The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“So, lad, how are ye adjusting to yer new digs?” Eugene Frasier asked, shifting his weight, circling slowly across the padded floor. His eyes were narrowed as he watched his adversary carefully, studying his body language for any sign of change.

“Well, they’re not actually ‘new’ per se,” Nigel Grimalde replied ruefully, as he circled Eugene, his hands up at the ready, “but yes, we’re all settling back in nicely. The contractor was able to reproduce nearly everything back the way it was before the fire. But I admit, it is a bit... disconcerting... trying to become used to working out of my own office again.”

“Aye, I get that,” Gene replied, frowning slightly... then surging forward, launching a flat handed palm strike towards Nigel’s face. The billionaire twisted on his heels, swerving to avoid the strike, following up with a series of sharp quick jabs of his own. Eugene smirked, bobbing and weaving, dancing in place, matching Nigel’s mobility, adapting to his style, trying to push his buttons, draw him in, and press him into making an opening.

“Sorry, old man,” Nigel replied, backing off suddenly, bringing his guard back up, just as Eugene shifted his stance again, “I’m not falling for it. If you want to trade blows, I’m all for it. But I’m not making it easy for you. No free shots for you.”

Eugene laughed at that, throwing up both his hands. “Okay, okay. Let’s call it a draw then.” Chuckling, Nigel relaxed his stance as well, reaching for and tossing Eugene a bottle of water. “Thanks. I must admit, Grimalde, yer a lot better than I thought. Ye’ve got a pretty sharp style. Have ye ever trained professionally?”

“I’ve gone a few rounds with a few former Golden Gloves champions in my days,” he admitted with a shrug. “I know how to protect myself in a fight, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s a good way to stay in shape, it’s just not an obsession as it is with most of you lot.”

Eugene shrugged. “Well, for most of us, it was part of the job, if ye catch my meaning. Yer Angel girls have more than just rudimentary training after all. When yer facing possibly violent criminals, ye cannae take anything for granted. Sometimes making it out in one piece comes down to a battle of wits, and the strength of yer fists.”

Nigel nodded. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you decided on whether you’re going to continue your role as an armor clad hero now that you’ll fully healed?”

“Well,” Gene replied, considering, “I won’t say I’ll never don my armor again. I suppose if the situation warranted it I’d put it on and help out, though there’s hardly a lack of able bodied heroes in River City these days. No... my aim is still to find a replacement, someone who can take over for me. Why? Have you changed your mind about—”

“Me? Oh no. God, no!” Nigel said quickly, shaking his head. “I’m not the do-gooder type, nor do I have any desire to go flying around in a walking tin suit.”

Gene chuckled at that. “Well, dinnae beat around the bush, laddie, tell me what ye really think!” He sobered slightly. “It’s not easy finding someone to fill my shoes, mind. I cannae just pull someone off the street and train them. For one thing, there’s the issue on confidentiality, of trusting someone enough to know all our secrets and to trust them with a weapon with the potential to conquer or even destroy the world.”

Nigel grunted, rolling his eyes. “What is it with your family and your penchant for world domination and-or destruction?” He sighed softly. “And speaking of which, we’ve covered every topic of conversation now except the one you’re most eager to discuss... so just drop the pretense and ask.”

“Ach... verra well. How’s Katie doing? Did she come through the... ah... procedure, okay?”

“Yes, she’s doing just fine,” Nigel answered. “I haven’t been by to check on her yet myself, but I’ve heard from Sioban, and your daughter is handling everything quite well.”

Gene let out a deep breath. “Aye. That’s good to hear. And... yer sure that wee Bonnie Lass knows how to handle her? I mean, she’s going to be in an extremely vulnerable position...”

“Eugene, I assure you that Sioban is one of the most responsible people that I know,” Nigel said stiffly, “and that she loves your daughter more than anything in the world. She has been through the ‘procedure’ as well, and she knows precisely what Katie is going through. Your daughter could not be in better hands.”

“Aye... I ken,” Gene said with a small smile. “I suppose I just needed to hear that from you.” Finishing the rest of his bottle of water, he stretched. “Well, lad, feel up to a bit more? I haven’t yet been able to land a blow to even the score from the earlier hit you landed.”

