The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

I was a little nervous as my Mistress and I walked through the hallways leading to Tawnya’s bedroom. It was a bit strange even being here. When Sioban had mentioned wanting to check up on T, I’d naturally turned to head back to the Prentiss Mansion, until she reminded me that they were back in the Grimalde Towers now. In my head, I still saw T-baby’s room as the slightly junky, strangely eclectic mix of total jock, majorly geeky nerdy, and girly-girl paradise that I’d known. Heck, I’d only been inside the Towers a few times, and even then, never to the living quarters. Plus, well... none of my visits here had ended well.

Add to that the extra stress of possibly running into Constance, who had made it abundantly clear that I was not welcome, and I was just a bundle of nerves.

I guess my nervousness must have been obvious, though, as Mistress pulled me aside as we reached the doorway, and give me a soft but soothing kiss. “Just relax, Kitten,” she told me. “It’s going to be fine. We’re here for Tawnya’s sake. And I know Connie’s just as concerned about her as we are. Whatever problems the two of you are having can wait until later. Besides,” she added softly, grabbing the door handle, “we’ve got bigger things to worry about right now.” I nodded in agreement.

Stepping inside the room, I found that T-baby had two other visitors worriedly keeping vigil. “How is she?” I asked as Delores Gutierrez rose up to greet us, hugging me warmly before doing so to Sioban as well.

“She’s... well,” she said softly, shaking her head. “She’s been better. Whatever poison that girl infected her with is slowly gaining ground. In the last hour, her heart rate has spiked, she keeps tossing and turning in her sleep, and she’s started gasping and breathing heavier, even with the oxygen mask on her.”

“Dyspnoea,” Bonnie muttered softly. “It’s starting to inhibit her cells’ ability to carry oxygen to the rest of her body.” She glanced over. “Any work from the group working in the lab?”

“Nothing yet,” Patty stated, hands clenched in her lap as she sat next to the bed. “I know that they’re close. Angela and Eugene have been working all night—I don’t even think they slept at all yet.” She sighed softly. “I heard from Dr. Boardman an hour ago. Three more of the patients being treated at the hospital have died.”

“Damn...” I growled, anger and frustration warring within me. Whitney was out of control. The situation was beyond serious now. We needed to stop her now before anyone else fell victim. The only reason I was here now instead of flying around the city searching for her was that we needed to have a way to neutralize her poison before we actually tried to take her on...

Well, that, and the fact that Mistress told me to come with her, and I was nothing if not an obedient slave girl.

“Um, Patty?” I asked after a moment, causing her to glanced my way. “I was, um, just wondering... how are the kids handling all this? You know, Robbie and Justine?”

Patty’s expression twisted. “Well... Robbie’s taking it pretty well, all things considered. Having Lucy Albinn over to keep his distracted helps. But Justine’s...” She sighed softly. “She’s taking this really hard. We’d tried to shield them both about most of what was happening, but she was smart enough to realize something was wrong. I tried telling her it would be okay, that Tawnya was going to make it...”

“But that only made her more upset,” I guessed. Patty nodded softly. “Would it be okay if I talked to her for a bit? I think I know what she’s feeling... and maybe I can smooth things over a bit.”

“Go right ahead,” Patricia said, standing up to hug me gently. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, though. She’s been in one of her ‘moods’ lately, and anything I say just seems to make it worse.”

“Well, I’ll give it the old ‘college try’,” I promised, hugging back before heading out of the room.

Sioban sighed, staring down at her feet. “Poor dear. This whole thing has been really tough on her. And I’d been hoping that we’d have some time to just rest and recover after all the trauma from everything that happened last month. Sometimes I have to wonder if she’s really the one blessed with good luck instead of Jimmy...”

“Well, they do both have their share of bad luck,” a new voice spoke up, causing them all to turn, “but from personal experience, I’d say Jimmy wins the title.”

“G-goddess Skuld?!?” they all blurted out simultaneously, barely resisting the urge to drop to the floor and kneel. “Wha...” Sioban said, before composing herself. “What are you doing here?”

Devon waved a hand dismissively, as she rose from her spot in the corner. “Please, ladies, it’s just ‘Devon’, okay?” she said easily, walking over to the bed, peering down at Tawnya. “I’m just a girl checking in on her sick friend.”

“You mean, a poisoned friend, right?” Patricia clarified. “And should we be worried that you’re here? I was told you said she would recover, that there was no chance she was going to die.”

The dark haired Nornir sighed. “I wouldn’t say that there’s no chance. If I’ve learned anything over the past several weeks, it’s that nothing is written in stone. But yes, I did foresee her recovering fully, with no adverse effects.” She placed a hand gently on the dark skinned girl’s brow and winced slightly. “Still... knowing something, and seeing it first-hand, are very different.” Her hand began to glow with a soft yellow light, which flowed through and into Tawnya, who immediately ceased her tossing and turning, and settled down, breathing normally.

