Chapter 12 - Life in A Castle

"What was that about?" Axxel questioned as he and Jules clung to each other, limping down the street. "I mean, I loved the intense sex, but it wasn't almost worth my life."

"Almost?" Jules quirked a brow.

"Almost," Axxel confirmed.

The duo chatted as they limped together – of course, with the tech available, there were a dozen other ways to travel around Outpost, but Axxel conditioned his mind to stay as inclined to modern society as possible.

That was also Jules's advice – run everywhere you go, less you forgot how to run at critical moments.

Though, in Axxel's mind, everything was about training – maybe someday he would make it out of the Speed Force, and by then, he wouldn't expect a hoverboard to leave with him.

Things in the Speed Force tended to stay in the Speed Force.

"Fuck!" Jules cursed.

This brought Axxel's mind back to the situation at hand – she was bruised, battered, and half-naked; though, with the state of her clothing, naked would have been a better option at this point.

Axxel felt his pride swelling - all of this because of their earlier battle and subsequent sex. Not many men could manage to bang Jules as roughly as The Aspiring Speedster.

The battle didn't have to be so intense, but for some reason, Jules had insisted Axxel show her all that he got – and well, clearly, he had more than she could bear.

Pride swelled once more.

"The next mission will be very dangerous," Jules spoke seriously as they limped along, placing more of her weight on Axxel's leaning body. "I need you to be prepared to do or die. Today, you showed me you were prepared to do anything to survive. I like to see that."

"You know babe," Axxel sighed. "You're fucking crazy."

"You're just discovering this now?" Jules rolled her eyes. "Nobody stays in here for as long as I have and remains sane."

"But they remain agelessly sexy," Axxel added. "Besides, I have died twice already – what's one more time?"

"Three fucking times the charm," Jules grunted, pinching Axxel's waist a bit so he would stop being so boisterous. "Speak more silently. What comes next is not what any of these people will want to see."

"You really wanna kill me, huh?" Axxel's breath grew heavy. "Is tonight gonna be our sacred fuck or something?"

"I don't wanna kill you any more than I wanna keep fucking you," Jules explained. "It's just that we finally have a way out of here – you don't understand how difficult it is for someone like me to leave."

"I guessed that was the case," Axxel voiced. "You don't stay in here as long as you have and not become a part of whatever system exists."

"You're not as dumb as your pretty face suggests," Jules admired, adding one more thing to the list of ten things she liked about Axxel.

The petty conversation continued uninterrupted.

The conversation was not entirely petty, sometimes in the depth of the pettiness, they would toss in some hidden daggers, trying to remain as vague as possible.

The teasing was exciting and suicidal.

Luckily, the duo arrived at Jules's home before the conversation could become about marriage, kids, or ritualistic sacrifice – something neither of them wanted.

Truly, marriage and kids were off the table inside The Speed Force, but admitting as much would prematurely end the relationship.

Axxel stopped for a bit to appreciate the large structure in front of him – it awed him no matter how many times he passed the gates.

Jules's home was a Victorian Era Castle with a square base that occupied the entire one-acre land upon which it was established – or, more like, broke off from a decaying Universe somewhere.

"I built it brick by motherfucking brick!" Jules bragged, pride apparent on her exhausted face. "Or, maybe… I should say re-built it with my own flare added."

And there was indeed a reason for her to be proud, the castle was of a beauty that would make billionaires jealous. And it was so vaguely shaped like a penis – the flare Jules mentioned.

"That's probably why it looks a bit tilted on the right…" he joked, but apparently, nobody could joke about Castle Vicky without paying the price.

Jules punched Axxel in the face, and he took the attack like a man – a small tear leaking from the corner of his eyes. Of course, evidence of the abuse was quickly wiped away.

It was worth the abuse.

Some minor scuffles later, Jules and Axxel breached the enormous doors of Castle Vicky – so named because it rhymed with Icky.

The doors were made from a crystalline metal that Axxel could not pronounce, and said metal made the castle almost indestructible.

'Though I doubt Superman would have much of a problem breaking into this place.'

It was Axxel's third time inside the castle, so he wasn't startled when the entire structure buzzed with a hum that signified the Artificial Intelligence coming to life.

Everything moved and shifted until the doors opened on their own to grant Jules entrance.

Yes… just Jules!

Axxel made sure to stick close to Jules since, just to be spiteful, she had instructed the AI to give him a jolt every time he tried to venture anywhere in the castle on his lonesome.

Apparently, the perverted woman had perverted secrets – who knew?

And surprise – surprise, the AI was as spiteful as its creator.

Axxel was amazed when the door shut behind and the lights of the interior blinked into life in a dazzling array of colors. He was pretty sure there were a couple of scans in that instant, but Jules didn't like letting him know the security procedures necessary to enter the castle.

A castle, it may be, but everything inside the castle was beyond futuristic. Once, Axxel was tricked into using an earpiece that linked his mind with Jules – that was not a pleasant experience.

Two crazy motherfuckers should never occupy the same mind.

