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Cara Lace
Cara Lace
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Joined: 29 Dec 2011
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re: Cara Part 14: Daredevlette Part IV

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Daredevlette: Part IV

Featuring...

Daredevlette / Melanie Matters
Iron Beauty / Jenny Styger
Comanderette America / Maggie Doyle
Princess Ianeira / The Sub Mariness
Spiderette / Ebony Cartwright
Matchstick Girl / Joanie Tempest
Lickadee Split / Dee
She Devil
Kitt Gloves
Menace
Miley Virus
Carrie Underworld


“I thought you said you’ve logged two hundred hours flight time?” Daredevlette says gripping the arms of the co-pilot chair to steady herself against the g-forces throwing her to the left and right.

“I have…” Ebony answers hesitating while awkwardly turning the planes steering wheel. “…in simulation.”

“SIMULATION?!” Dardevlette shouts back in disbelief. “How much ‘actual’ flight time?”

“Forty five minutes.” Ebony responds sheepishly as she pulls back suddenly on the yoke as the plane levels out just above the surface of the ocean and causing a huge dual wake in the water behind them. “But my instructor said I did very well.”

“Well that’s comforting!” Melanie says as the sleek Styger Industries jet climbs from the water’s surface to an acceptable altitude and then levels off into a smooth flight pattern. “What happened?”

“I engaged the auto pilot.” Ebony says simply with a relieved sigh. “We should get to the Styger Robotics Plant in about an hour. Then we can use the Zeta Platform there to get to the Gotham Wastelands.”

“We?” Melanie says more than asks. “Ebony you almost died and we don’t even know what happened to you or what that antidote might have done. You need to recover and find out what happened. I just need you to get me there.”

“You don’t understand.” Ebony says in protest. “I am Miss Styger’s personal physician and the only one who understands her condition. If her armor is shut down improperly or she is removed from it, it could kill her. Besides, I feel perfectly fine.”

“You were crawling around on the ceiling of the Hangar Bay… you are not ‘perfectly fine’.” The Daredevlette points out.

“That was a bit odd.” Ebony admits.

“Odd? You’re crawling on the ceiling and you call it ‘Odd’?” Melanie says exasperated.

“The sensation was odd.” Ebony corrects. “Somehow the red mist must have been a catalyst to allow the host to transfer physical biological traits.”

“What do you mean?” Melanie asks. “What was in those containers?”

“Specimens…” Ebony answers flatly. “Samples of plant life that had been exposed to the red lantern mist while they were here. As we discovered, one of the plant samples also contained a spider’s nest.”

“Red…” Melanie says almost to herself. “…The color of rage?”

“Yes rage and it was quite evident.” Ebony explains. “At first there were several hundred of them, an entire nest that had been exposed but they were agitated, and aggressive. They had already nearly torn their nest to shreds, literally attacking each other with rather shocking ferocity. By the morning, only one was still alive, the victor I suppose. I was working on relocating it to a smaller container when the attack happened.”

“That must have been what I sensed on your hand.” Melanie guesses.

“I don’t remember, it was on my hand? That means it must have…” Ebony says holding up her right hand and pauses in sudden surprise as a bright red glowing light, much like that from the ring of a Red Lantern appears on her ring finger, only without the ring.

“What?” Melanie asks at Ebony’s sudden silence.

“Nothing…” Ebony almost sings in her English manner and hides her hand under her butt.

“Your heart is racing…” Melanie begins.

“No it’s not.” Ebony cuts the Daredevlette off.

“I know when a person is lying Ebony, you can’t hide it. Tell me what’s wrong.” Melanie demands in her gruff and menacing tone.

“I’m afraid that may be a bit difficult to explain…” Ebony says with a touch of fear tingeing her British accent as the glow of a red energy aura slowly flickers into life around her body.

Elsewhere, in the Gotham Wastelands…

The Gotham Wastelands… real, but not. Jenny Styger could explain the science behind it, pocket dimensions and alternate realities, but in essence its entire existence was the whim of the demon lord Trigon. Part headquarters, part example to humanity of his plans for the mortal world; Trigon wanted to bring hell to earth through his daughter, the Teen Titan known as Raven. What the demon lord failed to anticipate was the resolve and determination of Earth’s heroes, specifically the Justice League and their allies, the Justice Girls. They defeated Trigon and his herald Brother Blood, stopped their evil plans to corrupt Raven and through her, claim every soul on Earth. The Wastelands however, and all the denizens that live there still remains. Chaotic and nightmarish, it is now the staging area for a new evil whose minions are now preparing for the next phase in its own plan of world domination.

A portal maintained by two demon priests flickers as Lickadee Split and Matchstick girl appear. Each of them grasping an arm of the unconscious Comanderette America suspended between them with her red and white boots dragging the ground.

“Easy you two, we don’t want to harm our prize.” Menace says as she too appears from the swirling energy portal. “I have my own plans for the Comanderette when Kitt is done with her.”

“She’s…ungh… lots heavier than she looks.” Matchstick Girl grunts.

“Yea, she’s like a sack full of cinder blocks. Where do you want her?” Lickadee Split echoes with a little annoyance.

“Take her to a cell in the Cathedral and put a guard on her at all times.” Menace says, pausing a moment. “Make that five guards!”

As Lickadee and Matchstick carry the Comanderette towards the structure known as The Cathedral, Menace gives a sinister smile of satisfaction and turns back towards the magical portal as it begins to flicker to life once more. “Today is turning out to be an excellent day, indeed.”

Just then, the musical duo of Miley Virus and Carrie Underworld appear pulling an anti-gravity cart behind them, on which lay the Mark Ten Iron Beauty Armor. The normally iridescent blue eyes are dark as it lay sleek but motionless.

“They think the Comanderette is heavy?” Carrie says as she and Miley stop to take a breath. “Try hauling THIS thing around!”

“Yea, don’t we have servants for this kind of manual work?” Miley adds, checking her fingernails for damage.

“When we are done, everyone will be our servants.” Menace answers. “Now take the armor to my workshop in the Knightsdome. I want to get a look at it myself.” As the pair sigh and carry out Menace’s order, the vampire says to herself, “…before Kitt has a chance to.”

A little later, at the Cathedral…

Matchstick Girl hovers in her flame form, cringing at the sight of the cell bars made of some sort of bone. Inside the cell lay the unconscious body of Comanderette America flat on her back with her wrists clamped at her sides. Her ankles are clamped together as well and a large metallic brace spans her chest. The table she is restrained to is elevated and angled slightly upward with some diabolical looking accessories sitting at the ready. A lightning filled blur surrounds the table as Lickadee Split speeds around it quadruple checking restraints. The next moment she is standing below her fiery friend closing the cell door and locking it securely.

“Dee, are you sure about all this?” Joanie says as she gently touches down and flames out to her normal human form. “I mean like really sure? Like no doubts whatsoever kind of sure?”

