Mom the Superheroine 01

[This story is set in Paragon City, taken from the MMO game City of Heroes. All place names, hero names and registered trademarks belong to their rightful legal owners and are not intended as copyright infringement in any way. This work is purely meant as a piece of entertainment, and not for commercial purposes in any way, shape or form.]

Barbara Beck came home one day, to find her worst nightmare come true.

She knew something was amiss the moment she stood at the door and realized that it was ajar. Her darling Cindy was careful and conscientious, and would never have left the door unsecured against intrusion, even in their relatively safe neighbourhood.

Her heart thudding, Barbara swung the door open and stepped in quickly. Nothing seemed to be in disarray -- there were no signs of struggle.

"Cindy? Honey?" she called out. There was no answer. She whipped out her cell phone and checked the messages again. Cindy was supposed to be home -- she never left home or stayed out without letting her mom know. She was the model daughter; even in her sophomore year at college, she never went out partying. She eschewed that sort of pleasure, she said, for the much greater pleasure of keeping her mom company.

If she had gone out for any reason, she would have found some way to let Barbara know. Barbara called out again, trying to keep calm. It was then that she noticed the envelope on the kitchen counter. As she approached, a cold fist seemed to squeeze her heart. The envelope was sealed with black lipstick marks.

Of course -- how could she have forgotten? She'd read about it a week ago, but she had put it out of mind. Even before she opened the envelope with shaking fingers and read the letter, she already knew who the sender was, and approximately what it would say:

"My dear Barbara -- or should I say, Battler Babe? It's been such a long time, hasn't it? Of course, you know who I am -- this is your old, old friend, Valerie Phelps. It has been such a long time since you put me behind bars in the Zig, but I can assure you, all our old friends still remember the name of Vicious Vixen!

"And very shortly, we will become reacquainted again, you and I. I hope you don't think me too forward, but I've already taken the liberty, as you can see, of getting to know your dear daughter. She's such a darling, isn't she? Just think, a scant 10 years ago, she was just a wide-eyed 10-year-old girl, so full of adoration for her big, strong superheroine mother. She and my own dear Elena have so much to catch up on, so I thought we'd better give them a bit of a head start!

"Yes, my daughter Elena, I'm sure you remember her? Thanks to you, she was placed into foster care. I really have to thank you for finding such a good family for her, so that she would not learn her miscreant mother's wayward ways! Such a pity, isn't it, what happened to nice Mr. and Mrs. Brooks? Who would've thought such a tragedy would happen... Fortunately for Elena, some of my old friends were able to take her in. They've told her so much about you, Barbara, and so have I. She is looking forward so much to meeting you again in person after all these years. It's so moving, seeing your daughter and mine together... how fast they grow up these days...

"Now, I'm looking forward VERY much to our own little reunion, dear Barbie. So much, in fact, that I would be quite, quite annoyed if any rude and impolite people were to interrupt us uninvited! We don't want this to happen, do we? Of course not. Ms. Beck loves her Cindy far too much to put her in any sort of danger.

"So, here is the address for our little tea party, which YOU and YOU ALONE shall attend, tonight, at 9 sharp, in a few hours' time. We're ready and waiting for you, Barbie dear. Remember -- no uninvited guests, or things could be... quite messy. I'm sure I don't have to spell it out for you.

"Come in your best costume. You know the one I mean.

"Lots of LOVE and KISSES, Vicious Vixen"

Barbara glanced wildly at the clock in the living room. It was 8.30pm -- she had been working late today. When had Cindy been kidnapped? Her last message was at 4pm, when she had come home from wrestling club training (she was the president of the nascent female wrestling team for Steel Canyon University). That could mean that she'd been in their hands -- oh, the horror of the thought! -- for nearly four hours.

The address written at the bottom of the letter was for a warehouse -- a certain warehouse that she knew very well. It was on the other side of the city, so if she hurried... she could get there just on time. But at this hour, the streets would be pretty much clogged, and the subway would be packed.

Barbara's eyes narrowed. She crumpled the hateful letter in her fist, and let it fall to the floor as she strode purposefully toward her bedroom. She had another way of travelling.

Barbara Beck was not just any single mom trying to bring up a daughter, though that alone was a fairly heroic endeavour. She was that -- and more.

