Natassia’s eyes widened. She had walked right into a trap. And a trap that she had suspected all along. She was in deadly danger. But she did not panic. She was Nova. The strongest and fastest superheroine in Metro City. She readied herself for what might come.

The man who called himself Mitlos stood at the bottom of the stairway, blocking her exit from the room that she now thought of as a dungeon. "Get out of my way, Mr. Mitlos, if that is actually your name."

"As a matter of fact it isn’t. I am Count Rodna. But neither of us have been truthful about our names, have we, Nova?"

"How did you guess who I was?"

The Count smirked. "It was no guess. I listened on another line, while you phoned your friend, the Jade Dragon. I have been investigating the superheroines of Metro City. A few weeks ago I did not realize that such creatures existed. But in this city they seem to be everywhere. I have already conquered three of them. And you will be the fourth."

"Three?" wondered Natassia. She only knew of only two. Who was the third heroine the count was bragging about? The answer to that question would have to wait. She first needed to get past the ominous creature that was blocking the stairs. Confident of her abilities, she flexed her powerful muscles, ripping apart her outer garments. Since the Count knew who she was, she might as well dress for the part.

Count Rodna gazed admiringly at the beautiful female who had just revealed herself. Her formfitting white and black costume revealed a perfect body. Her face was unmasked. Nova had not bothered to disguise it. The Count knew what she looked like anyway. And it was a fabulous face. Extraordinary gray eyes, a straight nose, high cheekbones, and full red lips created a remarkable vision of beauty. Her long black hair, freed from her flowered hat, flowed halfway down her back. As she moved her large, firm breasts bounced slightly and accentuated her tiny waist, full hips, and long powerful legs. "So many beautiful women," muttered the Count. "I must stay in this city for as long as possible."

Nova advanced upon the vampire. She had never met any individual who had been able to match her strength, and in spite of what master Zhou had told her about the undead, she was confident of her abilities. She was possessed of more than just great strength and reflexes. Prior to obtaining the mystical gem that had given her extraordinary powers, she had studied in a Shao-lin monastery. She was well versed in the Chinese martial arts and would have been a formidable fighter even without her special powers. Strangely, however, the vampire count made no move to avoid her, not even adopting a fighting stance. He just stood there, inviting attack. Puzzled by the Count’s seeming lack of concern, Nova took no chances. She launched her attack with all the strength and speed she could muster.

She charged forward with a flurry of kicks and punches. If any of them had made contact, the assault would have been devastating, but with a speed that Natassia would have thought impossible, the Count evaded all of her blows, leaving her swinging at empty air. Desperate to score a knockout punch, she pressed home her attack, but with an incredible leap the Count vaulted across the room, landing a good thirty feet away from her. Frustrated, the white-clad heroine stood with her hands on her hips, and called out to the elusive vampire. "Afraid of a mortal? I was told that a vampire was supposed to be dangerous. Perhaps, you are only capable of subduing women when they are unconscious."

The Count laughed. "I am just playing a little game with you my dear. It becomes boring for me when I win so easily time after time. I was hoping that you would give me a little competition."

Natassia now realized, that the Count’s movements had taken him away from the stairs. There was nothing to stop her from escaping. She glanced up the stairway and then back at the Count. Was he really as dangerous as Master Zhou had said? If so she should take this opportunity to escape and come back with reinforcements. Preferably during the day, when the monster would be resting.

"Go ahead," came the Count’s taunting voice. "You won’t get a better chance to escape. You won’t have a chance against me."

Nova was filled with a quiet rage. This was the monster that had raped and molested her two best friends. She had a chance to catch him before he struck again. She turned back toward him.

The Count smiled. "I see you have great courage. Not too many women would dare to face a vampire in his lair. However, I do not approve of your form of combat. It is too uncivilized. I prefer the sword. It is a gentleman’s weapon – or in your case a gentlewoman’s. As he spoke the count took down a pair of swords from the wall. Natassia had made note of them as she entered the room, but had supposed them to have ornamental value only. The count approached her, offering the swords to her handle first. "Choose your weapon."

Surprised, but not alarmed, she took the grip of the sword offered to her. It was not a weapon she was used to, but she had learned to use many hand weapons during her Shao-lin training, and was not put off by the weapon’s lack of familiarity.

"En garde," said the Count, adopting a fencing stance. Natassia took a step back, waiting for the Count to make the first move. She wanted a little time to get used to the feel of the rapier.

The Count’s attack was lightning fast. Natassia just managed to parry the first thrust, but the Count pressed home his attack, hoping to catch the heroine unprepared. Again and again his blade flickered toward her body, and again and again Natassia parried, but it was a near thing.

"Impressive," said the Count. "I thought I’d have cut you to ribbons by now, but you’ve handled everything I’ve thrown at you."

"You don’t know the whole of it," answered Natassia. She counterattacked with such speed that the Count was caught off guard. The point of her blade ripped through his shoulder and impaled him halfway to the hilt.

For a brief second a look of shocked surprise crossed Rodna’s face and then he twisted his body with such tremendous force that that blade of Natassia’s sword snapped at the hilt, leaving her with only six inches of steel. The vampire bounded a full fifteen feet away from her and stood looking at the blade. Natassia was amazed that the vampire did not collapse. A wound such as she had delivered would have incapacitated any normal man. Then she realized that there was no blood. Almost indifferently the Count took the blade in his hand and withdrew it from his shoulder. He seemed quite unhurt.

Now the look of surprise on his face was replaced by one of cold rage. "I underestimated you. But you have missed your chance. A vampire cannot be killed by a strike to anywhere but his heart, and I do not intend to give you another chance." Leveling his blade he now advanced on the unarmed heroine.

Natassia retreated before him. "What happened to your sense of honor? Apparently it only exists when you believe that you are assured of winning."

The Count hesitated. And then with a scornful laugh he threw away his sword. "I need no weapon to defeat you." He faced her squarely, his hands on his hips, and suddenly Natassia felt the power of his mind. It struck her almost like a blow and her knees buckled. But this time, he was not dealing with a woman who was unaware of his presence. Natassia had been trained in the meditative arts of the Far East and her mind was a powerful instrument. She fought back, forcing him out of her mind. The Count, however, had been mesmerizing people for centuries. Natassia was capable of opposing his control, but not of completely eliminating the power of his attack. His mind invaded hers again, like water leaking through a weakened dam. All of Natassia’s attention was diverted to keeping her mind free of his domination. But the Count was using only part of his intellect. As the heroine struggled to oppose him he advanced upon her. While his hypnotic assault occupied her mind, he would defeat her in a more conventional manner.

Natassia, broke out in a sweat. Even though she was fighting a battle with her mind, her entire body was involved in the struggle. She stood helpless while the vampire advanced upon her. Aware of what was happening, she was forced to stand rigidly while the undead fiend moved closer and closer to her. Diversion of even a small part of her intellect from the defense of her mind would allow him to control her completely. She was essentially paralyzed and helpless to oppose him. Step by step the Count drew nearer. Finally he reached out and gripped the neck of her costume. Effortlessly, he tore her outfit from neck to navel.

"Oh God No!" Natassia thought. Her magnificent torso was now exposed. But more importantly, the blazing brilliance of the Dragon’s Eye was revealed. She now wore the gem of power in a pendant under her costume. The bright green stone hung between her large and prefect breasts. For a second, the Count merely gazed upon the stone, captivated by its splendid appearance, and also by the magnificence of Natassia’s twin hemispheres. He had never seen a finer jewel nor a more beautiful set of female assets. He reached out and took the gem in his hand.

"Aaaarrrggghhh!´ The count wrenched his hand back. Smoke came from the area where the skin had made contact with the stone. Natassia felt the pressure on her mind disappear. With a gasp of relief she fell to her knees. Then the healing power of the Dragon’s Eye took over. She felt renewed strength surge through her body. But the slight delay also gave the Count time to recover. As Natassia staggered to her feet, his hand flicked out again. This time he did not touch the jewel but instead ripped the pendant from her neck. The gem was gone, taking Nova’s power with it. She took a step back, and then the Count’s other hand came from nowhere and struck her on the jaw. Stars and bright colors flashed before her eyes, and then everything went black.

