causing him to fly backward. The others reacted quickly, piling on top of her from all sides - with more joining in from every direction. About thirty henchmen were now engaged in a brawl with Tiffany, growling and attacking her relentlessly.

Amidst the chaos and commotion of the ongoing battle, Douglas stood disoriented and overwhelmed. He caught a glimpse of the Major talking to one of his minions and strained to hear what was being said. With some effort, he managed to block out the noise around him and read the Major's lips.

From what he gathered, it seemed the Major was saying, "Give me three minutes with this wench. After that, you can all have your ways with her while I deal with blondie."

"No!" Douglas lunged towards the Major, filled with rage and determination.

The Major's face displayed boredom as he watched Douglas charge towards him like a raging buffalo.

Just as Douglas's fist was about to connect with the Major's nose, the latter casually raised his hand and flicked him against the chest with one finger. The force sent Douglas flying backward until he crashed into a nearby dumpster, rendering him unconscious on the ground.

With a swarm of minions on her tail, Tiffany soared through the air, her body a blur of movement as she deftly dodged punches and kicks raining down on her from all directions.

Her every move was calculated and precise as she unleashed powerful blows upon her attackers, sending them hurtling in every possible direction, some of them crashing through buildings. Chaos had taken over the city as citizens ran for cover from the debris raining down upon them, screams echoing through the streets as bodies dropped from the sky like bombs. The panicked masses stampeded in every direction, searching for safety amidst the destruction caused by Tiffany's epic battle.

Tiffany swiftly grabbed one of the enemies by his ankle, rotating her body 360 degrees before flinging him toward a group of incoming enemies. This gave Tiffany a brief moment of respite to survey the chaos below. Her gaze landed on a familiar figure lying motionless near a dumpster, easily recognizable by his red shirt. "Douglas!" She quickly defended herself against a foe by headbutting him on the nose at the same time he was attempting to sucker-punch her from the side. She swooped down and landed next to her boyfriend.

Tiffany quickly took care of two attacking foes who roared as they charged towards her by hoisting a nearby dumpster and tossing it in their direction, effectively neutralizing the threat.

Douglas let out a pained groan as Tiffany helped him up and draped his arm over her neck.

His hand instinctively went to his ribs. "I think it might be broken.” he said between groans of pain. Suddenly, his eyes widened as a realization struck him. "Illyana! You've got to do something, Tiff. That Major guy is going to rape her."

"Where are they?" Tiffany looked around.

"There! Over there!" Douglas said, pointing his finger. Tiffany followed his line of sight and saw them ducking into a church amidst the chaos on the street.

"Let go of me!" Illyana screamed, her voice piercing Major Kraam's ear as she fought against him by spitting in his face and scratching at his arms with all her might.

"As you wish, princes." Major Kraam pushed Illyana forcefully against the base of a Jesus altar, causing her to stumble and fall on the stone floor. A priest who had heard the commotion rushed to see what was happening. He saw a half-naked young woman in a state of pain and went towards her but took a step back as soon as he spotted Major Kraam approaching with an intense glare while wiping away spit from his face. Before the priest could escape, he was hit with a bright beam, shot from one of the stubs on the Major's forehead, leaving behind only a charred body.

"You killed him!" Illyana said, scurrying away from the Major as he approached her. Her back stumbled against a wall. Illyana looked from left to right. She was trapped. There was no way out. And there was no one else here in this church besides her and this nasty man she could never hope to overpower.

"Strip naked," he said. "Now!" his voice booming through the halls of the church when he found it was taking too long before Illyana was heeding his command.

Illyana jumped at the sound of his voice. With no other choice, she began to reach for her underwear.

"Leave it on." a woman's voice echoed through the church hallway.

Illyana's heart lifted with relief as a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.

Major Kraam's expression was far from pleased as he saw Tiffany standing there, one hand on her hip.

"Done playing already?" he said.

Tiffany shrugged, "Not me. But your friends seemed exhausted, so I had to find someone else to play with."

"Fine, I'll tell you what: I'll leave this planet be. I promise. The only thing I'm taking with me is this girl." He gestured towards Illyana. "Agreed?"

Tiffany shook her head. "The only thing you are bringing back with you are your out-of-control companions who caused chaos in my city."

"I will have my satisfaction!" Major Kraam growled.

"That may be true. Only not here, on this planet, or with that girl." Tiffany glared at Illyana.

The Major's face twisted into a sardonic grin. "Perhaps I should just blow myself up then, huh? Take half of this city with me as a parting gift."

Tiffany chuckled. "And kill yourself for a cause as pathetic as this?"