She went straight to her wardrobe, and pushed the clothes aside to reveal the bare panel at the back. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the panel just there... and there...

The panel swung open, to reveal a hidden compartment. Hanging within were several versions of Barbara's old costume, from the time when she was known on the streets of Paragon City as Battler Babe, dispenser of street justice to the gangsters and hooligans that plagued the streets.

She had indeed been an ordinary housewife, until a twist of fate twenty years ago. Barbara had been visiting her husband, the famed Dr. Steve Sheldon, at the University to bring him a sponge cake she'd baked, and had stepped into the laboratory just as an accident occurred. A machine of some sort blew itself apart, and she was drenched in an experimental mutagen. By that time, Cindy had already been conceived and was a small foetus in Barbara's womb.

Barbara had been rushed to the hospital, and after several days of observation, the doctors and her husband had come to the stunning realization that far from harming her, the mutagen had given her super powers!

She had immense strength: approximately five times that of normal well-trained men. It was not as much strength as some of the marquee names possessed, but certainly spectacular in its own right. She had also acquired the physique to go alone with it, becoming like a champion bodybuilder within just a few days, and she had all the muscle without losing any of the fat, i.e. her breasts and hips were still curvy. Her skin had acquired resilience, and could partially turn aside blows from bladed weapons or needle penetrations. She had vastly improved cardiovascular fitness, and had the stamina of an Olympian athlete. Her thighs and calves had become exceptionally strong, too -- she could quite literally leap tall buildings in a single bound! She could jump to the top of a fairly tall apartment building, and jump down again to land without any harm.

The Sheldons had waited with baited breath after their daughter was born, but all test results showed a normal, healthy baby girl -- just slightly healthier than usual. Cindy grew up the proud daughter of a registered superheroine -- Barbara had elected to call herself "Battler Babe", and every night she donned her mask and costume to battle street gangs and criminals.

The mutagen was tested again, but oddly, the effects could not be replicated, no matter how often Dr. Sheldon tried to alter one variable or another. Bewildered and stressed, Dr. Sheldon became more and more reclusive, staying away from his family to work late into the night at the University.

Cindy grew very close to her mother as a result, and barely knew her father during her early years. She began to cherish a desire to grow up and become a superheroine just like her mighty mom, serving the cause of justice and fighting crime. She was already physically gifted, far stronger than any other boy or girl in her age group. Cindy wondered if the world would accept "Battlerette" as her mom's sidekick, when the time came.

Then shocking news came -- Dr. Sheldon was having an affair with an attractive lab assistant, by the name of Valerie Phelps. The long, lonely nights must have weakened his will and laid him bare to the blandishments of the seductive woman who had seemed sympathetic to his emotional needs -- who, as it turned out, was none other than the villainess Vicious Vixen, one of Battler Babe's arch enemies! The villainous virago used a combination of martial arts and poisoned weaponry to perpetrate her acts of ignominy. Battler Babe, with her near-complete resistance to toxins and her far superior strength, had always proved more than a match in any direct confrontation between the two.

Only Barbara knew this, however, and she had no way to prove it. The divorce proceedings had been acrimonious, and fraught with much unhappiness. Dr. Sheldon had voiced out his long-repressed unhappiness at having a wife more prominent -- her secret identity was not all that secret -- and more powerful than he was. His insecurities, which he had tried to repress, emerged, and he confessed that he did not like to be the weaker partner in the relationship. The dark-haired Valerie was a much more conventional-looking woman, and fit his ideal better.

If only he could believe that Valerie was a villainess! But he was stubbornly incredulous, and accused Barbara of simply being vindictive. Barbara could only watch, helplessly furious, as Valerie Phelps winked at her and smirked at her erstwhile husband's side!

The settlement from the divorce had been fairly substantial, since Dr. Sheldon had been demonstrably having an affair, but the experience was very traumatic for the Becks. Cindy wanted nothing more to do with her father, and the courts ruled that since Barbara was a registered superheroine of good standing, she was fully capable of having custody of Cindy.