* * *

Natassia opened her eyes. Her jaw ached and she felt cold. She tried to move her hand to her face but found that it would not move. She struggled to move and found that none of her limbs would move. Her eyes now wide with alarm, she looked about her. She was completely naked and suspended in mid air. Each of her wrists and ankles was secured with a padded steel shackle, and from each shackle a length of chain attached her to the huge wheel-like machine she had seen when she had first entered the Count’s lair. Because of its ten-foot diameter no part of her body touched the rim of the wheel, which was canted at an angle of forty-five degrees. There was little slack in the chains, and her body was pulled into the shape of an X. Standing at the base of the wheel was Count Rodna. He was watching her and licking his lips.

Natassia’s chest heaved. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but already the tension being applied to her body was resulting in severe pain in her thigh and shoulder joints. Again, she attempted to move, but was rewarded only by a flash of pain from her overextended muscles.

"You fought well," said the Count stepping forward. "Much better than your friends. No other woman has ever inflicted any injury on me before. Fortunately, like you, I heal instantly." He swung the Dragon’s Eye toward her. "But now, I have discovered the secret of your power. This gem, which is so painful for me to touch, gives you immense strength and the ability to rejuvenate. It means that I can make use of you much more thoroughly than any woman I have ever had. But enough talk, now it is time for us to get started."

Stepping over the rim of the wheel, the vampire stood between Natassia’s splayed legs. Leaning forward he placed the pendant around her throat. Immediately, she felt the familiar surge of power. "I have never taken a woman who could outlast me. I would like to see if the gem can make a difference."

Natassia felt the pain leave her body. Tensing her muscles she gave a mighty heave. There was a sharp clang of metal, as she pulled the chains tight, but nothing gave. Relaxing for a second she put everything she had into an attempt to escape. The Count grinned, exposing his fangs. "The wheel and the chains are constructed of high tensile steel. Their failure point is rated at over five tons. If I have estimated correctly that should be beyond even your great strength."

In reply, Natassia strained at her bonds again. This time her action was more desperate. The chains held. She tried again, arching her body. The Count watched her struggle. "Exquisite," he thought, watching her supple breasts quiver with the effort. He took a watch out of his pocket. Twelve hours until dawn. Twelve hours of experimentation and sexual pleasure. Already he had an enormous erection. He would have to do something about that.

Natassia watched helplessly as the vampire removed his clothing. His movements were graceful, even elegant. She had been raped before, but never by a man with so much grace and refinement. She found herself becoming aroused as he slowly exposed more and more of his body.

"This can’t be happening," she thought in horror. "I am about to be violated by a monster, and I am admiring his body!" Then suddenly she understood. The Count was influencing her mind, but this time less obviously. His insidious hypnotic power was giving her ideas that were not her own. She fought back against the vampire. The attempt by the Count to take control of her mind seemed to Natassia to be another form of rape.

"You are strong," said Rodna, in mild amazement, "in mind as well as body. Few women ever realize the power I have over their minds. Breaking you will be more enjoyable than I imagined."

By now the Count was as naked as his victim. Moving between her legs, he leaned toward her. Natassia steeled herself for the attack on her womanhood. To her surprise it did not come. Instead the vampire began to slowly caress her body. He started with her left foot, running his hands over it and then progressing to her calf and then her thigh. Although terrified at her helplessness, Natassia found the vampire’s touch strangely arousing. Her breathing quickened, and she had to suppress a moan of pleasure. By now Rodna’s fondling had reached high on her inner thigh. He crouched between her legs, and began to lick her skin, working closer and closer to her nether region. Natassia began to perspire profusely. It was all she could do to stop herself from screaming out. His tongue moved slowly closer and closer to her exposed flower. Just when she thought she could stand no more the Count stopped. He stepped out of the wheel and moved over to the wall.

Gasping in relief, Natassia wonder why the Count had stopped. So strong was her state of arousal that she was almost disappointed. Then there was the click of a switch and she understood. The huge wheel began to rotate. Slowly it turned until it was at about the same angle, but this time she was face down, her body about twenty degrees higher than the horizontal, her head higher than her feet. The Count stepped back inside the wheel and again moved in between her legs. Unable to see what he was up to, Natassia was filled with apprehension.

She flinched when she felt his hands upon her shapely backside. Her instinctive reaction was greeted by a low laugh. "Do not be frightened my dear. I am not going to harm you, just give you a little bit of pleasure…and pain."

His words triggered another attempt to escape. Natassia twisted her body, trying once again to break the chains that held her. Count Rodna enjoyed the spectacle, especially the swaying of his helpless captive’s large breasts. He squeezed her flexing buttocks, enjoying the power of her smooth, powerful muscles. Then he slid his hands up to the small of her back and down the sides of her torso to her taut belly. Continuing to stroke her flesh he slowly moved his hands higher until her reached her soft, firm breasts, each of which was the size of a large grapefruit. He massaged them, flicking his fingers over her swollen nipples. Unable to contain herself, Natassia let out a small moan. Despite her best efforts she was almost fully aroused. Her breath now came in long shuddering gasps and sweat flowed in rivulets down her beautifully arched back. The Count decided to wait no longer.

"Nooo! NO!´ Natassia screamed as the tip of the Count’s erection nestled gently against her anus. With relief she felt him move away from her, but this was short-lived. She felt something cold and slippery being applied to her backside and realized that she was being lubricated. Then the touch of the Count’s phallus was back, but this time with greatly increased pressure. "NOOOHH!" she screamed again. Using all of her strength she contracted her sphincter muscles baring entry to her exposed anus.

"Good girl. Make a fight of it. That makes it so much more gratifying when I win." The vampire lunged into her.

"Aggghhhh!" Natassia protested. "Stop! Stop!" For several minutes she held out against the vampire's attack. But the issue was never really in doubt. The undead villain was simply too strong and had too much control over his body. He kept his phallus small, using it to pry his way past her tight sphincter. Then with a sudden thrust he penetrated her. "Aaaagggh!" Natassia’s sharp cry let him know that he had succeeded. Then slowly he began to exploit his advantage, working his way deeper and deeper with slow deliberate thrusts. With each thrust his organ enlarged, becoming both longer and thicker until eventually he had impaled the screaming heroine on his full twelve inches.

"AAAAAHHHHAAAAHHH!!" Natassia’s screams were truly impressive. She was in tremendous pain, but the Count relentlessly kept up the assault, pumping in and out of her like an inexhaustible piston. The skewered heroine could do nothing but scream in pain and humiliation.

The anal rape lasted for hours. Natassia lost track of time. The ordeal seemed endless. But finally it ended. With a groan a sheer pleasure the vampire pulled his dripping phallus from Natassia’s ravaged backside. With a whimper of relief, she stopped her screaming, and slumped in her chains, beaten and exhausted. Within seconds, however, she began to revive. She wore the Dragon’s Eye, and its immense healing and restorative power flooded through her. Round one had gone to the vampire, but she was not yet beaten.

Natassia was aware that the wheel was turning again. She suddenly realized that her ordeal was not yet over. "Do not worry my beauty," said Rodna, his gloating voice filled with malice. "I am a just getting started."

The vampire approached her, wiping his still engorged phallus on a towel. Natassia quailed at the sight. It was a truly impressive member, standing a foot long and a full three inches in diameter.

"This time," said the vampire, as he stepped within the wheel, "let’s see how well you handle things without your little helper." He reached out and carefully removed the pendant from Natassia’s neck, making sure not to touch the flashing stone. "We have eight hours before dawn, and I want you to remember every minute of them."

Truly frightened without the power of the Dragon’s Eye to help her, Natassia renewed her struggles to break free, despite the fact that without her super strength she had little or no chance to escape. "That’s it," Count Rodna jeered, "wiggle your pleasure mound. It will be that much more enjoyable."

"Please, no," Natassia begged. You’ve had your way with me. Spare me any more degradation."

"As I said, this is just the beginning. I do not intend to let you go. I have never found a woman who could give me so much enjoyment." The Count was standing very close to her now, the tip of his swollen organ caressing her vaginal lips. Slowly, he leaned forward, as he did so his weight shifted and he began to penetrate her.

