Cages

Prologue 01
Zechs wondered, for the eighty-sixth time that evening, just how he got himself into these situations. Here he was, being lead down a dirty hall filled with cages. If that weren’t enough, the cages were filled, not with animals, but with human beings.
“We usually clean them up a bit before we hand them out,” said the older maid who was in charge of the facility, “but seeing as you’re in such a hurry we didn’t have time to do anything with him.”
“It’s fine. I’m sure one of my assistants will clean him up once we get home,” Zechs said in a dismissive manner. He had no interest in becoming associated with a woman who could allow such cruelty from day to day. In truth, he had no assistants at home, but that was not what the woman would expect from someone in his position.
Zechs watched as the numbers on the cages rise until they finally stopped at cage #89, where the matron began shifting through her keys to open the door. Zechs was given a small glance of the pale, dirty, underfed boy inside, huddle in a corner, nearly naked except for a piece of fabric fashioned into what could only be called a loincloth, which was also torn and dirty. The woman found the key and quickly opened the door, entering and harshly pulling the boy to his feet. The boy stood, but had to bend down, as the collar around his throat was attached to a short chain locked onto a beam inside the cage. The woman unlocked it, and then led the boy out on a short chain.
“Walk, damn you,” she hissed at him, though he boy made no resistance as she pulled him out of the cell to stand in front of Zechs. “Well,” she said, “I know he’s not much to look at, but no one’s gonna expect you to work miracles with a reject like this. He’s a stubborn one, though, you’ll need a firm hand to handle him,” she finished, handing the chain to Zechs, who pretended it didn’t revolt him.
In actuality, the boy was not much to look at. Months of being locked in a small cage with little to eat had withered his once muscular form. Zechs, however, could still make out just a hint of the tone that once inhabited the boy’s muscles, and could still see just a trace of fighting stance in the demure way the boy stood. What he could not see, however, was any kind of stubbornness, or personality at all, really, in those blank and broken blue eyes on the boy’s haunted face. The youth was mainly Japanese, Zechs thought gloomily, but might be from mixed origins because of the blue eyes. Still, Zechs could only wonder at what kind of a life would land the boy in such a place.
“I’m sure I can handle it,” Zechs replied, still looking the boy over. Despite seeming weak and fragile, the boy didn’t seem to have many recent wounds, save a few bruises scattered along his back and legs. There was some scarring on his back, though, that looked to have come from a whipping, along with many more scars that looked like battle wounds to the older man. Zechs barely managed to keep himself from cringing.
The boy, as though sensing Zechs’s thoughts, shivered softly, and Zechs wondered for a moment if it was fear before realizing how cold the boy must be without any clothes. Even with a full coat on, Zechs could still felt a slight chill.
“Could I perhaps bother you to get the boy some clothes, mam?” Zechs asked. The woman frowned in confusion, for what good were clothes to a pleasure slave? Still, she called for another slave, this one a servant, who ran and fetched the boy a robe, which the woman held out for him. His eyes slowly drifted up to it, but he seemed uncertain as to what to do with it. The woman, losing her patience, slapped him roughly on the back of the head before shoving him into herself, then turning to stomp off, leaving Zechs and the boy alone.
Despite his robe being wide open, the boy simply stood there, looking at the ground. Hesitantly, Zechs stepped forward and tied the boys robe for him, hoping that the boy wasn’t truly daft. Slowly, the boy’s eyes moved up from the ground and Zechs was finally able to see that it was not stupidity causing the boy to hesitate so, but fear. Wanting to comfort the boy, Zechs placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze, but the boy only flinched and lowered his eyes to the floor. Before Zechs could say anything else, the matron returned with a small tag, which she attached to the boy’s collar.
“Here’s his tags, so everyone will know who he belongs to if he ever gets away. He’s got a strong collar on, so don’t be afraid he’ll be able to break the chain or anything. He’d strangle himself before he could get out of this thing,” the woman said with a small chuckle. “You’ve got a week or two to start training him before you’ll need to head to the station for the games. Take him home tonight and give him some bread, then you can start whatever you want with him tomorrow. Oh, and he’s been out of commission for a while, so be careful. You don’t want him bleeding all over the good linens, if you know what I mean.”
Zechs knew very well what she meant, so simply nodded his head and gave the boy a small warning tug on his chain before turning to walk down the hall. Obediently, the boy followed as Zechs walked down the hall and to his limo, always a step behind his master, as all slaves walked. When Zechs entered the limo and sat down, the boy knelt at his feet on the floor.
“It’s not very safe to sit on the floor,” Zechs cautioned, “Sit beside me.”
It was not until the command came that the boy moved, and when he did it was stiffly. The boy sat against the other side of the limo, keeping his eyes on the floor. Zechs sighed, then reached across the boy, who tensed drastically, and buckled the boy’s seatbelt for him. Zechs leaned back against his own seat and sighed once again, then pulled out the boy’s registration papers.
“Where to, sir?” the driver questioned from the front seat.
“Home, if you please. Then you can go home as well. I shouldn’t need you any more this weekend,” Zechs told his driver.
“Very good, sir,” the driver said, and closed the panel that separated the front seat from the rest of the car.
For the duration of the drive, Zechs amused himself by looking over the contract that allowed him to buy the boy, which was so unfeeling and inhumane that it was almost comical, while the boy stared out the window blindly, barely aware of his surroundings. Once in a while Zechs would cast small, sad glances toward the boy, but didn’t dare more than that until they returned home.

Prologue 02
Zechs, despite previous scenes to the contrary, was not a pervert. The buying and selling of human beings for the sole purpose of sex and sport disgusted him, more so once he was a part of it. He was, however, the older brother of Relena Peacecraft, the ruler of a small but powerful nation called Sanque. It had been rumored for many years that the high-ranking officials of Sanque and her neighboring nations, along with the highest ranking leaders of the colonies, ran an inter-planetary slave trading ring. It was also rumored that this ring of slave traders gathered for a few months every year to trade slaves, compete in slave-games, and gamble on the slave games in a tournament known as Collar.
Up until only a few months before, Zechs had never given any thought to the rumors. Though he well knew how cruel humans could be, he had never truly thought such a large organization could exist without ever being reprimanded by the people or others in the government. It was only when the head of Preventers, Une, had called him in for a special assignment that he realized for much he had underestimated the power of political status.
Sanque itself was a pacifist nation, so held no military or real political power. However, it was also home to the Preventers, an independent military force dedicated to keeping peace and justice throughout the solar system. Une took her job very seriously, and once she heard what kind of games these people were playing she immediately decided that something had to be done.
The only problem was that she needed someone on the inside. She needed someone who wasn’t already corrupted in favor of the enemy, while also being in a position of enough influence to interest the enemy, while also having no political position that would be in danger were he discovered.
Zechs knew as soon as she explained what she needed that he was the only person able to take the job, and accepted it readily. Zechs knew the horrors political corruption could cause, as his home had been destroyed when he was young, and his country had almost fallen to ruin. Left to fend for himself for the most part of his childhood, Zechs joined a group of military radicals when he was still very young, under the tutelage of the commander Treize Kushrenada, a boy only a few years older than he and from a very powerful military family. Zechs fell in love with his mentor, and in his teens the two became a couple.
It was not long after that when Zechs discovered his true origins, as a DNA scan at a hospital where he was being treated for an accident in a fencing match revealed his true identity. Milliardo Peacecraft was a name that he vaguely recognized, but quickly accepted. His sister, Relena, was overjoyed and immediately attempted to set up his coronation and return all the power that would have been his, but Zechs refused. Having stayed so long in the military, Zechs didn’t think that he would become a very good kind and, seeing how well his sister was running the country, decided to let things be. This created a situation in which Zechs, the once-thought orphan, came into a large amount of wealth and power, but very little political sway. This new personal freedom of Zechs’ cause him to look more deeply at his life. He soon found that Treize was not the person he had thought him to be. Zechs decided that he no longer wanted to be with Treize and quietly broke the relationship.
With nothing left to do, Zechs joined Preventers as an agent and consultants hoping to put some of his skills to use. He was able to conceal his identity by using his given name, Milliardo Peacecraft, at social functions and his assumed name, Zechs Marquis, at Preventer’s functions. He also wore a heavy mask when fighting or infiltrating. Soon, he was being asked to train new recruits and plan military operations, as well as advising Relena on how to keep her country safe. Zechs was given the title of commander, though he didn’t have an actual, documented position anywhere in Preventers. He was, however, highly respected by all other agents and considered one of Une’s best men. Still, nothing he had seen had prepared him for pulling the young, almost naked, collared boy into his empty house late one evening.

