Chapter 3 - What's Going On ?
The Aerobobase was abuzz with activity
as a large number of women dressed in skin-tight outfits with various
logos chatted among themselves or took sips from water bottles provided
to them by the resourceful Helflin, the resident scientific genius for
the Aerobic Duo who also happened to be a gopher. Though the
latter drew a few raised eyebrows and quizzical looks, the assembled
heroines had seen enough strange sights while fighting crime not to be
shocked by what they saw.
"Wow, quite the gathering, isn't
it? I wonder if we should have just called a couple of them
instead of bringing in the whole Lycra League," Suzie — aka
Spandex Girl — murmured to her fellow aerobicizing crimefighter.
"Considering what we know of the
events of yesterday and the rumors of a vast criminal conspiracy
forming in the city, I think we need every one of the Lycra League
members to aid us in foiling the criminals as well as free Steptrainer
from whoever has her, " Debbie aka Lycra Woman said as she surveyed the
people gathered in the large conference room.
"Well, I just wish they'd stop
referring to me as 'the kid' or asking me if I just got home from
school. It's embarrassing ... it's as if they don't take me
seriously," Suzie muttered while scuffing her right boot against
the golden tiled floor. She kept her thoughts about Steptrainer
to herself as she didn't think Debbie would appreciate them.
Debbie was about to say something when they
were interrupted by the approach of a woman in a bright pink and yellow
unitard carrying what looked like a set of jumping ropes in her right
hand. Known everywhere as Maxinus, leader of the Lycra League,
the
early 30's blonde-haired woman had been fighting crime for about three
years before forming the group she was part of. In fact, it was
the League's early exploits that partly inspired Debbie to undertake
her own crimefighting career and take on a junior partner in Suzie.
"Lycra Woman, I was just wondering if
we should start this meeting up fairly soon. Some of the League
members have other cases they are working on that needs their
attention. Besides, your young colleague probably needs to get
her sleep before she goes to school with her little friends," Maxinus said glancing at Suzie with a dismissive look.
"What the...MMMMMPPHH!!!" Suzie started to sputter her indignation before falling silent as one
of Debbie's gloved hands clamped over her mouth.
" Good idea, Maxinus. Get your
League members to take their seats and we'll start to present the facts
we know, " Debbie said with a determination that seemed to rival
Maxinus'.
Once all the heroines were seated,
Debbie nodded to Helflin, who started to hand glossy photos as well as
typed sheets of information to each woman. When Helflin returned
to the front of the room, Debbie cleared her throat as she stepped to
the front of the long wooden table the women were seated at and waited
for silence to settle in.
"All right, everyone, it's
time to go over why I've summoned you here tonight and determine a
course of action we can all take. If you look over the notes I've
made, it seems there is a new criminal on the scene with unusual powers
that, combined with sightings of well known villainesses like Lady
Velveteen and Prima Donna, spell trouble for the good citizens of this
city," Debbie said while sweeping her gaze from one side of the room
to the other.
"Ummm.... Lycra Woman, the
picture you've given us of this new criminal is rather dark and
blurry. Is there any other photos of her or is it maybe the
developer messed up when processing the film?" Velcro Vixen
asked the meeting's host, while simultaneously adjusting one of the
straps across her uniform's chest area. Everyone in the room
remembered the incident six months ago when she was battling the
villainous Saran Man at an amusement park and her costume's straps tore
away while pursuing the fiend through a water-themed ride. The
pictures of a wet, semi nude Velcro Vixen emerging from the ride
clutching an unconscious Saran Man by his collar was on the front page
of many newspapers as well as featured prominently on numerous web
sites, mainstream and otherwise. Needless to say, it was an
embarrassing incident to both Velcro Vixen and the League as a whole
and the buxom redhead was admonished to check her outfit before every
future foray into crimefighting.
"Sorry to say, Velcro
Vixen, that the photo you hold is the best we can do so far. It
was snapped by a woman out walking her dog who happened to see the
final moments of the fracas and had one of those cheap throwaway
cameras with her. We're not even certain of this new criminal's name
other than witnesses overhearing what sounded like 'Hocus Pocus' as a
name she was referred to," Debbie said tapping on the picture in
front of her.
