The Adventures of Night Knight β The Citysville Sentinel
Episode 4: Bound by Bettie Boudoir
As told to:
SeedeeBeetoo
The warehouse district of the town of Citysville doesn't get much traffic after midnight. The one security guard who makes the rounds is used to it being quiet, lonely, and peaceful. A sudden bright light and deafening noise of an explosion, though, tells tell him that tonight is going to be a little different! That and being blown into a nearby ditch and knocked unconscious. He can't see gaping hole big enough to drive a Batmobile through torn into wall of the Secret Lace β’ lingerie warehouse! He doesn't see an evil-looking stretch Hummer back up to the hole or the sleek female figures, dressed in form-fitting, curve-revealing spandex, who slip out and into the warehouse. Their faces are covered by domino masks but each of them is beautiful β especially their leader who commands into action with a wave of her hand.
Swiftly, and silently, the female forms dart about, gathering up all the boxes of expensive stockings, garters, bras, corsets and panties. With practices ease they move the boxes out of the warehouse and into the Hummer, completing their task in short order. Before they leave, their flame-haired leader tosses an incendiary bomb into the warehouse, which immediately goes up in flames. The stretch Hummer makes a wide right turn and screeches away, as the leader of the dark raiders cackles maniacally.
* * * * *
"I'm afraid there's not much to tell you, Night Knight," explains Lt. Halsey a half hour later. The beautiful police detective crosses her arms in frustration, her long blonde hair mussed by the still blowing wind. Firemen are putting out the last remnants of the incendiary blaze, which has almost completely consumed the once proud warehouse. Behind her, deep in the shadows, stands Night Knight β The Citysville Sentinel.
"I'm sure you'll find the same thing that the Denver police, the L.A. police, the Des Moines police and the Anchorage police, found: nothing," he responds. Night Knight's short cape gently flaps softly behind him. A black spandex uniform accentuates his tightly muscled form and a black leather mask conceals most of features of his smooth dark face. Only the white double shield emblazoned on his chest reflects the light.
"Obviously we're dealing with some madman on a nationwide lingerie crime spree," says Lt. Halsey.
"Or a madwoman with a lot of time on her hands, Lt. And maybe a grudge against the company. Only
their
warehouses have been hit. And only the best of the best merchandise and materials has been stolen."
"What's going on here, Night Knight?" Lt. Halsey asks. "Secret Lace β’ makes the best panties, bras, tights, leotards, leggings, Cuban heeled stockings, corsets, slips, girdles, camisoles, garter belts, pantyhose, waist cinchers, teddies, robes, silk pajamas, and essential oils in the world! If they go out of business, then where will women and drag queens go to get their unmentionables?"
"And where will superheroes get replacement tights and leotards for their uniforms?"
thinks Night Knight as he absently rubs his hand across the expensive spandex covering his arms.
"I'd better investigate this,"
he thinks.
"You've got to stop them, Night Knight! On a my salary I can't afford much but I do like to splurge every once in a while on a nice pair of stockings and a garter belt," Lt. Halsey says and takes a stance that causes the slit in tight black cop skirt to show off her silky stocking tops. She gives Night Knight a shy but inviting smile.
The Citysville Sentinel clears his throat and respectfully looks the other way. "Don't worry, Lt. I'm on the case."
* * * * *
In his secret headquarters β The Knight's Armory β Night Knight sits in front of his ultra-fast super computer, inputting various variables. With amazing ultra-speed, the computer displays a map of the world and the locations of all the previously burgled and burned warehouses.
"Egad!" says the Midnight Marvel. "According to these computations, there's only one remaining Secret Lace β’ warehouse in the whole world! And it's right here in Citysville! To the Knightmobile!"
Minutes later the sleek, rifle bullet-shaped Knightmobile speeds through the city, invisible to all forms of detection due to its ultra-secret Night Cloak.β’ Night Knight pulls up to the final Secret Lace β’ warehouse, parks and waits. And waits. And waits. He passes the time by watching his favorite reality TV shows on his dashboard screen via secure link to his Knightevo.β’ Just before dawn a huge explosion tears a hole in the side of the warehouse. The menacing-looking stretch Hummer quickly screeches up to the hole and the five mysterious figures leap out, efficiently going about their business of collecting all the best lingerie, undergarments and leg wear. Again the leader silently directs the others in what to take and what to trash.