“Oh, no,” Nigel replied with an evil grin, “I know when I’m outclassed. And I’d prefer to end this sparring match on a high note.” He tossed his friend a towel. “If you’re still feeling competitive, we can go over to the game room and shoot a round of billiards. I’ve been itching to break in the new table.”

“Verra well,” the Scotsman replied, “lead the way. We’ll see if ‘Minnesota Nigel’ lives up to his name. You rack ’em and I’ll break.”

“Hello, Luminaire.”

I shrieked, jumping a foot into the air, and turned, whirling towards the voice, hands up and charged, ready to blast the intruder into the middle of next week, when recognition dawned on me. “Ahhh... um, oh, R... Red Rocket?” I stammered in confusion lowering my hands. The scarlet dressed heroine merely glanced at me silently from her spot in my bedroom window. “I, er, um... what are you doing here?”

“Sorry. Did I startle you, Luminaire?” she asked blithely. “Oh, but you’re not in costume, so I suppose I should call you something else. Would you prefer Supernova? Or maybe, Mistress?”

I groaned inwardly. I’d actually been expecting something like this... I just hadn’t expected it to start this soon, or this way. “Actually, Rocket, I’d prefer just ‘Katie’,” I said solemnly. “Or would you’d prefer I called you ‘Bethany’ ?”

The masked heroine twitched slightly. “Touche,” she mumbled, finally stepping into the room. “I have your pizzas,” she said, pulling in a stack of four large cardboard boxes tied to a cable behind her. “I saw the pizza delivery girl on the way up and I offered to deliver them to you. It also gave me an excuse for us to have a... chat.”

Nodding, I took the boxes, spreading them out before selecting a slice of Pineapple and Canadian Bacon. “Want some?” I offered. “We have plenty.”

Rocket shook her head. “Sorry, I didn’t notice a Vegetarian Special in the group. Frankly, I don’t see how you and your two friends can eat that stuff and not pack on a few hundred pounds.”

“The Angels are magical,” I pointed out. “They’ll be at their physical peak for as long as they remain at the service of their goddess as Tearbearers. And in case you haven’t taken a good look at me, I could actually stand to pack on a few pounds to replace the weight I lost.” Bethany glanced away uncomfortably at the not so subtle reminder. “So... you said you wanted to talk?”

“Yes,” she said after a moment. “About you. About what you plan to do now. So... is this it? You’re just going to hole up here in your room, hiding from the world, sulking? Is THIS what you plan to do for the rest of your life?”

I blinked at that. She sounded almost... angry. “Well, I mean... no, not really. It’s just... I’m not the most popular person right now. I just think it’s best to stay out of the public light for a bit until things die down.”

Rocket crossed her arms at her chest. “So you’re not ‘popular’ right now? Well it might be because you tried to take over the FUCKING city and turn everyone into your brainwashed slaves! So yeah... a lot of us ARE fucking ticked at you!”

I lowered my head. “I know. And I’m sorry. I’ve apologized so many times now... I apologized to the entire city. I even gave up my badge. I just don’t know what more I can do to make it up to everyone!”

“Well, maybe you can start by explaining it to me,” Bethany grunted, taking a seat at the chair at my desk. “What the hell was all this about, anyway? Why go to such crazy lengths to turn our city into your own private paradise? And... why nearly destroy it at the end?”

Yeah. This was getting a little deep. Not many people outside my circle of friends and family understood why I’d done what I had. Even then, how can you accurately explain a sense of sadness and despair that deep? How can you convey a hurt that leads a person to discard everything they personally believed in and stood for just for a CHANCE at making it all better?

“The reason I tried to... fix... the city, wasn’t to turn it into my own personal wonderland. I honestly wanted to get rid of crime here for good. Yes, I went overboard... trying to force everyone into becoming law abiding citizens with mind control was over the top. But I didn’t turn everyone into my personal sex slaves or anything like that—”

“Well, I think Techna, Valkyrie, and Spice Girl, and a few others might disagree on that point,” she cut in harshly.