"Hey! I was
there and can tell everyone that......" Suzie piped up from the
side before she fell silent when glared at by her partner.
"Are there any
indications that this mystery woman, as well as the other nefarious
villains that have been sighted in the city, are planning something
more than a massive crime wave?" Workout Warrior said as she
idly squeezed her famous Stress Balls of Justice in her hands.
When she first appeared on the scene five years ago, claiming to be the
champion of a warrior race that lived within a hidden valley she
referred to simply as 'Home' , she wasn't taken seriously by her
fellow crimefighters due partially to the fact that with her costume
consisting of what looked like a yellow leotard with pink sneakers and
blue armbands, she looked more like a woman heading to the local gym
than a crimefighter. However, the blonde heroine proved her
mettle when the Lycra League encountered the Seven Doberman Dogs of
Doom and with the rest of her fellow heroines lying stunned or
unconscious after thirty or so minutes of intense fighting, Workout
Warrior defeated the animals by herself while barely sweat-staining her
leotard.
"Nothing
concrete as of yet, though every indication I've been given by Helflin
is that this 'Hocus Pocus' woman seems to have greater goals than
robbing the odd bank or art gallery. My recommendation is that we
split up into teams of two's and three's and each group take a section
of the city. If any sign of the costumed criminals is noticed by
one group, the information should immediately be passed onto the others
so we can confront any menace as a united group. Are there any
other questions or comments?" Debbie said with a steely look of
determination evident in her voice.
Maxinus stood up and looked around
the room at the assembled heroines. "I think we can more than
adequately do the job you have asked of us, Lycra Woman. The only
thing I ask is that some of the League members do have secret
identities that require activities on a day to day basis so if this can
be kept in mind when we draft the groups and the patrol routes, I
pledge you the support of every heroine seated at this table!" the heroine said while planting her fists firmly on her
hips. The seated women erupted in rousing cheers of support as
they applauded the tone and content of both speakers that they heard.
Debbie nodded in
agreement, "Actually, I was going to bring up that exact point in
regards to myself and Spandex Girl. We won't be available on
weekend mornings due to commitments that we have in our regular
lives. Nevertheless, our resolve to defeat these criminals is
just as resolute as everyone else in this room. While you League
members are here in the city, you are more than welcome to stay here at
the Aerobobase. Helflin will be more than happy to show you where
the guest quarters are as well as the other necessary amenities
including, of course, a gymnasium and training room for everyone to
use," the heroine said to her assembled guests.
Maxinus coughed slightly before
glancing at the League members gathered around her once again. "While I appreciate the offer, Lycra Woman, I'm afraid I must
decline. When I first received your communiqué, I arranged
for
rooms at the Hotel D'Artemis here in the city for myself and the league
members. However, I will work something with your... ummm.. gopher
to make sure we have secure communication lines for everyone here," the blonde heroine declared in her usual confident style.
Pretending not to hear
Helflin's grumbling in the background, Debbie nodded in
agreement. "I think that can be arranged, no problem at
all. Helflin was working on specialized communication units for
an upcoming live appearance myself and Spandex Girl were planning to
make to promote fitness for the average citizen of the city. I'm
sure he could modify them to account for range and other possible
problems. Isn't that right, Helflin?" the heroine said
planting her hands in a typical heroic pose while looking over at the
gopher scientist and brains behind the Aerobobase. Helflin
snorted his agreement before turning his attention to a monitor screen
on a nearby wall.
"With that, I think we're adjourned
for now. If there is any other questions about the information
you've been given, don't hesitate to contact myself or Helflin.
We'll meet again here in 48 hours to go over any new leads that we may
have. Agreed?" Debbie said to the gathered women, who
nodded while they applauded her efforts.
A short while later,
after some brief chatting about common foes that had been encountered
by both groups of heroines, the women went their separate ways. As the Lycra League members strolled up the ramp to their custom made
hover jet, Maxinus and Warrior Woman paused at the bottom of the ramp.