“Goddess,” Delores breathed softly, hand to her mouth. “Oh! Sorry,” she said to Devon sheepishly, blushing slightly. “But... what did you just do? Is she—”

“She is still poisoned,” Devon answered. “I’m afraid I can’t heal what ails her, not fully. I have merely taken away her pain and her fear and made it a little easier to breathe. Only your friends working away downstairs have the capacity to save her life.” She ran her fingers lightly through Tawnya’s hair, looking almost wistful. “I know... I’m kind of an intruder here,” she said softly a moment later. “I’m not a part of your family. But... do you think it would be okay if I stayed... for a while?”

“Oh, of course, sweetie,” DeeDee replied, going instantly into house mother mode, completely forgetting her nervousness about her being a Norn, pulling the younger girl into a deep hug. “You’re Tawnya’s friend, and that’s good enough for us. Please, have a seat. Would you like something to eat or drink? I was just about to go grab a soda...”

I knocked lightly on the door, three short raps, wondering idly what kind of greeting I’d receive. I mean, I had a pretty good rapport with the kids, but I hadn’t been by to visit in weeks, and I had no idea how much her parents had told her about what I’d been doing. My internal question was answered within seconds, however, as the door opened, and Justine’s dour expression lit up into a wide smile. “Miss Frasier! You’re here!” she said, pulling me into a massive bear hug.

“Hey, now!” I said, giggling as she finally let me loose. “I know it’s been a little while since we’ve hung out, but don’t go getting all proper on me now! It’s just ‘Katie’ remember?” I walked in, noting idly that her room in the Tower was decorated more or less like her room back at the mansion. Walking over to her bed, I sat down on the edge of it. “So, sweetie, how are you holding up?”

Justine sighed, shrugging. “Oh, well, you know,” she said dismissively, not meeting my eyes. “Okay, I guess. School sucks. We’ve just started, and already it’s a major drag. Most of my friends from last year are all in separate classes this time around...”

“Uh huh,” I said, nodding. At which point, if this was normal conversation, we’d sit back and lounge together, and I’d ask about Danny, the boy she was infatuated, and listen to her wax poetic. Alas, this was anything but a normal conversation, and even as oblivious as I normally am, I could see something was bothering her. “Have you been over to see Tawnya yet?” I asked, striving to sound as innocent as possible. From her expression, however, I’d apparently hit the nail on the head.

“Tawnya? Y... yeah...” she said softly, looking away again. After a moment, she glanced back up at me, her expression pained. “She.... she’s going to be okay, isn’t she?” she asked. “I mean, if she was really going to... you know... you’d tell me right? You wouldn’t try and hide it or sugar coat it the way mom and dad do?”

I shook my head, patting the bed next to me. “I wouldn’t do that, Justine. I told you once before long ago, that I’d never lie to you. You’re very mature for a girl your age, and while I don’t think you need to know everything an adult knows, I do believe you should know about death.”

“I know about death, okay?” she huffed, frowning. “My uncle Richard died when the Tower was bombed all those months ago. And a couple of my friends at school have had friends and loved ones pass away...”

“But this is the first time it’s been someone you were very close to,” I pointed out. I’d promised not to sugar-coat things, and it seemed to me that she was wanting this to get emotional... no. She NEEDED it to get emotional, to give her a reason to yell and scream and cry, just to vent what she’d been holding in. “That’s why you’re upset, Justine,” I said, knowingly lighting the fuse. “You’re upset because this time it’s someone you LOVE that might die.”

“But she’s NOT going to die!” Justine yelled back, letting her anger show. “She’s not! Tawnya is the strongest, fastest, toughest woman I know! She’s NOT going to die! She’s NOT!” The tears held back for so long, finally worked their way through, running down her cheeks. “She’s... not... gonna... diieee!” she wailed, dissolving into sobs as I held her gently, letting her cry herself out. “Why... why... would someone... do this?” she managed a bit later, sniffling.

“To hurt me,” I answered solemnly, looking down to gaze into her eyes. “You wanted to know the truth, sweetie? It’s my fault. Mine.” I sighed softly. “The person doing this hurt Tawnya did it specifically because she knew Tawnya was my friend. She couldn’t get to me, so she poisoned her to make me go after her.”

Justine nodded slowly, processing it. I sat there as well, waiting for the hatred, the accusation, the disgust. “And... you’re going to go fight her?” she asked me instead, surprising me. “Even though she can poison you? Even though you might die too?”

“Tawnya’s not going to die,” I said firmly, with conviction. “Angela, my dad, and your dad are all working on an antidote right now. And her healing powers are going to make her better. But... yeah. I have to go after Toxima. It’s my responsibility to stop her, even if it means I might die in the process—”

“Don’t do it!”

I blinked. “Don’t do it,” she said again, shaking her head. “I mean... let the police do it. Or some other Super hero! I don’t want you to die, too!” She sighed, standing up, walking away, pacing idly back and forth. “When I was a kid,” I barely managed to hold back the comment that she still WAS a kid, “I used to wish with all my might that one day, when I grew up, I might be a heroine like my mom, and Angela, and Delores, and Sioban and Tawnya. I thought, that maybe, maybe, if I was lucky, one day when Sioban or Tawnya retired, that I might get their Tear... and that I could go around and save the day like they all did.” She finally stopped pacing and turned to look at me. “But... it’s not like I thought it was. Now... I don’t want it. I don’t want to be a hero if it means some crazy psycho woman is going to try and kill me.”

