The look Theo gave her as she entered the door was butterfly-inducing.

 His mouth quirked up in a smile, and he rounded the countertop with a plate in his hands. On top was a huge sandwich that he pushed into her hands. "Eat." His tone almost made her eyes flutter shut with arousal. She instead sat on the couch and ate the masterpiece Theo had made her as he tidied up. 

"I could get used to this." She groaned, enjoying the feeling of a full stomach. A chuckle from the sink made her heart skip a beat. "You need to stop that." She muttered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hera picked up on the sarcasm in Theo's voice and shot up straight, nearly dropping the last few bites of lunch. Are you meddling with my brain? She sent to his mind, causing his chuckle to return.

"Why? Do you feel something?"

She had to clench her thighs shut that second. He was rounding the counter again, desire in his eyes. "What are you playing at, Theo?"

His smile was causing her to blush profusely. "I've been practising some long-range skills... Can you tell?" The effect of his Evolution from across the room had her wet. 

"I can tell." She whimpered. 

He closed the gap between them and reached a hand to caress her face. His hand slid further, burying itself in her hair, and tugged slightly, tilting her head to the side. He leaned in dizzyingly close and mesmerised her as he kissed a trail up her neck to her jaw and finally to her mouth. His fist closed slightly in her hair as he deepened the kiss and took control. He calculatingly placed the other hand around the back of her neck, thumb stroking the tiny hairs there. She shuddered under his touch and when he pulled back, her eyes flitted to his.

"What is this?" She breathed. His own arousal now pressed against her and he prepared to answer her.

"I want to try something. Do you trust me?" He kissed her again leaving her breathless. She nodded slightly as his grip tightened on her neck. A sudden and unexpected wave of pleasure coursed through her whole body and she realized his plan. She bit her lip to stop the grin as he sent another wave of lust through her. 

Sweat broke out across her body and she moaned at each wave. The intensity grew each time until it happened. Her body clenched over and over again from nothing but the stimulation of Theo's Evolution. He didn't even have to touch her to make her experience pure ecstasy. He untangled himself from her and kissed her once more before helping her up off the couch. 

"I think we were supposed to go to a meeting." She muttered incoherently. Theo pulled her to the room and ushered her into the bathroom. 

"Wash up and then we can go." He left her standing in front of the mirror reeling. She was going to need a cold shower again.

The walk to her father's house was slightly awkward. Not only did she just experience some mind-blowing 'mental stimulation,' but there was no time to return the favour, and Theo couldn't seem to filter his lust-filled expression. 

"You need to stop looking at me like that, my dad doesn't know about us yet."

"He knows." Theos voice was low at the admission.

"What? How?" Hera's face was aflame. She didn't know how she would face him after what they had just done. She was an adult but Joseph had a track record when it came to interfering with her relationship; whether it be official or not.

"Is that what he said to you when he left the training?" Theo shook his head, no, in response and pulled her after him. His grip was warm and she felt herself calming completely. Normally she would be mad at the nonconsensual mind tinkering but she appreciated not feeling embarrassed as they reached the porch steps.

Everyone looked up from a map at their entrance, eyes flicking briefly to their intertwined fingers then back to the paper. Hera blushed, pulling her hand away much to Theo's distaste, and approached the dining table. "So what's the plan?" Hera asked after clearing her throat. 

Her dad met her eyes with a small smile and pulled her over. "We were waiting on you." So far, so good.

There was a prolonged silence as Hera waited for someone to speak. A few beats passed before she suddenly realized they were waiting for her to give some ideas. "Oh! Um, I do have a half plan if you want to hear it..." Joel and Ivy smiled at her encouragingly, while Jean and Monroe were blank-faced. "Where is Zeke, by the way?" 

Joseph tilted his head in an outside direction."Mountains." 

She nodded and took a steadying breath. "Okay, I was thinking we get everyone in the community to come here. Monroe opens a portal somehow which gets me, you," She looks to her father, "Theo, Jean, and Zeke on the plateau of that mountain," she pointed on the map, then to the physical mountain outside. "Then we know Azrail will never find the settlements."