"Lycra Woman seems
like a confident and very self assured crime fighter. I have to
say, though, that I'm surprised she associates with a young girl and
a... a gopher in the fight against the evils of this world," Warrior Woman said in a low tone while glancing at the gleaming
structure that housed the Aerobobase.
"Well, it may seem a
bit unusual but keep in mind the evildoers that frequent their city
seem to be far more unusual than we run into in our daily
routines. I mean, giant neanderthal men that spew phlegm or
mutated worms that can control others with insidious devices are just
plain weird. Of course, that whole incident with Stupid Guy a
while back was almost unbelievable. In fact, if I hadn't seen the
documentation and pictures of all those involved, I would have
dismissed it as some wild fantasy by an amateur author on the internet," Maxinus said before turning and heading up the ramp into the
team's jet.
The two were
about to take their seats when the youngest member of the League, the
20-year-old blonde known to the public simply as Energizer, came
running up to them. Dressed in a bright gold bodysuit with deep
frontal cleavage and cut high at the thighs, the heroine always drew a throng
of paparazzi when she came running into a conflict with her bright red,
thigh-high boots clattering as she went. Her ability to drain
strength from a foe temporarily by touching them or increase her own by quickly
completing a workout routine was a strange power for a heroine but she
was a determined woman in a fight who was often underestimated by
criminals twice her size. If she had a drawback, it was that
Energizer was easily distracted by the onlookers that inevitably
gathered at the scene of one of their epic battles.
In fact, during the
battle with the insidious Laminator, Energizer, who was supposed to on
the lookout for the villainess, was busy signing autographs for her
fans outside the office supply warehouse where Laminator had been
observed earlier. By the time Energizer realized her error,
Laminator had surprised Velcro Vixen and Snowbird when they were inside
the building and encased them inside sheets of plastic that rendered
them immobile as well as putting them into a trance-like state. Although Energizer made amends for her error by rushing in and
defeating the villainess, her lack of focus and the way she seemed to
be more concerned with her image in the media often drew the ire of her
colleagues.
"We just got a report
over the ship's computers that there's some sort of disturbance going
on in the city's garment district involving several people that match
descriptions of known crooks at large. There's even a TV crew
interviewing bystanders at this very moment," Energizer
exclaimed enthusiastically.
Maxinus audibly sighed
as the three entered the ship. "Ok, Jenny, just remember that we
don't talk to the media until after the crooks are defeated, ok?" the Lycra League leader said in a admonishing tone to the
enthusiastic member. Most of the league members addressed each
other by their secret ID names when not in public or around others
unaware of their real names. To her mental disappointment, Jenny
barely acknowledged hearing Maxinus' statement as she took her seat and
the plane lifted into the sky.
While the Lycra
Leaguers departed on a new mission, the Aerobobase was the scene of a
disturbance of its own between two strong-willed heroines.
"Look, it's bad
enough those amazons don't treat me like an adult but you..... you act
as though I'm a grade school kid who needs to be sent to bed for milk
and cookies. It's not fair!!!" Suzie exclaimed as she
stomped back and forth on the smooth floor that was in the main
exercise area for the duo.
"Suzie, these
tirades.... pufff.... are really getting tiresome. You know
that.... pufff.... when we are talking to the public or fellow crime
fighters, I take the lead in any conversation. Besides, the Lycra
League are known to be fussy about details when it comes to any plans
and I wouldn't want you to.... pufff...... be embarrassed by them," Debbie said as she did some bending and stretching in a warm-up to her
daily routine.
"Well, you could have
talked to me about it before the meeting. I mean, you even
treated Helflin like he was just another employee here in the
Aerobobase
and not the scientific genius and smartest gopher known to mankind," Suzie said as she went over and turned on the music system they
used for background entertainment while they worked out.
"If I was insulting Helflin in any
way, I'm sure he'd let me know. Anyway, let's start on our daily
workout, shall we? I want to work particularly on our legs
today. Your description of the encounter with Lady Ice and her
fellow criminals has convinced me that we need our thighs and leg
muscles in better shape. On the count of 3, let's do 25 squat thrusts," Debbie said as the music tempo started to pick up.