Ah. I got it now. It was more than just Tawnya being sick. Seeing her that way had shaken a deeply held belief she had, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. The blinders had come off; the nice normal world of cartoon-like heroes and villains had been replaced with a darker grittier, Frank Miller Graphic Novel version. Nigel and Patty never lied to their children, but they were extremely, almost obsessively, protective of them. And while I’d never want to deprive the girl of her innocence, now that the veil had been lifted, I felt it only right that I help her deal with what she knew, and give her some perspective.

“You know, Justine,” I said, walking over to her, pulling her into a hug, “Bonnie and T probably told you the story already, about how I started going on patrols as a costume wearing heroine back when I was just six years old.” She nodded. “They were pretty impressed by it. And looking back I guess it was kind of cool. But people have also criticized my mom and dad for exposing Jimmy and me to this kind of thing at such a young age. I mean, who lets a six-year-old go out at night in costume to fight drug dealers, robbers, and murderers, right?”

Justine blinked. “Um... I never really thought about it like that,” she admitted.

“Well, the truth is that, at least for Jimmy and I, we weren’t exactly innocent at that age. We knew all too well about how dark and gritting the real world can be. Jimmy got fed up with it after four or five years and decided to try living as a normal teenager, but for me, I knew it was what I wanted to do.” I led her back over to the bed again. “You remember the night the Tower was bombed, right? Well, the person who did that, who was responsible for all that death and destructions... was my uncle, Duncan Frasier.”

“Y... your uncle?!?”

I nodded. “Years ago, back when Jimmy and I were six, Duncan came to town with two goals in mind: to kill my mom and dad and steal Jimmy and me away with him to do his genetic experiments on. He destroyed our house, smashed it flat, then started fighting my mom, dad, my uncle Parker and my aunt Veronica. Four on one, and he beat them all. And in the end, they survived by my dad bluffing, telling him that he’d converted his armor into a bomb capable of taking Duncan out. Duncan retreated, and my mom and dad picked up the pieces and took Jimmy and me to Midas City to hide out for a while. We didn’t even realize what had happened until we returned back home a few weeks later when the house had been rebuilt.”

Justine nodded, spellbound by my story. “By this time, our powers had started to come in. I had my Light, and I could fly. Jimmy had his shadows, and he was super strong. We wanted to go out and be heroes like they were. So... one day my dad sits us down and plays us a recording of their battle with Uncle Duncan. We got to see our mom and dad, our favorite uncle and aunt, getting beaten, brutally, up close and personal. Two six-year-olds watched members of their family violently beaten to the point of bleeding and broken bones, by an evil uncaring, unfeeling behemoth that was also a member of our family. And after it was over, Dad knelt down next to us and told us that THAT was what being a costumed hero was about. And then he told us to take some time and decide whether or not we still wanted to be a hero or not.”

Justine shuddered. “Wow. And I thought MY dad was intense,” she muttered. “So? What did you decide?”

I grinned. “Well, obviously, I chose to become a heroine. As for why... this is what I told my dad. We have powers. Gifts. And we can either choose to use them to help ourselves or choose to use them to help other people. My Light and my good luck aren’t the best powers out there. I’m not super strong or super tough like my brother, or my mom. And I’m not super smart like my dad. But I can use what I have to help people that can’t help themselves. Because if I don’t... then who will? I thought about the fight against my Uncle Duncan. He was stronger than Omega Girl... faster than Echo... with a body stronger than Armor Man and a mind stronger than Shinobi. They couldn’t beat him, he outmatched them. But they kept fighting, even when they were bleeding and hurting so bad they could barely stand. Why? To protect me and my brother.”

I stood up then. “And what would have happened to us if they hadn’t been there to risk everything trying to stop him? I know I wouldn’t be here right now, that’s for sure. THAT’S why I decided to become a heroine... to be there to protect people when they need me. And I’m sure it’s why Tawnya accepted your mom’s Tear and became a heroine as well—to help protect the people she loved and cared about.” I place a hand gently on her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s dangerous. And yes, we might even die. But if we didn’t go out there and face the evil out there, then who else would protect people? If my Uncle Parker hadn’t been willing to jump headfirst into a burning building to save them, Connie, your dad, and a whole bunch of other people wouldn’t be here today.”

Justine sat there for a moment, taking that in. I’d given her a lot to think about, some really heavy stuff. It was a lot to process. Hell, it had taken me three days after watching my folks fight Duncan for me to come up with an answer for myself. In the end, for me at least, it was simply a matter of deciding what was more important to me, my own life or the lives of those I cared about. And if I were willing to risk my life for family and friends, it would be selfish not to do so for someone else in need, even if they were a stranger. Not everyone felt that way, of course. Self-preservation is a very strong instinct. Without it, our population would likely be much much smaller. The only ones that chose this kind of lifestyle willingly were the very brave, and the very foolish.