Natassia’s body shook with the strain of trying to escape. She was perspiring so much that her entire body was slick with sweat. Her back was arched so tightly that her body actually rose, supported by the chains.

The Count took his time. He intended to use all of the eight hours he had left. He was now bent over his victim so far that his lips could reach her nipples. His tongue flicked out, probing her swollen pink tips. Tantalizingly, he began to lick the droplets of moisture off her body, starting at her left breast, continuing to the right, and then working his way up to her neck. Natassia’s chest heaved and a vein throbbed in her throat. The glans of the Count’s penis had parted the entrance to her love canal.

"Oh God," she thought, "why did I take such a chance? Why did I enter the vampire’s lair by myself? I should have waited for the others." A tear trickled down her cheek. She was going to be raped again. This time much more painfully than the first. She would not be protected by the Dragon’s Eye.

The Count was now working his way down her body. With a gasp of relief Natassia felt the tip of his phallus withdraw, but she knew that it would only be a brief respite. The teasing tongue was at her breasts again. Rodna swirled its tip around her nipples, arousing each of the pink buds to hard, swollen points. Then he took her right nipple fully into his mouth, and sucked hard. Natassia could hardly believe the intensity of the sensation. It was as if her breast had been hooked up to the end of an industrial vacuum cleaner. The brief feeling of pleasure was replaced with one of intense pain. Natassia flung her head back and gritted her teeth. Then Rodna gripped her left breast and dug his talons into its tender flesh. Natassia grunted in pain, as small rivulets of blood began to run down her chest and drip onto the floor.

The vampire maintained his brutal grip even as he lifted his mouth from her tortured nipple and began to work his way down her body. He stopped to suck her navel and released her bleeding mammary. Natassia felt an overwhelming sense of relief, mixed with one of revulsion as the undead monster continued to slaver over her body. His mouth moved lower and lower, eventually reaching her mound of Venus. Dragging his tongue through her dark pubic hair, he found her erect clitoris.

"OOOHH!!" Natassia cried out as a burst of sexual energy burst through her body. The Count wrapped his arms about her legs, placing his hands under her buttocks, and lifted her slightly. Then he flicked his tongue in and out of her vagina, stroking her clitoris with every movement. "Aaaahhh!" she gasped. The pleasure generated was almost impossible to withstand. Her loins began to burn with a powerful desire. She almost wanted the Count to take her.

Rodna kept up the sexual stimulation for almost an hour. At the end of it Natassia was screaming in ecstasy. The Count now had full control of her. She had let her mental defenses down. The vampire’s hypnotic powers now held full sway. Her vagina ached for him to take her, to ravage her, to do anything he wanted with her. "Take me! Take me! Take me!" she moaned. She raised her pelvis, inviting entry.

"Oh my God! OH! Aaaaaggghhh!" The Count had assented to her request. With a powerful lunge of his hips he thrust fully six inches into her, and then kept on thrusting. His phallus was enormous, and Natassia’s tight love tunnel gripped like a vise. Had she not been so well lubricated the pain would have been indescribable. Even so, Natassia was soon in serious discomfort. The pain soon mounted, as the Count drove deeper and deeper into her. Seven inches, then eight, then nine. At the same time, he diverted more blood into his organ, increasing its diameter. What had merely been painful soon became unbelievably agonizing.

"AAAAAAGGGGGHHH! AAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Her terrified shrieks of agony told the story. "AAAAAGGGGHHH! STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

But the count was relentless. He settled into a steady rhythm and pounded her sex organ like a jackhammer. Tears of anguish, humiliation, and rage, flowed from her eyes. Ever-louder screams rent the air, until she howled herself hoarse. After that she was capable of only rasping whimpers.

True to his timetable, Rodna ravished Natassia for a full eight hours. It was an ordeal she would never forget. She had been raped before, but never so thoroughly by one man. The pain mounted as the vampire violated her. Several times the hapless heroine teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, but each time she came close, the Count decreased the intensity of his assault, allowing her to come back. At the end of it Natassia felt more devastated than she had ever felt before. But all good things come to an end. Dawn approached . With a final thrust of his powerful hips, the Count ejaculated into his ravaged victim. Then he bent forward and fed.

Almost too exhausted to care, Natassia felt his razor edged teeth penetrate her left breast. For several minutes he lapped her blood. Then he lifted himself from her ravished body. The completely beaten heroine let her body go limp. The ordeal was over – for now.

Kyla, Sun Lin, and Suzi were almost in a panic. Nova had not shown up after her phone call. Of course, the three heroines had immediately investigated, going to the address that she had given, but they had drawn a complete blank. The address she had given had not been hard to find, but when Suzi and Kyla had checked it out they had not had any luck. The door had been answered by an elderly butler who had shown them into the parlor. Soon the mistress of the house had appeared. She told them her name was Mrs. Simm. She too was elderly, and had been more than happy to show them around the house when they had explained their concern. Of course, Kyla had used her powers of mind control to make herself invisible. It gave her a chance to go to areas of the house that would normally have been off limits. Mrs. Simm, if fact did not even know she was there. Unfortunately, she had found nothing. She had gone from room to room, but had seen nothing to indicate that anyone lived in the house except an old lady and an old man.

They had finally left the house, accepting Mrs. Simm’s story that Kyla had been there, but had left shortly after being shown around the house. They doubted her story, but had no evidence to the contrary. Distressed, but not knowing what else to do they returned to Master Zhou’s home and met with Sun Lin.

"What are we going to do?" asked Kyla. "Natassia is out there somewhere, and my guess is that she found what she was looking for. She is in the grips of the vampire."

"I can’t think of anything except to explore the area that Natassia was investigating," replied Suzi. "She must have been on the right track."

"I agree," said Sun Lin. "There are three of us. Why don’t we each take a section of the town and see what we can find?"

"That could be dangerous," said Suzi. "We already know that it is not safe to come up against this vampire one on one."

"I don’t think we have a choice," replied the oriental heroine. "It would be best if we went in a group, but this is an emergency. I suggest that we keep in contact by phone. We can call in to Master Zhou. His manservant will take the calls and we can keep track of where each of us is."

The other two heroines nodded. It was the best possible plan. They didn’t have time to arrange anything else.

An hour later the three heroines were moving through the streets of Metro City, only a few blocks from the area where Natassia had disappeared, or so they hoped. It seemed like a hopeless task, but they could think of no alternative.

Kyla found herself in a light industrial area, not far from the center of downtown. She did not have much confidence that she would come up with anything, as it was a bit remote from the area where Natassia had made her last phone call, but the other two girls were checking out that part of town. The buildings she was interested in were all those that had changed ownership in the last few months. She wanted to see how many of them seemed to be operating as viable businesses and how many were simply sitting derelict. It was the abandoned buildings she was interested in. Those were most likely to be the hiding places of a vampire. Unknown to Kyla, one of them was also the hiding place of someone else.

* * *

"Blackie, someone is sneaking around the building," said Ocelot.

"I told you not to call me Blackie," said the Black Leopard. "And what are you talking about anyway?"

"That," said the Black clad apprentice villainess. She pointed to a figure moving stealthily around the base of the building Li Mei had chosen for her headquarters.

Li Mei looked into the screen of the distant viewing machine she had gotten from the Mad Russian before they had had their little "disagreement." She had to admit the warped little scientist had been good for something. "I know who that is," said Li Mei. "It’s that little bitch who can make herself invisible. Don’t tell me the Jade Dragon and her friends have figured out where I have been hiding."

"I think she’s alone," said Ocelot. "She’s not even in costume."

"I think you are right. Maybe we can lure her in and have a little fun with her. Tell you what, you and Cheetah go up on the top floor and…"

* * *

Kyla looked down the alley. "This is a waste of time," she thought. "I’m never going to find Natassia this way."

"Eeeehh! Help, help!"

Kyla looked up toward the direction of the call for help. Four floors up she could see a young woman leaning out of a window. She seemed to be struggling with someone Kyla could not see. Kyla reached out with her mind. She detected five people in the building. Using her mind-clouding power, she took away their ability to see her.

