The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Fluidia? Robotica? Hey! Where are you guys?”

I stumbled around in the pitch black darkness for a couple of seconds, senses extended, trying to figure out where everyone was. The moment we’d set foot on the second-floor landing, things had been... weird. The overhead lights had flickered for several seconds before going dark. And as this was a school, even though abandoned, I’d expected there to be SOME light, either coming from the windows or from one of those auxiliary flood lights most office buildings have mounted on the sides. Yet I found myself surrounded by a darkness so deep I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face!

More disturbing, however, was the fact that no one had responded to my calls. Both women had come upstairs with me, had been only a few feet away from me, and yet they seemed to have somehow vanished. Something very strange was going on here.

I gasped, covering my eyes as light suddenly exploded into being, the auxiliary lights I’d been thinking of earlier suddenly kicking on. When my vision cleared... I really wish it hadn’t. Two villains I was familiar with but didn’t really want to face were staring directly at me. Before I could even start to react, pieces of metal wrapped around my arms and waist, squeezing me tightly.

“Sorry, hero,” Lodestone stated, long white hair flipped over her shoulder as she gestured one-handed towards me. “This is where your little journey ends. There’s no escape for you this time!”

“Yeah, what she said,” Stonewall grunted, stomping towards me, slapping a granite fist hard into an equally granite palm. “I still owe you from earlier at the bank.” he chuckled, a sound like stone grinding on stone. “The only question now is... do I wanna smash you to a pulp right now, or take my time and play with you a bit first?”

I pulled, struggling, still hopelessly pinned and helpless. This was all wrong. So very wrong. But.. why? There was something I was missing here... something that didn’t make sense...

“So... any last requests?” Stonewall asked, grabbing and lifting me up by the throat.

Suddenly... it clicked. Like a moment of epiphany. Sighing, I closed my eyes. “This... isn’t real. None of it. It’s not happening.” The pressure around my throat increased, and I gasped, hands clutching at my windpipe. “Not... real!” I managed. “Focus... I know.. this is... you....dammit... show yourself!”

Suddenly the pressure on my throat vanished as reality... shattered! Like a fucking pane of glass. Daylight returned, and I found myself on my hands and knees on the school’s tile floor a few feet from the stairwell. “Wow. That’s pretty impressive,” Josie Cade replied, clapping as she approached my position. “I mean, I’m still kind of an amateur at this kind of thing, but that illusion should have been ultra-realistic. Your friend Fluidia is still trapped in her own altered reality after all,” she said, gesturing to my left side. To my right, I grimaced slightly at the sight of Techna with her hands resting gently on a frozen and immobile Robotica.

“Yeah... it was a good illusion,” I murmured, panting, still trying to catch my breath. “But that was the problem. You plugged directly into my mind, making me see, hear, and think what was happening was real. But my enhanced senses—my smell, touch, hearing, and sight—all of them were screaming their lack of input to me.” I managed a smirk, struggling to get back to my feet. “Maybe if my senses were normal, like Fluidia’s, then I might have fallen for what my mind was telling me. But in my case, it was like an alarm buzzing in the background, steady and constant, keeping me from being fully immersed.”

“I told you,” Megan called out, smirking. “You can’t underestimate her. She’s not the smartest, strongest, fastest, or most powerful... but she is one of the most stubborn women I’ve ever known. Aside from you, that is,” she said with a chuckle.

“HEY!” I grumbled, scowling. “No need for the insults, you know...”

Focus chuckled ruefully in response. “You’re right. So... let’s skip all the theatrics and move on to the end game instead.” I felt it, then... a prickle in the back of my head... and suddenly the world around me began to shift, again. Everything seemed to fade away, becoming a white empty field... which began to twist and turn, spinning slowly, curving in on itself. Becoming... oh fuck. A giant fucking spiral.

As in, the entire WORLD was one big humungous spiral. Everywhere I looked, sky, floor, walls, it was all a black and white eye-catching attention-grabbing hypnotic spinner, ready to suck in all my thoughts, my ideas, my will... my everything.