“Um... yes, I did use them... sexually,” I admitted, hanging my head again. “But it wasn’t the the goal. The sexual seduction was more to enthrall them, not the other way around!” I shook my head. “I’m not going to try and make excuses for my methods. I was lonely, and I indulged myself to get rid of the loneliness.” I took a deep breath. I really needed to talk to the others this way and apologize to them face to face. Something told me that it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“Okay, fine. So you started this all with the ‘best of intentions’,” she said, using her fingers for quotes. “So... when did everything go off the rails? Why create your own personal security force? Why try to tear the universe apart?” Her eyes narrowed. “And why use ME as your own personal ventriloquist dummy and throw me at your own fucking brother?!?”

Wincing at her tone, I considered my words. I wasn’t sure how much of what had happened that night she still remembered. “I wanted to bring back Jessica. My former girlfriend,” I told her finally, deciding on full disclosure. “During that fight with you and Ms. Machina something inside me... awoke. I figured out just how far I could push my good luck powers, and that with enough will I could truly make the impossible possible. All I wanted was to bring Jess back from the dead. That’s all. Changing River City into a crime free nirvana was both my gift to her and my penance for not being able to save her... but discovering this new power, I decided it was all worthless without Jessica here to witness it firsthand.”

Bethany frowned, processing all of this, as the obvious holes in her memory began to fill in. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then scowled, shaking her head. “So... bringing back your girlfriend? That was worth risking the entire world?” she challenged. “That was worth killing everyone in the city?”

Gritting my teeth and turned to face her eye to eye. “Wouldn’t you?” I challenged her back, causing her to blink in surprise. “I learned a lot about you during our time together, Bethany. I know about your mom,” I informed her, causing her to turn and glance away. “You’re real mom, I guess I should say, not the twenty-something trophy wife your father remarried after his first wife passed away.” She turned back to glare at me again, but I knew I’d touched a nerve. “You told me all about it,” I reminded her again, “about how much you resented her... and how you would have done ANYTHING to have your real mom back again.”

Bethany closed her eyes, wanting to drown out the words but unable to deny their truth. April Van Hoffe’s death, accidental or not, had been one of the catalyzing forces in her life that had moved Bethany to take on the mantle of Red Rocket in the first place. Her mother, a kind and gentle soul, and generous philanthropist, had been attending a charity event, one of many that her husband, Braxton, avoided like the plague. Unfortunately, the event was robbed, several masked criminals making off with the funds raised for the charity before making good their getaway. And, in making sure that the police and any would-be heroes would be to busy to follow them, they’d set fire to the convention hall. Nearly everyone had managed to evacuate in time, but April had gone back in to search for a young couple and their child who had not made it out with the rest. Unfortunately, she, and they, never made it out alive.

“Look at it this way,” I continued, pushing the point home gently but firmly. “What if the price for having your mother back alive was to surrender your power, to never be able to use your lights again, to never roam the city streets as Red Rocket. Would that be too much to ask?”

“O... of course not!” Bethany replied, opening her eyes again. “That would be nothing! I’d gladly give that up!”

I nodded. “And what if it required you to betray your friends?” I asked her. “What if you had to lie to them, trick them into doing something bad, something illegal, but that no one would be hurt or killed. What then? Would you still make that bargain?” She frowned, considering, but before she could answer, I continued. “Or, what if the cost was a bit of bloodshed? That people WOULD be hurt, injured, but again, no one would die. What then? Is it now too much to pay to bring back your mother, the one who birthed you, raised you, the woman you owed your life to?” She sat there, silent, unable to answer.

