Chapter One
January 5th, 11:05 AM
Everything about this morning was perfect for graceful, glamorous Erin Steele, who sat in the big chair of her apartment reading a pulpy romance novel. Outside, it was snowing, and inside, she had a cup of tea and a fluffy purple bathrobe to keep her warm. She looked up from the book and sipped the hot beverage, casting her gaze to the scene beyond her window. It was almost completely silent in this moment-- only the faint sound of Margot of taking a shower could be heard-- and Erin sighed peacefully as she took it all in. Fighting crime was great, but sometimes... Rest was best.
She felt like she deserved it. For months now, she had been chipping away at Hammerson's operation, shutting down drug houses and putting suppliers in jail. She had watched him on TV looking more nervous and disheveled by the week. He must have known that, eventually, the Blue Lynx would get him. The thought of it made Erin smile to herself. The work she was doing as a superheroine was hard, and the times she had failed-- those days of being captured, nearly unmasked, poisoned, and beaten up-- still haunted her at night. But now, at the start of this new year, Erin was clearly winning. And that felt good.
She had tried several times to get her dad's opinion on the Blue Lynx, but he was always dodging the question. As soon as she brought up the subject, he'd say, "Sorry, hon, I gotta go," or brush it off with a "Yeah, she's great." It made Erin wonder: did he suspect that his daughter was the Blue Lynx? She had been extra careful with all aspects of her secret identity, but she knew there were some things that she couldn't hide: her shining black hair, her silky voice, her slender but powerful physique. Her dad knew about these traits probably better than anyone else. But if he did know Erin's secret, he wasn't saying anything, which was strange for someone as forthright as her father. It was like he recognized an ally in his quest to make a city crime free; a partner in his battle against Brent Hammerson.
Erin sipped her tea. That's right. She and her dad were partners. They were each doing something great for the city, just in completely different ways. While he ran the government, she ran the streets. Poor Hammerson didn't stand a chance.
The sudden knock at the door startled Erin, pushing her out of her reverie. She set her book and tea on the coffee table and stood up. "Margot," she called. "You expecting anyone?"
A muffled voice came from the direction of the bathroom. "No."
Erin heard the shower turn off. "Well okay," Erin said. "I guess I'll get the door then."
Erin re-tied the sash of her robe so that the garment was snug around her body. She walked to the door and opened it a crack, leaving the chain lock in place as she looked outside. And then she jumped back into the apartment as the lock exploded and the door flew open, revealing two figures: a tall, broad man (Erin assumed it was a man) in a form-fitting black ninja costume, and a slim blonde-haired woman dressed entirely in leather.
"Greetings," the woman said. "The name's Sunny."
Erin knew that. This was the woman who had almost blown her and Margot up in the factory a few months ago. She gritted her teeth.
"You must be Erin Steele," Sunny said, looking Erin up and down. "You are a tasty treat, aren't you?"
"Who are you?" Erin said, defiantly. "What are you doing here?"
Sunny and the ninja walked into the room, pushing Erin to step back. They had come dressed in full on supervillain attire, and they had just kicked down her door. If Erin had to guess, she'd say they weren't looking for an awkward date, a la Hammerson.
"Me and my partner here-- call him Steve-- just wanted to see how you were doing, sweetie. See how you were doing, and then kidnap you."
Erin blinked. She could feel her fingers form into fists. "Kidnap me?"
Sunny nodded. "You're about to become a hostage, missy."
Erin couldn't believe how quickly this serene morning had turned into... This. More than anything, it made her angry. All she wanted to do today was sit and read. And now these clowns were forcing her into a fight.
"Why don't you just go quietly," Sunny said, pulling a moist rag out of her pocket. "It'll be best for all of us if nobody gets hurt. Just walk into this rag of chloroform here, and we'll get going."
Erin scoffed. "I don't think so. If you want me, you gotta come take me." She raised her fists in the air and struck a fighting pose.
Sunny slipped the rag back into her pocket and sighed. She turned around to the door, closed it, and locked it from the inside. "Fine," she mumbled, "Come on, Steve, let's kidnap the princess."
Sunny and Steve moved toward Erin slowly and with little enthusiasm. Had they really expected her to just, surrender? Who did they think they were dealing with?
Erin decided to show them. When Sunny moved within a couple yards of her, Erin made the first move, darting toward her opponent and punching her in the face. Sunny cried out and stumbled backward. The attack seemed to catch Steve off guard, too: he stayed motionless as he watched Sunny hold her cheek and attempt to collect herself.
"Ouch," Sunny said, eventually returning to a stationary position. "That hurt."
"I know it did," Erin said, smiling.
Margot suddenly arrived on the scene in her red bathrobe, her hair still wet, her skin still glistening with soapy water. She gazed into the main room in horror. "Erin? What's going on here?"
"Margot!," Erin cried, "Go back to the bathroom and lock the door!"
"Steve! Get that bitch!" Sunny yelled, as Margot turned around and fled. In an instant, the ninja was gone from the room in pursuit of his quarry. Erin was taken aback by his speed-- nothing he had done thus far indicated he was actually a ninja. When she tried to follow him, Sunny stepped in her way.
Sunny shook her head. "Oh no, Erin Steele, we're not done here yet."
Erin went to deliver another punch, but Sunny blocked it. So Erin tried to bring her knee into Sunny's stomach; Sunny deflected that attack, too. Erin then attempted to slap Sunny across the face, but just as she was about to make contact, Sunny had grabbed her by her robe-clad arm.
"Not the best fighting attire, is it?" Sunny said, gesturing at the robe. She yanked on the sleeve, and Erin spun backward, letting the robe fall to the floor. Erin's face reddened: she was now dressed in only a lavender silk bra and panties. She tried to glare at Sunny, who couldn't help but laugh in response.
"There, that's better," Sunny giggled. Once more, she scanned Erin's body from head to toe, lingering on her muscular legs, her womanly hips, and her ample breasts. "The boss was right," she said. "You really are a sexy bitch."
Erin charged Sunny, taking her off guard, and shoved her to the ground. Before Sunny could collect herself, Erin pounced on top of her, fighting of Sunny's flailing arms, trying to hold her in place.
"You're a fighter, too," Sunny muttered, struggling underneath Erin's weight. "The boss didn't tell me that."
"And just who is your boss?" Erin said. But she already knew. This home invasion had Hammerson's name written all over it.
Sunny shook her head and smiled. "I can't tell you that, Miss Steele."
Erin heard steps on the floor. She looked up to see the ninja, the one Sunny had called "Steve," back in the main room, with the robe-clad Margot draped over his shoulder, her head hanging inertly near his waist, her medium-length reddish-brown hair swinging slightly as he walked.
"What have you done?" Erin yelled. "Did you hurt her?"
The momentary change of focus allowed Sunny to kick Erin off her her body. Erin landed on her butt, and both women quickly scrambled to their feet. Sunny walked over to the seemingly lifeless Margot and placed her fingers on her neck.
"She's just unconscious, that's all," Sunny said. "Throw her on the couch, Steve, and help me kidnap this bitch."
Steve walked over to the couch and carefully set Margot onto the cushions. Her robe fell open as her unconscious form settled in, revealing white slivers of her still-wet, naked body. In perfect silence, Steve seemed to acknowledge the exposure, but soon turned around to face Erin. His face and body were almost entirely obscured by the black ninja costume. The only part of him that Erin could see was the small strip of skin featuring his piercing blue eyes.
Erin took a deep breath. She wasn't scared of this masked man, exactly. But there was something definitely strange about him. "Oh well," she thought. "Guess he'll be just one more Rogue for the Gallery of freaks the Blue Lynx has beaten."
"Come get me," Erin said, beckoning with her hand. "Come on, Ninja boy."
Steve walked toward Erin slowly but elegantly, seeming to waste no extraneous movement. When he got within a yard of Erin, she jumped at him, throwing both fists toward his face. She missed: with a single, brisk motion, Steve ducked and strafed behind her. Half a second later, he had his arms around her, holding her biceps to her body, lifting her feet inches off the ground.
"Hey!" Erin cried, kicking her feet out. "How did you--"
"He's the fastest man in town," Sunny said, pulling the damp rag from her pocket. "I can't wait to let him loose on the Blue Lynx."
"The Blue Lynx?" Erin said, still trying to fighting off Steve, whose stranglehold was only tightening, second-by-second reducing her ability to squirm. "The Blue Lynx will kick your ass. She kicks everyone's ass."
Sunny laughed and stepped toward Erin, so that her eyes were just inches away from her prey's. "The Blue Lynx is finished, Erin Steele."
What did they have planned? Erin bared her teeth and pushed as hard as she could against Steve's arms, but they were locked tight. She tried bringing her head back against Steve's face, but she was too close to the ninja's body to generate any momentum. She kicked her legs wildly, but they couldn't find Steve or Sunny or anything but air. She was in trouble. And that meant the Blue Lynx as probably in trouble, too.
"Now, breathe deep," Sunny said, placing the chloroform-soaked rag onto Erin's face. Erin exhaled into it, hoping desperately to hold off the effects of the drug as long as she could. But Steve's still tightening grip forced her to quickly concede, and a sickly-sweet taste rapidly overran her mouth and nose. She tried to scream, and she was muffled by the cloth. She tried to push one more time against Steve's arms, but her body already felt slack. Her "mmphs" decreased in volume, decreased in frequency, until she was only letting out a long, sleepy drone. Her arms and legs fell limp, her eyelids fluttered, her mouth fell open. And when Sunny finally removed the rag, Erin was unconscious, a sleepy kitten dangling in Steve's arms, completely unaware of what possibilities awaited her next.
On to Chapter Two
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Two
Chapter Two
January 2nd, 1:02 AM
It was past midnight, in the meeting room of a dark corporate office. Five people had gathered around a long wooden table.
The first was a young man, maybe just twenty-two or twenty-three. A redhead with freckles in a green polo shirt, who sat nervously, tapping a pencil on the tabletop, casting furtive glances at the men and woman around him.
The person to his left was an old woman, small and wrinkled and dark-skinned, dressed in ragged brown canvas covers. Her eyes were closed, and she made small wheezing sounds as she breathed. Was she asleep? The young man couldn't say.
The third person in the room was wearing a doctor's clothes, but he didn't look at all like a doctor. He too was small, with tiny glasses and a mustache. He had been grinning for at least the last fifteen minutes. The young man could see a lapel pin with his name, which started with a "T." Toromov? He couldn't read the whole thing.
On the opposite side of the table was the fourth person, an attractive middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair. She was almost entirely clad in leather. To her left, there was a fifth figure, a big man-- the young man thought we was looking at a man, anyway-- in a ninja outfit.
The young man gulped. Who were these freaks? And where was--
The door of the small meeting room burst open, and into the brightly lit space strode a slender man in a suit, his fingers running through his slicked-back black hair. The young man put his pencil down. He knew who this was. This was the boss.
The suited man walked to the head of the table and placed his hands on the surface. He looked into the young man's eyes, and then looked around the table, trying to meet the eyes of each of his guests, and finding that some were more difficult to meet than others. He drummed his fingers on the table, and began to speak.
"Ladies and gentleman," he said in an affectless voice, "Welcome. Thank you for coming."
The suited man turned around. He looked at the large whiteboard covering one wall of the small room, and took a dry-erase marker from its rail. He popped off the cap of the marker and wrote on the board, in large, upper-case, red letters, two words: BLUE LYNX.
"So," he said, turning back around to face the five sitting figures. "What do we know about the Blue Lynx?"
The room was silent. The young man looked around-- from the suited man to the bleached blonde woman, from the ninja to the strange doctor-- and barely saw a movement.
The suited man cleared his throat. "We're just brainstorming," he said. "Just yell things out. What do we know about her? Who has met her, by the way?"
The young man watched the blonde woman put a hand in the air. The doctor followed suit. The young man gripped his pencil. He had met the Blue Lynx too. He raised his palm.
The suited man nodded. "Okay," he said, gesturing at the three hands in the air. "What do you people know?"
The young man froze. What did he know? He had met the Blue Lynx in college. He had become obsessed with her. He had tried to unmask her. He had failed.
"Umm," the young man said, keeping his hand in the air. "I think I went to school with her."
The suited man smiled at him and clapped. "Good, good, that's great!" he said, turning around to mark at the board. "Tell us more."
The young man watched the suited man write "COLLEGE GRADUATE" on the whiteboard. "Umm," he continued, "Well, I went to the City College."
"That's a big school," the suited man said, still facing the board. "But we can work with that."
The suited man had written "CITY COLLEGE POP = 25,000" on the board.
"And what did she look like?" the suited man asked, now facing the young man.
"Well," the young man said, once more gripping the pencil. "She was very pretty."
"Okay," the suited man said. "Can you be more specific?"
"Yeah," the young man replied. "She had long dark hair."
The suited man turned around and scrawled on the whiteboard. "Yes, yes," he said, nodding feverishly. "Anything else?"
"Umm," the young man said, his face turning red. "She had a great body."
"Indeed," the suited man said. He had written "HOT" on the board in letters bigger than the others.
"But that's all I remember," the young man said, clearly flustered. "I don't know."
"That's fine," the suited man said, again facing the crowd. He pointed at the blonde woman. "Sunny," he said. "Your men actually unmasked her, right?"
The blonde woman nodded. "Right."
"But they didn't recognize her?"
The blonde woman shook her head. "No, they didn't. They just said what the kid said." She pointed at the young man. "You know. She was hot."
"But they didn't say who she looked like?"
"They said her name was Barbara Garden," the blonde woman said, rolling her eyes.
"Which is not her name," the suited man said, writing BARBARA GARDEN on the board and drawing a long line through it. He turned around. "What else do we know? Grigory?"
The doctor, still smiling, rested his elbows on the table. "Sir, I told you already."
"Well tell me again," the suited man said, tapping his toe. "For the sake of the rest of us here."
The doctor looked around at at the four other guests. "Alright. She had a partner."
"Good!" the suited man said, quickly spinning back to the board. "Keep going, Grigory."
"The partner wore a costume like the Blue Lynx, only it was black. She came to my house. I tied her up and unmasked her, and then the Blue Lynx showed up."
"Yes, you unmasked her," the suited man said. "So who was she?"
"I don't know," the doctor shrugged. "A friend, I guess."
The suited man capped the marker and turned around. "Jesus, people," he said, gazing into the audience. "Can you people remember anything? Do you understand what this is all about?"
The young man shifted in his seat. He didn't speak. No one was speaking.
The suited man set the marker down and passed his fingers through his slicked-back hair. "You," he said, staring at the old woman. "And you," he said, suddenly glaring at the ninja. "You two haven't said anything. Would you like to contribute something to this discussion?"
The old woman smirked and shook her head. The ninja didn't even do that.
"Well then, I'll tell you what I know about the Blue Lynx," the suited man said. He walked away from the whiteboard and behind the young man, setting his hands on the back of the young man's chair. "I know she's completely fucking up my operation."
The suited man released the chair and moved toward the old woman. "I know that she's a little girl in spandex. I know she's got no real technology, no real strategy."
The suited man's voice was climbing, his hands beginning to flap wildly. He moved to a position behind the doctor. "I know that she's beaten me, again and again. I know that she's conquered my henchmen, my traps, my poison." He seemed to push the last word into the doctor's ear.
"I know that she'll stop at nothing until I'm finished," the suited man said, now near the blonde woman. "She knows who I am. She knows that I'm running the drugs in this town."
The suited man passed the ninja and arrived back at the whiteboard. "Which is why I know," he said, his voice suddenly dropping to a near-whisper. "That she must be stopped." He grimaced and dropped his head. "What I don't know is how I'm going to do that."
The young man stared at him. He was so theatrical, so passionate. His hatred of the Blue Lynx was almost palpable, but there was something else there, too: a strange kind of desire. The young man could relate.
The suited man turned his face up. "And that's where you all come in."
He was smiling now. "For you all," he said. "Are my five. My Fearsome Five."
The doctor and the blonde woman chuckled. The others remained silent.
"You came here because you're the best of the best," the suited man said. "I've met some of you." He stared at the blonde woman and the doctor. "The rest of you come highly recommended."
The young man scratched his head. Recommended by who? He wasn't some kind of criminal mastermind. He was just responding to an ad in the paper. An ad about discovering the true identity of the Blue Lynx-- the project that had consumed him for years now.
He must have talked to one of these people on the phone. Yes, of course. He had talked to a woman. The blonde woman. He had told her he was interested, that he had had prior encounters with the Blue Lynx. She had said to meet here at this time and that all would be revealed. What she hadn't said was that others would be here.
"I'm offering two hundred and fifty thousand dollars," the suited man said. "To the person who brings me the head of the Blue Lynx. Bring her to me alive and unmasked, and I can probably throw in a bonus."
The young man's heart was racing. Two hundred and fifty thousand?
"You can work together or separately, I don't care," the suited man continued. "Though I know that some of you haven't been successful against the Blue Lynx on your own."
The blonde woman laughed. "Any suggestions on how to do that, boss?"
The suited man grinned. "That's for you to determine, Sunny," he said. "Though I have an idea about how you might start."
"Oh really?" the blonde woman said. "Do tell."
"What you have to do is put the Blue Lynx in a situation where she is forced to surrender," the suited man said, turning around to face the whiteboard. He uncapped the marker. "You have to put her in a situation where the whole government, the whole city, is asking her to give up."
"Like, blackmail?" the woman asked.
"Like a hostage situation," the suited man said, scrawling letters on the board. "You have to kidnap someone important to the city."
He stepped back so that the young man, the blonde woman, the doctor, the old woman, and the ninja could all see what he had written. And what he had written on the board, in large, red, upper-case letters, just a couple of feet below the words "BLUE LYNX," was a name.
ERIN STEELE
On to Chapter Three
January 2nd, 1:02 AM
It was past midnight, in the meeting room of a dark corporate office. Five people had gathered around a long wooden table.
The first was a young man, maybe just twenty-two or twenty-three. A redhead with freckles in a green polo shirt, who sat nervously, tapping a pencil on the tabletop, casting furtive glances at the men and woman around him.
The person to his left was an old woman, small and wrinkled and dark-skinned, dressed in ragged brown canvas covers. Her eyes were closed, and she made small wheezing sounds as she breathed. Was she asleep? The young man couldn't say.
The third person in the room was wearing a doctor's clothes, but he didn't look at all like a doctor. He too was small, with tiny glasses and a mustache. He had been grinning for at least the last fifteen minutes. The young man could see a lapel pin with his name, which started with a "T." Toromov? He couldn't read the whole thing.
On the opposite side of the table was the fourth person, an attractive middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair. She was almost entirely clad in leather. To her left, there was a fifth figure, a big man-- the young man thought we was looking at a man, anyway-- in a ninja outfit.
The young man gulped. Who were these freaks? And where was--
The door of the small meeting room burst open, and into the brightly lit space strode a slender man in a suit, his fingers running through his slicked-back black hair. The young man put his pencil down. He knew who this was. This was the boss.
The suited man walked to the head of the table and placed his hands on the surface. He looked into the young man's eyes, and then looked around the table, trying to meet the eyes of each of his guests, and finding that some were more difficult to meet than others. He drummed his fingers on the table, and began to speak.
"Ladies and gentleman," he said in an affectless voice, "Welcome. Thank you for coming."
The suited man turned around. He looked at the large whiteboard covering one wall of the small room, and took a dry-erase marker from its rail. He popped off the cap of the marker and wrote on the board, in large, upper-case, red letters, two words: BLUE LYNX.
"So," he said, turning back around to face the five sitting figures. "What do we know about the Blue Lynx?"
The room was silent. The young man looked around-- from the suited man to the bleached blonde woman, from the ninja to the strange doctor-- and barely saw a movement.
The suited man cleared his throat. "We're just brainstorming," he said. "Just yell things out. What do we know about her? Who has met her, by the way?"
The young man watched the blonde woman put a hand in the air. The doctor followed suit. The young man gripped his pencil. He had met the Blue Lynx too. He raised his palm.
The suited man nodded. "Okay," he said, gesturing at the three hands in the air. "What do you people know?"
The young man froze. What did he know? He had met the Blue Lynx in college. He had become obsessed with her. He had tried to unmask her. He had failed.
"Umm," the young man said, keeping his hand in the air. "I think I went to school with her."
The suited man smiled at him and clapped. "Good, good, that's great!" he said, turning around to mark at the board. "Tell us more."
The young man watched the suited man write "COLLEGE GRADUATE" on the whiteboard. "Umm," he continued, "Well, I went to the City College."
"That's a big school," the suited man said, still facing the board. "But we can work with that."
The suited man had written "CITY COLLEGE POP = 25,000" on the board.
"And what did she look like?" the suited man asked, now facing the young man.
"Well," the young man said, once more gripping the pencil. "She was very pretty."
"Okay," the suited man said. "Can you be more specific?"
"Yeah," the young man replied. "She had long dark hair."
The suited man turned around and scrawled on the whiteboard. "Yes, yes," he said, nodding feverishly. "Anything else?"
"Umm," the young man said, his face turning red. "She had a great body."
"Indeed," the suited man said. He had written "HOT" on the board in letters bigger than the others.
"But that's all I remember," the young man said, clearly flustered. "I don't know."
"That's fine," the suited man said, again facing the crowd. He pointed at the blonde woman. "Sunny," he said. "Your men actually unmasked her, right?"
The blonde woman nodded. "Right."
"But they didn't recognize her?"
The blonde woman shook her head. "No, they didn't. They just said what the kid said." She pointed at the young man. "You know. She was hot."
"But they didn't say who she looked like?"
"They said her name was Barbara Garden," the blonde woman said, rolling her eyes.
"Which is not her name," the suited man said, writing BARBARA GARDEN on the board and drawing a long line through it. He turned around. "What else do we know? Grigory?"
The doctor, still smiling, rested his elbows on the table. "Sir, I told you already."
"Well tell me again," the suited man said, tapping his toe. "For the sake of the rest of us here."
The doctor looked around at at the four other guests. "Alright. She had a partner."
"Good!" the suited man said, quickly spinning back to the board. "Keep going, Grigory."
"The partner wore a costume like the Blue Lynx, only it was black. She came to my house. I tied her up and unmasked her, and then the Blue Lynx showed up."
"Yes, you unmasked her," the suited man said. "So who was she?"
"I don't know," the doctor shrugged. "A friend, I guess."
The suited man capped the marker and turned around. "Jesus, people," he said, gazing into the audience. "Can you people remember anything? Do you understand what this is all about?"
The young man shifted in his seat. He didn't speak. No one was speaking.
