The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

The assembled adults listened in astonishment as Robbie and Lucy relayed the events that had occurred moments before. Parker, Nigel, Patricia, Angela, Delores, Tawnya, Sioban and Katie all listened to the youngsters’ tale. “...and then I egged him on and made him call us brats, and then it made Lucy super mad!” Robbie said, nodding to his partner. “And she was all like ‘I am NOT a Brat! You’re a stupid Butthead and I hate you!’ And then she totally kicked his butt!” He chuckled at that, while Lucy blushed. “And while that was happening, I snuck up to the podium and plugged my video game in and turned the sound up to eleven, and used it to wake everybody up.”

“And... that would be the same video game we told you to leave at home, I’m guessing?” Nigel replied eyebrow raised. Robbie winced, glancing down at his feet. “We’re obviously going to have to talk about this later. But for now... well, son... I’m very proud of you. Good job, you and your partner,” he said, giving Lucy a smile as well.

“You said it,” Parker replied, hugging his daughter tightly. “And here I was thinking you weren’t ready yet to start training to be a masked Super, and you’ve already taken down your first major villain.”

“Speaking of which,” Patty interjected, obviously upset, “how the Fu...heck, did this even happen?!? We pay good money to this school for top of the line security to protect our children, and then something like this happens? Someone is going to answer for this!”

“Well, Patricia, dear, to be fair, it’s not as if he snuck in carrying a gun or anything,” Delores said, diplomatically. “His weapon was a musical instrument. And he did all this at a concert. It’s the perfect camouflage, after all.”

“Yeah,” Tawnya replied sullenly. “Think how WE feel! Bonnie, Katie and I actually fought the guy not too long ago, and none of us recognized him when he was up there playing right in front of our faces!”

“It’s like Delores said,” Angela replied ruefully. “Camouflage. You wouldn’t notice anything special about a cactus in the middle of the desert, because that’s what you’d expect to see. The Piper chose his target perfectly suited to his talents. We’re actually lucky the kids were able to intervene as they did.”

“Yeah! And it was really super fun!” Robbie replied, grinning. “I can’t wait to do something like this again—”

“NO WAY! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Patricia and Nigel said simultaneously. The others chuckled.

“Awwww...” Lucy replied with a pout. “But why? Robbie was a GREAT sidekick—oops! I mean partner. Sorry, Robbie!” she added sheepishly. “But anyway... why can’t Robbie be a superhero? He was great! He came up with the plan, and the costumes... and he was the one who saved me from the Piper in the first place!”

“Yes, sweetie, that’s all true,” Patricia said gently. “Robbie was very brave and very clever. But Robbie doesn’t have any special powers or abilities like you. He could get hurt if he tried doing something like this again.”

“But... Unca’ Eugene doesn’t have any powers either. He uses a super suit,” she pointed out. “And anyway, my dad always says that all you really need to be a hero is to be brave and strong and have a good heart!”

The parents glanced at each other, then glanced pointedly at Parker. “Um, er, ye-yeah, sweetie,” he said awkwardly, “and I agree, Robbie would make a great Superhero... someday. As will you. But, not right now. You both are too young and unprepared for this kind of thing. You both got really lucky here tonight. So, good job, but no more acts of daring do until you graduate high school, okay?”

“Um, you know, Jimmy and I—” Katie began, only to wince as seven pairs of eyes turned to glare at her. “Er, you know what? Never mind,” she muttered, “it’s not important.”

“Okay, we’re done with the crowds,” a weary Constance replied as she and Veronica returned. “As far as they’ll all remember, it was just a normal concert with nothing strange or unusual happening.”

“The same with the teachers,” Roni added. “I removed all of the Piper’s lingering commands and suggestions, and added a few false memories to explain the bumps and bruises a few of them will be having in the morning.”

“Good job, then,” Parker replied with a sigh. “I think that takes care of most the loose ends, then. We just need to deal with the Piper himself, and drop him off at the police station.”

“Katie and I can handle that,” Sioban answered. “It’s on the way back home, anyway.”

“Then, that’s everything,” Nigel agreed. “I guess this means we should all head home for now and try to put this whole unfortunate episode behind us.” He smirked, shaking his head ruefully. “I really don’t know what it is about you, Albinn, but every time we get together it always seems to end in some kind of crisis.”

“Really?” Parker replied, smirking as well. “You’re blaming ME for this?”

“Why not? As I recall you blamed ME for everything including J.F.K and the disappearance of the Lindberg baby.”

The others let out a long sigh as they walked out of the auditorium, the two men continued to banter back and forth. Despite the heated ‘argument’ Roni and Patty shared a glance, chuckling softly. Their two husbands would probably never be true friends, but it was nice to know they could at least fight in a friendly manner with no actual malice.

