Sgt. Frank Murphy of the Centerville Bomb Squad cut the blue wire and watched as the counter on the device in front of him snapped from 3 to 2.
"Guess my number is up." he thought; and he thought of his wife and how much he loved her.
There was a blue blur before him and then the device was gone. He didn't get it. Then there was a hand on his shoulder. Attached to the hand was a blue sleeve. He followed the sleeve up to a face. The face of
Blue Lightning.
"You okay Sarge?" asked the Superhero who's power was super speed.
"Yeah, thanks. Thanks a lot." said Murphy, "So where did you take the bomb?"
"I didn't have much time," said
Lightning
, "so I dropped it off in the derelict factory building on Brinkman Street."
"The one scheduled for demolition? Yeah, that makes sense."
Just then Lt. Harris strode up. "Got a message for you,
Blue Lightning
, just came over the radio. Seems there's a letter or something for you sent care of the precinct."
The 'letter or something' read: "Please come see me at Dolphin House Prison. Friday 6:30. Bring a large vegetarian pizza." it was signed, "Ana Mishuni, A.K.A.
Beautiful Dreamer
."
Some months previously:
Headline: BLUE LIGHTNING CAPTURES BEAUTIFUL DREAMER.
Headline: D.A. PROMISES CONVICTION OF NOTORIOUS SUPER VILLIANESS. GIVES CREDIT TO BLUE LIGHTNING.
Headline: DREAMER CONVICTED
Headline: BEAUTIFUL SUPER VILLIAN TO SERVE SENTENCE IN SPECIAL FACILITY.
Friday 6:30.
Blue Lightning
, complete with pizza, was at Dolphin House Prison. "I'm here to see Ana Mishuni."
"Yes, we were told to expect you. Please follow me." The woman in the guard uniform was rather attractive,
Blue Lightning
noted. Hispanic, he thought, although he had known Italian and Greek women who had similar complexions and bone structure. She was saying, "As you know, our facility is specially designed for the imprisonment of super powered criminals. There is a very effective power dampening field. Unfortunately the effect does not discriminate. Visiting heroes are also unable to use their super powers while they are here. We hope this won't be too uncomfortable for you."
"I'm sorry," he said, "but where are we going? I thought the visitor center was down that way?"
"It is," she replied, "but the conjugal suites are down this way." Seeing the expression on his face she added, "I'm sorry. I assumed you knew. Miss Mishuni scheduled you for a conjugal visit."
"Oh." was all he could think to say. Then he added, "I thought conjugal visits were for husbands visiting their wives."
"That was the original intent, but most prisons these days allow for some latitude. Discreetly of course."
They had been walking as they were talking and the pretty Guard now stopped in front of a door. "Here we are. I'm authorized to disclose a couple of items from Miss Mishuni's medical file. She had a recent physical and she was found to have no S.T.D.'s and she has a birth control implant. I need to lock up the door after you. Take as much time as you want. Enjoy yourself. When you are ready to leave just press the intercom button and the guard on duty will let you out."
She opened the door, he stepped through it, and the door closed and locked behind him. Somebody had made a real effort to keep the room from looking like a large jail cell. The same somebody had managed to keep the room from seeming crowded.
There was the bed, of course, just big enough for two. The bedclothes sported an understated pastel floral pattern. Feminine but not so much so as to make a man feel uncomfortable. She was not on the bed. There was a kitchenette area. Sink. Microwave. A couple cabinets and drawers. A half sized refrigerator. She was not in the kitchenette area. Near the kitchenette area was a small table, complete with tablecloth, and two chairs. He set the pizza on the table. She was not sitting at the table. There was a love seat. Beige corduroy, thick cushions. She was sitting on the love seat. Or perhaps lounging. Or posing.
Blue Lightning
couldn't be sure. But she definitely made a pretty picture.
Her Japanese ancestry was evident in her delicate facial features, her coal black long hair, and her petite stature. She was wearing a close approximation of her
Beautiful Dreamer
costume. A scarlet colored tube top and matching Capri style pants. Her feet were bare. Her feet were almost always bare. Her toenails and her fingernails were painted the same scarlet as her clothes.
As soon as he had seen her she was on her feet rushing at him. Her arms were around his neck. She had had to jump up to get her arms around him and he found his arms instinctively going around her, lifting her. And she was saying, "You came, you came, you really came, I was so worried you wouldn't come."