The suited man set the marker down and passed his fingers through his slicked-back hair. "You," he said, staring at the old woman. "And you," he said, suddenly glaring at the ninja. "You two haven't said anything. Would you like to contribute something to this discussion?"
The old woman smirked and shook her head. The ninja didn't even do that.
"Well then, I'll tell you what I know about the Blue Lynx," the suited man said. He walked away from the whiteboard and behind the young man, setting his hands on the back of the young man's chair. "I know she's completely fucking up my operation."
The suited man released the chair and moved toward the old woman. "I know that she's a little girl in spandex. I know she's got no real technology, no real strategy."
The suited man's voice was climbing, his hands beginning to flap wildly. He moved to a position behind the doctor. "I know that she's beaten me, again and again. I know that she's conquered my henchmen, my traps, my poison." He seemed to push the last word into the doctor's ear.
"I know that she'll stop at nothing until I'm finished," the suited man said, now near the blonde woman. "She knows who I am. She knows that I'm running the drugs in this town."
The suited man passed the ninja and arrived back at the whiteboard. "Which is why I know," he said, his voice suddenly dropping to a near-whisper. "That she must be stopped." He grimaced and dropped his head. "What I don't know is how I'm going to do that."
The young man stared at him. He was so theatrical, so passionate. His hatred of the Blue Lynx was almost palpable, but there was something else there, too: a strange kind of desire. The young man could relate.
The suited man turned his face up. "And that's where you all come in."
He was smiling now. "For you all," he said. "Are my five. My Fearsome Five."
The doctor and the blonde woman chuckled. The others remained silent.
"You came here because you're the best of the best," the suited man said. "I've met some of you." He stared at the blonde woman and the doctor. "The rest of you come highly recommended."
The young man scratched his head. Recommended by who? He wasn't some kind of criminal mastermind. He was just responding to an ad in the paper. An ad about discovering the true identity of the Blue Lynx-- the project that had consumed him for years now.
He must have talked to one of these people on the phone. Yes, of course. He had talked to a woman. The blonde woman. He had told her he was interested, that he had had prior encounters with the Blue Lynx. She had said to meet here at this time and that all would be revealed. What she hadn't said was that others would be here.
"I'm offering two hundred and fifty thousand dollars," the suited man said. "To the person who brings me the head of the Blue Lynx. Bring her to me alive and unmasked, and I can probably throw in a bonus."
The young man's heart was racing. Two hundred and fifty thousand?
"You can work together or separately, I don't care," the suited man continued. "Though I know that some of you haven't been successful against the Blue Lynx on your own."
The blonde woman laughed. "Any suggestions on how to do that, boss?"
The suited man grinned. "That's for you to determine, Sunny," he said. "Though I have an idea about how you might start."
"Oh really?" the blonde woman said. "Do tell."
"What you have to do is put the Blue Lynx in a situation where she is forced to surrender," the suited man said, turning around to face the whiteboard. He uncapped the marker. "You have to put her in a situation where the whole government, the whole city, is asking her to give up."
"Like, blackmail?" the woman asked.
"Like a hostage situation," the suited man said, scrawling letters on the board. "You have to kidnap someone important to the city."
He stepped back so that the young man, the blonde woman, the doctor, the old woman, and the ninja could all see what he had written. And what he had written on the board, in large, red, upper-case letters, just a couple of feet below the words "BLUE LYNX," was a name.
ERIN STEELE
On to Chapter Three
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Three
Chapter Three
January 5th, 12:30 PM
There was a bump. Erin's body bounced, and suddenly she was awake, thrown into a world that was small, dark, and very, very cold.
She could feel a gag in her mouth, and could taste hints of something sweet on her lips. She remembered this morning-- Sunny and the ninja, Steve-- and the vision of her helpless and about to be chloroformed became all-consuming.
They had kidnapped her. And now she was... Where?
She looked down. She saw first her breath, distinctly white in the cold. Past the plumes she saw her shivering body, totally naked except for her silk bra and panties. Her captors had bound her wrists and ankles with thick rope, with additional rope around her torso, fastening her arms to her body, and around her bare thighs. She was laying on some sort of rough gray fabric. Above her, she could see a metallic sheen, and below her, she could hear the sounds of objects whizzing by.
"The trunk," she thought. "They've put me in the trunk of their car."
It was a classic situation: the home invasion, the chloroform, the bondage, the ride in the back of the car. It was a situation that Erin had imagined might happen to her, at some point: the day her dad had become Mayor, she had become not only a celebrity, but a tool for his political opponents. That had to be what this was. "Blackmail," Erin thought. "They want Dad to ease up on the drug stuff." Hammerson did know where she lived, after all.
But Sunny hadn't mentioned her dad when they'd captured her. She'd only mentioned the Blue Lynx. "Why?" Erin thought. "Do they know that I am the Blue Lynx?" No. If they had known that, they would've surely said something after breaking in. These villains loved to gloat. Anytime they'd put Blue Lynx in a jam, they couldn't help themselves.
"This must be a trap, then," Erin thought. "They plan to ransom me. But they don't want money. They want the Blue Lynx." She almost smiled to herself. "Pretty funny how they already have the Blue Lynx and don't know it."
The humor of the situation rapidly dissolved. Because they did have her. They had her without her weapons, without her mask, without her signature element of surprise, without a plan. They had her without her partner, even: Margot would have no idea where they had taken Erin. And unless someone had seen Sunny and the ninja remove Erin's unconscious body from her apartment, the cops wouldn't have any idea, either.
Erin tensed her muscles and pulled hard against her wrist ropes, biting down on her gag. She could feel her bonds loosen slightly, but the effort it took was supremely painful, especially on her cold skin. "It hurts so much," she thought. "But I have to get free."
As she pulled again, the car suddenly came to a halt, tossing her body against one side of the trunk. Erin now sat on top of her bound wrists, her face against the trunk's carpet. She tried to roll herself over, hearing the sounds outside of doors opening and shutting. A louder sound now clicked behind her, and the trunk flooded with white light and blasts of cold air.
"God, that's a nice ass," Sunny said. "Right Steve?"
Erin's face was still pressed against the trunk floor. She couldn't see Sunny or the ninja, or hear the ninja's response. Maybe he didn't respond? Either way, she didn't like being in this position, with her back and butt exposed to the elements and Sunny's lascivious stare.
"MMMPH" Erin mumbled. Sunny laughed and snapped her fingers. The black-clad arms of Steve were once again around Erin, pulling her off of the carpet. He turned her around in his grip with deft, efficient movements, so that she was soon nestled against his body in a cradle carry, her legs draped over one arm, the other arm supporting Erin's lower back. As the ninja turned away from the car, the winter light blinded Erin, and she cried out against the gag and shut her eyes.
"Alright, let's take her to the back," Sunny said. Erin heard the crunch of snow as the ninja began to walk. She was cold, but the ninja's torso made her warmer. She didn't like to admit it-- being carried this way was humiliating in any fashion, never mind after being abducted in her underwear-- but this was a good deal better than the trunk. With her eyes still shut, she nuzzled against her bearer's arms.
Sunny noticed. "Don't get too comfortable, Miss Steele," she said. "You're a hostage, now."
Erin heard a door creak and felt the light dim. She still couldn't open her eyes, and could barely summon the strength to struggle. She complied weakly as the ninja set her down into a wooden chair.
Sunny snapped her fingers again, and immediately the ninja began working his fingers at the ropes around Erin's wrists. "Oh shit," Erin thought, cracking her eyelids open, a sense of resolve suddenly coursing through her veins. "This is my chance."
As Erin felt the ropes drop from her wrists, she darted forward, tearing at the air with her nails, looking for the ninja's face. Without barely a moment of uncertainty, the ninja snatched her wrists and pulled them behind the chair back. "MMPH!" Erin cried, feeling her arms wrenched back together, knowing the ninja was making quick work of her new bonds. "He's so fast," she thought. "I thought I had him."
Sunny laughed. "You are a feisty one," she said, squatting to the ground to meet Erin at eye level. "Like your dad." Her eyes lingered on Erin's chest, which was now exposed to the dim light of the room.
Erin frowned. Her upper body was now securely restrained to the chair, and her improving vision noticed the ninja untying her ankles, most likely to tie them around the individual chair legs. Whoever this guy was, he was a pro.
"The others are in the house. They should be coming down in a minute," Sunny said.
Erin writhed against her bonds, and could feel her ability to move being constricted with every one of the ninja's calm, methodical ties. There were more people? Just how big was this operation? And where was she?
She blinked. Shapes were slowly beginning to form. Sunny's blonde hair popped against the dimness of the room. It reminded her of something, this place. It reminded her of... She shuddered. That shed where those hillbillies had tied her up months ago. That source of so many sleepless nights, that catalyst for some many nightmares, so many visions of her clothes being torn from her body by rednecks, so many horrible dreams of her superheroine career coming to an end...
"You okay, Erin?" Sunny said, looking at her quizzically. "You're making funny noises."
Erin closed her eyes. She must have been "MMPHING" against her gag.
"You don't have to be afraid," Sunny said. "If your father goes along with plan, and if Blue Lynx goes along with plan, then we'll return you to society unharmed."
Erin looked up at Sunny. "Stay calm, Erin," she thought. "It's okay to be a little scared. That's what your kidnappers expect of you. But don't lose focus. Those hillbillies are in jail. They aren't coming to get you."
The door creaked open. Erin half expected to see those two goons-- Jackson and Clayton, those were their names-- and was surprised when a tiny, dried-up old woman crept into the room. She looked at Erin with heavy-lidded eyes and smiled a calm, closed-mouth smile. "Hello," she murmured, moving toward Erin's chair, her arms tucked behind her, her movements silent and deliberate.
Erin felt a twinge in her ankle. The ninja must have been putting his finishing touches on the knots, because he stood up. He admired Erin with serene blue eyes, but not in the sex-crazed way of most of her foes. There was almost a kind of respect in his look, as if he knew he had captured more than the mayor's daughter. It was like he could see through her; it was like he understood her greatest secrets. Erin gulped.
The ninja stepped back, and another figure walked into the room. He was a small man, just a little bigger than the old woman, with eyeglasses glued to his face. Erin didn't need to see his labcoat, or the lapel pin on his chest, to know who she was looking at: Grigory Todorov. The man who had poisoned the Blue Lynx. He grinned his broad, evil grin at Erin. "Erin Steele," he sneered. "In the flesh. And practically nothing else but the flesh, I might add."
No one laughed at his joke, and Erin rolled her eyes. So Hammerson brought the doctor back. Figures. "I've beat him before, and I can do it again," Erin thought.
"Where's that kid?" Sunny asked, looking at Todorov.
"He was right behind me," the doctor replied.
"Kid?" Erin thought.
And into the room walked a gangly redhead, a young man who couldn't have been much older than Erin. He stopped in front of her and stared. His mouth fell open, and his eyes glazed: he seemed to be in a trance.
"Has he never seen a girl in her underwear before?" Erin thought.
And then it hit her. It wasn't just any girl he was looking at. It was Erin Steele. A girl who he recognized from college. A girl who had been in several of his classes.
Because this wasn't just any guy she was looking at. This was the kid who had had that crush on the Blue Lynx. Who had brought her name up in just about every class. Who had made a costume of his own and who had tried to capture her. Who had even gotten pretty close to unmasking her, one time.
This kid's name was Jeremy. But Erin knew him better by his alter ego: the De-Lynxinator.
"Hey Erin," Jeremy mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Uh, what's up?"
Erin furrowed her brow, trying to make her disdain as clear as possible. What was this dweeb doing here? "I thought I had left him behind in college," Erin thought. "And now he's hanging out with these monsters? Come on, Jeremy." She "mmphed" into the gag. Did he have any idea what he was getting into?
"Let's go ahead and shoot this video," Sunny said, gesturing at Jeremy. "You brought your phone with you?"
Jeremy nodded, plunging his hand into his pocket and nervously extracting a smartphone. "Here it is."
"Alright everyone, masks on," Sunny said. She took a balaclava from her pocket and pulled it over her head. Todorov, the old woman, and Jeremy quickly followed suit. The ninja remained still.
Sunny strutted behind Erin and placed her hands on the back of the chair. "Let's try to get this right the first time, gang," she said, beckoning toward the old woman and the ninja. The four gathered together around Erin and faced Jeremy, who held the smartphone out in front of him with a shaking arm.
"Remember: I'll do the talking," Sunny said. She stroked Erin's hair. "You just stay quiet, okay, Miss Steele?"
"MMPH," Erin responded.
"Okay kid. Action."
On to Chapter Four
January 5th, 12:30 PM
There was a bump. Erin's body bounced, and suddenly she was awake, thrown into a world that was small, dark, and very, very cold.
She could feel a gag in her mouth, and could taste hints of something sweet on her lips. She remembered this morning-- Sunny and the ninja, Steve-- and the vision of her helpless and about to be chloroformed became all-consuming.
They had kidnapped her. And now she was... Where?
She looked down. She saw first her breath, distinctly white in the cold. Past the plumes she saw her shivering body, totally naked except for her silk bra and panties. Her captors had bound her wrists and ankles with thick rope, with additional rope around her torso, fastening her arms to her body, and around her bare thighs. She was laying on some sort of rough gray fabric. Above her, she could see a metallic sheen, and below her, she could hear the sounds of objects whizzing by.
"The trunk," she thought. "They've put me in the trunk of their car."
It was a classic situation: the home invasion, the chloroform, the bondage, the ride in the back of the car. It was a situation that Erin had imagined might happen to her, at some point: the day her dad had become Mayor, she had become not only a celebrity, but a tool for his political opponents. That had to be what this was. "Blackmail," Erin thought. "They want Dad to ease up on the drug stuff." Hammerson did know where she lived, after all.
But Sunny hadn't mentioned her dad when they'd captured her. She'd only mentioned the Blue Lynx. "Why?" Erin thought. "Do they know that I am the Blue Lynx?" No. If they had known that, they would've surely said something after breaking in. These villains loved to gloat. Anytime they'd put Blue Lynx in a jam, they couldn't help themselves.
"This must be a trap, then," Erin thought. "They plan to ransom me. But they don't want money. They want the Blue Lynx." She almost smiled to herself. "Pretty funny how they already have the Blue Lynx and don't know it."
The humor of the situation rapidly dissolved. Because they did have her. They had her without her weapons, without her mask, without her signature element of surprise, without a plan. They had her without her partner, even: Margot would have no idea where they had taken Erin. And unless someone had seen Sunny and the ninja remove Erin's unconscious body from her apartment, the cops wouldn't have any idea, either.
Erin tensed her muscles and pulled hard against her wrist ropes, biting down on her gag. She could feel her bonds loosen slightly, but the effort it took was supremely painful, especially on her cold skin. "It hurts so much," she thought. "But I have to get free."
As she pulled again, the car suddenly came to a halt, tossing her body against one side of the trunk. Erin now sat on top of her bound wrists, her face against the trunk's carpet. She tried to roll herself over, hearing the sounds outside of doors opening and shutting. A louder sound now clicked behind her, and the trunk flooded with white light and blasts of cold air.
"God, that's a nice ass," Sunny said. "Right Steve?"
Erin's face was still pressed against the trunk floor. She couldn't see Sunny or the ninja, or hear the ninja's response. Maybe he didn't respond? Either way, she didn't like being in this position, with her back and butt exposed to the elements and Sunny's lascivious stare.
"MMMPH" Erin mumbled. Sunny laughed and snapped her fingers. The black-clad arms of Steve were once again around Erin, pulling her off of the carpet. He turned her around in his grip with deft, efficient movements, so that she was soon nestled against his body in a cradle carry, her legs draped over one arm, the other arm supporting Erin's lower back. As the ninja turned away from the car, the winter light blinded Erin, and she cried out against the gag and shut her eyes.
"Alright, let's take her to the back," Sunny said. Erin heard the crunch of snow as the ninja began to walk. She was cold, but the ninja's torso made her warmer. She didn't like to admit it-- being carried this way was humiliating in any fashion, never mind after being abducted in her underwear-- but this was a good deal better than the trunk. With her eyes still shut, she nuzzled against her bearer's arms.
Sunny noticed. "Don't get too comfortable, Miss Steele," she said. "You're a hostage, now."
Erin heard a door creak and felt the light dim. She still couldn't open her eyes, and could barely summon the strength to struggle. She complied weakly as the ninja set her down into a wooden chair.
Sunny snapped her fingers again, and immediately the ninja began working his fingers at the ropes around Erin's wrists. "Oh shit," Erin thought, cracking her eyelids open, a sense of resolve suddenly coursing through her veins. "This is my chance."
As Erin felt the ropes drop from her wrists, she darted forward, tearing at the air with her nails, looking for the ninja's face. Without barely a moment of uncertainty, the ninja snatched her wrists and pulled them behind the chair back. "MMPH!" Erin cried, feeling her arms wrenched back together, knowing the ninja was making quick work of her new bonds. "He's so fast," she thought. "I thought I had him."
Sunny laughed. "You are a feisty one," she said, squatting to the ground to meet Erin at eye level. "Like your dad." Her eyes lingered on Erin's chest, which was now exposed to the dim light of the room.
Erin frowned. Her upper body was now securely restrained to the chair, and her improving vision noticed the ninja untying her ankles, most likely to tie them around the individual chair legs. Whoever this guy was, he was a pro.
"The others are in the house. They should be coming down in a minute," Sunny said.
Erin writhed against her bonds, and could feel her ability to move being constricted with every one of the ninja's calm, methodical ties. There were more people? Just how big was this operation? And where was she?
She blinked. Shapes were slowly beginning to form. Sunny's blonde hair popped against the dimness of the room. It reminded her of something, this place. It reminded her of... She shuddered. That shed where those hillbillies had tied her up months ago. That source of so many sleepless nights, that catalyst for some many nightmares, so many visions of her clothes being torn from her body by rednecks, so many horrible dreams of her superheroine career coming to an end...
"You okay, Erin?" Sunny said, looking at her quizzically. "You're making funny noises."
Erin closed her eyes. She must have been "MMPHING" against her gag.
"You don't have to be afraid," Sunny said. "If your father goes along with plan, and if Blue Lynx goes along with plan, then we'll return you to society unharmed."
Erin looked up at Sunny. "Stay calm, Erin," she thought. "It's okay to be a little scared. That's what your kidnappers expect of you. But don't lose focus. Those hillbillies are in jail. They aren't coming to get you."
The door creaked open. Erin half expected to see those two goons-- Jackson and Clayton, those were their names-- and was surprised when a tiny, dried-up old woman crept into the room. She looked at Erin with heavy-lidded eyes and smiled a calm, closed-mouth smile. "Hello," she murmured, moving toward Erin's chair, her arms tucked behind her, her movements silent and deliberate.
Erin felt a twinge in her ankle. The ninja must have been putting his finishing touches on the knots, because he stood up. He admired Erin with serene blue eyes, but not in the sex-crazed way of most of her foes. There was almost a kind of respect in his look, as if he knew he had captured more than the mayor's daughter. It was like he could see through her; it was like he understood her greatest secrets. Erin gulped.
The ninja stepped back, and another figure walked into the room. He was a small man, just a little bigger than the old woman, with eyeglasses glued to his face. Erin didn't need to see his labcoat, or the lapel pin on his chest, to know who she was looking at: Grigory Todorov. The man who had poisoned the Blue Lynx. He grinned his broad, evil grin at Erin. "Erin Steele," he sneered. "In the flesh. And practically nothing else but the flesh, I might add."
No one laughed at his joke, and Erin rolled her eyes. So Hammerson brought the doctor back. Figures. "I've beat him before, and I can do it again," Erin thought.
"Where's that kid?" Sunny asked, looking at Todorov.
"He was right behind me," the doctor replied.
"Kid?" Erin thought.
And into the room walked a gangly redhead, a young man who couldn't have been much older than Erin. He stopped in front of her and stared. His mouth fell open, and his eyes glazed: he seemed to be in a trance.
"Has he never seen a girl in her underwear before?" Erin thought.
And then it hit her. It wasn't just any girl he was looking at. It was Erin Steele. A girl who he recognized from college. A girl who had been in several of his classes.
Because this wasn't just any guy she was looking at. This was the kid who had had that crush on the Blue Lynx. Who had brought her name up in just about every class. Who had made a costume of his own and who had tried to capture her. Who had even gotten pretty close to unmasking her, one time.
This kid's name was Jeremy. But Erin knew him better by his alter ego: the De-Lynxinator.
"Hey Erin," Jeremy mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Uh, what's up?"
Erin furrowed her brow, trying to make her disdain as clear as possible. What was this dweeb doing here? "I thought I had left him behind in college," Erin thought. "And now he's hanging out with these monsters? Come on, Jeremy." She "mmphed" into the gag. Did he have any idea what he was getting into?
"Let's go ahead and shoot this video," Sunny said, gesturing at Jeremy. "You brought your phone with you?"
Jeremy nodded, plunging his hand into his pocket and nervously extracting a smartphone. "Here it is."
"Alright everyone, masks on," Sunny said. She took a balaclava from her pocket and pulled it over her head. Todorov, the old woman, and Jeremy quickly followed suit. The ninja remained still.
Sunny strutted behind Erin and placed her hands on the back of the chair. "Let's try to get this right the first time, gang," she said, beckoning toward the old woman and the ninja. The four gathered together around Erin and faced Jeremy, who held the smartphone out in front of him with a shaking arm.
"Remember: I'll do the talking," Sunny said. She stroked Erin's hair. "You just stay quiet, okay, Miss Steele?"
"MMPH," Erin responded.
"Okay kid. Action."
On to Chapter Four
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Four
Chapter Four
January 6th, 11:02 AM.
"Is there anything else you can tell us, ma'am?"
Margot sniffed. She was sitting on her apartment couch in jeans and a sweater, holding her head in her hands. The cops were standing in front of her, one of them scribbling notes in a pad. They had been here for hours now, asking questions, probing into her and Erin's rooms-- occasionally moving frighteningly close to Erin's stash of Blue Lynx paraphernalia-- and Margot desperately wanted them to leave. The cops were fine, they were just doing their jobs, but she had an investigation of her own to start. There was just one more thing she had to ask.
"Can I have a copy of the video?" she asked, choking back tears that were mostly fake.
The scribbling cop blinked. "The ransom video?"
Margot nodded, staring up at the two men with shining wet eyes. "Yes. I just... That might be the last time I ever seen Erin."
The other cop shook his head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but that's police evidence."
Margot howled. It sounded convincing to her, and the cops seemed moved by it, too. But she knew there was no way they'd be giving up that video.