Prologue 03
The maid had turned all the lights on when she had left, which must have been hours ago, considering she lived in the closest house, which was forty minutes away. They had been driving for nearly five hours now, and the boy had fallen asleep against the window despite a valiant effort to stay awake. Zechs smiled softly; the boy looked almost peaceful in his sleep. Zechs had been shocked that a holding cell for the human slaves had been so close to his home, but once inside city grounds all the buildings blended together, and even he had to admit that he would probably never have suspected it.
Zechs gently shook the boy awake as the pulled up to the entrance of the house. The boy flinched hard and curled into himself as he blinked his eyes open and tried to orient himself. His eyes met Zechs’ for a moment, but he quickly lowered them to the floor. Zechs held in another sigh and undid the boy’s seatbelt. Without a word, the boy slipped out of the seat and knelt at Zechs’ feet. After staring at him for a moment, Zechs reached down and picked up the chain attached to the boys collar. Zechs turned and saw Riku holding the door open, staring openly with pity at the boy. Zechs wasn’t worried that he would turn him in, though, as Riku was also an agent working on this operation with Zechs. In truth, Zechs doubted he would see anyone but agents for the next few weeks, until he left for the games. All the agents, even the ones that would deliver the meals he ordered, were to be disguised so cleverly that even the boy would be fooled. It was possible that even the slave would turn him in, scrapping the operation. They had to be wary of spies.
Still, watching the boy crawl hesitantly out of the car, Zechs doubted anyone could fake the look of hollow emptiness on the boy’s face.
Zechs was brought back to himself as Riku pulled the car out of the driveway, leaving the two of them standing in the doorway. Zechs led the boy inside, closing the door behind them. Once the door was firmly closed and locked, Zechs dropped the chain, careful not to hit the boy with it, and allowed him to look around.
The house was no where near the level of decadence of Relena’s mansion, but it was far above the average bachelor pad. It seemed more like a pricey cottage than a real home. In fact, before Zechs had bought it for this mission, it had been the winter cottage of one of Relena’s ministers. It was ranch style, which Zechs didn’t mind, and sprawled out over the wooded terrain. They had chosen this particular location because while the house was surrounded on all sides by a cleared plain, the yard soon gave way to dense forest. This would make it easy for Preventers to hide in the forest while guarding the house while also removing the problem of “nosy neighbors” or any neighbors at all, really.
The house had three bedrooms, one master and two guest, and four bathrooms, one in each of the rooms and one near the kitchen. Along with the kitchen, the house also had a study, a training room, a spare room, and a “playroom.” Zechs hesitated to think about that room, as he had acquainted himself well with its contents in preparation for this mission.
Zechs walked up to the boy and tilted his face up, forcing him to meet his eyes. It was then that Zechs got his first good look at the boy. Zechs realized that not only was the boy several inches shorter than he was, but he was also very young, probably in his late teens.
“I need to know what to call you,” Zechs said, releasing the boy’s face.
“You may call me whatever you want, master,” the boy responded, his voice clear, soft, and emotionless.
“What name did your last master call you by?”
“She called me Blue, master.”
“I see. Did you like that name?”
“I like whatever name pleases you, master,” the boy said, staring directly ahead, but a slight tightening of his jaw betrayed his real feelings. Again, Zechs forced him to look into his eyes.
“What is your name?” Zechs asked, holding the boy’s eyes with his own.
“Heero,” the boy whispered softly, “My name is Heero, master.”
“That’s a good name,” said Zechs, lowering the boy’s face, “I will call you by it. And you must not call me master after every sentence, it’s annoying.”
“Yes...” Heero reasoned, trailing off as he kept himself from saying master again.
“Good, now take off your clothes.”
Without any surprise or hesitation, Heero immediately pulled open his robe and let it drop to the floor. With another swift movement, the cloth covering his modesty was also on the floor, and Heero stood there completely bare. Zechs, however, was looking only at the boy’s face, which showed no signs of what he was feeling. After a moment, Zechs turned and signaled Heero to follow.
Zechs led Heero to the bed room, where he asked him to stay as he entered another room. Heero could hear the sound of running water as Zechs returned and opened his closet. Not knowing what else to do, Heero simply stood there as Zechs shuffled things around until he emerged with a small pile of clothes. He set them on the bed, and once again signaled Heero to follow.
The bathroom was large, but not overly lavish. The bathtub was deep, but it was not a hot-tub, as many people kept. Again Heero was left with nothing to do as Zechs gathered the soaps and towels. Turning around with them, Zechs saw that Heero had yet to make a move, and gently propelled him toward the bath. A bit of confusion and suspicion on his face, Heero gingerly got in and sat down in the steaming water. Zechs immediately set to work bathing the boy and attempting to relax him, but Heero was stiff and unresponsive to his ministrations, which was only compounded by the fact that Zechs had not removed his chains for fear of him running away. As Zechs washed him, he could understand how the boy would be wary of him, as his hands brushed over the many scars Heero had received at the hands of his former masters. Still, Zechs could also tell the some of the tension in his muscles was from sleeping on the hard ground, and resolved to fix the situation.
Once Heero was clean, which was not a quick job at all, Zechs instructed him to get out of the tub and dry off, then ushered him onto a scale. Zechs frowned at the boy’s weight, 115 pounds, but it wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Once that was through, Zechs took up the chain and led Heero passed the clothes Zechs had originally thought to put on him. In the doorway, Zechs instructed Heero to go to the kitchen and move the chairs away from the table, then turned back into the room.
With a sinking feeling, Heero entered the small kitchen and did as he was instructed. As he was moving the chairs, Heero noticed with dread just how sturdy the wood table seemed, and that it would be just at waist height on the other man.
“Lay on the table,” Zechs said as he entered the kitchen with a small box, almost echoing Heero’s fears. Heero did as he was told, feeling as though he had swallowed a rock. He watched anxiously as Zechs removed a towel and lotion from the small box. Zechs approached the table with the two and gently pushed Heero to roll over, so that he was on his stomach, then, confusing Heero even more, placed the towel under his head. Heero flinched as Zechs squeezed some of the lotion onto his hands, but again Zechs made no move toward sexual contact, and began giving the boy a back rub.
“You’re very tense, Heero,” Zechs said. Heero had heard many masters tell him that, but none had ever tried to alleviate the problem. Zechs adjusted Heero’s neck several times, forcing him to look this way and that, as he continued to rub the boy’s back firmly.
After a few minutes Heero felt Zechs move away from him and rummage around in the box. Afraid to move his head, Heero could not see what Zechs was doing. When he returned, Zechs put another layer of lotion on Heero’s back, and the boy was just starting to relax when he heard something hum behind hum and felt something vibrating against his back.
Heero spun around so quickly that he certainly would have fallen off the table had Zechs not caught his arm. In Zechs’ hand was a small, plastic contraption vibrating softly with three small, rounded arms coming off of its round middle.
“Heero,” Zechs warned, “Get back on the table and lay down.”
More afraid of being punished than he was of the contraption, for it really wasn’t all that big, Heero laid back down on the table, though he was tense once again and he was terrified of what Zechs was going to do.
But Zechs merely laid the vibrating gadget against his back once again and began to work it firmly against the boy’s muscles, forcing them to relax and loosen. It was painful, but far from unbearable. Heero could feel that it was a good kind of pain, which he had not often felt before.
When Heero’s muscles were completely relaxed, Zechs turned off the machine and set it aside. The massage had worked better than he had hoped at getting Heero’s muscles to relax, but it had also brought a new problem to his attention.
“Heero, I’m going to straddle you,” was all the warning Zech gave before pushing himself onto the table and settling his weight over the boy’s thighs. Heero jumped at the feel of having the other man on top of him, but it was already too late. Zechs was much too heavy for him to push off, and he wouldn’t dare to defy his master in such a way. Besides, Zechs was still fully clothed, so posed less of a threat to him.
“I want you to take a deep breath,” Zechs instructed. When he felt the boy inhale, Zechs gently applied pressure to the vertebrae in the boy’s back, increasing the pressure until he finally felt the bone shift back into place. He did it several times, until he was sure that everything was correctly aligned. He knew that this process was painful, but Heero never made a sound. Zechs gave his muscles one more quick rub down, as a reward, then pushed himself off Heero and motioned for the boy to sit up.
“How do you feel?” Zechs questioned.
Still staring at the floor, the boy responded, “Much better. Thank you.”
“I must admit, I haven’t done this in while. I was worried I’d make things worse rather than better,” Zechs said with a small, nostalgic smile. Zechs had taken a course in massage while he was with Treize, hoping to use massages to tempt the other man into something of a more erotic nature, but had often ended up cracking his back for him instead.
Zechs glanced at the sullenly silent young boy next to him. He had never thought that the first thing he would do with his slave would be to crack his back, but, then again, he had never really thought of owning a slave before.
“You know that you are my first slave, don’t you?” Zechs asked. The boy responded with a nod. “Then you know that I am new to this area. You will have to guide me until I fully understand the situation I have found myself in.” Another nod. “I think it would help me to understand better if I knew more about you.” A tight, quick nod. “Alright then, tell me about yourself. Have you had many masters?”
“Only eight,” the boy said in a steady voice, staring straight ahead.
“So this number is low? How many masters do slaves usually have?”
“Most slaves will have about fourteen masters.”
“I see. How long does a master usually keep a slave?”
“Good slaves are kept two or three years, and a master may keep a slave training for Collar for ten years or more, but bad slaves are only kept a few months to a year.”
“So a slave works for over twenty years. Then what?”
“Then they are no longer desirable. If they are skilled and less then hideous, they become one of the servants for the Owner. If they are less skilled or ugly, they are euthanised.”
“By the Owner, who do you refer to?”
“The man who runs Collar.”
“But who is he?”
“I don’t know. No one but the top five finalists of Collar have even seen him.”
Zechs nodded, for he knew that already. The entire reason for the operation was to become one of the top five in Collar in order to find out who ran Collar. Preventers wanted to bring the entire ring crashing down, and to do that they needed to start at the top.
“The euthanisations, where are they done?”
“L-2. The judicial system there allows the death penalty to be enforced two days after conviction for high crimes, such as treason. The slaves are falsely accused, convicted, and sentenced.”
“No one’s noticed?”
Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “No one’s noticed the slave ring, master, a few extra bodies on a planet like L-2 won’t attract much attention at all,” Heero said. L-2 was notorious for its corruption.
“I should have guessed. Now, just a few more questions for you. How can you be so open about this? Shouldn’t it be a secret? Who told you?”
“You are my master, and as such I am not permitted to hide anything from you. If I do not answer a question honestly, I will be punished. However, everyone, slave and master, knows about what happens to retired slaves. Even the L-2 police force knows about it, but there’s no proof, so there’s no danger.”
Zechs smiled and gently ran hand through the boy’s hair. “You’ve done very well in answering my questions, and I am very pleased. I will reward you for this behavior later. Now, go turn on the other set of lights, I would like to inspect you.”
Heero immediately obeyed, turning on another set of lights so that the kitchen was well lit. Zechs rose and approached him.
Heero was thin from being undernourished, but there were still traces of muscles on his arms and legs. He was lanky and somewhat short, but the light dusting of hair and his chest and the soft, dark curls of his groin attested to the fact that he had hit puberty and Zechs, with relief, accredited his height to his heritage, not his age. Zechs gently took one of the boy’s hands. Heero had long, thin fingers. His hands were soft, but he had small callouses on his palm, as though he had been working with a sword or gun. Zechs pushed Heero to turn around, then slowly ran his hands over the boy’s back. In the dimmer light, Zechs had felt the many scars on the boy’s back, but had not been able to see them. Now, in the stark light, the scars stood out as the evidence to a brutal beating the boy had received. There were nine thick scars running along his back at all directions, in addition to over a dozen smaller, thinner ones. Overcome by the sight, Zechs knelt left a trail of kisses down the lines of scarred flesh. Heero tensed in surprise, but didn’t resist. Once finished, Zechs rose again. Deliberately, he ran his hand over the boy’s ass, cupping and squeezing each cheek. Despite the scars, Heero was still a gorgeous young man, and one that he was expected to sleep with. Sex was actually the only part of the mission he thought he might enjoy, and he felt guilty about that.
“Do you approve, master?” Heero asked.
“Yes,” Zechs responded immediately, “You are beautiful.”
Heero frowned, as though hurt. Zechs caught sight of the look, and frowned in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s no need to be cruel. I am well aware that my scars are... less than appealing.”
Without a word, Zechs spun the boy around and kissed his surprised mouth. Heero’s lips were open in a gasp, and Zechs took advantage of this to invade the boy’s mouth with his tongue, making their first kiss deep and far from chaste. Heero said nothing, but his breathing deepened and, after the initial shock was gone, did his best to keep up with his master. Only when the two could no longer hold their breaths did they part.
“Now do you believe me?” Zechs questioned. Heero nodded, a slight blush stealing across his features. “I will assume that you are not a virgin, but I was told that you have not been with anyone in a long time. Is that correct?”
“I have not participated in sex for many months,” Heero replied, attempting to regain his control.
“Then I will not take you tonight, but I will not hold back in the future. You must learn to please me before we leave for the Collar banquet, and I intend to allow you plenty of opportunities to practice.”

Heero 04
My new master was tall, intimidating, and sexy. Many masters were tall, and all of them were intimidating, but it was pleasant to find one that had a sexual appeal. Most masters were old, and many were overweight, both of which were only compounded by the fact that they were cruel. My new master struck me as fair-tempered, just, and perhaps even kind. But it didn’t matter. This master would not keep me any longer than any of the others had, and I had already resolved myself not to keep any new masters.
After the kiss, the master allowed me to have a sandwich from the fridge. I don’t think the master quite knew how long it had been since I had last eaten. He stayed in the kitchen with me while I consumed it, then seemed terribly shocked when I vomited into the trash can. The few moments my stomach had been full had felt good, but I had known that my stomach could not hold anything as heavy as a sandwich after being empty for over four days.
Surprisingly, once I had finished vomiting, the master heated me a can of soup, then once again sat with me while I ate, at a much slower pace this time. Having already vomited, I managed to keep the soup down better than I had the sandwich.
Once I had finished eating, the master took me into the bedroom and to a small bathroom adjoining. I was given my own toothbrush, which was common for a slave to have since no master wants a slave with bad teeth, and the master and I brushed our teeth together, which was uncommon, as masters tended to want to be above their slaves even in such matters. Slaves were often not permitted to use the same bathroom as their masters, and certainly not the same toothpaste.
I was unsurprised when the master changed for bed with me in the room, but I was again surprised when he motioned for me to sleep with him. He must have seen my confusion, as he was quick to reassure me that he had not gone back on his word and he was still not going to take me. Instead, this only served to confuse me more. It was common for masters to go back on their words, but masters usually had slaves sleep on the floor, not in the bed with them. Still, I managed to attribute this strange behavior to the fact that I was his first slave, and he probably had not yet learned how much abuse a slave could take. In the most literal sense, the slave’s life was in his master’s hands.
It was the middle of the night when I made my move. The clock read 1:28, but my cue was actually my master’s deepened breathing. Once I knew he was fully asleep, I slipped out of the bed and headed to the closet.
Many masters kept their slaves naked or almost naked all the time not only to use sexually, but also as a deterrent for a runaway slave. My master, however, was so green that he had not put a lock on the closet, and I managed to find a pair of drawstring pants and a shirt that would fit. As I put them on, I realized that, other than the robe, they were the first real clothes I had worn in months. Once clothed, I quietly searched the bottom of the closet and eventually came up with a pair of shoes which, tied as tightly as I could manage, just barely stayed on my small feet.
From there, it was a simple matter to slip down the stairs and out the back door. Once outside, I began to run away from the house and parallel to the road, as I didn’t want my master to find I was gone and run me down in the car. I knew that it was going to be a long walk to find another house, and I knew that I looked like a vagrant, so there was little hope of finding help, but as long as I could find a tool shed of some kind I could manage to get this collar off, and that was my real aim. Anything after that was just bonus, but I had to get the collar off. I had worn my collar for so long... it was suffocating me. It had been for years.
My first clue that the escape was not going to be as easy as I had predicted came when I noticed movement in the trees to my left. The night was dark, but the sky was clear, and the moon’s light managed to cast a glow over everything, so that it was easy to see shadows and movement, but difficult to see anything else. Up until that time, I had been walking, but once I saw that I began to run. I was certain that my master had not come to run me down on foot, and I had seen no signs of a dog living at the house, but there was certainly something in the forest with me. I hoped it wasn’t wolves.
My fear of wolves was put to rest when a voice yelled, “Hey you! Halt!” Instead, I ran as fast as I could, but I had not counted on being chased. My shoes were too big, and made running difficult. The man who was chasing me was fast, and quickly gained on me. I huffed and struggled, but I was out of shape from my months in the cage, and had not gained back the calories necessary to run long distances. Compounding my problem, there was suddenly another man to my left, who was faster than his partner and quickly tackled me to the ground.
I went down hard, with the man on top of me, but not as hard as I could have. The man seemed more intent on keeping me down than hurting me, and once he was certain I was immobilized he removed most of his weight from me. As it was night, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and almost invisibility, and were painfully startled when one of the men suddenly turned on a flashlight. I had to close my eyes, so I couldn’t see the two men holding me down.
“Is that the...?”
“Yeah, that’s ‘im. Didn’t think he’d be so young, though.”
“‘S a shame, but the commander can keep ‘im out of trouble, if anyone can.”
“Up you go,” on of the men said as the two lifted me to my feet. I stumbled a bit at the sudden movement, but finally managed to stand.
“I’ll take him back to the house. You radio the commander and tell him we’re bringing him back. Take the air patrol off of standby.”
“Will do.”
Air patrol? Commander? What kind of master was I under, that he could have such military power?
It didn’t matter, though. I had tried to run away. My master would surely return me to the cages, and this time they would not wait around for someone new enough to take me on. This time they’d simply kill me.
For a fleeting moment, as the guard dragged me back to the house, I thought about trying to run again, but my chances of even getting away from the grip the guard had on my arm were so low that I didn’t even bother. There was no way I could out run them, especially now that I was winded and my ribs hurt from being plowed to the ground. I would collapse before running three feet.
Master met us at the door and took me from the guard.
“Did he give you much trouble?” my master asked.
“Nah, he’s just a kid. He probably wouldn’t have made it much further anyway.”
“Hmm. Well, thank you for returning him. I will be more careful in the future. We can’t risk him getting away, not at this point. Good night, soldier,” master said, dismissing the guard. I wondered why master was so bent on keeping me. I knew that it was considered extremely humiliating to let a slave get away, not to mention dangerous, but surely master knew that he could simply trade me in for a different slave. I was nothing important. I wasn’t even expensive.
Master pulled me inside and shut the door slowly, looking tired. I wondered if it was because I had disturbed his sleep, but something told me it was deeper than that. This was the kind of fatigue that you feel right down to your very bones, when it seems like there’s nothing good left in the world. I had felt that way many times, but I had never seen a master look so... forlorn.
“You know I’m going to have to punish you, right?” he asked, still not looking at me.
“Yes, master.”
He turned then, and I could see that the fatigue had been pushed into the background, and he was a master once again. He stepped up to me and began pulling his clothes off of my body. Both sets of the kitchen lights had been turned on and it was very bright. The bruises on my abdomen and shoulder contrasted greatly with my pale skin and I wondered if this would annoy master even more. I already had my scars, and now with these bruises I was even less aesthetically pleasing.
But master wasn’t focused on my shoulder. Instead, he carefully poked and prodded my chest around where one of the large bruises was. He was not gentle, but it couldn’t be said that he was hurting me, either, so I assumed that this was not part of my punishment.
“It doesn’t look like you broke anything; however, any more such activities and you could land yourself in the hospital,” master said. It didn’t sound like a threat, though, as it had with my other masters. Master allowed his hand to trail one last time over my stomach, then stepped back.
“Follow me,” he said in a stern voice.