And well, I’ve certainly never been called a genius.

“Katie,” Justine called out as I turned to head out. “I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to fight that Toxima person.” She sighed softly. “But... I think I understand why you have to face her. So... can you at least promise me that you’ll come back alive?” She swallowed. “We still have a lot to catch up on, yanno? And I want to go flying with you again.”

Aww... the girl just melted my heart. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to do so,” I swore, giving her a small kiss on her forehead. “But can you do me a personal favor? Cut your mom and dad some slack, okay? They’re... a bit overprotective,” I said with a smirk, “but only because they love you and your brother so much. Believe me... sometimes it IS better not to be given all the information about what’s going on.” I shuddered, and she chuckled as I made my way back down the hallway.

“How’s it looking on yer end, lass?”

Angela Prentiss frowned slightly, biting her lip, tapping away briskly on her keyboard before scrolling back across the area in her wheeled chair to a different computer monitor, tapping a few keys on that monitor as well. An empty coffee mug lay on the desk beside her. “We’re all set. You can go ahead and run the next simulation.”

“Roger that,” Eugene Frasier replied, hitting the ENTER key, then rolling his chair across the room to another bank of computers, pulling up the monitor showing a blown up version of the object of their study. A visually enhanced image of the massively complex multistrand organic molecule was shown, next to the computer-simulated results of the interaction between the foreign molecule and the various test samples they had prepared. Frowning slightly, Gene scanned the scrolling lines of data as they swept by at full speed, eyes barely even blinking as he focused his concentration and attention on each one. “Negative,” he said after a moment when the last line scrolled by, and the screen went clear. “No results on this bunch.”

“Damn. I was sure that configuration would work,” Angela muttered, shaking her head, causing her long blonde ponytail to swish briefly across her face. “I hate to admit it, but I’m starting to run out of ideas. We know it’s an organic enzyme inhibitor, and that it’s basically a mimic of a metabolic protein strand... but finding a way to counter it without further damaging the cells is proving troublesome to say the least!”

“Maybe a new perspective would help?” Eugene offered.

“Sounds good. SWITCH!” Angela called out.

Nigel Grimalde sighed heavily, sipping from his own mug of coffee, shaking his head as the two grown adults, wheeling around the room like children, switched workstations, each seamlessly picking up where the other had left off in their research. Which wouldn’t have been so annoying if it hadn’t been the fifth time so far today. “Is all of this really necessary?” he snarked, tapping his foot. “We’re on a bit of a time crunch here, and you are both acting like you’ve regressed back to second grade.”

“Second grade was a fun time for me,” Eugene replied nonplussed. “I read my first high school Chemistry book in second grade.”

“Really? Your reading comprehension must have been really high back then,” Angela commented, scrolling through various screens, fingers tapping away. “What was it... tenth-grade level?”

“Eleventh, actually, according to all the standardized tests. You?”

“Twelfth-grade level,” Angela replied with a bit of a smirk. Eugene chuckled.

“Not surprising. Always said you were smarter than me, lass.” He paused, frowning. “Hmmm... I’m thinking sample #42075 looks promising. Concur?”

“Wait a sec... 42075...” she said scrolling down. “Hmm... interesting configuration. Nonlinear isomer. Yes, I concur. Something unconventional might just do the trick.” She paused, glancing back over at her screen. “Hmmm... I know we discarded glass early on, but what about... quartz glass? It’s definitely stronger and more durable, and has the lowest reactivity of the group so far.”

“True... but the girl’s a lot tougher than we anticipated. She took one of Katie’s light blasts to the chest, got knocked out of a third story window, and it didn’t even slow her down. I’d like to assume the worst and overplan than risk her managing to batter her way out.”

“Paranoid and likes to plan ahead for the worst possible outcome?” Angela mused aloud. “Gee, where have I heard that before?”

“Ye ken, yer boss and I are alike in more ways than just our, ahem, attention to detail,” Eugene said with a smirk.

“Oh, and there’s that as well,” she added with a chuckle. “Since you’re Nigel’s business partner now, I guess you’re my boss as well!”

“Silent partner,” Gene clarified. Nigel snorted.

“As if ‘Silent’ was in any way an accurate description,” he muttered. “And can you two please focus on the task at hand?”

“We are focused,” Angela protested with a pout.

“Aye, this is simply part of our creative process, lad,” Eugene interjected. “We’re brainstorming while we test, trying to come up with something new. After all,”

“We can both,” Angela stated.

“Multitask,” they replied simultaneously. Nigel groaned aloud.

“I knew having you two in the same working space was going to be annoying,” he murmured. “I just didn’t think it would be THIS annoying.”

“OH!” Angela and Eugene said at the exact same time, turning to glance at one another. “Got an idea!” Eugene stated.

“Same here,” Angela replied. “Switch?”

