The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Lodestone.”

I grunted, twisting my hips with a snap, bringing my right leg up in a high kick. My foot connected with the pad, and the sensor measured the amount of force applied. Resuming my stance, I snapped my hips sharply again, this time bringing up my right knee, snapping my chest and arms in the opposite direction to maximize the amount of force. “Hmmm. Lemmee think... ah! Real name, Erica Lynsherr. Class B, power over magnetism. Can manipulate the attractive bonds between most metals, to an extent, though primarily iron, steel, and aluminum.” I threw a couple of quick jabs and elbow strikes, each connecting at the targeted spots. “Usually keeps a small amount of metal on her person at all times. Can channel electricity in a very limited amount into increasing her magnetic abilities. And can fly by adjusting her body’s magnetic polarity to the earth’s to repel and propel her forward.” I stepped back, panting slightly, and wiped some sweat from my brow. “That’s... about all I can think of.”

Parker Albinn nodded. “Good recall. So, what weaknesses does she have? And what strategy would you use in taking her down?”

I paused a moment, bouncing lightly in place, before lashing out in a series of roundhouse kicks. “Weaknesses? Hmmm... well she... doesn’t have... any power over... non-metallic objects... so... wrap her up... in plastic... and... kick her arse...” The sensors recording the force of my kicks began beeping loudly, so I stopped, moving over to another area of the gym.

“Okay, that should work. Now... Stonewall.”

I grunted, sliding myself underneath the hydraulic press my dad had hooked up. I set it for my previous maximum and locked my hands into place. I heaved, pushing with all my strength, and slowly, the weight began to lift. “Stonewall... uuughhnnn! Real name... Andrew... Jackson!” One rep. I lowered it down and began again, ignoring the burning in my arms and chest, focusing only on the answer I was giving. “Class A, physical powerhouse. Physical... characteristics... skin has a... stony... composition... like... brick!” Two reps. “Strength level... uuuughhnn... undetermined... believed to be... ten... tons!” Three reps. I sighed softly. I was already beyond his range, and climbing. I wonder what class that put me in?

“That’s correct,” Parker replied, looking over the data from my recent performance. “So what are his weaknesses? And how would you fight him?”

“I... uuuhnnn... wouldn’t fight him... if I had... a choice in the matter...” I quipped, raising and lowering the heavy weight a few more times. It was getting easier. Too easy. In fact, I was getting a bit scared at my own progress at this. “Weaknesses? Body is... tough. Dense as rock... and as slow as mud. Also... not exactly the... brightest of opponents. Confuse him, anger him, keep him off balance... and then go for the knock out shot.”

Parker grinned. “Well, it always worked for me in our run-ins.” He paused, hitting a few keys on his keyboard. “How’re you doing on that weight setting?”

“It’s... getting easier...” I said, puffing and wheezing as I did my thirtieth rep, then lowered it slowly back in place. “I think I’m ready to push it up a bit more.”

I glanced at his face when he didn’t reply, and his look of shock stopped me. “What? What is it?”

He shook his head, laughing. “You’re really something else, kid. After the last few times, I wanted to see just how constant your rate of growth was, so I altered the settings on the weights before you got here. You weren’t pressing twelve tons just now. You were pressing twenty!”

Twenty tons?? “Th... that’s impossible!” I protested. “There’s no WAY I was lifting that much! I’d have blown my arms off—”

“Twenty tons, Jimmy,” he insisted, pointing to the computer read-out. “I always suspected your powers hadn’t reached their max yet. You’re not even twenty years old yet. Add in the fact that you basically stopped working at it, stopped exercising and training when you turned twelve, and, well,” he gestured to the read-out again. “You’ve yet to reach your true potential, kid.”

A sobering thought, that. I was already one of the strongest people I knew. I’d learned at a very early age to be extremely careful in everything I did, from opening a door, to picking up a glass of milk, to shaking someone’s hand. The earliest, most traumatic experience I can remember as a kid was sitting on my Dad’s lap, rough housing with him, just playing, and hearing him scream in agony as I broke his arm. I hadn’t meant to do it, and he knew it was an accident... but from then on, he always stiffened up whenever I touched him, wincing as if he expected me to hurt him again, somehow. It’s the kind of thing you never truly forget, the kind of thing that shapes you in all sorts of ways you never really think about.

And now, it seemed, my strength was continuing to grow. Yay. Lucky me.

I continued training, rattling off the strengths and weaknesses of all the known super villains in the family database, though my heart wasn’t really in it anymore. We were developing my own personal fighting style, a type of fighting that focused more on grappling, submission holds, and joint locks rather than striking attacks. Steven Seagal was almost sixty years old now, and he could still take down the biggest meanest guy with just a simple grab and twist of the guy’s arm. I figured, if he can do it, then I could too.