“And, let’s push the question to it’s ultimate conclusion. What if you could bring your mom back from the dead... but that you had to take a life to do so. A single life. Could you? Would you? And I’ll make it even easier for you. We’re not talking about an innocent child, or a friend or loved one. Let’s say it was the life of a convicted killer, a murder who himself had taken scores of lives himself. What then, Beth? Is one life really worth another’s? Is the worth of a scumbag criminal, a rapist or child murderer worth more than the life of your mother, a saint who only helped people, who DIED trying to help people—”

“STOP IT!” she yelled suddenly, lashing out at me, firing her flashbangs at me, streams of bright scalding scarlet lights pelting me relentlessly. Not that they did any damage whatsoever. I was the embodiment of light. Her weak sparkles barely tickled. “SHUT UP! JUST SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!” she screamed, following up my punching me, hitting me in the chest, even as the fight drained out of her. I held her, finally, as she clutched me and cried, sobbing at the pain I’d caused, the old hurt that I’d reminded her of made fresh again. But I held her and comforted her, letting her cry herself out, before I spoke again.

“I’m sorry for that,” I said gently. “I know how much it hurts. It’s exactly how I feel about Jess. I just wanted you to understand what I felt.”

“Yeah...” she managed, sniffling slightly, finally composed enough to pull away. “Still... a dirty thing to do...”

I sighed softly. “It’s hard isn’t it?” I asked her after a while. “Doing the right thing. All the time. Always putting the concerns of others before your own concerns. I know just how you feel.” I kissed her cheek softly, drawing back giving her a sad smile, showing the tears in my own eyes. Tears I had shed for her. “For the record, I had hoped and always believed, from the very core of my being, that I could bring Jessica back without destroying the city in the process. And, in the off-chance that I was wrong, that my tampering DID cause a catastrophe, I was prepared to use my power to return things back the way they were, to undo any damage I caused. I was willing to sacrifice my own life to bring her back. But not anyone else’s.”

Bethany nodded, wiping her tears, then sighed. “Damn. Makes it kind of hard to stay angry at you when you throw my argument back at me that way.” She shook her head. “Well, Lumina... uh, Katie.” she amended, “I have to say that I can understand your motivation. I don’t agree with your methods, but knowing and understanding the reasoning behind them kind of helps to put in into perspective.” She turned and moved to the window again. “Listen... what you choose to do with yourself in the aftermath of all this is your business... but I think you should stick with it.”

I blinked in surprise. “Um, say what now?”

“Don’t let what happened stop you from using your god-given talents to help people,” she stated firmly. “You were kind of my idol, you know,” she admitted, blushing heatedly beneath her mask. “The Luminaire I decided to base my life on wouldn’t let something like this stop her. Not for long. Yeah, you gave up your badge, and the city’s opinion of you is at an all time low. But I seem to recall that your brother was in a similar situation not so long ago, and he managed to turn things around.” I gaped at her in surprise, but she merely shrugged.

“Anyway, it’s up to you. It’s not going to be easy. There are a lot of people out there that are really upset with you. And not all of them will be swayed with words. But hey, I came here wanting to kick your perfect little teeth in, and you convinced me otherwise, so that’s something.” She winked at me, then, spreading her cape, dove out the second story window, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Shit shit shit shit! Whitney fumed silently, making her way down the street, glancing around for any sign of familiarity. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This was so fucking stupid! I let that Laraby guy drag me all the way out here to the boondocks to met this professor guy, and then he up and leaves me high and dry, with no money, no phone, no car, no way to get back to the goddamn city! Ughhhh! I’ve been walking for hours, and I have no fucking idea where I even am! Cresting the top of the hill, however, she felt a small sigh of relief at spotting the neon lights of a Maverick Gas Station. Despite her fatigue, she sped up, jogging towards the small sign of civilization. Please, please, please, let there be someone around that will give me a lift! she begged silently as she made her towards the station. There’s no way I’m walking all the way to River City...

Several minutes later, sweat soaked and panting, she made her way to the side of the building, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. Her prayers had not been answered, apparently, as there was only one car in the parking lot, and seemed to belong to the man working the cash register. A pay phone sat on her right, one of the few landline phones still around, but she had no change, and really, no one to call. I suppose I could call my mom, she thought dismally, assuming the dumb slut whore isn’t passed out on the side of the road, or at some guy’s bedroom. And even then, I doubt she has any money to send to me... Her opinion of her mom had always been rather low, but when she hadn’t even bothered to show up to Whitney’s trial after she’d tried to kill Luminaire, she’d basically written her off.