"Yeah, yeah, but you wait and see.... I'll
be treated more seriously someday soon," Suzie thought
as she quickly took her position next to her crime fighting partner and
started to gyrate to the music.
Elsewhere........
Gaston
fumed as he glanced at his watch while he paced back and forth in his
company's main meeting room. He was supposed to be meeting with the
organizers of his next fashion extravaganza along with the distributors
for the fashions he was planning to exhibit 30 minutes ago. When the people failed to arrive on time, he sent his assistant
Jennifer to see what the delay was but she had yet to return from the
task.
"I send
that blonde bimbo out to make a few calls and she disappears. If
I find she's talking to friends and family....." the fashion
designer muttered to himself as he pulled open the room's door.
However, his rant ended rapidly as he came face to face with the two
reasons for the missing people: Hocus Pocus and the woman who
combined fashion with crime, the ubiquitous Prima Donna.
"Who the
hell are you two? Giselle should have told you that our Halloween
costume fittings have been delayed until next week. Oh, and
oversized Pezzy dispensers are tres gauche on the runways this year," Gaston said in his usual superior manner.
"Oh, we are SO sorry!!
Aren't we, Hocus?" Prima Donna said derisively while
nodding to the woman next to her. Puzzled by the woman's reaction
(considering the arrogant designer was used to seeing people cringe
and/or flee upon hearing his commands), the haughty designer turned his
attention to the other woman.
"Well,
Miss Huckus or whatever your name is, if you two don't have a reason to
hang around here, I suggest you leave now before I change my mind about
being gracious and call the police," Gaston demanded with
the mid 30's man's face turning slightly red as his anger grew.
"Gosh, I
guess we better do as told. Of course, if I take 'Mr. Fancy Guy'
literally, I might do something like THIS!!!" an undeterred Hocus Pocus replied as she gestured towards the
outraged designer with her Pezzy dispenser.
A
brief look of surprise crossed Gaston's face before he was enveloped by
an energy beam and, in an instant, the man disappeared in a bright
circle of light. When the light faded, the only thing left in his
place was a multi colored plastic clothes hanger lying on the
carpet. Walking over to the spot, Hocus picked up the item and
chuckled as she saw the tiny image of Gaston imprinted at the top of
the hanger as if it was a company logo.
"Very cute to see, my dear. Oops..... looks like the local police
have been made aware of our presence. We should hurry off to the
area that contains those ultra expensive garments we came for not to
mention the company's safe for cash payments. If there's one
thing you should realize, Hocus, it's that when the cops arrive, the
heroes in their garish spandex tights arrive soon after," Prima
Donna said in her typically high brow manner of speaking.
"Oh, thank you for that sage bit of advice, Prima. I certain am
learning a lot from you and all the others. Let's go!" Hocus said with a note of high respect though as the two headed
down the hallway with Hocus clutching the living hanger. As they
walked, Hocus Pocus, who was slightly behind Prima Donna, seemed to be
thinking something far different than the expression of innocence she
just made......
Outside the building.........
Several police cars were already gathered outside the office building where Hocus Pocus and Prima Donna had been spotted. Officers were already setting up barricades to hold back the growing throngs of curious onlookers while commanders huddled near a SWAT wagon to discuss the best way to go into the building, get the innocent civilians out and take on the criminals spotted within.
Just as they had resolved their course of action, a loud whistling sound could be heard coming from the sky above them followed by a strong gust of wind. Police and bystanders both gazed upwards to see a sleek silver jet slowly descend towards the vacated area in front of the building. Moments later, to the growing cheers of the gathered crowd, the members of the Lycra League stepped out of the jet one at a time and made their way over to where the police stood.
Maxinus was about to ask the SWAT commander the details behind the incident when a report crackled across police radios that there was a major gunfight going on at the docks located across the city. The report also mentioned that the fight had also resulted in fire starting in several warehouses with one building containing twenty or more trapped workers.