“Mourning Frost.”

I paused, my arms frozen in stance as I glanced over at my instructor. “Mourning Frost? Um... last I checked she had reformed. She’s on the government’s payroll now... a good guy.”

“Yeah, so?” he replied, thrusting towards me with a hard wood staff, which I dodge, shifting my body slightly to the side. “Maybe she’s on the side of right and good and warm fuzzy feelings now... but there’s nothing to say that that won’t change in the future. With all the mind control running rampant today’s hero could easily become tomorrow’s villain.” He feinted twice then swung low, trying to trip me, but a quick side-step kept me on my feet.

He had a good point, though. “Umm... the database file said her real name was classified, her records sealed by the government, but she goes by ‘Monique’. Um... her unique physiology emits a wave of endothermic energy, capable of affecting nearby matter up to a recorded range of... a few yards.” I dodged and countered his next blow, twisting to the side again with a simple shifting of my hips. “Effect on organic, or living matter is somewhat different than inorganic matter, suggesting that the energy emitted is not simple cold, but something else entirely. She’s a class B super.” I sighed, taking a deep breath. “As for taking her down? Best choice is a long range assault. Stay out of the range of her ice. Second choice... fight her some place really really warm.”

Parker smirked. “Good. And... how would you handle... Omega Girl?”

That stopped me completely. “I wouldn’t. Period. I’m not even going to THINK about that kind of scenario—”

“Then you’d die!” Parker snarled at me suddenly, using his speed to assault me with a rapid-fire barrage of blows from his wooden staff. I blocked instinctively, covering up as the speed and force of his blows pushed me slowly back against a wall. “If you think just because she’s your mom you couldn’t fight her, then you’re living in a dream world.” A high speed jab right at my ankles tripped me, and I fell back, sliding against the wall. He swung again, this time stopping less than an inch in front of my head. “Your mom is the sweetest, nicest, kindest woman I’ve ever known. She’s also the single most deadly person I know.” He lowered the staff, and pulled me back to my feet.

“Let me give you a little history, Jimmy. I was about your age the first time I came to River City. Heard some really bad shit was going down, some psycho doctor guy had it in for your mom, and was unleashing all kinds of terror and mayhem on the city to try and draw her in. I figured she could use a hand, so I rushed to the scene to help out. Turns out the doctor had taken a few precautions, such as recruiting my Aunt Eva to his side. She used her talents on your mom... and suddenly, my partner was trying her darndest to smash my face in! True, she wasn’t herself, and yes, she was being made to attack me against her will—but it doesn’t mean a whole lot when a woman who can snap a steel girder over her knee is playing hackey-sack with your noggin!” He sighed deeply, looking away. “I managed to get in a lucky shot, knocked her unconscious, and eventually freed her, and my Aunt from the psycho controlling them. But it was a very near thing. And personally, I shudder to think of what might have happened if I hadn’t been able to free her.”

I nodded soberly. Mom had shared similar stories with us growing up, her defeats as well as her victories. She never claimed to be perfect, always trying to give Katie and me an accurate picture of the kind of life a heroine leads trying to help people in this world. I’d always kind of taken it with a grain of salt... but now I understood another aspect of the job that I hadn’t really thought about before.

What if someone brainwashed her and sent her out to cause chaos and destruction? Would I be able to fight my own mother? Would I be able to stop her? And... what about Dad? Or Katie? What if I was the one under someone else’s control? Would Omega Girl, Armor Man, Luminaire, Echo, and all of my other friends and family come together to stop me?

“Okay. I get it. Sometimes, you don’t have a choice.” I assumed a fighting stance again as he picked up his staff once more. “I don’t like it, the idea of trying to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of my friends to use against them... but I concede to your wisdom.” I smirked, focusing on dodging his attacks as they came. “Omega Girl. Real name Lacie Ann Gilbertson- Frasier. An ‘S’ Ranked super, strength level undetermined, but last measured at one hundred tons.” The staff came towards my chest and I turned, sliding an arm down, twisting my wrist to deflect the blow. “Has the power of flight... skin is extremely durable, highly resistant to physical stress... and her body generates a very unique type of radiation, Omega Energy particles, which she uses for multiple functions.” I twisted my wrist slightly, and the staff snapped.

“Nice,” Parker murmured softly, twirling the slightly shortened staff, lashing out with it again, faster. “And what would be your strategy in fighting her?”

“I’d run,” I replied instantly, making my body move faster to keep up with his attacks. His eyebrow rose at my answer, and I shrugged. “You heard me. I would run away. I know her strengths and weaknesses pretty well, and in a straight up fight, I don’t stand a chance. The best course of action is to retreat and get backup. Lots of backup.”

“You’re right,” he sighed softly, finally lowering his staff. “In such a case, the best offense is a good defense. I concur.”