"We're sorry, miss," the scribbling cop said, stuffing the notepad into his back pocket. "We'll do everything we can to ensure that your roommate comes home safe."
Margot stood up to show them the door. "Thank you for your time," she said, walking them over to the exit.
"Let us know if you remember anything else," one of them said as they stepped into the hallway.
Margot did remember something else. "Hey, wait," she said, following them out the door. "Are you guys seriously thinking about going after the Blue Lynx?"
The scribbling cop sighed. "We'll see," he said. And the two police officers turned to walk down the hallway.
Margot stepped back into her apartment, shut the door, and locked it. She set her back against the door and brought her fingers up to her temples.
"Shit," she thought.
She had woken up yesterday in total confusion. The whole scene had happened so fast: the blonde woman and the ninja had broken in. The ninja had cornered her, knocked her out, and apparently thrown her onto the couch (wearing nothing but her robe, at that). When she came out of unconsciousness, neither the intruders nor Erin were anywhere to be found. But a sickly-sweet smell in the air had made her think of one thing: chloroform.
She didn't call the cops. She didn't know how much anyone knew. Did the blonde woman and the ninja understand that they were abducting the Blue Lynx? That they were abducting the mayor's daughter? As long as their motivations were unclear, Margot figured it would be best for the authorities to stay out.
Of course, when Erin Steele gets kidnapped, the authorities can't stay out for long. The police had shown up this morning and told her what they knew: that Erin was being held prisoner in an unknown location by a group calling themselves "The Fearsome Five." That the group was demanding only that the Mayor bring to them, dead or alive, the superheroine known as the Blue Lynx. And that the group had made a video and e-mailed it to the Mayor's office last last night.
They showed the footage to Margot. Even by the standards of her friend, it represented a perilous predicament. Erin had been tied tightly to a chair dressed in nothing but her lavender bra and panties. Standing around her in the spare, dimly-lit room were four sinister masked figures: one who was clearly the blonde woman, one who was clearly the ninja, and two smaller, older-looking bodies, one likely male, the other likely female.
"Who are they? Why are they doing this?" Margot had asked the cops. But she already had a hunch. These goons were clearly in the employ of Brent Hammerson, and their plan was clearly in earnest. Hammerson was tired of the Blue Lynx interfering with his schemes, so he taken drastic action.
If Hammerson had chosen to capture anyone else in the entire city, then this case would've been a slam-dunk for the Blue Lynx: a chance to apprehend five goons at once. But because he had picked Erin for his cruel designs, he had already achieved much more of his plan than he knew.
Margot slammed the back of her fist into the front door. "And I have no idea where she is," she thought. "She doesn't have her tracker."
The video had given her clues, but no direction. She knew there were five people involved: the four in the video, and the fifth shooting the footage. Where had they gathered? It looked like a small room, maybe a shed? Like the shed owned by that doctor Todorov? It was all speculation, at this point.
Margot took a deep breath. "No, I can't lose hope," she thought.
She walked over to her laptop, sat down, and began to type.
On to Chapter Five
January 6th, 11:02 AM.
"Is there anything else you can tell us, ma'am?"
Margot sniffed. She was sitting on her apartment couch in jeans and a sweater, holding her head in her hands. The cops were standing in front of her, one of them scribbling notes in a pad. They had been here for hours now, asking questions, probing into her and Erin's rooms-- occasionally moving frighteningly close to Erin's stash of Blue Lynx paraphernalia-- and Margot desperately wanted them to leave. The cops were fine, they were just doing their jobs, but she had an investigation of her own to start. There was just one more thing she had to ask.
"Can I have a copy of the video?" she asked, choking back tears that were mostly fake.
The scribbling cop blinked. "The ransom video?"
Margot nodded, staring up at the two men with shining wet eyes. "Yes. I just... That might be the last time I ever seen Erin."
The other cop shook his head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but that's police evidence."
Margot howled. It sounded convincing to her, and the cops seemed moved by it, too. But she knew there was no way they'd be giving up that video.
"We're sorry, miss," the scribbling cop said, stuffing the notepad into his back pocket. "We'll do everything we can to ensure that your roommate comes home safe."
Margot stood up to show them the door. "Thank you for your time," she said, walking them over to the exit.
"Let us know if you remember anything else," one of them said as they stepped into the hallway.
Margot did remember something else. "Hey, wait," she said, following them out the door. "Are you guys seriously thinking about going after the Blue Lynx?"
The scribbling cop sighed. "We'll see," he said. And the two police officers turned to walk down the hallway.
Margot stepped back into her apartment, shut the door, and locked it. She set her back against the door and brought her fingers up to her temples.
"Shit," she thought.
She had woken up yesterday in total confusion. The whole scene had happened so fast: the blonde woman and the ninja had broken in. The ninja had cornered her, knocked her out, and apparently thrown her onto the couch (wearing nothing but her robe, at that). When she came out of unconsciousness, neither the intruders nor Erin were anywhere to be found. But a sickly-sweet smell in the air had made her think of one thing: chloroform.
She didn't call the cops. She didn't know how much anyone knew. Did the blonde woman and the ninja understand that they were abducting the Blue Lynx? That they were abducting the mayor's daughter? As long as their motivations were unclear, Margot figured it would be best for the authorities to stay out.
Of course, when Erin Steele gets kidnapped, the authorities can't stay out for long. The police had shown up this morning and told her what they knew: that Erin was being held prisoner in an unknown location by a group calling themselves "The Fearsome Five." That the group was demanding only that the Mayor bring to them, dead or alive, the superheroine known as the Blue Lynx. And that the group had made a video and e-mailed it to the Mayor's office last last night.
They showed the footage to Margot. Even by the standards of her friend, it represented a perilous predicament. Erin had been tied tightly to a chair dressed in nothing but her lavender bra and panties. Standing around her in the spare, dimly-lit room were four sinister masked figures: one who was clearly the blonde woman, one who was clearly the ninja, and two smaller, older-looking bodies, one likely male, the other likely female.
"Who are they? Why are they doing this?" Margot had asked the cops. But she already had a hunch. These goons were clearly in the employ of Brent Hammerson, and their plan was clearly in earnest. Hammerson was tired of the Blue Lynx interfering with his schemes, so he taken drastic action.
If Hammerson had chosen to capture anyone else in the entire city, then this case would've been a slam-dunk for the Blue Lynx: a chance to apprehend five goons at once. But because he had picked Erin for his cruel designs, he had already achieved much more of his plan than he knew.
Margot slammed the back of her fist into the front door. "And I have no idea where she is," she thought. "She doesn't have her tracker."
The video had given her clues, but no direction. She knew there were five people involved: the four in the video, and the fifth shooting the footage. Where had they gathered? It looked like a small room, maybe a shed? Like the shed owned by that doctor Todorov? It was all speculation, at this point.
Margot took a deep breath. "No, I can't lose hope," she thought.
She walked over to her laptop, sat down, and began to type.
On to Chapter Five
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Five
Chapter Five
January 5th, 9:48 PM
Erin sat in the room, tied and gagged, cold and shivering in her underwear, with only the small, mysterious old woman keeping watch. She had already been there, practically still, and definitely silent, for at least two hours. The five villains had been alternating shifts with her ever since they put the finishing touches on their video; this was the old woman's first time with Erin, and Erin wanted to make it count. She started "mmphing" into her gag. She blinked her eyes rapidly. She stared at the woman with a broad, helpless expression.
The old woman just nodded at her and smiled.
"MMMPHHH!!!" Erin cried, pulling at the chair, pushing her chest into the open air, shaking her head. She rubbed her thighs together with the small bit of slack she had to use. Again, she stared at the woman, hoping her eyes expressed the longing and desperation that she had to convey.
The old woman looked at her, sighed lightly, and hopped out of her chair. She wandered over to Erin with patient steps, and then placed her bony, wrinkled hands around the back of Erin's head. Seconds later, she held the gag in her hand, and Erin coughed as she sucked air in and out, unimpeded, for the first time in days.
"What is it, child?" the old woman asked, holding onto a lock of Erin's hair.
Erin looked up at her. "I... I have to go."
"Go? Where?"
Erin rubbed her thighs together for emphasis. "To the bathroom!"
It was true. Erin hadn't peed since the morning she had been abducted. Since that point, they'd barely given her anything to eat or drink, and going to the bathroom wasn't exactly the first thing on her mind after being kidnapped, tied up, and held for ransom. But she felt an urge. More than that, she saw an opportunity. Of her five captors, this old woman was clearly the weakest, and probably the easiest to take advantage of. If she was willing to loosen Erin's bonds just a little bit, it wouldn't be to hard for Erin to knock her out and escape.
Relief, and release. It was a great plan.
The old woman nodded, seeming to consider deeply the consequences of letting Erin use the bathroom. "Why don't you just go right here?"
Erin shook her head. "No! I couldn't! That'd be so embarrassing! And the smell! No one wants to smell that! Do you?"
The old woman smiled. "No, I don't, I guess you're right." She gingerly bent down to Erin's ankles and gripped the ropes binding her to the chair's legs. Erin watched as she patiently unknotted the ropes, never turning back in her work, seeming to know exactly which way to twist each rope.
"I can't just kick her, can I?" Erin thought. "She's just an old woman. For all I know, she's Sunny's grandmother or something. She probably has nothing to do with this."
She'd let the old woman untie her legs, and then, once she got out of the room, she'd make a break for it. There was no way the old woman would be able to keep up.
Erin felt the ropes drop from her ankles, felt the cool air soothing her sore, reddened skin. The old woman had crept around to her back. Erin could feel her fingers lightly brush against her back, and figured the woman was undoing some of the ropes holding her to the chair. This was too good to be true. This senile old thing was practically letting her walk out the door. It almost didn't feel fair.
More ropes fell. "Okay, now, up," the old woman said, holding on to Erin's wrists.
Erin smiled, and used to her legs to push herself up onto her feet. She hadn't moved in at least a day, and the ropes had left her body weak and sore. But being upright sent a shot of adrenaline through Erin's bloodstream. Her heart began to pump. It was time to be a superheroine, again.
The old woman still held onto her bound wrists. Erin could feel her breath against the middle of her back; she was barely four feet tall. "Okay, march," she said, giving Erin a small push from behind.
They walked through the cracked-open door and into a narrow hallway. Erin saw Sunny standing at the other end. She cradled a beer with one hand, and propped herself against a dirty white wall with other. She took a swig of the drink, watching the pair of oddly-matched women step in her direction.
"Damn," Erin thought. "I can't take off with her right there. There's no way I could beat her with my hands tied."
"Where's she going?" Sunny said, her speech somewhat slurred.
"She has to use the restroom," the old woman responded.
"Figures," Sunny said. She took a long pull from the beer. "Whose turn is next, by the way?"
"The kid," the old woman said.
"Oh yeah."
The old woman increased her grip on Erin's wrists. "We're here."
There was an old wooden door to Erin's right. The old woman booted it open with a soft kick. Erin looked inside to see a dingy scene: a jack-and-jill bathtub with no curtain, just hooks, a sink encrusted with brown and gray filth, and a toilet with a cracked seat and no lid on the tank. There were broken tiles and peeling wallpaper and a rank odor masking it all. Erin shuddered.
"Having second thoughts, princess?" Sunny said.
Erin turned her head to face Sunny and glared, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde-haired woman.
"Don't worry," Sunny continued, "It won't be like this for long. The mayor's people have already gotten in touch. They say they'll try to get the Blue Lynx to us in the next twenty-four hours."
Erin blinked. Her father was working with the kidnappers? "I guess he has no other choice," Erin thought. But how did he plan to ensnare the Blue Lynx? And what would he do if the Blue Lynx was nowhere to be found?
"Go on," the old woman said, giving her a small nudge. "Do your thing."
"But," Erin said, looking back at the old woman, "I can't. Not with my hands tied."
"I'll help you," the old woman said, exerting more pressure on Erin's back, and forcing her to step into the bathroom. Erin shuddered. The tiles were cold and grimy, and the smell was making it hard to focus on anything else... Like just how she was going to escape, with these two women both watching her so intently?
She walked toward the toilet and stood facing away from the bowl. "So what do I do now?" Erin said.
And Erin yelped as the old woman grabbed hold of the sides of her panties and, with one quick motion, pulled them down her thighs.
"Sit," the old woman said.
"How dare you!" Erin yelled, her face flushing with color.
"Sit," the old woman repeated, more firmly. She placed her hands on Erin's chest and applied pressure, forcing Erin to squat down and set her naked bottom on the toilet seat.
Laughter came from the hallway. Erin turned her head to see Sunny leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom, taking in the scene and sipping from her bottle. She was lingering on Erin's bare buttocks and thighs, which she could only see in profile but was nonetheless clearly enjoying. Erin bared her teeth. "Get out!" she snapped. Sunny laughed.
"What? Can't go with me watching?"
Erin's face felt hot. Her head was spinning from some combination of embarrassment, pain, hunger, and the rank odor of the bathroom. Her panties had bunched up around her ankles; her forehead had broken out in a sweat. The old woman still stood just inches in front of her, still gazed at her intently. Erin hadn't expected her to be so persistent. She hadn't expected her to pull down her underwear, either, like a mother attending to a child. It was all so humiliating.
"At least I'm not the Blue Lynx," Erin told herself, silently. "These idiots can laugh at Erin Steele all they want. To them, I'm just a spoiled rich girl." She tried to cheer herself up thinking about what the Blue Lynx what do to them once she got free, but her meditations were interrupted by the old woman's voice.
"Go," she said. "Go."
Her mind suddenly vacant, suddenly unable to think of anything else to do, Erin peed. Half a minute later, the old woman pulled her to her feet. She tugged Erin's panties up her legs and snapped the elastic around her waist. She then turned Erin around to face the hallway and once again placed her hands on Erin's wrists.
"March," she said.
With an increasingly more-drunk Sunny cackling the whole way, the old woman pushed Erin into the hallway and back toward the chair where she had already sat for so many hours. Thoroughly humbled and unwilling to fight back, Erin simply shut her eyes and whimpered as the old woman lashed her legs to the chair-legs, tied her arms behind the back-rest, and re-gagged her. The old woman crackled her knuckles as she examined her work.
"My shift is over," she said, content with the truss job. "It's the kid's turn now."
When Erin next opened her eyes, the old woman had left. In her place was Jeremy, who studied Erin with a mix of puzzlement and romantic interest.
"Wow," he said. "I guess it's just you and me now, huh."
Erin shook her head. Jeremy. This... boy. She couldn't believe he was part of this. She had hoped, was sure, that she was done with him. Throughout college he had been nothing but a nuisance to both Erin Steele and the Blue Lynx. Always going on and on in class about the "meaning" of a campus superheroine. And always trying after class to beat her up, to tie her up, to unmask her. He never seemed particularly evil at that time: just misguided, obsessed, pathetic. But now he had shown his true colors. He was no better than Sunny, or Todorov, or any of these creeps.
Still, he was much younger than the others. And Erin had a past with him she could drawn on. If any one of these goons was planning on letting her escape, it was probably Jeremy. She just had to persuade him. Which meant getting this gag off.
"MMMPH!" Erin said. "MMMMPH! MMMPH!"
"Whoa," Jeremy said. "You alright?"
Erin opened her eyes as wide as she could. "MMMMMPH!"
"You're pretty hot when you do that, you know," Jeremy said.
Erin furrowed her brow. What a neanderthal.
"MMPH! MMPH! MMPH!"
"You want me to take the gag off?"
Erin nodded. "MMPH! MMPH!"
"They really don't want me doing that."
Erin kept nodding. "MMPH! MMPH!"
"But I guess we can let you breathe for a second."
Jeremy bent over and, after a great deal of struggling, unknotted the gag. Erin coughed as the cloth left her lips. "Perfect," she thought. "Now I've just got to think of something..."
"So?" Jeremy said, sticking the gag in his back pocket, folding his arms. "What's up?"
"Jeremy," Erin muttered. "You've got to get me out of here."
Jeremy giggled. "I can't do that, Erin! You're our hostage!"
"You know it's the right thing to do," Erin said. "You know this-- kidnapping me, keeping me here-- is wrong."
Jeremy scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know," he said. "But we've got to do something. We want to unmask the Blue Lynx, you know?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jeremy. Do you really think this plan is going to work?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you remember the Blue Lynx from college. You think she's dumb enough to fall into a trap like this?"
Jeremy chuckled. "Ha, well I figure, you know, I almost unmasked her once, so she can't be too smart."
Erin frowned. "Well, you probably got lucky. And besides, that was years ago, right? She's gotten faster and smarter and stronger. And do you think my father would really be willing to work with you?"
"Apparently he's already gotten in touch."
"Well, have you heard his voice yourself?"
Jeremy shrugged. "That's just what Sunny said."
"Exactly," Erin said. "Sunny's a liar. My dad wouldn't do that. He's not going to work with kidnappers, even if it's me who's the hostage."
"So why would Sunny lie to me?"
"To keep you in line. To make it seem like the plan is working. Even if it isn't."
Jeremy began to pace in a circle around Erin's chair. "But... Wait," he said. "If..."
Erin felt her confidence surging. She'd even started pulling at her bonds again, and though they weren't budging, it felt good to fight back. "Listen, Jeremy, can I tell you a secret?"
Jeremy paused behind Erin's back. "What?"
"I know who the Blue Lynx is," she whispered.
Jeremy scrambled back in front of Erin. "Really?" he said, his eyes shining, his mouth hanging partly open.
"If you get me out of here, I can take you to her," Erin said.
"But, how do you know?"
"Process of elimination," Erin said. "I figured it out in college."
"So, you'll take me to the Blue Lynx," Jeremy said. "And then what?"
"Well, we'll unmask her."
"REALLY?" Jeremy said, taking a step back.
Erin nodded. "Just set me free."
Jeremy stood up straight and became silent. He seemed to weigh his options, even placing his hands in the air in front of him, palms up, like scales. "But what about the money?"
"The money?"
"Yeah, the boss is promising a lot of money if we can take the Blue Lynx out."
"Okay," Erin said, "So you do it. On your own. I'll even help you."
An idea had taken root in Erin's brain. It was a longshot, but what wasn't when you were tied in your underwear after being abducted by five supervillains?
She watched Jeremy nod to himself. "Okay," he said.
"And how much do you care about money, anyway? I remember you in college. You don't want money. The only thing you want is to end the Blue Lynx. The only thing you want is to unmask her."
Jeremy looked at her. His face was beaming. "Yeah, you're right."
"So get me out of here, okay?"
Jeremy looked back at the door, still partially open, and moved to shut it. He delicately pushed it back into the frame and gestured behind Erin. "We'll go out the back," he said. "We'll take my car."
"Alright!" Erin said.
"I'll untie you from the chair, but I won't untie your ankles and wrists," Jeremy said. "Not until the Blue Lynx is mine."
"Fair enough," Erin said.
Jeremy stepped to the ground and began undoing the old woman's handiwork. "Oh God," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "I can't believe this is happening."
"Oh, it's happening," Erin said, grinning. "Believe it."
On to Chapter Six
January 5th, 9:48 PM
Erin sat in the room, tied and gagged, cold and shivering in her underwear, with only the small, mysterious old woman keeping watch. She had already been there, practically still, and definitely silent, for at least two hours. The five villains had been alternating shifts with her ever since they put the finishing touches on their video; this was the old woman's first time with Erin, and Erin wanted to make it count. She started "mmphing" into her gag. She blinked her eyes rapidly. She stared at the woman with a broad, helpless expression.
The old woman just nodded at her and smiled.
"MMMPHHH!!!" Erin cried, pulling at the chair, pushing her chest into the open air, shaking her head. She rubbed her thighs together with the small bit of slack she had to use. Again, she stared at the woman, hoping her eyes expressed the longing and desperation that she had to convey.
The old woman looked at her, sighed lightly, and hopped out of her chair. She wandered over to Erin with patient steps, and then placed her bony, wrinkled hands around the back of Erin's head. Seconds later, she held the gag in her hand, and Erin coughed as she sucked air in and out, unimpeded, for the first time in days.
"What is it, child?" the old woman asked, holding onto a lock of Erin's hair.
Erin looked up at her. "I... I have to go."
"Go? Where?"
Erin rubbed her thighs together for emphasis. "To the bathroom!"
It was true. Erin hadn't peed since the morning she had been abducted. Since that point, they'd barely given her anything to eat or drink, and going to the bathroom wasn't exactly the first thing on her mind after being kidnapped, tied up, and held for ransom. But she felt an urge. More than that, she saw an opportunity. Of her five captors, this old woman was clearly the weakest, and probably the easiest to take advantage of. If she was willing to loosen Erin's bonds just a little bit, it wouldn't be to hard for Erin to knock her out and escape.
Relief, and release. It was a great plan.
The old woman nodded, seeming to consider deeply the consequences of letting Erin use the bathroom. "Why don't you just go right here?"
Erin shook her head. "No! I couldn't! That'd be so embarrassing! And the smell! No one wants to smell that! Do you?"
The old woman smiled. "No, I don't, I guess you're right." She gingerly bent down to Erin's ankles and gripped the ropes binding her to the chair's legs. Erin watched as she patiently unknotted the ropes, never turning back in her work, seeming to know exactly which way to twist each rope.
"I can't just kick her, can I?" Erin thought. "She's just an old woman. For all I know, she's Sunny's grandmother or something. She probably has nothing to do with this."
She'd let the old woman untie her legs, and then, once she got out of the room, she'd make a break for it. There was no way the old woman would be able to keep up.
Erin felt the ropes drop from her ankles, felt the cool air soothing her sore, reddened skin. The old woman had crept around to her back. Erin could feel her fingers lightly brush against her back, and figured the woman was undoing some of the ropes holding her to the chair. This was too good to be true. This senile old thing was practically letting her walk out the door. It almost didn't feel fair.
More ropes fell. "Okay, now, up," the old woman said, holding on to Erin's wrists.
Erin smiled, and used to her legs to push herself up onto her feet. She hadn't moved in at least a day, and the ropes had left her body weak and sore. But being upright sent a shot of adrenaline through Erin's bloodstream. Her heart began to pump. It was time to be a superheroine, again.
The old woman still held onto her bound wrists. Erin could feel her breath against the middle of her back; she was barely four feet tall. "Okay, march," she said, giving Erin a small push from behind.
They walked through the cracked-open door and into a narrow hallway. Erin saw Sunny standing at the other end. She cradled a beer with one hand, and propped herself against a dirty white wall with other. She took a swig of the drink, watching the pair of oddly-matched women step in her direction.