Larissa glanced up as the door swung open, and her ‘boss’ strode into the room with her usual arrogant swagger. “You’re back quickly. I trust your latest recruitment mission went off without a hitch?”

“Absolutely,” Janet replied with a smirk. “Two down, and one to go. This one went much smoother than the last, by the way. Voltaire was such a sweetheart... it was almost too easy to get her to see things my way.”

“Riiiighhht,” Ms. Machina replied, rolling her eyes. “And I suppose using the serum was completely unnecessary too, huh?”

Janet shrugged. “Possibly. Not that it much matters at this point, anyway.” She walked over to her recliner and sat down in it. “So, how is YOUR little project going?”

“It’s coming along just fine,” Larissa remarked, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow, peering down at the technical schematics she’d created for the project she was putting together. “Even easier than I’d imagined. Say what you want about the mess she became later on, but the Gadgeteer really knew her shit. Hell, a freshman engineering student could put this shit together and get it fully operational in a few days.”

“Well... if that really were the case, I wouldn’t need you then, would I?” Janet replied with a smirk. Larissa stiffened slightly.

“Well, luckily, I’m a bit MORE than a mere freshman engineering student,” she said drily. “I’ve already finished the containment cells for the two Crescent City refugees. The one for the sonic speedster should be done tonight. The toughest will be the last one for the psychic ninja. Your friend Bethy may have been a genius, but blocking psychic emanations was a bit beyond even her.” She managed a smirk of her own. “Luckily for you, I managed to pick up a few odds and ends on the black market that should do the trick.”

“The black market, huh?”

“Pieces of Armor Man’s armor recovered back his battle in Cyprus several months ago. I’ve always been fascinated by the technology powering his suit, and I couldn’t resist the urge to have a piece of it, even if it was little more than scrap.” She sighed ruefully. “Given enough time, I’m confident that I could reverse-engineer it completely. It’s been a pet project of mine for some time now. Nevertheless, the bit that I have recovered leads me to believe that he somehow managed to create a fully functional psychic shielding. It’ll take a bit of work, but I’m confident I can get it up and running before the deadline.”

“Well, see that you do,” Janet replied dismissively, “In the meantime, I still need to decide on the last member of the team.”

“To use that last vial of serum on, you mean,” Larissa replied with a scowl. “You know, I might be able to replicate the formula if you’d let me examine it properly—”

“Not going to happen,” Janet cut in. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s... no, wait. That’s EXACTLY it. I don’t trust you not to try and pull a double-cross if you get the chance.”

“Right. Against a woman who absorbs kinetic energy and gets progressively stronger every time she’s attacked,” Ms. Machina replied flippantly. “Yeah, that’s precisely the kind of person I’d try and piss off—the one person capable of peeling me like an onion.” She sighed softly, turning back to her schematics. “Look, you do whatever you want. Fine by me. But just remember, we’re on the same side here. We’re going after some big name Supers here. If anything goes wrong, if your great ‘master plan’ fails, its both of our necks on the chopping block. And since yours is a lot sturdier than mine, it’s in my best interest to make sure that it goes off without a hitch.”

“Very true,” Janet stated, standing up. “I couldn’t have put it better myself. So, I guess you’d better get to work on those last two units, then. I go after the last member of my team tomorrow, and the day after, we strike. You’d better be ready,” she added, walking out of the room.

Larissa waited until the door closed behind her, and cursed, slamming a fist down on the workbench. “Damned fool! Stupid fucking paranoid bitch!” she growled. Apparently, Janet Shaw wasn’t nearly the musclebound moron she appeared to be. She was taking no chances, which left Larissa with few options to turn the tables on her ‘boss’. But, as risky as betraying the ruthless unstoppable Kinestria was, she really had no choice. This situation was completely unacceptable. Intolerable.

Ms. Machina is no one’s puppet, she growled to herself. I will NOT let this stand. There has to be a way to get the better of this annoying bitch somehow, and when I get my chance, I intend to take it! And then... I’ll make her pay for the humiliation I suffer kowtowing to her. I just need to be patient.. and bide my time...

I felt nothing but anger and malice as I stared down at my adversary. I was panting, more than a bit tired, and sore all over from the many hits and glancing blows I’d taken. This had gone far beyond a mere sparring match. Now, it was personal. Growling, I shifted position slightly on my left bare foot, my toes digging for purchase as I lifted my right leg, swinging a kick for Megan Tanner’s face. The clever minx merely ducked, then swept in, grabbing my leg from underneath, preparing to shove me backward. This time, however, I was prepared, and, going for something completely unorthodox, hopped from my standing leg, and spun, landing a kick with my other leg to the side of her head.

