Chapter II
Sparkler scowled as she stomped back to her bike. She'd just spent an hour standing still while two zoinked-out security guards held her at gunpoint. After that, she'd spent an hour with the police after she'd called them in. Having to admit to them that Mesmeri got the drop on her had not been fun.
She'd given them a description of the van and the women with her adversary, but that was everything she had. No names had been used and license plates had been missing from the vehicle. So the only good Sparkler had managed to do tonight was saving two people from getting blown up or arrested as accessories to the theft. Instead, they were admitted to the hospital to see if Mesmeri had kept her word.
Even the watch Mesmeri had used as a timer couldn't be used as a clue; it had belonged to one of the security guards. The bombs might give up a clue and of course the police would try and find out when and where the guards had come into contact with Mesmeri.
The superheroine consoled herself. 'At least they'll keep Mesmeri's involvement quiet for now. That should keep the League from sending "help" and give me time to right this mistake instead.'
Absent-mindedly, she deactivated the protective coverings on her bike and retrieved her helmet. She donned it while she climbed aboard. 'Better not go home right away. I need to calm down or I'll trash something. Probably something real expensive and way too delicate.'
Her helmet's systems turned on at the same time she started up the bike and a flickering display greeted her. The edges of her display were awash in psychedelic colors that flowed like waves. Less annoying was that the audio system had turned to her favorite radio station on its own.
Sparkler suppressed the urge to climb off the bike and kick it. Or bash her helmet against a wall. 'Argh, will anything go right tonight?!' Taking a few deep breaths, she tried not to think of Mesmeri for a moment. 'No, calm down. Just listen to the music and go for a ride.' Not that techno was calming music but it wouldn't leave her angry either. Just pumped. 'You'll feel better afterwards.' Oh yes, she knew just what she was going to do with that energy too. 'And then you can find Mesmeri and kick her shapely ass!'
That wasn't helping her control her anger, but it did direct her ire away from expensive things the crime fighter would have to ask the League to replace if she trashed them.
So she rode away from the scene of the crime and towards the highway. As she hit the I-41, the flickering settled down, leaving Sparkler to look at the world through a broken kaleidoscope. 'Don't think,' she reminded herself, 'just ride.'
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Amanda's bare feet paddled across the carpeted floor. Her smelly clothes lay forgotten on a pile next to the door. She'd just come out of the shower and her hair was still damp but she couldn't wait any longer. If she hadn't wanted to look her best for Mistress she wouldn't have even taken the shower.
She took a now familiar position on her chair, her legs thrown over armrests to better expose her snatch to the webcam. The seating was stained and still damp but she simply sat in it and waited for the computer to boot up. Activating the appropriate program her eyes went even softer as the screen showed a black-and-white spiral.
There had been a time when she would have just looked at it and shook her head. A time when she thought it foolish that something like that could hypnotize people. Now it sucked her in and owned her mind in a moment. Her hands began to type her report without conscious thought. She didn't know what she was typing, exactly, although she knew she had carried out her instructions successfully.
Having sent the message, she waited, her puffy sex already wetting from how unresisting she was, how completely automatic her compliance had become. Words appeared on the monitor. Amanda didn't really read them or remember what they said, but she understood them.
With a moan, she activated reward program 05 and shuddered as her well-trained mind began to imagine a skillful tongue swirling around her clit. Her mouth began speaking, reminding her whom she should be grateful to. "Thank you Mistress. For allowing me to obey. To obey is bliss."
In the middle of the screen, a display counted down the time she had left until the program completed.
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Sparkler drove straight through the wall and the short tunnel it hid. Behind her the forcefield came back on, hiding the fact that this was one of the entrances to her base. It wasn't large, and a lot of space was used up by a suitably-big screen hiding a powerful computer and a few other machines, like an automated med-bay.
Above her she had a basement apartment where she could be Emily West--something she did more than she originally hoped for when she took this assignment. On the other hand, she'd had a breakthrough in two cases because she used her Emily West persona. It had its uses.
Bopping her head to the beat, she stepped off and made her way to the computer. Rainbow colors were still obscuring the edges of her vision but she'd gotten used to them. She took off her gloves and threw them on a workbench as she passed it. The protective gloves were great for fighting, but they made typing a real pain.
It wasn't until her head hit the backrest of her chair that Sparkler realized she was still wearing the helmet. 'And now I'm getting forgetful,' she thought, exasperated. There was no anger in the thought, though; that had drained out of her with the ride.
She had to blink after taking it off, a little disoriented by the sudden change in view. Removing her eye mask helped because it allowed her to rub her eyes. It didn't stop her from calling up Mesmeri's file. Emily wanted to get to know her opponent better.
The file's information was pretty much a more-detailed version of what she remembered from her briefing. She still skimmed it. 'Real name: Shelley Cook, former psychiatrist, mind control, planner, likes to recruit superheroes, highly intelligent, blah blah blah.' Really, no nugget of information that would point toward her likely hangouts. The League had only found one that was really Mesmeri's base, and it had been destroyed completely to cover her escape.
But the file did have something Sparkler had lacked. It gave her adversary a face. Mesmeri's hair was cut like her own but was raven black. Her features were mature, but she still looked good.
It was her eyes, however, that really drew Emily's attention. Brown, so dark they were almost black, staring into the camera without fear or anger. This had been taken after she'd been captured, which made the look of commanding confidence even more impressive.
There were more photos of Mesmeri, photos taken of her in action. Although most of that action consisted of her watching confidently as others fought for her, including several superheroes.
Emily clicked through them; they didn't tell her much. She did stop at one that showed gas being sprayed from her fingers into some unsuspecting cop. 'That makes two weapons she's got on her: dart launcher and gas dispenser. Both in her hands and both non-lethal.'
But she could learn nothing more from the picture, so she moved on. There were only a few pictures left when she came upon one showing Mesmeri and several other supervillains battling the Manhattan Five. It had been one of the few occasions when Mesmeri had gotten involved in direct combat. And the only time she teamed up with others of her ilk without having control of their minds.