“Thanks,” I replied, taking a short breather. “You know, this is all well and good against enemies you know and have fought before. What do you do when you meet someone new, someone you haven’t faced or heard of before... something you know nothing about?”

Parker considered for a moment. “You have to think of every encounter as a fact-finding mission. Every situation, and every encounter, is a chance to learn something about the person you are interacting with. It’s kind of like playing poker—everyone has a tell. If you can keep your wits about you long enough to figure out your opponents capabilities, you can develop a strategy.”

He wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel, then tossed one to me. “We’re done for the day. Good work out. Just remember, Jimmy... exercising your body is only half the equation. Exercising your mind... that’s the tricky part.” He smirked. “Always be alert, Jimmy. Try to be aware of your surroundings, of the people around you. Your dad has a photographic memory, and I think you have that gift as well. Remember everything... file away little facts, little tidbits of data, and store them deep in your head. You never know when some obscure bit of knowledge will save the day.”

Duncan Frasier glanced up from his desk as the door opened. “The visitor you invited has just arrived, sir,” MacDonald intoned, gesturing as a tall Asian man with long dark hair entered. Duncan smiled grandly, rising to his feet, a hand extended as the Asian came around to the front of his desk.

“Ah, Mr. Chang, so glad you could make it. I trust your trip was a pleasant one?”

The dark haired man took the offered man, shaking it briskly before sitting down. “It was uneventful... which, considering where I started from is saying quite a bit. Just how did you arrange for my release?”

The Scottsman chuckled. “Trade secret. Suffice it to say, it took a considerable amount of money and resources to... ‘spring you’. The real difficulty lay in making sure no alarms were raised.” He shrugged. “I only hope you prove to be worth the effort.”

“Yes, well, let us hope so,” the Asian replied, drily. “Why don’t we just cut to the chase and tell me what it is you’re after.”

Duncan laughed. “I’d forgotten how direct you can be, Mr. Chang. I find it refreshing. Very well. I need you to provide a bit of a distraction for me.”

“Distraction?” He laughed. “Well, Frasier, I always thought you were a bit eccentric...”

“It’s a wee bit more complicated that you might thing. Tell me, Mr. Chang... do you remember a young woman named Lacie Ann Gilbertson?”

All hilarity ended. “Gilbertson?” He replied, eyes narrowing. “Yes... I remember that name. I remember it quite well. There wasn’t a day spent in that high tech facility that I didn’t think about the person that sent me there. So... you have my attention. What do you have in mind for Ms. Gilbertson?”

“Ah, it’s ‘Mrs. Frasier’ now. And, the distraction is not for my sister-in-law, but rather, her children. Y’see, lad, to truly beat someone, you don’t just defeat them in battle. No... you have to break their spirit. And what better way to hurt a woman than to go after her children?” Aye, and what better way to destroy a man that to take away everything he loves—his wife, his children, his company—all one by one.

The Asian nodded sagely, grinning. “Sounds as though you have a personal stake in this one as well, but that’s fine. Can I assume that you don’t want the children simply killed out of hand? That’s not really my thing after all, and there were certainly a lot of thugs and bruisers locked up in that hell hole with me is that’s what you were after.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Chang, I have more than enough brawn on my payroll for that sort of thing. No, your assumption is correct. I recruited you again, for the same reason I recruited you the last time... for your brains. True, your last solo bid for world domination didn’t work out so well, but it wasn’t for lack of planning. If you work with me on this little venture, I can promise you a much different conclusion... and a chance to get your revenge on the one who put you away for the past two decades.”

“I’m in,” Brian Chang said with a savage grin. “All this time out of circulation has dulled my senses. It’s about time I had a chance to flex my mental muscles again.” He chuckled darkly. “Omega Girl... you’d better watch out. There’s a Brainstorm on the horizon...”

I found it rather strange to be sitting in a restaurant, having lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Albinn. Not that we haven’t eaten lunch together before. We do that now and again. This was just the first time we’d done so together... in full costume. We got a couple if strange looks, at first, but this IS River City. Once it was obvious we weren’t going to start a ruckus, though, most of them ignore us and went on about their business.

“So... um... do you guys do this a lot?” I asked, tugging on the collar of my black spandex costume. “Go out during the day like... um... this?” I gestured helplessly.

“Yes, actually,” Veronica said with a giggle. “I admit, it takes a little getting used to, but it’s always better to be seen this way. Sometimes, just the presence of a costume wearing super around will discourage mischief.”

“Heh. I can understand that.”

They chuckled. “So, have you decided on a name yet?” Parker asked. “You can’t keep avoiding it if you’re serious about doing this.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Barely. “Fine. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.” The waitress returned with our order, setting the plates of food before us. After she left, the conversation resumed.