As the boss of the Exploration Teams, Jules obviously kept all the best things for herself, not that Axxel was complaining since he got benefits by being the boyfriend.

But for how long?

"Where first?" Axxel asked with the grace of a loyal servant. "Should I prepare you a dip in the pool?"

"Shower…" Jules responded immediately, sniffing her arms and frowning. "I smell like your fluids – apples… I don't like apples, especially cum-smelling apples. You need to change your scrotum or something."

Axxel panicked – Jules usually meant it when she said crazy things like this, but he wore a brave front and snorted. Then, he scooped Jules off her feet, following the blinking lights guiding him to the bathroom.

More than once he had gotten lost inside the castle, so Jules ensured the AI would allow him some concessions – follow the golden brick road until you meet someone called Oz who will try to rape you!

Still, Jules took care of him.

As for her reason why, in her own words - 'You got some good dick, so I will allow you some freedoms…'

And that was the most romantic thing Jules ever said to him. It was probably the most romantic thing she had ever said to anyone in her entire life.

Entering the fully-white bathroom, Axxel simply placed Jules on the ground, and like waves in the ocean, the floor rippled to create a large tub.

The large tub came with a soft section like a pillow that cushioned Jules's head. Then, nano-mist filled the atmosphere like smoke.

The clothing on Axxel's and Jules's bodies dissolved when it touched the nano-mist. After ensuring Jules was comfortable, Axxel placed his PLEED against the wall, connecting the device to the surround speakers.

At least this was one tech he actually understood.

"Any preferences?"

"Something vulgar…"

"Go-figures…" Axxel rolled his eyes and switched the song on the PLEED until he found an appropriate song.

[YG – Who Do You Love Ft. Drake]

With the music set, Axxel waved his hands to dim the lights a bit and slid into the tub next to Jules.

There was every indication that Jules had fallen asleep, but Axxel knew she was just pretending to see what he would do, and when the music started to play, Axxel felt a bit braver than usual.

His restraint faded to razor-thin levels as he grabbed Jules by the neck, and swing her to the opposite end of the tub. Jules reacted on instinct and clutched the side of the tub, her ass facing Axxel's direction as she prepared to throw a fit.

She was genuinely ready to kill Axxel.

But before she could.

Something hard and long was inserted into her nether region, and any trace of resistance and defiance faded to oblivion as she began growling in pleasure.

The next ten hours were spent in bouts of rough sex that was somehow more violent than their exhibition on the training field earlier.

--------------------

After their very serious 'discussion' in the bathroom, Jules was the one to scoop Axxel in her arms and carry him to the living room.

Unlike everywhere else in the castle, the living room was the only place resembling a modern home. Two of the three brown couches occupied the two sidewalls, and one in the center.

Each couch had its own stains showing usage, and maybe some other hidden histories – one-night stands and such. The floor was tiled with star patterns resembling cross-hatches; somewhat ugly but Axxel opted to keep all opinions to himself, seeing this was not his home.

The only thing missing was a centermost table for family game night, which could be excused since Jules had no family to begin with… at least, none Axxel knew about.

Jules tossed Axxel on the center couch, and like magic, the two other couches drifted and connected with the one in the center. Obviously, the living room was not as modern as it seemed.

When the couches connected, Axxel felt the material soften, and soon, the former couch now resembled more of a cloud – a floating cloud of infinite comfortableness.

"And what do you call this one?" Axxel inquired, rubbing the cloud unconsciously and thinking about his favorite poodle from his past life – Mr. Poodle.

Sure, Mr. Poodle betrayed him in favor of one of his former flings, but Axxel was sure the couch would not be so disloyal.

"He's not named Mr. Poodle for sure," Jules scoffed, and Axxel forgot some of those who have been in the Speed Force longer could develop the ability to feel the electricity of potent thoughts.

Not mind reading exactly, but something close.

Jules pushed her hand into the smoky surface of the couch-turned cloud, and carefully recovered the tv remote. Like everything else, the television seemed pretty modern at first glance.

And second glance.

And maybe a third glance.

Well, all Axxel could see when he examined the television was 'a normal television'.

"What's special about the tv?" He inquired, wondering why Jules was so careful with the remote control.

Instead of answering directly, Jules flicked the television on and began browsing through the channels nonchalantly. It was almost as if she was waiting for Axxel to realize how cool she was, and eventually, he did.

At first, he noticed anything amiss, but the more he paid attention to programs on television, the more appalled he became. Each channel was a new DC Universe of its own.

Not like movies or tv-shows, but more like a shady, inside-perspective of Real-time events occurring across the Multiverse.

Axxel frowned, raising his guard around Jules "What is this?" he questioned.

"This TV is an Ancient Artifact forged inside the Speed Force – it taps into Vibrational Frequencies of inhabitants of Savage World and shows me the different timelines and Universes they come from," Jules explained, and continued "The point of time in the Universe is random, but it makes for good entertainment – seeing all the WHAT-IFS."

Axxel chose to observe and not comment, slouching back into the cloud with Jules in his arms as they watched the events of one Universe after another.