“Nnn... dammit... Focus... stop this!” I called out even as my head began to spin, dizziness pulling me off balance. I slid down to my hands and knees again. Which only brought me closer to the spiral... sitting, kneeling on it... as if about to sink directly into it. “Josie... please!” I called out, struggling to get the words out before they slipped completely from my mind. “Have to... fight this! She’s... controlling you. Using... you. Don’t... let... her...” I groaned, eyes fluttering. Had to... had to say... had to convince her... “Josie... remember... who you are. Remember... Audrey...”

My strength left me, as did the will to resist. The spiral... it was an ocean now... a rolling infinite force swallowing me up. I’d tread water as long as I could... but now I was too weak. With one last sigh, I groaned, slipping underneath, and into the welcoming darkness...

Remember who you are. Remember Audrey.

“Hey. You okay?”

Josie blinked, frowning, glancing up as her partner and fellow slave Megan stared at her, concern on her lovely face. “Y-yeah, I’m okay. Fine. You were right. Pinnacle was one heck of a fighter. It took a lot to finally put her under.”

“Well, looks like you managed it, though,” Techna replied. “Putting Roberta under my control was no picnic either. I managed to deactivate all of her AI’s higher brain functions and isolate her auto-repair systems, but just barely. I’m keeping a close eye on her as it is—she’s already tried to manually reboot twice in the time we’ve been talking.”

Focus nodded, frowning again. “Come on. We’d better report back to Mistress. Now that we’ve taken down the intruders, she’ll want me to try and break through Whitewash’s defenses and bring her back to consciousness again.”

Remember who you are.

“How’s that coming along, by the way?” Megan asked as she and the others headed back down the hallway. “Do you think you can break through? Dr. Snow is pretty damn strong, after all.”

Remember Audrey.

“Um, Josie? Hello?”

The dark-haired heroine jerked slightly. “OH! Sorry! I, um... sorry. What were you saying?”

Remember who you are.

“I was asking if you thought you could get around Whitewash’s defenses,” Techna repeated. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Remember Audrey. Remember Audrey. Remember Audrey.

“I’m... fine,” Josie replied, teeth gritted, shaking her head. “I’m just... distracted. As I said, I’m not really used to using my powers like this yet... and Pinnacle was kind of hard to put down.” She sighed softly. “I’m fine. Really.” At Megan’s dubious glance, she shrugged. “And even if I wasn’t, Mistress has tasked me with breaking through Whitewash’s mental block. Nothing else matters. We must obey Mistress’ will.”

“We must obey Mistress’ will,” Megan repeated with a nod. “Well, as long as you’re sure you’re okay...”

As they and their brainwashed thralls followed them down the hallway, Josie found her mind wandering. Audrey. Audrey. Audrey. The name kept echoing inside her head like a voice softly whispered in her ear. There was something... a feeling... a sensation inside her mind... like an itch she couldn’t quite scratch. Not painful or irritation, just annoying and distracting. Audrey. Audrey.

Remember who you are!

“...work on capturing the interlopers,” Dominatress was speaking to her. Josie blinked, momentarily stunned. When had they arrived back in the room? Hadn’t they just been walking down the hallway a second ago? “Now you can turn your full attention back to breaking down the good doctor’s defenses,” she said, gesturing to the catatonic blonde still sitting on the bed. “I trust you can do this for me?” she asked, turning to stare directly at her now.

“I will not fail you, Mistress,” Focus replied with a simple nod.

Remember Audrey.

“Good. I cannot wait to see the fruits of your labors,” she replied with an evil smirk. “In the meantime,” she said, walking over to Fluidia and Pinnacle, “I’m going to make sure neither of these girls bother me again. I’m going to mindwipe them completely!” she said with savage glee. “And when I’m done, they won’t be able to do more than sit there and drool!”

“Y-yes. Of course, Mistress,” Josie murmured, taking a deep breath. Facing Whitewash, she closed her eyes—

And stared directly into a mirror reflection of herself.

What?!?

“What do you think you’re doing?” the mirror version of herself demanded, scowling at her with her own face. “Seriously! What the HELL is wrong with you! Have you forgotten everything you’ve trained for all these years? Forgotten all the blood, sweat and tears you’ve shed?”

Stop this! Leave me alone!

“I will, once you fucking REMEMBER who the HELL you are!” Josie growled at herself. “You’re letting your friends get mindwiped! And you’re letting yourself be controlled! And by some second-rate goon with a bad sense of fashion and delusions of grandeur! C’mon! Think! You’re stronger than this! You’re BETTER than this!”