"Damn," Erin thought. "I can't take off with her right there. There's no way I could beat her with my hands tied."
"Where's she going?" Sunny said, her speech somewhat slurred.
"She has to use the restroom," the old woman responded.
"Figures," Sunny said. She took a long pull from the beer. "Whose turn is next, by the way?"
"The kid," the old woman said.
"Oh yeah."
The old woman increased her grip on Erin's wrists. "We're here."
There was an old wooden door to Erin's right. The old woman booted it open with a soft kick. Erin looked inside to see a dingy scene: a jack-and-jill bathtub with no curtain, just hooks, a sink encrusted with brown and gray filth, and a toilet with a cracked seat and no lid on the tank. There were broken tiles and peeling wallpaper and a rank odor masking it all. Erin shuddered.
"Having second thoughts, princess?" Sunny said.
Erin turned her head to face Sunny and glared, eliciting a chuckle from the blonde-haired woman.
"Don't worry," Sunny continued, "It won't be like this for long. The mayor's people have already gotten in touch. They say they'll try to get the Blue Lynx to us in the next twenty-four hours."
Erin blinked. Her father was working with the kidnappers? "I guess he has no other choice," Erin thought. But how did he plan to ensnare the Blue Lynx? And what would he do if the Blue Lynx was nowhere to be found?
"Go on," the old woman said, giving her a small nudge. "Do your thing."
"But," Erin said, looking back at the old woman, "I can't. Not with my hands tied."
"I'll help you," the old woman said, exerting more pressure on Erin's back, and forcing her to step into the bathroom. Erin shuddered. The tiles were cold and grimy, and the smell was making it hard to focus on anything else... Like just how she was going to escape, with these two women both watching her so intently?
She walked toward the toilet and stood facing away from the bowl. "So what do I do now?" Erin said.
And Erin yelped as the old woman grabbed hold of the sides of her panties and, with one quick motion, pulled them down her thighs.
"Sit," the old woman said.
"How dare you!" Erin yelled, her face flushing with color.
"Sit," the old woman repeated, more firmly. She placed her hands on Erin's chest and applied pressure, forcing Erin to squat down and set her naked bottom on the toilet seat.
Laughter came from the hallway. Erin turned her head to see Sunny leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom, taking in the scene and sipping from her bottle. She was lingering on Erin's bare buttocks and thighs, which she could only see in profile but was nonetheless clearly enjoying. Erin bared her teeth. "Get out!" she snapped. Sunny laughed.
"What? Can't go with me watching?"
Erin's face felt hot. Her head was spinning from some combination of embarrassment, pain, hunger, and the rank odor of the bathroom. Her panties had bunched up around her ankles; her forehead had broken out in a sweat. The old woman still stood just inches in front of her, still gazed at her intently. Erin hadn't expected her to be so persistent. She hadn't expected her to pull down her underwear, either, like a mother attending to a child. It was all so humiliating.
"At least I'm not the Blue Lynx," Erin told herself, silently. "These idiots can laugh at Erin Steele all they want. To them, I'm just a spoiled rich girl." She tried to cheer herself up thinking about what the Blue Lynx what do to them once she got free, but her meditations were interrupted by the old woman's voice.
"Go," she said. "Go."
Her mind suddenly vacant, suddenly unable to think of anything else to do, Erin peed. Half a minute later, the old woman pulled her to her feet. She tugged Erin's panties up her legs and snapped the elastic around her waist. She then turned Erin around to face the hallway and once again placed her hands on Erin's wrists.
"March," she said.
With an increasingly more-drunk Sunny cackling the whole way, the old woman pushed Erin into the hallway and back toward the chair where she had already sat for so many hours. Thoroughly humbled and unwilling to fight back, Erin simply shut her eyes and whimpered as the old woman lashed her legs to the chair-legs, tied her arms behind the back-rest, and re-gagged her. The old woman crackled her knuckles as she examined her work.
"My shift is over," she said, content with the truss job. "It's the kid's turn now."
When Erin next opened her eyes, the old woman had left. In her place was Jeremy, who studied Erin with a mix of puzzlement and romantic interest.
"Wow," he said. "I guess it's just you and me now, huh."
Erin shook her head. Jeremy. This... boy. She couldn't believe he was part of this. She had hoped, was sure, that she was done with him. Throughout college he had been nothing but a nuisance to both Erin Steele and the Blue Lynx. Always going on and on in class about the "meaning" of a campus superheroine. And always trying after class to beat her up, to tie her up, to unmask her. He never seemed particularly evil at that time: just misguided, obsessed, pathetic. But now he had shown his true colors. He was no better than Sunny, or Todorov, or any of these creeps.
Still, he was much younger than the others. And Erin had a past with him she could drawn on. If any one of these goons was planning on letting her escape, it was probably Jeremy. She just had to persuade him. Which meant getting this gag off.
"MMMPH!" Erin said. "MMMMPH! MMMPH!"
"Whoa," Jeremy said. "You alright?"
Erin opened her eyes as wide as she could. "MMMMMPH!"
"You're pretty hot when you do that, you know," Jeremy said.
Erin furrowed her brow. What a neanderthal.
"MMPH! MMPH! MMPH!"
"You want me to take the gag off?"
Erin nodded. "MMPH! MMPH!"
"They really don't want me doing that."
Erin kept nodding. "MMPH! MMPH!"
"But I guess we can let you breathe for a second."
Jeremy bent over and, after a great deal of struggling, unknotted the gag. Erin coughed as the cloth left her lips. "Perfect," she thought. "Now I've just got to think of something..."
"So?" Jeremy said, sticking the gag in his back pocket, folding his arms. "What's up?"
"Jeremy," Erin muttered. "You've got to get me out of here."
Jeremy giggled. "I can't do that, Erin! You're our hostage!"
"You know it's the right thing to do," Erin said. "You know this-- kidnapping me, keeping me here-- is wrong."
Jeremy scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know," he said. "But we've got to do something. We want to unmask the Blue Lynx, you know?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jeremy. Do you really think this plan is going to work?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you remember the Blue Lynx from college. You think she's dumb enough to fall into a trap like this?"
Jeremy chuckled. "Ha, well I figure, you know, I almost unmasked her once, so she can't be too smart."
Erin frowned. "Well, you probably got lucky. And besides, that was years ago, right? She's gotten faster and smarter and stronger. And do you think my father would really be willing to work with you?"
"Apparently he's already gotten in touch."
"Well, have you heard his voice yourself?"
Jeremy shrugged. "That's just what Sunny said."
"Exactly," Erin said. "Sunny's a liar. My dad wouldn't do that. He's not going to work with kidnappers, even if it's me who's the hostage."
"So why would Sunny lie to me?"
"To keep you in line. To make it seem like the plan is working. Even if it isn't."
Jeremy began to pace in a circle around Erin's chair. "But... Wait," he said. "If..."
Erin felt her confidence surging. She'd even started pulling at her bonds again, and though they weren't budging, it felt good to fight back. "Listen, Jeremy, can I tell you a secret?"
Jeremy paused behind Erin's back. "What?"
"I know who the Blue Lynx is," she whispered.
Jeremy scrambled back in front of Erin. "Really?" he said, his eyes shining, his mouth hanging partly open.
"If you get me out of here, I can take you to her," Erin said.
"But, how do you know?"
"Process of elimination," Erin said. "I figured it out in college."
"So, you'll take me to the Blue Lynx," Jeremy said. "And then what?"
"Well, we'll unmask her."
"REALLY?" Jeremy said, taking a step back.
Erin nodded. "Just set me free."
Jeremy stood up straight and became silent. He seemed to weigh his options, even placing his hands in the air in front of him, palms up, like scales. "But what about the money?"
"The money?"
"Yeah, the boss is promising a lot of money if we can take the Blue Lynx out."
"Okay," Erin said, "So you do it. On your own. I'll even help you."
An idea had taken root in Erin's brain. It was a longshot, but what wasn't when you were tied in your underwear after being abducted by five supervillains?
She watched Jeremy nod to himself. "Okay," he said.
"And how much do you care about money, anyway? I remember you in college. You don't want money. The only thing you want is to end the Blue Lynx. The only thing you want is to unmask her."
Jeremy looked at her. His face was beaming. "Yeah, you're right."
"So get me out of here, okay?"
Jeremy looked back at the door, still partially open, and moved to shut it. He delicately pushed it back into the frame and gestured behind Erin. "We'll go out the back," he said. "We'll take my car."
"Alright!" Erin said.
"I'll untie you from the chair, but I won't untie your ankles and wrists," Jeremy said. "Not until the Blue Lynx is mine."
"Fair enough," Erin said.
Jeremy stepped to the ground and began undoing the old woman's handiwork. "Oh God," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "I can't believe this is happening."
"Oh, it's happening," Erin said, grinning. "Believe it."
On to Chapter Six
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Six
Chapter Six
January 6th, 11:34 PM
Margot took a final gulp from her coffee cup, sighed, and closed her laptop.
Twelve hours. That's how long she had been sitting here. Reading, researching, thinking, looking for leads... Finding nothing. She had spent half a day in front of her computer, desperately searching for clues to help her figure out where they were holding Erin, and was no wiser for it. She placed her fingers on her temples and kneaded.
"There's nothing," she thought. "It's hopeless."
She almost jumped when her phone vibrated. She picked it up and looked at the screen. It was an unknown number. At 11:30? Could it be...
She brought the phone to her ear and answered. "Hello."
"Margot," said a low voice on the other end. "It's Erin."
Margot kicked out her chair and stumbled to her feet. "Erin!" she cried, walking around the kitchen table, barely able to contain her excitement. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Erin said. "I'm in the back of a car. I'm in the middle of my escape."
Margot smiled. "Oh, Erin! I've been trying to find you all day! But I couldn't find anything!"
"That's okay," Erin said. "Listen, Margot. Do you remember that boy from college, that Jeremy guy, who went by the name 'The De-Lyxinator'?"
"Yes," Margot said, nodding. "Why?"
"I'm in his car right now. He's one of the guys who abducted me. Him, that blonde bitch, Sunny, that crazy Doctor Todorov, that ninja who came to our house, and some weird old woman."
"Oh, wow."
"I know. I convinced Jeremy to let me go though, on one condition. He wants to meet the Blue Lynx and unmask her."
Margot laughed. "Might be hard to do with you riding around in his car."
"Yes. Especially as I'm still tied up pretty tight. Which is why I need you to do me a favor. We're driving to Frederick Park right now. I told him I was calling the Blue Lynx to tell her to meet him there."
"Oh, okay," Margot said. "So I guess I'll meet you there?"
"Right. But you've got to come as the Blue Lynx, Margot."
Margot blinked. "Me? The Blue Lynx?"
"Yes. It's the only way, Margot. You have to show up and beat him."
"But Erin... How? I can't fight like you can."
"This guy is a shrimp. And you've been training. I know you can take him, Margot."
Margot hadn't stopped moving. She had walked from the kitchen into her bedroom and back again. She now walked into Erin's room and opened her closet. She saw the Blue Lynx costume there: the mask, the leotard, the boots, the belt. She sighed.
"Erin, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Trust me, Margot. He's only going to stick around if the Blue Lynx shows up. He won't know you from me once you put on that costume."
"Okay," Margot said. "Frederick Park. When?"
"Be there are midnight. I have to go. He's looking at me through the window."
"Alright," Margot said. "I'll see you there, Erin."
"Good luck, Blue Lynx," Erin said. She hung up.
Margot bent down and grabbed hold of the Blue Lynx outfit. She looked at the shimmering color, felt the smooth spandex texture, could almost smell Erin's body on it. Margot had designed the costume, had built all of the Blue Lynx's weapons, had monitored the young woman wearing it for years. And now, she was being asked to don it.
It was incredibly scary. But it was exciting, too.
Margot took the Blue Lynx mask and brought it up to her glasses. She looked out at on Erin's bedroom through her friend's cowl and smiled.
"Just another night in the life of the Blue Lynx," she said, as she began to undress.
On to Chapter Seven
January 6th, 11:34 PM
Margot took a final gulp from her coffee cup, sighed, and closed her laptop.
Twelve hours. That's how long she had been sitting here. Reading, researching, thinking, looking for leads... Finding nothing. She had spent half a day in front of her computer, desperately searching for clues to help her figure out where they were holding Erin, and was no wiser for it. She placed her fingers on her temples and kneaded.
"There's nothing," she thought. "It's hopeless."
She almost jumped when her phone vibrated. She picked it up and looked at the screen. It was an unknown number. At 11:30? Could it be...
She brought the phone to her ear and answered. "Hello."
"Margot," said a low voice on the other end. "It's Erin."
Margot kicked out her chair and stumbled to her feet. "Erin!" she cried, walking around the kitchen table, barely able to contain her excitement. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Erin said. "I'm in the back of a car. I'm in the middle of my escape."
Margot smiled. "Oh, Erin! I've been trying to find you all day! But I couldn't find anything!"
"That's okay," Erin said. "Listen, Margot. Do you remember that boy from college, that Jeremy guy, who went by the name 'The De-Lyxinator'?"
"Yes," Margot said, nodding. "Why?"
"I'm in his car right now. He's one of the guys who abducted me. Him, that blonde bitch, Sunny, that crazy Doctor Todorov, that ninja who came to our house, and some weird old woman."
"Oh, wow."
"I know. I convinced Jeremy to let me go though, on one condition. He wants to meet the Blue Lynx and unmask her."
Margot laughed. "Might be hard to do with you riding around in his car."
"Yes. Especially as I'm still tied up pretty tight. Which is why I need you to do me a favor. We're driving to Frederick Park right now. I told him I was calling the Blue Lynx to tell her to meet him there."
"Oh, okay," Margot said. "So I guess I'll meet you there?"
"Right. But you've got to come as the Blue Lynx, Margot."
Margot blinked. "Me? The Blue Lynx?"
"Yes. It's the only way, Margot. You have to show up and beat him."
"But Erin... How? I can't fight like you can."
"This guy is a shrimp. And you've been training. I know you can take him, Margot."
Margot hadn't stopped moving. She had walked from the kitchen into her bedroom and back again. She now walked into Erin's room and opened her closet. She saw the Blue Lynx costume there: the mask, the leotard, the boots, the belt. She sighed.
"Erin, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Trust me, Margot. He's only going to stick around if the Blue Lynx shows up. He won't know you from me once you put on that costume."
"Okay," Margot said. "Frederick Park. When?"
"Be there are midnight. I have to go. He's looking at me through the window."
"Alright," Margot said. "I'll see you there, Erin."
"Good luck, Blue Lynx," Erin said. She hung up.
Margot bent down and grabbed hold of the Blue Lynx outfit. She looked at the shimmering color, felt the smooth spandex texture, could almost smell Erin's body on it. Margot had designed the costume, had built all of the Blue Lynx's weapons, had monitored the young woman wearing it for years. And now, she was being asked to don it.
It was incredibly scary. But it was exciting, too.
Margot took the Blue Lynx mask and brought it up to her glasses. She looked out at on Erin's bedroom through her friend's cowl and smiled.
"Just another night in the life of the Blue Lynx," she said, as she began to undress.
On to Chapter Seven
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
January 6th, 11:00 PM
Bored, drunk, and looking forward to her time alone with the Mayor's bound, underwear-clad daughter, Sunny wandered down the hallway and up to the door, which the kid had closed despite her repeated orders to leave it partially open at all times. "Damn him," she thought. She liked the guy, and had felt like he had a lot to contribute to this "Fearsome Five," but it was obvious by now that he was kind of dumb. "Oh well," she thought. "What are you gonna do."
She rapped on the wood with the back of her hand. "You guys doing alright in there? It's my turn."
The other side of the door was silent.
"I'm coming in," she announced, turning the handle and pushing the door open.
The chair was in the same place as before. Ropes had fallen in tangled loops near and around its legs. Nothing about the bare, dimly-lit room had changed, and yet everything had: Erin Steele, and the kid, were nowhere to be seen.
"Hey!" Sunny said. "What the fuck?"
She ran toward the chair and bent down to hold the ropes. They had been torn up by clumsy fingers. She grimaced as she looked up at the room's back door and saw it swinging slightly in the cold breeze.
"No," she said, dashing toward the back door, and opening it up to see a vacant white space where the kid's car had once been. "No. No!"
She slammed the door shut and gripped her head in her hands. What the fuck had he done with her? Where did they go? Why hadn't he said anything? Had he betrayed them?
"Hey, what's going on," Todorov said, entering the room. "I just heard the door and..." He paused, taking in the emptiness of the space, the sadness of the ropes bunched around the chair legs, the cold air coming in from the crack in the back door.
"Fuck," he said. "What happened?"
Sunny turned to face him. "They're gone! The kid took her somewhere! Shit!"
A grayness slowly overran Todorov's face. He looked down at the ground. "Fuck."
"I'm calling the boss," Sunny said, removing her phone from her pocket. "I think this mission is fucked."
Todorov gulped. "He's not going to be happy."
"We tried, okay?" Sunny yelled. "Who knew the kid was going to be such a flake?"
Sunny pressed the phone to side of her face. She ran her fingers along her mouth and nose, attempting to regain her composure. "Brent," she finally said. "It's Sunny."
Todorov placed his hands in the pockets of his coat and listened as the drunken blonde's voice grew louder, wilder, and more defensive.
"Fucking I don't know, Brent, okay? Hey, you said... No... You said he'd be a good fit. And I thought so, too... What do you mean... No, we were fucking taking turns... Yeah, taking fucking shifts. I'm not gonna watch the bitch all night... Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Hey, fuck you, Brent, okay? Fuck you. No, I have no idea where he fucking went... No, I'm not going to do that, Brent, the little bastard could be anywhere... Yeah... You think so? Fucking cops?... Alright, fine. Fucking fine. We're leaving... You want someone to stay? And just who do you think would volunteer for that, with the cops coming, huh?... Yeah, I'm drunk, so what, you stay here for days and keep yourself fucking entertained... No, fuck you... Okay, fine. I'll ask Steve. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Sure. Brent, fine. Fuck you, bye."
Sunny dropped the phone to her side and looked at Todorov, who was now grinning.
"And what's so fucking funny, huh?"
Todorov snickered. "I don't know."
"He wants us to leave. Take shelter for a while, regroup, and think of a new plan. But he wants one of us to stay, in case, you know, the kid comes back. So I'm gonna ask Steve."
"I'm sure he'll have nothing to say about that," Todorov laughed.
"Fuck!" Sunny screamed. "Fuck! How could we fuck this up?"
Todorov shrugged.
On to Chapter Eight
January 6th, 11:00 PM
Bored, drunk, and looking forward to her time alone with the Mayor's bound, underwear-clad daughter, Sunny wandered down the hallway and up to the door, which the kid had closed despite her repeated orders to leave it partially open at all times. "Damn him," she thought. She liked the guy, and had felt like he had a lot to contribute to this "Fearsome Five," but it was obvious by now that he was kind of dumb. "Oh well," she thought. "What are you gonna do."
She rapped on the wood with the back of her hand. "You guys doing alright in there? It's my turn."
The other side of the door was silent.
"I'm coming in," she announced, turning the handle and pushing the door open.
The chair was in the same place as before. Ropes had fallen in tangled loops near and around its legs. Nothing about the bare, dimly-lit room had changed, and yet everything had: Erin Steele, and the kid, were nowhere to be seen.
"Hey!" Sunny said. "What the fuck?"
She ran toward the chair and bent down to hold the ropes. They had been torn up by clumsy fingers. She grimaced as she looked up at the room's back door and saw it swinging slightly in the cold breeze.
"No," she said, dashing toward the back door, and opening it up to see a vacant white space where the kid's car had once been. "No. No!"
She slammed the door shut and gripped her head in her hands. What the fuck had he done with her? Where did they go? Why hadn't he said anything? Had he betrayed them?
"Hey, what's going on," Todorov said, entering the room. "I just heard the door and..." He paused, taking in the emptiness of the space, the sadness of the ropes bunched around the chair legs, the cold air coming in from the crack in the back door.
"Fuck," he said. "What happened?"
Sunny turned to face him. "They're gone! The kid took her somewhere! Shit!"
A grayness slowly overran Todorov's face. He looked down at the ground. "Fuck."
"I'm calling the boss," Sunny said, removing her phone from her pocket. "I think this mission is fucked."
Todorov gulped. "He's not going to be happy."
"We tried, okay?" Sunny yelled. "Who knew the kid was going to be such a flake?"
Sunny pressed the phone to side of her face. She ran her fingers along her mouth and nose, attempting to regain her composure. "Brent," she finally said. "It's Sunny."
Todorov placed his hands in the pockets of his coat and listened as the drunken blonde's voice grew louder, wilder, and more defensive.
"Fucking I don't know, Brent, okay? Hey, you said... No... You said he'd be a good fit. And I thought so, too... What do you mean... No, we were fucking taking turns... Yeah, taking fucking shifts. I'm not gonna watch the bitch all night... Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Hey, fuck you, Brent, okay? Fuck you. No, I have no idea where he fucking went... No, I'm not going to do that, Brent, the little bastard could be anywhere... Yeah... You think so? Fucking cops?... Alright, fine. Fucking fine. We're leaving... You want someone to stay? And just who do you think would volunteer for that, with the cops coming, huh?... Yeah, I'm drunk, so what, you stay here for days and keep yourself fucking entertained... No, fuck you... Okay, fine. I'll ask Steve. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Sure. Brent, fine. Fuck you, bye."
Sunny dropped the phone to her side and looked at Todorov, who was now grinning.
"And what's so fucking funny, huh?"
Todorov snickered. "I don't know."
"He wants us to leave. Take shelter for a while, regroup, and think of a new plan. But he wants one of us to stay, in case, you know, the kid comes back. So I'm gonna ask Steve."
"I'm sure he'll have nothing to say about that," Todorov laughed.
"Fuck!" Sunny screamed. "Fuck! How could we fuck this up?"
Todorov shrugged.
On to Chapter Eight
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
January 6th, 11:38 PM
As Erin hung up, Jeremy opened the back door of his car. He threw his cigarette on the ground, put it out with his foot, and smiled at Erin.
"You get in touch with her?"
Erin nodded. "Yes."
"And she'll be at the park at midnight?"
Erin nodded again.
Jeremy pumped his fist. "Yes," he cried. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" He clambered onto the seat and over Erin's body, still bound tightly around the wrists and ankles, and pulled the phone from Erin's fingers. He looked at the device and looked at Erin with glee.
"So this now has her number on it, then?"
Erin gulped. Shit. She hadn't thought about that.