“Aaaaaahhhh!” Megan yelled, stumbling back on shock, dazed as I landed flat on my back on the mats, before kipping back to my feet again. “Owww... dammit! That fucking HURT!” she grumbled, rubbing her head, as I resumed an offensive stance. Before I could resume, however, she held up a hand, signaling surrender. “Okay, I admit it, you got me with that one,” she said with a smirk. “Where did you come up with that move, anyway? Was that kung fu? Judo? Aikido?”

“Wrestling,” I replied with a smirk. “In technical terms, it’s a ‘back brain kick’. Not exactly the Greco-Roman style I’m used to; this incarnation, my foster family used to watch ‘Rasslin’ every Saturday night.”

“Heh, cute,” she replied with a laugh of her own. “Not sure how effective it would be in an actual fight without the mats to cushion your fall, but it definitely works as a surprise attack. And it also packs quite a punch,” she added, rubbing the side of her head again. I chuckled.

“Well, excuse me for getting creative, but you’ve been a regular beast since little ‘friend’ from Century decided to pay you a visit earlier in the week.”

Megan blushed heatedly. “Y... yeah,” she said, sliding off her training gloves. “Josie is definitely a hard act to follow. I took your advice about letting her make the first move, and she kind of surprised me with her offer to come to River City. And she arrived in a pretty spectacular fashion,” she added, glancing down at her toes, remembering the incident on the subway. “I guess maybe I have been a bit more... hehe... ‘energetic’ since she arrived.”

“Ahhh... I see,” I replied nodding sagely, grinning wickedly. It was hard not to tease her. The girl was clearly giving off all the subtle cues of a girl totally infatuated, if not in love. I’d done a bit of digging after our last conversation and found out a good bit about Ms. Josie Cade. “Well, I’m very happy for you,” I said honestly. “I’m glad you are finally taking some well needed ‘me’ time for yourself. Maybe after you two have seen the sights a bit, you’ll bring her by so I can meet her. I’d love to meet the lovely vixen capable of capturing the fair Megan’s heart.”

“Uhhh...” she paused, and I had to fight the urge to laugh out loud. Oh my goodness, she’s actually afraid I might try and seduce her new girlfriend! I thought, reading her emotions like an open book. Hmm... not sure if I should be flattered or offended. Not that I’d toss ANY lovely young lady out of my bed, mind, but still... I wouldn’t purposely sabotage a new burgeoning relationship. Before the girl could mutter some quickly made up excuse, I patted her gently on the shoulder.

“I’m just teasing you, dear. Seriously, though, I would indeed love to meet your friend, but only after things between you two have settled a bit. In fact, I’m actually thinking of staying in this evening, letting Paper Doll, and the new girl, Pinnacle, take over patrol tonight. So you don’t need to worry about babysitting me.”

“Really? You’re sure?”

“Absolutely,” I nodded emphatically. “Go on, spend some more time with your friend. Maybe take her out to dinner, someplace fancy.”

Megan grinned. “That actually sounds like a wonderful idea! Eugene Frasier offered me the use of his private table to Lorenzo’s a while back for that favor I did for him. Maybe I’ll give him a call and see if that offer is still good! OH! I hope Josie brought along a nice dinner dress...”

I watched her run off to shower and change, amused and slightly miffed. I had yet to dine at the fabled restaurant, always being told when I called for reservations that they were booked for the next several weeks at least. I admitted to being somewhat jealous that someone like Gene Frasier had a ‘private table’ and could dine there literally at will! From everything I’d heard, the chef was a culinary genius, a five-star chef highly in demand for his talents. He’d even cooked for royalty. And now... sweet adorable little Megan was going to take her new girlfriend there for dinner, just on a whim.

Huh. Now that we’ve patched things up, maybe I should give old man Frasier a call, and see if he can put in a good word... I mused lightly, before sighing deeply. Nah. Fuck it. Then I’d owe HIM a favor. Even the best food in the world isn’t worth it.

Not that I truly had anything against the man personally. Sure, he’d sent his private army to try and assassinate me, an army sniper trying to put a bullet in my brain from half a mile away. But I didn’t hold that against him—I had kind of taken my precious Rosella from out of his grasp and all but threatened his life at the time. But... that was all in the past now. Officially a clean slate. That said, I wasn’t looking forward to getting in the red with him by asking for any favors. At least... not yet. Besides, I had more interesting things to think about than Eugene Frasier.

Hearing the sound of running water, I padded over to the bathroom area, eschewing my karate gi as I went. “Megan, dear, move over,” I said smirking, as I surprised her by sliding into the shower as well. “I could use a shower myself. I’ll scrub your back if you scrub mine.”

“She wants us to do WHAT now?!?” Ms. Machina yelled at platinum blonde villainess.