"Did everyone hear that, Lycra Leaguers? I'll stay here with Energizer and Snowbird while the rest of you take care of the situation at the docks. Once the docks have been secured and the civilians have been rescued, meet us back here in case there's any additional help needed. Oh, and one of you contact Lycra Woman to appraise her of the situation.... she might want to be here with her little friend," Maxinus said to her fellow heroines. With quick acknowledgments from the others, the Lycra Leaguers, save for the trio mentioned, quickly reboarded the jet. A few moments later, the sleek craft lifted into the air and rapidly sped towards its destination.
With that, Maxinus and her colleagues turned and strolled boldly towards the front of the building. As they did, they motioned for the police to stay back until they come back out and tell them things are ok. The SWAT commander hesitated for a split second as if he was going to object but, knowing the reputation of the Lycra League, kept his thoughts to himself.
Once the trio entered the building without encountering any resistance, Maxinus quickly checked the neighboring offices for any sign of civilians while Energizer and Snowbird went to the elevators to see what floor the cars currently were on and indicate where some of the people might be.
Maxinus had just closed the door to the last of what appeared to yet another empty office when she heard Energizer and Snowbird calling her over to the elevators. When the blonde heroine walked over to where her colleagues were, she saw a scene that was puzzling to say the least. There were four elevators, all open, in front of the heroines but the interiors looked nothing like the elevators in any building they had been in before.
The cars looked to be made out of ordinary cardboard instead of steel and wood like normal units and appeared to be flimsy to say the least. Mindful of the fact that the car wouldn't support any kind of weight, Maxinus carefully leaned over and peered into one of the car's interior. She saw that the floor buttons appeared to be nothing more than circles made by colored markers or crayons. Peering upwards, Maxinus saw that the steel wire holding the car in place now appeared to what looked like an extra long version of a child's skipping rope.
"Hmmmm..... this looks like the work of a spellcaster of some sort though if I remember correctly, all the rogues that use magic are either locked up or presumed deceased. This could mean that we're dealing with an entirely new menace today. Energizer, Snowbird, we're taking the stairs up and sticking together until this is resolved," Maxinus called out to her colleagues.
Together, the three heroines slowly ascended up the stairs to the second floor mindful of anything out of the ordinary. However, everything appeared normal as they walked onto a studio floor that seemed to be set aside for commercial shoots as well as displaying items being designed by the company. There were numerous racks with fashions yet to become available to the public lining the walls to the left with more than one stage area set up to take photos of models wearing the outfits. The trio saw no sign anywhere of the staff or what might have happen to them.
"Geez, this is weird. I'd think there was some sort of indication of a struggle or fight by the people here. I mean, if I was standing on a stage like this, I'd definitely kick up a ruckus if I saw someone strange walking into the area," Energizer chirped as she strolled over and hopped up onto one of the stages. With a backdrop of an oversized compact opened to give a reflective look and several shelving units displaying various cosmetics, it looked to be a setting for a cosmetic photo shoot.
"Get down from there, Energizer! We don't have time to fool around with this stuff! There are a lot of innocent civilians to rescue from whoever is in this building," Maxinus called out upon seeing her younger colleague preen on the stage as if she was posing for an imaginary photographer.
" Awwww, c'mon Maxi, there's nobody here now. The bad guys grabbed their stuff and took off before the cops and us got here. The people working here are probably locked up in some storeroom tied up or something like that. We'll look around a bit more and find nothing, like always," Energizer bubbled as she alternated different poses on the platform.
" Geez, it's times like this that I wish we did more try outs and screening before we admitted exercising bimbos like Energizer into the League.... she's so oblivious....." Maxinus thought to herself. However, these thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud CLICK!! followed by the sound of what seemed to be a large fan kicking into action.
At that same moment, Energizer found herself enveloped in a cloud of dust that originated from the bottom part of the oversized compact behind her. The heroine coughed several times as she waved her arms around trying to dispel the particles that seemed to be sticking to her skintight uniform.