“Well... seeing as how you’ve settled on the whole ‘black’ motif so strongly,” Parker said, “how about ‘Pitch’? Or ‘Ebony’? Or ‘Shadow’?”

Sigh. “Pitch makes me sound like I play baseball or something. Shadow has already been taken... and Ebony? I kind of like it, but it sounds like it would belong to a black guy or something...”

“What about ‘Ebon’?” Veronica suggested. “Or ‘Dusk’?”

“I’m pretty sure both of those have been chosen as well. One of the problems of growing up in this day and age is that all the good names have already been chosen.”

We dug into our food. I’d never eaten at Hannah’s Diner before, but I had to agree with Katie’s assessment. They did have the best burgers in town. Their strawberry shakes weren’t bad either. I was taking a deep pull on mine when, out of the blue, Parker asked, “So, are you still having that dream about that dark haired girl you’ve never met?” I sputtered, nearly choking, before I managed to recover.

“Um... yes, actually.” Indeed, not only had they continued, the manner of the dreams had changed as well. After our near encounter a few months ago, the dreams had become more intense, and more realistic, as if it were more visions of her life than an actual dream. Just flashes, though, nothing specific, or ordered enough to find out who she is.

“Have you ever thought about talking to Eva?” Veronica asked. “Have her probe your mind and see if she can discover more about these dreams you keep having?”

I shook my head. “Thank you, but no. No offense to your Aunt Eva, but I don’t like the idea of someone rooting around inside my brain.” Besides, she was already busy working on someone else. Even after all this time, Techna was still feeling the effects of what happened to her. Thanks to Ms. Snow’s therapy sessions, she was mostly back to her old self. The effects of being rendered completely mindless by the computer program, then by me, had made a lasting impression on her. Maybe it was that last speck of my darkness that refused to leave body. Or, maybe it was the memory of her submission to me when we first met. Whatever the reason, my mere presence seemed to draw her back into a submissive, suggestive state.

So... she’d decided it was probably best to avoid being in my presence anymore.

I was contemplating the guilt I would forever carry over what I’d done to her when the sight of people running past the shop window caught my attention. “Looks like something is going on,” I pointed out, causing the others to glance towards the window.

“Looks like we’re on,” Parker said, taking out his wallet. He took one last drink of his coke, then tossed a few bills onto the table. The three of us ran out into the street, where we were nearly knocked over by the crowd of people running away. A huge explosion of smoke and fire signaled the source of the panic. “Huh. Guess they won’t be hard to find.”

They weren’t. The scene was a bad one, evident by the rampant destruction. Cars had been overturned, some of the crushed, some smoking, as if about to catch fire. Several people were down, injured and groaning in pain, but still alive. A vicious wind was blowing in from somewhere, getting stronger and stronger the closer we came to a green haired young woman. Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled as she caught sight of us. She gestured towards us and the wind kicked up even harder, confirming that she was indeed the source of the disturbance.

Green hair... green and white leotard and boots... power over the wind... and a rather nasty disposition... this is definitely Tempest. Still... random violence isn’t exactly her modis operendi. What’s she up to?

“Well, well, well. What d’we have here?” Tempest said loudly, sending a small whirlwind at the ground in front of us. “Three weirdoes dressed all in black? Let me guess... the Goth Group? The Emo Trio?” The wind blew off the window shutter from the side of a building, sending it towards us, but a quick slash from Shinobi’s katana turned it into kindling. “AH! I get it now,” Tempest replied, laughing. “You must be the Ninja Brigade! Well, kiddies, I don’t have time to play with you now. You should run along home to your milk and cookies.”

“Quite a lip on this one,” Shinobi remarked with a shake of her head. “Trying to goad us into attacking her head on. But why? What’s she trying to do—”

Suddenly, Echo reached back, grabbing us both and pulling us into a low crouch as the hood of a Ford Taurus swept through the spot we’d occupied seconds before, crashing into the side of a building. “That’s why. Distraction. She’s not here alone.” He gestured behind us, where a second woman, a sandy haired woman in an orange and brown jumpsuit, stood, grinning. “Wrecker. Figures they’d be working together as a team. Still, we should be able to handle the two of them.”

Not a problem, I thought to myself, as I rose back to my feet. But it still doesn’t answer the question of what these two are after. I mean, why start a rampage here in the middle of the city, near a bunch of sandwich shops and delis? I could see it if this was a few blocks over, in the financial section, or further down, near the city’s treasury... Then it hit me. That was EXACTLY what they were doing!

“It’s a distraction!” I yelled, as I turned and sprinted away from the scene, heading towards the business section. “They’re just here to keep us occupied! The real thing’s going on downtown!”

“Huh? Hey! Wait!” Echo yelled after me. “Where are you going?”