Zechs 05
On the list of things I didn’t want to do, this was in the top ten. Beating Heero was right up there amongst killing babies and kicking the shit out of nuns. It was close to pistol-whipping Relena, my own sister. But if I didn’t beat Heero, he might grow suspicious, and then the mission would have to be scrapped. With that thought in mind, I led the unresistant Heero down the hall to the playroom.
Playroom was probably a bad name for that particular room. It would be better suited as something like, “the rape and torture room,” or “the kinky bondage sex room.” For that is what it really was. I won’t even describe what all was in that room, for I, thankfully, never had to use most of it.
Predominant in the room was a rack with tethers in each corner to hold the arms and legs. It was more than strong enough to hold the boy that entered before me, but I decided against using it. I had to punish him, but I would do no good by causing permanent damage. Besides, I could completely understand his reason for running away, so I tried to appease some of my guilty conscience by using a lesser punishment that I would have had he attached me or become violent and disobedient. As it was, I had never expressly forbidden him from running away, so he hadn’t actually broken a promise to me.
I left Heero standing near the door as I opened one of the many trunks and pulled out a slim wooden paddle. Heero watched it as I turned around, but wouldn’t show fear on his face. I know I must have looked intimidating, in a pair of plain blue sleeping pants and a white wife-beater top. When it came to muscles, I might not be the biggest, but I was certainly nothing to scoff at. Compared to Heero, I looked like I could easily break the boy in half.
Heero showed nothing on his face, though. As I thought back, I couldn’t remember a time he’d shown any deep emotion on his face, except for the moment he woke up in the car. It seemed as though he had somehow managed to bury almost all of his emotions. I realized that I couldn’t allow that. If I was going to win his trust, I needed to win his emotions.
For trust is what I truly needed from him. More than obedience, I needed to know that I could trust him, and that he would trust me as well. Without trust, I could not open communication to learn what only slaves knew within Collar. Of course, it was almost hypocritical of me to ask for such trust, as I could not trust him with information about my true motives. I would ask him to bear his soul to me, but I could not even let him know the type of man I truly was.
“Did you know that I was once an interrogator, and a spy?” I asked. Heero only tensed, thinking perhaps that I was trying to bully him. I sat down in the chair, crossing my legs and leaning forward. “I don’t say this to scare you, I merely want you to know that I am aware of people who are false, and I will not tolerate any fake crying or moaning.”
I stopped talking and watched Heero. He nodded, and I could tell that he was thinking I had asked him not to cry out, and he would do his best not to.
“Good. Now, understand, this exercise is not only about punishing you for trying to escape, but also about teaching you to reveal emotion. I know that you haven’t known me for very long, but you must learn to trust me fairly quickly. As such, I am going to begin by asking you to trust me with your emotions. Until you are able to do that, the punishment will not stop.”
Heero raised his eyebrows, the only signal that he was in the least bit surprised. That was what I had expected, though. He had held the emotions inside for so long, he needed to let them loose. He needed a way to vent, or he would certainly die.
“Alright then, come on,” I said, and motioned to my lap. Heero was smart and, after seeing the paddle, realized what I intended and laid himself across my lap.
I didn’t start right away. He would have expected that. Instead, I took the time to resettle him across my lap so that my knee wasn’t digging into his stomach and so that he could breathe easily. I doubted that this would be a short process. Once he was settled, I ran my hands across his back, through his hair, and over his ass. I was giving myself time to prepare, while sensitizing his skin. When I was finally ready to start, I didn’t surprise him with it, but gave him plenty of time to prepare himself for the blows.
The first hit landed with a resounding smack. Heero tensed his body, but otherwise remained unmoved. I followed the first smack with a volley of evenly spaced blows. I allowed Heero just enough time to take a breath after each blow, before following it with the next. I made sure not to hit the same spot over and over, which could have been damaging to his skin, but spaced my blows all over his upper thighs and butt.
There was no clock in the room, but I would have guessed it was twenty minutes later as I continued to land blows on Heero’s ass. Both cheeks had turned a glowing read from the punishment I was inflicting and I was fairly certain that he would have some bruises the next day, despite my attempts to the contrary. Heero himself had begun to pant, but showed no other sign of distress. I was beginning to worry that my arm would give out before Heero did. It gave me a new respect for the boy, but even he was only human.
I didn’t notice the first sobs; they were so quiet. Actually, I didn’t notice anything as Heero quietly began weeping until his small voice sobbed, “Stop. Please, master, stop. No more.” I don’t actually think he expected me to stop, but I did instantly. I dropped the paddle on the floor next to the chair and pulled him up to sit on my lap, allowing his head to rest on my shoulder. I had to sit him so that only his thighs were on my legs, as I don’t think he could have taken that much weight on his butt right then, which made me have to hold onto him with my left arm to keep him from falling, as my right arm was barely functioning.
I let him cry himself out as I stroked his hair, patted his back, and just held him. I didn’t doubt that it was the first human kindness he received in quite some time, but I wouldn’t let it be the last.
“I’m very proud of you. I know that must have been difficult for you. I’m grateful that you have trusted me, and I will never break that trust. Tomorrow we will work on trust more, for now you simply need to rest. You’ve done enough,” I told him softly, then kissed the tears from his cheeks. He stared at me and, suddenly, I could read those clear blue eyes. They spoke to me of hopelessness, of pain and betrayal, of the drowning well of despair and helplessness, and of the walls closing in, coming down on top of him. I knew, at that moment, that the boy needed something to dream of, something to believe in. I just didn’t know what dream I could spark within him, or what dream had been so terribly broken as to cause such a void. Not that living the life of a pleasure slave wouldn’t cause a void itself.
When the tears had stopped, I carried him to bed. He was almost asleep before I even set him down, so drained was he from the emotional overload I had forced him through. I, however, could not find sleep so easily. Instead I ghosted to the den, where I sat in silence and wondered about the young man in the next room for many hours, wondering if I could truly put him through so much. But if I didn’t, hundreds more would suffer. Could I sacrifice the boy to save a hundred nameless people that, for all I knew, could have deserved and even liked their current position? I fell asleep wondering that question.

Zechs 06
The first glow of morning was just peeking through the clouds when I woke up to the sound of movement in the house. At first I thought that Heero might be trying to escape again, but he appeared in the doorway a moment later. Silently, he came over and knelt before me. He must have caught my curious stare, because he approached me and leaned against my legs, resting his head against my lap. I think it was the closest thing to a silent apology I could have gotten from him at the time. We stayed there in silence, enjoying the quiet for a few moments, but soon I had to ask Heero some questions to which the answers might very well alter my mission greatly.
“Where were you going, Heero?” I asked softly, trying to make it clear that I wasn’t angry. Heero instantly understood that I was speaking of his attempt to run away.
“I needed to find people,” he replied, his voice revealing the closing of his emotions, as though he expected me to be angry.
“Why? Would you have reported me?”
“What good would that have done? If you’re powerful enough to be here, you’re powerful enough to silence anyone who would criticize you, be it police or media. No... I merely wanted to find a tool shed.”
“A tool shed?” I questioned, surprised, “But whatever for?”
“I...” Heero hesitated, “No slave is allowed to take of their collar, ever. And no master would let his slave out of their collar for more than a few minutes. It marks us as less beings, as property, and they don’t want to break that barrier.”
Heero lowered his head, sadness and despair creeping back into his voice, “I just wanted mine off for a few hours. Even just one night. It’s suffocating me! I can’t take it! I can’t breathe!” he cried, then turned to me. His eyes were feverish and desperate. “If you would take it off for one night, just one night, I would do anything you asked of me. You would have my trust, and my eternal loyalty. Please!”
I hesitated, wondering what I was truly getting into, “Heero, I can’t offer you freedom...”
“I don’t care about freedom! I know I can never have that! I just want this damned collar off! Just for a night, please!” he begged, his eyes filling with the tears I had taught him to shed. I sighed, and Heero lowered his head, only two of the tears spilling down his cheeks.
“Tonight is almost over,” I told him, “You have until this time tomorrow, then to collar goes back on, no questions asked,” I said, then pulled the collar off with a small click.
Heero’s face... saying that it lit up can’t even begin to describe him. It was like fireworks in front of a full moon and a starry sky. The pain fell from his eyes, and he looked up at me with such adoration for such a small thing that I could barely stand it.
“Thank you,” he whispered, “thank you, master.”
I smiled at him and chuckled lightly. “I suppose,” I said, “that since you’re not a true slave right now, it would be alright for you to call me Zechs. Just don’t get used to it, I’m still your master.”
I pulled Heero onto the couch beside me, and he fell asleep again with his head in my lap while watching late night TV. I fell asleep soon after, knowing that he would not attempt to run away now that his plea had been fulfilled. I hoped that by giving him this small thing I would allow him to dream of bigger things enough that he would cooperate with me on this mission. Even if it didn’t turn out that way, seeing such a look of joy on Heero’s face made it worth while.
Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and orange juice, as I was still trying to help Heero regain his strength and weight. I pretended to order it from a little buffet in town, but in truth a chef hired by Preventers would cook whatever I needed any time of the day then have an agent deliver it to my door. Due to the size and severity of the problem I was now trying to solve, Preventers had spared no expense, and had anticipated a long reconnaissance period. My deadline was within three years, a length of time I desperately hoped not to reach.
After last night’s display, which consisted of Heero unexpectedly vomiting everything he had eaten, I was a little nervous about how Heero would handle breakfast, and insisted we eat in the kitchen. Heero, however, gorged himself with no trouble at all, filling his stomach to the brink after having it empty for so long.
After his big breakfast, Heero could barely move, but managed to cart himself over to the couch before flopping down face first with a contented smile. He had been careful of his sore butt, and I suddenly realized that he had even eaten breakfast standing up for that reason. With an affectionate smile, I turned on some soft music and curled up in the corner with a book.
Heero listened to the music and dozed for about an hour before I tired of reading and closed my book. I had intended to sneak upstairs while Heero was asleep, but the sound of my book closing woke him, and he looked at me blearily before yawning, stretching, and giving me a warm smile.
“Where are you going, master?” he asked.
“I thought I told you to call me Zechs for today.”
“Where are you going, master Zechs?” Heero asked with a sly smile. It was the first time he had been brave enough to tease me, and I took it as a good sign.
“Well I was going to go to my room, but perhaps you’d like to join me for a swim? I don’t suppose you noticed the pool out back on your little adventure last night.”
Heero merely smiled and rose to follow me outside. Heero had been naked almost since he had arrived, and I didn’t have any clothing that wouldn’t aggravate his sore ass, so I simply threw off my clothes and we went “skinny dipping” in the pool.
I soon learned that Heero loved the water, and was a world class swimmer. After entering the pool slowly, with a loud hiss as the cold water stung his thighs and butt, Heero quickly proved to be able to both out swim and out maneuver me in the water. When I asked him about it, Heero told me that he had not originally been trained as a slave, but as a body guard and assassin. He said that he had been trained for aquatic missions, and he had particularly enjoyed training underwater, almost as much as he had liked zero-G training.
The fact that Heero was combat trained both surprised and pleased me. I was surprised that anyone with Heero’s current docile demeanor could have been trained to fight, but I was also pleased that the boy would be able to defend himself if my mission took a turn for the worse. I had often worried that a slip up of mine would cause some defenseless slave great damage. I vowed to begin retraining Heero in combat as soon as possible, mission or no.
Heero tired himself out soon and, though he was reluctant to leave the water, I made him go inside and dry off rather than risk fishing him from the bottom of the pool if the exertion should cause him to faint.
I soon found my intuition to be correct, as Heero dried off in my room and, unable to even stand any longer after such physical exertion, simply flopped himself down on the bed and was instantly asleep. I chuckled at the sight of him, hair still dripping, slumbering happily with one leg, one arm, and most of his head hanging off the bed. Gently I moved him so that he was more safely seated on the bed, then laid a spare blanket over his still form, lest he catch a chill.
It seemed almost cruel to me, but I also knew it was necessary, so while Heero slept I logged onto an Internet site that was supposedly affiliated with Collar and produced bondage wear. Once there, I skipped past the pictures of nude slaves with various erotic toys and began searching for a new collar.
I had realized shortly after Heero had dozed off last night that the fact that his collar was not only made out of coarse leather, but was also thick, wide, and about a size too small for him had most likely all contributed to his feelings of claustrophobia when wearing it. That said, I began looking for slim, unobtrusive, and loose collars. Hopefully, I could find something light and small, yet elegant and noticeable. Of course, first I had to work through an appalling amount of leather, spiked, shock, chain, and other such collars before I could find anything I would even think of allowing my slave to be seen in. I finally found one that I liked after searching for what seemed like an eternity. It was a loop that was designed to rest on the slave’s shoulders and drape down elegantly just above the breast bone and the back of the neck. It actually looked like more of a necklace than a collar, the only difference was the this one was pure gundanium wrapped in a silver finish, and had a small loop on it for a leash or tag. The collar was also ingenious, as well as beautiful. The gundanium inside the collar was charged so that it was malleable in order to allow the master to put it on the slave. Once it was on, the master merely had to press a small electronic key to the collar and the gundanium would be uncharged, causing it to snap into one large loop and retain its nearly indestructible shape.
With a quick glance at Heero, I hurriedly ordered four of the collars, along with four tags containing my seal. A master’s seal was like a signature, only less traceable so that there was no actual paper trail to follow, a fact that had annoyed Une and the Preventer’s agents considerably. It was safer for Heero to wear his collar with my seal, as other masters would know who he belonged to and keep their distance. Hopefully.