“Switch!” Gene agreed as the two rolled their chairs back to their individual workstations once again. Both scientists began tapping away at their keyboards, their fingers beating out a rapid-fire staccato beat as they each began working on their ideas. They finished at nearly the same time and glanced over at the main computer terminal. “Lass, go ahead and run yer simulation first. Your side is more important than mine.”

“Thanks,” Angela replied, standing up and walking over to the terminal this time, inputting the specifics she’d thought up into the scenario. The supercomputer quickly ran through all the different variations, then displayed the results—a cascade of green screens across the board. “Positive!” she called out, doing a fist pump. “Every scenario came through! Looks like we have a winner!”

“Wait... you solved it?” Nigel asked, wanting to be sure. “You have an antidote for the poison?”

“Well, the formula for the antidote, anyway,” she said, sliding off her glasses, and shaking out her hair. “The lab still has to actually produce it, and I’d like to test it on actual live blood samples instead of just relying on the computer simulations... but yeah. We got it.” She grinned. “Eugene’s outburst actually gave me the idea. The poison we were working against wasn’t just a simple poison, it was multitasking, acting as part enzyme inhibitor, part mycotoxin, part neurotoxin, part corrosive reactant, depending on what it interacts with. The key wasn’t stopping the poison, it was inhibiting the poison’s ability to inhibit the cells’ normal function.” She grinned. “And since it’s basically a complex enzyme itself, we just needed a smaller more potent enzyme to inhibit it!”

Nigel blinked, getting the gist of it. “So, basically, you’ve found a way to poison the poison.”

“We’re going to poison the poison!” Angela confirmed.

“Aye, an inspired solution,” Gene agreed, walking over to input his own scenario. “And it also inspired the solution to my own problem: finding a way to contain and restrain the girl once she’d captured. To that end, instead of simply looking for one single solution, I decided to use a multilayered solution instead! And it starts with one of my inhibitor collars.” He ran the numbers, then nodded as the cascade of green screens confirmed his analysis. “Aye. It will work. I just need to get down to the production floor.”

“Hold on, the inhibitor collar?” Nigel asked, confused. “You mean those collar bands that turn off a Super’s powers? I thought you said they wouldn’t work on Toxima because her ‘powers’ are passive?”

“Well, yes and no. The collar will prevent her from creating poison to use as gas attacks or spitting corrosive acid, but it will not alter her physically. Her poison is steeped into every cell of her body, meaning all of her body’s fluids, tears, saliva, sweat at the like, are like as deadly. To counter that, I need to alter the design slightly and include a small reservoir to administer a time release version of the counteragent, otherwise, she could simply cut her wrist and bleed enough poison to melt her way through holding cell.” He paused, considering. “And as for the holding cell itself, I’m thinking of taking a lesson from the 17th Century chemists and having a reinforced Titanium unit coated with a non-reactive hydrocarbon polymer.”

Angela blinked. “Okay, now you lost me. Seventeenth century...”

“He means using a wax coating,” Nigel supplied. “Hydrofluoric acid, first created by Carl Wilhelm Steele, an acid strong enough to eat through its container, and pretty much anything else. Early scientists needing to store it used bottles with their insides coated in wax to keep it from dissolving the glass.” He smirked. “I might not be a science whiz like the two of you, but I do know my history.”

“Aye,” Gene replied, then paused, staring straight ahead for a few seconds, before scowling. “And not a moment too soon. Telepathic message from Eva. I had her monitor the police bandwave for any mention of our girl, and she was just reported spotted up at the city reservoir. Seems she’s decided on her next target—all of River City.”

“Indeed,” Nigel murmured. “Angela, how long will it take to start producing the counteragent?”

“I’ve already transmitted the formula and the request down to the production floor,” she said, reading her monitor. “According to Ajay, we should have the first batch of serum in about ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes, eh?” he sighed. “Put everyone on this. We need as much of that antidote as possible as soon as humanly possible.”

“Roger that.”

“Guess we’d best notify the girls upstairs.” Eugene sighed, walking to the door. “This situation... it stinks. If I still had a suit of armor available,” he began, only to shake his head. “Ye were right Nigel. Even in this world of new and upcoming heroes, there’s still a need for even an old duffer like me. Once this is all over and done with, I guess I’ll be getting to work on a new design...” He smiled, glancing back at Angela. “Ye ken, lass, it was truly a pleasure working with ye on this. The circumstances could have been better, but it was truly an honor getting to see that clever mind of yours at work, up close and personal.”

“Same here, Gene,” Angela replied with a grin. “It was truly a learning experience for me as well. And hopefully, one that we’ll be able to repeat. Er, not the whole emergency, racing to save lives, part,” she clarified. “The working together part.”

Gene chuckled. “Aye, ye flatter me, lass. And I do so love a girl with a keen mind.”

“Careful now, Gene,” Angela giggled. “I’m a claimed woman after all.”