From another window, hidden from Kyla’s view, a Black clad figure nodded in satisfaction. She had seen Kyla disappear. The fish had taken the bait.

Kyla moved quickly to the back of the building and ran up a landing to a second floor door. It was locked as expected, but she took a few tools from her purse and soon had the door open. Once inside she stopped for a few seconds. It was pitch black inside the building, and the only light came through the door. She let her eyes adjust to the dark, while at the same time stripping off her outer clothing. It didn’t make any difference she knew, but she was a superheroine, and superheroines wore costumes. Underneath, her street clothes was the blue and black outfit of the heroine known as the Blue Avenger. She stuffed her street clothes into her handbag and pulled her cowl over her long hair. The entire operation had taken only seconds and had given her eyes time to adapt to the dim interior of the building. Now she was ready!

She headed into the building until she came to a stairwell. Above her she could hear what seemed like muffled screams. She moved up the stairs two at a time. She was in superb physical condition, and she hardly even exerted herself. She climbed past the first floor and then the second. Confident that she could not be seen, she took very few precautions, and did not notice that as she climbed the final flight she passed through a number of tightly drawn silken threads. Those threads were attacked to small bells that sounded an alarm, alerting several black clad young women.

Natassia had reached the fourth floor. Before her was the doorway from the stairwell to the hallway. She could hear muffled thumping sounds, as if someone might be struggling. Cautiously, she looked into the hallway. It seemed to be deserted and she could hear the sounds more distinctly. They were coming from a room about twenty feet down the hall. It was time to act. She stepped into the hall and moved quickly toward the room. She had hardly gone five feet when she heard the tinkling of a bell. She realized with a start that she had triggered some sort of detection device. Startled by the sound she halted her forward movement. It seem fortunate that she did. Just in front of her a section of the roof swung down and swept toward her. She barely had time to step back out of the way. If she had not been alert, the swinging section of the roof would have knocked her off her feet. She was congratulating herself on her escape when she heard another sound behind her. She turned just in time to see a second section of the roof swinging toward her. This time there was no escape. She was trapped between the two roof sections. She had time to brace herself, and then she was swept into the section of the roof that had already dropped.

"Ooooofff!" Kyla’s breath was knocked out of her and she was squeezed between the two roof sections like a sardine in a can. The pressure was tremendous. She was crushed into a space only about eight inches deep. The weight of the roof sections was so great that she was unable to move, and she was unable to get her breath back. She struggled desperately as she came to the frightening realization that she was being suffocated. Frantically she tried to draw her legs up so that she could use them to help push the two roof slabs apart, but there was not room to bend her knees and the slabs were too heavy to shift. Her chest began to heave with the strain of trying to draw a breath. Black spots began to dance before her eyes. Then the black spots became larger and larger, until they completely filled her vision. Her consciousness faded, she was going to die.

Kyla moaned. Her head felt like it was inhabited by elves who were hammering on the inside of her skull, trying to get out. What had happened to her? As she opened her eyes, her memory returned. Oh yes, she had been suffocating. She had foolishly fallen into a trap set by some unknown villain. Her vision was somewhat blurred, but gradually things became clearer. She reached up to touch her head, but found that her arms did not seem to be working. Still a little dazed, it took her a few seconds to realize that she was chained in the middle of a small room. There were two hooks on opposite walls and attached to each of those hooks was a length of chain that was in turn shackled to each of her wrists. The result was that her arms were stretched out horizontally from her shoulders forcing her body into a shape resembling the letter "T." Her boots and her gloves had been removed, although her cowl had been left in place. How long she had been suspended like this she had no idea, she only knew that her arms and shoulders ached agonizingly.

"Ahh!" Awake are we?"

Kyle felt a like there was a lead weight in her stomach. She knew that purring voice even though she could not see who it was. "Black Leopard!" she gasped.

"Very good, Blue Avenger. Go to the head of the class. Too bad you are not smart enough to keep yourself out of my claws."

"I wasn’t looking for you," Kyla protested. "I heard someone shouting for help and came to investigate."

"Nevertheless, you have found me," said the oriental villainess as she stepped out where Kyla could see her. She was carrying a cat o’ nine tails in her right hand. The suspended heroine drew in her breath sharply when she saw the cruel scourge.

"Yes, this is my favorite toy," Li Mei said, giving her own hand a small flick with the lash. "I am really going to enjoy using it on you."

"But why, Black Leopard? We helped each other against Doctor Retinoff. Without me you would not have escaped."

"That’s true, but don’t forget, I’m a villainess. I don’t have to show any gratitude."

"Please don’t do this, Black Leopard," the helpless girl pleaded. "I was searching for my friend, Nova. She has disappeared."

"Disapppeared? Explain."

"We think that there is a new menace in Metro City. One much more dangerous than you. A vampire. He attacked the Jade Dragon and the Scarlet Falcon."

"A vampire?" said Li Mei. Suddenly her vaginal region pained her intensely. She still had not recovered from the brutal rape she had undergone at the hands of Count Rodna. "What does this vampire do?"

"He…he rapes his victims and then drinks their blood. But he doesn’t kill them right away. He keeps on coming back for more fun until eventually his victims are drained of their blood."

Li Mei nodded. Suddenly she knew what had happened to her on the night she had tried to rob the museum. She moved a little closer to the heroine, limping a little as she did so. The inside of her thighs hurt like blazes. "Tell me more about this vampire. How do you know so much about him?"

Kyla did not want anyone to know about Master Zhou. She was beginning to think that she had probably already spoken too much. "As I told you, he attacked the Jade Dragon and The Scarlet Falcon. That’s how I know about him. I really don’t know anything more. Please let me go. I wasn’t looking for you. I am just trying to find a friend who may be in trouble."

"I don’t give a damn about your friend. Especially that damned muscle-bound bitch! It would serve her right if the vampire sucked her dry. Tell me," said Li Mei, leaning closer to Kyla, "did the vampire rape the Jade Dragon and the Scarlet Falcon?"

"I…I can’t tell you that," stammered Kyla. She looked at the Asian villainess with a hint of a tear in her eyes. She pulled on her restraints. "Please let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone where you are hiding."

"So, the Jade Dragon and the Scarlet Falcon were raped. Serves them right." Li Mei shifted her weight a little. Damn she was sore!

"I didn’t say that!" protested Kyla.

"Oh yes you did. You told me when you refused to answer. It’s nice to think of those two goody-goodies getting their pussy’s stuffed. But enough small talk. It’s time for your punishment." She slapped the cat o’ nine tails into her palm again.

"Please no, Black Leopard. Let me go. I’ve got to find Nova!"

The Black Leopard laughed. "Better stand back Pussies," she said to her cohorts, "there might be quite a bit of blood."

"No! Please no!" Kyla was almost screaming, not so much from fear of what was going to happen to her, but out of frustration at not being allowed to search for her friend.

The Black Leopard licked her lips. She held up the cat so that Kyla could see it. This instrument is really a work of art. I had Doctor Retinoff make it for me before our ‘disagreement.’ It’s perfectly balanced, made for my hand. I’m going to try and undress you without laying a hand on your costume. It should take me quite awhile."

The oriental villainess drew her arm back. She was breathing hard. Adrenaline was surging through her system. How she loved this! She lived for this!

Thwack! The first blow cut through the thin fabric of the Blue Avenger’s costume. It drew blood. Kyla’s entire body shuddered, but except for a quick intake of breath, she made no sound.

Thwack! The second stroke made her gasp. The fabric covering her shoulder blades fell away as if they had been sliced apart with a knife. Already her back was marked with a dozen red stripes.

Thwack! "Ugghh!" Kyla grunted as more of her costume was shredded, taking some of her skin with it. Drops of blood splattered the floor about her feet.

Thwack! "Agghh!" Kyla let out a little cry. The pain was tremendous, as painful as any she had ever experienced. She bit her lip to keep from screaming.

Thwack! "Aaaaggghh!" The heroine screamed. Blood flew in every direction, splashing onto the walls, floor, and even the ceiling. Her arched back was now completely exposed, only a few tatters of her costume clinging to her bloody back.