"Ick...... this stuff is so........" Energizer started to say as the cloud started to dissipate around her. However, she fell silent upon being struck by a large beam of bright pink energy that emanated from the novelty compact. Luckily for Maxinus and Snowbird, they were not in the path of the beam's energy but they were also unable to assist their team mate in any way.
Moments later, the beam dissipated and the room grew silent save for the labored breathing of Energizer. As Maxinus and Snowbird saw with unbelieving eyes, Energizer seemed to be covered in a pink shell of plastic or something similar. The shell looked to be skintight judging by the fact that the entrapped woman's nipples were clearly visible through the fabric of her outfit.
"Is she..... is she ok?" Snowbird asked her team leader as she edged closer to look at the immobilized Energizer. She saw that the blonde heroine's arms were frozen in front of her with her right forearm raised upwards as if she was still trying to dissipate the dust cloud. Her left arm was thrown upwards though whether it was also a frantic attempt to dispel the cloud or in reaction to the beam of energy was unclear. With her legs spread slightly apart and her back arched somewhat that gave a lingering uplifting to her chest, Energizer's statuesque form was highly erotic in appearance though distressing to her comrades.
"She looks to be in some sort of suspended animation," Maxinus replied as she peered upwards and saw Energizer's eyes were widened in frozen surprise and shock. With no discernible breathing coming from the blonde heroine's body, it would seem that Maxinus' assumption was correct.
"Do you like what you see, darlings? I think your friend will look marvelous in one of my stores that sell fashions for the early 20's yuppie women. Of course, I'll have to do something about that garish outfit she's wearing," Prima Donna said as she boldly strolled into the room. The villainess was accompanied by five beefy looking men wearing only tight fitting black pants and bow ties around their necks. Behind this group of people strolled a young woman who Maxinus and Snowbird recognized as the woman called Hocus Pocus, who had a decidedly mischievous look on her face.
"Prima Donna! I don't know what foul felony you have planned for this place but you can be assured that the Lycra League will stop your evil exercise!" Maxinus shouted as she turned to face the group of evildoers. The heroine assumed the traditional heroic pose with her hands planted on her hips, her back arched somewhat and an expression of utmost confidence visible on her face.
"Lycra League? How utterly cheap and predictable but I suppose it's better than running into the Spandex Duo that have unraveled my plans in the past. Judging by those poses and your garish outfits, I suppose you two are trying to take their place and close out my attempt to increase my bank account. Sorry but this runway is closed..... Chippenhunks, get those two fashion disasters!" Prima Donna shouted as she gestured dramatically with her right hand towards the heroines in question.
"Ok, boss!" the five men shouted in unison as they charged quickly at the two heroines. Before Maxinus or Snowbird had a chance to react, they found themselves surrounded by the surprisingly quick behemoths who seemed to be moving in response to music unheard by anyone else. The two heroines quickly found themselves separated with Maxinus forced to take on three of the attackers in a side room that looked to be a storage area of sorts. Snowbird, the silver haired heroine, found herself confronted by two thugs that gave her little room to maneuver.
"Take this, ya spandex clad babe.....!!!" one of the hirelings shouted as he swung a right fist at Snowbird. At the last second, the blue and white clothed heroine managed to move to one side and her attacker fell heavily to the floor. In doing so, the man struck his head on the ground and knocked himself unconscious with his tightly clothed ass sticking high in the air in a provocative manner. Glancing down at him, Snowbird was distracted by the sight she took in and found herself spinning backwards courtesy of a blow from her other opponent. The heroine landed in the middle of several cardboard boxes that seemed to be mostly empty except for one or two that contained feathers as well as what looked like several unusually colorful clothes hangers.
As for Maxinus, she was having far greater success in dealing with her opponents than her colleague though the fact that she was more skilled in hand to hand combat than Snowbird. After spending much of her time in her civilian identity as a manager of a ladies fashion store that frequently had large discount sales, she was used to separating overweight women fighting over the last blouse or pair of shoes. With a powerful right cross, she sent the last of her three opponents slumping to the ground with a dazed look on his face as if someone had stuck a twenty dollar bill in his tights.