Eugene snorted. “Bah, I ken where yer heart truly lies, lass... as if I could ever forget it with the blaggard staring daggers at me now in the same room,” He walked over and kissed her cheek gently. “And anyway, lass, I also ken yer ‘preferences’... and truth be told, of all yer harem sisters the only one that truly strikes MY fancy would be Delores.”

“Ahem,” Nigel cut in, clearing his throat. “Don’t you two still have something important to tend to?”

“Aye, aye,” Gene chuckled, “I’m going, I’m going.” He gave them both a wry grin before heading out of the lab. “But dinnae forget, Nigel, we havenae settled the debate on which Bond movie is better. After a bit of sleep and my wits about me, we’re picking up where we left off!”

Whitney Meyers, Toxima, laughed to herself as she strode up to the reinforced razor wire topped fence, serving as the entrance to the city’s water supply. She had to admit that being an evil super villain was hella fun! And it doesn’t hurt that the Doc hooked me up with some truly kick-ass powers, she thought to herself as she hacked a loogie at the side wall, sending a large glob of greenish fluid against the steel supports holding the fence in place. The metal began to smoke and sizzle, and within seconds, the fence began to creak and twist before falling over unsupported as the metal holding it up dissolved away. Hah! Too easy. I’m fucking unstoppable!

“Freeze! Put your hands up in the air!”

Whitney whirled around, then sighed, rolling her eyes as two uniformed policemen approached her, guns drawn. “Really? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” she grumbled aloud. “You’re not even in hazmat suits like the other cops. Didn’t save them,” she said with a smirk, “but it did buy them a few more seconds before they keeled over. Did you two SERIOUSLY not get the memo about me? If you had, you would have been better off coming in guns blazing instead of calling out and giving yourselves away.” She glanced away, as if considering for a moment, only to whip her head back around, mouth opened wide. A thin line of clear greenish tinted liquid shot out, striking the first officer directly on the chest. He cried out briefly, before gagging, and sinking to his knees.

“You damned bitch!” his partner yelled, firing twice, Both shots hit dead center in Toxima’s chest, and she grunted, spun around from the impact as she hit the ground, hard. The officer ran over to check on his partner, only to gape in shock at the desiccated, nearly mummified remains of his partner. “Good God,” he muttered, taking a step back away from the body, only to freeze at the sound of laughter behind him.

“‘Good God’? Did you actually say that out loud?” Toxima asked, dusting herself off as she stood back up. “God doesn’t exist, shithead. If he did, do you think he’d let this world be the goddamn mess that it is?” She groaned softly, rubbing her chest, knocking loose the twin bullets that had struck her, sending them clinking to the ground. “Can’t say that I actually LIKE being shot—it kind of stings, like a damn bug bite or something—but at least those snipers from the SWAT team I killed packed more of a punch.”

“You... you’re not human!” the officer said, backing back, firing again, as Whitney stalked towards him. “Stay away from me! Stay back!”

“Fuck that,” Whitney growled, backing the man up against his squad car. “You shot me. You thought yourself good enough to play with the big boys. Well, now you get to pay the price. Time to say goodbye,” she stated, inhaling.

“Okay then, goodbye!” I called out, causing her to glance skyward just as I fired off a Light blast. The beam sent Whitney flying back several feet, rolling onto the pavement. Glancing over at the officer, I yelled out for him to get out of there, to head to safety, which gratefully he did. A team of River City’s finest was on the way here as backup, but Mistress had asked them to stay back behind the perimeter until we’d neutralized the threat. Which I really hoped we could do. I patted the small metal hypodermic needle in my pocket containing the counteragent my dad and Angie had cooked up. All Mistress and I had to do was inject her, and supposedly this would all be over.

Of course, getting close enough to inject someone that could kill you in seconds just by breathing on you was no easy feat.

“Stay alert, Lumy,” Dragonfyre called out, breaking me out of my internal monologue, pointing down below. “She’s not down yet.”

I frowned at that, as just as predicted, Toxima got back up to her feet. Even more troubling, she was laughing and grinning like an insane idiot. “Well well, you made it!” she said gleefully. “And here I was thinking you wouldn’t get here in time to have our little showdown before I took out the entire city.”

“You mean poisoning the water?” I said, shaking my head. “Gee, really original idea there, Whitney. Like that hasn’t been tried before at least a few dozen times.”

Her smile faded. “I think you’re missing the point, Katherine,” she said, stressing my name. “I could care less about whether the stupid people of this city lived or died. The point was to draw you out, you and your little winged friend there. And I knew you’d come. You’re just soooo predictable! After all, you HAD to stop me. All the people I killed, all their deaths—they’re all on your head.“

“Bullshit!” Dragonfyre snarled, angrily. surprising both Whitney and myself. “Let’s get one thing straight right now, you damned psychotic freakshow! This mess is NOT Luminaire’s fault, and you goddamn know it! Everything you’ve done is the fault of no one else but you.” She shook her head. “You made your own choices. You decided to seek revenge. You decided you mutate yourself into some kind of toxic FREAK just to get even with her. And all this... because she gave Jessica a better birthday present that you back when you were kids? Sounds to me like the only thing she is guilty of is being a better FRIEND than you!”