Li Mei stopped to rest. Her svelte body was drenched in sweat and her heart was beating with exhilaration. She had put all of her strength into each stroke, and was still feeling the effects of her bout with the vampire. She took advantage of the self-imposed rest to inspect her victim. The Blue Avenger was still standing on her own, but her mouth was open and her breath came in ragged gasps. Her legs were shaking with the effort of standing and she slumped forward slightly, letting the chains take some of her weight. Her costume was soaked in sweat and blood. Lie Mei could clearly see the outline of the heroine’s nipples through the damp fabric. She reached out and gave the Blue Avenger’s perfect left breast a slight squeeze. "We’ll have to see if we can’t put the rest of your body on display." She raised the whip again.

Thwack! "Aaaaaggghhh!" The Black Leopard had brought the flail down across Kyla’s right breast and shoulder. The helpless heroine jerked on the chains holding her, ignoring the pain as she rubbed the skin from he wrists.

The Black Leopard moved around Kyla to her opposite side. Thwack! Kyla screamed again as this time her left breast and shoulder were targeted. The villainess moved again, trying the left side once more. This time Kyla’s scream coincided with the peeling away of her costume. Her lacerated right breast was now revealed.

Li Mei continued her strategic targeting of Kyla’s body, slowly stripping away her costume bit by bit. There was no interval between Kyla’s screams now. She continued shrieking in pain even when she was not being flogged.

The Black Leopard stopped to rest again as the Blue Avenger slumped in her chains. The villainess wore a smile of satisfaction. She had done as she had promised. The heroine’s costume was in tatters, and her bloody torso was completely revealed. Her utility belt had been removed before the beating had begun and now the lower part of her costume was held up only by the swell of her hips. It would not be difficult to get rid that.

The Black Leopard delivered two savage blows to the Blue Avenger’s tight derriere. Her screams were terrible, but the desired affect was achieved. What was left of her costume dropped around her ankles. She was now almost complete naked, her body crisscrossed with bloody stripes. The black clad villainess stepped back to admire her handiwork.

The Blue avenger slumped in her chains. She was conscious, but her legs would no longer support her. The room was colored with her blood. Rivulets of red ran down her body and pooled on the floor. Her breathing was shallow and she no longer screamed. She seemed too exhausted and beaten to make the effort, but a low moan came from her mouth. She seemed to be clenching her teeth to keep from making any more noise.

"Very sexy," said the Black Leopard, staring admiringly at her victim’s lacerated body.

Kyla’s body was indeed exquisite, even in its battered and bloody state. Her high breasts were small, but flawless. She was at least five inches taller than Li Mei, and her figure was perfect. Li Mei reached up and pulled off the heroine’s cowl. Kyla's face matched her body. Brown eyes, now filled with tears of pain, stared out of a face that was a perfect oval. Long black hair swept halfway down her back. The Black Leopard nodded approvingly. She liked beautiful women. She liked torturing then even better.

"Cheetah," said the Black Leopard to one of her Pussies, "get Hughie. Our guest needs one more thing to make her visit with us complete."

"Righto Blackie," responded the apprentice villainess, jumping to her feet.

"God dammit, don’t call me Blackie," shouted Li Mei as Cheetah darted out of the room.

A few minutes later, Cheetah returned, towing a huge man behind her. This was Hughie, a man who had once worked for the mad Russian, Doctor Ivan Retinoff. He looked at little apprehensive. "Uhh, Cheetah told me you wanted me. Did I do something bad?"

Li Mei smiled. Hughie was big, almost seven feet tall, but he was decidedly lacking in brainpower. However, he had the biggest male organ she had ever seen. He was perfect for the next job. "No, you lummox. I just need you to do something for me. Something you will enjoy." She took his hand and led him over to the Blue Avenger’s dangling body.

Hughie looked dubiously at the defeated heroine. "Jeez, she’s all bloody. Do you want me to clean her up?"

"Maybe later Hughie. What I want you to do right now is fuck the ass off her. Can you do that?"

"Sure Blackie, but I’ll get all bloody."

"You can both take a bath together after you finish. And don’t call me Blackie."

"Sure Bl… Boss," said Hughie. He began to unbuckle his pants.

"And Hughie," cautioned the Black Leopard. "No quickies. I want you to give her a good long fuck, so take your time."

"OK boss." Hughie moved toward the semiconscious heroine.

Kyla stirred. She had been on the verge of fainting. It was one way to get rid of the pain. But she had been awake enough to hear the Black Leopard’s instructions to Hughie. As the huge man approached she became fully alert, even rising to her feet. "No, no," she protested weakly. "Please no. You’ve tortured me enough."

"Nonsense," replied Li Mei. "We want to make this a visit to remember. You’ve had a bit of exercise, now you’re going to have a little recreation."

"Oh God help me," moaned Kyla as Hughie placed his hands on the cheeks of her backside and lifted her toward his immense organ.

Severely weakened by the ordeal the Black Leopard had put her through, Kyla put up very little resistance to Hughie’s assault. She struggled feebly as he lifted her and then lowered her onto his enormous phallus.

"AHH!" Kyla found the strength to scream again as Hughie penetrated her outer defenses. Then he thrust deep into her. "EEEAAAGGGHH!

"Slowly, you ox," admonished the Black Leopard. "I want her to really feel that dick of yours, so easy does it. If you’re not still fucking her an hour from now I’m going to be very unhappy."

"OK Boss," agreed Hughie, slowing his attack. "I don’t want you to cut off my balls."

"Now why would I do that, Hughie? I like your balls."

"Tiger said you cut off Doctor Retinoff’s balls."

"Well, so I did," agreed Li Mei, "but he wasn’t very nice to me. As long as you do as you are told your balls are perfectly safe."

"OK Boss," said Hughie. He went back to his job of raping the Blue Avenger, but slowed his pace.

For Kyla the rape was still a terrible experience. Hughie was indeed enormous, and it seemed like his phallus would split her in two. He thrust slowly in and out of her badly overstretched vagina, penetrating deeper and deeper with each thrust. Kyla managed to hold back her screams until he was a good eight inches into her then she could resist no more. She tilted her head back and gave a shriek of pain and despair. Then she kept on screaming and begging for Hughie to stop for the duration of the rape.

Hughie had taken the Black Leopard’s words to heart. He controlled himself, as he impaled the hapless heroine on his gigantic rod. For well over an hour he pumped in and out of her, before finally succumbing to passion and blowing his load into her. Kyla gave one last scream, and then ironically, fainted. Pleased by her day’s work, the Black Leopard turned and left the room. As she left she called back over her shoulder. "Tiger, Cougar, take her down from the chains and clean her up. Then put a collar on her. I don’t want her getting away. I’m not finished with her yet."

The Black Leopard was feeling much stronger. A good night’s sleep and a day’s rest seemed to have taken a good deal of the stiffness and soreness out of her body. She had arisen late, as was her custom and had eaten a big breakfast. She had taken a catnap in the afternoon. Now it early evening and time to continue training the Blue Avenger. She entered the small room where the battered heroine had been tortured. The Blue Avenger was lying on a stained mattress that the Pussies had thrown on the floor for her. Her back and much of her chest were a mass of welts, but she had been cleaned up as the Black Leopard had ordered. With a groan, the weakened woman looked up as she entered the room.

"I hope you are feeling strong," she said. "It’s time for another session with Hughie. I’m sure you’ll find it as enjoyable today as yesterday. She turned to Tiger who had followed her in. "She has been fed and watered?"

"Yes, Blackie," answered her disciple. Tiger grinned. It sounded as if the Black Leopard was talking about a horse.

Li Mei glared at her protégé. "You called me Blackie! What did I say about that."

"Sorry Black Leopard," said Tiger hurriedly, backing away. It looked as if her boss was in a bad mood . It was best to keep her distance.

"Never mind," the archvillainess replied. "Get her ready."

Tiger quickly moved across the room. Behind her Ocelot and Cougar followed. In her weakened condition, they were more than enough to handle the helpless heroine. While Tiger unchained her from the wall, the other two Pussies held onto her. Then they spread her legs and chained then to the two rings set in the wall in the same way that she had been chained by her hands the previous day. The Blue Avenger found herself in the same T-shaped position, but this time she was upside down with her legs spread wide apart, and her hands free. "Get Hughie," commanded the Black Leopard.

