Venli

The dim glow of the monitor bathed the cluttered desk in a sterile blue light, illuminating stacks of files, charts, and hastily scribbled notes. Venli sat amidst the chaos, her sharp green eyes scanning the screen, absorbing every line of the intelligence report before her. The faint hum of electronics filled the air, a constant backdrop to her unyielding focus. Her slender frame was rigid, her posture betraying a tension that never truly left her. This hidden outpost, carved from the underbelly of the sprawling Amazon world, was her sanctuary—a haven for the Resistance and a nerve center for rebellion.

Once, Venli stood at the pinnacle of scientific achievement, celebrated as a brilliant researcher in a state-sponsored lab. Her neural and chemical programming innovations had pushed boundaries, earning her accolades and respect. But the prestige came with a price. As her work delved deeper, she uncovered the government’s sinister intentions for Littles. They weren’t just creating tools to pacify or manage—this was the annihilation of identity. Individuality was erased, and lives were reduced to mere toys and accessories.

At first, she tried to change the system from within to expose the horrific truth. But her efforts were met with swift and brutal retaliation. Branded a traitor, her name was erased from every record, her home stripped away, and her family—her anchors—lost in the void. Anger and grief became her fuel, forging her into something sharper, stronger. She became a leader of the Resistance, a figure who refused to let the government’s cruelty go unchallenged, no matter the personal cost.

Venli wasn’t alone anymore. Over the years, she had gathered friends and colleagues who worked tirelessly alongside her in the Resistance. They were good people—brilliant minds, courageous hearts—but the connections felt hollow. Did any of them truly know her? The weight of her past, her loss, and her constant fight to keep moving forward left little room for vulnerability. She often wondered if her peers saw her as anything more than their leader, a figurehead who carried the Resistance's hope on her shoulders.

Her thoughts drifted unbidden to Hannah and Emily. She fondly remembered two Littles who had faced horrors no one should endure. They had been fighters—Hannah with quiet resilience and Emily with fiery defiance. Venli remembered the operation that saved them and Welby, their caretaker, from the clutches of the Amazon government. The Amazons had been relentless, their resources vast, and their determination to crush dissent unwavering. But Venli and her team had outmaneuvered them.

It had been one of the most dangerous missions the Resistance had ever undertaken. Smuggling the trio out of the city, navigating through treacherous checkpoints, and eventually securing the girls' passage through the portal back to Earth had taken everything they had. Venli hadn’t been there physically, but she had orchestrated every move. From her hidden command center, she had coordinated the extraction, watching every detail with bated breath. She felt overwhelming relief and pride when the portal closed behind them. Hannah and Emily were safe—or so she had thought.

The serum had been Venli’s creation, a desperate gambit to give Littles some semblance of autonomy in a world designed to strip them of it. The solution blocked, or at least reduced, the effectiveness of Amazon hypnotic messages. It was a triumph of science and defiance; one the government hadn’t known existed—until Welby.

Welby had proven himself a good man, a rarity in a world of betrayal and exploitation. He had protected Hannah and Emily, fought for them, and even cooperated with the Resistance, putting his life on the line. When the government closed in on him after the girls’ escape, Venli made the hard call to relocate the Resistance entirely. Their operations were uprooted, and their network was rebuilt elsewhere. They had told Welby to spill everything he knew to the Amazons—what little that was.

But what Welby shared was enough. The government learned of the serum’s existence, and with it, their hunger for control intensified. The revelation that Hannah and Emily had been given the serum painted a target on their backs; it led directly to the Little Car Act being formed. The government wanted the girls—not just to bring them back into their control, but to dissect the serum’s effects, to study it, and to eventually neutralize it. The thought made Venli’s stomach twist.

She clenched her fists, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she stared at the reports before her. The government’s efforts were accelerating. Programs like Naomi and Oliver were no longer just propaganda tools but weapons designed to erode the serum’s defenses. Littles like Hannah and Emily were unwilling participants in these twisted experiments.

Venli’s chest ached with guilt. She had helped free them, only to see them dragged back into the Amazon world’s grip. Every part of her screamed to leave them out of this fight—they had already suffered too much. But she couldn’t ignore the truth. The serum was the Resistance’s greatest hope, and if the government unraveled its secrets, countless Littles would be lost. She hated herself for even considering it, but she knew what had to be done.

Hannah and Emily might have to play a part in the Resistance’s plans again.

The government was experimenting on Hannah and Emily, using cutting-edge hypnotic techniques designed to dismantle the serum’s protections. Venli had read every report she could get her hands on, parsing the clinical language for the horrors it truly represented. Each new method was insidious, crafted to bypass the serum’s defenses, and Venli’s stomach turned at the thought of what the girls must be enduring. Their Amazon Minder submitted detailed updates to the government, tracked the girls’ responses and progress, and fed the data into the government’s larger agenda. The Resistance intercepted what they could, but it was never enough.