As she stood there debating on what to do next, a pickup truck pulled up, stopping in an empty space. The driver and passenger, a pair of rather burly looking men in jeans and checkered shirts strode by, heading into the store. The driver, however, gave her a glance in passing, nodding his head slightly, a twisted little grin spreading across his face. Whitney groaned inwardly. Great. The guy’s a major prick. And he’ll no doubt be expecting me to put out in order to give me a lift back home. Ah well.... shit. Not as if I have any better prospects. Don’t wanna end up sitting out here all night waiting, either.

When the two men exited the store a few minutes later, they found the pale skinned blonde leaning up against their truck. “Well, well,” the driver said briskly, giving Whitney another leer, “what do we have here? Is there something we can do for you, little lady?”

Forcing a smile, she nodded. “Um, yeah... I’m having a bit of... car trouble.”

“Car trouble?”

“Yeah. The trouble is... I don’t have a car,” she said sheepishly. “I don’t suppose you guys could give me a lift back to River City? When we get there, I’ll make it worth your while...”

The two men glanced at each other. “Yeah, sure, sugar... we’d be glad to give you a ride.” The taller thinner man gestured to the back passenger door. “Hop in. And don’t mind the crap in the back set, just shove it out of your way.” Nodding, Whitney slid into the back as the other two jumped into the front, and soon they were on their way. After several minutes, Whitney finally let herself relax, and closed her eyes, listening to the radio blaring away as they rode down the highway. She’d even managed to doze off for a few minutes, jerking awake as the truck pulled to a stop.

“Hu... what?” she asked in confusion, glancing around at the dark stretch of deserted road they’d pulled off on.

“Get out,” the tall thin man grunted, opening her door and grabbing her by the arm.

“H-hey! Watch it! What the fuck?” she yelled angrily as she jerked from the back seat and dumped out onto the pavement. “Seriously! What the shit, you fuckers?” she snarled, only to draw silent as the gleam of a large steel Bowie knife held by the driver came into view.

“Sorry, darlin’,” the driver said with a chuckle, “but it’s time for you to pay the toll. You see, my friend Chance and I, we didn’t let you in the back of our truck for free.” Reaching down, he began unbuckling his belt, and loosening his pants.

Whitney groaned inwardly. “Yeah, okay, fine. I said I’d make it ‘worth your while,’” she said, getting back to her feet, “but that was for AFTER we made it to the city. I don’t want to fuck a couple of strangers here on the side of the fucking ro-aaaahhh!” she cried out as a brutal blow to the back of her head sent her sprawling back down to the ground.

“Shut it, ya cunt,” the passenger snarled, glaring down at her. “You act like you have a choice in the matter!” He unzipped his own pants, pulling out his cock. “This is how it’s going to work. You’re going to be a good little bitch, and bend over and take it like a slut. And in return, we’re NOT going to slit your throat and leave you into a ditch on the side of the road.” Whitney stared up at him, wide eyed. “Heh heh. What’s the matter bitch? We said we’d give you a ‘ride’. We never said anything about taking you back home.”

Whitney glared at the man sullenly, starting to sweat again. This wasn’t what she’d expected. In truth, she’d planned to ditch the two men as soon as they entered the city limits, but she’d been prepared as well if they had insisted on ‘payment’. But this? Being threatened, and raped on the side of the road? She hadn’t seen this coming.

Shit shit shit! What the fuck do I do? she asked herself anxiously as the driver pulled her back up and pressed her against the hood of the car. I know I’m pretty damn strong now, and tough... but whatever superpowers the Doc gave me, he hadn’t bothered to even explain me what they were! And I seriously doubt I’m knife-proof.

A whimper escaped her lips as she felt the burly hairy driver force his way between her legs, his cock pressing up against the edge of vulva. Before she could even prepare herself for that, however, she found herself grabbed roughly by the hair, as the tall thin man stepped forward, one hand stroking his hardness as he lined up with her mouth. “Alright bitch,” he said, using his dick to slap her lightly on the cheek, “you know what to do. And don’t get any stupid ideas about using your teeth. Be a good girl and you’ll come out of this okay. Be a fucking wise-ass, and I’ll make sure you suffer before I finally put you out of your misery. Got it?” Resigned, Whitney merely nodded, opening her mouth.