The Blue Avenger groaned. She was in severe pain and discomfort. Her vaginal region was swollen and bruised, and her body was crisscrossed with the stripes of her flogging. She wondered as she was trussed up by the Pussies if she would be scarred for life. She gritted her teeth against the agony that coursed through her body. It was all she could do to stop herself from screaming. Everything hurt so much, but she wanted to deny the villains who were mauling her the pleasure of thinking they were causing her pain, even though she knew that they must know they were hurting her. She wondered if she should appeal to the Black Leopard again. Maybe she could get through to her somehow, but she decided that such an act would simply be too demeaning. She grunted as her legs were spread. She was very sore in that area, her thighs badly bruised by the vicious rape of the previous day. The chains on her ankles were not as tight as the ones that had been placed on her wrists and so most of her weight rested on her shoulders. The lacerated flesh pained her considerably as it rubbed against the floor of the room. She waited in apprehension for Hughie to show up again.

* * *

The bat winged its way across Metro City. It was searching. It was time to feed and it was looking for a previous victim. It’s finely tuned senses spread out through the night. There they were! Both of them! The bat changed course and swooped in over the area known as Little China. Soon it was hovering over a large house. He could detect both of his previous victims there. Interesting. He had not thought to consider that the two women he had taken on separate nights might actually know one another.

He fluttered up to a window and dropped to the sill. Immediately, he assumed the form of a rat. No house was perfectly sealed, he should be able to get in from there. "Agghhh!" What was that stench. Garlic! Someone had smeared the sill with the foul substance. Already it was burning his nostrils and throat. He leaped from the sill changing back into bat form. Flapping his wings he swept around the house. Everywhere he went it was the same. Garlic. They had smeared every flat surface with it. Even the rooftops stank with its pernicious odor. He swept upward. He would have to look elsewhere for his blood fix.

Somewhere there was another victim. Where was the black clad beauty he had taken two days ago? "Ahh!" There she was. He had picked up her presence. He homed in on the signal coming from her mind. He soon found himself by a dilapidated warehouse. She was awake, and seemed to have others with her. He was very hungry now. Should he wait or have more than one victim? He swept onto the roof. That was interesting. He could distinctly hear screams coming from the top floor. Someone was not having a very good time.

* * *

"Eeeeaaggghhhh!" Kyla shrieked in pain. She had thought yesterday’s beating savage, but it was nothing compared to the pain of the one she was receiving now. "Aaaaahhhhhaaggghhh!" she screamed again. The Black Leopard was standing just a few feet away and wielding her cat o’ nine tails with brutal efficiency. This time her targets were Kyla’s inner thighs. Upside down and with her legs spread wide, she was completely unable to defend herself from the agonizing blows. The tender flesh was ripped open as the cruel lash cut into it. Worse still, Hughie stood by only a few feet away. Already he had dropped his pants, revealing a monstrous erection.

"That’s enough for today dear," said the Black Leopard. "Hughie, it’s your turn."

"But she’s all bloody again," protested the giant idiot.

"You’ll be all bloody too, if you don’t do as you are asked," answered the Asian villainess, as she brandished her whip. "What do you think I keep you around for, your intellectual stimulation?"

Cowed by the threat, the huge thug stepped forward and placed his hands on Kyla’s thighs. The tip of his engorged phallus swung into contact with Kyla’s vagina.

"Ready Blue Avenger?" taunted the Black Leopard. "Here comes your date for the evening."

Too exhausted to reply, Kyla could do no more than await her fate. When it came, the pain was terrible, even worse than the previous day. She screamed like a banshee. "How could someone not hear her? Was everyone deaf?"

Hughie thrust deep within her, and then directed by the Black Leopard slowly and rhythmically raped her until she could no longer scream.

The Black Leopard watched the Blue Avenger’s torment in glee. She hadn’t had this much fun since she had cut off the sex organs of the Mad Russian.

"My my, so this is what you get up to when I am not around."

The sound of that voice froze the blood in the veins of every woman in the room. As one, Li Mei and her four Pussies whirled in the direction it had come from. Only Hughie, preoccupied with the Blue Avenger, ignored what had so startled them. Standing quietly by a partly open window was a tall, dark, and entirely sinister figure.

Mei Li’s eyes widened. She knew that voice. It invoked memories of what had happened to her only a few days before. She took a step back. An uncontrollable panic was surging through her mind. Then she realized what she was doing. She couldn’t be this afraid. She was the Black Leopard, the Terror of Metro City and she was faced by just one man, strange though he might be. "Get him Pussies!" she ordered, surging toward the intruder.

Almost as one, the five women launched their attack on the vampire, and almost as one they were hurled back across the room. The vampire seemed to be everywhere at once, moving almost too fast for the women to see. Li Mei found herself thrown completely across the room, where she smashed against the far wall. Dazed, she tried to rise, but found that she was paralyzed. Something had seized control of her mind. Dimly she was aware of being picked up and carried to the open window. The feeling of cold air on her face alerted her to the fact that she was being carried outside the building and down the fire escape. It all happened so quickly that her Pussies were unable to do more than stare stupidly after her, as the vampire disappeared into the night.

* * *

The Black Leopard’s head slowly cleared. She was in a dimly lit room. She realized almost immediately that she was in serious trouble. She was locked into some sort of pillory, her arms stretched over her head and secured through two holes in a wooden board. Her body was arched forward by a wooden beam that ran across the small of her back. Finally, her legs were locked into a similar contraption to the pillory-like board that secured her arms. She still wore her black costume, but was terribly exposed to any form of attack. If anyone wished to do anything to her she would be helpless to stop it.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark she saw that she was not alone. Across the other side of the room, strapped into a huge wheel, was the superheroine known as Nova. She saw to her surprise that the beautiful woman still wore the mystical jewel that gave the heroine her tremendous strength. But then she saw that she was shackled with lengths of chain that were large enough to haul logs. Nova did not move or even acknowledge Li Mei’s presence. It appeared that she was either unconscious or sleeping.

Suddenly the room brightened as a door was opened, but it quickly dimmed as the door closed behind the strange creature that had abducted her. "I brought your toy," smirked the creature, with a baleful stare. Li Mei felt a pang of fear deep within her. He was holding her cat o’ nine tails!

"Who are you?" whispered Li Mei. For some reason, the sight of the threatening creature in front of her had caused her to lose her voice.

The dark creature laughed. "Whispering now are we? You certainly made enough noise up on the museum roof a few nights ago."

Li Mei felt a chill run all through her body. "You are the vampire!"

"Yes my sweet. That I am. The last of my kind. My enemies caught up with me in Romania. They hunted me into the ground and killed all of my disciples. It was then that I decided to come here – to a society that knew nothing of me. Now I have to begin my recruiting campaign all over again. I must say that it has started most promisingly. You are the other costumed women in this city will make fine disciples."

"What do you mean?" quavered Li Mei.

"It is simple. I will give you eternal life in returned for your eternal loyalty. But I will not make you mine right away. First we must get to know one another. I love to mix business with pleasure." He hefted the whip as he spoke.

"What are you going to do?"

"I found your session with the young woman you had in your possession to be quite interesting. She suffered a lot didn’t she? I would like to give you the same treatment you gave her."

"No, you can’t!" Li Mei protested, her mind filled with terror.

"I do not see why not. Is there anyone who can stop me? Now how many lashes do you think it will take to remove your costume?" The Count raised the whip. And then brought it down.

Li Mei screamed before the lash even made contact. It was a scream of fear and despair. She was about to undergo the same painful punishment she had meted out to the Blue Avenger, and she was helpless to prevent it.

Thwack! Li Mei screamed as her costume was ripped open by the nine lashes. Thwack! She screamed again. And then again.

It seemed to take forever before the vampire was satisfied that she was properly undressed. Li Mei lost track of the number of times the lash had descended upon her defenceless body. Her legs, pelvic region, and torso were a mass of bloody welts. Blood splattered the walls, the ceiling, and the floor as far as twenty feet away. How she had kept from fainting she did not know. Perhaps it was due to the skill of the vampire with the whip. He seemed to know how to inflict maximum pain, but still keep her at the edge of consciousness. When he finished she did not stop screaming for a full tens minutes after the lash stopped descending. Then her screams died, and lapsed into uncontrolled sobbing.