“You’ll have to be more specific, Matchstick.” Lickadee answers in her condescending tone. “There’s a lot going on right now.”

“C’mon, you know what I mean… demons!” Joanie says half whispering. “I mean this is serious! I’ve seen tons of horror movies and ones with demons in them never end well… for anybody!”

“What’s the matter Joanie?” Lickadee cocks her head to one side with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you, of all people, are getting ‘cold feet’?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that we’re thieves, we always have been, but we’ve never killed anyone.” Matchstick Girl says. “And I totally do not want to lose my soul.”

“You’re assuming we have one.” Lickadee jokes for a moment. “Look, if it makes you feel any better I feel the same way. The plan was always to get our powers and then dump this freak show but when Miley and Carrie showed up I decided we should stick around a little longer.”

“MIley and Carrie?” Joanie says dismayed. “They can’t even stand us? Why stay for them?”

“They’re rich, and rich girls love their stuff… their very expensive stuff.” Dee says bluntly. “Don’t you see? They’re wanted in every country on the planet so they live on a jumbo jet that they fly to and from hidden air fields.”

“And we care, why?” Joanie says.

“We care because if they are here, then their plane must be nearby.” Lickadee answers. “Think of it Flame Brain, our powers aside, why leave empty handed when we can ‘peruse’ the private collections of two world famous pop stars? ...and then leave.”

“Seriously?!” Joanie exclaims. “She Devil can eat our souls and you want to go shopping?! Or shop lifting I guess it would be.”

Just then, across the room in the doorway, a small light bursts into existence. It expands to reveal a magic portal as energy swirls and undulates within it.

“Speak of the devil…” Lickadee says as she turns and crosses her arms assuming a cocky stance. The Matchstick Girl stands behind her almost as if hiding.

“Not quite ‘The Devil’, but close enough.” She Devil says as she steps through the magical doorway followed by her second in command, the feline hybrid ninja known as Kitt Gloves. “Where is she?”

“Right to the point, I like that.” Lickadee says in an innocent yet confident tone. “She Devil, I give you… Comanderette America.”

The young pair steps aside to reveal the helpless heroine behind them. She Devil’s girlish face reveals its true nature for a moment as a truly evil grin crosses her lips. She glides slowly across the floor with her wings flapping ever so slightly and her pointed demon’s tail whipping like an excited house cat. Kitt walks silently behind her with her ‘cats eyes’ shining in satisfaction and almost pride.

“Impressive, Kitt.” She Devil says gazing on her prize. “Your team has executed their mission and delivered to me all I need to summon our new army.”

“Uhngh, new army?” The Comanderette America mutters as she regains consciousness. “What?... You knuckleheads can’t take over the world alone?”

“Comanderette America, on behalf of the Justice Girls Dark, I want to thank you.” She Devil states with deadly seriousness. “I am going to unleash ancient forces of pure evil on the human world, and you are vital to their creation.”

Before the Comanderette can even respond; a dart-like appendage that resembles a scorpions tail strikes from the very table itself and plunges into her neck. It extracts a vial of blood from the helpless patriot and then disappears as fast as it arrived. She Devil holds up her hand and another fleshy appendage forms from the very floor itself and rises next to the demon girl with the vial in its clutches.

“Oh don’t worry about this...” She Devil says calmly taking the vial and holding it up to the light. “We just need a sample of your unaltered DNA. Think of it as a backup.”

Comanderette America strains against her bonds, gritting her teeth in extreme effort, but to no avail. She concentrates and her whole body flickers for just a moment but remains fastened to the examination table.

“Save your strength. The restraints are infused with an enchantment that prevents you from teleporting and are made of depleted promethium... even your friend Cara Terra could not break them.” She Devil says ominously.

“I’d take that bet any day.” The Comanderette says defiantly.

“Perhaps,” She Devil smiles and holds up the vial for Maggie to see. “…however you will not be around long enough to collect. Your world is about to change, Soldier. Soon you will know nothing but absolute obedience to the Justice Girls Dark and you will answer only to me.”

Joanie looks nervously at Lickadee and the two exchange glances while She Devil turns to Kitt.

“I believe you have met my daughter, Kitt Gloves.” The demon says in a taunting voice. “She’s much stronger now. Kitt, show why don’t you show her.”

“It would be my pleasure, Mother.” Kitt purrs, smiling under her mask as she steps out from behind the demon and into Maggie’s view.

“You!” The Comanderette almost spits.

“That’s sweet...” Kitt purrs. “…you do remember me. You’re not still mad about your little army friend are you? I mean it was so long ago.”

“His name was Drill Sergeant Fields.” Maggie says with reverence. “And I’ve been waiting a long time to get some payback for what you did to him, and everyone at Fort Triumph.”

“We will see.” Kitt hisses and then turns to smile at She Devil who disappears in a puff of crimson, sulfur reeking smoke.

“What are we supposed to do now, Licky?” Matchstick Girl whispers to her friend as they stand as stiff as boards.

“Leave us.” Kitt says waiving a hand in their direction. “The Comanderette and I have some catching up to do.”

Without question, Lickadee and Matchstick slide silently out the door and it slams and locks behind them. They proceed down the dark and dank corridor unsure of exactly where they should even go, when they hear the Comanderette begin to scream.

Meanwhile, at the Knightsdome…

“I’ve studied every piece of intel the JGD has on the Iron Beauty Armor.” Menace thinks out loud standing over the Mark Ten Iron Beauty armor which lays flat on its back atop a stone slab. The vampire twirls a small tool in her hand. “This suit will let me go out in the daylight like my armor does, but with pulse blasters and a jet pack. I won’t have to be a slave to She Devil anymore.”

Menace takes the tool and fits it to a small bolt on the side of the armor’s helmet near the neck. It clicks in rapid succession as it begins to ratchet loose. “Yea, I’ll get rid of the demon girl then take back leadership of the JGD and use whatever she’s conjuring to conquer the world for me and…..”

BZZZZRRTTT!!!

Menace is thrown from the armor by a powerful electric shock. She slams back first into the wall behind her and slumps to the floor where she sits for a moment holding her hand against her forehead.

“Ungh… booby trapped?” The vampire groans. “That wasn’t in the files…”

The workshop door opens and Miley Virus rushes in, followed closely by Carrie Underworld. They hurry over to Menace and offer to help her up but the vampire smacks their hands away and rises almost supernaturally fast to hover in the air before them.

“Tell me, how exactly did you retrieve the armor without a scratch from Jenny Styger’s home turf?” Menace asks the pair.

“Well, it was easy.” Miley says through chewing gum. “See it was MY idea to open the portal early and have that ‘Split’ girl…”

“Lickadee Split.” Carrie clarifies.

“…charge up her ‘atomic magneticky’ thingy…” Miley continues.

“Electro Magnetic Pulse.” Carrie again clarifies.

