Author's Notes: The plot for Episode 3 is already set, but I'm interested in input on what readers would like to see after that. Preferably in Comments, but you can message me if you prefer it to be private. Some particular questions:
Should Cougaress "face off" against a man? Another woman? An "it"? A whole group?
Should it be a villain, another hero, or a "normal"?
Should it be more consensual (like Episode 1) or less so (like the current story)?
Also, if anyone has a particular character you'd like to see in a Cougaress crossover, go ahead and say so. Note that since Cougaress exists in her own "universe" it will likely be a "Captain Ersatz" of the character rather than the original (e.g. "Arachnid-guy" rather than the actual Spider-man).
Finally, please consider becoming a fan. Writers love to know their work is appreciated (and it's not like I'm asking for money or anything). Also, suggestions from my fans will be given added weight.
EPISODE TWO: This Time the Quality of Mercy Is Pretty Darn Strained
Paragon insisted that you revert to your secret identity (AKA the person you were before you got super powers) as soon as your pregnancy started showing. He also insisted you conceal the very fact that the two of you were having a child at all, convincing you that it was for the safety of both you and the baby. And of course up until he dragged Ryan off to that alternate dimension you were a full-time mom. So as far as the world is concerned, Cougaress simply vanished from sight for no reason about five years ago.
That's what you thought at the time, anyway. Now that you're back in circulation you discover that Paragon had been bragging about siring a son on you to pretty much anyone who would listen. It totally puts the lie to that whole "worried about your safety" thing.
You didn't think you could get any madder at that bastard. You were wrong.
In any event, once you return to patrolling it only takes six weeks or so for word to start spreading among the hero and law enforcement communities that Cougaress is back in action. (Back in action as far as crime-fighting is concerned, that is. Aside from that brief encounter with the gang kid you still haven't managed to get any action of the other sort. Whatever happened to the idea that this time of your life should be the peak of your sexuality as a woman?) What this means is that you start getting tips again about particular crimes and criminals that are in need of the superhero touch.
Tonight you're returning with the result of one of those tips. One of the more effective non-super heist gangs had stolen the prototype of a high-tech glue gun (that's how you think of it, it shoots some sort of extremely tough, instantly hardening polymer) from a government lab and was auctioning it on the dark web to foreign powers. The authorities knew the gang was holed up in the city but had no idea where, so they contact you and a few other heroes to try finding the hideout.
You show up at the lab and ask to see a sample of the polymer. As you hoped, it has a very distinctive scent. After that it's merely a matter of roaming the city sniffing the wind. The gang had made a video of the gun in action as a sales pitch to potential bidders, meaning they used it in their hideout. When you start to smell the polymer you can easily zero in.
You crack a few skulls, retrieve the gizmo, use it to glue the gang members to the floor (fun!), call the cops. And now you're on your way back to the lab to return their lost gadget. It's late night (took a while to get close enough to detect the smell) but you figure even if nobody's home you can put it back in the lab they showed you.
As you travel the rooftops you hear faint sounds of shattering glass up ahead. Naturally you move a little faster in that direction, and soon you're looking down on a small group of gang-bangers breaking into a Mercedes. Not exactly a major crimewave, but since you're in the area anyway you figure you'll drop in and join the party.
Following your usual MO you start off by jumping down behind the guy who seems to be in charge and sweeping his legs out from under him. Also as usual for amateur criminals this panics the others, who were planning to steal a car, not fight a superhero. Some of them bolt in various directions, a few try fumbling for a weapon, one just stands there in apparent shock.
Your more disciplined colleagues have often told you there are faster and better organized ways to handle this sort of thing, but you feel it's more interesting to make them scatter and then hunt them down. Possibly it has something to do with the cat in you, you enjoy playing with your prey. So a mad ten minutes follows as you variously disarm and disable the fighters and the runners. Finally you get around to the one fool who's just waiting there watching it all go down.
"Tyrell?" you groan in disbelief when you get close enough to recognize him.
"Uh, hi? You're looking good, Cougaress."
You take another look at the fallen thugs. "Tyrell, this is a totally different gang you're running with tonight. You can't tell me your brother made you join them, too."
"Yeah, umm, no. I kind of asked if I could tag along."
You stare at the kid in disbelief. "You asked to tag along."
He clears his throat. "Actually I had to bribe them. I knew where my brother kept his stash, so I hooked them up with some meth."
"What. The. Fuck. Were. You. THINKING?"
He bites his lip. "I was ... well, I was hoping to see you again."
You groan. "Damn it, Tyrell, this is ridiculous. What did I say last time I saw you?"
"You said if you caught me you'd hurt me, but I thought since we ..."
"Stop. Stop right there," you growl. "There is no 'we' here. We do not have a relationship, aside from that between vigilante and criminal. You're lucky if I don't beat you to a pulp tonight before I turn you over to the cops"
"Okay, but when we ..."