“Treasury building,” I yelled back, knowing his superhuman hearing would pick up my words. “Just a hunch... but it’s the best explanation I have for what’s going on. Take out Windy and her pal, and come find me!”

I suppose he and Shinobi were too busy to answer back at that point. Not that I would have heard their words anyway. All I could hear was the sounds of fighting, of rock and wood and metal breaking as four superhuman beings slugged it out. I felt a little bad ducking out on them, but they had years more experience at this than I did—I was relatively sure they’d be fine. I kept telling myself that as I rounded the corner of the River City Treasury building, pulling to a stop at the front entrance. A few people were just inside the lobby, chatting nonchalantly with one another.

Huh. Everything looks okay. No damage to the building, or anything... no people fleeing in terror. I was starting to wonder if maybe my instincts were wrong this time. After all, I was just a rookie. A novice. Shit... what was I thinking running all the way down here, anyway? I mean, if Parker is the seasoned hero. If there was a chance that something was going on here, he would have figured it out first and taken off before I’d even had time to think about it! I smacked my hand against my forehead. Ah, well. Guess I might as well look around inside so I don’t look like a TOTAL jackass.

“Um, hi,” I say, waving a hand as I enter the lobby. “This may sound like a really silly question but... has anything strange or unusual happened here within the last hour or so?”

The guards continued talking nonchalantly, completely ignoring my presence. Frowning, I walked closer, tapping the closer of them on the shoulder. “Hey. Sorry to interrupt the conversation, but...” I faltered there as the man turned to stare at me, eyes blank and glassy, an empty smile on his lips. I knew that look only too well. “Um... okay. Never mind,” I said, backing away, heading further into the building. “I think I have my answer.”

I was starting to have that same feeling from before... the feeling of being in over my head. Someone had obviously done a number on the guards. That much was certain. But why program them to stand there and talk to one another, acting as if everything was perfectly normal? Why have them ignore anyone who comes in asking questions rather than attempt to stop them from entering at all? Or, raise an alarm of some kind? They both carried guns. Who goes to the trouble of brainwashing a couple of armed guards but doesn’t bother making use of them as sentries?

Either the person behind all of this was extremely confident... or extremely stupid. I was hoping for the latter.

The guard covering the security desk was also a zombie, however, he at least seemed to be aware of me. His eyes followed me as I walked past his desk, and when I approached the elevator leading downstairs to the vault room, he stood up from his chair. And pulled his gun.

“No one is allowed into the vault,” he intoned, taking a step towards me. “You are not allowed. Leave. Now.”

I sighed deeply. “Well, guy, I don’t blame you for this. Obviously, you’re just following orders. And under normal circumstances, I bet you’re a really okay guy. But, see, I really need to get down there to see what’s going on... and I really can’t let you stand in my way.” The small shadows around his desk suddenly darkened, and surged forward, striking him in the center of his chest, stunning him. I breathed a sigh of relief as his gun arm dropped back down. Spying the main fuse box across the room, I sent forth another pair of tendrils, plunging the room into darkness.

Okay. Completely blows any chance of taking this guy by surprise now, but hopefully an unexpected power outage will rattle him and keep him off balance... as well as giving me a bigger advantage.

I pulled open the elevator doors and slid down the cable onto the elevator car below. A short jump to the ground below, and I was inside the building’s lowest level. I could hear voices in the distance. The emergency lights were on, giving them just enough illumination to see what they were doing, which was transporting and loading gold bars from the vault into a yellow and black Humvee parked just inside the back gate. As I stepped closer, the situation worsened. The loaders were the treasury employees, each one wearing an identical blessed-out expression on their faces.

“That’s it, you zombies,” a feminine voice called out from the center of the room. “Keep loading that gold. Not sure what’s up with that power outage, but something tells me that we’re about to get some company down here.”

Definitely the ring leader, I decided, making my way towards her under the cover of darkness. I wasn’t too worried about the thralls roaming around, even if they could have seen me. No... my attention was on the scarlet haired girl in the red and brown skin tight costume. She didn’t look familiar, and aside from brainwashing lot of people to use as slave labor, I had no idea what she might be capable of. Better play this carefully. Just need to get a little closer, and a well-placed tendril strike should nip this in the bud.

And it would have worked flawlessly... had the power not chosen that exact moment to return.

The darkened room was suddenly filled with light, and I froze, staring straight ahead like a deer caught in the headlights of a passing car. The redhead gaped at me in surprise for a moment, then her eyes narrowed. “What the fuck?” she yelled, raising a small handheld palm light in her right hand. “I don’t know how the hell you got in here past my guys, but you’re not getting out of here that easily!”