Count Rodna approached his bloodied victim. "Come now," he said. "Surely you must be able to tolerate what you so freely hand out. You are a woman who likes to give pain. Should you not also be a woman who likes to receive it?’

Li Mei did not reply. Instead, she continued to weep, but this time more quietly. She was in terrible agony, but the beating had stopped.

"Well," said the vampire, "so much for the games. Now let’s have some fun." Count Rodna began to unbutton his pants.

Li Mei looked on helplessly as the vampire revealed his not inconsiderable manhood. If only she knew how formidable that appendage could become she might have been far more concerned. She groaned with apprehension as the Count lay hold of her tight backside. "That’s it my pretty one, moan for me," the Count jeered. Then he thrust into her.

"Ugghh!" Li Mei grunted as the Count penetrated her. It didn’t hurt much at first, but gradually became more painful as the Count became more and more aroused. His already impressive member began to swell, with every stroke.

Across the room, Nova opened her eyes. The moans from the Black Leopard and the heavy breathing of the Count had aroused her. Her head was swimming, and she realized that when the Count had fed her earlier in the day he must have drugged the food. Her eyes slowly cleared. Across the room the vampire had some poor, defenseless woman at his mercy. Nova’s eyes widened. It was the Black Leopard. Even without her costume and bloodied by the flogging, she could recognize the perfect body of the archvillainess.

It was frightening to watch the vampire rape the helpless woman, but Natassia could not tear her eyes away from the spectacle. The Black Leopard, almost unconscious after her beating was struggling feebly against the assault on her nether regions and moaning softly. That all changed as the vampire moved more deeply within her and his already massive member became truly gigantic. Her struggles, useless though they were, increased and her moans turned to screams. She began to beg for mercy, but none was forthcoming.

Natassia shuddered. She knew what the hapless villainess was undergoing. Since she had first been taken prisoner, the vampire had made a habit of raping her each evening. The sessions had been long and drawn out and had always ended with her screaming in pain. Then the vampire had drunk her blood. Each time he had sunk his fangs into her left breast and had drunk long and deeply. After each session Natassia had felt completely exhausted, but the powers of the Dragon’s Eye always meant that she made a complete recovery. She was, as the vampire had said, the perfect partner. He could molest her forever, and she would always recover to be molested again. She had to find a way out of the trap she was in.

"Aaaaaggghhhh! Stop! Stop!" The scream from the Black Leopard refocused her attention on what was happening to the brutalized woman across the other side of the room. The villainess was writhing in pain, but held fast by the wooden stocks that secured her hands and feet. She was forced to endure whatever the Count decided to do to her. The screaming went on for another half-hour and then abruptly stopped as the Black Leopard fainted.

With a muffled curse the Count pulled his dripping phallus from his victim. "I thought she would prove to be more durable," he said with a frown. Then he looked at Nova. "That leaves just you I suppose. Not that I am in any way unhappy with your performance. There are still eight hours till dawn. Time to get busy."

Kyla was chained by an iron collar to a bracket in the wall of the room where she had been tortured. She was too weak to move. Her entire body was covered in bloody welts. From the next room she could hear the excited voices of the Black Leopard’s Pussies. She could not quite make out what they were saying, but they seemed to be distressed about something. After a number of minutes the noise died down and one of the Pussies entered the room.

Kyla knew her. It was the one who called herself Tiger. They had met before in when Ivan Retinoff had caught the bunch of them. "We need your help," said the tall blonde. "So we are willing to make you a deal. We will let you go if you help us rescue the Black Leopard. We know where she is. But it is too dangerous for one of use to go after her without your help."

Kyla’s throat was so dry that she could only make a croaking noise when she tried to reply. Tiger seemed to understand. She left the room and came back with a pitcher of water and a glass.

Lifting Kyla’s head she helped her drink. Kyla finished the glass and then asked for more. "Not right away," Tiger replied. "I want an answer first."

"Alright," Kyla croaked. "I’ll help you. I don’t seem to have any choice. But I want a promise you won’t double cross me at the end."

"Promise given," said Tiger. "And since you are a superheroine I know your word is good." As she spoke, Tiger produced a key and unlocked the collar from Kyla’s neck.

Tiger helped her to her feet. She could hardly move. "Give me a hand here," Tiger screamed into the next room. Lynx came into the room and took Kyla’s other arm. Together they walked her into the living area of the Black Leopard’s hideout. "Give me a hand getting her cleaned up. There’s no telling what that monster is doing to Blackie."

The other two Pussies gathered around. Together the four apprentice villainesses helped her to the bathroom, where they spent the next hour tending to her wounds and washing her. At the end, Kyla felt much better. She was still so sore she could hardly walk, but she was able to talk. With a little rest she would be well on the way to recovery.

"How do you know where the Black Leopard is?" asked Kyla.

"Simple," replied Tiger. "Blackie always wears a homing device on her utility belt. That way we can find her when she wants us. The thing that took her didn't deactivate it, so we were able to trace her to his hideout. Only problem is, we are afraid to go up against him by ourselves. Anyone who can throw us around like that is a pretty dangerous opponent. So that is why we need you."

"I can’t do this by myself," said Kyla. "You’ve beaten me up too badly. I need to contact my friends. Give me two hours to meet with them by myself and I will come back and we will all go after your boss."

"Two hours by yourself? How do we know we can trust you?"

"You said it yourself. I’m a superheroine. I never break a promise."

"No, I suppose not," said Tiger. "Alright then. Two hours and then we meet right here."

"Two hours," said Kyla. "But first give me some clothes, I can’t go out like this. And give me some money for cab fare."

Cash in hand, Kyla Walked away from the Black Leopard’s headquarters. She was in considerable pain, but she forced herself to move as far away from the lair as possible. She used her power to make herself invisible and walked on for another two blocks. After checking to make sure she had not been followed, she stepped into an alleyway and resumed her visibility. The Pussies had dug into their wardrobe and found a modest outfit she could wear in public so she attracted no attention from passers by. She hailed a cab to take her to the Jade Dragon’s house.

She entered the cab and gave the driver directions. Fifteen minutes later she was in front of the Jade Dragon’s home, or rather the home of Master Zhou. Exiting the cab, she rang the doorbell and waited. It took only a few seconds for one of Master Zhou’s Chinese house servants to answer the door, but in that interval Kyla almost fainted. Her short excursion had almost exhausted her. It was going to take her awhile to recover from the beating the Black Leopard had laid on her.

The servant caught her before she fell and helped her across the threshold. She heard a voice calling. "Who is it, Wu?" A few seconds later Suzi Kendall came into sight. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed.

"Suzi," Kyla began, then everything swam in front of her and blackness descended.

She awoke a few minutes later. She was lying on a soft bed and standing next to her were Suzi and Sun Lin. One of Master Zhou’s female servants was ministering to her. Kyla moaned in pain, as the woman pulled her blood-soaked clothing from her body. She tried to get up, but Sun Lin pressed her back down.

"Relax, Kyla," Sun Lin said in her Chinese accented English. "Someone has been very bad to you. Who did this?"

"Black Leopard," groaned Kyla, "but I cannot stay here. Must get back to her lair."

"You’re not going anywhere," Suzi said. "You just tell us where she is and we’ll take care of her."

"You don’t understand," Kyla gasped. "I promised. Superheroine promise…"

"What are you talking about?" said Suzi. "What promise?"

Between moans as the servant dressed her wounds, Kyla explained her arrangement with the Pussies.

"And you made a superheroine promise?" asked Sun Lin.

Kyla nodded. "Then we have to help them," said the Chinese heroine. "At least until we rescue the Black Leopard. Then maybe we will see."

"Don’t forget about Natassia," said Suzi. "She is probably in the same place as the Black Leopard."

"Maybe if we are lucky," said Sun Lin. "We will have to hope that is the case. Anyway, we are wasting time here. Give us the address of the Black Leopard’s lair and we will deal with this."