“What the FUCK do you know, you redheaded skank?” Toxima snarled, glaring up at her. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about it! And anyway, this is between me and her! That golden haired silver spoon, self-righteous goody-two-shoes! She’s always had everything handed to her on a silver platter.Well too bad. You both may have had YOUR powers handed to you, but I had to work and suffer for mine! And now, we’re finally facing each other on equal terms!”

“Equal terms?” Dragonfyre said with a laugh. “Hardly. You can kill with a single touch. And neither of us is stupid enough to fight you hand to hand.” She readied her gauntlets. “I’m afraid this won’t be much of a fight, Toxima. It will be more of a mercy, taking a diseased mongrel out of its misery.”

“Mongrel...” Whitney scowled, her face going bright red in anger. “You goddamn fucking dyke bitch! How dare you diss me like that! I’m going to enjoy fu—aaaaahhhhh!” she yelped as Sioban fired her Omega Beam blasters, sending the foul-mouthed villainess to the ground in a heap.

“Okay, that was a relief,” she said, flying over to me. “I didn’t think anything was capable of shutting her up. How you managed to be friends with her all through junior high and high school is beyond me.”

I shrugged. “She wasn’t always so bad,” I admitted with a sigh. “And, well... she did have her good moments. She was a good friend to Shani and Jess. and everyone else... well, sorta, when she wasn’t bitching and complaining... it was just ME that she had a problem with.” I shook my head. “You know... come to think of it, I guess she really wasn’t that good of a friend after all.”

We landed a few feet away from her still form. “Well, she’s down, but not out,” she reminded me, taking out her hypodermic. “That Omega Beam blast will keep her out of it for an hour or so, but it’s a wasted effort if she just wakes up and kills the guards and starts the whole cycle over again. We still have to neutralize her poison making abilities so she’s safe to transport.”

I nodded. “Do you think this stuff will really work? I mean... I know it’s dad and Angela we’re talking about here, but they used it on Tawnya first to neutralize her poison but she still hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I know,” she answered back grimly, kneeling down to inject the unconscious girl. “But just give it some time. She did take a massive hit of poison after all, and we left as soon as they produced two more vials of the serum. For all we know, she might already be up and around, and fully recovered by now.”

Suddenly, Whitney’s eyes snapped open, and her hand shot out, grabbing Dragonfyre’s arm, tightly. “Or maybe,” she said with a sadistic smile, “she’s already DEAD... just like you!” She exhaled, spitting out a thick cloud of greenish gas directly into Mistress’ face as I watched in shocked horror. Sioban gasped, and coughed, choking, falling over onto her side as Whitney released her, and got back to her feet. “Awww... so sad. Looks like both of your little winged friends are done for now. Guess that just leaves you!”

No. NO! NO! NO! NO! “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I yelled, firing at Whitney point blank, pumping her full of every photon I could muster. The force of the blast pushed her back several feet and scorched the ground around her, melting the pavement back into tar... but as I stood, hands outstretched, I watched in disbelief as she slowly recovered, pushing back against the beam, stomping her way back towards me, step by step. I cut off the energy after a moment, panting from the energy expenditure, staring wide-eyed at Whitney, her clothing and costume burned away, her regrettably lovely body completely naked... but utterly unharmed.

“How...” I asked, dumbfounded as she stared at me in apparent triumph. “How.. is this possible? How?!?”

“You goddamned moron,” Whitney crowed smugly. “Don’t you get it yet? I told you before, your Uncle’s old henchman Dr. MacDonald gave me superpowers by infusing me with the DNA of another Super. Well, Luminaire, the DNA he used was yours.” I gasped. “Yes! You got it! That fucker pumped me full your YOUR fucking DNA to give me these powers. Said it was the height of irony, using the powers granted to me by my worst enemy to take her down, or some shit.” She shook her head. “To be honest, I was pissed at first. I didn’t want your goddamn shit inside me. And afterward, I didn’t get your light blasts, and or your ability to fly. I thought I’d been cheated. But instead, I got your super strength... and superhuman durability. And this...” she said gesturing to her hands, which began to drip copious amounts of green fluid. “This is actually even better!”

“And that’s why my Light didn’t affect you,” I realized still stunned, “and why Dragonfyre’s blast only stunned you momentarily. You have my DNA grated to your own... and my powers—”

“Have almost no effect on your own DNA,” she finished. “Of course, the same can’t be said for you about my poison powers, can it?“ she said, taking a step towards me. “It’s basically my own body’s secretions, my blood and sweat and tears, turned deadly. I’m not blasting you with energy. I’m killing your cells from the inside-out! And there’s not a goddamn thing you can do about it.” She chuckled softly. “But don’t worry. I’ll send you off to be with your two winged friends. And if you get lonely, just remember... the rest of your family and friends will be joining you soon enough!” she said, laughing maniacally.