The next several minutes were... unpleasant. All the while, deep inside, Whitney was raging, at the men raping her, at the doctor for not preparing her, at herself for not finding a way to fight back. The anger and frustration just continued to build, blocking out everything else, the derogatory remarks, the slap-slap-slap sounds of flesh against flesh, the sensations pulsing away deep inside her. But slowly, surely, another sensation started to well up inside her, a strange and frightening sensation, a vicious... something... that seemed to be fighting to make its way out. And then, Whitney decided to stop resisting, and let whatever-it-was inside her take over... and let it free...

“Ooohh yeeaaah,” Chance groaned loudly, thrusting his hips wildly in pleasure, “fuck, Sam, this bitch is fucking amazing. She’s the best one yet. I don’t know what her pussy’s like, but her fucking mouth is like a goddamn volcano! Wwwwhooooo-weeee!”

“Shit, Chance,” the driver, Sam grunted, “this girl’s cunt... uhhn... it’s fucking amazing... you.. uhhnn... you wouldn’t... wouldn’t... be... believe it... uhhn... uhhn... fuck... ohh fu.. fuuuccckk...” he groaned, staggering back. Chance laughed aloud, thinking his partner in crime had cum too hard and was just exhausted. But when the older man gasped, clutching his chest, before faceplanting onto the hard pavement, he knew something was wrong.

“Sam? SAM! Fuck!” he grunted, pulling away from the girl, only to cry out in alarm. His cock, still pulsing and throbbing with sensation, was withered, the flesh closer resembling a large stick of beef jerky rather than an actual human dick. He grabbed it gently with his hands, only to draw back in shock, as the palms of his hands began to swell and blister. There was virtually no pain, just a strange numb pins and needles sensation. “Fuuucccck!” he growled, pulling his knife with her free hand, lunging towards the source of his torment.

Whitney, however, merely caught the blade with her hand, then twisted, snapping the blade in half, startling the larger man down as he backed away in shock. “Huh,” she said, frowning, glancing at her hand. “Looks like I wasn’t quite careful enough,” she murmured, as blood began to pool up from the thin cut along her palm. Her eyes widened in surprise as the piece of steel she still clutched began to smoke, the blade darkening and corroding where the blood has splattered on it. “Heh. Interesting. Now I think I get what the old guy meant when he said I now had the ‘power of life and death in my hands’.”

“You... bitch,” Chance yelled, stumbling back away from her, hitting the ground as his legs suddenly went numb as well. “You’re... one of those... those... freaks...” he managed, gasping, spitting up blood. “What the... fuck did you... do to me?”

Completely calm and composed now, Whitney took a moment to fix up her clothes and straighten up her hair. “What did I do to you?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “I didn’t do anything. You and your friend are the ones who did this to yourselves.” She smiled, a vicious little smirk, as she stalked slowly towards the downed man, who scurried and scuttled back away from her in fear. “Now, now, don’t worry,” she said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. I actually want to thank you.”

“Th... thank m-me?”

“Yes. If not for you and your friend,” she said, kneeling down by the unconscious form of the driver, digging around in his pants pockets, “I wouldn’t have realized my true potential. I wouldn’t have figured out what I can do. And I wouldn’t have a way to get back home,” she added, holding up the car keys, placing them in her own pocket. “I hope you don’t mind. Of course, it’s not as if you or your pal will be needing them anymore,” she added with the evil smirk, as she knelt down next to Chance.

“B... but... you s-said... you weren’t going to... h-hurt me,” he pleaded. Whitney laughed.

“And I won’t. Trust me, you won’t feel a thing,” she said smugly, grabbing him by the chin, pulling him into a kiss. The rapist squirmed fitfully for a few seconds before finally going still. “There. Quick and painless, Better than you deserved, asshole,” she muttered, wiping her mouth, rising back to her feet and dusting off her clothes, then frowned, noting the rips and tears at the crotch of her pants and her blouse where her fluids had dripped onto them. “Well, shit,” she muttered, making her way over to the driver’s side of the car.