"Now that these idiots have been taken care of, it's time to confront Prima Donna and Hocus Pocus. Snowbird? Snowbird, where are you?" Maxinus said as she glanced around hoping to spot her team mate.
"Oh, I think your little Snowbird is the least of your problems. Once we've put your tightly spandexed body into a paralyzed state of consciousness that will allow me and Hocus Pocus to finish our job here, your worries will be over. Of course, that state is lacking in consciousness which resembles the same thinking of whoever designed your tacky outfit," Prima Donna exclaimed as she stood at the opposite end of the room with her cohort.
"You're repeating yourself like an end of the month clearance sale ad for Floor-Mart. After you have been locked away in Grandmire Prison, the new place for criminals such as yourself, you can help design new outfits for the prison population," Maxinus proclaimed while gesturing with her right arm straight ahead in what the press had dubbed her 'Maxi Power Pose'.
"You knockoff bitch!!!" Prima Donna cried out as she hurled herself at Maxinus with a fashionable fury etched on her face. Caught by surprise, Maxinus found herself grappling with the deviously devilish designer and discovered that her superior combat technique was being canceled out by the ferocity of the spandex clad villainess.
As for Hocus Pocus, she seemed strangely bored by what she was seeing. The Pezzy wielding woman took a seat on a nearby box and watched as the catfight moved up the hallway and back into the room where they had first encountered. However, her leisurely viewing of the fracas around her as a disheveled but resolved Snowbird appeared in the hallway before her.
"Hocus, your days of magic are over. Prepare to hear the song of sleep from Snowbird!" the heroine exulted as she opened her mouth and prepared to deliver the aria that had incapacitated many of her opponents in the past. However, she underestimated the speed that her opponent could react to her statement which meant that before a single, sweet note sailed from Snowbird's mouth, the heroine found herself enveloped in a bright pink ray that rendered her immobile and mute.
"Sorry, Snowy, but there'll be no singing from you tonight. In fact, I think I can guarantee that you'll be silent for the foreseeable future," Hocus murmured with a whimsical look appearing on her face.
With that, the area around Snowbird, as well as Snowbird herself, started to change rapidly. There seemed to be a white stage appearing out of nowhere under her feet that stretched the width of the hallway with a clear glass globe starting to form around the perimeter of the stage extending upwards to several feet above the heroine. When the globe was fully sealed, the heroine inside started to change her pose that was clearly against her will. As her left hand shifted upwards until it was parallel to her body to give the appearance she was carrying an invisible platter and her right hand settled on her hip, the globe started to rapidly fill up with water. When the globe neared 3/4 full, Snowbird's exterior appearance started to change noticeably with her pink flesh turning to tan colored plastic. As it did, the heroine's face took on a bright smile that mirrored the peaceful nature of the setting she was in.
When the globe finished filling, the base of it started to take on a white appearance with bits of material floating around the fluid. As this was happening, small buildings, resembling houses you might see in a Christmas county scene, started to appear at various places on the base of the globe. When the buildings, as well as a white picket fence, were done appearing, Snowbird's appearance finished changing with her entire body now glossy in appearance and, oddly, the outfit she was wearing seemed to be fluttering off her body.
As the changes finally completed their work, the globe began to rapidly shrink in size until it was roughly the same size as a normal snowglobe. With a mischievous look visible on her face, Hocus Pocus bent down and picked up the globe with her left hand. While Maxinus continued her fight with Prima Donna and the flunkies not yet incapacitated, the young villainess shook the globe and her eyes sparkled as she witnessed the effects of her actions. As the water sloshed around and the snow flakes floated around, Snowbird's outfit seemed to separate from the heroine's tiny plastic body revealing her tiny, featureless bosoms and her flawless plastic body that was devoid of any indications that she was human just a few minutes ago. Hocus saw that as the water started to settle, Snowbird's uniform, as if it was attached to invisible strings, floated back to her body and snuggled tightly to it as if it had never moved.