I had no idea what that little hand held device would do to me if she got the chance to use it, but I wasn’t about to give her the opportunity. Reaching out for the closest shadow near my opponent, I sent a trio of tendrils at the device. I still wasn’t quite close enough to tag the girl herself, but one of the three shadow tentacles managed to sweep through the weapon she was carrying. Sparks and black smoke belched forth from the device, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“OWWW! Fuck!” she yelled, dropping the ruined object to the ground, holding her hand. She glared daggers at me. “You fucking bastard! Do you have any idea how much that Neural Disruptor cost me? I took this job to try and get ahead... and thanks to you, I’ll be lucky to break even!” She snapped her fingers, and the mindless automatons loading gold in the back of the truck stopped and turned to face her. “Minions,” she said with a savage grin in my direction, “we have an intruder. I order you all to attack him with extreme prejudice. In other words... beat the shit out of him!”

Ah, hell. In the blink of an eye, I was surrounded. Eight sharply dressed men and women, loan officers, government officials, bankers... whatever their previous jobs, at the moment they were a fully functioning mob. Normally, a bunch of people like this trying to gang up on me wouldn’t be a problem, but they were innocent bystanders in all of this, pawns of some crazy redhead with a sadistic streak. They weren’t responsible for their actions. I just needed to hold them off for a few seconds, long enough to draw in enough darkness for an eight-way tendril strike.

I didn’t want to hurt any of them. Of course, when a short curvy brunette connected with a heavy iron bar to underside of my ribcage, the desire not to hurt them dropped considerably. Dammit. Guess I’ll have to remember to add defending against eight or more armed opponents without inflicting bodily damage to them to my workout routine. If it weren’t for all these damned bright floodlights, I could have ended this little conflict before it even started. As it is, it’s hard enough to keep the energy I’ve already drawn, let alone draw in more. When the brunette connected again, however, I ran out of patience.

“Alright! That’s enough!” I shouted, unleashing all of the darkness that had been building up within me. Five of the eight slumped to the ground, stunned, as my tendrils struck true, draining their light and their will. Three to one were much better odds, and a quick tenchinage followed up with a yokomen’uchi and a koshinage disabled the last three.

“Not too shabby,” the redhead replied, closing and locking the back of her heavily laden Humvee. “Here I was thinking you were one of those masked do-gooder types, but you didn’t seem to have a problem taking out a bunch of helpless civilians, did you?”

I bristled at the insult. “First of all, that wasn’t exactly easy! I have the bruises to prove it. Secondly, all of them are fine, just unconscious. Shit, they’ll all wake up in the morning feeling a hell of a lot better than I will!” I walked over to her, grabbing her by the wrist. “But not nearly as bad as you’re going to be feeling if you don’t surrender and come along with me upstairs without making a fuss.”

Her lips twisted in a wry grin. “Oh really? And you’d hurt a helpless little thing like me if I put up a fight?”

“Absolutely,” I grinned right back at her. I wouldn’t have exactly called her helpless, but I’d had a chance to assess the situation a bit over the past few minutes. She wasn’t a fighter. She’d talked a good game, but ran to hide behind the truck once the actual fighting had started. She didn’t have any kind of mind altering powers that I’d seen, other than her so-called Neural Disruptor device, which I’d trashed. Considering her dependence on technical devices and the aid of others to do the lifting and carrying, she didn’t seem to have much in the way of strength or offensive capabilities. My threat assessment of her was definitely low.

“Come along, missy,” I said, still holding her wrist as I turned towards the elevator. “I’m sure my friends have finished playing around with your friends by now, and I’m anxious to get you all back tog—aaaaaahhhkkkk!”

A blast of concussive force slammed into me from behind, and suddenly I was thrown hard across the room. Reinforced metal bars bent inward as I slammed into wall of the nearly empty vault, knocking the wind out of me. My ears were ringing, my vision had dark flecks in the corners, and I was pretty sure I had a concussion. Peeling myself off of the wall, I managed to turn and face the redhead, who was grinning like the damned Cheshire Cat, both hands glowing with a soft orange light.

“Oh, sorry. I guess we weren’t properly introduced. The name’s Nytro... as in nitroglycerin, TNT, dynamite, and high powered explosives.” The light in her hands coalesced into a small glowing ball, which she tossed idly between her two hands. “My powers are a little less than subtle, so for a job like this, I find it best to take a management role, and leave the actual work to others. But don’t think I can’t get down and dirty with the best of them if I have to!”

Okay. Let’s raise that threat assessment value a wee bit, shall we?

She threw the glowing ball at me, and I started to dive for cover. But... my overactive brain compared the amount of force her first blast had hit me with to the amount of damage such a blast could do to this building, and the people lying unconscious and helpless on the vault floor... and against my better judgment, I grabbed it in midair, cradling against my gut, and hit the floor, eyes clenched, teeth clenched, buttocks clenched... EVERYTHING clenched, waiting for the big bang. Which only made the sadistic redhead laugh.