"What about me?" Joel pouted from across the table. 

"Joel, my plan would need you here with everyone else. Keep them calm, prepared, and safe." He nodded dubiously as she continued.

"I want to help all those Evolved that Azrail has under his control. It's not their fault they are doing these things so we need to save them somehow. Maybe if we lure them into the forest and through the portal, Ivy and Arlo can heal them?" Ivy nodded intrigued.

"If I use the shield Mod I have, I can get one of you out there with me. I was thinking if you're okay with it Jean I could give you the shield so you can siren call as many as you can out of there." Jean nodded nervously. No one particularly enjoyed the thought of having enemy tech in their heads. 

"And dad, maybe you could carry some of them through the portal. Hold them as you did to me..." He hummed an affirmative sound.

"We need to separate them somehow. Low level and high level so you both have different groups to focus on."

"I can help you, dear ones." A voice sang from the doorway. Zeke was smiling down at Hera, his pride was evident. Hera grinned as her plan seemed to take shape. He strolled in, squeezed her shoulder, and found a seat at the table. Zeke immediately began leaning back on his chair, teetering back and forth. Won't be able to help us if you crack your head open, Hera thought, remembering her high school teacher's warnings.

Joseph took over planning as Hera watched Zeke precariously balance. "I could take the low levels and Jean could siren call the high levels. Her ability is closest to Azrails, perhaps she could interfere with his control." Joseph started scrawling notes across the map. "Surely the high levels would have had more brainwashing and be liable to snap at any moment."

"How do we stop the asshole from just forcing them all to kill us the moment he sees us." Jean raised a fair point, and the room was still as Hera flexed her brain.

It wasn't much, but it was something. "Okay, this might sound stupid, but we just need more time right?" Everyone nodded. "We could get Ash and Sage to build a tunnel under where Azrail would stand and collapse it under him to temporarily bury him. I doubt it would kill him, but either way, it would buy time at least for dad to take some of the Evolved through the portal." She hoped the two brothers would be able to make any adjustments beneath Azrail quick enough after he arrived. They were like human moles.  

Joel burst out laughing causing Hera to flush in shame. "Oh no! I don't think it's a bad idea..." He saw her expression and backpedalled. "It's just funny imagining him falling down a hole like some Emperor's New Groove shit. 'Pull the lever Kronk!'" Joel's laughter filled the space again and Hera had to hold her breath to stop herself from joining his cackles.

"This is serious." Jean smacked the back of his head which only made him laugh harder. Hera was shocked to see a smile tug at Jean's lips too. 

"Okay shut up," Hera tried to bring back the attention of the room. "Once we get everyone away from him I'll finish it."

She could almost feel everyone's hackles rise, especially Theo who stepped in so close she could feel his warmth against her spine. "And what will I be doing, Hera?" He murmured next to her ear causing her to swallow deeply.

"I need you to keep the plan flowing, but stay out of Azrail's mind control reach. I'll be in the middle of the plateau and you will all stay in the forest for cover." Her eyes cast to her little family in that room. "The only one of you who would be able to join me is Jean. Is that enough of a plan?"

"It's enough." Joseph agreed, finishing his elaborate scribbles on the map. "We cannot plan for everything but I know each of you is exceptional at making decisions under pressure." He met Hera's eyes and nodded proudly as did everyone else in the room. 

Except for the man behind her. 

She tried to keep her breathing even as his voice rumbled in her mind. Your plan is dangerous, love. Everyone started moving around them unaware of their internal conversation.

I won't let you get hurt by that monster again, Theo. She thought back as she turned and met his eyes. 

They softened before narrowing, And I won't let you do this by yourself.

"I know." She whispered out loud walking past his towering frame. 

She had almost made it out the door when a voice stopped her. "Hera, a word." Her father called to her retreating form.  

Hera paused in the doorway, using her eyes to plead for help as everyone cleared out. Theo kept his eyes downcast to avoid being summoned too, while Jean snickered and skipped down the paint-chipped stairs. With a grimace, Hera turned and faced her father.