“…and fry all of their computers and alarm systems.” Miley finishes proudly. “By the time we stepped through into the hanger everything was popping and buzzing and sparking and stuff. The armor was just layin’ on the floor sparking too and the Comanderette was like all DUH!! So then the flame-y girl…”

“Matchstick Girl.” Carrie a third time.

“…flew in and tied her up and stuff. The Comanderette said Styger wasn’t there and that she lost a bet and was shining the armor for her.” Miley finishes.

“You fools!” Menace shouts. “You don’t realize what you’ve done.”

“What? Lickadee ran all over the place but didn’t find her and that chick in the underwater suit…” Miley begins.

*sigh* “Black Mantagirl.” Carrie interrupts.

“…Yea her, she looked at the armor with one of her ‘doohickies’ and said no one was in it. So we carted it up and towed it back here. Easy peasy.” The rock star finishes with the pop of a chewing gum bubble.

“Not the armor, you idiots… the portal!” Menace seethes. “A magic portal is just energy, the longer it’s open the easier it is to trace. We probably have incoming right now!”

Without warning a carbon steel alloy Escrima Stick flies into the room from the open doorway and strikes solidly upside Menace’s head. The vampire drops to the floor for a moment grasping her head as all eyes turn to see the crimson colored form of Daredevlette standing before them.

“Incoming is already here.” Daredevlette says in her gruff voice.

“Destroy her!!” Menace commands rising from the floor as Daredevlette suddenly sprints out the door. Miley concentrates and a powerful looking long barreled rifle appears in her hands as she and Carrie pursue the hero, followed by Menace.

The Iron Beauty armor lay alone on its slab in the room until a woman in a black and red body suit descends silently from the ceiling on a thin strand of glowing red energy. Her short, bright red hair is all that is visible with the rest of her face and head covered from view. A flickering aura of red energy surrounds her while she slowly lowers hanging upside down from the ceiling above the armor.

“This is utterly absurd! I can’t believe I’m doing this!!” Ebony mutters to herself as the strand dissolves away and she drops to the floor next to the armor without a sound. Around her waist is a belt with small pouches around it, and from one of these pouches she pulls a small device that resembles and ordinary flash drive. With her other hand she fumbles her fingers around an area on the side of the armors helmet.

“Come on then!” Ebony says in frustration. “Come on...”

At last, a small panel opens on the armors chest plate and reveals a tiny interface port for Ebony’s device. Ebony’s black and red covered hand slips the drive into place and it lights up to indicate it has initiated communication. A sense of sudden danger, bordering on panic, comes over Ebony and without any conscious thought she leaps backward away from the armor, somersaulting in mid air, and coming to rest on the far wall of the room near the ceiling. Before she even realizes she’s done it, she tilts her head back to look squarely at the armor whose eye slits have begun to flicker on. Suddenly the armor convulses as an electric shock arcs off of its surfaces and scorches the table it lays on.

As the shock dissipates, Ebony hears the familiar soft humming of the armor running idle in its normal operational mode. As she descends in a crouch to the floor once more, the sound of running footsteps draws her attention back to the main door where the Daredevlette suddenly bursts into the room and stops for a moment breathing heavily.

“Did you do it? Did it work?” Melanie asks through her athletically well trained and regulated breaths.

“Yes, I do believe the armor is active now.” Ebony says leaping softly across the room to the Daredevlette’s side.

“Then why isn’t it moving?” Melanie counters.

“Because there is no one in it, fools!” Menace almost coos as she and Miley and Carrie step back into the room and block the door.

“Rock n Roll!” Miley shouts and unleashes the multi-barrel gattling-gun she has materialized from thin air into the room. Bullets rain down on Daredevlette as she narrowly ducks behind the table holding the Iron Beauty armor, grabbing Ebony and pulling her down to cover with her. Bullets ricochet off the armor as Ebony covers her ears against the sound.

“I can take them, you get out of here!” The Daredevlette commands.

“I’m not just leaving you!” Ebony protests. “I can help, I can…”

Without warning, an almost ghostly white stream of energy shoves the table aside leaving the heroines exposed. Melanie snarls as Ebony looks up to see Carrie Underworld grinning at them like a predator.

Behind Carrie, Miley clicks her gun into firing position mostly for effect and smiles at the pair. “No where left to…” Her sentence is abruptly cut off by a sticky glob of red energy webbing that suddenly slaps over her mouth.

“Excuse me! I was talking thank you very much!” Ebony suddenly shouts without even realizing what she did. Miley’s gun dissolves away as she uses her hands to pull and tug at the sticky webbing on her face while Carrie fires another celestial powered blast. Sensing it well before fired it however, Melanie springs into the air while Ebony leaps straight up to plant herself upside down on the ceiling. Carrie’s blast obliterates the floor where they were and before she can summon another blast, the Daredevlette is on her. With surprising speed the crimson crusader pummels her from every side with her Escrima Sticks, never letting up, never letting Carrie recover from one blow to the next. When Daredevlette finally stops, Carrie simply collapses to the floor unconscious.

In frustration and anger, Miley gives up on removing the webbing that covers her mouth and forms an impossibly large hand-held rocket launcher. A strong tingling sense wracks Ebony’s mind and her body instinctively reacts with lightning reflexes as she springs from her spot on the ceiling just in time to avoid a volley of deadly exploding projectiles. She lands in a graceful crouch on the floor when she sees Menace appear behind Daredevlette from a wisp of dark smoke. Time seems to slow as the strange tingling in Ebony’s mind plots an impossible course of action.

Without thinking, Ebony leaps upward in place as a spray of bullets from Miley’s gattling-gun erupts all around her. With incredible agility, she flips and twists and contorts her body in almost impossible ways and avoids every bullet while at the same time she extends her right hand and fires a sticky thin strand of energy webbing at the pop-star. It strikes Miley in the chest and holds firm much to the singer’s alarm as Ebony lands and with a mighty pull she yanks Miley off her feet and swings her around the room in an arc. Before Miley can even react, Ebony slams her into Menace just as she was about spring on Daredevlette and sink her fangs into her. The two go flying through the air and smash into the far wall before falling face first to the floor.

“So you’re strong too?” Melanie says turning towards Ebony.

“It would seem.” Ebony responds with a tinge of fear. “My God, what’s next? I turn into a giant spider?”

“You’re still you, Ebony.” The Daredevlette tells her with the voice of experience. “I know what it’s like to have everything in your life change in the blink of an eye. It’s terrifying, it’s crazy, and if we live through this I promise we will talk all about it, but for now… you are still you, you are not a spider.”

“No, I suppose not…” Ebony says through her black and red mask. “…I’m a Spiderette.”

“Spiderette… good name, I like it.” Menace says rising from the rubble on the other side of the large room. “It’s too bad you will die before anyone knows it.”