She had some small vindication a few months after the divorce, though, when she foiled an attempted bank robbery being carried out by a gang of villains. One of them had been Vicious Vixen, and in a showdown, Barbara had experienced the sheer joy of punching Valerie's lights out. Valerie Phelps, a.k.a. Vicious Vixen, was arrested, her identity put on the record, and she was sentenced to 15 years in the Ziggurat, the prison for super-powered individuals or others who functioned at that level.

Dr. Sheldon, however, still behaved in a hostile manner to them, as did his step-daughter Elena, Valerie's daughter out of wedlock by another previous relationship. The waifish girl was about Cindy's age, and glared at Battler Babe with a smouldering hatred, no doubt marking her as the woman who had put her mother into jail. Taking pity on the young girl, Barbara used her influence to arrange foster care for Elena -- by this time Dr. Sheldon was a shadow of his former self. He had lost tenure, had gained an obsessive personality, and was by all counts unfit to raise a child on his own. The last they heard of him, he was even rumoured to have struck some kind of deal with Arachnos, the villainous organization controlling the Rogue Isles.

Then the Rikti War had struck, and though Barbara served with distinction and Cindy survived, Dr. Sheldon met his untimely demise. His death at the hands of the invaders was witnessed by many. Barbara felt a pang, but she bravely put it aside and used her strength and endurance to fight the Rikti off, and to aid reconstruction efforts afterwards.

After that, she had decided to hang up her spandex. The city gave her a commendation and a public sending-off, and promptly turned its attention to the million and one issues calling for attention. She did not feel rancour for that -- after all, Galaxy Girl and many others like her who had made the ultimate sacrifice hadn't complained one bit, had they? Besides, the officials truly had so much on their hands, so she wasn't asking them to give any special attention to one fairly average, emotionally drained superheroine.

So they had moved to King's Row. She'd gotten a job: consignment officer at the local Wentworth's. Her daughter excelled in high school, and entered Steel Canyon University. In all respects, they led a quiet, humble and fairly comfortable life.

Until now.

A week ago, a small news item in the Paragon Times had caught her eye: "Reformed Ex-Criminal Valerie Phelps Paroled Early For Good Behaviour". She recalled then that she had simply pursed her lips, and went on with whatever she had been doing at the time. How could she have been so foolish? She had underestimated the extent of the grudge Vicious Vixen bore toward her.

"Cindy, this is my fault!" she said aloud. "Hang in there, honey -- Mom's coming for you!"

Her jaw firming with resolve, she reached for her costume -- and hesitated. Vixen had specified that she was to wear her "best" costume. Barbara knew that she meant the skimpiest one -- at one time, sensing her husband's emotional distance, she had tailored an extra-skimpy, barely there version of her costume, and attempted some bedroom play. She still remembered how Steven's eyes had lit up -- before her communicator beeped, notifying her of an urgent gang gathering to be broken up in the vicinity. All available heroes were being called upon.

Regretfully, she had jumped out to do her duty -- but she'd jumped several blocks before realizing belatedly that she was wearing the naughty costume! Her face was as red as the flames the Hellions were using to set the neighbourhood on fire, especially when she had to endure the amused gazes of her fellow heroes. The news cameras had caught sight of her too, worse luck, and the evening news featured her prominently, displaying her assets while she fought the Hellions and assisted in putting out the fire. It had been very blush-worthy indeed.

She wavered, uncertain, and then her hand closed on the naughty costume. She dared not jeopardize her daughter's safety in any way. Her mind was racing -- what nefarious plan did Vixen have in mind? Where was she expecting to go from here? What did she hope to gain, apart from petty revenge? If she had nothing to gain, then how would Cindy's safety be assured...?

Quickly, she stripped off and put on the costume, feeling how the light blue spandex was snug against her fuller figure -- she had not done any strenuous activity for the last 10 years, and even her mutagen-enhanced body was starting to slow down slightly, though at 45 she still had the physique of a 35-year-old and the strength of many men. Now she would need to call upon this strength to confront her old enemy and save her daughter.

She slipped on the white mask around her eyes, and once more, Battler Babe looked out upon the world. She could not resist checking herself in the mirror -- annoyingly, the spandex left her nipples somewhat visible, the costume lacking nipple pads in the interior.

"This is no time to be thinking about modesty!" she scolded herself. "Alright... Cindy, my dearest, I'm coming!"

