“You look skeptical, Brenda,” Barry observed. “Don’t you approve of our offer?”
Brenda looked shocked and clutched her temples. “Stay out of my head! Leave my thoughts alone!” She was still clearly rattled from her brief time as a daddy long-legs.
Now it was Barry’s turn to look shocked. “I…I don’t have any powers,” she protested. “You are just really obvious about telegraphing your emotions.”
“It’s true,” Tiffany agreed. “I used to beat her ass at Texas Hold’em all the time back when she was my husband.”
“Screw you both,” Brenda muttered, embarrassed. “But I guess I do have a few questions. The deal sounds good, on the surface, but I guess I really want to know more about your motives. You two just jump from reality to reality, looking for people with godlike powers and get them to play nice?”
“That’s about it,” Regina said. “Of course, not every would-be god is as reasonable as you two.”
Brenda and Meiko shared a glance and a quick smile. “Thanks for calling us reasonable,” Meiko said. “Would you really have snuffed us out if you saw us as a threat?”
Regina really didn’t like this turn of conversation, but she felt that the Weirs deserved honesty. “Only in the most extreme cases. I don’t need to explain the moral implications of one god snuffing out another’s creation. But there are lesser remedies, as well. We could wall off your reality, giving you free rein with no chance of corrupting other universes. Or we could do a reset, reversing time in your reality and preventing you from ever obtaining power in the first place.”
“They’re growing in power all of the time. Maybe they’ll get stronger than you one day. You must trust them a lot if you’re not doing any of that stuff to them,” Shannon observed. Brenda and Meiko winced. Better not to put ideas into the mind of the Sorceress, they thought.
Regina laughed instead. “Not to worry. I have a pretty good sense of whom I can trust. Meiko, Brenda? The two of you could have achieved omnipotence already. What held you back?”
“We wanted to enjoy the ride,” Brenda said. “But I guess we also wanted to take it slow. One change at a time so we didn’t screw things up too much if we made a mistake. We already caught ourselves a few times.”
“Mmm hmm,” Barry agreed. “And surely you thought about what would happen if one of you went mad with power?”
“That wouldn’t happen,” Meiko protested. “We look out for each other. And if the other gives bad advice, we have Shannon and Tiffani to keep us honest. We’re a family, and we love each other!”
Regina crossed her arms under her lovely bosom. “That’s the answer I was hoping for,” she said. Of course, it’s the answer she knew would come, but she didn’t want to freak out the godlings any more than necessary by telling them so. “Your desire to build a sexual playground could be seen as selfish, but you want to make sure that everyone in your brave new world is happy. That’s admirable. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but I am certain that you will take responsibility for them. As you said, you each have several people you trust to serve as your conscience. On our world, I am terrified of what would happen if Kylie reawakened as her former self. But I know that she has someone who loves her. And, knowing that she is loved, has every incentive to heal. So, long story short: I trust you guys. Powerful or not.”
“Cool,” Brenda said. “I thought you might be trying to trick us into giving you the secret of immortality. But I suppose you could have just taken that already without asking.”
“Bingo.”
“So I agree. Let’s set up the exchange program you described. Having more options might soften the blow for any who have a hard time accepting that Mei and I are calling the shots now. And I’m curious to see your world myself.”
“No pills are required,” Meiko said. “It’s spread by a virus through exchange of fluids.”
Barry hesitated. “Immortality? Really? This is a huge decision. I don’t know if I’m ready…”
“Take your time, dear,” Regina said gently. “I want you to be absolutely certain.” She had no doubts herself, and she beckoned Meiko to her side. With a shy smile, she offered a gentle kiss. Meiko drew her in and responded with passion.
Brenda thought she saw a flash of jealousy in Shannon’s eyes, but for her part, she found the sight arousing. “There are no other symptoms to the virus,” she remarked. “So you won’t really feel any different…”
“Holy shit!” Regina exclaimed, pulling away, her eyes wide in astonishment.
“...or you may experience dramatic symptoms. What the hell do I know?” Brenda muttered.
“You two really did a trick!” Regina said, astonished. “Here I was thinking that you simply found a way to build up the immune system and halt the aging process. But you actually coded this virus for true immortality!”
“We did what now?” Meiko asked. She was still a little flushed from the kiss.
"I'm saying that the women of your world are truly indestructible. As in 'diving through the core of the sun' tough. And even if you were somehow reduced to subatomic particles, your consciousness would remain and you would reform a new body at will. I don't think that you…I guess I should say 'we' now…could even be erased by global changes to your reality."
"Wow," Shannon said. She was the only one who could find words. She unconsciously blew out a little cloud of smoke.
"Y'all may want to look into ending climate change," Barry said. "You're going to need this ball of rock for a really long time."
"My girls will take care of earth. Don't you worry," Tiffani said confidently.
Regina smiled. "I have no doubt they will. And I think it's time to take our leave. Shall we agree to meet again in a month? If we're opening a public portal, I think we should choose a place other than your living room."
After a short discussion, they settled on a public park on the outskirts of the city. Finally, Regina scribbled a number on a piece of paper and handed it to Brenda.
"My cell phone. Call if you need anything."
"You get reception across dimensional barriers?"
"She built the phone herself. She's a really smart science teacher," Barry said. And just like that, the two travellers vanished, leaving the two godlings and their lovers with much to think about.