Zechs 07
Once finished with arrangements for the collars and a quick phone call to Une to have her use her Preventer’s authority to have the collars here by nightfall, I quietly slipped downstairs and ordered lunch for Heero and myself. As I was finishing up the phone call, Heero came tromping down the stairs, rubbing his eyes, yawning, and walking considerably stiffly.
“I suppose you’re feeling that late night outing, along with our aquatic adventure?”
“Hn. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“No, but I suppose you’re rather sore.”
Heero grunted an affirmative and I had to laugh as Heero contemplated one of the kitchen chairs, then thought better of it and remained standing.
“Unfortunately, you’re probably going to be more sore instead of less before tonight’s over,” I said. Heero looked at me warily, his eyes full of suspicion. I guess I hadn’t earned the kind of trust I had thought yet, but I wasn’t discouraged. Heero had shown good progress so far, but I wasn’t hoping for miracles.
“Why?” Heero asked, eyeing me. Before I could answer, the door bell rang, and I smirked and went to get it.
“I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this. Now, set the table and I’ll be back with lunch in a minute.”
When I returned to the kitchen, Heero immediately bombarded me with questions about my comment, but I simply chuckled and refused to answer. Heero pouted, but there wasn’t really anything he could do.
Once lunch was finished, I asked Heero to clean up the few dishes we had made while I went to change clothes. I knew that he was still anxious about what I had said, but I had decided to make him wait just a little bit longer. When I returned, Heero was finishing the last of the dishes and I handed him a pair of shorts. He took them, then stared at me.
“Put them on,” I instructed, with a smile.
“Why?” he asked, while obeying my command.
“Because we don’t want you weewee getting in the way for this.”
Heero paused in pulling up his shorts and simply stared at the floor. After a moment, he finished pulling the shorts up and frowned at me.
“Did you just say what I think you said?” he asked.
“What?” I questioned, confused.
“You... Did you just say weewee?”
“Yes. Why? What’s wrong with weewee?”
“I... It’s not very... masculine...”
“I suppose not. What would you prefer it to be called?”
“I don’t know. A dick?”
“But that sounds so crude. How about a thingey?”
“That’s vague. What about penis?”
“That’s unflattering. Cock?”
“How’s that any better than dick?”
“I suppose your right. What about a wang? It’s descriptive yet flattering.”
“It’s good enough, I suppose. Though I don’t really see how that’s flattering or descriptive.”
“Well we could always call it a...”
“No, wang is fine,” Heero commented with a smile. I could tell that he was just as amused by this conversation as I had been.
“Alright then, to the training room,” I said. Heero’s smile disappeared and his face lost some of its color. I was taken aback by the sudden change and took a hurried step to his side, afraid he was about to faint. “Heero? What’s wrong?”
“No... I... I-it’s nothing. I just...” he paused, turning his face to me, “What-what kind of training are we doing?”
I frowned in confusion. “Well, I was going to have you do some weight training today, but by the way you look right now that’s out of the question. I suppose you could try some yoga or floor gymnastics, if you feel up to it, but I’d almost rather you went to lie down. You’ve only been here a day and...”
“That room you took me to last night when I... when you punished me,” he said, his eyes almost feverish, “What was it called? Is it the training room?”
“No. I’ve been calling that room the playroom, though it’s not a very good name.”
Heero stared at me for a moment, his eyes trying to drill into my soul, then suddenly, as though the tension had spilled from his body, he suddenly sagged to the floor. I was not quick enough to hold him up, and could merely slow his descent to the floor, then drop beside him.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked, very close to panicking. If there was something wrong with him that I didn’t know... a disease, an allergy, anything, his life could be in danger. I knew so little about him that, suddenly, I was afraid for him.
“It’s nothing,” he tried to sooth. “I was... scared.”
“Scared?” I asked him, and reflecting I saw that it was not a total lie. He hadn’t been scared, though, he had been damn near terrified to death. “Scared of what?”
“I thought... the training room... My other master had a training room. It’s where he gave me these scars on my back. He got drunk and whipped me for losing an earing that he hadn’t let me wear, then left me on the floor in the room. He left me there for three days. When he came back, I found out he had forgotten about me, and wouldn’t have seen me if he hadn’t tried to punish another slave. After that, he gave me to the rest of his slaves to care for, said it would seem weak if he sent for a doctor. The slaves didn’t know what they were doing, and the wounds didn’t heal right. He sold me in a month, but by then the damage was done. When you said training room... ”
“You thought you were going to be punished. But why so much fear now, and so little last night?”
“I had expected it last night. It was a possible outcome of my actions, and I accepted it. I also knew that most trainers in your position would have returned me the next day, so any pain you inflicted would be short lived, as I would be dead within two days of being returned. But, now,” he paused, “I wasn’t sure of what I had done. I didn’t know how bad the punishment would be, or how long I would have to suffer. I had trusted you, and I had thought...”
“You thought that I had broken that trust,” I finished for him. He gave a small nod and leaned against me. Gently, I stroked his hair and patted his head.
“But you didn’t,” he whispered, “I was so scared, but you’re not like them.”
“But I am, Heero,” I whispered to him, sad and ashamed that I had to do it. “Once we get to Collar, I’ll be just like them.”
“No, you won’t,” Heero protested. “Even at Collar, most of the pain, most of the punishments are given out privately.” Heero turned to me, staring at me intently, “I’ve had two masters who wanted to be in Collar for political reason. They were both kind, but neither was strong enough to stand that kind of torment for very long, and they sold me and left within a year. You’re stronger. I know you can do it.”
Heero didn’t know it, but he had just given me the perfect alibi. If there were others in Collar who didn’t want to hurt their slaves, then perhaps I would be able to use that as an excuse.
I smiled warmly and pulled his head against my shoulder, stroking his hair.
We sat on the floor like that for a long time, but finally my legs began to cramp and I had to stand up.
“Do you feel like doing some exercises?” I asked. Heero nodded and stretched. I noted that Heero had been sitting on his legs, Japanese style, so that his sore bottom would not touch the floor. I chuckled.
“Still sore, eh?” I asked. He nodded. “Well, it’s your own fault, but I’m sure it will feel better by tomorrow. Now worries,” I said, helping him up. “If not, I’ll have Sally take a look at it when she comes over. She could prescribe something for it, unless you’re just being a baby,” I said with a wink, but this time Heero didn’t take the teasing.
“Who’s Sally?” he asked as I led him to what I had decided to call the mini-gym.
“She’s one of my personal physicians. She’ll be giving you a check-up the day after tomorrow.”
“Why? I said I wasn’t sick,” he commented as I opened the door.
“I simply want to be sure. Now, no more arguing. Save your breath for your workout,” I warned. Heero instantly heeded me, and the subject was closed. I failed to mention that, after my epiphany about his physical well-being in the kitchen, there was no way he was getting out of a checkup. I simply had to call Sally and arrange it.
I allowed Heero to do an hour of stretches, which I was present for most of. The only time I left him was when the doorbell rang, and he was under strict instructions not to try anything new while I was gone.
The doorbell turned out to be a package, one that I took with a heavy heart. I had grown fond of Heero in the short time he was with me, and I didn’t cherish the thought of putting another collar on him.
Still, I didn’t want to ruin the rest of his day with my sour mood, so I called him to quit once the package was safely stored away and offered that we should both relax in the hottub on the back porch.
Heero couldn’t have been happier with my suggestion, as his muscles were not used to so much exercise and he could feel them preparing to cramp horribly. I think Heero would have allowed himself to boil in the hottub, had I not forced him out for dinner.
Dinner was a quiet affair, I think more because Heero is a quiet person and I was not feeling overly talkative myself. Still, it was a companionable silence, and I was content with it.
Once the food was finished and the dishes stored away, I asked Heero if he wanted to watch TV or play a board game.
“Could we...” he started, his eyes going wistfully toward the window.
“What?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been outside. It’s still warm tonight. Do you think we could go outside for a while?”
It was such a small request, but from the look in his eyes you would have thought he has asked me to pull down the moon and hand it to him. I could only nod and grab a blanket from the spare closet.
Heero was naked again, as he had no clothes of his own and the only spare pair of shorts that fit him were now dirty. But he seemed almost natural in only his skin, not self-conscious at all, and I couldn’t reasonable complain about the view. I, on the other hand, was a little more modest, more because I knew that my soldiers were out in the forest than anything. I had dawned an old pair of shorts to at least cover my modesty.
When I opened the door to the yard, I knew I was right about grabbing the blankets. It wasn’t cold outside yet, but it certainly wasn’t warm enough for someone to be out naked either. In the failing light of dusk, I worked my way across the deck and into the yard. There I laid the blanket down and, pulling Heero down with me, wrapped the two of us in the blanket. We waited until the sun was gone and long after the stars had come out. Heero stared at the sky like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and I was enjoying his slim, supple young body against my bare skin, knowing that I would claim it for my own before long.
It was a combination of hunger and cold that finally forced me back inside.
“Heero,” I nudged gently, disturbing his gaze. “Heero, it’s time to go back inside.”
I could see, from the way his eyes fell a bit, that he also knew what that meant. I could tell now that he had not forgotten what was to come at the end of the night either, and was also dreading it. He did not complain, though, nor protest, but simply nodded his head softly and rose to go inside.
Once inside, I told Heero to order food, I didn’t care what, then come to the bedroom. While he was doing that, I went to the room and, with a heavy heart, unpacked the collars.
“You know what must be done,” I told him as he entered.
“Yes. I am grateful for what you have given me,” he said, his face solemn, “I will not ask for more,” he finished, and handed me his old, leather collar. I tossed it to the bed.
“You must wear a collar, but it will not be that one. Here,” I said, slipping the new collar around his neck and fastening it with the lock.
Heero fingered it a bit before I pulled him to the mirror to look at it. After a thorough inspection, he turned to me.
“It... is not so bad. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. I thought that maybe the weight and size of the other one might have made you...”
“No,” he interrupted, “I have had many collars, and they have all felt the same. It’s not the collar, it’s you. I trust you, so the collar is not such a great burden to bear.”
I smiled and nodded, then led him out of the room.

Heero 08
I awoke the next morning before my master and quietly left the bed, careful not to disturb him. A life of waiting on other men had taught me to function on little sleep, and even less food. Beyond that, though, the hours I had spent dozing the day before would have been more than enough to ensure an early morning for me the next day.
With any other master, I would have tried to sate his sexual appetite first thing in the morning, as many masters enjoyed that, but master Zechs had yet to initiate sexual contact, and I could not bring myself to do so.
Not that it was repulsive to me. I had belonged to many masters, and almost all of them had found me physically appealing. It was only once I had been given my scars that I was considered less of a commodity. I hadn’t had a master since. Such being the case, I was uncertain if master Zechs could bring himself to want me, or if the scars would make him seek another slave for pleasure. I had seen many slaves discarded for less, I would not begrudge my master for not wanting my body in that way, and I knew he had already decided I would be useful for some other purpose. And, if that purpose turned out to be Collar, as I suspected, then I would need to begin a heavy workout routine to make sure I didn’t fail my master.
Which is why, with dawn just breaking over the horizon, I walked into the weight room and began to work out.
Despite my current condition, I had, at one time, been highly athletic. I had always been slim, but my first master was a scientist and had used many enhancements to make my body strong and quick. He was hoping to enter me in Collar alone and let me take a high place in both the athletic and knowledge based challenges, thus driving my price sky high. He hoped that with the money he earned from selling me he would be able to fund his research for the next several years. Unfortunately, he died before Collar began.
My next owner had no interest in entering me in Collar, and had no notion of my training or value. He considered me a useless burden, and from him my position and health continually dropped. It was with him that I first began to feel the burden of my collar, and subsequently attempted to escape.
I worked out on the rowing machine first, to warm up, but quickly switched to the free weights. I knew that it would take some time to get back to my peak condition, but I also knew that my training and modifications would allow me to do it in a considerably short period of time, as long as I was well fed and could bear the stress it caused my muscles. To escape this pain, I had learned when I was young to put myself in a sort of trance, and it was a skill that quickly returned to me in master Zech’s care. As I rapidly pushed the metal bar up and allowed it to come back down, I felt myself begin to pull away.
This, unfortunately, is the reason I did not notice my master when he entered. I actually did not notice him at all until he was standing directly over top of me, and even then only when he growled, “What are you doing?”
In retrospect, I’m actually glad he was standing there. I was so startled that I dropped the bar, which would have come down on my head with enough force to shatter my skull. Instead, master managed to grab it and put it back on the rack even as I, in my fear, was scurrying off the bench to kneel at his feet.
“Please forgive me, master,” I pleaded, my forehead pressed against the mat-covered floor. After a moment, I dared to look up.
Master was leaning against the equipment as though he had, as I had, just been scared out of his wits. He took a deep breath to collect himself, then gave me a small smile.
“Do you even know what you did?” he asked. I tried desperately to think of something I could have done to annoy my master but, other than things I had already been punished for, I could not. Clenching my fists in fear, I shook my head.
“Honestly,” he said, sitting down on the bench, “I’m not even sure now,” he said, and motioned for me to sit beside him. I did so, but kept my eyes lowered.
“I’m sorry I snapped. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, and I gaped at him. No master had even admitted being wrong to me before. “I woke up this morning,” he continued, “and found you gone. I was afraid you had run away again. Next time you want to get up early, just tell me before we got to bed,” he said, stroking my hair. I was relieved that I hadn’t done something serious. My relief, however was short lived, as master suddenly stilled and forced me to look at him. He had a very serious, almost angry look on his face. “Do not use the free weights again without a spotter, ever. If you do, you will be severely punished. Do not come in here alone again until after we have you checked out by the doctor. Don’t ever come in here again without telling someone that you’re going to be here,” he said, in a tone that told me just how severe the punishment would be if I disobeyed. It was the first time master had spoken so harshly to me, but I was moved that he was so concerned with my well being.
“Yes, master,” I replied quietly, “and thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” master said gruffly, giving me another pat on the head. “Let’s get some breakfast.”
The rest of the day went by very quickly. I was allowed to continue my work in the weight room after a large breakfast, under the eye of my master. At lunch, master called a halt to my exercises and sent me to shower while he ordered lunch. Once lunch was through, master asked me many things about life at Collar, preparing for his first time there. His questions were very specific and he delved into the smallest details, like eating patterns and social structure, but knowing my master’s personality I wasn’t surprised that he was thorough.
Once we finished talking I attempted to return to the weight room, but master wouldn’t hear of it. I think he could see that I was exhausting myself, as many of my masters had asked me to in order to train for Collar, but he wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he took me out to the pool, where he allowed me only five laps before he instigated a water battle and distracted me from my training.
Master had me get out around dinner time and asked me to read over a paper Collar had sent to him about the Collar banquet. I am almost positive, however, that he was merely trying to get me to sit down, knowing that I was exhausted and would inevitably fall asleep, as everything on the paper I had already told him. His mission was a complete success, and I slept until dinner, at which time master woke me, forced me to eat, then sent me to shower, and finally put me to bed. Still, I could not complain. No other master had ever taken such good care of me and, even if it was only because I was his first slave, I was grateful for it.
I didn’t even have time to worry about the doctor who was scheduled to come the next day. That situation, however, was rectified early the next morning.
“Master,” I whispered, shaking his arm gently, “master, wake up.”
“Hmm? Wha?” he asked, not opening his eyes.
“Can I go work out? I don’t have to go to the weight room, I can...”
“No, go back to sleep.”
“But...”
“I don’t want you all sweaty for Sally.”
“Sally?”
“Mm-hmm. The doctor,” he said, turning on his side and throwing his arm over me as I lay in bed beside him. I stilled in surprise. Master peaked an eye open and smiled. “Forgot, did you?” I nodded. “Well, that’s probably for the best. At least you were able to get a good night’s sleep. We’ll get up in about an hour, kay?” he asked, then immediately fell back to sleep.
Master’s arm was around me, so I couldn’t move, but there was also no way I could go back to sleep after news like that. Instead, I curled down into the blankets and played with master’s beautiful long blonde hair. Slaves didn’t have choices, so it had never mattered before, but I actually had a thing for guys with long hair. I dared to run my fingers through it and twirl it around my fingers, but no more. Master was asleep, or I never would have dared such an intimate gesture without permission. Still, I was attached to this master more than I had been to any other. I guessed that this was the type of thing people did for the ones they cared for. Like master buying me a new collar just to make me feel better.
I must have drifted off, because the next thing I was aware of was master saying, “Heero! Shit! Wake up, we overslept!”
Instantly I rolled out of bed. Master was on his feet on the other side of the bed looking frazzled and still half asleep. It was only then that I noticed the persistent pounding on the door.
“Shit!” master cursed again, “Alright, I’ve got to brush my hair and change clothes. Can you get the door? Tell Sally I’ll be down in a minute,” master said, rushing into the bathroom. I stared after him for a moment, then, with some hesitation, moved to comply with his order.
As I neared the door, I saw through the window that the doctor was not a tall woman, small and slim and relatively pretty. She held herself well, with the commanding bearing that many doctors held. Quietly, I opened the door and knelt on the floor in front of her.
Most masters would have understood this invitation. Mistress Sally, however, stared at me for what seemed like a long time before entering. I attributed this to my being master Zech’s first slave. Once Sally was inside, I rose and shut the door, then turned and knelt at her feet once again.
“Master asked me to tell you that he would be down momentarily. I am at your service,” I finished. My last statement was a common greeting from slave to master, as a master was always aware that any slave that had not been ordered not to obey them would have no choice but to obey or face the wrath of their master. Of course, it was generally accepted that a slave would use their best judgement on who the master would or would not want to obey, but it was also better to err by pleasing one master instead of displeasing two.
“Thank you,” mistress Sally replied hesitantly. Doctors, as I had known, could be either masters, slaves, or neither. Master had not mentioned directly which mistress Sally was, but from her bearing I had assumed she was a master. Now, after her reaction, I wasn’t so sure. Either way she was my superior, as she was either a trained slave, a master, or someone outside of Collar. I was not even considered a trained slave now that my health had failed.
As the minutes ticked on, I became aware that mistress Sally was fidgeting. She was pacing and seemed nervous and I couldn’t understand why. She obviously knew my master and I was in the most unthreatening position I could find.
I was relieved when, a few minutes later, master came down the hall. My relief, unfortunately, was short-lived.
“Shit, Heero!” he cursed again. Either this was a really bad day or my master had a serious potty mouth that I had not been aware of. Also, I realized that I had forgotten to tell him that most masters preferred to call their slaves by pet names and that we would probably have to find one for me. I sat up and looked at my master.
“Please forgive me, but I am unaware of my transgression. I accept any punishment that you may wish to inflict on me, but I humbly ask that you tell me of my wrong, so that I may avoid it in the...”
“Shit,” mistress Sally cursed, “they’ve got him whipped.”
At the mention of a whip I flinched involuntarily and laid my head back on the floor, curling into myself as best I could in a kneeling position. Certainly I had not done anything that terrible, had I?
I heard Sally gasp and master came and sat down beside me. I was shaken and, when he reached for me, I couldn’t help but flinch. Still, master was quiet and gentle as always and didn’t seem mad, despite his earlier actions to the contrary. He pulled me, unresisting but limp with fear, into his lap and stroked my hair, trying to calm me.
“She didn’t mean that the way it sounded. No one’s going to punish you. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said softly.
“Then why is everyone so upset?” I asked.
“I wasn’t expecting to be greeted by a gorgeous, naked young man when I came here today,” mistress Sally said, but she was smiling, so I assumed that all was alright. Some master allowed their slaves to wear clothes, often the more jealous ones. It had only been master Zechs and I, though, so I had never even considered that my master would want me to wear clothes. As for myself, most of my former masters had wanted me naked at all times, so I had never been body-shy except perhaps my first few days with my first master, but I couldn’t even remember that far back. It seemed that master Zechs had not thought about it either, which led to our current situation.
“Would you like me to...?” I asked, but Sally shook her head.
“I suppose it’s no use anyway. I’d simply have to make you take them back off,” she said. I threw a questioning glance to my master, but Sally caught it and said hurriedly, “For the exam. I mean... not that... I wasn’t implying that... Why don’t we get some coffee?” she asked, obviously flustered. “I’m sure we could all use some coffee,” she said, turning toward the kitchen, then muttered under her breath, “Especially me.”