As Daredevlette and the Spiderette brace themselves for another attack, the sudden sound of a pulse blaster erupts from behind them and is followed by a bright beam of energy tearing through the air and slamming into Menace with the force of a locomotive. The vampire is blasted screaming through the wall of the room and out into the harsh Wastelands terrain. The two stunned women turn behind them to see Iron Beauty hop off the table.

“Yeah! You like THAT, Morticia Adams?” Jenny Styger says defiantly through her helmet.

“Iron Beauty I presume.” Daredevlette says standing with Spiderette who seems afraid to speak.

“In the flesh… sort of.” Jenny’s faceplate opens up to reveal her smiling face while her armored feet clang on the stone floor as she walks towards them. “You look a lot better than last time I saw you, Red. Who’s your new playmate?”

“She’s… Spiderette.” Daredevlette answers a bit awkwardly and then quickly changes the subject. “I don’t understand. Menace said there was no one in the armor…”

“It takes more than the average ‘doohicky’ to scan passed my tech.” Jenny says in her cocky manner. “Where’s the Comanderette?”

“They took her to the Cathedral.” Daredevlette answers.

“Figures, everything always has to be a big show.” Jenny says as she walks confidently toward the hole in the wall left by Menace. As she passes Spiderette she reaches up and removes the small device from its port on her chest and flips it into the air at the black and red heroine who catches it and stares nervously back.

“Nice outfit.” Jenny says with a wink as her faceplate snaps shut.


The Cathedral

The main hall of the Cathedral is huge. It starts with a huge stage along one wall that branches out into a vast seating area. Like ripples in a pool, row after row of pews extend to fill all corners of the vast arena like area. Lesser demons scramble about carrying out various tasks throughout the area while on the stage She Devil and Kitt Gloves gloat over their captive, the still unconscious Comanderette America. The heroic patriot is still secured to her wicked looking examination table.

“Is everything ready?” She Devil asks through a sinister grin.

“Her will is remarkable, or rather it was.” Kitt purrs in response as she slinks around table.

“Then the final curtain falls.” She Devil says looking out across the vast seating area and to the main doors high above. With a resounding clang the huge doors unlatch and creak loudly as they slowly open just slightly and through them, the young Matchstick Girl slips inside and immediately turns to push them shut again.

“Uhm, this is probably bad your evilness but…” Matchstick begins shouting to the pair on stage through deep breaths, “…but I just saw Daredevlette, Iron Beauty and some other chick heading this way and they do not seem happy and I can’t find Lickadee!”

“Daredevlete?” Kitt asks.

“Yea, she’s a hero from Crime Alley been making lots of problems for the gangs there. Dresses in red, uses fighting sticks and stuff.” Matchstick answers running down the steps through the rows of empty seats towards the stage.

“Intriguing.” Kitt states. “She’s stronger than I gave her credit for. She will make a nice meal.”

“So, we taking a portal out of here or are you just going to teleport us? Oooo if you teleport don’t forget Lickadee, I can’t find her! Wait, did you say… meal?!” Matchstick rambles as she arrives on the stage to stand before She Devil.

“SILENCE, CHILD!” She Devil commands and literally freezes Joanie in place with fear.

At that moment, the main doors that Matchstick came through explode open in debris and smoke. Through that smoke, Iron Beauty appears hovering on her Omni-Directional Thruster and followed by Daredevlette and Spiderette.

“Hey guys, how about we cut to the chase here and just be real?” Jenny’s voice echoes loudly throughout the vast auditorium over her speakers. “Why don’t you all just sit down and give up now? Because every computer model I run shows me wrapping this up in five minutes.”

She Devil grins and snaps her fingers instantly summoning a bright blinding light that engulfs the stage and then dissipates into a cloud of sulfurous smoke. As the smoke fades away it reveals the stage is now populated with Miley, Carrie, Menace and Lickadee as well.

“Ok… ten minutes then.” Jenny corrects.

She Devil’s cold stare sends an icy chill down Ebony’s back and she marvels at the resolve of Jenny Styger who stares back unwavering and confident at her foe. Glancing at Daredevlette, Ebony sees her standing with extreme concentration etched on her jaw and she knows that Melanie’s senses are literally drinking in every detail around them.

“What do you say, She Devil?” Iron Beauty presses. “You gonna let the Comanderette go or do I have to take you over my knee!?”

The demon girl grins at Kitt who is seething at Styger’s disrespect of her mother. “Let her go.”

At She Devil’s command the restraints holding the Comanderette retract back into the table and the patriot stands before her team mates. She raises her head towards her friends, but instead of the proud and confident face she normally portrays, her expression is anger.

“Uhm, Maggs?...” Jenny utters through her armor just as the Comanderette summons her shield and in the same motion sends it hurtling towards the Iron Beauty. Jenny fails to react in time and the shield slams into her chest with incredible force and unceremoniously knocks the Iron Beauty on her metal butt. “Hey, Maggs!... Same team here!”

“Hardly!” The Comanderette says coldly as her shield returns to her arm. “Death to all enemies of the Justice Girls Dark!” The patriot springs into the air, leaping directly at Iron Beauty.

“Aw great…” Jenny says as she readies her block.


Back on the stage…

“Take the rest.” She Devil says softly to rest of her team, each of them heading into battle in their own unique way leaving Joanie on the stage with an ironic look of stage fright on her face. She Devil’s eyes flare as she scowls at the young Matchstick Girl, snapping her attention back to the present. She flames up and launches into the air to join the fight.


While up in the stands…

As Iron Beauty and Comanderette America go tumbling through row after row of seating, Daredevlette pulls Spiderette close to her.

“Listen! They’ll try to split us up, do not let them. We’ll stand back to back and between my senses and your reflexes… AACK!!...”

Slowly Daredevlette begins to rise off the ground as she grasps at some invisible force around her neck. Ebony tilts her head to see Kitt Gloves several yards behind with her hand in the air, choking Daredevlette with her mind. Ebony panics, unsure of what to do until she feels the tingling again, as if it were in her very soul. Her body reacts instinctively and leaps into the air while firing two strands of her red energy webbing, each striking an incoming rocket and holding fast. Ebony twists and spins in the air, manipulating her webs like a lasso and flings one of the rockets back at Miley Virus, the villain who fired them. It explodes on the floor just in front of the rock star and sends her as well as her partner Carrie Underworld slamming into the far wall.

As Spiderette gracefully clings to the ceiling above, she gives a last yank on the second strand and sends that rocket flying towards Kitt Gloves. Kitt sees it coming however and holds her other hand aloft, slowing the projectile to a complete stop in mid air.

“What on earth are you?” Kitt says staring up at Spiderette crouching on the ceiling like a coiled spring.

“A distraction.” Ebony responds with almost cheery British nature.

“Wha….” Kitt is knocked out of the air by Daredevlette’s right-cross and the two crash to the floor with Daredevlette on Kitt’s chest, pinning the ninja down.

“You let your mind wander.” Melanie growls in her rough voice with satisfaction.