Toxima’s laughter was cut off suddenly as I punched her square in the jaw. She blinked, shaking her head a bit, stunned, rocked by my punch, as I’d held nothing back. “Oww...what the shit... fuck!” she growled, spitting out a tooth. “You bitch! You knocked out one of my teeth!” she yelled, equal parts shocked and furious. She’d taken gunshots to the chest without a problem, but the little blonde priss’ punch knocked out a tooth!?!

“You damned bi—uuugggrkkk!” she grunted as I followed up with a shot to the gut, again using my full strength, knocking the wind out of her. My vision swam, and my chest felt heavy. I was already sweating. But it was fine. I’d known the moment I’d cross the distance between us to punch her damned face that I’d be poisoned, that the end result would be my death.

And you know what? I just didn’t give a fuck.

“This is what you wanted, Whitney?” I asked her, as she slowly righted herself again. “Us, you and me, duking it out, one on one? Fine.” I said, dodging as she swung wildly for my face, catching and hooking her arm, twisting it painfully before delivering another hammer blow to her gut. She spat again, poison or blood, or a combination of both, I don’t know. “You always thought I was lording my family’s wealth over you... that I thought I was better than you!” She pulled free, panting, growling in barely unchecked fury, preparing to rush and tackle me to the ground. I waited until the last second.. then lashed out with a snap kick, catching up just underneath her jaw, knocking her off the ground.

“You’re so damn stupid!” I yelled, dropping down on top of her, pinning her down. “I fucking looked up to you! You were so cool, so confident, so self-assured... everything I wasn’t! All I wanted was for us all to be friends!” She spat at me, panting, too dazed to make a retort, but I wasn’t done just yet. “But you!” I yelled, punching her in the face, “That wasn’t good enough for you!” I hit her again, and again. battering her face, not giving her a chance to recover, to move, to dodge or even block. “All that mattered to you... was being the center... or attention. The center of everything! It all had to be about you!” I drew back, panting, my vision swimming. I was fading fast now. It was hard to breathe, and my chest felt tight. “And this... this is what it all came down to... turning yourself into... a murderer... a monster... just to get even with me.” She groaned, dazed and bloody, trying to sit up, but I countered with a brutal headbutt, sending her back down flat to the ground.

“Fuck... ing... bitch...” she managed, her face and mouth swollen and bloody. I’d beaten her pretty badly. And I hadn’t held back. I’m strong enough to bend regular steel with my bare hands after all. And she’d already demonstrated that she was tough enough to shrug off being gunshot. But I had enough awareness left to know that if I didn’t stop her here and now, she would recover. She would heal. And she’d make good on all her earlier threats. My hands went around her throat, and she gasped, mouth opening wide, scratching frantically at my hands.

I was dying. I had maybe seconds left myself. She’d killed me... killed Mistress Sioban. Maybe even Tawnya as well. My entire world was shattered. What did I have to live for? Why should I hold back? The very least I could do before I went out was to make sure that I took Whitney with me. All I had to do was squeeze... just a little bit harder...

But something stopped me.

I... I couldn’t do it. I don’t know if it was my slave programming kicking in, or just the idea that it would disappoint Sioban, or a combination of both... but I couldn’t bring myself to kill her. Even knowing what she’d done, and what she’d keep on doing if she lived. Suddenly, I understood Batman’s entire conundrum regarding the Joker, why time and time again he’d stopped short of finishing off that irredeemable psycho for good. Because if I killed Whitney, if I let her bring me down to her level... then I would no longer be worthy of Her. With my crazy mixed heritage, my mom being a literal Goddess, I had no idea where I was going, to Heaven or Valhalla, or Purgatory, or somewhere else completely. But I knew in the depths of my soul that if I crossed this line, I wouldn’t be able to be with the ones I loved.

“Go on.... do it...” Whitney rasped as I released her throat. “Kill me. You know... you want to! Do it! Do it... and prove me right... that you’re just as much... of a monster... as I am!”

“No,” I said simply, injecting her with the needle containing the serum, neutralizing her poison, making her harmless. Her eyes went wide before rolling up into her head, as she fainted. I managed a small smile myself, before the last of my strength left me, and I fell, rolling over onto my back next to her.

Thirty seconds. That’s about how long it took for a full dose of Whitney’s poison to kill someone. And I was pretty much drenched in her blood and sweat from our fight. My lungs felt as if I were trying to breathe underwater. And my chest ached and burned, my heart skipping now and again, faltering, slowly, preparing to beat its last. Blackness flickered at the edges of my vision... and I could feel panic, pain, sadness, and anger—Jimmy—yelling out at me through our link. This was it. I was done.

Kind of ironic, really... for the longest time after Jess’ death, I’d tried to kill myself. And now, when I really actually wanted to live, I found myself dying. Still... I’d done my best. And... it wouldn’t be so bad. Now I’d get to be with Jess AND Sioban both... and we’d all get to fly on soft white angel’s wings. As my eyes fluttered closed, and the darkness rushed it, I saw her... the angel of death, clad all in black, fluttering down from above with wings of midnight black...