Sally 09
Nothing, in all my years as a field medic in various wars and skirmishes, or my years at the academy, or my time at Preventers had prepared me in the least for showing up at the door of Zechs Marquis only to be greeted by a naked and beautiful young boy kneeling at my feet.
At first I was shocked and appalled. Then the shock wore off and I was simply appalled. I had heard that Zechs was infiltrating a slave ring, but I had never taken it so literally. I had almost thought it could be a joke, but the fact that the boy was obviously underfed and that he never looked at me convinced me otherwise. Finally, I managed to bring myself to step into the house.
The boy closed the door as soon as I stepped inside, then resumed his position on the floor. He still kept his head down, but raised it enough to tell me that Zechs would be a minute longer. I thanked him, then was at a loss for what to do. After what seemed like an eternity, Zechs appeared and convinced me that I was still sane by cursing in surprise.
The boy, unfortunately, assumed that he was in trouble. His apology led to my ill-advised comment of, “They’ve got him whipped,” which nearly sent the boy into shock. It seemed that they, indeed, had whipped him. His back, revealed as he placed his head on the floor in fear, led gruesome credit to that theory.
Zechs, for his part, managed to save the situation. With a grace and compassion that I seldom saw him allow, he calmed the shaking creature and explained the situation. I could tell that he had been quite charmed by the boy and I was glad. I had been worried that he would not be able to work with the slave, but now that Zechs had formed a bond with the boy he would fight all the harder to save and free him.
I entered the kitchen and, locating the coffee pot, distracted myself with making coffee while trying to calm my nerves. Zechs entered and sat at one of the stools surrounding the counter behind me. Heero, I noticed, attempted at first to sit on the floor, but Zechs pulled him up to sit in a stool next to him. They spoke quietly and I tuned them out, not wanting to intrude on what was turning out to be a very personal mission for Zechs.
Once the coffee finished I poured three mugs and went to sit by the boys. Heero, it turned out, had never had coffee before. He didn’t like the bitter taste at first, but added a little milk and seemed to quite like it. Zechs also added some milk along with a little bit of sugar. I alone drank black coffee, but I wanted the caffeine more than anything anyway.
When I had finished my cup, I finally felt calm enough to move on, though I was pretty certain there wasn’t enough caffeine in the world to get rid of my nervousness completely.
“Alright, let’s do this,” I said, then remembered I had left my bag out in the car. “Shoot, just let me get my stuff. Zechs, take Heero into the den, please. I’ll be there in a minute.”
I rushed out to my car and back, realizing that I was somewhat behind schedule for the day. When I returned, Heero was sitting cross-legged on the couch, while Zechs was standing on the other side of the room. I knelt in front of Heero, which seemed to make him uncomfortable but I ignored that in light of recent events, and took out my instruments.
First up was the stethoscope. I placed it on Heero’s back and instructed him to breathe in, then out. Next was his reflexes, which were actually better than normal. From there I moved to pupils, glands, ears, and nose, all of which were fine. I was sure to check Heero’s vision and hearing, although I was fairly sure they were both fine. Lastly, I had Heero lie down and checked his organs. For the abuse he had received in light of his back, Heero was actually surprisingly healthy. Finally finished, Zechs dismissed Heero to go order lunch, and I was able to speak with him privately.
“He’s malnourished, but you already knew that. The scaring on his back could be worked on, but that’s all superficial. It shouldn’t be hurting him. Other than that, he’s surprisingly healthy for what he’s been through. How’s he working out?” I asked Zechs when we were alone.
“Wonderful, and terrible. He’s a great kid, which makes it even harder for me to put him in this situation. If anything happens to him...” Zechs’ voice was laced with guilt, he knew what he had to do, he just didn’t like it.
“He’s no worse off now than he was before. He’d be dead without you. You are trying to help him, you have to know that. And Heero knows that too. Just look at how much he trusts you. He adores you,” I said. Even I could see just how taken the boy was with him.
“Of course he does. I’m probably the only person in ten years to show him any sort of kindness. He doesn’t know any better.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Those who have been hurt the most are the last to trust. He can see that you’re trying to help him,” I told him. His eyes were still dark with fears of the future.
“I hope you’re right.”

Heero 10
I was glad when the doctor left, as mean as that sounds. She had thrown off the balance of the entire house and put my master in a dark mood. She had also reminded me that soon this little vacation would be over, and we would have to go to the Collar banquet. Once there, I knew the master would have to buy at least two slaves to be competitive in Collar. It was more likely that master would bet to try to win more slaves, as any with talent were already owned, which would mean terrible and painful slave games, or he might even trade me. In light of these facts, master wasn’t the only one with low spirits.
I decided, that day, that I needed to prove to master that I was useful for more than lifting weights and answering doors. So when the master went to take his shower, I asked if I could join.
Master had not bathed with me before, but he had seen me naked, swam with me, laid with me, and sat in the hottub with me. He had never approached me for sex, but he was only human, and I had seen him become somewhat aroused before he could hide it. It also helped that, though I was naked, master was usually fully or at least partially clothed.
Being naked or swimming together, however, was quite different from being in a shower, which was a very small, very steamy enclosed space.
“Alright,” master replied, then grabbed his towel and walked into the bathroom. I hadn’t actually expected it to be so easy, but, then again, things often were a simple yes or no with my master, not like other masters I had belonged to.
Once in the bathroom, strangely enough, I suddenly became nervous. What if I didn’t arouse him? What if he didn’t want me? What if he saw my back and became disgusted? What if he decided he didn’t want me? Thoughts like these invaded my head and I almost turned and fled the room. Only the fact that it was master Zechs kept me there. I didn’t want to lose him.
The shower was built into the wall and instead of a curtain it had a sliding glass door. Once inside I almost felt like I was in another room, as the shower was the size of a small closet. There were three showerheads, all in a small corner so that they rained down on a small space from three different directions. The rest of the shower was dedicated to shelves and bottles, except for a small stool in the corner. Master turned on the water and pulled me with him into the spray.
I hadn’t actually thought of bathing. I had been so focused on sex that I was truly surprised when master poured soap on my head and began to wash my hair. Master chuckled.
“Close your mouth, Heero. Let’s wash your hair before you jump me, alright?” he asked. “You’re tense as a rock. You’re lucky Sally didn’t diagnose you with an ulcer.”
At his gentle, teasing tone I relaxed. It seemed that whatever bad cloud had hung over my master had now passed, and his good humor infected me. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Can I help you with your hair?” I asked as master rinsed my hair under the spray. As he moved closer to get a better reach, I felt something brush the back of my leg. “Or perhaps you would like help with something else?” I asked. Not sure of what his response would be, I knelt and went to work before he could answer.
I took his length into my mouth in one swift motion, tasting the salt of his wet skin. My hand went to his balls and I massaged them, toying with him as I brought him to full arousal. He was long and heavy in my hand and mouth, but I attempted to take all of him anyway and finally managed to bury my nose in his curls. I noticed, belatedly, that they were also blonde.
Master, meanwhile, was gasping and had buried his hands in my hair. His legs were shaking and I thought for a moment to run and get the stool, but master suddenly collapsed, taking me with him down to the warm tile. I was simply glad I didn’t accidentally bite him in the sudden descent.
Once on the floor, master was much more accessible to my mouth and hands. His legs splayed wide open and I was finally in a position to start swallowing hard, rubbing his long length with the contractions of my throat. He moaned deeply, and I could tell that he was on the verge of release, so I hummed in the back of my throat and quickly brought him over the edge. I swallowed his flood as it cascaded down my throat, only a small bit dribbling out of my mouth. I continued to suck on him even after his length began to soften, then backed off with one final kiss to his tip. As soon as I released him manhood, master pulled me up for a deep kiss, running his hands down my back to cup my ass. He was still panting and I knew that he could taste himself in my mouth, but I thought he was pleased. It made me feel good, to know that I could do this for him. I didn’t want to be a burden.
“You are magnificent,” he told me once the kiss was finished. “Let’s see if we can get through this shower without any more distractions and I’ll show you the rest tonight,” he said. I nodded. I hadn’t expected to get any further than oral sex so soon, but master had been more than patient. I would be happy to give myself to him.