Jeremy laughed. "Not that it'll matter in twenty minutes. I'm going to beat the Blue Lynx and finally, finally unmask her. And that will be that."
He pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket. "Okay. Time for the gag again."
Erin struggled as Jeremy tied the cloth around her mouth. She wanted to seem scared still, and desperate, even though her plan was going exactly the way she wanted. She had gotten Jeremy to free her from her captor's house, and made him believe he was going to get to fight the Blue Lynx. She'd been allowed to contact "Blue Lynx," and had let Margot know where "she" was going to be at midnight. She had even been able to peek out from the blanket Jeremy had placed over her body to see where she had been held. She'd recognized the house, too: it was a broken-down old thing not far away from Hillbilly Manor, where Erin and Margot had had a particularly memorable encounter some months ago. Just how many run-down properties had Hammerson refurbished for his operation?
"I'm going to put the blanket back on, too," Jeremy said. "Sorry."
"Mmph," Erin mumbled.
Jeremy spread the quilt over Erin's mostly-naked body, patting it down on her legs and arms, making sure she couldn't be seen through the window, and then slammed the back door. He hopped in the front and started the ignition.
Seconds later, Erin was rolling along with the momentum of the vehicle, her thoughts racing. Would Margot be able to beat Jeremy? He hadn't seemed like much of a threat. But now Erin recalled how easily he had lifted Erin out of that chair; how he had carried her out of the house and into his car while barely breaking a sweat. Had be gotten stronger since college? Maybe so. But Margot had gotten tougher, too. And she had the arsenal of the Blue Lynx on her side, as well. Erin was confident that Margot would be able to figure something out.
"I could help her, too," Erin thought, "If I could just get these damn ropes off." She had been working at the knots since the blanket first draped over her. Jeremy's bonds were not as tough as the ninja's or the old woman's, and Erin felt like she had stretched them a considerable amount in the past half hour or so. Still, the ties held, and the pain, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion that had grown within Erin since she had been chloroformed in her apartment-- how many days ago was that, now?-- made any kind of exertion a challenge.
"Come on, Erin," she thought, twisting and tugging and turning on the backseat. "Come on."
Suddenly, the car turned off. Erin froze. She heard the front door open and shut, and shortly after, heard Jeremy's voice rising in the cold night air.
"Where are you, Blue Lynx? Where are you?"
Erin shimmied her body and nodded her head, wrestling with the quilt, and eventually found a way to poke her chin over its edge. She scooted her butt back toward the car door and climbed into a sitting position. From here, she could see out the back window.
They were in the park, and it was dark. A single light in the parking lot illuminated just one other vehicle: Margot's car. The edges of light's yellow aura revealed tall trees, a small dirt path, and a few benches. Jeremy was walking down the path, his arms hanging loose by his sides. He almost seemed to be snapping his fingers. Then, she heard his voice.
"Hello there."
And Erin looked further up the path to see a girl in tight blue spandex, white boots and gloves, a blue mask, and a white belt. She was standing straight, confident, with her hands on her hips. She was the Blue Lynx, and yet, somehow, not the Blue Lynx. She was shorter. Maybe a touch wider. And her hair was glowing with a reddish tint in the parking lot light.
She was Margot.
On to Chapter Nine
January 6th, 11:38 PM
As Erin hung up, Jeremy opened the back door of his car. He threw his cigarette on the ground, put it out with his foot, and smiled at Erin.
"You get in touch with her?"
Erin nodded. "Yes."
"And she'll be at the park at midnight?"
Erin nodded again.
Jeremy pumped his fist. "Yes," he cried. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" He clambered onto the seat and over Erin's body, still bound tightly around the wrists and ankles, and pulled the phone from Erin's fingers. He looked at the device and looked at Erin with glee.
"So this now has her number on it, then?"
Erin gulped. Shit. She hadn't thought about that.
Jeremy laughed. "Not that it'll matter in twenty minutes. I'm going to beat the Blue Lynx and finally, finally unmask her. And that will be that."
He pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket. "Okay. Time for the gag again."
Erin struggled as Jeremy tied the cloth around her mouth. She wanted to seem scared still, and desperate, even though her plan was going exactly the way she wanted. She had gotten Jeremy to free her from her captor's house, and made him believe he was going to get to fight the Blue Lynx. She'd been allowed to contact "Blue Lynx," and had let Margot know where "she" was going to be at midnight. She had even been able to peek out from the blanket Jeremy had placed over her body to see where she had been held. She'd recognized the house, too: it was a broken-down old thing not far away from Hillbilly Manor, where Erin and Margot had had a particularly memorable encounter some months ago. Just how many run-down properties had Hammerson refurbished for his operation?
"I'm going to put the blanket back on, too," Jeremy said. "Sorry."
"Mmph," Erin mumbled.
Jeremy spread the quilt over Erin's mostly-naked body, patting it down on her legs and arms, making sure she couldn't be seen through the window, and then slammed the back door. He hopped in the front and started the ignition.
Seconds later, Erin was rolling along with the momentum of the vehicle, her thoughts racing. Would Margot be able to beat Jeremy? He hadn't seemed like much of a threat. But now Erin recalled how easily he had lifted Erin out of that chair; how he had carried her out of the house and into his car while barely breaking a sweat. Had be gotten stronger since college? Maybe so. But Margot had gotten tougher, too. And she had the arsenal of the Blue Lynx on her side, as well. Erin was confident that Margot would be able to figure something out.
"I could help her, too," Erin thought, "If I could just get these damn ropes off." She had been working at the knots since the blanket first draped over her. Jeremy's bonds were not as tough as the ninja's or the old woman's, and Erin felt like she had stretched them a considerable amount in the past half hour or so. Still, the ties held, and the pain, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion that had grown within Erin since she had been chloroformed in her apartment-- how many days ago was that, now?-- made any kind of exertion a challenge.
"Come on, Erin," she thought, twisting and tugging and turning on the backseat. "Come on."
Suddenly, the car turned off. Erin froze. She heard the front door open and shut, and shortly after, heard Jeremy's voice rising in the cold night air.
"Where are you, Blue Lynx? Where are you?"
Erin shimmied her body and nodded her head, wrestling with the quilt, and eventually found a way to poke her chin over its edge. She scooted her butt back toward the car door and climbed into a sitting position. From here, she could see out the back window.
They were in the park, and it was dark. A single light in the parking lot illuminated just one other vehicle: Margot's car. The edges of light's yellow aura revealed tall trees, a small dirt path, and a few benches. Jeremy was walking down the path, his arms hanging loose by his sides. He almost seemed to be snapping his fingers. Then, she heard his voice.
"Hello there."
And Erin looked further up the path to see a girl in tight blue spandex, white boots and gloves, a blue mask, and a white belt. She was standing straight, confident, with her hands on her hips. She was the Blue Lynx, and yet, somehow, not the Blue Lynx. She was shorter. Maybe a touch wider. And her hair was glowing with a reddish tint in the parking lot light.
She was Margot.
On to Chapter Nine
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
January 7th, 12:02 AM
"Oh God," Margot thought. "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."
There were about a thousand sensations hitting her at once.
First of all: she was cold. It was midnight in January in the park, and here she was in nothing but a little long-sleeved bikini and boots. She had placed her hands on her hips to show authority and confidence. What she hoped no one saw was how much she was shivering.
She was excited. Her heart had been racing ever since she had received Erin's call. Now, as she watched this kid approach her, watched him saunter down the dirt path, her whole chest was practically vibrating. She was the Blue Lynx now, and she was about to fight this man. It was pretty fun to think about.
But it was nerve-wracking, too. She looked beyond the kid and into the parking lot, and she thought she saw Erin's face in the back of his car. (She couldn't tell for sure-- she had left her glasses in her own car-- they simply wouldn't cooperate with the Blue Lynx mask.) Erin's life and career-- all of it depended on this moment. She had got her friend out of jams before. But never had she done it in a way that was so... Explicit.
What to do now? Run at him? Or let him approach? Say something? Or stay silent? Throw a Lynx dart? Or a smoke bomb?
How did Erin think, when she was the Blue Lynx? Did she pick from certain options, one choice to the next, thinking through a plan of action? Or was it more spontaneous, instinctive? Was she ever scared? Anxious? Hopeless? Or did those emotions suddenly fall away once she found herself in the middle of a fight?
"Oh God," Margot thought. "Oh God..."
"Blue Lynx, it's been a long time," the kid said, now about ten yards away from her. "I've missed you so much."
Margot stayed still. "Say something," she thought. "Say something."
"Yeah," she said. "I'll, umm, bet you have."
The kid stopped. He squinted his eyes at her and frowned. "What have you done with your hair?"
"Oh," Margot said. "I dyed it."
The kid smiled. "I like it," he said, resuming his forward motion. "Looks good on you."
"Where's Erin Steele?" Margot said, making her voice gruff.
The kid pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "She's in the car. Unhurt. Tied up in her bra and panties. But not hurt."
Margot didn't know what to say. "Good," she finally coughed.
"She's been quite helpful. She told me she'd lead me to you. And here we are. After years of being apart."
Margot remembered the kid, this Jeremy. He was the same gangly redhead she had known in college. Same stupid voice, same weird obsessions. Only he seemed more confident now. He walked with a sense of purpose. And he'd maybe gotten bigger, somehow?
"This is it for you, Blue Lynx," he said, cracking his knuckles. "One more fight. And then I unmask you."
Margot shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. It was a lame line. But what else was there to say?
"I'm going to enjoy this," Jeremy said. He had quickened his pace, and was rapidly within a few yards of Margot.
She decided to make the first move. She tucked her fingers into one of the pockets of her belt and removed a smoke bomb. She lifted it in the hair and prepared to throw it. And then, in an instant, Jeremy was on her, grabbing her raised shoulder, pushing his body against hers, forcing the smoke bomb out of her hand and pushing her to the ground. The tiny pellet fell to the grass with an insignificant plop.
Margot speedily got on her hands and knees, her boots and gloves now stained with dirt and grass. But before she could raise herself any further, Jeremy was again next to her, slamming a knee into her shoulder, forcing her to fall on her back. "Unngh!" she cried, hitting the dirt.
Margot was already breathing heavily, her chest heaving in and out as Jeremy looked down on her, relishing the look of her sprawled-out body. "I've been training for years, Blue Lynx," he said, grabbing her by her wrists and yanking her to her feet. He placed one hand under her chin. "I've been training for this day."
He kicked out his foot and caught Margot on the back of her ankles, sweeping her boots from underneath her, throwing her again to the ground. Margot clutched at her back and winced. He was... pummeling her.
She had to get away. She rolled onto her hands and knees and began to crawl. But she'd barely gotten a few feet apart before she felt Jeremy's hands on her ankle. He jerked her backward, and her hands flew out in front of her, sending her face into the dirt with a loud "OOF!"
"I've gotten faster," Jeremy said, moving his hands up Margot's leg, and pulling her body along the ground. "And I've gotten stronger."
Margot tried to sink her fingers into the dirt, but Jeremy yanked her loose each time, and soon he was on top of her again, clutching the back of her head with one hand, holding her face in the air while she sat on muddy, weakened knees.
"Meanwhile, you don't seemed to have learned much," he said, bringing his face around Margot's shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Have you gotten slower? Weaker?"
Jeremy placed his foot on Margot's lower back and pushed, dropping her back to the ground, face-first. Her gloves, boots, costume, face, and hair were now covered in mud and grime and grass. She coughed. How could she beat this guy? He was obviously her superior physically. She hadn't gotten a single punch in...
She grabbed a pile of loose dirt, turned around, and flung the debris into Jeremy's face. Jeremy shut his eyes, waved his hands, stepped backward. "Cheater!" he yelled, scraping at his face with his fingers.
Here was Margot's chance. She pushed herself up to her feet and stepped toward Jeremy, who was now yelling and frantically waving his hands. She reached into another belt pocket, looking for a Lynx dart. "A quick stab to the arm out to take him down a peg," Margot thought, moving within feet of her foe, holding the small weapon out in front of her, when out of the blue, a flying fist connected with her jaw, spinning her body around on its axis. Margot blinked her eyes in a daze, rolling her head around on her neck, stepping haphazardly in a wide circle, before finally crumpling to ground.
She lay on the cold grass in a half-conscious state, dreamily watching as Jeremy removed the dirt from his eyes. He bent down toward her, shaking his head the whole time, and placed a hand on the inside of her thigh.
"Wow. Beaten by a blind man," Jeremy chuckled, stroking Margot's bare skin. He placed his other hand on her forehead and pushed her red hair out of her face. "You're not what you used to be, Blue Lynx."
He reached into the unbuttoned pocket of Margot's belt and pulled out a handful of Lynx darts. He looked at them, shook his head, and dropped them to the ground with small, metallic clinks.
"You were going to stab me with one of those? That would've hurt."
He snapped the flap of Margot's belt shut and crawled on top of her, straddling her, placing his hands on top of her breasts, flicking at the edge of her spandex outfit. He found a loose part of Margot's red bra strap and played with it, his broad smile taking up more and more of his face. She was helpless, and he was delighted.
"No," Margot thought. "I can't... Lose... I can't. Not like this..."
"It's the end of the line, Blue Lynx," Jeremy said, sliding his hands up around Margot's throat. He applied a small bit of pressure; not enough to choke her, but enough to send the message that he had her, that she couldn't escape, that she had been defeated. "I've been waiting for this for a long, long, long time."
He kept one hand clasped around Margot's throat and moved the other up to her face. He looked into her eyes, which were still flashing in and out of consciousness, and stroked her cheek.
"I only get to do this once," Jeremy said. "So I'm going to do it right. Nice and slow."
He squeezed his legs together, pressing Margot's arms to her sides, and leaned forward, slipping the thumb of his free hand under the lower edge of the blue mask. Margot couldn't speak, couldn't protest, could only mouth the word "No" as Jeremy eased his thumb up her face, gradually dragging the mask along with it. Her vision temporarily went blue as the fabric passed over her eyes, and then she was once again looking into Jeremy's face, and Jeremy was laughing-- shaking with laughter-- as he gazed down at her face, unmasked.
On to Chapter Ten
January 7th, 12:02 AM
"Oh God," Margot thought. "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."
There were about a thousand sensations hitting her at once.
First of all: she was cold. It was midnight in January in the park, and here she was in nothing but a little long-sleeved bikini and boots. She had placed her hands on her hips to show authority and confidence. What she hoped no one saw was how much she was shivering.
She was excited. Her heart had been racing ever since she had received Erin's call. Now, as she watched this kid approach her, watched him saunter down the dirt path, her whole chest was practically vibrating. She was the Blue Lynx now, and she was about to fight this man. It was pretty fun to think about.
But it was nerve-wracking, too. She looked beyond the kid and into the parking lot, and she thought she saw Erin's face in the back of his car. (She couldn't tell for sure-- she had left her glasses in her own car-- they simply wouldn't cooperate with the Blue Lynx mask.) Erin's life and career-- all of it depended on this moment. She had got her friend out of jams before. But never had she done it in a way that was so... Explicit.
What to do now? Run at him? Or let him approach? Say something? Or stay silent? Throw a Lynx dart? Or a smoke bomb?
How did Erin think, when she was the Blue Lynx? Did she pick from certain options, one choice to the next, thinking through a plan of action? Or was it more spontaneous, instinctive? Was she ever scared? Anxious? Hopeless? Or did those emotions suddenly fall away once she found herself in the middle of a fight?
"Oh God," Margot thought. "Oh God..."
"Blue Lynx, it's been a long time," the kid said, now about ten yards away from her. "I've missed you so much."
Margot stayed still. "Say something," she thought. "Say something."
"Yeah," she said. "I'll, umm, bet you have."
The kid stopped. He squinted his eyes at her and frowned. "What have you done with your hair?"
"Oh," Margot said. "I dyed it."
The kid smiled. "I like it," he said, resuming his forward motion. "Looks good on you."
"Where's Erin Steele?" Margot said, making her voice gruff.
The kid pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "She's in the car. Unhurt. Tied up in her bra and panties. But not hurt."
Margot didn't know what to say. "Good," she finally coughed.
"She's been quite helpful. She told me she'd lead me to you. And here we are. After years of being apart."
Margot remembered the kid, this Jeremy. He was the same gangly redhead she had known in college. Same stupid voice, same weird obsessions. Only he seemed more confident now. He walked with a sense of purpose. And he'd maybe gotten bigger, somehow?
"This is it for you, Blue Lynx," he said, cracking his knuckles. "One more fight. And then I unmask you."
Margot shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. It was a lame line. But what else was there to say?
"I'm going to enjoy this," Jeremy said. He had quickened his pace, and was rapidly within a few yards of Margot.
She decided to make the first move. She tucked her fingers into one of the pockets of her belt and removed a smoke bomb. She lifted it in the hair and prepared to throw it. And then, in an instant, Jeremy was on her, grabbing her raised shoulder, pushing his body against hers, forcing the smoke bomb out of her hand and pushing her to the ground. The tiny pellet fell to the grass with an insignificant plop.
Margot speedily got on her hands and knees, her boots and gloves now stained with dirt and grass. But before she could raise herself any further, Jeremy was again next to her, slamming a knee into her shoulder, forcing her to fall on her back. "Unngh!" she cried, hitting the dirt.
Margot was already breathing heavily, her chest heaving in and out as Jeremy looked down on her, relishing the look of her sprawled-out body. "I've been training for years, Blue Lynx," he said, grabbing her by her wrists and yanking her to her feet. He placed one hand under her chin. "I've been training for this day."
He kicked out his foot and caught Margot on the back of her ankles, sweeping her boots from underneath her, throwing her again to the ground. Margot clutched at her back and winced. He was... pummeling her.
She had to get away. She rolled onto her hands and knees and began to crawl. But she'd barely gotten a few feet apart before she felt Jeremy's hands on her ankle. He jerked her backward, and her hands flew out in front of her, sending her face into the dirt with a loud "OOF!"
"I've gotten faster," Jeremy said, moving his hands up Margot's leg, and pulling her body along the ground. "And I've gotten stronger."
Margot tried to sink her fingers into the dirt, but Jeremy yanked her loose each time, and soon he was on top of her again, clutching the back of her head with one hand, holding her face in the air while she sat on muddy, weakened knees.
"Meanwhile, you don't seemed to have learned much," he said, bringing his face around Margot's shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Have you gotten slower? Weaker?"
Jeremy placed his foot on Margot's lower back and pushed, dropping her back to the ground, face-first. Her gloves, boots, costume, face, and hair were now covered in mud and grime and grass. She coughed. How could she beat this guy? He was obviously her superior physically. She hadn't gotten a single punch in...
She grabbed a pile of loose dirt, turned around, and flung the debris into Jeremy's face. Jeremy shut his eyes, waved his hands, stepped backward. "Cheater!" he yelled, scraping at his face with his fingers.
Here was Margot's chance. She pushed herself up to her feet and stepped toward Jeremy, who was now yelling and frantically waving his hands. She reached into another belt pocket, looking for a Lynx dart. "A quick stab to the arm out to take him down a peg," Margot thought, moving within feet of her foe, holding the small weapon out in front of her, when out of the blue, a flying fist connected with her jaw, spinning her body around on its axis. Margot blinked her eyes in a daze, rolling her head around on her neck, stepping haphazardly in a wide circle, before finally crumpling to ground.
She lay on the cold grass in a half-conscious state, dreamily watching as Jeremy removed the dirt from his eyes. He bent down toward her, shaking his head the whole time, and placed a hand on the inside of her thigh.
"Wow. Beaten by a blind man," Jeremy chuckled, stroking Margot's bare skin. He placed his other hand on her forehead and pushed her red hair out of her face. "You're not what you used to be, Blue Lynx."
He reached into the unbuttoned pocket of Margot's belt and pulled out a handful of Lynx darts. He looked at them, shook his head, and dropped them to the ground with small, metallic clinks.
"You were going to stab me with one of those? That would've hurt."
He snapped the flap of Margot's belt shut and crawled on top of her, straddling her, placing his hands on top of her breasts, flicking at the edge of her spandex outfit. He found a loose part of Margot's red bra strap and played with it, his broad smile taking up more and more of his face. She was helpless, and he was delighted.
"No," Margot thought. "I can't... Lose... I can't. Not like this..."
"It's the end of the line, Blue Lynx," Jeremy said, sliding his hands up around Margot's throat. He applied a small bit of pressure; not enough to choke her, but enough to send the message that he had her, that she couldn't escape, that she had been defeated. "I've been waiting for this for a long, long, long time."
He kept one hand clasped around Margot's throat and moved the other up to her face. He looked into her eyes, which were still flashing in and out of consciousness, and stroked her cheek.
"I only get to do this once," Jeremy said. "So I'm going to do it right. Nice and slow."
He squeezed his legs together, pressing Margot's arms to her sides, and leaned forward, slipping the thumb of his free hand under the lower edge of the blue mask. Margot couldn't speak, couldn't protest, could only mouth the word "No" as Jeremy eased his thumb up her face, gradually dragging the mask along with it. Her vision temporarily went blue as the fabric passed over her eyes, and then she was once again looking into Jeremy's face, and Jeremy was laughing-- shaking with laughter-- as he gazed down at her face, unmasked.
On to Chapter Ten
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
January 7th, 12:13 AM
"Margot?" Jeremy cried, his voice joyful, but tinged with bewilderment and anxiety. "Really? Margot from college?"
Margot didn't reply. He bent down closer to her, looking at the her face, and then at her mask, and then back to her face.
"But... This doesn't make sense," he said, sitting back onto her thighs. "I am positive, positive there were times when I saw you together with the Blue Lynx."
He looked at Margot's body, all wet with dew, all covered in green and brown, all topped with a beautiful mess of reddish-brown hair. And it dawned on him.
"You... You're not really the Blue Lynx," he said, pointing at her face. "You're an imposter." He dropped the mask to the ground. "The real Blue Lynx would have never been defeated so easily."
"You got that right," Erin said, socking Jeremy in the face. The impact threw his body off of Margot and into grass.
She shook her fist out and smiled. She had been watching the scene for the last ten minutes. And as soon as she saw Margot first hit the ground, she knew that she would need help. So she'd clawed away at her bonds, working harder at the knots than she ever had before, and finally found a way to break free.
Jeremy got up, holding his cheek, which was already redder than his hair. He glared at Erin.
"This was a trap," he said.
Erin nodded. "I don't know who the Blue Lynx is, you idiot. But I know my friend Margot is a great cosplayer."
Jeremy stamped his foot. "You bitch. You lied to me!"