“Mistress wants us to break into the maximum security prison,” Voltaire replied calmly as if they were talking about something mundane, like the weather. “Fluidia and I will serve as the main party, but she needs you along as well.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Larissa asked eyebrow raised. “Generally speaking, the idea for criminals like us is to break out of jail, not break our necks trying to sneak in! This is crazy! Maximum security has a buttload of guards, all armed to the teeth with weapons and other tech specially crafted for taking down rogue Supers! Charging in through the front door... that’s suicide!”

“It is what Mistress wishes,” Voltaire repeated, scowling slightly. “And, point of fact, we are not actually trying to break in. The point of this is to act as a diversion, allowing HER to sneak in undetected so that she can reach the third and final member of her team, someone who is currently locked up in the special detention center.”

“It’s still an insane idea,” Larissa insisted, crossing her arms. “Do you have any idea of the response time for Super-Max? If the guards don’t end up swarming us, the alert will attract any of the heroes of this stupid city! We do this, and your beloved ‘Mistress’ loses her entire team. We’ll ALL end up locked up in prison!”

“Well, then you’ll have to make damn sure you don’t end up captured,” Janet stated, walking in, causing Larissa to sigh heavily. “What’s the matter, Ms. Machina? Getting cold feet? We’re about ready to go toe-to-toe with five of the most dangerous Supers in the country in a few days. This is just the warm-up. If you’re wimping out NOW—”

“I just don’t see why you need me specifically to go,” she grumbled. “If you’re just planning to cause a distraction, Fluidia and Voltaire should be sufficient. You don’t need me there! I have work HERE to finish, remember? You gave me a deadline to get the containment cells up and running—”

“Of which I am completely confident in your ability to work under pressure,” Janet replied smirking. “However, I require my ‘employees’ to be able to multitask. To make a truly credible threat, I need you to attack with one of your giant killer robots.”

“Ah, I see,” Ms. Machina stated, walking over to her ‘boss’. “Unfortunately, I’m all out. Someone destroyed them all when she invaded my warehouse and beat me into submission to force me to work on her little doomsday project!” Her lips curled into a scowl, barely hiding her fear as she got up into the mohawked blonde’s face. “So, how EXACTLY am I supposed to help you now? I could maybe... MAYBE... create something flashy enough to cause a bit of panic if I had half a day and the materials needed. But that would take time away from working on the containment units. So you tell me, Boss Lady... what do you want me to do?”

Janet’s left eye began to twitch slightly, her lips curling back into a snarl as her hands clenched into fists. “You really know how to push the envelope, you know that?” she replied in a low soft voice. “My first instinct is to bash your face in for talking to me like that. But... as you already know, I need you for your technical skills. And breaking your arms or blackening your eyes would seriously hurt your proficiency.” She walked over to the nearby brick wall and, growling, punched straight through it. “All right,” she said after a moment, turning back to face a wide-eyed Ms. Machine. “You win. You get your extra half day. You can even leave the compound and get whatever you need to make your robot. Voltaire will go with you,” she added, nodding to the white-haired villainess, “to provide... ahem, ‘assistance’, as needed.”

To keep an eye on me, she means, Larissa grumbled silently. I won’t be able to make any obvious moves with that walking thunderstorm watching my every step. Still, it gives me the chance to gather the tools I need. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

“Just make sure you’re ready by six o’clock tomorrow,” Janet replied with an edge, drawing her out of her inner monologue. “No excuses. We’re hitting the prison then, and if anything goes wrong, I will blame you. And I’ll take very great pleasure in making what remains of your life as painful as humanly possible.” Larissa swallowed.

“Well, then I’d better get started,” she said, moving to the main door. “And don’t worry. I know just where to find exactly what I need.” She smirked slightly. “Rest assured, when the time comes, I’ll be ready.”

“Well, well, you certainly seem to be doing well these days.”

I shot up, startled, out of my chair. “Wha... YOU?!?” I grunted, my mood souring immediately. “What are you doing here, Skuld?”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” the dark-haired girl replied with a shake of her head. “It’s ‘Devon’ now. Or do you still wish to be called Aphrodite instead of Venus?”

I sighed. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing, really. I just decided to stop by and see how you’re doing these days,” she said with a shrug. “Something wrong with that?”

“Oh, no, nothing at all,” I said sarcastically, “as long as you don’t decide to lay another curse on me. After all, I’ve finally come to terms with having nightmares every FUCKING night for the rest of my natural life! So, what would you like to add to the mix now? Curse me with an eternally itchy scalp? Give me flatulence? Why not chain me up to a stone slab and have an eagle peck out my liver every day only to have it grow back every night?”