Zechs 11
I’m not certain what motive Heero had for his sudden adventurousness that led to foray in the shower, but I was thankful for it. Had Heero not been so insistent on pleasing me, I’m not sure I could have asked him to sleep with me that night. I had often worried that he would fear sex and would try to escape my advances in any way he could. I knew I could never force him to have sex with me. His sudden interest, however, showed me that he not only wasn’t afraid of sex, but that he also trusted me more than I had expected. He had been nervous in the shower when he sucked me off, but he was also talented and beautiful. I wasn’t certain how he would react to me turning the tables on him, as he was considered a slave, so I merely finished the bath instead of sucking him off in return. I knew that I would have plenty of chances to show him my gratitude later, in bed.
Heero was tired after the shower, as he had spent much of the day after Sally left to working out. I had a pleasant fatigue to my body due to my personal workout in the shower, so agreed to curl on the couch with him and watch some television. Heero was asleep in minutes, breathing gently against my collar bone as I tossed a soft afghan over him to keep off a chill. He was, as usual, completely naked.
It was late when I woke him for dinner, but he seemed very refreshed, so I wasn’t worried that he would have any trouble keeping up with the activities I had planned for later. I actually ordered pizza for dinner, though I’m not particularly fond of it, because it was quick to eat and would leave virtually no mess to clean up. I let Heero put the pizza in the refrigerator while I brushed my teeth, then decided to prepare the bedroom while he took care of his own toilet. As he entered the bathroom I made a soft comment about him utilizing the toiletries under the sink to sanitize himself completely. I was fairly certain that it would only embarrass him to have my help, so I allowed him to cleanse himself without my assistance. He probably had more experience in that sort of thing than I did anyway.
I turned the lights to their lowest setting in the bedroom, light enough to see but dark enough to sleep with if neither of us could bring ourselves to leave the bed. I placed a small towel in the drawer of the night stand, in case there was any mess to clean up, and set a bottle of sandalwood oil beside the bed. I decided not to use any of the... mechanisms I had been provided with to... enhance the moment. I was still wary of frightening the boy, and I wasn’t confident with the equipment to use them when I wasn’t sure of Heero’s reaction. If he were to panic with one inside him he could be seriously injured, and I wasn’t willing to risk that.
Heero entered and looked surprised at the steps I had taken in preparation for our first night together. I supposed that I was acting more like a horny boyfriend than a controlling master, but I didn’t care. He was my slave, and if I wanted to treat him like a prince, then I would. Without saying a word, I handed him a glass of red one. He looked from it to me. I nodded, and he downed it in one gulp.
Well, that didn’t bode well.
Still, I could see that he was nervous, especially as he gave me a pleading look and I refilled his glass. Perhaps he was right. I wanted him relaxed for the night and, as long as he wasn’t completely sloshed, a little alcohol wouldn’t hurt. The pink tint of his cheeks, however, when he looked at me reminded me of just how long it had been since we had dinner, and I decided that Heero wasn’t getting any more wine. As small as he was, and as light, two glasses was more than enough for him.
“Master...” he said, but I quieted him. He was still skittish, and I knew I would have to allay those fears.
“I know this is somewhat sudden, but I can promise you that you will enjoy tonight. As my slave, you must submit to me in this, but I can promise that I will make your obedience rewarding. You must trust me,” I told him, gently running my thumb across his lips.
“I do,” he replied softly, staring at me with those sultry blue eyes. He had never seemed so beautiful before, and I couldn’t help but scoop him into my arms and carry him to the bed. He was startled at first, but chuckled as he realized what I had done. What a strange creature he must have thought I was.
Under me, on the bed, I could see that he was nervous, but the determination in his eyes told me that he would allow me whatever advances I wanted to take with his body. But I didn’t want a silent piece of flesh, I wanted an active participant in this. I needed to arouse his interest in the activity, if I wanted to arouse anything else with him.
But how to interest him, without frightening him? Come on too strong, and I would merely scare him away, while coming on too lightly may have made him think I didn’t want him.
Which was the furthest thing from the truth right then. I had been celibate for over a month as the mission planning had taken over my life, and now living for almost a week with an Adonis in my house had nearly driven me crazy. I wanted nothing more than to jump Heero, but I knew better. I knew how frightened he was by the pounding of his heart under my hand as I knelt above him. I knew that his masters in the past had been neither gentle nor kind. How many of them had seduced him, how many had even bothered? I was fairly certain that Heero had been in this situation before, and I didn’t want to bring up any bad memories. I didn’t doubt that Heero’s memories of sex were painful, if he hadn’t blocked them from his mind by now. Still, his body would remember, if nothing else. I wanted his trust, and tonight I would earn it.
With that thought in mind, I quickly slid his smaller body to the left and plopped down beside him. He stared at me in confusion.
“You take the lead,” I offered. I could tell he was confused, but I deliberately didn’t elaborate. He was hesitant, but I could also see that he didn’t want to disappoint me.
I was shirtless, and had changed into a pair of drawstring sleeping pants. I hadn’t wanted to look as though I would jump Heero, but I had also wanted to be ready for that possibility.
Heero, ready to service me, immediately went to my groin. He was uncertain and looked to me for permission, which I gave with a nod, but would offer no advice. I wanted him to find some enjoyment in this and I was hoping giving him some control would do that. Still hesitating, Heero reached out and fondled me through the soft cloth of my pants. It felt good, but I didn’t want him immediately trying to make me come, so I maintained my breathing and would not allow myself to become hard. Heero, I think somewhat challenged by this lack of reaction, became bolder, and tugged my pants down to my knees, exposing me. Now I knew that Heero was trying to service me, but decided not to say anything for fear of scaring Heero back to his shell. Still, I didn’t want to allow him to service me again, so I took a deep breath, prayed for control, and managed to keep myself from becoming hard.
This seemed to confuse Heero. He touched me, hesitantly, but my body did not react, despite how much it wanted to. Being soft, I was about normal length, as I was a few inches longer than normal when hard. Having such a length, I have a rather active and lively libido, which was cursing me in several different languages for what I was doing. I had to clench my jaws and count my breaths, but I managed not to react to Heero’s ministrations. After a bit, he gave up, and I hoped that he would try something different on me by calling on what felt good to him. I wanted to know what he liked, and I was hoping he would show me that. I meant to have an inside look at what could arouse my slave.
I never meant to make him cry.
Heero’s tears might as well have been ice water, because at the sight of them my libido immediately shrank to the size of a pea. I hurriedly pulled my pants up and sat up. I reached out to Heero, but stopped as he shied away, then tossed himself down on the bed to bawl.
“Heero,” I called softly, moving to sit beside him, “Please, stop. What’s wrong?” Heero only shook his head. I sighed, and stood, regret settling like a stone in my stomach. It was too soon, I could have known that. After everything he had been through, I had pushed him too soon.
I made my way over to the bottle of wine and poured myself another glass. There was too much riding on this, I couldn’t scrap the mission, but I knew Heero wouldn’t be ready this time around. I’d tell the commander, give Heero a week or so to recover from this, then start again. No one would think it strange for me to miss Collar my first year, and Heero would be better prepared. Nothing could make me hurt him like that. I realized it, and couldn’t bring myself to dislike that fact. Caring so much would be bad for the mission, but I would disgust myself otherwise.
“Heero...” I started, but he cut me off desperately.
“Please, master. Please, just turn the lights out,” he begged, raising his tear stained face.
“What? Why?” I asked. Heero bit his lip and lowered his eyes.
“I... I know I repulse you, but perhaps if you can’t see me... can’t see the scars... you can...”
“Heero,” I snapped, approaching the bed, “what could make you think...” I paused, knowing suddenly exactly what had made him think that. My intention had been different, but the result was clear. “Baby, that’s not at all what...”
“I know what I saw,” Heero said, cutting me off. “I’ve had masters that take a long time to... get started, but... your face told me what your body was proving. I can’t change what I am, but-...”
I silenced his stupid words with a kiss, while wondering how many masters had berated him for his scars, and how many had given him more because of them. He was beautiful, for and despite the scars.
When we finally broke the kiss, I lifted Heero’s light form and placed him on my lap. Overcome by emotion, Heero leaned into my chest. I kissed the neck that was exposed to me by our position, leaving a trail to his ear, where I stopped for a gentle nibble. Heero tensed suddenly and I knew he could feel my arousal under him. I stopped biting his ear and whispered softly, “No more thinking, from either of us. Promise me. Tonight, there is nothing but this.”
Heero nodded slowly, then softly bit my chest. It was light and teasing and I moaned at the feeling. When he stopped, I pushed him to his stomach on the bed and straddled him.
When Heero realized the position he was in, he began to struggle, but my weight was already on top of him and there was no where for him to go.
“Stop struggling, Heero,” I commanded, suddenly feeling a rush of possessiveness. “I know what you think of your back, and I’ve had enough. All of your body is mine, and I won’t allow anyone to think less of any part of it. Do you understand me?” I asked. His response was a small sob and a quick flurry of struggling motion, but I wasn’t about to let him get away.
“No,” I said gently, “You don’t understand, but you will.”
I bent down and kissed his back gently, then began to rub his back seductively with my hands. I kissed, licked, nipped, stroked, and tempted the sensitive scar tissue on his back until his sobs turned to moans and he began thrashing in an entirely different manner. I moved lower, touching the soft flesh of his thighs and butt, until finally he couldn’t take it.
“Master, please! I understand! Please, master, I need-! Oooh!” he moaned again as I rubbed my body against him. I had lost my pants early on while I had been focused on Heero’s pleasure, and now my manhood bobbed between my legs, heavy, wet, and more than ready.
I lifted myself and allowed Heero to flip over. Before I had even lowered myself again, Heero had taken my mouth with his and was kissing me deeply. The sheets were rumpled around Heero’s head where he had held on while the pleasure coursed through his body, and I found myself utilizing the same method as I rubbed our hard lengths together.
Heero broke the kiss with a moan and fell back against the sheets, sweating and shaking. I was barely able to hold off an orgasm that was long over due. Our eyes met, and I could see that the anxiousness in Heero had been pushed to the background by lust and pleasure. It wasn’t completely gone, but I knew it was the best I would get.
I grabbed a bottle of oil and coated my fingers. Heero watched me, but I could see more excitement in his eyes than anxiety. I kissed him deeply as I slid my fingers inside him. It had been a long time for the boy, and he was tight. I knew I was hurting him as I stretched his tight little ring, so I rubbed my thigh against his firm shaft, but only managed to attract more attention to what I was doing. I must have aroused some memory, because Heero tensed and I was unable to move my fingers any deeper.
I broke the kiss and Heero’s eyes met mine. The fear was back, but I think it was more of being rebuked than anything. I kissed his lips gently, still softly moving against him.
“Come on, angel, relax. You know I won’t hurt you, but you’ve got to relax that sexy little ass of yours,” I told him, and felt his body relax around my fingers. I probed a bit deeper, careful not to hit his sweetspot and send him over the edge too soon, then pulled out before I sent myself over the edge just thinking about it.
I moved into position, lifting his legs over my shoulder. I could see the deep blue of his eyes as he looked up at me and finally saw the trust I had been looking for. Bending over him, I kissed him deeply, then thrust slowly into him. He moaned, long and loud, but I continued in, stopping every few moments to let him adjust. By the time I was fully seated, we were both sweating and panting and a few stray tears had made their way down his cheeks. I kissed them away, then made a shallow thrust with my hips. Heero moaned a completely different way signaling that he was ready. Without further ado, I pulled out slowly, then pushed back in. Heero grabbed my arms and wrapped his long legs around me. In another moment, I was pounding him into the mattress and Heero, for his part, was loving it. His head thrown back, moaning and holding my shoulders with bruising force, Heero was the picture of wantonness.
It was over in a relatively short period of time, but for all the teasing we had done it was understandable. Younger and with less control, Heero came first, shooting spurts of milky white seed all over his chest and mine. The pleasure-spasms of his body caused mine to go off like a rocket and white spots formed before my eyes as I ejaculated my hot seed into Heero’s warm body.
When I came out of the haze of pleasure, I was on top of Heero, panting like I had run a marathon. It had been, without a doubt, mind blowing sex, and I could only hope that Heero felt the same way. As quickly as I could, I rolled my fatigued body off of Heero’s smaller form. I had been worried that Heero would want nothing more to do with me after what we had just done, but it was quite the opposite. Heero quieted my fears of him being frightened and upset by our passion, and far exceeded my hopes. He seemed bolder and more comfortable with me, as he crawled onto my chest and snuggled down, a serene smile on his face unlike any I had seen on him before. He kissed my chest, then closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to even out into that of sleep. It seemed that I had worn the poor boy out.
With a chuckle, I snagged a towel off the night stand and quickly cleaned the two of us up the best I could, then pulled up the blanket and settled to sleep.

Heero 12
I awoke sore but happy. It was the first time in months that I had felt the sticky, morning after feeling of sex, and the first time ever that I happy with it. There was none of the cold, lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach, knowing that I had been used and tossed aside once again. My master was still holding me, breathing softly against the top of my head. I had fallen to the side in the night, so was no longer on master’s stomach, but I was held just as tightly by his arms as I curled against his chest. I knew that I should get up, but for once I allowed my self just a few more minutes of sleep. I knew that my master wouldn’t be more than annoyed, and I trusted that he would not punish me harshly for it. I was rewarded for this trust by being held and snuggled until late in the morning. I had never felt so... cherished before.
I was jubilant through breakfast, though I’m well aware that my face, schooled by years of torture to show no expression, revealed very little of my emotions. I had never a master who cared for me as much as this one did, or even bothered to know me at all. I was grateful, and tried to give the trust that master had asked for as fully as I could. I felt brave enough, even, to tell master about the pet names.
“Pet names?” master echoed, confused. “Why would I want to limit myself to one pet name for you. I have several that I think would fit.”
“It’s not a pet name like that, master. It’s a slave name.”
“Oh. Why can’t I call you Heero?”
“That’s my real name. It’s on my papers. Most masters keep their slaves’ real names secret so that competitors won’t try to claim them or hack into the files and transfer their ownership. The slave’s real name is the master’s property, but even he cannot change it, so it is something of a commodity.”
“So Heero is your real name? What’s your full name then?”
“Heero 10-1 Yuy.”
“10-1? What does that mean?”
“A slave’s middle name is always a number code. 10, meaning the tenth year of Collar’s activation. 1, meaning I was the first slave brought in that year.”
“I see. Well, I will continue to call you Heero when we are alone, but I suppose you will need a nickname for time when we are in public.” Master paused, seeming to search the air for my new name. After a moment, he smiled. “Alright, I’ll call you angel.”
“Angel, master?” I questioned. “Are you certain?”
“What’s the matter?” he asked, looking a little disappointed, “You don’t like it?”
“I... I’m certain that there are several other pets called Angel, master. It might get confusing,” I sidestepped, hoping to avoid making a direct answer.
“I suppose so,” master conceded. “I suppose I’ll have to give this some thought,” he said, rising from the table and our finished breakfast, “Now, get to that workout, lazy one. Perhaps that’s what I should call you. What do you think?” he teased. I gave him a glare and marched to the gym.
Lazy indeed!
It was late afternoon before master called a halt to my practice and I was nearly exhausted, but master had kept a close eye on me to keep me from fainting. I was pleased that I was already starting to regain strength in my limbs and almost purred from the compliments master had given me. I had hardly ever received compliments from my other masters and then usually if they wanted something from me, and my first master had always seen my flaws, never my triumphs. Master’s compliments were genuine and I took them to heart, while also trying extra hard to fix any deficiencies the master pointed out. The pride in his eyes was well worth my sweat.
It was around the table again that my master struck up another conversation, which I could feel would turn into another of his information drilling sessions.
“What kinds of games do they play in Collar?” he asked as he lifted a fork of Chinese noodles to his mouth. It seemed that my master had never learned to use chopsticks. I used my chopsticks to lift a piece of pork to my mouth before answering.
“Do you mean the Collar tournament, or gambling?” I asked.
“Both, I suppose. What do they gamble with on Collar? How much do they spend?”
“They don’t usually gamble for money on Collar. Sometimes a master will have a party game for a few thousand credits or something like that, but the serious gambling is done for slave papers.”
“Oh? You mean they gamble away their slaves?”
“Not always, sometimes a slave must perform a certain act for the winning master, but, yes, sometimes a master will give their slave up through gambling.”
“This is allowed?”
“Yes. A master is allowed to have several slaves, but the better slaves are almost always the ones who have been trained for a while. Certain masters take in nothing but new slaves and break them, but it is far easier to gamble for a slave that is already trained than one that is new.”
“I see,” master said again, staring morbidly into his glass of wine. Upset by this conversation, I took a drink from my own glass, filled with peach juice, and stared at the table.
I was terribly frightened that my master would gamble me away. It would be easy for master to purchase more slaves, but any he could get from a warehouse would be as disreputable as I was. If he were to gamble and lose me I would certainly be taken back to the warehouse.
“I’m not going to lose you,” master said suddenly, startling me into spilling some of my juice. I looked up to find him staring at me and blushed. I must have allowed him to see how frightened I was.
“But, master,” I reasoned despite myself, “you will need better slaves to win Collar. That is what you want, isn’t it? I am certain that there are many slaves better...”
“You’re not going to convince me to let you go, and I know you don’t want to leave, so stop being foolish. If there are more capable slaves out there you will just have to work harder. Now, look at me,” he said, pulling my face to meet his eyes, “I will not lose what is mine, angel.”
The emotion overcame me for a moment and I had to look away. When I looked back up I smiled and tried to look teasing.
“So, I guess my name is angel?” I said, my tone as disappointed as I could make it through my relief.
Master chuckled and said, “We’ll see,” then continued with the questioning. “What kinds of gambling do they play at Collar? Something like cards or horse races?” he asked. I hadn’t truly realized how new my master was.
“There are races, but they are always run by the slaves. Sometimes masters will do cards or even coin tosses, but often times they test how well a master has trained their slave,” I said, lowering my eyes. Collar was full of bad memories for me, many related to the gambling.
“Oh? How do they test this?”
“Sometimes...” I hesitated. Some of the tests were truly gruesome. “Sometimes they test how much control a master has over the slave by blindfolding the slave, gagging them, and covering their ears. Sometimes they tie them up and hang them, or force them to float in a deep pool. The slave who struggles last wins.”
“How does that test the masters control?”
“The slave who struggles last is usually more afraid of punishment than of being injured by the contest. The idea is that if a slave thinks their master will let them off easy or hasn’t been told what the master’s limits are, he will begin to struggle as soon as he feels unsafe. A well controlled slave knows that he is better off being hurt by the game than displeasing his master.”
“I see,” master said, contemplating my words. “I would think trust would be more important in these games,” he muttered offhandedly.
“Master?” I questioned. He turned to me and smiled.
“If I must enter you in on of these contests, I will need you to trust me. You know that I would never let you be injured, right? I protect what is mine, Heero,” he told me, holding me in place with his eyes. I nodded. Master would protect me.
Suddenly, he sighed and lowered his head. “I suppose I’m a glutton for punishment, but that’s not all, is it? Not that it’s not more than enough, but there is more that you’re not telling me. Come now, I must know everything.”
“Yes, master, I’m sorry. There are more games.”
“Tell me.”
“Sometimes slaves are forced to fight. They are not supposed to fight to the death, but the loser usually dies of wounds once the battle is over. It is generally accepted that a slave must be very seriously injured for the fight to be considered good. Because of this, they usually match the battles unevenly when gambling, so that the slave training for Collar won’t be injured. It... can be sickening. Many of the weaker slaves are starved for several days before the battle, and most have never been trained. Sometimes the weaker ones are given weapons to protect themselves while the stronger are unarmed... sometimes it is the opposite. It is... very bloody,” I said, then stopped. I could still see the eyes of one such participant staring at me. I had, thankfully, never been put into a fight, but I had watched one. I had been so upset that I had hid my face in the draperies that surrounded my master’s chair as the boy, only fifteen or so, had been brutally beaten by a slave of thirty and nearly three times his size. My master had thought me weak for the display and sold me soon after. I had never found what had become of that slave. I was almost certain he had died.
“Heero?” master called me, startling me from my memories.
“Yes?”
“Is there anything else?” he asked, and I could see that he would have let me go had I simply shaken my head, but I could not lie to my master. There was more that he needed to know.
“Sometimes slaves are forced to... copulate.”
“You mean they must have sex?”
“Yes... and no. Slaves are regularly forced to have sex. These slaves... they rape each other. The object of the game is to top your opponent, the loser is forced to bottom. There are no weapons or toys involved, but... it can be worse than the battles. The slaves are humiliated, beaten, and raped. Many are killed by the brutal coupling, or by being shared afterward as a punishment,” I paused again, but I was finally close to finished. Too bad the last part would be the hardest to verbalize. “The final part of the contest again tests the masters control and skills along with the slaves. It is very popular and one section of the Collar competition is sometimes based on this. In this contest the slave is blindfolded, gagged, and has his ears plugged. His hands are tied behind his back so he can’t feel in front of him. From there his master guides him down an obstacle course very quickly. The slave who runs the course the fastest wins.”
“How does the master guide the slave? They can’t see or hear, so...?”
“Many masters use... whips to guide their slaves. Others use sticks or blunt tipped arrows, and I’ve even heard of a few sharpshooters using rubber bullets, but whips are by far the most popular. The master hits the slave and tries to...”
“...Force them the way they should go. I see. Is that it, finally?”
“That’s all I can think of. I’m certain there will be more to learn once you arrive, but masters are constantly coming up with new fads, so it’s very hard to keep track of everything. I think I’ve told you enough to manage.”
“Well, then, you’ve done such a good job that I’m going to reward you with a dip in the pool. Come on, angel!”