While further up the seating aisles…

“Talk to me, D! Whats wrong with her?” Jenny says inside her helmet with urgency.

“Bioscans indicate the Comanderette’s brainwave patterns have been radically altered to those of an entirely different person.” DANIEL responds efficiently.

“…a different person?” Jenny asks exasperated. “Terrific, bet I can guess who. I’ll try to talk her down while we figure out a way to reverse it.”

Iron Beauty’s thruster roars to life and effortlessly lifts her into the air, narrowly dodging a flying tackle from Comanderette America. Flipping in mid-air, the star spangled sprite lands on her feet and turns to glare upward at the hovering Iron Beauty.

“All will bow to the Justice Girls Dark!!” Maggie shouts. “…for the glory of She Devil!”

“Come on, Maggs!” Jenny responds with her cocky attitude. “I thought we agreed you were gonna be more like me… this aint even a little like me!”

“Everything has to be about you, doesn’t it Styger? You’re conceded and selfish!” Maggie says angrily and launches into a flying kick that catches Jenny off guard. Iron Beauty smashes into the floor once more but quickly gets back on her feet.

“Okay…that’s IT!!” Jenny shouts and her thruster erupts, launching her into the Comanderette, tackling her around the waste and slamming the patriot’s back to the floor. “I dunno what they did to you, Maggs, but you gotta snap out of it!” she says trying to shake Maggie by her shoulders while sitting on her chest.

Maggie stares with an evil smile, chilling Jenny to the bone as she has never seen that look on her friend. Before Iron Beauty can react, the Comanderette disappears in wisp of blue light and reappears several yards away in front of her. Maggie pulls one of her pistols from a holster on her back and begins firing. The bullets strike Jenny’s armor with surprising force but ricochet of its exterior as she slowly rises to her feet.

“Ok, stop shooting!” Jenny orders. “Don’t make me hurt you!”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Maggie responds coldly.


And, back down in the lower stands…

Spiderette watches from her spot on the ceiling as Daredevlette and Kitt Gloves battle with a combination of martial arts and super powers, each of them landing punishing blows while mentally tossing the various surrounding debris at each other.

“You hide your power very well.” Kitt taunts. “I’m almost impressed you survived our first encounter. A lesser creature would have been crushed and drowned.”

“Yea, I’m stubborn…” Daredevlette growls. “…especially with dirt bags who mess with my city.”

“Mess with your city?” Kitt almost laughs. “Crime Alley is a cesspool.”

“You abducted kids! Experimented on them and turned them into weapons!” Daredevlette shouts back deftly blocking and dodging combination of Kitt’s punches and kicks.

“If anything I did them a favor.” Kitt gloats. “They had nothing; I gave them a home and a purpose and power beyond their wildest dreams. Why don’t you ask them what they think of my generosity?”

With a flash of yellow lightning, Melanie is suddenly knocked violently into the air where she flips end over end and then crashes back down to the floor. She quickly returns to her feet and senses her attacker sitting causally with her feet up in a nearby seat.

“Hi there, remember me?” Lickadee asks with a deadly serious expression. “You cost me a fortune.”

“It’s not too late, we can save you.” Daredevlette responds.

“Does it look like I need saving?” Lickadee says with her fingertips lightly tapping. “No hero, I’m gonna take every dime you cost me outta your hide.”

Lickadee disappears in a flash, but only makes it a few feet before she rises up from the floor and simply hovers with her legs still moving in a blur of motion. She looks around startled, unable to gain any momentum as her flailing legs can only generate wind. Angry, she glares at Daredevlette who stands with a hand raised as she holds the speedster helpless before her.

“Please…” Daredevlette pleads. “…you don’t have to do this.”

“Don’t you get it?” Lickadee spats back. “I only do what I WANT to do.”

Without warning the speedster begins to spin in mid air, remaining in place but twisting her body at super speed and using the momentum carry her faster and faster until she is only a red, blue and yellow blur as the air in the room begins to spin as well. The wind begins lightly at first but it grows stronger with each second until a raging tornado begins ripping the seats from the floor. Melanie struggles but is unable to resist the force and is blown off her feet and sent hurling around in the air until she slams back first into the high outer wall.

Above the scene, still clutching to her spot on the ceiling, Ebony struggles against the roaring vortex as it tries to rip her from her perch. Her newfound inner senses are tingling beyond control, warning her of dangers in every direction from the swirling debris all around her. She is overwhelmed with more information than her mind can process and as a result, she fails to notice the volley of rockets closing in on her. They strike without warning all around her, concussion blasts and explosions shatter the rock Ebony is clinging to and as she falls a sinister beam of dark energy strikes her in the chest and sends her flailing headlong into the vortex. Miley Virus and Carrie Underworld laugh hysterically as they ‘high five’ each other and rejoin She Devil, Kitt Gloves and Matchstick Girl on the stage. They point at and mock the helpless Spidertte as the winds toss her around.

As Ebony smashes into the wall next to her, Daredevlette is unable to keep her hold on Lickadee Split any longer and releases the impossible speedster. The roaring wind suddenly disappears as Lickadee comes to a stop on the floor.

Free of the powerful tempest, Daredevlette falls from the wall and onto her knees coughing to clear her lungs of the dust. She hears the thud of a lifeless body hitting the stone floor as Spiderette collapses unconscious beside her. Before she can regain her footing Kitt’s telekinetic force lifts the two heroes off the floor and levitates them both down from the stands and deposits them directly in front of the stage.

In less than a split second Lickadee is back down on the stage with the other villains and as Melanie checks and tries to wake Spiderette, she hears the click of some large ammunition loading into place.

On the stage, Miley Virus holds her huge manifested gattling gun trained on Daredevlette and Spiderette. “Don’t… even… breathe.” She says arrogantly to them as She Devil turns her attention to the opposite side of the stands where Iron Beauty and the Comanderette continue to battle.


Back up in the stands…

“Madame, Comanderette America has damaged several nano-circuits and power efficiency is down twelve percent.” DANIEL announces in Jenny’s helmet.

“Give me something DANIEL!” Jenny orders as she rises from the floor once again. “If this goes on much longer I’m gonna have to hurt Maggie.”

“As I stated before, the Comanderette’s brainwave patterns…..” DANIEL begins.

“Yea, yea… have been altered… I got that part.” Jenny says annoyed as she and Maggie stare each other down, looking for an opening. “Question is, how to ‘un-alter’ them!”

“According to available medical research data, Electroconvulsive Therapy at the right frequency could bring her brainwave patterns back to normal.” DANIEL says calmly.

“Shock Treatment?!” Jenny exclaims ducking to avoid the Comanderette’s shield. “That’s just great! We get one chance then. Isolate the frequency and charge up the hull.”

Maggie lunges at the Iron Beauty at full force and speed, with her fantastic shield out front. Jenny plants her armored feet solidly on the floor and makes no effort to dodge the Comanderette’s attack. Maggie slams, shield first, into Iron Beauty and the force pushes Jenny backwards with her metal boots scraping loudly on the stone floor. The pair struggle like the unstoppable force hitting the immovable object until Maggie raises her head to look over the top of her shield.