Devon chuckled. “Actually, I think that was more your daddy Zeus’ thing. And I’m not here to torment you, Venus. Contrary to what you may believe, I get no pleasure at all in your suffering. To be honest, I’m here in town with Jimmy, who decided to visit his parents and sister. And I figured, since I was here anyway, I might as well stop by and say ‘hi’.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose in exasperation. It really was hard to hate this girl. As Devon, she was a nice enough kid, sweet, actually. As Skuld, she was a bit of a know-it-all (all part of having Foresight, I supposed), a bit obsessed, and WAY overprotective of her human lover, Jimmy Frasier. All in all, I couldn’t really fault her that deeply. Then again, every time I woke up from a sound sleep screaming, covered in a cold sweat, I found it extremely hard to focus on her good points...

“You seem to be handling your new role as a heroine and protector of the innocent rather well,” she continued, walking into the kitchen, helping herself to a glass of water. “And I’m not being flippant. I’m serious, Venus... it really suits you.”

“Thanks. You have no idea how much your approval means to me.”

Rather than be put off by my attitude, she laughed again. “You know, the harder you try to keep from being friends, the more it makes me want to keep pushing us towards it. You can’t stay mad at me forever you know. You’re not even angry with me anymore, really. It’s more of an annoyance now. I can tell.”

“Oh really?” I snapped, that ‘annoyance’ I felt breaking through. “And I suppose it’s inevitable that we’ll become friends, is it? I take it that you’re Foreseen that as well?”

“Actually, since you asked, yes,” she replied with a knowing grin. “But not for a bit longer, I’m afraid.” She sighed softly. “And on the subject of things I’ve ‘seen’... Venus. I just want you to know something. You really have a lot going for you right now. Parker and Veronica... they love you. Dearly. And no, it’s not just because of your magic. Your spell served as a catalyst to bring you three together, but even without it, they would both love you just as deeply. And the same goes for Chloe and Rose. Never forget that you didn’t forcibly enthrall them, or take them unawares. They both chose YOU, and of their own free wills. You are their Mistress, their Goddess because they both believed you worthy of their service,”

Despite myself, I found my cheeks blushing. What was she getting at? Why the hell was she telling me this? “Trying to butter me up?” I asked, still scowling. “Trying to get into my good graces? Why? What do you want from me?”

“Nothing at all,” she replied with that annoying knowing grin once more. “Just reminding you of something you already know. It’s like being in love with someone. Even when you KNOW someone you care for loves you, sometimes you need to hear the words to remind you. Sometimes just hearing the words can make all the difference.” She drained her glass, then placed it back in the sink. “Well, Venus, it’s been nice catching up, but I sense Jimmy’s finishing up with his parents, and we’ll need to head back to Portland in a bit. We’ll have to do this again sometime.” With that, she turned and walked into nothingness, disappearing in mid-step.

I stood there, pondering her words. Something was definitely up. Skuld and I were definitely NOT friends. At least not in my book. But every time she popped by to give me advice, it was always just before some great traumatic event. The girl DID see the future after all. And like most oracles, she was extremely adept at saying things without actually saying them. So... what was she trying to tell me? Was something going to happen to Parker and the others? Did I need to keep an extra close eye on them? They’d already mentioned their run-in with the Piper at the kids’ performance—and I was still kicking myself for bowing out of that! Could something even worse than the Piper be heading our way?

Without knowing specifically what to watch out for, I did the only thing I could do. I resolved to keep my eyes and ears open and try to be ready for whatever Fate decided to throw at me next.

When the alarm went off, it took the Warden and the guards several minutes to figure out what was happening. The guards had reacted as trained, locking down the prison, mobilizing their forces, and checking monitors, trying to find who was escaping and put the kibosh on the attempt. When the source of the disturbance was shown to be coming from outside the prison, it took them all a few more precious minutes to react, staring at disbelief at the group attempting to break in.

“They must have lost their goddamned minds,” the Warden had muttered, as he recalled his guards, setting them to defend the walls.

Outside, Larissa Jacobson was scowling in her heads-up display, guiding her hastily created mechanoid about the field, leading a half-hearted attack on the main bulwark. Its movements were clumsy at best—definitely not one of her better creations. Still, it was serving its purpose. If nothing else, it certainly LOOKED intimidating. Of course, a twelve-foot tall steel robot lumbering about, firing missiles and gunfire, would probably intimidate most people.

Unfortunately, this pretty much uses up my supply of ammunition, she lamented, firing a pair of rockets at the nearby guard towers, smiling briefly as the explosion forced the prison guards to retreat back to a more secure location. It’s going to take a lot of time and money to replace that ordinance. And it’s not as if Shaw is actually paying me for any of this... damn her! She winced slightly as her mechanoid began taking fire from the left side.

“Hey! Fluid? Volty? Where are you guys? Am I doing this all by myself?” she yelled out through the transceiver. “You guys are supposed to be guarding my goddamn flank!”