I guess I’m going to have to play around and experiment with these new powers a bit, and see exactly how they work. And I’m also going to have to figure out what I can wear that won’t dissolve away if I work up a damned sweat... Nodding to herself, she started the car and drove back onto the highway, not even bothering to look back...

“There ya go, kiddo!” Ravenheart said gently as she landed, placing the young girl back onto firm ground once more. Across the street, her partner Dragonfyre had just landed as well, depositing a young teenaged boy as well. She let out a sigh of relief. They’d gotten everyone safely out of the burning building in time, and even captured the one behind the fire as well. The crowd of onlookers around them began cheering, even as the fire department arrived and began putting out the blaze.

“Looks like we’re clear, Raven,” Dragonfyre called out, moving to join her partner. “If you’re okay watching over Inferna until the police arrive, I think I’ll see if I can help the fire department in dowsing that blaze—”

“Don’t bother, Red. I’ve got this one!” a feminine voice called out from overhead as a tall white haired woman in a blue leotard descended slowly from the sky, landing next to the lead fire truck. “I think I can help cool down the situation,” she quipped, cupping her hands and pointing them at the building. Immediately, an intense wave of cold swept across the area, absorbing the heat from the fire, and spreading a thin sheet of ice over the scorched area of the building. Sioban nodded, impressed, as were the members of the fire department, who congratulated Glacia on a job well done.

“Well, looks like we’re all done here,” Ravenheart announced as a trio of police cars pulled up to the scene. “I say we should do a quick circuit around the area, then head for home.”

“Agreed,” Dragonfyre replied, unfurling her wings. Before they could go airborne, however, several TV reporters surrounded them, shouting a bunch of rapid fire questions. Ah, hell, the media, she groaned inwardly even as she kept a calm and composed demeanor. I guess there’s no chance we can simply leave without answering at least a few questions, not without coming across as rude or distant. And... of course, there’s no chance that they won’t immediately start asking about Katie.

“Dragonfyre! Dragonfyre!” Anne Taylor, an attractive brunette in a cream colored blazer called out, waving her microphone to get her attention. “Please! Just a few questions!” Sighing softly, Sioban stepped forward, nodding once with her chin. “Thank you. First, I’d like to say great job on you and your partner Ravenheart in saving all these people and stopping the arsonist from getting away. In the past few weeks, you Flying D...er, that is, you ‘Angels’ have been really making a name for yourselves, I mean, you’ve always been heroic defenders of the innocent, but lately you’ve really been stepping up, appearing anytime there’s danger or crime, swooping in out of nowhere to save the day in the nick of time.”

Sioban smirked. “Thank you, Ms. Taylor,” she said wryly, “but is there a question in there as well?”

Blushing slightly, she nodded. “Sorry. Um, yes... I wonder, what it is that changed? In the past, you and your partner generally restricted your patrols to a small corner of the business section, but ever since the, um, Bimbo Virus Incident, you’ve been a lot more active. What would you credit to your change in routine?”

Gahhh. Well, there’s a complicated question. How do I answer this? ‘Because our Owner and Master, the man who literally dictated our activities for the past several years finally loosened his grip on our leash and let us patrol more than just his personal property’? Or maybe ‘Because a certain blonde heroine and her family convinced him of our true worth and that we could and should be doing more with our goddess given abilities’? Instead, she merely smiled and gave a pat, cookie cutter answer: “Well, Taylor, I think it’s just that we realized recently how much good we can do, and have been trying to live up to our potential.”

The reporter nodded, and that appeared to be that, but a second reporter, a male that Bonnie didn’t recognize pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “Excuse me, excuse me! Miss Dragonfyre! Any comment about your friend, the so-called heroine known as Luminaire, who hasn’t been seen since her controversial press conference two weeks ago?”

And here we go, Bonnie groaned inwardly, as the crowd went silent, waiting to hear her reply. “No,” she said shortly,

“No?” the man repeated, scowling. “What do you mean by ‘no’.?”

“I mean ‘No comment’,” she replied, glaring back at the man. “Next? Anyone else with a question?”