Zechs 13
We compromised on the name. Heero, understandably, disliked the name Angel. He thought it sounded girly. I, on the other hand, had decided it fit him perfectly, and simply couldn’t get it out of my head. Heero supplied the name Wing, which he liked and I didn’t Eventually, I settled on Fallen Angel Wing, so that we could both have what we wanted and I wouldn’t have to watch him pout. I registered it, so that Collar would know what to call him in the competition.
I was troubled by what Heero had told me of Collar, and yet I was glad he had done it. I didn’t want to take him back into that situation, but, knowing that I had to, I was glad to be well prepared. Knowing this, on the day before we would depart for the Collar banquet, only five days after Heero had come into my life, I took him out back to face his greatest fear.
We had eaten a picnic lunch before hand and Heero was still curled up on the grass, naked except for his collar, when I came out of the house with my whip. I had brought it as a prop, for I had certainly never dreamed of using such a destructive weapon on a slave despite the problems he might cause. In my youth I had somewhat specialized in the whip along with swords, so I was well aware of the damage it could cause, unlike many amateurs using it for some quick fun. I knew that, wielded correctly, a whip could skin a man’s back in seconds, or bite down to the bone in a heartbeat. I also knew how to control it, and I hoped that would be able to do so well enough to keep Heero safe.
There was an old fence post in the yard that I chose as my target. Its wood was starting to chip away, but it didn’t really matter. I probably wouldn’t need to use it again once I reacquainted myself with the weapon.
Heero gasped at the first sight of the whip and flinched, but didn’t run. He was brave, as I was coming to learn, but he was still young and traumatized by what men had done to him in the past.
“Master?” he questioned piteously and I had the sudden urge to toss my whip back in the house. Instead, I merely smiled at him.
“You’re not in trouble,” I reassured and he relaxed somewhat, but not close to what he had been. I couldn’t say I was surprised. The boy trusted me, but he wasn’t stupid.
My first strike of the whip landed a little to the left of what I had planned, but only by an inch. Considering that my whip was almost eight feet long, an inch doesn’t seem like much, but I was aware that an inch could make all the difference when it came to the human body.
It took me almost an hour of practice to feel that I was back up to my former skill and bring out my instincts for the whip. My skills had faded with time, but they returned to me easily enough. I made sure to keep my eyes off of Heero while I practiced, for I knew that he was flinching every time I struck the target. It made the next part of the practice even harder.
“Heero, I need you to get up now,” I said, not looking at the boy. I could hear him hesitantly rise behind me and bit my lip. I had to force myself through this, for Heero’s safety. “Go stand by the pole.”
“Master?” he questioned fearfully. I hardened my tone, knowing that much more would break my resolve.
“Get up there, Heero. This isn’t a choice. Go stand at the pole,” I repeated again, my tone threatening. I doubted I had ever spoken so harshly to him, and I could see he was shaken as he approached the pole unsteadily, biting his lips.
“Master, please, I’m sorry,” he muttered as I took my stance, “please, have mercy. I’m sorry,” he continued, but didn’t move. I was confused, he trusted me but he pleaded, he pleaded but he stayed. I had never punished him severely before, so I couldn’t see him fearing me. On the other hand, I didn’t really understand his pleas if he trusted me, either.
“Heero, do you trust me?” I asked as tears started to rain down his face. He nodded, closing his eyes in a quiet sob that shook his body. “Then I need you to take a deep breath and stop crying. There you go. Now again,” I guided, not daring to reach for him because I knew I would not have the heart to force him through this. Slowly, he regained his composure by himself. “Now, I need you to stay very, very still, do you understand? If you move, you will be in a lot of trouble. Now, just hold still,” I said, and took aim.
The whip struck just above his right should. Heero tensed, but didn’t jump, which was good, because he probably would have gotten hit otherwise.
“Are you alright?” I asked, certain I had not hit him, but double checking anyway. He nodded, confusion entering his eyes, pushing aside some of the terror and tears. When I raised the whip again, however, the terror returned full force.
This time, I snapped the whip just over his left shoulder. I guessed that he could feel the wind from my blow, because he tensed, but managed to stay still. I had to force myself to trust Heero to remain still, for if he moved it could be very bad for him. The whip does not allow for pulling blows at the last second should Heero have stepped in harm’s way.
I spent a few moments placing blows at various degrees of Heero’s body, from the top of his head to as close as I could get to the ground, casting up a small spew of dirt and grass as the whip glanced by. Never once did I draw blood, but, then again, I wasn’t expecting to. Had I done so, I probably would not have been able to trust myself with the weapon later on, so I was extra careful with my aim.
“I’m going to try something else now, Heero. I want you to hold out your arms and spread your legs,” I told him calmly. A light sweat had broken out on the boy’s body and he was shivering in fright. I knew that I was running low on time, that there was only so much Heero could take before he collapsed.
“Please, master, stop,” he begged again, but did as I commanded. I answered by raising my whip again and letting it fly.
This time, instead of snapping the whip, I convinced it to circle around Heero’s wrist, catching his arm. Again, there was no blood, but I knew there would be a slight red mark. It was a small price to pay, though, compared to the rest of the mission. I regretted not asking Heero to wear some clothes but, as it might have tipped him off, I decided it was probably better this way. It would be hard to miss blood or bruise on his pale white skin were the whip to accidentally hit him. He was safer without them.
With a flick of my wrist, I released Heero’s hand and proceeded to attach the whip to the three remaining limbs at various points. I tried to get as close to his shoulder and as near to his ankle as I could. Once I was certain that I would be able to grasp Heero no matter what movement he was doing I decided to move to the final phase.
“Heero,” I said, watching his quaking form. The tears had almost stopped, but he had turned a most ghastly shade of white and the shivers would not cease. “You’re done very well so far, But I need you to do just one more thing for me. I want you to turn around...”
“No!” he gasped, fresh tears streaming down his face. “Master, please, no!” he begged. I could only glare at him in what I hoped was a threatening manner as I felt him tear my insides out. Slowly, his eyes lowered and he turned around, sobbing, shaking, his shoulders slumped in defeat. I raised the whip, knowing that I would only have one chance at this.
I snapped the whip and managed to just graze it along the cheeks of Heero’s ass. Heero cried out, leaning forward to escape the blow, while his rigid discipline held him in place. I could see a convincingly red welt raise itself where the whip had struck his butt and hoped that it seemed more painful than it was. I had hoped that I could use the whip to inflict punishments that looked worse than they actually were, but from the way Heero’s tightly tensed shoulders quaked with sobs it seemed as though it felt worse than it looked.
Quickly, I wrapped up the whip and laid it on the ground, then gently took Heero into my arms. He came willingly, despite what I had just done to him.
“Shh,” I soothed, “It’s all over. You did very well. I’m proud of you,” I told him, rocking my softly where we stood as he sobbed harshly into my chest. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I asked. Heero shook his head and cried harder.
I soon realized that this was not going to be a short bout of crying, so I quietly led Heero into the house and sat him down on the couch where I soothed him until he fell asleep, resting across my thighs.
When he woke up, hours later, I was still sitting there beside him, though my legs had gone to sleep. For a while he simply lay there, allowing me to stroke his hair and, I hope, enjoying the sensation of my fingers across his scalp.
“I know you don’t understand a lot about me,” I told him, my voice rumbling through the quiet room, “and I can’t tell you much. I just want you to understand that I will not hurt you for no reason, and I will try to spare you as much pain as possible. I wish I could tell you, but you...”
“...just have to trust you. Yeah, I know,” he sighed. “It’s alright. I don’t understand many of my masters. At least with you I know why I don’t understand you.”
“I’m glad you’re okay with this. I promise, one day you will understand everything. It just might not be soon.”
“I’m glad,” he replied, “I’d rather never understand than have to leave you.”
“It won’t come to that,” I answered, “I won’t leave you.”
“There are plenty of slaves better than me...” he defended.
“There are, and I might get some, but that doesn’t mean I have to leave you. I want you here with me, not them. So there, that’s final,” I told him, in a mock masterly voice. He smiled.
“Thank you, master.”