Venli gritted her teeth. The Resistance had sworn to protect Littles like Hannah and Emily, to shield them from the worst of the Amazon world’s cruelty. And yet, here they were, once again pawns in a game that treated their lives as disposable. Venli hated involving the girls further, but the reality was unavoidable. The serum was their lifeline, their strongest weapon against the government’s control. If the Amazons succeeded in neutralizing it, it would be a death knell for countless Littles. 

But Hannah and Emily weren’t the only names in Venli’s files. Ash and Kaylee had recently come under the Resistance’s radar, though not in the way Hannah and Emily had. The Resistance didn’t yet know the full extent of their situation. They knew their history—that Ash had been a victim of Amazon control and had emerged fiercely independent. Her escape had been a testament to her resilience, and her experiences had left her deeply sympathetic to Littles.

The Resistance believed they could rely on Ash, that her new daycare could become something far greater than a business. Venli saw the potential: a checkpoint, a sanctuary for Littles fleeing Amazon control. The daycare could be a safe house where Littles could pass through on their way to freedom. Using Ash’s facility in this way gave Venli a flicker of hope. It was a dangerous proposition that would put Ash squarely in the government’s sights if discovered. Still, the Resistance would generously compensate her and offer as much protection as possible.

Venli stared at the files spread before her. Two names, two lives: Hannah and Emily, who endured the government’s experiments, their every movement tracked and scrutinized. Ash was a woman who might unknowingly hold the key to a new lifeline for the Resistance. It was a tangled web of desperation, courage, and sacrifice; Venli must navigate carefully.

She leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. She would soon contact Ash and offer her the chance to join the fight in her way. But first, she needed to know more about what the government was doing to Hannah and Emily. If the Resistance could uncover the specifics of their experiments, they could stop the Amazons before it was too late.

The Resistance’s actions, though well-intentioned, had cast an unwanted spotlight on Littles across the Amazon-controlled territories. Venli could see the ripple effects of the changes to the Little Care Act, its regulations tightening like a noose. The rules grew more invasive by the day, stripping Littles of any remaining autonomy and cementing their status as property rather than people. Each new amendment brought fresh horrors, from mandatory pacifier use to more stringent surveillance requirements. The government's grip strengthened, fueled by its paranoia and desire to crush even the faintest spark of dissent.

Venli sat back in her chair, rubbing her temples. It was a chess game, and every move the Resistance made seemed to provoke a more oppressive response. They couldn’t stop fighting—not when so many lives depended on them—but the cost of every action weighed heavily on her. Littles were suffering more than ever, their chances of escape dwindling as the government doubled down on control.

She glanced at the monitor, and a map of key Resistance operations was displayed on the screen. Both Hannah, Emily, Ash, and Kaylee had become central to the Resistance’s strategy, albeit in different ways. But the unintended consequences of their involvement loomed large. The government’s inspections, the increased monitoring, the tightening regulations—all were byproducts of the Resistance’s growing influence and the government’s fear of losing its stranglehold.

Venli shivered, a cold dread creeping down her spine. The Amazons’ power was absolute, and she knew all too well what would happen if the Resistance failed. The thought of falling into their hands herself—of being stripped of her identity, reduced to a mindless infantile state—sent a wave of nausea through her. The image of herself in a diaper, cradled in an Amazon’s arms, her personality eroded and her will broken, haunted her. It was a fate worse than death, one she wouldn’t wish on anyone.

But that fear, that revulsion, was also her fuel. Venli clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. The Resistance was far from finished. They had resources, allies, and, most importantly, hope. The Amazons might have the upper hand now, but Venli refused to believe it would last. She would find a way to protect Littles—not just Hannah and Emily, but all of them. She would fight until her last breath to ensure that no one else had to endure the horrors she had seen.

Her green eyes flickered with determination as she turned back to her plans. The Resistance might be facing its darkest hour, but Venli wasn’t about to let the light go out. Not yet. Not ever.

Inspector Thorne

Inspector Thorne moved with purpose, her polished boots clicking against the marble floors of the towering government complex. Every stride was measured, every glance unwavering. She had carved a reputation as one of the most formidable enforcers in the Amazon government, a woman who didn’t just follow the law—she shaped it. Littles feared her name, and even her peers tread carefully in her presence. For Thorne, rules were not mere guidelines; they were the foundation of order, and she would see them upheld at any cost.

Her office starkly reflected her personality: minimalist and meticulously organized. Files were arranged with military precision, and the only personal touch was a small, framed photograph of her father, a towering Amazon who had instilled in her the ironclad belief that strength and discipline were paramount. Thorne had built her career on that foundation, rising through the ranks with an unrelenting drive to ensure that the Little Care Act wasn’t just legislation—it was an inescapable reality.