He ran at Erin. As Erin went to meet him, her bare feet slipped on the wet grass. She spun around backward into Jeremy's arms, arms that immediately clutched her bare belly and breasts, and pulled her into a bearhug.
Erin squirmed. She worked her weakened biceps, but Jeremy wouldn't budge: the kid had definitely gotten stronger. And she knew she was in no condition to fight after days of captivity.
"If I can't have the Blue Lynx, I guess I'll settle for the Mayor's daughter," Jeremy sneered, sliding his hand into Erin's bra, and beginning to cup his fingers around her bare breast.
"Ugh! Pervert!" Erin said, slamming the back of her head into Jeremy's nose. The kid immediately released her and stumbled backward. Erin turned around to see his face covered in blood, his hands trying to hold it in, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Aghh!" he yelled. "You broke my nose!"
"Serves you right," Erin said. She dashed toward the startled Jeremy and jumped, grabbed him by the neck, and finally hurled him to the ground. He smashed into the grass, absorbing most of the impact with his bloody face, and instantly went limp.
Erin bent down to check him. Unconscious. Great.
She sighed, and then became aware of how cold it was, and how naked she had been for the last two days. It had been a crazy adventure, this one. And it wasn't done yet.
She got on the ground next to Margot, taking her friend by the shoulders. "Margot," she said, giving her a shake. "Margot, wake up."
Margot's eyes fluttered. She looked up, recognized her friend, and slowly smiled. "Erin," she whispered.
Erin pulled her up into a sitting position and patted her on the back. "Margot, I'm so sorry. I didn't know Jeremy had gotten so strong."
"That's okay," Margot said, brushing the dirt off of her costume. "It wasn't that bad."
Erin laughed. "Oh no, it was pretty bad."
Margot stared at her and grinned. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at Erin's mostly-naked body. "You must be freezing."
"Yeah," Erin said. "You think I can have my costume back?"
"Umm, I guess," Margot said. "I did bring a change of clothes for you, though."
"I don't need it. The Blue Lynx's work isn't done, tonight."
On to Chapter Eleven
January 7th, 12:13 AM
"Margot?" Jeremy cried, his voice joyful, but tinged with bewilderment and anxiety. "Really? Margot from college?"
Margot didn't reply. He bent down closer to her, looking at the her face, and then at her mask, and then back to her face.
"But... This doesn't make sense," he said, sitting back onto her thighs. "I am positive, positive there were times when I saw you together with the Blue Lynx."
He looked at Margot's body, all wet with dew, all covered in green and brown, all topped with a beautiful mess of reddish-brown hair. And it dawned on him.
"You... You're not really the Blue Lynx," he said, pointing at her face. "You're an imposter." He dropped the mask to the ground. "The real Blue Lynx would have never been defeated so easily."
"You got that right," Erin said, socking Jeremy in the face. The impact threw his body off of Margot and into grass.
She shook her fist out and smiled. She had been watching the scene for the last ten minutes. And as soon as she saw Margot first hit the ground, she knew that she would need help. So she'd clawed away at her bonds, working harder at the knots than she ever had before, and finally found a way to break free.
Jeremy got up, holding his cheek, which was already redder than his hair. He glared at Erin.
"This was a trap," he said.
Erin nodded. "I don't know who the Blue Lynx is, you idiot. But I know my friend Margot is a great cosplayer."
Jeremy stamped his foot. "You bitch. You lied to me!"
He ran at Erin. As Erin went to meet him, her bare feet slipped on the wet grass. She spun around backward into Jeremy's arms, arms that immediately clutched her bare belly and breasts, and pulled her into a bearhug.
Erin squirmed. She worked her weakened biceps, but Jeremy wouldn't budge: the kid had definitely gotten stronger. And she knew she was in no condition to fight after days of captivity.
"If I can't have the Blue Lynx, I guess I'll settle for the Mayor's daughter," Jeremy sneered, sliding his hand into Erin's bra, and beginning to cup his fingers around her bare breast.
"Ugh! Pervert!" Erin said, slamming the back of her head into Jeremy's nose. The kid immediately released her and stumbled backward. Erin turned around to see his face covered in blood, his hands trying to hold it in, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Aghh!" he yelled. "You broke my nose!"
"Serves you right," Erin said. She dashed toward the startled Jeremy and jumped, grabbed him by the neck, and finally hurled him to the ground. He smashed into the grass, absorbing most of the impact with his bloody face, and instantly went limp.
Erin bent down to check him. Unconscious. Great.
She sighed, and then became aware of how cold it was, and how naked she had been for the last two days. It had been a crazy adventure, this one. And it wasn't done yet.
She got on the ground next to Margot, taking her friend by the shoulders. "Margot," she said, giving her a shake. "Margot, wake up."
Margot's eyes fluttered. She looked up, recognized her friend, and slowly smiled. "Erin," she whispered.
Erin pulled her up into a sitting position and patted her on the back. "Margot, I'm so sorry. I didn't know Jeremy had gotten so strong."
"That's okay," Margot said, brushing the dirt off of her costume. "It wasn't that bad."
Erin laughed. "Oh no, it was pretty bad."
Margot stared at her and grinned. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at Erin's mostly-naked body. "You must be freezing."
"Yeah," Erin said. "You think I can have my costume back?"
"Umm, I guess," Margot said. "I did bring a change of clothes for you, though."
"I don't need it. The Blue Lynx's work isn't done, tonight."
On to Chapter Eleven
The Fearsome Five: Catnapped: Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
January 7th, 1:55 AM
"This is the one," Erin said, pointing at the white wooden house, its planks rotting, its foundations crumbling, its roof full of holes. "Pull up here."
Margot drove the car off of the dirty road and onto the dirty driveway, winding around the side of the house. She pulled up in front of a smashed garage door and put the vehicle in park. She then flicked off the lights and turned the ignition off.
"I don't think anyone's home," she said, looking at the house. Just one small light could be seen from the car.
"We'll see," Erin said. She placed her night vision glasses on top of the Blue Lynx mask. "If nothing else, we can get some clues about where they might be going next."
Margot stared at her. "Erin, aren't you tired? I'm exhausted. And I've havent been tied to a chair for days."
Erin plucked at her costume, pulling her boots up, smoothing out her spandex sleeves, straightening her belt. "No, Margot," she said. "When there's an opportunity for payback, I can't be tired."
"Okay, but just know that I'll be tracking you closely," Margot said. "I really don't think you're going to meet anyone, but, you know, just in case."
Erin put her hand on Margot's shoulder. "You're a lifesaver, babe."
And with that, the Blue Lynx got out of the car and quietly closed the door.
Margot was probably right. Sunny, Todorov, that Ninja, the old woman... they probably scattered as soon as they figured out that their prize hostage had escaped. Erin almost laughed out loud thinking about the image of those four freaks scrambling around, gathering things... Of Sunny drunkenly insisting on taking the wheel... Of all of them blowing up in a fiery car crash.
They were low rate villains, this "Fearsome Five." Fearsome Four, now: Margot had called the cops on Jeremy, and the girls had waited in the parking lot until the squad car showed up. Regardless of the number, they were nothing once they met the Blue Lynx. Sunny and the Ninja had surprised her in her apartment. She had been resting, she was out of costume. It was an ambush, plain and simple. In a fair fight, the Blue Lynx would triumph, as she always had.
Erin crept through the back door and flipped on the night vision. The interior of the house suddenly appeared in shades of green. She was in a room she knew well: the room where she had been a prisoner for so long. The chair she had occupied for days was now on its side; the ropes that had bound her so tightly were gone. It was just an old, empty space now, with no sign of the nefarious deeds that had been done there in the past week. Erin was eager to get out of it.
She walked through the room's other door into the hallway. As she slinked past the bathroom, she realized that it was the only other place in the whole house that she recognized. Its gross look and gross smell immediately brought back a vision of that old woman, how she had gripped her wrists, how she had yanked Erin's panties down and commanded her to "Sit." Like Erin was a little girl. Like she wasn't the city's greatest superheroine. "She is going to pay," Erin thought, leaving the bathroom behind.
She continued down the hallway and found herself in a den area. A couple of couches, an old TV. A fireplace that gave off a pleasant aroma: the villains must have gotten cold. "Poor babies," Erin thought. "Maybe they should try riding around in the trunk of a car in their panties."
She heard a sound. A plop. She turned around, looked back down the hallway. Nothing. She spun around again.
And then, she felt a freight train hit her from behind. It drove her arms behind her, pushing them into the small of her back, and plowed her across the room. She didn't stop until she collided with one of the walls. The impact knocked the wind out of her. When she tried to clutch her stomach with her hands, she found she could not, that her hands were still held behind her, and that she was being pressed against the wall by a huge, powerful force. She braced her legs, hoping to hold herself up, but the immense pressure forced her knees to buckle, and she was soon flat against the wall, her breath being pushed out of her like steam.
She couldn't move, could barely think, could only cry out in fear as she suddenly shot away from the wall and up into the air. She felt human fingers on her butt and her upper back, large but distinct, lifting her within inches of the ceiling, holding her up like she was made of feathers. She could feel the room spinning around her, and then she was flying, weightless for a second until she connected with a wall. She bounced off of it and hit the floor, breaking through a few of its wooden planks.
She groaned. What happened? Her back ached, her front ached, she had to get up. She got to her knees and looked at saw him, a large figure all in black. A ghost? Death? No, none of these.
It was that Ninja. Steve.
He was moving back toward her, patiently but deliberately. Adrenaline drove Erin to her feet. She put up her fists. "Just don't lose sight of him," she thought. "If you can see him, you can beat him."
So she stared at him. He moved, and then stopped. He turned to face not Erin, but a wall. He looked back at her for a second, nodded, and then returned to the wall. What was he doing?
"Hey!" she cried out. "Steve! Come fight me!"
And then she saw him put on his hand and flick his fingers. He hit a lightswitch, and the room suddenly blazed with white, white that burned every brighter through Erin's night-vision glasses.
"Augh!" she shouted, blinking rapidly, tossing the glasses from her face. That asshole! "Why don't you fight fair, you coward!" Erin yelled, waiting for her eyes to adjust, casting her fists this way and that.
Another flick, and the room was dark again, and Erin stopped moving. She couldn't see.
"Shit," she muttered.
Then, the barrage came, seemingly from all sides. She felt a fist in her stomach, a chop on her back, a slap to the face, a knee to the leg, a foot to the groin, another fist to the stomach, a shove to the chest, a punch to the face. She fell to her knees, and then felt herself being pulled up again by her spandex.
"He's...so... fast..."
The beatdown resumed. He grabbed her arms, her body, her hair. He tore at her V-neck, ripping a jagged line down her torso, revealing the center of her lavender bra. He ripped pieces out of the arms of her costume, took off her gloves, unsnapped her belt and threw it to the side. He hurled her against the wall, to the floor, on the couch. He kicked her when she was up, kicked her when she was down, until Erin's entire body felt like one massive bruise, and she couldn't stand.
"I... can't... fight him..."
She moaned in pain, arched her back, found that she couldn't attend to one sore without immediately needing to focus on another. She felt Steve's body all around her, even when it wasn't hitting her, kicking her, choking her, throwing her. Her hair was a mess, her costume was in tatters. She was entirely at the ninja's mercy.
She didn't see him when he lifted her arm in the air, only felt a delicate touch. And then, with the sound of a horrifying snap, she felt him break it. Her arm.
"AUGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
It fell to the ground with a sickening thump. She howled in pain, again and again, her eyes welling up with tears. She writhed on the floor in the darkness, clutching at her arm, knowing that this was it: the Blue Lynx was finished.
As if to punctuate that thought, Steve lowered himself to the ground, and, using both of his steady, unfaltering hands, removed Erin's mask. He raised it from her face in a straight line, with little fanfare, and Erin watched it leave like a small blue helicopter taking off with all of her secrets.
The pain was still too overwhelming for her to protest. She just shook her head, let the tears dribble down her cheeks. Steve had broken her arm, and now, he had broken her superheroine career. All she could do was whimper.
The ninja pocketed Erin's mask and placed a hand on her knee. He looked at her with a long, unshakable gaze. When Erin finally met his eyes, he lifted his index finger to his face, as if to say, "Shhh."
And then, he took off. Vanished. And Erin was left alone in the cold, black room.
She was still there when, minutes later, Margot came in, clumsily wielding a flashlight.
"Erin? Erin? Where are you?"
"Margot," Erin whispered. "Help me."
Margot shined the flashlight on the floor and gasped. It was the Blue Lynx, but not at all the Blue Lynx he was used to seeing. That superheroine was calm, confident, strong, and ready to fight. This girl, on the other hand, was a wreck. Belt-less. Glove-less. Covered in dust and bruises. Clutching her right arm and gritting her teeth. Underwear peeking through frayed pieces of her costume. And without her mask!
"Erin!" Margot said, running down to her friend. "Oh my God! What happened?"
"That ninja," Erin whispered. "He got me."
"We need to get you to a hospital! Your arm is broken!"
Erin nodded. "I know."
"And your mask!"
Erin nodded. "Yes. He unmasked me."
"Did he take your picture? Did he say anything?" Margot asked. She had placed her arms around Erin and was cradling her.
Erin shook her head. "No. I... I think my secret is safe, with this one."
"Oh, Erin," Margot said, on the verge of tears, stroking her friend's hair. "I'm so sorry."
Erin shut her eyes. Her arm still throbbed with a pain like nothing she'd ever felt, but her thoughts had turned to places other than her immediate condition. "He won't tell anyone," she told herself. "He doesn't have to." This Ninja, this Steve guy: the things he wanted were different from what the other "Fearsome Five" wanted. He didn't seem to care about who she was. He only wanted to fight her, and to defeat her. And he had defeated her easily.
Erin sighed. It was a relief that he had let her go, that he had stopped after breaking her arm. But as long as he was a member of Hammerson's team, she would be powerless.
The Blue Lynx couldn't stop him.
She shuddered.
END OF PART ONE
Back to the Table of Contents
January 7th, 1:55 AM
"This is the one," Erin said, pointing at the white wooden house, its planks rotting, its foundations crumbling, its roof full of holes. "Pull up here."
Margot drove the car off of the dirty road and onto the dirty driveway, winding around the side of the house. She pulled up in front of a smashed garage door and put the vehicle in park. She then flicked off the lights and turned the ignition off.
"I don't think anyone's home," she said, looking at the house. Just one small light could be seen from the car.
"We'll see," Erin said. She placed her night vision glasses on top of the Blue Lynx mask. "If nothing else, we can get some clues about where they might be going next."
Margot stared at her. "Erin, aren't you tired? I'm exhausted. And I've havent been tied to a chair for days."
Erin plucked at her costume, pulling her boots up, smoothing out her spandex sleeves, straightening her belt. "No, Margot," she said. "When there's an opportunity for payback, I can't be tired."
"Okay, but just know that I'll be tracking you closely," Margot said. "I really don't think you're going to meet anyone, but, you know, just in case."
Erin put her hand on Margot's shoulder. "You're a lifesaver, babe."
And with that, the Blue Lynx got out of the car and quietly closed the door.
Margot was probably right. Sunny, Todorov, that Ninja, the old woman... they probably scattered as soon as they figured out that their prize hostage had escaped. Erin almost laughed out loud thinking about the image of those four freaks scrambling around, gathering things... Of Sunny drunkenly insisting on taking the wheel... Of all of them blowing up in a fiery car crash.
They were low rate villains, this "Fearsome Five." Fearsome Four, now: Margot had called the cops on Jeremy, and the girls had waited in the parking lot until the squad car showed up. Regardless of the number, they were nothing once they met the Blue Lynx. Sunny and the Ninja had surprised her in her apartment. She had been resting, she was out of costume. It was an ambush, plain and simple. In a fair fight, the Blue Lynx would triumph, as she always had.
Erin crept through the back door and flipped on the night vision. The interior of the house suddenly appeared in shades of green. She was in a room she knew well: the room where she had been a prisoner for so long. The chair she had occupied for days was now on its side; the ropes that had bound her so tightly were gone. It was just an old, empty space now, with no sign of the nefarious deeds that had been done there in the past week. Erin was eager to get out of it.
She walked through the room's other door into the hallway. As she slinked past the bathroom, she realized that it was the only other place in the whole house that she recognized. Its gross look and gross smell immediately brought back a vision of that old woman, how she had gripped her wrists, how she had yanked Erin's panties down and commanded her to "Sit." Like Erin was a little girl. Like she wasn't the city's greatest superheroine. "She is going to pay," Erin thought, leaving the bathroom behind.
She continued down the hallway and found herself in a den area. A couple of couches, an old TV. A fireplace that gave off a pleasant aroma: the villains must have gotten cold. "Poor babies," Erin thought. "Maybe they should try riding around in the trunk of a car in their panties."
She heard a sound. A plop. She turned around, looked back down the hallway. Nothing. She spun around again.
And then, she felt a freight train hit her from behind. It drove her arms behind her, pushing them into the small of her back, and plowed her across the room. She didn't stop until she collided with one of the walls. The impact knocked the wind out of her. When she tried to clutch her stomach with her hands, she found she could not, that her hands were still held behind her, and that she was being pressed against the wall by a huge, powerful force. She braced her legs, hoping to hold herself up, but the immense pressure forced her knees to buckle, and she was soon flat against the wall, her breath being pushed out of her like steam.
She couldn't move, could barely think, could only cry out in fear as she suddenly shot away from the wall and up into the air. She felt human fingers on her butt and her upper back, large but distinct, lifting her within inches of the ceiling, holding her up like she was made of feathers. She could feel the room spinning around her, and then she was flying, weightless for a second until she connected with a wall. She bounced off of it and hit the floor, breaking through a few of its wooden planks.
She groaned. What happened? Her back ached, her front ached, she had to get up. She got to her knees and looked at saw him, a large figure all in black. A ghost? Death? No, none of these.
It was that Ninja. Steve.
He was moving back toward her, patiently but deliberately. Adrenaline drove Erin to her feet. She put up her fists. "Just don't lose sight of him," she thought. "If you can see him, you can beat him."
So she stared at him. He moved, and then stopped. He turned to face not Erin, but a wall. He looked back at her for a second, nodded, and then returned to the wall. What was he doing?
"Hey!" she cried out. "Steve! Come fight me!"
And then she saw him put on his hand and flick his fingers. He hit a lightswitch, and the room suddenly blazed with white, white that burned every brighter through Erin's night-vision glasses.
"Augh!" she shouted, blinking rapidly, tossing the glasses from her face. That asshole! "Why don't you fight fair, you coward!" Erin yelled, waiting for her eyes to adjust, casting her fists this way and that.
Another flick, and the room was dark again, and Erin stopped moving. She couldn't see.
"Shit," she muttered.
Then, the barrage came, seemingly from all sides. She felt a fist in her stomach, a chop on her back, a slap to the face, a knee to the leg, a foot to the groin, another fist to the stomach, a shove to the chest, a punch to the face. She fell to her knees, and then felt herself being pulled up again by her spandex.
"He's...so... fast..."
The beatdown resumed. He grabbed her arms, her body, her hair. He tore at her V-neck, ripping a jagged line down her torso, revealing the center of her lavender bra. He ripped pieces out of the arms of her costume, took off her gloves, unsnapped her belt and threw it to the side. He hurled her against the wall, to the floor, on the couch. He kicked her when she was up, kicked her when she was down, until Erin's entire body felt like one massive bruise, and she couldn't stand.
"I... can't... fight him..."
She moaned in pain, arched her back, found that she couldn't attend to one sore without immediately needing to focus on another. She felt Steve's body all around her, even when it wasn't hitting her, kicking her, choking her, throwing her. Her hair was a mess, her costume was in tatters. She was entirely at the ninja's mercy.
She didn't see him when he lifted her arm in the air, only felt a delicate touch. And then, with the sound of a horrifying snap, she felt him break it. Her arm.
"AUGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
It fell to the ground with a sickening thump. She howled in pain, again and again, her eyes welling up with tears. She writhed on the floor in the darkness, clutching at her arm, knowing that this was it: the Blue Lynx was finished.
As if to punctuate that thought, Steve lowered himself to the ground, and, using both of his steady, unfaltering hands, removed Erin's mask. He raised it from her face in a straight line, with little fanfare, and Erin watched it leave like a small blue helicopter taking off with all of her secrets.
The pain was still too overwhelming for her to protest. She just shook her head, let the tears dribble down her cheeks. Steve had broken her arm, and now, he had broken her superheroine career. All she could do was whimper.
The ninja pocketed Erin's mask and placed a hand on her knee. He looked at her with a long, unshakable gaze. When Erin finally met his eyes, he lifted his index finger to his face, as if to say, "Shhh."
And then, he took off. Vanished. And Erin was left alone in the cold, black room.
She was still there when, minutes later, Margot came in, clumsily wielding a flashlight.
"Erin? Erin? Where are you?"
"Margot," Erin whispered. "Help me."
Margot shined the flashlight on the floor and gasped. It was the Blue Lynx, but not at all the Blue Lynx he was used to seeing. That superheroine was calm, confident, strong, and ready to fight. This girl, on the other hand, was a wreck. Belt-less. Glove-less. Covered in dust and bruises. Clutching her right arm and gritting her teeth. Underwear peeking through frayed pieces of her costume. And without her mask!
"Erin!" Margot said, running down to her friend. "Oh my God! What happened?"
"That ninja," Erin whispered. "He got me."
"We need to get you to a hospital! Your arm is broken!"
Erin nodded. "I know."
"And your mask!"
Erin nodded. "Yes. He unmasked me."
"Did he take your picture? Did he say anything?" Margot asked. She had placed her arms around Erin and was cradling her.
Erin shook her head. "No. I... I think my secret is safe, with this one."
"Oh, Erin," Margot said, on the verge of tears, stroking her friend's hair. "I'm so sorry."
Erin shut her eyes. Her arm still throbbed with a pain like nothing she'd ever felt, but her thoughts had turned to places other than her immediate condition. "He won't tell anyone," she told herself. "He doesn't have to." This Ninja, this Steve guy: the things he wanted were different from what the other "Fearsome Five" wanted. He didn't seem to care about who she was. He only wanted to fight her, and to defeat her. And he had defeated her easily.
Erin sighed. It was a relief that he had let her go, that he had stopped after breaking her arm. But as long as he was a member of Hammerson's team, she would be powerless.
The Blue Lynx couldn't stop him.
She shuddered.
END OF PART ONE
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The War on Drugs: In Sickness and in Health: Chapter Seven (Explicit Ending)
Note: this Chapter of "In Sickness and in Health" contains explicit sexual material. It is recommended for mature audiences only.
