Mark stood naked at the wide viewport in the suite, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out at the sprawling city that seemed to be built in the sky. The Viltrumite capital stretched endlessly in every direction, thousands of towering spires that pierced the sky. Lots of the Massive structures floated in mid-air, connected by bridges that went to other buildings. Vehicles zipped between them, piloted by alien species in uniform, while larger transports hauled materials across the horizon.
It was nothing like Earth. No traffic jams, no billboards or neon signs cluttering the view. Everything here was perfect for lack of a better word, built on a scale that made Metropolis look like a small town. The symmetry was perfect, almost unnatural, with roads forming geometric patterns that fed into central hubs. He had to admit, it looked incredible, a testament to advanced engineering that far outstripped anything humans had achieved.
But as he watched, his thoughts shifted. How many worlds had been stripped bare to build this? He pictured the fleets of enslaved races his father had mentioned, entire civilizations broken and forced into labor. The silver towers were forged from resources plundered from conquered planets, assembled by hands that had no choice. Billions of beings, maybe more, had suffered for this view. Families torn apart, cultures erased, lives reduced to tools for Viltrumite glory. The thought disturbed him deeply. Was this the price of perfection? He clenched his jaw, wondering if staying here, made him complicit in it all.
'It's for your family...' he reminded himself.
Raven approached from behind, her bare feet silent on the floor. Her grey skin glowed faintly in the room's light, her body on full display; firm breasts with dark nipples, a toned stomach leading to wide hips and smooth thighs. She pressed against his back, her arms wrapping around his waist, her breasts squishing against his spine as she hung off him lightly, one leg hooking around his calf. Her hands rested on his abs, fingers tracing idle circles. "What's wrong?" she asked, her breath warm on his shoulder.
Mark turned his head slightly, smiling down at her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead gently, his lips lingering for a second. "Nothing's wrong," he replied. "Just thinking."
Harley skipped into the room from the adjoining chamber, completely naked as well, her pale skin marked with faint freckles across her shoulders and chest. Her breasts bounced with each step, though they were so perky they didn't bounce much at all. Her hips swayed playfully, her bare pussy visible between her thighs as she moved. She carried a small bottle of some alien drink she'd found earlier, taking a swig before setting it down. "Hey, big guy, don't think too hard," she said with a grin. "You'll hurt that pretty head of yours."
"Rude," Mark said as he rolled his eyes, though a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Aww, diddums," Harley cooed mockingly, stepping closer. She pressed her body against his side, opposite Raven, her hand sliding up his chest. She kissed his pec lightly, then trailed her lips downward, nipping at his skin. "Poor baby, all stressed out. Let mama make it better." Her voice turned husky as she sank to her knees in front of him. She looked up with a wicked smile, her hands gripping his thighs. "Mmm, look at you, already getting hard again. I love how big you are, how you fill my mouth." She leaned in, her tongue flicking out to tease the tip of his cock, which was starting to stiffen. "Gonna suck you so good, make you forget all that thinking crap." Her lips parted, ready to take him in.
The door chimed suddenly and before anyone could react, it slid open, and Anissa walked in without waiting. She was dressed in her standard Viltrumite uniform, the white fabric hugging her muscular frame tightly. Raven's eyes widened in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing a deep grey. Shadows flared around her body as she teleported away in a swirl of dark energy, vanishing to her private room with a soft pop, leaving Mark and Harley exposed.
Harley jumped to her feet, her hands on her hips, not bothering to cover up. "Hey! What the hell, lady? We're busy in here! Ever heard of knocking? Or, I don't know, waiting for an invite before you barge in on naked time?"
Anissa didn't react to the nudity or the outburst. Her expression remained neutral, her eyes flicking briefly over Harley's body before settling on Mark, who hadn't said a word yet. He stood there calmly, making no move to cover himself. "Conquest would like to speak with you," Anissa said evenly. "You have to show up straight away. He's waiting in the upper levels."
Harley groaned loudly, throwing her hands up. "Oh, great, now it's the one-armed wonder? That guy's a total creep, looks like he eats puppies for breakfast. Tell him to shove it up his metal ass we're in the middle of something here!"
Mark ignored Harley's rant for a moment, nodding at Anissa. "I'll be right there," he said simply. He turned and walked toward his private room to get dressed, his bare ass and back on display as he moved. Anissa's gaze followed him intensely, her eyes tracing the lines of his muscular back, down to his ass, and lingering especially on his cock as it swung slightly with each step. Her face didn't twitch, remaining completely stoic, but her stare was unwavering until he disappeared into the room.
Inside his chamber, Mark grabbed a fresh Viltrumite uniform from the wardrobe, the white fabric with red accents feeling familiar now. He pulled it on quickly, the material stretching over his broad shoulders and chest. Conquest wanting to talk didn't sound good, probably related to his father's punishment or some Viltrumite bullshit. He stepped back out, finding Anissa still waiting, Harley now draped in a sheet from the bed, glaring at her and sticking her tongue out.