Suddenly Night Knight's deep voice booms out: "I don't think Secret Lace β’ serves this kind of take out!"
The figures stop and look around. Almost faster than the eye can follow, Night Knight flips through the air, alighting just long enough to knock the boxes out of their hands before any of them can even move.
"I think the good women of Citysville and the world deserve their Secret Lace β’ merchandise, don't you?" Night Knight lands outside the circle of crooks and strikes a heroic pose, his cape gently waving in the breeze coming through the hole in the wall.
"Night Knight!" the red-haired leader shouts. "I was wondering when you'd show up to try to spoil my fun!" Her shiny lips pull back into a angry grimace.
"Well, I'm here, so why don't you tell me who I'm about to send to jail?"
"I am Bettie Boudoir," the beautiful, shapely woman responds, her voice sultry and confident. "And these are my Garter Belts. But you're not sending any of us to jail today! Belt him, girls!"
As one, each Garter reaches down to her right thigh and pulls off a slinky garter belt, which surprisingly lengthens into a bullwhip. They snap the whips at Night Knight, who quickly flips out of the way and attacks the nearest Garter with his with inhuman speed and strength. A quick karate chop and he disarms her.
"This might be too easy,"
Night Knight thinks. But even before he completes the thought, another Garter snaps her whip β right into his crotch! "Ow! That smarts!" he shouts but he doesn't go down.
"That hurt a lot more than it should have! If not for my Knight's Cup (pat. pending) I'd be in real pain,"
Night Knight thinks
. "That must mean...."
He takes a look up at the skylight and sees the sun rising.
"Damn! Sunrise!"
he mentally gasps.
Distracted, Night Knight doesn't see two of the Garters swing their whips at his arms. They snare his wrists and pull his arms apart. The other two do the same to his ankles. He struggles against their combined weight as Bettie Boudoir approaches. She steps in close to Night Knight, smiling in his masked face.
"I've always wanted to have one of you superheroes in this very position." She sniffs the air. "Is that Molecule One you're wearing?"
"That's the smell of justice, Bettie Boudoir," Night Knight responds. "You'd better get used to it."
Bettie Boudoir suddenly knees Night Knight in the crotch and he doubles over (as much as he's able, being stretched out by the bullwhips . "That's the feeling of pain. You'd better get used to it!" She laughs as the Garters pull Night Knight upright again. "I suppose even superheroes are burdened with a man's second weakness. If you're lucky, I'll show you the first."
"I've got to end this now,"
thinks Midnight Marvel. He marshals his remaining strength and with a supreme effort, he leaps backward, pulling the whips with him and slinging all four Garter Belts into one another. They collide and fall to the floor dazed. Just then the sound of police sirens fill the air. Bettie Boudoir helps her henchwomen up and pushes them towards the Hummer.
"This isn't over, Night Knight!" she shouts, shaking her fist at Night Knight. She jumps into the Hummer and screeches out of the warehouse. Night Knight quickly reaches into his utility belt and pulls out a tiny shield-shaped tracker and tosses it at the retreating vehicle. It magnetically attaches near the wheel well.
* * * * *
Lt. Halsey surveys the damage in the warehouse while Night Knight sifts for more clues.
"Well, at least they didn't burn this one down, or get away with much," Lt. Halsey comments. "Thanks to you, Night Knight."
"Don't thank me yet, Lt. Bettie Boudoir isn't finished. I suspect she's got many more tricks up her satiny sleeves. But, I'll stop her. Don't worry about that." Night Knight turns and rushes out of the building, hops into the Knightmobile and speeds off. Lt. Halsey watches him disappear. She lets out a sigh of longing and returns to her investigation.
Night Knight speeds through the back alleys of Citysville, following the signal from his tracking device. A light flashes on his dashboard and a ultra-secure cell phone rings. "Aren't you supposed to be prepping for your thesis, Babs?" he asks.
The voice of Barbara Denton, his friend and sidekick, Sunset, comes through the speaker. "I heard about the trouble and thought you might need some help, N.K. You know you won't be at full power until tonight."
"Justice doesn't take siestas and Bettie Boudoir has got to be stopped," he replies. "With the portable Night Aura Projector β’ that I just put into my utility belt, I should be able to subdue her without any trouble, though.