“Very well, little baby,” Voltaire’s annoying voice responded seconds before a barrage of lightning bolts struck, raining down on turrets being operated by the guards, destroying it and sending the guards scattering. “There. Happy? Is that better? I have my own troubles to deal with, but if you need me to hold your hand, then by all means, allow me to play guardian angel.”

“Sanctimonious bitch,” Ms. Machina shot back, stomping her way closer to the wall. “You just suddenly decided to NOW, specifically, watch my back and keep the heat off of me! Or did you suddenly grow a spine and decide to defy your Mistress’ orders and go off on your own?” Voltaire merely laughed.

“As a matter of fact, once you left, Mistress altered her orders slightly. She said to keep the guards occupied, but not to worry about your safety or well-being... and to only intervene if it looked as if you were about to be completely overwhelmed. Of course, she didn’t say you’d be such a baby that you’d be overwhelmed so quickly without someone watching over you.” She sighed softly, shaking her head. “As for Fluidia, she went with Mistress to the far side of the prison, using her powers to melt an opening in the outer walls for her to slip in unnoticed.”

“Mission accomplished,” the aforementioned heroine replied, returning to the fight, sliding across the ground, surfing along the surface of the ground turned fluid beneath her boots. “Our Mistress made it inside. I disabled all of the guards nearby, so her infiltration should go unnoticed for a while.”

“Well, whoop-de-doo,” Ms. Machina replied unenthusiastically, then winced, glancing up as a flashing warning lit up her heads-up display. “And just in time, too. I’ve got three bogies incoming, two in the air, and one on the ground, coming in fast.”

“Well, that was fast. Stupid ‘capes’,” Voltaire grumbled. “Very well, Mistress’ orders were clear. We need to withdraw. Priority one was not to be captured or caught, particularly by any goody-two-shoes heroes...”

“Um, you DO know that I’m one of those so-called ‘goody-two-shoes heroes’, right?” Fluidia replied blandly.

“Believe me, I’m well aware,” Voltaire replied with a scowl. “Now come on, we’d better get out of here. Mistress should be able to handle the rest on her own...”

Meanwhile, inside the prison, Janet was marveling at the design and security measures of the special ‘D’ wing. Huh. Wow. It’s a lot different from where they had ME locked up when I was in prison. This is some heavy duty shit! I guess I’m lucky no one knew I was a Super... She had learned from Voltaire and Ms. Machina about the power negation cells, and that they each ran on a separate power system with redundant backups just in case the entire power grid went down. Still, it was a bit overwhelming at the sheer scope of the technology being used to contain each of the Superpowered criminals inhabiting the cells.

Huh. And this is just the women’s section, she mused. I can hardly imagine what the men’s section looks like.

She paused, glancing at one door in particular, which seemed to be made out of some kind of clear thick plastic. The surface was opaque, so she couldn’t see clearly, but there was definitely someone inside the cell. A female with long white hair. Glancing at the ceramic plaque etched on the door, she nodded. Inmate 77982: Lodestone. Ah, I guess that explains the decor. Can’t exactly lock up the Mistress of Magnetism in a metal jail cell.

“You there! Stop!” a male voice shouted from further down the hallway.

“Shit!” Janet cursed, turning and sprinting further down the hallway. Damn. Got distracted playing tourist. Ah well... I got this far without running into anyone... and frankly, it was starting to get boring. Turning the corner, she let out a gasp as she found herself shoved back, the fully armed guard rebuffing her with his riot shield. Hitting the wall, she smirked, the impact kickstarting her power. “Not bad, pig,” she said, cracking her neck loudly. “Care to try again?”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know who you are or how you got in here,” he growled, pulling an electricity-charged nightstick from his belt, “but you’re going back into your cell!” Janet rushed, charging straight at him, but the guard brought up his shield, blocking, then countering with his shock stick. Janet let out a loud scream as a few thousand volts ran through her, only to stumble back, steam rising from her body. Then, to the guard’s amazement, she smiled.

“Thanks for the recharge,” she replied, rearing back, punching the guard hard enough to send him flying back. “I needed that.” A gunshot rang out, and she turned, three more guards appearing from behind her. She sighed heavily, stalking towards them, wincing as several more gunshots rang out, hitting her in the chest and legs. “Not that I don’t appreciate the effort here, boys,” she growled, breaking into a sprint, “but all you’re doing here is wasting time and pissing me off!” Ramming into the trio, she sent the hapless guards sliding several yards back down the hallway in a heap. Her smirk of triumph faded, however, as a group of ten guards emerged to take the fallen’s place.

“Fuck!” she yelled, lowering her head as a barrage of laser blasts and bullets began raining down on her. Granted, it was doing no real damage to her at all, but the blasts did still sting. Mostly, it was annoying, and distracting her from her goal. Dammit... I don’t have time for this! The longer this goes on, the higher the chance of some costumed clown showing up to complicate things... She turned to run, only to stumble, banging into a wax covered cell door. Grunting, staring at her wax covered hand, the smile slowly returned.