Seated at her desk, Thorne flipped through a series of reports with clinical detachment—each page detailed violations of the Little Care Act—minor infractions to outright rebellion. Every instance fueled her disdain for the inefficiencies in the system. In her opinion, the government had been far too lenient, leaving gaps wide enough for Littles and their so-called “protectors” to exploit. Those gaps had allowed Resistance members to infiltrate and Littles to slip through their fingers.

No more, not on her watch.

She had been instrumental in drafting the latest amendments to the Act, which included mandatory tracking devices for all Littles, daily diaper usage logs submitted by caregivers, and hypnotic reinforcement programs tailored to ensure compliance. The measures were stringent, invasive, and absolute—exactly what was needed to maintain order. Littles were a chaotic force, Thorne believed, and chaos could not be allowed to fester.

Her success in implementing these changes had earned her immense authority. She wasn’t just an inspector; she was a fixer. Thorne was called in when others failed, and her reputation for breaking Littles and exposing caregiver weaknesses was a powerful deterrent to dissent. She took pride in her work, knowing that her actions strengthened the system and safeguarded Amazon society from the perceived threats of rebellion and nonconformity.

She leaned back in her chair, her piercing eyes narrowing as she studied a particular report. It outlined her next assignment: an inspection of a new daycare facility run by a Tweener named Ash. The details were sparse, but the location had piqued her interest—especially after reports suggested the daycare’s owner had connections to Resistance activities. The fact that Ash had once been a Little herself, albeit briefly, only heightened Thorne’s suspicions. She had seen the damage such experiences could inflict on Amazon’s ability to maintain authority, and she had no intention of letting that instability infect the system.

Thorne’s lips curled into a faint smile, one devoid of warmth. This wasn’t just an inspection—it was an opportunity. Littles and caregivers alike would learn that no one was beyond her reach. If Ash thought she could skirt the rules and harbored any delusions of independence or leniency, Thorne would crush them. And if this daycare proved to be a front for Resistance activities, she would dismantle it brick by brick.

She tapped her pen against the desk, her thoughts shifting to the broader implications of her work. The government’s recent crackdown on dissent was necessary, but it wasn’t enough. Littles like Hannah and Emily, anomalies who had resisted the very foundation of their programming, were proof that the system still had vulnerabilities. Thorne saw it as her duty to eliminate those vulnerabilities and ensure that every Little understood their place and every caregiver adhered to the law with unerring precision.

Rising from her desk, she straightened her blazer and adjusted the cuffs of her sleeves. Her inspection of Ash’s daycare was scheduled for the following day, but she had already decided on the outcome. Thorne didn’t just enforce the rules—she was the rules. And in her world, there was no room for error, no tolerance for defiance.

As she stepped out of her office, her mind was already crafting the questions she would ask, the weaknesses she would expose, and the lessons she would teach. Inspector Thorne didn’t simply inspect—she reshaped the world around her, bending it to her will. And tomorrow, Ash and Kaylee would discover that firsthand.

Evelyn

The cozy warmth of Evelyn’s living room was filled with soft laughter and the gentle clatter of game pieces on a wooden board. Lucas sat cross-legged on the floor, his bright eyes fixed on the dice he was about to roll, a determined grin on his face. He was dressed in a pair of comfy overalls with a striped shirt underneath, the outfit undeniably adorable, though Evelyn had ensured it wasn’t overly infantilizing. Around the house, Lucas was given more freedom to be himself, and Evelyn cherished these moments when the outside world's expectations didn’t bind him.

“Your move, Mommy,” Lucas said with a playful lilt, his voice warm and respectful. Evelyn’s heart melted every time he called her that, even more so because it came from genuine affection, not programming or coercion.

She leaned forward, her elbow on her knee as she glanced at the board, pretending to consider her options. In truth, her mind was far from the game. While Lucas was happily immersed in their play, Evelyn’s thoughts churned with quiet contemplation.

Lucas was independent and strong-willed; she loved that about him and cherished it. Evelyn couldn’t understand why so many Amazons resorted to such harsh methods to control their Littles. To her, it seemed counterproductive to strip away the essence that made Littles so special—their personalities, quirks, and humanity.

She glanced at Lucas as he cheered his successful roll, clapping his hands in mock triumph. Evelyn couldn’t suppress a smile, though her chest ached with pride and concern. Lucas flourished under her care, thriving without the need for cruel tools like hypnotic messaging. She’d always believed in positive reinforcement, rewarding good behavior rather than punishing perceived missteps. Littles were people, after all; just like anyone else, they responded to kindness and respect.