“Gotcha!” Jenny says and slaps her armored hands on each side of Maggie’s head. Electric current flows from one of Iron Beauty’s gauntlets to the other, passing through the Comanderette’s brain. Maggie’s body convulses and tightens up as a painful scream tries to escape from her clenched teeth.

Jenny releases her friend who collapses immediately to the floor with a groan. On the stage below, She Devil and her cabal watch as Jenny kneels down to check on Maggie. The unconscious soldier groans and flinches as Jenny gently turns her over.

“How’s she doing, DANIEL?” Jenny asks inside her helmet.

“The Comnderette’s brainwave patterns are normalizing. My scans indicate that she is stuck in a REM like dream state.” DANIEL reports.

“Wakey wakey, Yanky Doodle.” Jenny says out loud as a panel on her shoulder pops open and produces what looks like a small amplifying speaker. A soft pulse of gentle sonic vibrations emanates from it and slowly the Comanderette begins to stir and finally opens her eyes with a look of confusion and relief.

“Sorry about that, Maggs.” Jenny says as her faceplate snaps open. “You OK?”

“Uhngg! That was the worst nightmare a soldier can have.” Maggie says shaking her head and rising to one knee. “What happened? Where am I?”

“Back with us, finally.” Jenny explains. “The JGD hijacked your brain.”

“The JGD…” Maggie mutters and looks down onto the stage where the villains stand with their two captives still being held at Miley’s gun point. Suddenly it all comes back to her, the events of the past several hours and as she glares at Kitt Gloves, she sees the ninja begin to pull her katana from its sheath.

Maggie begins to stand as Iron Beauty takes hold of her arm, trying to steady her shaky friend. With surprising speed the soldier grabs Jenny’s wrist and spins around putting the Iron Beauty in a perfect arm-bar hold.

“HEY!!... I thought I rebooted you! “Jenny says startled at her sudden immobilization.

Holding Jenny from behind and obscured from the vision of the villains below, Maggie whispers softly next to Jenny’s ear. “You did. Haven’t you ever heard of tactical advantage?”

“Huh?... Oh!” Jenny says with a grin. “Wait, that means… I have to lose? No one will believe that, let’s be honest.”

“Then make it look real good!” The Comanderette responds as she releases Iron Beauty’s wrist while at the same time kipping her legs up together and kicking Jenny’s armor square in the back panel. The armor hurtles headlong directly at one of the thick stone columns that supports the Cathedral’s vast ceiling. Jenny snaps her faceplate shut and braces for impact.

Maggie glances down to the stage once more to see that Kitt has relaxed her blade as Iron Beauty slams face first into the support column which rumbles and shakes pieces loose from the impact.

“You are weak compared to the might of She Devil, Styger!” Maggie shouts zealously.

“Uhm… Oh yea?” Jenny responds clumsily and rises to her feet. “…well, am not!”

Maggie suddenly flings her shield at Iron Beauty, who ducks and lets it pass over her and slam into the already cracked support column. As the shield bounces away on its return trip to its master, the column crumbles and shakes until it finally begins to completely collapse directly on top of Jenny.

“Ahhh! It’s crushing me! Ahhhhh!” Jenny shouts as she is buried in tons of crumbling rock debris.

As the dust settles and the sound fades away, Maggie turns to the stage where She Devil stands with a beaming grin and softly clapping. Maggie salutes and then in a sudden blue flash she appears on the stage staring down at the scowling Daredevlette and the still unconscious Spiderette.

“Very good, Comanderette.” She Devil says almost gloating. “You will make a worthy addition to my forces; perhaps even my top field commander.”

“I only wish to serve.” Maggie responds emotionless.

“What do we do with these two?” Miley asks as her trigger finger twitches over and over, her gun trained on Daredevlette and Spiderette.

She Devil smiles and licks her lips with anticipation. “These two are inconsequential. I will let my darling daughter decide what should be done with them.”

“Purrrr-fect, Mother. Thank you.” Kitt says looking down on the two. “I like meat to be cooked. Matchstick Girl... barbeque them!”

“Uhm… what?!” Matchstick girl says suddenly realizing what Kitt is ordering her to do. “Can’t we just lock them up or something?!”

“Your attitude is beginning wear on me!” Kitt hisses vehemently. “Do as you’re told before I make a meal out of you as well!”

Hesitating with fear and uncertainty, Matchstick Girl raises a ‘flamey’ hand towards Daredevlette. To Joanie’s amazement, the Daredevlette stands up tall and proud as if she were staring directly into her eyes.

“Do it…” Melanies says gruff and aggressive. “…but once you do, you can never go back.”

Joanie can feel the eyes on her. She Devil, Kitt Gloves, Miley, Carrie and Lickadee all watch as the flames around Joanie’s outstretched hand flare up and roar. The Comanderette stands anxiously, not wanting to reveal she is free of her mind control but unwilling to let someone die, and she watches intensely for a chance to act.

Joanie stares at Daredevlette, with her arm shaking and her knees weak. A sick feeling fills the pit of her stomach and as tears begin to well up and fall from her eyes, they instantly wisp away into vapor in the heat of her flames. Hanging her head and lowering her hand, she flames out to her human form and turns to She Devil. “No…. I won’t.”

“Shame...” She Devil says coldly. “Then you will die with them.”

The demon girl looks to her daughter Kitt who almost purrs as she begins to summon her incredible mental powers and lifts Joanie off her feet and into the air. Kitt laughs while mentally crushing down on Joanie’s body while the Matchstick Girl struggles and tries to escape until her breathing becomes more and more labored, until finally she is gasping desperately for air. She tries to flame up but only puffs out as Kitt keeps the oxygen away from her.

Unable to watch any more, the Comanderette turns to attack Kitt but then stops as Kitt is suddenly hit by a flash of yellow lightning and knocked from the stage straight up into the air and slams into the high Cathedral ceiling. In the same instant, Joanie is released and falls to the floor only to be caught in the arms of Lickadee Split.

“Nobody kills MY partner!!” Lickadee says with deadly seriousness as she gives a fierce glance to She Devil.

“You DARE?!” She Devil hisses as Kitt’s body falls back to the stage with a loud crash. “I am She Devil, the destroyer of worlds!! Who are you to defy ME?!”

“Lickadee Split! The robber of liquor stores!” Dee says as she sets the gasping Joanie down on her feet.

“And me!” Joanie shouts flaming up like never before. “I just burn shit!”

Miley swings her gun around and takes aim on the pair only to have that gun knocked from her hands in a flash of red, white and blue spinning metal. The gun disappears into thin air before it hits the floor and Miley summons a rail gun for each hand instead. She swings around to take aim just in time to see the Comanderette’s boot before it strikes her face with full force.