Maybe what I need are a few costumed wearing cronies of my own to keep the guards busy and cause a bit of chaos.

Running across the hallway, she picked a door at random and punched hard, bending and warping the metal. A second hit bowed the door a bit more, and a third finally broke it off the hinges, sending it crashing into the room. Inside, a young girl in a skintight blue bikini and matching fur-lined boots and hat glanced up in surprise. “Whoa! You, like, just busted me out? For reals?”

Janet chuckled. “Yes. For ‘reals’. And I’m hoping you’ll return the favor by getting these guards off my back.”

Snow Bunny laughed. “You got yourself a deal, lady!” she said, walking to the doorway, peering out. She let out a soft sigh of contentment. “Mmmm... yeah! That’s what I’ve been missing,” she breathed, stepping the rest of the way out of the room. Seeing her, the guards immediately opened fire, targeting her, but she continued to giggle, her body glowing with a pale soft light now. Raising a hand, a sheet of thick blue ice formed in front of her, shielding them both, quickly spreading along the floor and walls, encasing the unfortunate guards in a sheet of solid ice.

“There ya go, sweetie,” Snow Bunny said cheerfully, walking past the stunned Janet, literally skipping down the now quiet hallway. “That should help ya with... um... whatever it is you’re doin’. Hope to see ya around!”

Janet merely shook her head. Damn... maybe I should have recruited HER. She would definitely be useful. Ah, well, she thought, continuing down the hallway, better stay on point. The one that I’m after is the perfect person to counter anything Satore’s little group can throw at us.

She paused, rechecking her notes to make sure she was at the correct door, then read the placard. Huh. The only normal looking cell door in the whole area, but I guess that would be the case. Guess this is the right one after all... Walking over to the door, she reared back, preparing to punch through it, only to pause, frowning. Her hand was tingling slightly, and when she swung, hitting the door, she jerked pain, hissing in pain, caressing her hand.

“AAAAAHHHHH!! SHIT! Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!” she yelled, glaring at the impassive, undamaged steel door. Taking a deep breath, she moved over to the lock control, and manually unlocked the door, then turned the handle. Inside the room, an attractive brunette sat on a cot, reading a large hardback edition of An Echo In the Bone. She glanced up as Janet entered, setting the book aside, and slipping off her glasses.

“Maddison Jeffries? I have some good news for you,” she said with a grin. “You’ve just been approved for early parole. Follow me. I’ve managed to clear the way—”

“Sorry. Not interested,” Siphon replied stiffly, picking up her book again. “Feel free to let yourself back out the way you came in.”

“Wh... what? Excuse me, what did you just say?!?”

“I said, ‘not interested’,” Maddie repeated, a bit of irritation in her tone now. “I don’t care what kind of plot or scheme you have, or why you went to all this trouble, but I am not leaving. I’m staying right where I am.”

“You... you actually WANT to stay here?” Janet asked, stunned. “Locked up in jail?”

“I don’t have any place I’d rather be at the moment,” she replied blandly, “so, at the moment, the answer is yes. Let me spell it out for you. I have only one ambition, one goal in life—to kill Omega Girl. So whatever great plan you have that requires my services, sorry. I’m not interested. And on the off chance that that’s the reason you decided to spring me—forget it. I intend to kill her on my own, at the time and place of MY choosing.”

Janet glared at her, completely stupefied. “Of all the... do you have ANY idea of what I went through to break in here?” she hissed, hands clenching into fists. “All the weeks, months, of planning, of learning the ins and outs of this stupid prison, of learning guard shift changes... and now that I’m here you don’t want to leave?”

“Ah, sounds like you finally understand,” Maddison stated, sliding her glasses back on, opening the book back to where she’d stopped reading before. “Don’t forget to lock the door on your way out again. I wouldn’t want the guards to be upset with me for your lapse in judgment—” Giving in to her anger, Janet slapped the book from Maddie’s hands, sending it to the floor. “And, speaking of lapses in judgment,” she continued, non-plussed, sliding off her glasses again, “that was a signed first edition you just knocked onto the ground. Thankfully, I kept the dust cover on it... otherwise, I’d be pretty upset right now.”

“Upset my ass!” Janet growled, clamping a hand onto Maddison’s shoulder, the serum filled dart in the other. “No more Miss Nice Guy! You’re coming with me, bitch, whether you like it or nottt-uummmphh!” she gasped, knocked back by a straight palm strike to the chest, the wind knocked out of her. Sinking to her knees, she glanced up just in time to see a fist smashing down into the side of her face. “Uurrkk,” she grunted, spitting blood, shaking her head to clear it, even as Maddie grabbed her by the throat, pulling her back up to her feet.