Her methods had borne fruit. Lucas was polite, considerate, and genuinely happy. He wasn’t forced to adopt babyish habits or speak in a lisp at home. She allowed him moments of agency and autonomy, which only strengthened the bond they shared. Yet, outside these walls, the world wasn’t so kind. Evelyn’s choices were often met with judgment and skepticism from other Amazons. They dismissed her as naïve or soft, unable to understand why she refused to mold her Little into a doll-like figure of submission.

“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Lucas asked, breaking into her thoughts. His perceptive gaze met hers, and Evelyn realized she’d been absentmindedly holding her game piece mid-air.

“Nothing, sweetheart,” she said softly, placing her piece on the board. “Just thinking.”

Lucas tilted his head, his curiosity evident, but he didn’t press further. “Your turn, then!”

Evelyn chuckled though her mind was still clouded. More than anything, she wanted Lucas to flourish and be happy. She saw the potential in every little child, not as helpless dependents but as individuals who simply needed extra care and love. The idea that other Amazons failed to see this baffled her. Why did so many choose control and domination over nurturing and partnership? It was a question that weighed heavily on her, especially as societal expectations around Littles continued to tighten.

Evelyn moved her piece on the board, feigning concentration, though her thoughts remained elsewhere. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the world was growing darker for Littles. The Little Care Act was tightening its grip, stripping Littles of rights and freedoms in ways she found abhorrent. If things kept escalating, how long would it be before her home, her sanctuary, became unsafe for Lucas to thrive?

“Mommy?” Lucas’s voice pulled her back to the present. He was grinning up at her, holding the dice out expectantly. “You’re losing, you know.”

Evelyn laughed softly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “I let you win, you know,” she teased.

Lucas rolled his eyes but smiled brightly, and Evelyn’s heart warmed. At this moment, he was happy; that was all that mattered. But as they played, a quiet resolve settled in her chest. She would protect him, no matter what. If the world outside refused to see Littles as people, Evelyn would make their home a haven where Lucas could always be himself, free of judgment and control.

Lucas glanced up at Evelyn with a mischievous grin. “Mommy,” he said softly, his cheeks coloring just the slightest, “I think my jellybeans spilled.”

Evelyn blinked, then chuckled warmly, understanding immediately. Their “secret code” was a small act of rebellion wrapped in cuteness—a way for Lucas to signal he needed a diaper change without drawing undue attention or breaking the suffocating rules of the Little Care Act. The government had decided that Littles's request for a diaper change was too “adult,” and Littles shouldn’t be asking for changes; it was up to the responsibility of their caregivers. But Evelyn couldn’t stomach forcing Lucas to cry or throw a tantrum like some parents required. Instead, they devised the phrase together, turning a frustrating law into a playful joke.

“Uh-oh, jellybeans everywhere?” Evelyn teased, her voice lilting with affection as she scooped Lucas into her arms. “Let’s see what we’ve got, sweet boy.”

Lucas giggled, hiding his face against her shoulder as she carried him to the soft carpet in the living room. She laid him down gently, her hands practiced and efficient as she worked to unbutton his overalls. The faint crinkle of his diaper greeted her ears, and she leaned closer, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. “We’ve got a full jar here, huh?”

He laughed again, clearly delighted by the game, even if the situation itself wasn’t glamorous. Evelyn smiled down at him, her heart full. It wasn’t ideal that Lucas had to use such a phrase instead of simply asking for what he needed, but she was grateful they’d found a solution that worked for them—one that preserved his dignity and their shared bond.

As she cleaned and rediapered him, Evelyn’s thoughts wandered. Her mind drifted to the Christmas tree farm and the tall, kind-eyed Amazon who had seemed so different. Welby. The name echoed softly in her mind, accompanied by the memory of his interactions with the two Littles in his care. He hadn’t spanked them for minor infractions or belittled them with condescension. Instead, he had been gentle, thoughtful, and genuinely loving.

She secured the fresh diaper snugly around Lucas’s waist and snapped his overalls back into place, her fingers moving almost on autopilot. Welby had caught her attention in a way no other Amazon had. For so long, she had felt like an outsider, her views on Littles clashing with the societal norms around her. But Welby...he’d felt like a kindred spirit, a rare light in a world that often seemed so dark. The way he’d smiled at the girls and the patience and care he’d shown them resonated with her deeply.

“Mommy?” Lucas’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. He was sitting up now, his bright eyes watching her curiously. “What are you thinking about?”

Evelyn smiled softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you,” she said honestly, earning a beaming grin from Lucas.

But as she helped him to his feet and watched him scamper off to play, her thoughts returned to Welby. She couldn’t help but hope that their coffee date might reveal whether he truly was as kind and compassionate as he seemed. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone in her beliefs as she had thought.