No! I must obey my Mistress! Mistress’ will MUST be obeyed!

“Bullshit!” Mirror Josie retorted. “Mistress doesn’t control you! She doesn’t OWN you! Come on! Mistress Mynd? Miranda Foggina? Amaria DeStehl? You’re taken on tougher enemies than this! Do like that stupid Taylor Swift song you hate so much and ‘Shake It Off’! People are counting on you!”

Mistress’ will is ALL! Mistress—

“Doesn’t matter!” Mirror Josie insisted. “Think about this! Remember! You’re a heroine. You help people. You punish criminals. You save lives! You don’t wreck them and betray your friends! You don’t attack the good guys! And you sure as hell DO NOT help some criminal mind controller enslave and take over the entire city!” She sighed heavily, with effort, as if the confrontation was taking a physical toll. “Most of all, you’re a fighter. You have to fight this. Fight her control over you!”

Mistress is all that matters. Mistress’s will. It is too strong. I can’t fight. I can’t resist.

“YES! YOU! CAN!” Mirror Josie all but shouted. “You just have to REMEMBER what you are fighting for! Remember Audrey!” An image of her former girlfriend flittered across her memory, evoking a momentary feeling of pain and loss. “You remember what happened to her, right? How her life was cut short? How we could have stopped it, could have done more... but we were too weak!” Her expression hardened. “But now? Now we’re stronger. Physically and emotionally stronger. And tougher. Now we have powers! Now we can save people, and stop what happened to her from happening to anyone else!”

Audrey... I... she...

“And now there’s Megan,” Mirror Josie said softly, her image flashing momentarily through the mindscape. “Sweet, patient, loving Megan. Megan, that we want the chance to know and explore, and be with. The same Megan that is currently a SLAVE to that Dominatress BITCH! If this goddamn sadistic WHORE has no problem erasing our FRIENDS Samantha and Hannah just because the pissed her off, what’s to prevent her from doing that or worse to Megan someday? Or just killing her outright? No. NO! We have to stop this! We HAVE to stop HER!”

I... the others... have to... but Mistress...

“Remember who you are, Josie! Remember WHAT you are! You’re a goddamn hero! Now man the fuck up and act like it!”

Clarity.

“Stare deep into my eyes, slaves,” Dominatress intoned, eyes glowing a brilliant red to match the glowing ring on her finger. “Let your minds open to me... open to my words, my will.” Both girls merely gaped at her, going somehow even more blank as their already defenseless minds melted under the onslaught. “Now... listen and obey. You will—”

“Mistress!” Focus said suddenly, grabbing her attention.

“WHAT?!?” she snarled, glaring back at her, causing the dark-haired girl to take a step back. “Can’t you see I’m busy about to break their minds once and for all? What is it?”

“Forgive me, Mistress,” Josie replied, properly contrite, “but I believe I’ve done it. Whitewash is coming around.”

Indeed, the attractive blond let out a soft sigh, her eyes fluttering as she swayed softly in place, the first bit of activity from her in several hours. Dominatress’ smile grew, and she laughed in delight. “Yes! YES! Perfect! Thank you, thrall, this is what I have been waiting for.” Focusing her gaze she stared directly into Eva’s dazed blue eyes. “Now then, woman... submit! Your will bends to my own. Open your mind to me... and let my words and my thoughts become your own!”

Eva managed a soft gasp before slumping forward, the light dying from her eyes once more. “Yess... Mistress...” she said blankly, her voice empty and broken. “I obey. I obey.”

“Yes... yes you will!” Selina replied in triumph, thrusting a fist into the air. “You will follow my every order, my every command. And my first command... is to use your psychic powers to enslave everyone in the city and make them my obedient servant!”

“Yes, Mistress. I will obey...” Whitewash stated blankly, closing her eyes, placing a hand against her temple for a few seconds, before shaking her head. “Forgive me Mistress... but I cannot reach every mind within the city at once. My power... it is not strong enough.”

“Not strong enough? You’re supposed to be one of the most powerful psychics in the country, if not the world!” Dominatress grunted. “How the hell can you not be strong enough?!?”