“Oh my, aren’t you the noble one,” she taunted, moving to the front of the Humvee, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Not all of my bombs go boom, you know. I decide how big the explosion will be when I create them, and sometimes it’s even more effective to create a ‘dud’ than it is to create a blockbuster. Oh well, toodles!” Starting the engine, she drove the rover towards the overhead doors, which began to open.

I wasn’t about to let her go that easily. Getting back to my feet again, I took a single step towards Nytro, when the ‘dud’ at my feet exploded. Again, I was knocked off my feet, flung through the air into a wall, though this time with much less force. I’d taken the brunt of the blast, so none of the downed workers appeared to be more than slightly singed.

“Oh, and if it’s not completely obvious by now,” she added before pulling out of the basement back onto the loading bay, “I can also create delay timing blasts as well. See you, hero!”

The bottom of my uniform was smoking. Heh. Good thing I let them talk me into wearing this dorky thing Dad created from that experimental fabric he’s been working on. If this stuff wasn’t practically indestructible, I’d probably be naked right now. Still, I was even more concerned about the damage to the building’s foundation. Cracks had formed in the brickwork, and the ominous sound of creaking support beams told me that it was time to take this battle somewhere else. I gathered up as many of the innocents as I could comfortably carry in my arms and hauled them out of the building, watching furiously as my scarlet haired foe drove off with her ill-gotten gain.

Dammit. If I had a gun or something, I could at least try to shoot out her tires or something! I glanced around idly for something to throw... and spotted some loose change that had fallen out of one of the eight’s pockets. Grabbing some coins, I took aim and threw, giving them my ‘fastball special’. My aim was close but a little off the mark, as the coins struck the side of the vehicle. Struck and bounced off, I noted with a frown.

Must be armored. At the speed they were thrown, those quarters should have hit like a high powered rifle shot. Grabbing a few more coins, I tried again, and this time managed to hit the truck’s tires. A loud pop and the squealing of brakes signaled my success, and I ran to catch up with the disabled vehicle.

Nytro was down, but not out. Climbing out of the Humvee’s cab, she began lobbing bombs at me like grenades. Smoke and fire and chunks of asphalt erupted around me as I charged forward, heedless of her assault. Parked cars were totaled, and street lamps and signs were blown apart. But I pressed on. I’d taken her worst back inside the basement with no cover and no place to dodge—I wasn’t about to let her drive me off now.

“Watch out!” I yelled to a motorist who’d pulled off to the side to watch what was going on. Apparently, Nytro wasn’t about to drive off the curious and morbidly stupid either. “Are you crazy? Get the hell out of here before you get blown to bits!” A near miss that singed the driver’s bumper convinced her to move on, and soon enough the area was cleared of civilians.

“Can’t you take a fucking hint?” my nemesis growled, creating a larger glowing ball of energy. Grabbing the crumpled door from a mangled Corsica, I sprinted straight towards her, holding it up like a shield. She threw the ball right to the center of my makeshift defense while I was about ten feet away; the impact and resulting explosion knocked us both off our feet, and shattered every window within the block. Groaning, getting back to my feet, I had the satisfaction of noting that she wasn’t immune to the blast of her own bombs.

“Damn,” she wheezed, pulling herself up against the side of the building where she’d fallen. “You just... don’t know when to... give up... do ya?”

“Sorry. Not in my vocabulary.” Brushing the dust and dirt from my costume, I walked menacingly towards her.

“Hey! Whoa! Time out!” she pleaded, holding up one hand in surrender as her free hand began glowing orange. “Let’s talk about this, okay? Let’s make a deal!” The orange light in her hand crystallized into another glowing ball of energy. “How about you just let me walk? You’ve stopped me from escaping with the gold,” she pointed out, gesturing to the banged up Humvee. “You rescued my helpless little pawns. Hell, you even destroyed my machine to make sure I can’t enslave anyone else! You’ve beaten me, alright? You won!” She took a few steps back as I continued walking towards her. “What more do you want from me?”

What more did I want? I couldn’t believe she could even ask such a question! She’d blown me up... more than once. She’d tried to kill me, nearly brought the entire treasury building down around my ears, not to mention around all the other people still inside the building. She’d even gone on a rampage, tossing bombs indiscriminately, regardless of who might get caught in the cross fire. It was only luck that the streets had been as deserted as they’d been when she’d begun.

What more did I want from her? “I want you to suffer,” I growled, closing the distance between us.

“Hold it!” She said, holding up the glowing ball in her left hand. “I mean it! Please! Just... just let me go, okay? If we... if we keep this up... someone’s going to get hurt, yanno? Come on...” she pleaded, sounding halfway sincere. “I don’t wanna do this anymore, okay? We can make a deal!”

