The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Apollo. Forgive the interruption, but I have a scanner update.”

Pulling my lips away from Onyx I sat up against the end of the bed, turned to the ceiling and replied. ”Hit me with it, Astra.” I then got comfortable and wrapped one arm around Onyx and the Other Sithrik who was waiting for her turn.

”I have scanned a large army of Drakoshi heading in this direction. About thirty minutes until they arrive in our perimeter. By my calculation they are marching on Fort Amberrock.”

Hearing that, I turned to Onyx and asked a question. ”Is it time?”

Having told me the naughty thing she did that was so important it caused Sithrik’s evolution, I knew it was only a matter of time before we used it. Onyx nodded her head at me and then proceeded to pout.

”I wanted ten more minutes... Apollo, you are too cruel withholding sex.”

”Very cruel, my King. You know this vessel yearns for your every touch.” Sithrik added from the side licking the side of my face with her serpentine tongue. Resisting the urge to shudder, I replied.

”No sex until we win. That is what I said and I stick to my word. Trust me, the moment we win, I am jumping the three of you until the planet shakes.” I said, prompting the ball of fire on my legs to take shape and began to caress my inner thigh.

”Your words are powerful Apollo. We will put that boast to the test. Now how about you kiss me for good luck?” Sol suggested salaciously as she started straddling my leg.

I then forcefully grabbed her by the waist, prompting her to yelp in surprise as I dragged her towards me. She started to laugh before I locked my lips with hers.

I then pulled back, savouring the smoky flavour of her lips before I felt a claw brush down my shoulder.

”How about you kiss me too Apollo? For good luck?” Sithrik suggested, flirtily fluttering her eyelids, now that she finally had some.

”Mmmh~ I won’t say no to that.” I said and turned my head slightly at which point Sithrik attacked my face. Her tongue wrapped around my own in a way I seriously enjoyed for a few moments before pulling back herself and just looked at me for a few moments in a daze.

Onyx then tapped me on the shoulder also, even though I just kissed her. She simply puckered her lips, expectingly and I was more than happy to oblige, but suddenly I heard a noise, and a considerable amount of weight then landed on me followed by,

”MOO!”

Sapphire in her less chonky form began rubbing up against me after her declaration of wanting kissies as well. Being my adorable girl, how could I deny her?

”Mwah Mwah Mwah! Who is the bestest chonk in the whole wide universe? You are! Yes you are MWAH MWAH! Who has killed so many Drakoshi with her big sharp claws! Who has made me so proud these last few months always ready to do crazy shit for me? Hmm? My best girl! That is who! Mwah! Such a cutie! Yes you are!

...

Envy.

It was a twisted emotion.

Apollo did a good job of keeping envy amongst his women to a minimum, it helped that over half his women were the same individual, but even then...

However, one thing was certain. The way Apollo doted on his pet. The one ’female’ creature they all knew Apollo did not have any intention of mating with.

It made them sick with envy.

They wanted their belly rubbed. To be told they were a good girl. They wanted a shower of kisses. To be told they are the bestest girls in that cute high pitched voice that he does when speaking to Sapphire.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

Apollo had no idea the look his so called ’perfect pet’ gives the others when she is receiving the attention. The smugness. The arrogance. The pettiness in Sapphire’s eyes just fuelled the envy even more. She knew what she was doing. Taking Apollo’s love at this moment. She was goading them. Daring them to try something. Anything. And suffer whatever consequences would be for meddling in something that was ’not their business.’

It was irritating.

It was maddening.

It was-

”So are you all ready?”

The envy disappeared like it never existed as Apollo’s attention turned back onto them. The terrible thoughts vanishing like a father going to get some milk.

...

”Yes. Of course. Sithrik and I will meet you there. See you shortly.” Onyx replied instantly, all smiles. The time for mating and her return to her Kings Origin was growing near! She then did not allow Sithrik to say a word as she dragged the half snake out of the room with her. They had very little time to spare.

I smiled as I watched them leave, Sol quietly returned to my Origin. It would be great if she could just use her power, snap her fingers and burn our enemies into a pile of dust, but until I was much, much stronger, her universe conditions did not allow direct intervention. Which sucked as my fantasy of watching her float around flinging fireballs at people was still something I really wanted to see.

...

Forgoing the urge to use the stick on myself, I composed my emotions and made my way to the kitchen where the Synthesiser was. ”Astra. Do you have it ready for me? I know I had you on a time crunch, but-”

”-Of course Apollo. I finished it roughly fifteen minutes and thirty seven seconds ago.”

”Roughly she says... That’s great. Can you whip it out and put it in my hands already? I am eager to feel it.” I asked and a moment later a flash of light emerged from the Synthesiser and then an object lay there.

A Gauss pistol. Or rather, a Gauss hand canon. The weapon by the schematics we had been working on in our free time, courtesy of Astra unlocking a particularly nifty firewall, it was similar to the rifles that were stored in the armoury, only the hand cannon was at least six times stronger, but it also came with the downside of some serious recoil.

Something I could handle with my body and my armour, but a normal human? Bye bye arm.

I picked the gun up and began to inspect it carefully as if I damaged it, I knew we didn’t have to parts to remake it. The gun was styled in a revolver type way... I wasn’t a gun guy, I was a melee guy. I knew the basics and had listened to the mercs and the Psionic elites chat about their own, so I knew how to inspect the weapon. Pulling out the weapons cylinder to its side, It held six rounds before needing to be reloaded. On the underside of the weapon was the concentrated, or condensed? Gauss mechanism that gave the weapon its OOMPH! Pulling back the firing hammer, I looked down its sights before I suddenly felt a little silly.

”Apollo? Query. Why do you look surprised?” Astra asked, catching on.

”Oh, it’s nothing. I just realised I have never fired this type of weapon before. Now I do need to go now. Do you have the ammo for it?”

A few moments later roughly forty speed loaders were piled up for me in a small bag. A good amount, but finite.

I began packing up the goods and loaded up the weapon before realising I was forgetting something. ”Oh! Astra can you make me-”

”Already anticipated, Apollo. A more simplistic task.”

A holster suddenly emerged from the synthesiser. Donning my armour I hastily equipped the holster to my upper thigh. It wore perfectly. Like it wasn’t there. I then materialised Zircon in my right hand before drawing the hand cannon with my left and took a firing stance.

I then performed a few flourishes with zircon before taking another firing stance.

’Oh yeah... It’s all coming together.’

I then holstered the hand cannon and put Zircon back in my Mindspace before turning to the synthesiser and collecting the rest of the ammo before speaking.

”Astra. I said it before, but thank you. For everything.”

”Of course Apollo. I am happy to be of service. Now I would offer lips to grant good luck also, but I have none. So my words will have to suffice. Good luck.”

I chuckled at Astra’s joke before turning to leave. ”Set your previous conditions to what they were when I last left. I’ll be back soon.”

...

Once Apollo left, Astra began to shut down everything unnecessary. Her Data banks remained online and her engines as per Onyx’s request. Onyx had also requested a few other things. So in accordance with Onyx’s instructions, once Apollo was gone a fair distance, Astra activated her shields at a minimal power. As a result all the debris within was purged instantly, leaving Astra, while a bit damaged, ready for whatever the next order would be.