“Forgive me, Mistress,” Focus said, stepping forward. “But if she wears your ring, it would increase her power as it has yours, and then she would be able to do as you wish, and fulfill your dream.”

“Hmmm... let her wear the ring?” she repeated back, considering. The girl made a good point. With its power, Whitewash would definitely be able to enslave the entire city in one shot... possibly the entire state! Besides, she thought, slipping the ring off her finger, she is already under my control. There’s no downside to this after all. “There! Now, slave,” she said, placing the ring on Eva’s finger, “use your power and bend this city to my will!”

Eva closed her eyes... then opened the suddenly, grinning. “Sorry, ‘Mistress’,” she said mockingly, her eyes and hair darkening swiftly. “But plans have changed.” The girl’s clothes shifted as well, and Dominatress gaped in surprise, staring at Focus... just as the other Josie Cade vanished, fading away before her eyes.

“Wha... what is the meaning of this?!?” Selina yelled, outraged. “What is happening here? You... you are under my control! You can’t defy me this way!”

“Oh, but I can,” Focus replied, stepping back as reality warped around them, leaving them alone together in a hall of mirrors. “You overplayed your hand. Your control over me broke some time ago, but I knew that you could easily put me back under again as long as you had that ring amping up your powers. So... I used MY powers to create an illusion... to get you to willingly pass the ring on to me.” She held up her left hand and the glowing ruby ring. “Kind of gaudy... not really my style, but I can’t argue with the benefits.”

“You bitch!” Dominatress growled, glaring heatedly at her. “Give that ring to me now!” she commanded, tapping into her power. Focus gasped, swaying slightly on her feet slightly, and Selina grinned, sensing a way to reclaim victory. “You cannot resist me. You are merely an amateur! Even with the ring, my powers trump yours! Now... submit to me... fall deeply under my spell... lose yourself to my eyes... my voice... my power...”

Focus let out a soft sigh, swaying on her feet, her face going slack as if she were rapidly losing the battle for control. Selina smiled, knowing she had won... but the effort of fighting her this way was tiring. So tiring. She’d used so much of her mental energy today. Still... it was almost over. She just needed one final push to bring her foe completely, utterly under her control. “No... resistance... no will... cannot fight it... too tired... you must submit... submit... and sleep!” she commanded, forcing the last of her will at the stunned figure in front of her. Focus’ eyes rolled back into her head as she slumped forward, going deep. But the effort had taken its toll as well, Selina, sighing, sliding down to her knees as well, head slumping forward. Assuming the same position as her entranced thrall.

A thrall that, had Selina been awake and aware enough to notice, was a mirror image of herself.

I blinked rapidly for a few seconds, shaking my head. “Huh? Wha... what? Where?” Glancing around, it took a few seconds for my brain to catch up. “The school... oh! That’s right! We were going after Dominatress, trying to save Whitewash, and then...” I paused, scowling, whirling around to glare at Josie Cade, who was standing just a few feet away, looking sheepish. “And then YOU fried my brains!”

“Yeah. Sorry about that,” she replied with a half-shrug. “I couldn’t help it. I was in a trance, too, after all. Still, it all worked out in the end. I hate to say it, but your crazy plan actually worked.”

“Huh? What plan?” Fluidia asked as she walked up to join us, with Techna and Robotica following along. “You make it sound like everything that happened to us here was all according to plan or something...”

“Hmph. Hardly,” I grunted, frowning. “I’d say it was more like a total clusterfuck. The original plan was simply to sneak in at Dommy’s home and subdue her without getting caught. But I knew that was unlikely, that there was always a possibility that one or more of us might end up under her control. So before we left, I hypnotized Techna and Focus and implanted a trigger phrase, something to hopefully help snap them out of it if Dominatress brainwashed them.”

“And I, in turn, placed a similar trigger in Pinnacle, just in case,” Josie replied, “the same trigger I just used to wake her up. But, well, things still didn’t work out as we’d planned. In case the stealth infiltration failed, and we got caught, we contacted Robotica as backup, someone who couldn’t be hypnotized, to pull our proverbial fat out of the fire if needed.”