I smiled grimly. She had blood along the side of her face, and behind her ear. Apparently she’d gotten a taste of what it felt like to be on the receiving end of one of her bombs, and she hadn’t liked it. Holding out a hand towards her, I pulled at the shadows along the edge of the building she was leaning against.

“Sorry. I don’t make deals with criminals,” I replied, sending a plethora of shadowy black tendrils through the center of her chest. Nytro shuddered visibly, sagging against the wall as her light and will was drained out of her. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she fell limply to the sidewalk, the glowing ball of light slipping free from her limp fingers.

“That bomb... get rid of it,” I ordered her sharply. “Make it disappear... or whatever you do. Send it back where it came from.”

Her eyes fluttered, the green of her eyes turning an inky black. “Mmmnnn... can’t...” she moaned softly, twitching slightly. “Once it’s... created... nnnhhh... bomb will... ess... esssss... explode... once it leaves... my handssss...”

Shit. Okay, time for Plan B. Grabbing the glowing flashing ball of energy, I turned and threw through the shattered window of the Humvee into the heavily armored back. Less than a second later, it exploded in a bright flash of smoke and fire, followed by a smaller explosion as the gas tank followed suit, but this time, the majority of the blast had been contained.

I laughed out loud, barely resisting the urge to air pump my arm. I’d done it. I’d taken out Nytro and saved the city’s gold supply, all by myself. True, they’re been a bit of collateral damage in the process, and the city highway and construction departments would be busy for the next few weeks fixing everything... but the bottom line was that I’d stopped the bad guy, rescued the stolen loot, and saved some lives.

Yes, folks. Life was good.

THIS was why I’d finally decided to stop fighting my fate. Part of it was the adrenaline rush of facing danger, of testing myself against a powerful opponent. I admit that. But, the major reason was for the simple joy of being a useful member of the community. It might sound a little corny, but when you got to the very heart of the matter, all I really wanted was to be needed. For years, I’d looked on my powers as a curse, as something that brought only destruction, pain, and suffering. And now, finally, I’ve proven to myself, if no one else, that I wasn’t brought onto this earth for some dark malevolent purpose.

I could be one of the good guys after all.

I was still smiling when a small group of onlookers made their way through the debris and rubble of our battle. “Yes, yes, folks,” I said cheerfully, “no need to worry. The situation is now under control. I stopped her from getting awa—“

The punch to the face I received from the angry man in a dark blue shirt left me more surprised than hurt. “You... you damned sick bastard!” he yelled, tears running down his face. “You unbelievable prick! How can you stand there looking so fucking proud of yourself after what you’ve just done?!?”

My jaw dropped visibly. This was not the kind of reception I’d been expecting. Glancing about the crowd, I saw that the man wasn’t the only hostile one glaring daggers at me. Most were muttering unkind things under their breath, shaking their heads at me in disgust and barely concealed anger. I was completely at a loss. Was Nytro some kind of hometown favorite or something? A modern day Robin Hood?

Police cars and an ambulance arrived shortly thereafter, and Echo and Shinobi came to my side. “Looks like World War Three around here,” Parker mused, glancing around. “And I thought the mess we caused taking down Wrecker and Tempest was bad. What the hell happened here?”

“Wish I knew,” I murmured softly, glancing up as the paramedics made their way past us, heading over towards the wreck of the Humvee. A police Lieutenant pushed his way through the crowd, forcing them to move back as he came face to face with me.

“Are you the one responsible for this?” he barked, gesturing around at the carnage. I shrugged.

“I, um, suppose so,” I stammered, feeling somewhat unnerved. “In a manner of speaking. But, um, I did have some help from that bomb tossing femme fatale lying against the wall over there behind us. She was attempting to rob the treasury—“

“We don’t care about that!” he yelled, hands clenched into fists. “I’m talking about that last big explosion! The one that blew up that yellow truck... and the van that was parked just behind it!”

“A van?” I asked, going pale. Suddenly, the crowd’s reaction made a terrible kind of sense, and numbly, I pushed past the lieutenant and my friends, past the curious onlookers, and the EMT workers, to the smoldering remains of a familiar looking vehicle less than three feet away from the destroyed Hummer.

Oh God.

It was the van the motorist had been driving, the one I’d warned to get out of here before I went charging after Nytro. A dark haired Hispanic woman had been driving, with a couple of kids in the back seat, and as I slumped to my knees in stunned horror, the rescue workers gently and carefully removed four small blackened forms from the wreckage.

“Murderer!” the angry man in blue yelled out from the crowd, a chant that several others in the crowd soon picked up. I barely noticed when Shinobi reached my side, and gasped in shock as she saw firsthand the fruits of my labor. She placed a hand tenderly on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off, getting back to my feet. I started walking, at first, then running, headlong, their cries echoing in my head, not caring where I was going, just running...

Away.