"Oh, but this girl is anything but pathetic." Major Kraam gripped Illyana's chin tightly, making her meet his gaze. As a precaution, he placed his other hand in front of her mouth to prevent her from spitting at him - a tactic she had tried numerous times before.

"Never seen anyone as feisty as her." Illyana groaned, her eyes spitting fire. "She might even be the first girl I would actually fear if she would have just a fraction of your powers. And who says anything about me killing myself?" His gaze shifted to Tiffany.

"The ability of my race to regenerate a damaged body is superior to every other species throughout the universe. We can survive a lot, even if our bodies are ripped apart. Its molecules will seamlessly return to their original position, carrying out their tasks as if nothing unusual had happened. Only intense heat can provide enough force to overcome the bond energy in our molecules, causing them to break apart. Heat that probably someone like you can generate.

"But as we discussed before, you don't have the fortitude to do what needs to be done. So, as an act of mercy, I promise I will only have my way with this girl before my gang and I are out of here, leaving this planet alone."

Major Kraam grabbed Illyana by her arm, yanking her up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a lovely young lady. You can join if you like. No?" He shrugged.

Illyana pleaded with Tiffany through worried eyes as the Major dragged her away.

Tiffany's eyes turned a fiery shade of red as she unleashed a burst of heat vision towards the Major's back. He spun around with a smirk as he gazed at her with his small, beady eyes. "Changed your mind? That really tickles, by the way."

Tiffany cranked up her power.

"Aaah, now we're talking!" The Major seemed to revel in it like he was enjoying a relaxing soak in a warm bath.

His face began to show signs of discomfort. "That, ugh, actually begins to hurt. But it's nice. It's nice."

"Argh, fuck! Okay, stop it! That's enough!"

Tiffany turns up the power a few notches and walks closer, her heat vision intensifying its devastating effect.

The Major let go of Illyana's arm and sank to his knees with a look of pain on his face. "Blasted wench! Ugh… I will blow this city to–Aaargh!" He slammed his hands against his head, clasping it like he wanted to grab the pain pulsing within his skull so he could throw it away.

A door burst open, slamming against a stone wall and echoing through the hall. Douglas stormed in, his face twisted in confusion as he scanned the scene. "What's going on here?" His eyes became tiny slits as he glared at the bright red beam coming from Tiffany's eyes.

Illyana approached him, holding out her hands to stop him. "Stay back! It's hot over there." She displayed the reddened skin on her arms and hands, resembling a severe sunburn.

Tiffany roared as she unleashed a final burst of heat vision aimed directly at the Major's chest. His agonizing scream was cut short by the explosion that followed, splattering his insides and purple blood all over the hall.

Several of the Major's followers burst in through the church's stained glass windows, depicting scenes from the bible, shattering pieces of art carefully crafted by artists many years ago. Their eyes darted from Tiffany to the messy remains throughout the hall to the shred of their leader's uniform laying at her feet, then back to her. Speaking in a language she couldn't understand, they quickly scurried off, hurrying to their ships to escape Earth and never return.

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Douglas emerged from the bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist. In the bedroom, he approached his bed, where a person lay nestled under the covers. He sat down and gently ran his fingers over the smooth shoulder, peeking from the blanket. Blonde strands of hair were splayed across the pillow. Tiffany turned her head and responded to Douglas's smile with a faint one of her own.

A heavy weight hung in her voice as she spoke. "I killed a person today."

"That Major dude was anything but a person. You did the right thing." Douglas said, tracing gentle circles on her cheek with his thumb. "Would you care for a pizza? I'm starving!"

Tiffany shrugged and turned her head to glance absentmindedly at the black garment heaped on the floor beside her.

Douglas grinned, stretching his arms above his head with a slight groan as he stood up. "I'll just order your usual: pizza tuna and a can of Fernandes, right? I'll gladly devour it myself if you don't want it." He strolled over to a nearby side table and grabbed his phone.

"Hey, can I ask you for a favor?" Tiffany asked.

Douglas turned around. "Yeah, sure. Anything."

"Would you be so kind as to burn these clothes for me?" She gestured towards the pile of black garments on the floor. "They symbolize a part of me that I want to forget."

Douglas retrieved a garbage bag from a nearby drawer and proceeded to the pile of dark clothing on the floor. Some patches of blood were still visible on the fabric. As he stuffed the clothes into the bag, his gaze met Tiffany's and offered her a smile.

"I know about you and Illyana," Tiffany said, causing Douglas to freeze and stare at her with the guilt of a child caught in a lie by his parents.

"I know your inner struggles," she said. “Don't worry; I hold no blame for you. It's who you are. My only wish is for you to find peace in your choice."