Zechs 14
Heero informed me early the next morning that slaves were usually partially or completely drugged for any kind of traveling. I had pelted him with questions for most of the morning and growled with frustration when he told me this. I regretted it when Heero flinched and dropped his eyes to the floor. I was annoyed, but not angry, so I rapped my knuckles against his head in punishment and stormed to the phone to call Sally.
As it turned out, Sally had been expecting something like this. I suppose it would be natural for men who routinely beat and demean their slaves to expect them to try to flea, but I had no fears whatsoever that Heero would try to run away. Honestly, I wasn’t sure he’d want to let go of my hand while we boarded the plane. Something told me that, as skittish as he had been when I brought him home, he probably wouldn’t do so well around large crowds.
Sally already had the pills set aside for just such an occasion, and was able to send them over quickly when I called her. I had taken a few courses in medicine and field aide in the past, and Une had asked a few of her agents in the crime labs to give me a lesson in narcotics, along with several briefings from Sally. All in all, I was able to tell the type, effects, potency, and dosage required of almost any drug, legal or not. I knew the drug Sally had prescribed for Heero was pretty mild. I probably could have gotten the same effect by giving him a triple dose of Niquil. He would be sleepy, disoriented, and pain free for the duration of the ride, but he would probably be back to normal by the next morning, if not sooner.
Heero actually seemed relieved that he was to be drugged for the plane ride when I informed him later that night. I wondered why.
“I... do not do well around large groups of people. I cannot tell where an attack my come from, and I attempt to find cover.”
“The drugs make it better?” I asked while I packed the few things I would take out of this house for the trip. I had grown accustomed to the relaxed, civilian clothing I had been wearing, but I knew that I would have to be in something more fancy for the party. I had asked that my suits be sent ahead, so that they would be there when I arrived. I was pretty much taking my toothbrush, hairbrush, and underwear from the house.
“Not really,” he replied, “but there is less I can do about it. I’m still afraid, but I’m too confused to be aware of what I’m afraid of. There are so many faces, but I can’t seem to connect them to bodies, and I know the threat is in the body, not the face. I was usually too weak to run or make much noise, and I was always too afraid of my master to say anything. Punishment is much worse when I am drugged, because there is nothing I can do to limit the damage done to my body. When I am drugged, I cannot even turn away from the pain...”
I paused in my packing and went to Heero, whose eyes had gone haunted and far away. Gently I cupped his face, bringing him back to me.
“I won’t allow you to be hurt while we’re on this flight. I will protect you, so you don’t need to be afraid. You will be tired and disoriented, but you will not be so confused that you don’t know what’s going on. If you need anything, I’ll be right with you the whole time, alright?” I asked, knowing he would nod despite the fact that it was most certainly not alright. I knew that Heero was frightened, but I could only try to lessen his fright, I could not spare him from it.
“I trust you, master,” he told me.
“I know you do. I won’t let you down,” I told him, then straightened up. If we didn’t get ready soon, we’d miss our flight. “I’ve had clothes made for you so that you can walk through the terminal. They’re on the kitchen counter, run and put them on while I finish up here.”
Heero obeyed me immediately and I took the time while he was gone to pack the other collars and ready myself for this expedition. I would have to be calm and strong for Heero to come through this unscathed. Heero needed support, and I intended to give it to him.
We left the house at about two that evening. Our flight was scheduled to leave at four, but I wanted to have plenty of time to board the shuttle and get Heero situated. Heero had pretty much told me he had something of a phobia of crowds, along with his unusual behavior with Sally, I wanted to have a lot of spare time just in case something should go wrong. If Heero did panic, I might need half an hour or more to talk him down.
Before we left the house, I made sure to put Heero’s prescription in my pocket in case he needed another dose while we were in the flight, then handed him two of the small white capsules. Heero stared at them warily.
“They’re just to relax your nerves, angel,” I soothed. He shot me a questioning look, but nodded.
“I’d rather be drugged than panic in public. It would be very bad,” he said, then swallowed the pills dry.
“Is there anything else that would make you more comfortable?” I asked, but he shook his head.
“As long as you’re with me, I should be alright. And...” he trailed off.
“And what?” I asked. Heero blushed and shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
“Enough now,” I told him, getting mildly impatient, “What were you going to say?”
“It’s just,” Heero said, looking nervous, “drugs always make me... cold.”
“Ah,” I replied, looking over his faded blue jeans and long sleeved green top. Not the colors I would have chosen for him, but the did manage to hide his beauty and made him seem almost normal. “It’s too warm for a sweater, but I’m sure we can find a blanket on the shuttle. I’ll even order you some tea when we get there, as long as you behave.”
Heero smiled and nodded, looking somewhat less frightened than he had been before. In a moment, I led him out the door and into the awaiting car.
I was unsurprised to see Heero fall asleep not long after we entered the car. This time, unlike the last time, Heero had no qualms about sitting on the seat with me, and when he fell into my lap when he finally submitted to the slumber the pills were dragging him toward. I smiled tenderly as he began to snore softly. Such a sweetheart.
I woke Heero as we were entering the parking lot, which gave him plenty of time to wake up, as we had to drive around for several minutes to find the right entrance. Heero was groggy, but his anxiousness was almost completely gone.
“Are you feeling alright?” I asked, “No nausea?” I questioned. I had been sure to give Heero breakfast not long before he took the pills, but I couldn’t guarantee that the ride wouldn’t upset his stomach.
Heero merely shook his head. “No, mas-...” he stopped himself, looking suddenly awake and afraid at his almost slip. “I’m sorry!” he gasped. I shushed him.
“It’s not you’re fault, it’s the pills. I should have known. Do you think, instead of calling me master, you could call me mister? It’s a little strange, but certainly not as bad as master. What do you think?”
“Mister,” Heero tired, frowning as he concentrated. “Mister. This is my mister. I have to pee, mister,” he said, still frowning in concentration. I laughed, but stopped when I saw Heero’s serious and somewhat hurt glare.
“Oh,” I said as I suddenly stopped laughing. “You’re serious.” Heero glared harder and nodded. “Alright, then, let’s go find a restroom.”
We made an expedient journey from the car to the airport terminal, where I waited outside as Heero hurried to use the facilities. Heero came out a short time later looking shaken and immediately came to my side.
“Is something wrong?” I questioned.
“No,” he replied, shaking his head, “I just don’t want to be alone.”
Though he had been far from along, I understood his meaning, and made a note to be careful not to leave him while he was drugged. We carried only three light bags with us as I had, as I mentioned, sent most of our things ahead the day before. Two of the bags I checked and the third would stay with me on the flight, as it contained my important paperwork, like Heero’s papers our passports, and my admittance to Collar. It also contained some of my credit cards and spare cash, but when one is a prince those item are slightly more expendable. Still, I kept a close eye on the bag.
I kept a closer eye on Heero. Once we were away from the bathroom, Heero calmed somewhat, but would still show flashes of fear when some unsuspecting bystander strayed too close. I kept him near me and soothed him quietly whenever he seemed too edgy, but all in all the medicine kept him very calm, if somewhat sleepy.
With everything going so well, I decided to reward Heero by taking him to a small pastry shop we had passed when entering. The inside of the shop was filled with hundreds of gooey, sticky sweets and smelled of doughnuts and coffee.
“Ma-ister?” Heero said, stumbling with the word. I chuckled.
“Yes, Heero?”
“Wha-... What are we doing here?” he questioned.
“I thought you might like snack and to sit down for a while. Does that sound good?”
Heero had to contemplate it more than usual, but eventually nodded. I laughed again at his serious consideration of so simple a question.
“What would you like then?” I asked as we moved forward. Heero considered the glass case in front of him as we waited in line, allowing his eyes to glance over all the sugar-loaded confections.
“What about that?” he asked, pointing to a tray of bagels.
“A bagel? You can have anything you want, you know. Are you certain you don’t want something sweeter?”
“No,” Heero said, shaking his head, “It all looks so syrupy and messy. I think...” he trailed, frowning as he tried to concentrate, “I think it might do something bad to my stomach. Like, when we fly. Can’t I please have one of those?” he asked again, looking at me pleadingly.
“Of course. What kind would you like, strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon, or plain?”
“Mm...” he hesitated, deciding, “I like blueberries...”
“Then blueberry it is,” I told him, and stepped forward to make my purchases. I ended up getting a bear claw, which I had been yearning for all morning, and a coffee while I ordered Heero his blueberry bagel and a green tea, remembering his comment about getting cold.
We sat down at a small table toward the back to enjoy our snack. Alone with the bagel, I had also gotten Heero some cream cheese in both plain and blueberry and some blueberry jam, as I didn’t know what he liked on his bagels. Heero experimented with the different toppings while I nibbled at my treat and sipped my coffee. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the pastry and I was content to watch him eat even after I had finished my own.
By the time we left the cafe we were able to board our flight and headed to our terminal. Heero seemed even less anxious than before, contented with his full belly. Heero became nervous again as we passed through security and had to separate from me at the metal detector. He got through without any problems, but gave several fearful looks at the large guard standing near him on the other side. The guard noticed and looked suspiciously at Heero, which didn’t help matters. I hurried through the checkpoint and took Heero by the arm.
“It’s my cousin’s first flight,” I told the guard, lying easily. “He’s a little nervous, as you can see,” I told him. The guard smiled at us and nodded. Heero, for his part, nearly hid behind me, glueing himself to my side.
I collected my bag and pulled Heero along as he trailed me, his nervousness quickly fading again. I wondered how bad this would have been without the drugs, if he was so jumpy with them.
We handed out tickets to an attendant who quickly stamped them, handed them back, and wished us a good flight. I smiled at her and waved goodbye, but was in too much of a hurry to get Heero settled to wait for anything else.
I was glad that I had gotten us on a first-class shuttle, because I knew Heero would be uncomfortable with someone sitting next to him. I guided Heero to slip into the row first so that he would be trapped between me and the window. Hopefully it would keep him from being too aware of the other passengers.
There were two seats in every row, giving Heero and I the slight feeling of privacy. The seats were large, soft, and could recline almost the whole way back without invading another person’s space. I was fairly certain that Heero would fall asleep within an hour of takeoff, and I would bet on less. I noticed two pairs of headphones attached to the wall and noted that they might be useful later, to keep Heero occupied were he to wake up.
Of course, I knew that Heero wouldn’t sleep for the whole flight, as it would last almost a full twenty-four hours. I hoped, however, that he would sleep for a good part of takeoff. Once in space, we could move around the ship, and had a sort of cabin that we could use. It would be private, away from the rest of the passengers and crew. I knew that was most important to Heero.
An announcement came over the speakers telling us to fasten our seatbelts and that the flight would be taking off in a few minutes. I fastened my own seatbelt and, seeing Heero struggling with his, leaned over and fastened the other seatbelt. A stewardess came around to make sure everyone was fastened in, but I barely noticed her as I watched Heero for signs of nervousness. He seemed to be floating at the moment, his blank expression telling me than he wasn’t aware of what was happening.
That all changed when the flight began to move and prepared to launch. Heero gasped and looked at me with frightened eyes.
“We’re taking off?” he asked me timidly.
“Not yet, but soon,” I told him. He sniffled and leaned on me, burying his face in my shoulder.
“I don’ wanna,” he protested pleadingly, “I’m scared.”
“It’s alright,” I soothed, “I’ll be right here the whole time.” Heero shook his head, though more in protest than that he didn’t believe me, and fisted my shirt in his hands. He was starting to shake so, as the stewardess came around one last time I asked for the blanket I had promised Heero. It was a heavy wool blanket and Heero hid himself inside it, both for warmth and protection.
The engines started then and there was no time for anything else. Heero gave a whimper of fright and gripped me more tightly, but seemed more fearful than panicky. I soothed him with quiet words as the flight began to move and finally launched.
The launch went more quickly than I had expected and we were soon out of the atmosphere, but it would be another hour before it was deemed safe enough for us to go to our cabins. Heero stayed plastered to my side the whole time and soon fell into a drugged sleep. I was glad to feel his body go limp, sparing him from any more fear. I sighed to myself and rubbed his back. Collar was looking more and more unappealing.

Heero 15
I had anticipated the flight to Collar with the same amount of dread a man feels when walking to the noose. I knew that my irrational fear of crowds had developed into something of a phobia over the years, but I was too embarrassed to tell my new master about it. Even when he asked me about it, I was so ashamed that I hadn’t told him sooner that I almost couldn’t bring myself to speak to him about it.
Master handled it with his usual grace, meaning he huffed and puffed but eventually just fixed it and moved on. A single call to his doctor found master with a pocket full of light tranquilizers and me watching the pretty birdies. Despite, or possibly because, I had never been given such light drugs before, I had never been so out of it. I wondered briefly if the reason was that my first master had made my body resistant to many kinds of heavy drugs, but hadn’t attempted to shield me from lighter drugs. Because of this, I was fairly unaffected by all but the very strongest of drugs, yet I was easily swayed by light and over-the-counter medicines.
I don’t remember much of the trip. I know I fell asleep in the car, only to wake up to my master and my bladder. I remember going to the restroom, then nearly panicking when I realized I had left my master. I remember stopping in the sweet shop, but not much of the walk to the shuttle. I remember take-off excruciatingly clearly, but I fell asleep thankfully soon after.
“Heero,” I heard master whisper in my ear, “wake up now.”
I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision. It was more difficult than I had anticipated, and I brought my hand up to rub at them, but I still couldn’t seem to get them clear.
“Stop that now,” master ordered, taking my hand away from my face. “Come on, we’ve only got a little way to go, then you can go back to sleep,” master told me, and pulled me to my feet. My seatbelt had been undone, but I couldn’t remember when. I clutched my blanket in my hand as master led me down the aisle.
I had a blurry period then where I clutched my blanket and master’s hand because I couldn’t seem to focus on anything around me and I was worried that I’d be left behind. I think, had we not gotten to the room so quickly, I would have begun to cry. Perhaps I did, but if so, I’m glad I don’t remember. Crying in front of master is one thing, but allowing strangers to see me so weak is quite another. I don’t think I could have withstood the humiliation.
It was a blissfully short amount of time before I heard the sound of a door shutting and looked around to find myself in a small room. Master finished closing the door and was quick to my side, pushing me to the bed and pulling off my shoes. I struggled a bit, more from confusion than anything, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade master. Once my shoes were off he quickly pushed my to lie back on the bed and pulled the covers around me.
“Go back to sleep,” he told me. “I’ll wake you for dinner.”
I didn’t want to obey him, but my mind and my body had two very different ideas of what I should do. Unfortunately, my body won out, and I was asleep again before master had turned around.
“Wake up. Angel, come on, dinner’s here,” master called. I opened my eyes and sat up. Master was sitting next to me on the bed, a covered tray next to him on the dresser. “Go wash you face,” he commanded, “it’ll wake you enough that you don’t forget to swallow and choke.”
I stood, wobbled a bit, then walked forward the four steps it took to get to the closet-sized compartment that was the bathroom. I splashed some cold water on my face, dried it with a towel, then stumbled out of the bathroom and more or less fell back onto the bed. Master had, by that time, uncovered the tray and we began to eat, but I was so out of it that I never even noticed what I was eating. I think I might have fallen asleep on the tray.
The next time I awoke, master was typing on a laptop at the desk on the other side of the room. I felt fully awake for the first time during the trip and sat up, making some noise to let master know I was awake.
“Ah, Heero,” he said, turning in his chair, “I’m glad you’re awake. You missed breakfast, but I thought I had better let you get all the drug out of your system. It’s almost lunch, if you’re hungry we can go get something to ea,” he told me. I shook my head. I was feeling somewhat queasy.
“No? Feeling a little nauseous? Alright, then, but you’ll have to eat once we get to Collar,” he said, then went back to his typing. I spent a few minutes listening to the steady rhythm of the keys before the suddenly faltered. I glanced over to se that master had stilled, his hands poised above the keys.
“I meant to tell you,” he told me, his voice so serious that it frightened me. “I’d been thinking while you were asleep and there’s something I think we need to discuss.”
His words were like ice in my veins. What had I done wrong? Was I to be sold? The last time master had been so serious was when he had played with his whip, and even his words were not so weighted. It could be nothing short of a sale. No, please, I don’t want to go...
“It’s about your behavior earlier,” he said. I must have done something wrong while I was drugged and couldn’t remember. It certainly must have made master terribly angry, but I couldn’t remember it. “I’m aware that you were under the influence of drugs, which is why I’m saying this,” he told me, still not turning around. Perhaps he would simply punish me? If I begged? Said I was sorry? No, he wouldn’t forgive me, and he wouldn’t want to wait until we got to Collar to punish me. A slave too stupid to keep his head with mild drugs, too broken to be around people. Worthless. He was right to get rid of me.
“Heero?” master called, and I looked up to find him right in front of me, his beautiful blue eyes staring into my tarnished gray ones. I would never be worthy of him. I would never be worthy of anyone.
“Please, forgive me, master, I...”
“Shh,” he soothed, taking my face in his hands as two tears spilled from my eyes, “You’re not in trouble,” he said, kissing my forehead and pulling me against his chest.
“Then... what.... why....?” I wondered, too emotional to get the words out.
“I wanted to tell you that you can’t have any more drugs when we get of the shuttle,” he said, his tone serious, as though I would argue, “I know you’re afraid of these crowds, but I need you all here and lucid to guide me to Collar.”
“But...” I hesitated, still afraid of angering master, “there won’t be a crowd when we get off.”
“What do you mean?” master asked, looking confused, “The rest of the passengers aren’t just going to stay on here.”
“No, but we are,” I told him, my anxiousness fading as I came to understand our misunderstanding. “Didn’t anyone tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“This shuttle goes from earth to L1, but it makes a fuel stop at a private satellite on the return trip. We are supposed to stay on the ship at L1 and get off at the satellite. If you show the stewardess my papers or your seal they’ll give you permission to stay,” I told him. His body relaxed with relief.
“What would I ever do without you?” master asked and I couldn’t help but smile and blush.
“I’m nothing special.”
“You are special, and silly too,” master teased, “Now, go get a shower and let me get some work done.”