Carrie Underworld’s dark energy flares from her eyes as the shock of the Comanderette’s sudden betrayal turns into anger. She directs a large bolt of her power at the spritely patriot who raises her shield and blocks it harmlessly away.

“Menace!” She Devil shouts in frustration as she gazes upon her fallen forces. Kitt Gloves and Miley Virus both down and Carrie Underworld still locked in battle with the Comanderette. Turning behind her she sees Menace standing with arms crossed and a smug look of satisfaction on her face. “What are you waiting for?!”

“Oh, is it my turn finally?” The vampire says in a sinister and cocky tone. “I thought you’d never ask.”

As the heroes prepare to rush the stage, Menace lets loose a powerful and fiery wave of hellish heat that knocks all but the Matchstick Girl down to the floor. Sensing its approach, Daredevlette pulls Spiderette behind some fallen stone debris to shield them both from the scorching blast. Spiderette stirs and her eyes open with sudden surprise.

“Oh my!” Ebony gasps. “What happened?!”

“We’re about to find out.” Daredevlette responds.

“Come on heroes!” Menace shouts gleefully as She Devil silently backs away to the rear of the stage, observing. “Time for the big league now.”

Menace releases another huge blast of hell fire and the Comanderette barely has time to toss Carrie’s unconscious body behind a nearby pile of stone debris and crouch behind her invincible shield. The wave of fire blackens everything it touches and sets what is left of the rows of seats ablaze.

“You gonna stay under there forever?!” The Comanderette shouts behind her to a certain pile of fallen column debris. Instantly the pile shifts and Iron Beauty virtually erupts from the top of it to hover on her thruster.

“What? I didn’t want to interrupt your terrific ‘acting’.” Jenny announces using her fingers to accentuate the quotes.

Maggie smiles at Jenny and rolls her eyes just a little before turning back to Menace in all seriousness. “Why don’t you make it easy on yourself and just give up, Menace.”

“I have hundreds of years of combat experience and I’ve watched each of you, I know how you fight!” Menace boasts.

“Maybe, but you haven’t seen us together.” The Comanderette replies simply before shouting… “Iron Beauty, strafe her with napalm; the hotter the better!”

Without question, for once, Iron Beauty launches several of her napalm grenades which explode in succession on the floor in front of the stage. Huge flames roar up and form a barrier between Menace and the heroes.

“Oh yea, fire…that’s going to hurt someone from hell.” Lickadee says dripping with sarcasm.

“No, but as a vampire her sight is based on the infra-red spectrum and more heat will keep her from seeing you.” The Comanderette states.

“Seeing me? Seeing me what?!” Lickadee questions.

“Hit her, as fast as you can and as much as you can.” Maggie orders. “Keep her guessing and off balance. Go!”

Lickadee smiles for just a second then disappears and a flurry of yellow lightning engulfs the stage. Strong wind blows the flames around violently and behind them Menace reels from blow after blow raining down on her from every direction.

“Matchstick, it’s up to you.” The Comanderette says turning to Joanie’s bewildered face. “While Lickadee keeps her attention, you have to absorb her heat. Drain her power and she’ll go out like a light.”

“Drain her… what?” Joanie asks. “I burn stuff; it’s the only thing I’m good at. I can’t absorb heat or whatever you…”

“Stow that talk, Soldier!!” Maggie barks. “…and absorb her heat!”

Joanie looks down on the stage and she can feel that Menace is heating up between the punishing punches that Dee is giving her. It suddenly dawns on her that Menace is getting ready to incinerate her best friend.

“NO!” Joanie shouts and she rockets to the stage and hovers with her arms stretched out. The napalm flames beneath her shift and are drawn to her along with all the heat emanating from Menace. The vampire looks up at the Matchstick Girl and growls; sensing what is happening. She erupts in into a deep red fire that becomes too hot for Lickadee to approach, even with her speed. The speedster pulls back and rejoins the Comanderette.

Menace slowly rises into the air to hover before the brightly burning Matchstick Girl. “You think you can take my heat, girl?” She says with a vampires hiss. “Then take it… take it all!! And burn to a cinder!”

Menace explodes into a blast furnace as flames jet from her body in all directions. Joanie cries out in agony and effort as all of the flames and all of the heat is absorbed into the tiny teenager. A field of pure heat forms around the pair and expands out ward like an inflating balloon. Everything the field crosses is instantly vaporized and it is closing in on the various heroes and villains alike.

Daredevlette’s senses pick up the field and its approach towards them. It is fluctuating, growing and retreating at a random pace as Joanie and Menace struggle. The top of the heat bubble reaches the ceiling which begins to crack and collapse, including a large piece directly above Lickadee Split. Without hesitation or fear the crimson vigilante dives, tackling the speedster unawares and carrying them just barely out from underneath the crushing stone. The pair rolls over and quickly stands in the swirling dust.

Lickadee stares directly at Daredevlette in the surrounding chaos. “Why?”

“There’s no time!...” Daredevlette snaps. “We’ve got to get everyone out before the whole place comes down!”

Lickadee smirks at her foe turned savior and suddenly, in less than the blink of an eye, Daredevlette finds herself standing on a rocky hillside overlooking the Cathedral. Then in another flash of yellow lightning, Spiderette appears in her arms.

“Well…” Ebony says. “This is awkward.”

In a few more seconds the same happens with the Comanderette and Iron Beauty, one after the other. They in turn are followed by the appearance of the unconscious Kitt Gloves, then Miley Virus and finally Carrie Underworld.

“Ok… that’s new?” Iron Beauty says flipping open her faceplate and looking around at her sudden new surroundings. She see’s Lickadee Split hunched over and catching her breath.

“Never… tell me…. There’s no time…” the speedster pants at the amazed Daredevlette.

Suddenly a booming roar explodes from within the Cathedral below them and the entire structure begins to collapse in a symphony of crushing rock, and burning flames.

“Joanie!!!” Dee shouts in horror before the entire Cathedral is engulfed in a mushroom cloud of pure flame. The shockwave rumbles over them and throws them to the ground. As the light fades and flames go out, the Cathedral and the surrounding area are little more than smoldering piles of charred ruin.

Before anyone can say a word, Lickadee is gone in a yellow streak down to the wreckage. She speeds furiously all around the site shouting Joanie’s name over and over, but there is no sign of the Matchstick Girl or Menace. A torrent of unfamiliar emotions washes over Dee all at once. Feelings of fear, desperation and utter helplessness overtake her and she sinks to her knees.

Silently, the Comanderette, Iron Beauty, Daredevlette and Spiderette approach the scene. They stop and look with sympathy on the distraught speedster when a soft green glow appears above the ruined Cathedral. It catches Lickadee’s attention as well and she gazes upward to see a large woman slowly descending through the smoke. Her soft sea-green aura almost soothes Lickadee’s aching heart as she sees that in the woman’s arms is the human form of Joanie Tempest… The Matchstick Girl.

