Claiming Supers
Part Two.
Sarah Putley, AKA Sally Putty, hero of New Avalon and founding member of the Ladies of Liberty, indulged in a big yawn as she drank in the morning sun.
People bustled past, utterly unaware that the young woman seated outside the cafe was a world-famous super. She didn't look the part in sherbet orange leggings, running shoes, and a baggy white sweater. Her limbs didn't extend like rubber noodles when she luxuriated in a stretch. Sally Putty's bob-cut was a verdant green, while Sarah's utilitarian ponytail shone reddish-brown.
They had no idea.
That was the whole point of a secret identity. If Sally Putty craved the public eye, she could whip off the wig and slip on the spandex anytime. Plenty of heroes did. Patrolling in costume whenever their egos needed a boost. Civilians went gaga for that shit, snapping photos or live-streaming the moment they shared the pavement with a masked celebrity.
Sarah wasn't about that scene. She fought the good fight because it was the right thing to do.
Sure, the sponsorship deals were nice, but preventing evil was its own reward.
Knowing she'd saved innocents from harm gave Sarah more satisfaction than any front-page headline or nightly news report. If only her squadmates felt the same.
Colette certainly did, and Sarah respected their team leader for that. Silvejia was exiled alien royalty; the lavender-skinned speedster struggled with a cultural divide as vast as the galaxy, which excused her
faux pas.
But Miranda...
Their duplicator was in it for sex, money and fame--partying like a rockstar between missions. Her real identity was probably the worst-kept secret in the city.
The tabloids regularly splashed pictures of her one-woman orgies in seedy gay bars. Then, there was that incident at an equality rally where her clones laid into the counter-protesters with shocking force. Or when she populated a Mardi Gras float with dancing copies barely clad in body paint and feathers, sans mask.
Corporate's legal teams billed hundreds of extra hours after
that
debacle. Damage control on that scale didn't come cheap.
Miranda's ratings had soared, though. She rated off the charts with young liberal and LGBTQ demographics, plus she represented diversity, basically rendering the buff brunette bulletproof against criticism from their higher-ups.
She was simply too... marketable.
Sarah sighed, shaking away the exasperation. Miss Myriad was there when it counted, chewing gum and stomping baddies in numbers no other duplicator could approach. She was a walking army. The Ladies of Liberty were lucky to have her.
"Pardon me, is this seat taken?" Asked a chipper voice.
The elasticated girl's head snapped up. A woman stood with a coffee in each hand, smiling brilliantly as she slid into the spare chair.
"Actually, I'm expecting a friend." Sarah had received a priority transmission from Kinetica, requesting they meet in this cafe. Her team leader was light on the details but insistent. "Sorry, if you don't mind--"
"Not at all!" The stranger exclaimed, resting her take-out cups on the small table. "This won't take a minute."
Sarah frowned, examining her.
A sparkly disco-ball dress snuggled the woman's lush figure, entirely too showy for a weekday morning. A sweetheart neckline labored to contain overflowing cleavage, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. Blonde hair streaked with pink hung like a golden banner down to her narrow waist in dense waves while large round sunglasses obscured a classically beautiful face.
She looked like a silicone-padded pornstar, straining the teensy outfit at the bust, hips and thighs. Impossibly trim in some regions yet full to bursting in others--a sick caricature of feminine sexuality.
Sarah's gut twisted in disgust at her mere proximity.
Women like this were the antithesis of everything the Ladies of Liberty represented. Her team was the pinnacle of female empowerment, a shining example for the next generation. Proof that girls could achieve anything through hard work and dedication without degrading themselves.
"My friend will be here soon." Sarah sniffed, raising her nose. "There's plenty of available seating. Bother someone else."
"I'm not a bother, promise." The cow-titted barbie giggled. Yeesh, what a bimbo. "Here, I even bought you a coffee. Double shot americano with almond milk, right?"
That brought her attention back to the intruder with renewed scrutiny. A single sachet of sweetener rested beside the cup. She had her coffee order down to the smallest detail.
"Who are you?" She asked, tensing for a fight. "I don't appreciate stalkers, pushy fans, publicity agents, or headhunters. God help you if you're some fresh psycho trying to make a name..."
"Sarah, relax. It's me, Colette." The blonde tittered, sipping her morning joe. "And Headhunter's still in supermax last I checked."
"Boss lady?" Mouth agape, Sarah reexamined the woman. Impossible... yet her fingers weren't gripping the coffee. It hovered in her cupped palm. That level of nuanced control was irrefutable. "Wha--what happened? Who did this to you?"
"Oh, Sarah, I made a fantastic discovery. Unearthed a true treasure!" Colette leaned across the table, her enlarged breasts nearly spilling out. "An unregistered enhancer. You won't believe how I found them."
An enhancer?!
Enhancers were rarer than eunuch dicks--supers who amplified others' power to greater heights. Every hero squad dreamed of recruiting one. Their services didn't come cheap, and the most potent enhancers, those that gave
permanent
boosts, often vanished--spirited away by the military or more sinister organizations.
Still, Sarah tempered her excitement. The extreme alterations of her friend's physique were concerning. She had to tread lightly...
"Are you sure? Boss lady, I hardly recognized you. It's not, um... on-brand." She gestured at Colette. "Explain precisely what the enhancer did."
"What
didn't
he do! I'll admit the physical alterations were a surprise, and a new costume is in order, but he's wholly altered my power set. I've leveled up! Isn't it marvelous? I can't wait to introduce the two of you."
Hearing her usually even-tempered team leader wax lyrical over this mysterious
He
deepened Sarah's sense of unease. The radical change in fashion didn't help either. Colette always favored a modest wardrobe; the bookish blonde concealed her ultra-fit form behind long skirts and loose blouses.
She didn't prance about in tiny club dresses and... were those silver high-heel sandals?