“Not much of a fighter, are you?” Siphon commented, jabbing the hapless blonde right in the mouth. “You strike me as kind of a brawler, the kind of person that tries to power their way through whoever or whatever gets in their way. And I guess you rely on your power, whatever it is, to help with that.” She punched Janet in the gut again, making her wheeze, then followed up with a knee lift that left her dazed and gasping. She would have hit the ground, had she not been held up by Siphon’s continued grip around her neck.

“I’ve fought some of the best in my time,” she continued, leaning in, headbutting her this time. “And I don’t just mean Omega Girl. Unlike you and the myriad other Supers out there, I had to learn to win through skill and effort... from training and practice and hard work! But in the end, it paid off. My power is the great Equalizer.” she said, wrapping a second hand around Janet’s throat, beginning to squeeze. “Doesn’t matter what special gift or power you have. Mine makes us all the same, puts us on equal footing. And all my training and experience is what gives me my edge.”

Janet began clawing at the fingers around her neck, gasping and wheezing, fighting to catch her breath. She felt completely off balance, and afraid. Moreover, she actually hurt! She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt actual real pain before, not since she was a young child. Siphon was supposed to have been her ultimate weapon, her ‘ace in the hole’, the one she could depend on to stop Satore’s friends if her other minions failed her. Instead, it seemed as if her ace was about to put her down permanently...

Whack!

The iron pressure around her neck released, and Janet slumped to the ground, panting heavily, sucking in as much air as she could manage. When her dim vision finally cleared, she found herself staring up at the familiar figure of Ms. Machina, standing over the downed body of Siphon, lying unconscious on the floor. “Nice speech,” Larissa muttered, making a show of sliding the pair of brass knuckles off her hand. “I can somewhat see her point. My abilities come from my technology, after all. And her ability to drain away a person’s powers and deactivate them certainly does give her a leg up. But ‘equal’? Hah! The whole point of technology is to be better than your opponent. Even if it is ‘old school’,” she added, putting the brass knuckles back into the pouch on her belt, “the best technology always wins the day.”

Coughing, Janet managed to sit up. “Wha... the hell... are you doing here?”

“Well... I could say that I was worried about you, and thought you might need backup. But the truth is that I was curious as to which jailbird was worth all the hassle you put us through.” She nodded appreciatively. “Siphon, huh? I hate to admit it... but yeah. Good call. Someone like her really could turn the tide if things get messy.”

Janet sighed. “Glad to know I have your approval,” she said acidly, glancing down at the floor. Dammit... where did I drop that dart with the last dose of the Confectioner’s serum? The sound of a loud click caused her to freeze, however. Glancing up, she saw Ms. Machina holding a revolver, the gun pointed at her. Sweat ran down lightly from Janet’s brow at the sight—with Siphon there neutralizing her powers, a bullet from that gun could very easily end her life. Swallowing, she lifted her chin in defiance. “So... this is it then? This is where you betray me?”

BANG!

Janet gasped, blinking... then turned around as the armed guard that had snuck up behind her let out a groan, falling to the ground. Larissa chuckled, spinning the gun on her finger before blowing lightly on the barrel. “Betraying you? More like saving your life.... twice now, in fact. Besides,” she said, placing the gun back into the holster on her belt, “if I’d wanted to get rid of you, all I would have had to do is stand here and let Siphon strangle you, or let this guy shoot you. But, well... we had a deal, didn’t we?” Smirking, she extended a hand, helping Janet back to her feet.

“Okay, we’d better get the hell outta Dodge,” Ms. Machina stated, gesturing to the doorway. “A trio of Supers had just arrived to drive of Fluid girl and Volty, and it’s only a matter of time before they and the other guards make their way down here.” Grunting a bit, she lifted the unconscious girl up onto her shoulders. “I’d better take Siphon with me while you go on ahead and clear us a path.”

“Oh? So suddenly you’re calling the shots?” Janet challenged. Larissa merely shrugged.

“We can do it your way if you like. You can try and carry the power dampening Super out all by yourself. Won’t be easy without your enhanced toughness, you know. Not that I would have that issues since my only power is controlling my robotics. But hey, you do what you want, Boss.” She turned, then paused. “Oh, and here, I found this on the floor,” she said, tossing Janet the missing dart. “You’ll definitely be needing that if she comes to before we get back to the base. I get the feeling she’s going to be pissed when she finally wakes up.”

Janet sigh, completely chagrined. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. You take Sleeping Beauty with you, and I’ll clear us a path.” She walked outside the room, several feet away, then sighed softly, as her powers returned. “Just don’t expect a thank you or anything for this. And make sure you keep up. If you fall behind, you’re on your own.” Chuckling softly, Ms. Machina nodded, and left the cell, following behind her Boss, captive in tow.