“Yes... but I was a bit too late to prevent Dominatress from escaping,” Roberta continued, nodding to Fluidia. “I hadn’t anticipated her casting you off as a sacrificial lamb to bide time for her and the others to escape. Or that she would leave Pinnacle behind but take Techna and Focus with her.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, shaking my head. “The timing on that was way off. Ideally, there would have been someone still conscious enough to wake up either of the others or have Robotica simply charge in and take her down herself. I didn’t know about this place, and I certainly didn’t anticipate her snatching up Focus to help her enslave the Doc.” I sighed. “When we first got here, I held onto the notion that if we came across Focus, we could wake her with her trigger phrase, which I told you about earlier. Techna I wasn’t as concerned with since she would be focused on Robotica, giving us time to use HER trigger and wake her up. But, well... that didn’t exactly work out that well, either.”

“Yeah... getting blindsided by both at once,” Fluidia remarked with a sigh. “I figured out something was wrong when the lights suddenly went out and you two had both disappeared, but by the time I realized it was all just an illusion, I was already halfway to la-la land. But seeing how everything turned out, I assume you were able to trigger Focus and snap her out of it?”

Josie sighed. “Yes and no. Pinnacle’s trigger did work... but it wasn’t like flipping a switch. That ring Dominatress wore... it really amped up her powers. Fighting her commands was like literally fighting with myself. I basically came out of it at the last possible moment.”

Megan chuckled. “Well, that’s so like you, after all,” she said, grinning. “Always striving for the dramatic last-minute rescue.” She sighed. “Speaking of rescues... our job’s not exactly done here, guys. Dominatress may be down, but all of the other people she brainwashed are still under her control, and Whitewash, our best chance at turning everyone back to normal, is still catatonic.”

“Let me handle that,” a female voice spoke, causing us all to turn around. I felt my jaw drop as the most gorgeous blonde I’d ever laid eyes on made her way up the stairway towards us. Her hair was a brilliant shining gold, her eyes a shining blue, and her skintight costume a perfect black with a bright red sash tied around the waist. The only thing more stunning than her beauty was the fact that Omega Girl had actually shown up here in the first place!

“O-Omega Girl?!?” Techna sputtered. “Ah... what are you doing here? I thought you were in New York at the big summit with the Al... with Echo and Shinobi?”

“I was. And then I received her psychic call for help,” she explained. “We go way back,” she said, smirking at Fluidia and I, for some reason, as if there was a private joke we didn’t understand. “I could have come sooner, but when I asked if she needed me, she said ‘a bunch of fresh-faced youngsters’ were on the case and it would probably turn out fine... but that she might need me to swing by and give her a wake-up call later on.” She shook her head ruefully. “I have to say, I can see why she put so much faith in you girls. I was keeping watch over the situation, just in case I was needed. And I was just about to step in when Focus took proper control of the situation.”

“Wait... you’ve been watching us all this time?” Josie asked, scowling. “You knew what was happening here all this time and you didn’t interfere?”

Lacie shrugged. “I wasn’t needed. You managed to take her down on your own. I didn’t want to steal your thunder. And frankly, you youngsters need the experience of facing these kinds of threats.” She made her way over to the bed where Eva still sat cross-legged. Taking a moment, she reached out with her left hand, gently caressing her face.

“So, how are you going to wake her up?” I asked, curious. “Dommy tried pretty much everything she could think of, and Focus said her mind is like a blank canvas. Do you have some kind of special... Omega Mind powers or something?”

Lacie giggled shaking her head. “Oh, no, nothing so grandiose. You just have to know how to reach her.” Leaning forward, she whispered loud enough for us to hear. “Time to wake up, sweetie. Rise and shine.” Then she pulled her face close... and kissed her, deeply. Before our astonished eyes, the catatonic woman responded, moaning softly, arms raising to wrap around Omega Girl, pulling her in deeper. The kiss lasted for several seconds, and when she finally pulled away, Dr. Snow wasn’t the only one panting!

“Mmmm... talk about a wake-up call,” she murmured softly, grinning. Then, noticing the rest of us gawking, she straightened up. “Oh! Um... Good job, everyone. And thank you for coming to rescue me. Omega Girl and I can take it from here,” she said as she rose up from the bed. “And don’t worry. I’ll make sure all of the villains and heroes under her control are freed and sorted out, none the worse for the wear.”