Chapter Seven
November 11th, 8:42 PM
Margot raced from behind the corner to see it all: the dark alleyway covered in grime and trash; the white utility belt lying inert on the pavement; the three big men holding Erin to the ground, clenching her arms and head; the fourth big man squatting down with one hand on Blue Lynx's mask, the other on his phone, which was cocked menacingly at Erin's clearly distressed, clearly pained face.
"Hey!" Margot shouted. "You idiots!"
The fourth man let the mask fall back onto Erin's skin. He and the other three turned in Margot's direction. They saw a young, demure looking woman with reddish-brown hair wearing a black costume cut very similarly to Blue Lynx's, with a black mask (curiously ringed with large eye holes) and purple utility belt to boot. They saw her unbutton a flap on her belt and pull a small pellet out with purple latex gloves.
"Who the?--"
"Take this!" Margot screamed, chucking the pellet at the four men. There was a small explosion followed by huge plumes of smoke. Coughing, swearing, and a mad waving of arms ensued, and Margot dashed into the clouds fumbling at her belt, looking for Lynx darts to stick to the baddies. She found one, and quickly found a man's neck to stick it in. There was a shrill cry, and then the sound of a large body hitting the ground. Margot heard more coughing, and underneath, the smaller, feminine coughs of Erin. Margot found her friend and crouched down, trying to pull Erin up by the arms.
"Come on, Blue Lynx," Margot said. "We gotta get out of here!"
Suddenly, a fist flew out of the smoke, catching her in the cheek, and sending her spinning to the ground. Margot threw her forearms out to avoid smashing her face against the concrete. The impact was nevertheless heavy, and her consciousness flittered as she tried to bring herself back to her feet. As she clambered to her knees, she felt a flat, broad force on her lower back pushing her back to the ground. One of the young men's shoes. In between coughs, she could hear laughs.
"Stay down, bitch," a voice cackled. Margot's stomach slowly dropped to meet the cold floor of the alley. The pressure of the shoe on her lower back grew, and it felt as if any movement upward would snap her spine in half.
"Arggh!" she cried out, desperately.
The men laughed, this time more fully. The coughs were becoming fewer and farther between, and from her grounded location, Margot could see the smoke beginning to dissipate. She could now see Erin, still crouched on the ground, with the hands of two men once again pulling her arms away from her body.
"Bitch fucking stabbed me," a different voice said. She heard scuffling sounds, probably the man she had Lynx-darted gathering himself.
Margot gulped. She had seen Erin use the smoke bombs before, and each time they had worked like a charm. What had she done wrong? Why had they been able to get her so quickly?
"I'm not the Blue Lynx, that's why," Margot thought. "And now, I am in so much trouble."
The punch had left her dizzy and disoriented, but certain things were very clear: Margot's ambush had not given Erin the time to free herself and fight back (what was happening to her?). The smoke and the Lynx dart had not incapacitated these four young men in any meaningful way. And the pressure on her lower back had not lessened in the slightest. She could barely move.
"Get off her for a second." It was the voice from before. "I need to get in a little payback here."
Margot felt the shoe release her body. But just as she was beginning to push herself up from the ground, a shooting pain blasted into her stomach, lifting her from her hands and knees and throwing her onto her back. As she landed, her consciousness faded even further. The world around her was now nothing but blurry blocks of color and sharp, searing pain.
"Oooh..." she mumbled.
"That was nothing, bitch," the man who had kicked her in the stomach said. "I could've done what you did to me and fucking stabbed you."
"Enough." It was the voice of the man who had put his foot on her back. "Why don't you check her belt for something you can tie her up with?"
The kicking man snorted. Margot saw a blotchy, blurry form bend down to the ground. She felt chubby fingers along her waist, and could hear the individual SNAPS of her belt buttons being undone.
"Stop it," a breathy, feminine voice whispered. Erin's voice. "Just stop it."
The men laughed together. It sickened Margot, even made her nauseous, to hear them derive so much pleasure from the Blue Lynx's predicament. But surely they would pay, right? The Blue Lynx always won, at the end of the day...
"This bitch a friend of yours, Little Lynxy?" said a voice coming from Erin's direction. Margot tried to look over. The kick had placed her just a few yards away from Erin, but the dizziness and the pain only allowed her to focus on the man next to her, methodically riffling through the contents of her belt, obviously savoring the look of her hips in spandex.
"Don't hurt her," Erin said, her voicing gaining strength.
"She must be your sidekick, right?"
The man next to her now spoke. "Yeah, this belt's got some wild stuff in it. Superheroine stuff. Blue Lynx stuff." He held up some some gray pellets. "These must be smoke bombs."
"Nice," said the man apart from the rest, the one who had first held her down. He bent down to look at Margot; she could see the blurred yellow line of his smile. "So I guess you're the Black Lynx, then?"
"Or maybe the Violet Vagina," the man next to her said, giggling.
"She's the Black Bobcat," Erin said, furiously. "And if you don't let her go right now, I swear I will rip your dicks off."
The voices belonging to the men holding Erin down laughed. "Well, irregardless of her name, she's not gonna like what we do to you, Blue Lynx."
"No," the standing man said. "Not one bit."
What were they going to do? Margot had ideas. They would surely unmask her, first. Would they recognize Erin's secret identity? It was impossible to say. But looking at these frat boys, it seemed likely that they wouldn't stop there. They'd do... Something, to Erin. "Shit," she thought. "Shit, shit, shit."
"Found it," the man next to her said, pulling the rope out of Margot's side belt pocket.
"Alright, tie her up," said standing man. "And make sure she's got a nice view of the action."
The crouching man grabbed Margot's wrists and began lashing them with rope. Once her purple gloves were wrapped in a tight bundle, he moved on to her ankles. Margot tried to kick at the man's hands but in her weakened state her boots were easily deflected. It took just a few minutes more for the man to have her legs trussed up. The man stepped back for a second to admire his work, then reached down to drag Margot closer to where the two men were holding down Erin. She now could see it all: Blue Lynx, dirtied and close to defeat, on her knees, held up straight by the two men who each tightly held one of her spandex-clad arms. Erin was looking down at Margot, and her expression was unlike any Margot had ever seen on her friend's face before. It was a look of complete and total distress.
"Done," the man who had tied her up said, brushing his hands together.
"No you're not," the standing man said. "Take off her mask."
"Oh yeah!" the other man said. And before she could think or try to fight back, the man had one hand around Margot's throat, the other on her face. Margot squealed pathetically as she felt her purple mask pushed up past her eyes, then up and off of her head. She watched as the man held her mask delicately as he could in his chubby fingers. He stared, first at the mask, and then at her bare face, and then back at the mask.
"She's pretty," he said. "But who is she?"
Margot sighed. To these idiots, she was just a cute girl with reddish-brown hair and wide-rimmed glasses. But Margot knew that once her photo got to the internet, all bets were off. Her relative anonymity would be nothing on social media. The thought made her squirm, fruitlessly, in her tight bonds.
"I'll take her picture and we'll upload it once we unmask her more popular friend, here," standing man said. He walked over to Margot and aimed the camera at her face. Margot tucked her chin toward her chest, trying to avoid the shot. But the man who had tied her up noticed, and he quickly crouched down and placed his fingers under Margot's chin. He forced her face up, and Margot winced as she heard the click of camera once, twice, three times.
"Alright, that's good," standing man said, flipping back through the photos. "Now let's do Blue Lynx."
Margot was tired, terrified, and still in pain, and it took all of her energy to force out words. "No! Don't!" she cried. "Don't you get it? She's a superhero! You could end her life!"
The standing man paused to look at Margot. After a moment of eerie silence, the four frat boys erupted in laughter. Margot, with her cheeks rapidly reddening, stared at Erin, who was staring back at her, her face stone serious.
"Margot, shut up!" Erin said. "Don't say anything stupid! I'll do the talking!"
One of the men let out a small whistle. The others laughed in response.
"So her name is Margot?" the standing man asked. "Is that what you're telling us, Little Lynxy?"
Margot watched Erin visibly gulp. She seemed to be lost for words, but she stammered on. "Yeah, umm, that's her codename."
"But didn't you say her name was the... What... The Black Housecat?"
"Bobcat," Erin continued, unsteadily. "Black Bobcat, but sometimes, umm, Margot. For short."
Once again, the frat boys laughed together.
"I think you just let out your partner's secret identity," standing man said. "Not that it matters much. This whole superheroine facade will be over in a minute, anyway."
Margot saw the standing man position himself in front of Erin. He crouched down to meet Erin's gaze, holding his camera in one hand, and resting his other hand on Erin's face. He beckoned over to the tying man, who came over to the cold, wet mass of humanity. The once-standing, now-crouching man handed over his phone.
"You mind taking this photo? I want to do it nice and slow."
The tying man nodded and stood back, cocking his phone arm in the direction of the Blue Lynx.
Erin was clearly struggling, still. Her torso was quivering, her biceps were shaking, her head was twisting. But the grip of the big men was strong, and it didn't seem Erin could do anything to finally escape. The now-crouching man, the leader of the gang, slid his thumb across Erin's cheek, inserting it for a moment in Erin's mouth. He glided the thumb down Erin's lower lip, stretching it slightly. Erin tried to bite his thumb and the man recoiled, laughed, and put his hand back on Erin's cheek.
"Hopefully there'll be no interruptions this time."
Erin stared at the man intently. Margot could almost see inside her friend's brain-- could imagine her searching desperately for the precise words to use in this horrific situation. "Come on, Erin," Margot thought. "You've got to think of something..."
Erin spoke. "Listen, guys. You've beaten me. Okay? I get it. You've defeated the Blue Lynx. For the first time in her career, the Blue Lynx takes a loss."
All of the men chuckled at that, except for the man nearest to Erin. He seemed to eagerly await whatever the Blue Lynx had to say next.
"It's humiliating for me. Truly, it is. But listen to me. It can't end like this. When you fought me, I wasn't even at my best. I've been sick for days now. I was poisoned. I couldn't fight back, not really. The Blue Lynx you fought was not the real Blue Lynx."
The chuckling subsided. The frat boys seemed interested in what Erin had to say. Was this actually going to work? Margot would've crossed her fingers if her wrists hadn't been so tightly tied together.
"So here's what I propose. You let me go. You don't unmask me. You tell your friends you beat the Blue Lynx. And then, one week from now, we meet again, back here in this alley, and we have a rematch."
"Rematch?" the man with his hand on Erin's face said. "Us four fight you, again?"
Erin nodded. "Yeah, a fair fight. Maybe you'll win again. You guys are pretty big and strong, and..."
The man shook his head. "No no no, there will be no rematch."
Panic flashed through Erin's eyes. "But, you can't, you just--"
"How dumb do you think we are, superheroine?" the man growled. "You would never come back here. And even if you did, there's no guarantee we'd get you in this position again. This sort of situation doesn't happen every day. And we're not about to pass it up."
Margot felt her heart sink. And she saw Erin drop her face slightly, as if her heart had done the same.
"Besides, that last fight was a fair fight," the man continued. "So you're a little sick. We're all a little sick, bitch. You don't see us complaining. And we didn't come at you with a little belt full of weapons. And we don't know that fucking kung fu shit, either. So don't go talking to us about what's unfair and what isn't."
The man holding the camera clapped, and the others hollered in sympathy.
"I want to ruin you now more than ever," the man said. "Talking to us about what's 'fair.' That's a good one. I'll bet underneath that mask you're a spoiled little rich girl."
Erin's face darkened. This was surely the lowest moment in her superheroine career. Margot had been certain the frat boys were at least considering her offer. And then, in a horrible instant, hope had been shattered. And now...
"It's time to end this," the man said. He pressed one hand beneath Erin's chin, bringing it up and squeezing her cheeks, and set his other hand on Erin's forehead, pushing his fingertips to the top of the Blue Lynx mask. "You got a good view?" the man asked his camera-wielding friend. The cameraman returned with a thumbs up.
"Make it a video," the first man said. "And start it now."
Margot watched the cameraman tap the screen and give another thumbs up. Erin's body convulsed, but the only consequence was the grip on her tightening. She stared directly at the phone, her eyes wide with fear, making whimpers of protest through her squished-up cheeks.
"Hey everyone," the man began. "So this evening we were attacked in this alley by none other than the Blue Lynx, that superheroine you keep hearing about. After a brief struggle, we were able to defeat and restrain her, along with her partner, the Black... Housecat."
The cameraphone pointed at Margot for a brief second, and then returned to Erin. "Oh God," Margot thought. "This is actually happening."
"We'd now like to reveal to the world the true identity of the Blue Lynx, and bring to an end her era of vigilantism. Blue Lynx, is there anything you'd like to say in your defense?"
Erin tried desperately to speak, but the pressure on her chin and cheeks made it come out long and garbled. "Oof ooogh aahggghh wahh oohhh..."
"Well then, without further ado, we will unmask the Blue Lynx."
Margot shook her body and shuddered as the cameraman stepped in closer. The man holding Erin's face now clenched it even tighter. Margot saw the fingers on Blue Lynx's mask clamp down, and then looked on, helplessly, as the fingers pulled upward across Erin's forehead, dragging the blue mask from the bridge of Erin's nose. Erin's muscles bulged, the veins in her neck popped, her teeth gritted, but nothing could stop the slow crawl of the mask, which scaled her eyes and then her brow like a patient mountain climber. It moved gradually across her face until it reached the dome of her forehead, at which point it lifted up and into the air, revealing the distinctive, beautiful features of none other than the mayor's daughter...
"ERIN STEELE?" the man who had just unmasked her said.
Erin shut her eyes and let out a loud, long moan. Margot shut her eyes, too. They knew. The bastards knew who she was!
"No way," the cameraman muttered. "Umm... Should I keep filming?"
"Stop it, stop it now," the unmasker yelled. Margot opened her eyes to look at the cameraman, who seemed to comply. She tried to look at Erin, but she could barely stand to see her friend in such a horrible place: she seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Shit," one of the men holding up Erin said. "Shit."
"Wait," the other holder said. "Who is, err, Erin Steele?"
The unmasker glared at him. "She's the mayor's daughter, you fucking retard!"
"Ohh," the holder said, bending his face down to look at Erin. He grinned. "Yeah, the really hot one."
"Yes, the really hot one," the other holder said. "I've probably wanked to pictures of this bitch a hundred times."
Erin had not lifted her head since her first anguished cry. Margot couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. It was one thing for the Black Bobcat to be unmasked-- no one knew who the Black Bobcat was, really, and barely anyone knew Margot. But everyone in the city knew who Blue Lynx was, and a whole lot of other people were familiar with Erin Steele. It didn't seem like there was any way out for Erin. Margot grimaced.
"Everyone shut up," the unmasker said. He still held Blue Lynx's mask in the fingers of his left hand. "This changes everything, right here. I have to think."
Wait. Maybe this wasn't it for Erin. "Yeah," Margot thought. "They can't just release this video of them menacing the mayor's daughter. I mean, they'd go to jail, right? And they'd have all of Erin's father's resources making sure they'd do plenty of time."
Margot had to say something. So once again she summoned up her energy and called out: "You will pay for this, for sure. The Mayor will make sure of it."
The unmasker turned to look at Margot. She saw him stare at her face, then down at her bound body, and then back up at her face. And then she saw his frown slowly morph into a secret smirk.
"Actually, bitch, I don't know about that," he said, suddenly confident again. "All we're showing on the video is that we caught the Blue Lynx. No one else can pin anything on us."
The man slid Blue Lynx's mask into the back pocket of his jeans. He then walked over to Erin and grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head, yanking her face up. He stared at her face and licked his lips, seeming to relish every sign of her discomfort: her squinting eyes, her sweat-stained face, her mouth drawn down into an agonized, silent cry.
"Daddy's not saving you, Erin Steele," he said. "Not this time."
The other men hooted and hollered. Margot looked to Erin, hoping to see some kind of resolve in her friend, some sort of idea forming. But all she saw was a trapped, flustered girl in a ridiculous spandex costume, thick breaths of fear and panic heaving her chest. So Margot was surprised when, out of nowhere, Erin started to speak.
"Please," she whispered. "You can't do this."
"We already did," the standing man replied. The others laughed.
"Don't show anyone the video," Erin continued. "You can't."
"Why not?" the man said. "It's a pretty cool video. We could probably sell it to the press, even. Yeah. What do you think about that, boys? Let's offer Blue Lynx's secret to the highest bidder."
Erin shut her eyes and shook her head and the four frat boys cackled as one.
"Please," she whispered, again. "Please. I'll do anything."
The standing man looked up. "Anything?"
Margot didn't like this. "Erin," she thought. "Stop."
Erin nodded. "I'll do anything. Just don't release the video. Please."
The standing man leered evilly, first at Erin, and then at the three men surrounding him. He placed his hands on his hips. "You'll do anything, huh? Anything at all?"
Erin nodded. "I'm begging you."
Margot squirmed in her bonds. She felt like she would do anything to break free and help Erin. Watching the Blue Lynx reduced to this... Begging for her secret identity... It was more than Margot could take. But the ropes wouldn't budge. To her partner's humilation, she was, literally, a captive audience.
"Alright, then," the man said in a low growl, bringing his hand toward his crotch. "I'll tell you what I want."
He unzipped his jeans and stuck his hand in his pants. Erin's eyes immediately widened. Had she been expecting this?
"I want a blowjob," the man said. "From the Mayor's daughter, and the city's greatest superheroine. A two for one."
Margot turned away as the man let his dick hang out of the hole in his pants. The men's reactions varied from peals of laughter to a shocked gasp. "No," Margot thought. "No. This can't be happening."
"You watching this, Black Kitty?" It was the cameraman's voice. "I think you're gonna wanna see this. So you'll know what to do when it happens to you."
"Margot! Don't--" Erin's voice was cut off, muffled at the last second. Margot opened her eyes to see what had happened, and she saw the standing man next to Erin, his hands holding the back of her head, his cock thrust into her open mouth, her lips wrapped around its shaft. He was dragging his fingers through Erin's hair as he worked her, pushing his body to and fro, forcing the Blue Lynx to suck him off. The man was already beginning to make noises, murmurs of pleasure. Erin's eyes were slammed shut, small "MMPHS" emitting from the corner of her mouth.
It was awful. Margot didn't want to look, but... She couldn't help herself. There was something hypnotic about the whole spectacle: the Blue Lynx, crucified in the arms of two frat boys, being forced to swallow the cock of the man who had unmasked her.
"Should I film this, too?" the cameraman asked.
"SHUT UP!" the standing man exhaled, inbetween "oohs" and "ahhs." His back was now arched, and he had thrown his head back. Erin's lips tried to keep up with thrusts that were faster and rougher. The men holding Erin looked on with gazes that were both salacious and jealous: they seemed to want to have a turn, as well...
Margot shut her eyes, winced, let out a small whinny. Would everyone get a turn? Would Margot really have to sit through this three more times? Would they eventually get to her, and force her to perform sexual favors?
"I'm coming!" the man cried out. Margot couldn't look. But she heard things: first Erin coughing, then the man letting out a loud "AHH!," and then... a splatter. And then, more mixed reactions from the crowd: laughter interspersed with "Ewws" and "ohhs."
Margot knew what had happened. She didn't have to open her eyes. She didn't. She didn't...
But she did. She saw the standing man zipping up his pants, breathing heavily. She saw the other men, still gripping Erin by the arms, both grinning. And she saw Erin. Her hair was a tangled mess, balled up on her head and shooting out in strange directions. Her lipstick and mascara were smeared from some combination of tears, sweat, and the man's dick. Her face was bright red, a canvas of embarrassment, pain, disgust, and raw fury. And her chest, both her bare skin and the blue leotard that made a "V" out of her cleavage, was dripping with cum.
"There," Erin said, spitting out the word with utter loathing. "You happy?"
It was the first defiant thing she had said in... Half an hour, maybe? It almost made Margot smile. A few words weren't a plan, per se, but they were something. Even if Margot was still in the middle of a full-on retch.
"That was nice," the man said, turning around to face Erin. "I guess we're done here, boys."
It was almost imperceptible, but Margot could see Erin's face brighten. Margot could suddenly feel her spirits rise, too. Was this really it? One and done?
"And I guess we won't be showing anyone this video, as you held up your part of the deal."
Margot was nodding to herself. "Yes," she thought. "Erin, you did it. It was gross. But your secret is still safe. And we'll get these guys, someday, I know it."
The men holding Erin made small sounds of discontent. They loosened their grip, and Margot saw Erin fighting against them with renewed vigor. It wasn't enough for Erin to break free, but it was enough to remind everyone that Erin was a fighter, was a superheroine, and that this was just one setback. Right?
"But wait," the man said. "Wait a minute."
Margot gulped. In an instant, Erin was still.
"We didn't actually shake on anything, now did we?"
The girls' eyes flashed simultaneously. The men laughed together.
"It wouldn't be fair unless everyone here got a turn, now would it?"
Erin dropped her head, rocking it slowly, despairingly, from side to side. Margot could feel her eyes well up with hot tears. Her body clenched, seemed to become a giant "NO."
"Why don't we go ahead and post that video, too?" the man said. "Just to be safe."
The cameraman fumbled with the phone. He tapped it a few times and gave a thumbs up. The standing man nodded.
"Now the whole city will know that Erin Steele is the Blue Lynx," he sneered.
He walked behind Erin and nodded at one of the other men, who gave the leader Erin's arm. He now held her in place, allowing the previous holder to walk around, stare at Erin head-on, and unzip his pants.
"But no one will ever know about this," the leader said, seizing Erin's arm tightly, and breathing into her ear. "This night is just for you, and us, and your little partner over there."
With a free hand, he pointed in Margot's direction. Margot tried to turn away, tried to roll herself out of the alley, tried to go back in time to when crimefighting was simple and fun, when it didn't end with you and your friend tied up and covered in cum.
"Actually, hey Bob," he said, nodding at the man with the camera phone. "You want to show her something?"
"Sure," Bob said, pocketing the phone and waddling over to Margot. Seconds later, he was on his hands and knees, straddling her, kissing her face and neck, ogling her breasts.
Margot whimpered. It was her turn now. Her turn to do something: whether it was suck this man's cock, or get fucked, or what, she couldn't say. But it couldn't be good. She tried to focus on something else. But the only other things she could sense-- the only thing not the massive man on top of her, looking at her, grabbing her body, covering her in kisses-- were the noises of scuffle, an excited panting sound, and a smaller "MMPH" below it.