Throwing open the window, she looked out into the evening, and oriented herself, gazing into the distance where the warehouse lay. Then, with a push from her mighty leg muscles, she was off, leaping high into the sky, aiming for the next rooftop.

***

Cindy struggled fruitlessly against the chains that bound her wrists and ankles, her body swinging back and forth, suspended from the ceiling. She uttered for the umpteenth time, "You'll never get away with this!"

"Yadda, yadda," replied the girl standing behind her. "Change your tune already!"

Elena Phelps reached around Cindy's naked body again, inhaling the sweaty scent of her captive victim. Cindy's muscled body was beaded with sweat, and her body slumped with fatigue. For hours, she had been struggling to no avail. Moreover, Elena and the dastardly Valerie had been taking it in turns to torture her. Nothing that would leave a mark -- but the two of them had been molesting her, tweaking her nipples, rubbing her slit and her clit, and fondling her other erogenous zones. She could only grit her teeth and try in vain to ignore this unwanted ministration.

Cindy had clenched her teeth and had borne it all as bravely as she could, refusing to give in to her captors in this battle of wills. She did desperately hope, however, that the Phelpses did not discover that she was still a virgin. Cindy had always been the best-behaved daughter anyone could hope for -- she'd dated, but had never gone beyond kissing, and second base had always been out of the question. As long as Mom hadn't yet approved, she wasn't going to give up her chastity. Doing mixed wrestling matches was a bit different, of course -- but she'd always been strong enough thus far to put any overly-grabby boy in his place.

Here she was, though, being violated at will, and inwardly she shuddered in horror at what this lewd and lascivious mother-daughter pair was doing to her. How horrendous! But she told herself to be brave -- that Mom wouldn't want her to crack. She won't let Mom down -- she'd endure until Mom came to rescue her.

There was no doubt in Cindy's mind, as she tossed her matted blond locks defiantly while Elena's fingers again closed over her firm round breasts, that Mom was coming and would be bringing a big ol' ass-whoopin' with her. She had said so as much to her tormentors, but they had just laughed at her and continued disporting themselves with her as their plaything.

Physically, she had to admit to herself privately, this Valerie Phelps woman -- better known as Vicious Vixen -- looked very formidable. Vixen had dark hair, tied in a high ponytail, and dark eyes to match. Her nails were painted black as well. In her tight, revealing spandex outfit, cut here and there to reveal a lot of skin, she was very visibly muscled -- like a muscular dancer, or a fitness model. Her skin was almost alabaster pale, giving her a very goth look. Her arms were covered with long black latex fingerless gloves that reached past her elbows.

Her daughter looked like a scaled-down version of her. Elena Phelps had gleefully called herself Vixenette -- which had caused Cindy to retort that once her mom freed her, the two of them would have to contend against Battler Babe and Battlerette. That had elicited howls of laughter, making Cindy flush with impotent anger. Elena was stick thin, with small pert breasts currently propped up with a black leather corset-top. She was lithe and skinny, still waifish after all these years, and her ripped abdomen was visible -- though those resembled what Cindy herself derisively termed "skinny abs", the kind of abs you got just by dint of being anorexic or under-nourished, with no real strength. Like her mom, she'd put on black makeup and lipstick, and nail polish too. Her hair was cropped chin-length.

Cindy's own hair was styled after her mother's, shoulder-length slightly wavy blonde hair. Her own build was solid, not as sculpted as her mom, but curvaceous and strong, like a farm girl from the Midwest. She had a set of solid abs which she was very proud of, because it looked like Barbara's, just somewhat less defined.

Privately, she thought this Vixen and her spiteful little daughter were courting trouble. Battler Babe had never had any trouble handling Vixen physically, and she was surely more than equal to any trap they tried to set for her. The only way they could get to Battler Babe was through her daughter -- and Cindy had been keeping it a secret, but she was beginning to think she was getting powers. She was already half again as strong as the toughest guy in Steel Canyon University -- the two of them had had a private strength challenge session, where she easily outdid him in every lift (and needless to say, the arm wrestling had been almost desultory, she'd beat him with humiliating ease). Cindy was just waiting for the right time to announce to her mother that she wanted to take up the mantle and hit the streets as Battlerette, in her mother's honour.