“Really?” I asked, exasperated. “Just like that? After everything we went through, now that you’re awake, we can all just go back home and leave you to clean up?”

“Pretty much, yes,” she replied. “Of course, you’re all perfectly welcome to hang around for the fun part—where we explain to the authorities what happened here and who was responsible... Oh, and that also means explaining why several of their fellow officers are unconscious downstairs, somewhat roughed up.” She smirked at our expressions. “Of course, I’d like to give all of your minds a thorough scanning to make sure Dominatress didn’t leave behind any nasty surprises, but it’s going to take hours to deprogram the rest of her victims downstairs. So go ahead and head out, ladies. Don’t worry—I’ll be in touch.”

With that, we heroines turned to head back out, leaving the clean up for the ‘grown-ups’.

“Oh, and Ms. Cade?” Omega Girl prompted just before Focus reached the stairs. “Could you pass me the ring, if you please?” she asked, holding out her hand. “It’s probably not a good idea for you to hold it for too long. Unfamiliar magics tend to cause problems when they mix.” Josie blinked in surprise, wondering how she knew, and just how much she DID know. “And don’t worry. I have some... friends... who will make sure this object is placed somewhere where it won’t cause any more harm.” Shrugging, she handed over the ring. “Thank you, dear. Now, go catch up with young Megan. I sure you two have a lot of catching up to do!”

“Thanks! We actually...wait. How did you...” she began, only to shake her head. “Never mind. I’m probably better off not knowing.”

Eva laughed aloud as they watched the young woman head out to join her companions. “You know, dear, you really are so wicked when you do the ‘all knowing Goddess’ routine,” she chided. “The poor dear’s going to be wondering about that for the rest of the evening.”

“Not if Megan does her job of entertaining her correctly,” Lacie replied with a smirk of her own. “I bet after a night on the town, then a night together, my cryptic words will be the last thing on her mind.” She sighed softly. “And on that subject, how are YOU doing, Eva? You don’t use that defense tactic lightly. You must have been in real trouble if you felt you needed to separate from your body and send your mind to the astral realm.”

“Yes, well, that ring is a lot more dangerous than I anticipated,” she remarked. “Dominatress by herself is a handful but not too bad. With that ring, however, her hypnotic abilities completely overwhelmed me.” She sighed. “Well, I guess I’d better get busy undoing all the damage she did to everyone. Afterward, I’ll likely need to plan a trip to Midas and pay my dear ol’ friend Mystic a visit to make sure my head’s still in good shape as well.”

“Yeah. Good call. Well, I’ll see about getting the villains downstairs rounded up and secured before I head back to the conference.” She paused, biting her lip. “You know, Eva, if you want to come to join us, all you have to do is say the word—”

“No, sweetie,” Eva cut her off. “I told you before. This is your private time. You share Eugene with me all the time, and I love and appreciate it more than you can even guess. But you two deserve time just by yourselves, as a couple, without me. Besides, I’ve been neglecting my other duties for far too long.” She sighed, grinning. “It’s kind of hard to focus on work when you two are around. So go on, scoot. I’ll see you when you return.”

Chuckling, Omega Girl nodded. “As you wish. Just know you’ll be missed, love. And remember... I’m just a call away.” With that, she disappeared in a brief flash of light.

“And... wake!”

I blinked, shaking my head briefly. “Huh... is that it?” I asked Doc Snow as she sat back in her recliner again. “That felt kinda... anticlimactic.”

“What, did you expect it to feel like a ‘mental root canal’ or something?” she asked, smirking. “Your mind was actually surprisingly clean, all things considered. Especially compared to the mess inside Ms. Cade’s mind,” she said, frowning slightly. “Honestly, the girl should have met with a specialist after the first time she’d been brainwashed... but that’s neither here nor there. With you, that takes care of everyone that Dominatress managed to enthrall. So, Hannah... how do you feel?”

I considered. “I feel fine. No problems that I can think of. Well... aside from some lingering guilt about getting you involved in all of this,” I muttered softly.

“Nonsense,” Eva insisted. “You should know by now, dear, that once I set my mind to something, there’re no changing it.” Her grin turned wicked. “Well, unless you have hypnotic powers and a magic ring, and even then it’s fifty-fifty!” I groaned aloud, not impressed by the bad joke. “Look, the point is, I would have likely gotten involved in this even if you had done as I asked and stayed out of it. As it turns out, your interference played a major part in taking her down and rescuing her victims. So, all in all, I’d call that a ‘win’.”