"Put that heroine down now, Hocus Pocus. Your days of using your Pezzy wand to plastify people and turn innocents into inanimate objects are over!" Maxinus called out in a voice that was just as loud as when she and her comrades first encountered their foes.
"Huh? Oh, shoot, ya know, I really have to pay more attention to things like...... OOOOOOFFF!!!" Hocus started to say in a self chastising way before being interrupted by the impact of a well placed kick to her lower torso courtesy of a fast moving Maxinus. The wand wielding woman flew fast falling into a group of boxes with her Pezzy dispenser clattering across the floor to lie under a toppled dressmakers dummy. The snow globe she was clutching tumbled into a box where it came rest upside down with a blue sating bra partly covering it.
"Once I've secured you and your criminal colleague, you'll reveal the way to reverse the terrible transformations you've inflicted on surprised superheroines. If you don't, you....... OWWWWWW!!!!!!!" Maxinus started to pronounce in her usual speech of triumph before the heroine was interrupted by Prima Donna (who the heroine had thought was rendered incapacitated like her fallen flunkies) jumping on her from behind. With a loud RIPPPP!!!!!, the right strap of Maxinus leotard was torn away revealing the top half of the heroine's right breast.
"You talk just like a model who has put on an extra pound or two. Whine, moan, demand, you whimpering witch!" Prima Donna snarled as she tried to once again grapple onto Maxinus' long flowing hair.
As the two once again tussled, Hocus Pocus slowly pulled herself to her feet and, seeing the fracas that was again in front of her, resolved to put an end to it. Finding her Pezzy wand quickly, the villainess wannabe turned her attention to the two combatants in front of her.
"This will put an end to your annoying interference, Maxinus. I hope.... WHOOOOPPSS!!!" Hocus Pocus started to say as she took a step or two forward when she suddenly seemed to slip on something on the floor and stumbled sideways. As she did, the wand seemed to slip in her wand even as it emitted a bright pink colored beam of energy that lit up the whole room.
When the light dissipated several seconds later, the wand wielding woman saw Maxinus was lying on top of some boxes with her head lolled backwards and in a state of what best can be described as semi-conscious. As for Prima Donna, there was no sign of her anywhere in the room.
With a strange look of satisfaction or relief on her face, Hocus Pocus walked over to the main area where her attention was not focused on the semiconscious leader of the Lycra League but rather on what looked like a rolled up poster on the floor. Picking up the item in question, the villainess unrolled the poster and saw that the subject decpicted was a very familiar one to her.
On the laminated sheet of paper, the villainess saw that Prima Donna was the subject of the poster and showed the woman, wearing a low cut dress with stiletto heels, in the process of walking down a fashion show runway. If anyone else had looked at the poster, they would have assumed it was just a promotional item for an upcoming event being put on by the company in the building. The truth, however, was that it WAS Prima Donna on the paper as she had been transformed into a flattened, glossy image of her human self. By the almost imperceptible twitching of the woman's face into an angry expression, it was clear Prima Donna was conscious of her current state on some level.
Maintaining an odd look on her face, Hocus Pocus walked towards the entrance to the room while rerolling the poster as she did. She tapped her wand thoughtfully against her thigh as if she was trying to understand or answer an unspoken question.
Moments later, the police stationed outside the building, who had witnessed the sights and sounds of the tremendous fracas going on in the last half hour or so, suddenly saw what seemed to be a brilliant flash of light that illuminated multiple rooms on one of the building's upper floors. When the illumination dissipated moments later, the building was completely silent at that point, with no sign of any activity inside.
It was at that moment the police heard the powerful roar of the Aerobomobile as it arrived from one side of the street while the Lycra League jet descended from the sky and the members disembarked rapidly as did Spandex Girl and Lycra from their vehicle.
"Officer, what's happened so far?" Lycra Woman asked one of the uniformed policeman stationed near the barricades set up to keep civilians away from the building.
The officer looked at the group of heroines gathered around him and pushed back his hat as he glanced towards the building for a few moments.
"You tell me....." he said softly.
To be continued.............
Return to the Story Archive