But the male reporter wouldn’t be denied. “So, does your refusal to comment mean you’ve changed your earlier stance on the disgraced Luminaire, that you no longer support her?”

“Wh... no!” she growled, taking a step towards the man. “I never said that! And she’s not disgraced. She made a mistake, a lapse in judgement, and she publically acknowledged that fact and surrendered her badge because of it. I don’t hold it against her, and frankly, unless you happen to be one of those rare individuals who is perfect and never made a mistake in your entire life, neither should anyone else!”

The man opened his mouth to retort, but Tawnya arrived then, taking Sioban by the arm. “And with that, I’m afraid the interview is over,” she said, extending her wings, causing the crowd to back up a few steps. “Sorry folks, but my partner and I have to go. More bad guys to punish and more innocents to save!” With that, she leapt skyward, with Sioban following close behind.

They flew for several moments in silence before Bonnie let out a soft sigh. “Well, THAT could have gone better,” she muttered.

“Gee, ya think?” T-baby replied with a sigh of her own. “Geez, Bon-bon. You let him suck you in, and he had you playing his game! And after all the times you’ve warned ME about engaging with snarky bastards like him looking for sound bites!”

“Yeah, I know,” Sioban admitted. “I knew that was what he was doing. I knew it... but when he started calling her a ‘disgraced’ heroine, I dunno... I just saw red.” She shrugged. “Still, I’m glad you stepped in when you did. Another few minutes and I probably would have punched that guy in the face.”

“Well, you know, you can’t really blame him,” a third voice spoke up, as a cold breeze swept over them. Glacia, riding the winds, swept up next to them. “Luminaire really angered a lot of people by what she did. And I know she is a friend of yours... but personally, if I’d crossed paths with her, I’d have frozen her solid!”

Yeah... over my dead body, Frosty, Sioban thought grimly.

“I, um, think that’s a bit harsh,” Ravenheart said, trying for a more diplomatic stance. “I mean, yeah, she turned you into her obedient puppet for a while and made you do the same to others... but if you think about it, someone did that to HER first! The REAL Luminaire would never do anything like that.”

“Well, that’s for you to say,” Glacia replied with a shrug. “You’re her friends. Before she convinced my best friend and roommate to turn traitor and help her brainwash me, I’d never even met the girl before. And anyway, I’m not the only one that feels that way. It’s probably a good thing that she’s laying low. A lot of other Supers are pissed that she’s not even being punished. Not that I think she should have served actual time in prison or anything, but if she were anyone else, she’d at least have been arrested.”

“Well,” Dragonfyre said sharply, “apparently the District Attorney decided differently, so I guess that’s that. So, Glacia, is there anything else you need? We were just about to head back home for the night.”

Glacia blinked, taken aback by the older girl’s sharp tone. “Um, ah, no, not really,” she said, backing away. “Just... it was nice working with you guys... for that brief little bit,” she finished awkwardly. “So, um... see you around, I guess,” she said, turning away to fly off.

“Soooo... are you going to do this every time someone badmouths Katie?” Tawnya asked idly, rotating in midair to glance at her upside down. “I mean, if I’ve been replaced as the hothead of our group, a memo would have been nice...”

Despite herself, Sioban laughed. “Yeah. Okay, I get it. I’m acting way too overprotective. But, well, she’s my girlfriend, T... the woman I love. And right now, she’s at her most vulnerable. After all the shit that’s happened in her life, the last thing I want is for someone that has no idea what she’s gone through trying to bring her down and make her feel worse.”

Tawnya nodded. “I know, Bon-bon. I feel the exact same way. But we knew it was going to be like this, at least for a while. Give it time, and people will forget and move on. In the meantime, we just have to stay cool, and keep doing what we’re doing, and everything will work out.”

Sioban chuckled again. “Wow. What can I say. When you’re right, you’re right. How did you get so smart?”

“I had a really good teacher,” Tawnya replied with a wink, rolling over once again, before pulling back from her partner and flaring her wings. “Now come on, Bon-bon, I am literally starving here! Let’s get home before Katie scarfs down all our pizza!”