“Yeah. Thanks. That does make me feel a bit better,” I admitted, cheering up.

“Now, you just have to convince my nephew and his wife of that when they return from New York,” she added.

“And now, good feeling gone,” I grumbled, causing her to laugh. “Seriously! Do you have any idea how many wind sprints that demon woman will have me doing when she hears about this?” Then my eyes widened. “Oh... and please, please, PLEASE don’t ever tell her I called her a demon woman?” I begged, which again made her laugh.

Seriously. People always think we exaggerate when we talk about the harshness of our fitness instructor. But forget purgatory. Forget fire and brimstone. Forget a lake of fire and maggots. Hell is being locked in a room with a fitness-obsessed psychic ninja with the words one more time etched deep into your psyche making you keep going far past your breaking point, continuing on and on until SHE decides you’ve had enough.

“There is one thing you should consider,” she stated as I stood up to leave the office. “When things got dicey, you were kind of at a loss on what to do and who to turn to. You finally sought out Megan and Josie, and they were able to help you. But the fact is that if you were closer with the other heroines training alongside you... if you’d spent more time with them and gotten to know them all better, this whole thing could have been avoided before things reached such a critical state.”

Well. That wasn’t much I could say to that. She was absolutely right. The others all socialized and hung out outside of training. they all knew each others’ civilian names and identities. They were, in short, friends. Me, on the other hand... I barely knew anything about them. I knew Paper Doll fairly well, but only because she was usually my training partner. Maybe if I had known more about the girls, I would have realized what was going on with them sooner... and maybe I could have stopped things from going the way they had...

“You’re right,” I said in a soft voice nodding. “So, um, Doc... you said I have a clean bill of health, right?”

“Yes, dear. You’re okay to leave at any time and resume hero work.”

“Cool! But, um... yanno? I think I’ll take your earlier advice and stay home for the day and rest. It’s been a crazy couple of days after all.”

Waving to her assistant Tiffany, I pulled out my cell phone as I exited the building. I’d gotten her number from Megan earlier, just in case of another emergency, but this time, the reason was totally personal. Sighing heavily, I dialed then waited.

“Um... Hello?”

“Hey, um...” I thought for a moment. “Claire? This is... Hannah. You know...” I said, whispering, “Pinnacle? I was just wondering... if you’d like to... I dunno... hang out?”

Silence for a moment. Then...

“Sure! That sounds like fun! I’m actually hanging with my bestie, Allison, over at her place, just having a movie night. And funny, we were just saying it would be cool if some of my other... ahem... ‘costumed friends’, decided to come over as well! I think Megan is out with her new BFF,” she said with a chuckle, “and Ms. Bayport said she had to work, but I spoke to Janika and Tina just a few minutes ago, and they said they were coming over.”

I blinked. “Um... Ms. Bayport? Tina and Janika?”

“Splash and Sunbeam,” she clarified. “And Roberta Bayport is Robotica. Geez, you really DO need to hang out with us more!” She giggled. “But to answer your questions... YES! We’d love to have you! And Allie’s mom is making ‘mega s’mores’... they’re microwaved instead of roasted over an open fire, but I swear, she’s gotten the timing of it so perfect you can’t tell the difference!”

I chuckled at that. “No need to oversell, you had me at ‘movie night’.” I sighed softly. “Should I bring anything over? Chips? Dip? Both?”

“Just yourself, Hannah,” Claire replied cheerfully. “And a love for the finest in horror cinema! Allie rented the entire Nightmare on Elm Street series, as well as the Hellraiser movies!”

I groaned silently at that. Not a big fan of the spooky stuff, especially 70’s and 80’s era stuff. But... this was all about the bonding right? I could deal with a few cringing movies and... possibly a few nightmares afterward. As long as they didn’t involve mind control and a certain leather-clad bitch with a riding crop, I could deal.

“Sounds great, Claire,” I said, a genuine smile creasing my lips. “I’ll see you guys soon... er... oh. Well, as soon as you tell me where your friend lives, that is...”