“Well I’ll be….” The Comanderette utters softly as she smiles at the sight of the mighty Sub Mariness as she touches down softly before Lickadee and lays Joanie on the ground before her.

Lickadee looks over her best friend in both relief and fear and then looks up into Ianeira’s noble face.

“Is… is she?” Dee starts but is unable to finish the question.
“Nay, child.” Ianeira answers softly. “She sleeps the sleep of a warrior.”

“Are you some kind of angel?” Dee asks.

“Hah!” Ianeira laughs. “Nay, but mortals called me a Goddess once, long ago.”

Dee reaches down and cradles her sleeping friend, and in her sleep Joanie instinctively wraps her around Dee and softly mumbles … “…no, Han shot first…”

Lickadee smiles and then begins to laugh in sheer relief and complete joy. The Sub Mariness smiles too and rises to greet her friends as they walk up to the scene.

“Ho! Justice Girls.” Ianeira says proudly.

“You’re Highness.” The Comanderette says. “You missed all the fun.”

“Aye, I was delayed by Black Mantagirl.” Ianeira answers with a scowl. “The She Devil sent her keep me away, I bested her in combat but she escaped me and by the time I arrived I saw this one locked in battle with the foul vampire Menace. Thankfully I was able to rescue her before this place exploded.”

“What happened to Menace and She Devil?” Daredevlette asks in her blunt manner.

“I do not know, mortal.” The Sub Mariness answers. “But it is good that you are well.”

“I never did get to thank you for saving my life.” Melanie says in much softer tone.

“You are very welcome my friend.” Ianeira says with a smile and gentle pat on Melanie’s back that almost knocks her over.

“I hate to rain on our little Hallmark moment here…” Jenny injects and motions to Lickadee still cradling Matchstick Girl on the ground ahead of them. “…what are we gonna do with them?”

Spiderette and Daredevlette join Dee and look Matchstick Girl over, while the Comanderette moves off to search the area. Spiderette holds open one of Joanie’s eyelids to examine her pupils while Daredevlette simply appears to stare intently at her.

“She doesn’t have any broken bones, and her temperature is normal.” Daredevlette reports while Spiderette simply nods to indicate that the Matchstick Girl is simply sleeping.

“I know what you’re gonna do, with her anyways.” Lickadee says laying Joanie gently down and slowly standing up. “You’re gonna take Matchstick with you, she will be safer there. She isn’t cut out for this life and I can’t protect her anymore. Besides, she always made a better hero than villain.”

Daredevlette stands and faces the speedster. “The same could be said about you, Lickadee Split and She Devil will send her minions to hunt you down for turning on her. You saved all our lives… you belong with us.”

“Don’t think so.” Lickadee says, suddenly cocky. “I can protect myself, and hero ain’t on my resume’ and beside that I got some unfinished business in Crime Alley.”

“Then why?” Daredevlette counters. “I’ll ask you the same question you asked me… Why did you save our lives? Don’t tell me it was just for a hearty ‘thank you’.”

“Who doesn’t like a thank you?” Lickadee shoots back. “Let’s just say I want you to remember who it was that literally pulled your asses out of a fire.”

“I won’t let you just run wild in my city, Lickadee.” Daredevlette says with her tone growing more threatening. “You have to stop.”

“Don’t want to.” Lickadee states defiantly. “I’ve been on the streets since I was five. I’ve learned the game very well, and I am very good at it. So I’ll make you a deal, hero… I won’t kill anyone with my shenanigans and YOU leave me be.”

“You know I can’t promise that.” Daredevlette responds frankly.

“Well, then… I suppose you’ll have to catch me.” Lickadee says with a smile and in the same instant is simply gone as Melanie sighs in disappointment. A black and red gloved hand softly touches her shoulder as Spiderette stands beside her crimson friend.

“It was a nice try.” Ebony says softly.

“Don’t sweat it Red, I’m sure we will be seeing her again.” Iron Beauty cuts in. “You guys take Matchstick back up the hill and secure the losers… I mean the prisoners. I’ll get ‘spangles’ and we can get out of here.”

Spiderette scoops up the still sleeping Matchstick Girl with ease and she along with Daredevlette and the Sub Mariness head off while Iron Beauty’s thruster roars to life and carries her into the air. Jenny’s HUD display easily pinpoints the Comanderette a little ways off and crouched down examining something. Jenny maneuvers Iron Beauty over to her and touches down.

“Whatcha got?” Jenny says as Iron Beauty’s faceplate snaps open.

“No signs of Menace or She Devil…” Maggie begins, “…but I found this.”

Maggie stands and points around her to a circular area about ten feet in diameter, of the Cathedral stage that is virtually untouched. Where everything else around in a half-mile radius is a mass of charred and smoldering debris, the stage within this circle is undamaged.

“Looks like some sort of energy field effect.” Jenny surmises. “A barrier or even a teleport field could have shielded this small area in a bubble, enough to protect She Devil from the blast.”

“And what do you make of this?” Maggie says nodding down to the center of the area.

The soft whirring of servo motors sound as Jenny bends the Iron Beauty armor down to examine a small and empty glass vial laying on its side and writing scrawled in red liquid beside it.

“Well THAT’S not ominous at all.” Jenny says dripping with sarcasm.

“Thats my blood.” Maggie says. “She Devil was going to use me for some kind of summoning spell, but what does it mean?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Jenny responds and the two stare down and ponder the words written at their feet.

The words read….

We never sleep
We always watch


The End...?

Next up... Carastar Part I...

Post Credit Scene

The hatchway opens and Miley Virus steps on-board her lavish and expensive private jet, followed on her heals by Carrie Underworld.

"I don't know, lets just get out of here..." Miley says, answering some question by her partner Carrie before she stops in her tracks and freezes. Anger fills her face as Carrie looks around her and into the main cabin. Her face then too fills with anger at the site.

The cabin is full of empty pedestals and trophy cases, dressers with their empty drawers haphazardly left open. All of them are covered with yellow sticky notes that read...

Faster than fast can be, no one can catch Lickadee!


Last edited by Cara Lace on Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:27 pm; edited 6 times in total


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re: Cara Part 14: Daredevlette Part IV

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That was marvelously epic. Just the morning read - and inspiration - I needed. The only downside is, now I'm waiting again anxiously, for CaraStar.

'Yeah! You like THAT, Morticia Adams?' <--- single most epic quote in this one. :D
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re: Cara Part 14: Daredevlette Part IV

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I loved how you portrayed all the characters. They all felt unique and alive. As always your descriptions are detailed and rich. You have so much action going on I needed a scorecard there for a while - but - I think I kept it straight! LOL

This is very well written and does justice to the story and to your hero / villian personas. I do like how you broke it up to make it trackable - much like a movie - and I do like the postcredit scene.

Very nicely done Cara - I look forward to the next one! Happy Happy Happy


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EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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