The sound of the Blue Lynx being defiled.
THE END
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Chapter Seven
November 11th, 8:42 PM
Margot raced from behind the corner to see it all: the dark alleyway covered in grime and trash; the white utility belt lying inert on the pavement; the three big men holding Erin to the ground, clenching her arms and head; the fourth big man squatting down with one hand on Blue Lynx's mask, the other on his phone, which was cocked menacingly at Erin's clearly distressed, clearly pained face.
"Hey!" Margot shouted. "You idiots!"
The fourth man let the mask fall back onto Erin's skin. He and the other three turned in Margot's direction. They saw a young, demure looking woman with reddish-brown hair wearing a black costume cut very similarly to Blue Lynx's, with a black mask (curiously ringed with large eye holes) and purple utility belt to boot. They saw her unbutton a flap on her belt and pull a small pellet out with purple latex gloves.
"Who the?--"
"Take this!" Margot screamed, chucking the pellet at the four men. There was a small explosion followed by huge plumes of smoke. Coughing, swearing, and a mad waving of arms ensued, and Margot dashed into the clouds fumbling at her belt, looking for Lynx darts to stick to the baddies. She found one, and quickly found a man's neck to stick it in. There was a shrill cry, and then the sound of a large body hitting the ground. Margot heard more coughing, and underneath, the smaller, feminine coughs of Erin. Margot found her friend and crouched down, trying to pull Erin up by the arms.
"Come on, Blue Lynx," Margot said. "We gotta get out of here!"
Suddenly, a fist flew out of the smoke, catching her in the cheek, and sending her spinning to the ground. Margot threw her forearms out to avoid smashing her face against the concrete. The impact was nevertheless heavy, and her consciousness flittered as she tried to bring herself back to her feet. As she clambered to her knees, she felt a flat, broad force on her lower back pushing her back to the ground. One of the young men's shoes. In between coughs, she could hear laughs.
"Stay down, bitch," a voice cackled. Margot's stomach slowly dropped to meet the cold floor of the alley. The pressure of the shoe on her lower back grew, and it felt as if any movement upward would snap her spine in half.
"Arggh!" she cried out, desperately.
The men laughed, this time more fully. The coughs were becoming fewer and farther between, and from her grounded location, Margot could see the smoke beginning to dissipate. She could now see Erin, still crouched on the ground, with the hands of two men once again pulling her arms away from her body.
"Bitch fucking stabbed me," a different voice said. She heard scuffling sounds, probably the man she had Lynx-darted gathering himself.
Margot gulped. She had seen Erin use the smoke bombs before, and each time they had worked like a charm. What had she done wrong? Why had they been able to get her so quickly?
"I'm not the Blue Lynx, that's why," Margot thought. "And now, I am in so much trouble."
The punch had left her dizzy and disoriented, but certain things were very clear: Margot's ambush had not given Erin the time to free herself and fight back (what was happening to her?). The smoke and the Lynx dart had not incapacitated these four young men in any meaningful way. And the pressure on her lower back had not lessened in the slightest. She could barely move.
"Get off her for a second." It was the voice from before. "I need to get in a little payback here."
Margot felt the shoe release her body. But just as she was beginning to push herself up from the ground, a shooting pain blasted into her stomach, lifting her from her hands and knees and throwing her onto her back. As she landed, her consciousness faded even further. The world around her was now nothing but blurry blocks of color and sharp, searing pain.
"Oooh..." she mumbled.
"That was nothing, bitch," the man who had kicked her in the stomach said. "I could've done what you did to me and fucking stabbed you."
"Enough." It was the voice of the man who had put his foot on her back. "Why don't you check her belt for something you can tie her up with?"
The kicking man snorted. Margot saw a blotchy, blurry form bend down to the ground. She felt chubby fingers along her waist, and could hear the individual SNAPS of her belt buttons being undone.
"Stop it," a breathy, feminine voice whispered. Erin's voice. "Just stop it."
The men laughed together. It sickened Margot, even made her nauseous, to hear them derive so much pleasure from the Blue Lynx's predicament. But surely they would pay, right? The Blue Lynx always won, at the end of the day...
"This bitch a friend of yours, Little Lynxy?" said a voice coming from Erin's direction. Margot tried to look over. The kick had placed her just a few yards away from Erin, but the dizziness and the pain only allowed her to focus on the man next to her, methodically riffling through the contents of her belt, obviously savoring the look of her hips in spandex.
"Don't hurt her," Erin said, her voicing gaining strength.
"She must be your sidekick, right?"
The man next to her now spoke. "Yeah, this belt's got some wild stuff in it. Superheroine stuff. Blue Lynx stuff." He held up some some gray pellets. "These must be smoke bombs."
"Nice," said the man apart from the rest, the one who had first held her down. He bent down to look at Margot; she could see the blurred yellow line of his smile. "So I guess you're the Black Lynx, then?"
"Or maybe the Violet Vagina," the man next to her said, giggling.
"She's the Black Bobcat," Erin said, furiously. "And if you don't let her go right now, I swear I will rip your dicks off."
The voices belonging to the men holding Erin down laughed. "Well, irregardless of her name, she's not gonna like what we do to you, Blue Lynx."
"No," the standing man said. "Not one bit."
What were they going to do? Margot had ideas. They would surely unmask her, first. Would they recognize Erin's secret identity? It was impossible to say. But looking at these frat boys, it seemed likely that they wouldn't stop there. They'd do... Something, to Erin. "Shit," she thought. "Shit, shit, shit."
"Found it," the man next to her said, pulling the rope out of Margot's side belt pocket.
"Alright, tie her up," said standing man. "And make sure she's got a nice view of the action."
The crouching man grabbed Margot's wrists and began lashing them with rope. Once her purple gloves were wrapped in a tight bundle, he moved on to her ankles. Margot tried to kick at the man's hands but in her weakened state her boots were easily deflected. It took just a few minutes more for the man to have her legs trussed up. The man stepped back for a second to admire his work, then reached down to drag Margot closer to where the two men were holding down Erin. She now could see it all: Blue Lynx, dirtied and close to defeat, on her knees, held up straight by the two men who each tightly held one of her spandex-clad arms. Erin was looking down at Margot, and her expression was unlike any Margot had ever seen on her friend's face before. It was a look of complete and total distress.
"Done," the man who had tied her up said, brushing his hands together.
"No you're not," the standing man said. "Take off her mask."
"Oh yeah!" the other man said. And before she could think or try to fight back, the man had one hand around Margot's throat, the other on her face. Margot squealed pathetically as she felt her purple mask pushed up past her eyes, then up and off of her head. She watched as the man held her mask delicately as he could in his chubby fingers. He stared, first at the mask, and then at her bare face, and then back at the mask.
"She's pretty," he said. "But who is she?"
Margot sighed. To these idiots, she was just a cute girl with reddish-brown hair and wide-rimmed glasses. But Margot knew that once her photo got to the internet, all bets were off. Her relative anonymity would be nothing on social media. The thought made her squirm, fruitlessly, in her tight bonds.
"I'll take her picture and we'll upload it once we unmask her more popular friend, here," standing man said. He walked over to Margot and aimed the camera at her face. Margot tucked her chin toward her chest, trying to avoid the shot. But the man who had tied her up noticed, and he quickly crouched down and placed his fingers under Margot's chin. He forced her face up, and Margot winced as she heard the click of camera once, twice, three times.
"Alright, that's good," standing man said, flipping back through the photos. "Now let's do Blue Lynx."
Margot was tired, terrified, and still in pain, and it took all of her energy to force out words. "No! Don't!" she cried. "Don't you get it? She's a superhero! You could end her life!"
The standing man paused to look at Margot. After a moment of eerie silence, the four frat boys erupted in laughter. Margot, with her cheeks rapidly reddening, stared at Erin, who was staring back at her, her face stone serious.
"Margot, shut up!" Erin said. "Don't say anything stupid! I'll do the talking!"
One of the men let out a small whistle. The others laughed in response.
"So her name is Margot?" the standing man asked. "Is that what you're telling us, Little Lynxy?"
Margot watched Erin visibly gulp. She seemed to be lost for words, but she stammered on. "Yeah, umm, that's her codename."
"But didn't you say her name was the... What... The Black Housecat?"
"Bobcat," Erin continued, unsteadily. "Black Bobcat, but sometimes, umm, Margot. For short."
Once again, the frat boys laughed together.
"I think you just let out your partner's secret identity," standing man said. "Not that it matters much. This whole superheroine facade will be over in a minute, anyway."
Margot saw the standing man position himself in front of Erin. He crouched down to meet Erin's gaze, holding his camera in one hand, and resting his other hand on Erin's face. He beckoned over to the tying man, who came over to the cold, wet mass of humanity. The once-standing, now-crouching man handed over his phone.
"You mind taking this photo? I want to do it nice and slow."
The tying man nodded and stood back, cocking his phone arm in the direction of the Blue Lynx.
Erin was clearly struggling, still. Her torso was quivering, her biceps were shaking, her head was twisting. But the grip of the big men was strong, and it didn't seem Erin could do anything to finally escape. The now-crouching man, the leader of the gang, slid his thumb across Erin's cheek, inserting it for a moment in Erin's mouth. He glided the thumb down Erin's lower lip, stretching it slightly. Erin tried to bite his thumb and the man recoiled, laughed, and put his hand back on Erin's cheek.
"Hopefully there'll be no interruptions this time."
Erin stared at the man intently. Margot could almost see inside her friend's brain-- could imagine her searching desperately for the precise words to use in this horrific situation. "Come on, Erin," Margot thought. "You've got to think of something..."
Erin spoke. "Listen, guys. You've beaten me. Okay? I get it. You've defeated the Blue Lynx. For the first time in her career, the Blue Lynx takes a loss."
All of the men chuckled at that, except for the man nearest to Erin. He seemed to eagerly await whatever the Blue Lynx had to say next.
"It's humiliating for me. Truly, it is. But listen to me. It can't end like this. When you fought me, I wasn't even at my best. I've been sick for days now. I was poisoned. I couldn't fight back, not really. The Blue Lynx you fought was not the real Blue Lynx."
The chuckling subsided. The frat boys seemed interested in what Erin had to say. Was this actually going to work? Margot would've crossed her fingers if her wrists hadn't been so tightly tied together.
"So here's what I propose. You let me go. You don't unmask me. You tell your friends you beat the Blue Lynx. And then, one week from now, we meet again, back here in this alley, and we have a rematch."
"Rematch?" the man with his hand on Erin's face said. "Us four fight you, again?"
Erin nodded. "Yeah, a fair fight. Maybe you'll win again. You guys are pretty big and strong, and..."
The man shook his head. "No no no, there will be no rematch."
Panic flashed through Erin's eyes. "But, you can't, you just--"
"How dumb do you think we are, superheroine?" the man growled. "You would never come back here. And even if you did, there's no guarantee we'd get you in this position again. This sort of situation doesn't happen every day. And we're not about to pass it up."
Margot felt her heart sink. And she saw Erin drop her face slightly, as if her heart had done the same.
"Besides, that last fight was a fair fight," the man continued. "So you're a little sick. We're all a little sick, bitch. You don't see us complaining. And we didn't come at you with a little belt full of weapons. And we don't know that fucking kung fu shit, either. So don't go talking to us about what's unfair and what isn't."
The man holding the camera clapped, and the others hollered in sympathy.
"I want to ruin you now more than ever," the man said. "Talking to us about what's 'fair.' That's a good one. I'll bet underneath that mask you're a spoiled little rich girl."
Erin's face darkened. This was surely the lowest moment in her superheroine career. Margot had been certain the frat boys were at least considering her offer. And then, in a horrible instant, hope had been shattered. And now...
"It's time to end this," the man said. He pressed one hand beneath Erin's chin, bringing it up and squeezing her cheeks, and set his other hand on Erin's forehead, pushing his fingertips to the top of the Blue Lynx mask. "You got a good view?" the man asked his camera-wielding friend. The cameraman returned with a thumbs up.
"Make it a video," the first man said. "And start it now."
Margot watched the cameraman tap the screen and give another thumbs up. Erin's body convulsed, but the only consequence was the grip on her tightening. She stared directly at the phone, her eyes wide with fear, making whimpers of protest through her squished-up cheeks.
"Hey everyone," the man began. "So this evening we were attacked in this alley by none other than the Blue Lynx, that superheroine you keep hearing about. After a brief struggle, we were able to defeat and restrain her, along with her partner, the Black... Housecat."
The cameraphone pointed at Margot for a brief second, and then returned to Erin. "Oh God," Margot thought. "This is actually happening."
"We'd now like to reveal to the world the true identity of the Blue Lynx, and bring to an end her era of vigilantism. Blue Lynx, is there anything you'd like to say in your defense?"
Erin tried desperately to speak, but the pressure on her chin and cheeks made it come out long and garbled. "Oof ooogh aahggghh wahh oohhh..."
"Well then, without further ado, we will unmask the Blue Lynx."
Margot shook her body and shuddered as the cameraman stepped in closer. The man holding Erin's face now clenched it even tighter. Margot saw the fingers on Blue Lynx's mask clamp down, and then looked on, helplessly, as the fingers pulled upward across Erin's forehead, dragging the blue mask from the bridge of Erin's nose. Erin's muscles bulged, the veins in her neck popped, her teeth gritted, but nothing could stop the slow crawl of the mask, which scaled her eyes and then her brow like a patient mountain climber. It moved gradually across her face until it reached the dome of her forehead, at which point it lifted up and into the air, revealing the distinctive, beautiful features of none other than the mayor's daughter...
"ERIN STEELE?" the man who had just unmasked her said.
Erin shut her eyes and let out a loud, long moan. Margot shut her eyes, too. They knew. The bastards knew who she was!
"No way," the cameraman muttered. "Umm... Should I keep filming?"
"Stop it, stop it now," the unmasker yelled. Margot opened her eyes to look at the cameraman, who seemed to comply. She tried to look at Erin, but she could barely stand to see her friend in such a horrible place: she seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Shit," one of the men holding up Erin said. "Shit."
"Wait," the other holder said. "Who is, err, Erin Steele?"
The unmasker glared at him. "She's the mayor's daughter, you fucking retard!"
"Ohh," the holder said, bending his face down to look at Erin. He grinned. "Yeah, the really hot one."
"Yes, the really hot one," the other holder said. "I've probably wanked to pictures of this bitch a hundred times."
Erin had not lifted her head since her first anguished cry. Margot couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. It was one thing for the Black Bobcat to be unmasked-- no one knew who the Black Bobcat was, really, and barely anyone knew Margot. But everyone in the city knew who Blue Lynx was, and a whole lot of other people were familiar with Erin Steele. It didn't seem like there was any way out for Erin. Margot grimaced.
"Everyone shut up," the unmasker said. He still held Blue Lynx's mask in the fingers of his left hand. "This changes everything, right here. I have to think."
Wait. Maybe this wasn't it for Erin. "Yeah," Margot thought. "They can't just release this video of them menacing the mayor's daughter. I mean, they'd go to jail, right? And they'd have all of Erin's father's resources making sure they'd do plenty of time."
Margot had to say something. So once again she summoned up her energy and called out: "You will pay for this, for sure. The Mayor will make sure of it."
The unmasker turned to look at Margot. She saw him stare at her face, then down at her bound body, and then back up at her face. And then she saw his frown slowly morph into a secret smirk.
"Actually, bitch, I don't know about that," he said, suddenly confident again. "All we're showing on the video is that we caught the Blue Lynx. No one else can pin anything on us."
The man slid Blue Lynx's mask into the back pocket of his jeans. He then walked over to Erin and grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head, yanking her face up. He stared at her face and licked his lips, seeming to relish every sign of her discomfort: her squinting eyes, her sweat-stained face, her mouth drawn down into an agonized, silent cry.
"Daddy's not saving you, Erin Steele," he said. "Not this time."
The other men hooted and hollered. Margot looked to Erin, hoping to see some kind of resolve in her friend, some sort of idea forming. But all she saw was a trapped, flustered girl in a ridiculous spandex costume, thick breaths of fear and panic heaving her chest. So Margot was surprised when, out of nowhere, Erin started to speak.
"Please," she whispered. "You can't do this."
"We already did," the standing man replied. The others laughed.
"Don't show anyone the video," Erin continued. "You can't."
"Why not?" the man said. "It's a pretty cool video. We could probably sell it to the press, even. Yeah. What do you think about that, boys? Let's offer Blue Lynx's secret to the highest bidder."
Erin shut her eyes and shook her head and the four frat boys cackled as one.
"Please," she whispered, again. "Please. I'll do anything."
The standing man looked up. "Anything?"
Margot didn't like this. "Erin," she thought. "Stop."
Erin nodded. "I'll do anything. Just don't release the video. Please."
The standing man leered evilly, first at Erin, and then at the three men surrounding him. He placed his hands on his hips. "You'll do anything, huh? Anything at all?"
Erin nodded. "I'm begging you."
Margot squirmed in her bonds. She felt like she would do anything to break free and help Erin. Watching the Blue Lynx reduced to this... Begging for her secret identity... It was more than Margot could take. But the ropes wouldn't budge. To her partner's humilation, she was, literally, a captive audience.
"Alright, then," the man said in a low growl, bringing his hand toward his crotch. "I'll tell you what I want."
He unzipped his jeans and stuck his hand in his pants. Erin's eyes immediately widened. Had she been expecting this?
"I want a blowjob," the man said. "From the Mayor's daughter, and the city's greatest superheroine. A two for one."
Margot turned away as the man let his dick hang out of the hole in his pants. The men's reactions varied from peals of laughter to a shocked gasp. "No," Margot thought. "No. This can't be happening."
"You watching this, Black Kitty?" It was the cameraman's voice. "I think you're gonna wanna see this. So you'll know what to do when it happens to you."
"Margot! Don't--" Erin's voice was cut off, muffled at the last second. Margot opened her eyes to see what had happened, and she saw the standing man next to Erin, his hands holding the back of her head, his cock thrust into her open mouth, her lips wrapped around its shaft. He was dragging his fingers through Erin's hair as he worked her, pushing his body to and fro, forcing the Blue Lynx to suck him off. The man was already beginning to make noises, murmurs of pleasure. Erin's eyes were slammed shut, small "MMPHS" emitting from the corner of her mouth.
It was awful. Margot didn't want to look, but... She couldn't help herself. There was something hypnotic about the whole spectacle: the Blue Lynx, crucified in the arms of two frat boys, being forced to swallow the cock of the man who had unmasked her.
"Should I film this, too?" the cameraman asked.
"SHUT UP!" the standing man exhaled, inbetween "oohs" and "ahhs." His back was now arched, and he had thrown his head back. Erin's lips tried to keep up with thrusts that were faster and rougher. The men holding Erin looked on with gazes that were both salacious and jealous: they seemed to want to have a turn, as well...
Margot shut her eyes, winced, let out a small whinny. Would everyone get a turn? Would Margot really have to sit through this three more times? Would they eventually get to her, and force her to perform sexual favors?
"I'm coming!" the man cried out. Margot couldn't look. But she heard things: first Erin coughing, then the man letting out a loud "AHH!," and then... a splatter. And then, more mixed reactions from the crowd: laughter interspersed with "Ewws" and "ohhs."
Margot knew what had happened. She didn't have to open her eyes. She didn't. She didn't...
But she did. She saw the standing man zipping up his pants, breathing heavily. She saw the other men, still gripping Erin by the arms, both grinning. And she saw Erin. Her hair was a tangled mess, balled up on her head and shooting out in strange directions. Her lipstick and mascara were smeared from some combination of tears, sweat, and the man's dick. Her face was bright red, a canvas of embarrassment, pain, disgust, and raw fury. And her chest, both her bare skin and the blue leotard that made a "V" out of her cleavage, was dripping with cum.
"There," Erin said, spitting out the word with utter loathing. "You happy?"
It was the first defiant thing she had said in... Half an hour, maybe? It almost made Margot smile. A few words weren't a plan, per se, but they were something. Even if Margot was still in the middle of a full-on retch.
"That was nice," the man said, turning around to face Erin. "I guess we're done here, boys."
It was almost imperceptible, but Margot could see Erin's face brighten. Margot could suddenly feel her spirits rise, too. Was this really it? One and done?
"And I guess we won't be showing anyone this video, as you held up your part of the deal."
Margot was nodding to herself. "Yes," she thought. "Erin, you did it. It was gross. But your secret is still safe. And we'll get these guys, someday, I know it."
The men holding Erin made small sounds of discontent. They loosened their grip, and Margot saw Erin fighting against them with renewed vigor. It wasn't enough for Erin to break free, but it was enough to remind everyone that Erin was a fighter, was a superheroine, and that this was just one setback. Right?
"But wait," the man said. "Wait a minute."
Margot gulped. In an instant, Erin was still.
"We didn't actually shake on anything, now did we?"
The girls' eyes flashed simultaneously. The men laughed together.
"It wouldn't be fair unless everyone here got a turn, now would it?"
Erin dropped her head, rocking it slowly, despairingly, from side to side. Margot could feel her eyes well up with hot tears. Her body clenched, seemed to become a giant "NO."
"Why don't we go ahead and post that video, too?" the man said. "Just to be safe."
The cameraman fumbled with the phone. He tapped it a few times and gave a thumbs up. The standing man nodded.
"Now the whole city will know that Erin Steele is the Blue Lynx," he sneered.
He walked behind Erin and nodded at one of the other men, who gave the leader Erin's arm. He now held her in place, allowing the previous holder to walk around, stare at Erin head-on, and unzip his pants.
"But no one will ever know about this," the leader said, seizing Erin's arm tightly, and breathing into her ear. "This night is just for you, and us, and your little partner over there."
With a free hand, he pointed in Margot's direction. Margot tried to turn away, tried to roll herself out of the alley, tried to go back in time to when crimefighting was simple and fun, when it didn't end with you and your friend tied up and covered in cum.
"Actually, hey Bob," he said, nodding at the man with the camera phone. "You want to show her something?"
"Sure," Bob said, pocketing the phone and waddling over to Margot. Seconds later, he was on his hands and knees, straddling her, kissing her face and neck, ogling her breasts.
Margot whimpered. It was her turn now. Her turn to do something: whether it was suck this man's cock, or get fucked, or what, she couldn't say. But it couldn't be good. She tried to focus on something else. But the only other things she could sense-- the only thing not the massive man on top of her, looking at her, grabbing her body, covering her in kisses-- were the noises of scuffle, an excited panting sound, and a smaller "MMPH" below it.
The sound of the Blue Lynx being defiled.
THE END
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