"Lead the way," Mark said to Anissa.
She nodded and turned toward the door, but not before Harley piped up again. "Hey, metal-hands's pet, next time knock or I'll introduce you to my baseball bat. And not in a fun way."
Anissa ignored her completely, gesturing for Mark to follow. They exited the suite, the door hissing shut behind them, leaving Harley muttering curses and stamping her feet.
"What's this about?" Mark asked as he fell into step beside her.
"Conquest will explain," Anissa replied curtly, not breaking stride.
Mark didn't press further and instead just followed her down the corridor and onto the balcony where they both shot into the air and soared through above the Viltrumite capital, their bodies cutting through the wind with ease as they left the suite far behind. Mark glanced down at the streets far below them, where thousands of individuals moved about on foot or in vehicles that glided along the pathways. None of those figures possessed the distinctive features of Viltrumites, all of them belonged to the various races that had been subjugated over generations. Some carried loads on their backs while others operated machinery that maintained the structures around them.
Anissa flew beside him, she turned her head toward him after a few moments of silence. "How do you find Viltrum so far?" she askeed, over the rush of air that passed between them.
Mark did not respond right away, his eyes still fixed on the activity below as they continued forward. He considered the question while the cityscape blurred beneath them. "It is beautiful," he said after a while as he kept his gaze downward. "But that beauty exists only on the surface."
Anissa looked at him directly now, her expression showing curiosity as she adjusted her speed to match his more closely. "What do you mean by that?" she inquired.
Mark gestured vaguely toward the ground with one hand, his arm extending out as he spoke. "Everything in this city, from the towers to the bridges that link them together, came into existence through the efforts of other races," he explained. "Those individuals down there, and countless others like them from distant worlds, provided the labor and the resources that made all of this possible. They mined the materials, constructed the foundations, and maintained the systems that keep it operational. The entire foundation rests on their exploitation, which hides beneath the appearance of order and achievement."
Anissa nodded slightly as she listened. "This represents the natural order of things," she stated matter-of-factly as she glanced at the horizon ahead. "Slavery falls within our rights as Viltrumites, for we possess the capability to enforce it and the vision to utilize it effectively. The weaker species contribute to something greater than themselves, and in return, they receive structure and purpose under our guidance."
"It is wrong," Mark said sternly as he shook his head in disagreement.
"According to whom?" Anissa replied, her eyes narrowing as she met his gaze mid-flight. "The weak, who lack the means to change their circumstances?"
Mark exhaled slowly, his frustration building as they passed over a central hub where more of the subjugated races gathered in groups. "Using your strength to threaten weaker races into servitude does not make someone strong," he told her. "True strength comes from building alliances where everyone benefits, from protecting those who cannot defend themselves, and from creating systems that uplift rather than oppress. Forcing others to serve only demonstrates fear of what might happen if they stood as equals, and it weakens the society in the long run by breeding resentment and instability."
Anissa brought her flight to a sudden halt in midair, her body hovering motionless as she extended an arm to signal for him to stop as well. Mark pulled up short beside her, his momentum carrying him a short distance before he adjusted and faced her directly. "You speak as a hypocrite," she declared as she crossed her arms.
Mark raised an eyebrow, but he remained silent as she continued. "I researched Earth extensively during my time there," she explained. "From the earliest records of human civilization, no period existed where people did not engage in some form of slavery. Ancient empires built their monuments with captive labor, medieval societies traded individuals as commodities, and colonial powers exploited entire populations across continents. Even in the present day, certain regions on Earth continue the practice, though they disguise it under terms like bonded labor or human trafficking, which mask the reality but do not eliminate it."
"This pattern does not confine itself to your world," Anissa went on. "It reflects the fundamental way of the universe, where the strong establish dominance and the weak fulfill roles of service. You understand this truth from your own history, and yet you label Viltrumites as monsters for the sole reason that we execute it on a vastly larger scale, encompassing planets and species beyond what humans ever managed."
Mark crossed his arms over his ches. "It is wrong, Anissa," he asserted. "Slavery denies individuals the basic right to control their own lives, which every sentient being deserves regardless of their physical power or origin. When one group forces another into labor without consent, it creates a cycle of suffering that harms everyone involved, as the oppressors become dependent on the very system that erodes their moral foundation and invites eventual rebellion. On Earth, societies that abolished slavery advanced further in innovation and cooperation, for free people contribute ideas and efforts willingly, leading to progress that benefits all."
Anissa did not speak for a moment, her gaze shifting away from him toward the city below as she processed his words. The silence stretched between them, interrupted only by the sound of vehicles and the faint sounds of activity from the streets far beneath. She finally turned back to him. "We need to proceed before we arrive late," she said, her tone shifting back to neutrality as she resumed her flight. Mark uncrossed his arms and followed her lead, his mind still turning over the exchange as they accelerated through the air again.
(AN: These chapters will cover Marks confrontation with Conquest and his first assignment. Enjoy.)
Support for more.
Patreon.com/captainalfie78works