"Thank you," whispered Kyla.

"Don’t mention it," replied Suzi, patting her on the arm, "a superheroine’s promise is sacrosanct."

Since it was still daylight, Sun Lin and Suzi decided to stay in street clothes until they reached the Black Leopard’s lair. They drove to within a block of the building that Kyla had described and then changed into their superheroine outfits. Then Suzi put the car in gear and drove the rest of the way. Neither woman got out of the car. Instead, Suzi parked across the street and sounded the horn. After a time one of the Pussies materialized in a doorway at the side of the building. The two heroines recognized her as Lynx.

"What is this?" Lynx demanded. "Where is the Blue Avenger?"

"She’s recovering from your welcome, kitty," Suzi said. "You’ll have to make do with just our help."

"Where’s the one with the muscles?" Lynx demanded.

"Probably the same place your boss is. Now, are we going to go after them or do you want to chat all day?"

"Just a sec," answered Lynx. "I have to check with the others."

A few minutes later all four Pussies showed up. After some animated discussion they agreed to show the two heroines where the Black Leopard was being held prisoner.

"I know this place," said Suzi. "We checked it out before."

"Apparently not well enough," said Sun Lin as she got out of the car. She turned to Tiger, who had driven ahead of them to the stately house. "You’re sure she’s in there?"

"That’s where the needle points," replied the villainess.

"Alright," said the Jade Dragon. "Give me five minutes and then you go in through the front door."

Keeping low, she scurried around to the back of the house. It was the work of only a few seconds to clamber up the downspout to the second floor window. Taking a cutting tool from her utility belt, she removed part of the glass and then reached in and undid the latch holding the window shut. Sliding the window upwards she pulled herself into the room. The whole operation had taken less than two minutes.

Inside she found herself in what appeared to be a disused guestroom. Dust was thick upon the furniture, and the bed was stripped of covers and sheets. That was good, it was unlikely that anyone would check the room if she had to hide there for a few minutes.

Slowly she eased the door open. Outside the hallway was deserted, and she crept into it. She followed the hallway for about thirty feet until it intercepted a gallery overlooking what seemed to be the main entrance to the house. At that moment a bell sounded and she realized that Suzi and the Pussies were making their move.

The sound of the doorbell attracted the attention of only a single individual, an elderly man dressed in the traditional garb of a butler. He opened the door and was immediately pushed back into the room by the five women waiting outside. He shouted in protest, but Suzi and the Pussies were in no mood to argue. Within a few seconds they had trussed him up like a turkey and left him on the floor.

From her vantage point, the Jade Dragon waited for some sort of reaction, but there was none. Puzzled, she backtracked and began to check each of the rooms she had passed. She opened the door to each one and found the same thing in all of them except one. None of the rooms appeared to have been used in quite some time. The one exception was a small bedroom that appeared to have been slept in by the butler. Frustrated, she headed downstairs, only to find the Scarlet Falcon coming up.

"We’ve checked the lower floor. There’s nothing there."

"Nor here," the Jade Dragon replied. She looked at Tiger. "Are you sure we’re not breaking into the wrong house?"

"The tracking device said that Blackie is here," Tiger insisted.

"Then she must be in the basement."

"No dice," said Ocelot coming up behind Tiger. "The basement is empty. I just checked."

"Let me see that machine," said the Scarlet Falcon, taking the tracing device from Tiger. She held the machine in front of her. "Let’s see where the needle takes us."

The six women moved through the seemingly empty house, following the needle. Eventually they reached a large room with a huge stone fireplace.

"According to the machine," said the Scarlet Falcon, she is right below us. The needle is swinging in a circle."

"Oh," said Tiger. "I thought that meant it was confused."

"You’re giving villainesses a bad name," replied the Scarlet Falcon. "There must be a hidden doorway in this room. Check everything."

* * *

Nova prepared for her nightly rape. It was always the same. First the Count worked over the Black Leopard and then he started in on her. The Black Leopard was in pretty bad shape. She did not have the powers of recovery that Nova did. The count had just finished raping the Oriental villainess savagely and she had passed out from the pain. Now he was turned toward her.

The Count stepped inside the massive steel wheel that held her immobile. Nova was somewhat relieved. Usually he beat her for an hour or so before sexually molesting her. Tonight it looked like he was just going to rape her and then leave it at that.

"Good evening, my dear," said the Count, his slight accent giving a hint of menace to his words. "I am afraid this will be our last night together. Your friends are getting a bit too close. It is time for me to find another safe haven. As a result I am going to give you your last vampire’s kiss." He reached out and unhooked the pendant that held the Dragon’s Eye.

Nova felt a spasm of fear. What did the Count mean? Last kiss. She shuddered. It could only have one meaning.

The Count stepped out of the steel wheel and moved where she could not see. Suddenly, she felt her right arm come free. The Count had released the shackles that held it. Then her left arm was free as well. The vampire moved to her feet. Within a few seconds both her legs were loose. "I thought in honor of the occasion, and the great enjoyment you have brought me that I would give you a fighting chance. I quite enjoyed that fencing contest we had when we first met. When you are as old as I am, one tends to become jaded. Even I like a little excitement in my life. Or should I say afterlife."

The Count moved toward the doorway. He stooped and picked up something he had placed there. Nova saw that it was a pair of swords. They were heavier than the first and had slightly curved blades. "I am sorry that the blade of the rapier was broken in our first encounter. I have only this pair of sabres. But I think you will find that they will do just as much if not more damage."

He presented the weapons to Nova, hilt first. Her heart beating heavily, Nova selected one of the blades. The Count crouched before her. "En garde, superheroine."

Nova took up a defensive stance. Without the Dragon’s Eye she had no special abilities. She did, however, have her Shao Lin training. Like the rapier, the sabre was an unfamiliar weapon, but she was skilled in the use of many Chinese weapons. She might have a surprise or so for the Count if he could be lulled into a false sense of security. She remembered his words in their first encounter: "…a vampire cannot be killed by a strike to anywhere but his heart." She would try for that target.

The count advanced confidently. He knew that he was much faster than any mortal. He would play with Nova one last time and then finish her off. He eyed the gorgeous woman in front of him. Even without the enhancement of the physique provided by the mystic gem she was a stunningly beautiful creature. Her high, perfect breasts bounced alluringly as she assumed her fencer’s stance. The vampire licked his lips. Already he was salivating at the thought of what he was going to do to her.

Nova knew that the Count wanted to play with her. She had no real chance against him. He was going to use the sword the same way he had used his massive phallus, as an instrument of torture. The duel would be long and humiliating, as he slowly cut her to ribbons. She had only one chance, and that was to lull him into such a false sense of security that he would make a mistake. She eyed the pendant hanging on the wall. If she could just get to it she might have a chance.

The Count lunged toward her. So fast did his blade move that she had no chance to parry. She felt a terrible pain. The point of the sabre had sliced through the tip of her breast slicing open her nipple.

Nova gasped in pain, but kept her composure. This was just the beginning. She had to keep herself strong enough to take advantage of any opportunity. Then the Count attacked again. This time the razor edge of his weapon ripped down her inner thigh, leaving a long red wound. She hacked wildly at the vampire as he retreated, but only exposed herself to another cut of his blade. Blood poured from a horizontal slash across her belly.

The Count surveyed his handiwork. The superheroine was bleeding badly from the three wounds he had inflicted. He felt his penis stir. Soon he would have to have her again. He feinted toward her forward leg and when she awkwardly tried to defend slashed quickly at her torso. Now blood streamed from two nasty cuts across her breasts and upper chest.

Nova staggered backwards. She was being cut to ribbons. But before she could recover the Count’s sabre scored again. Nova screamed as her cheek was sliced open and temporarily dropped her guard. The count sank the point of his sabre into each of her thighs, cutting through the muscle. She screamed again, as her legs buckled. The Count scored again and then again, slicing through her flesh at will.

Nova swayed, falling forward onto her hands. She was close to fainting from the shock and pain. Blood coursed from a score of wounds.

"Nova, my dear," sneered the count, "I am disappointed in you. I thought you would give me a better fight than that." Contemptuously, he lowered the point of his sword.

It was the chance she had been waiting for. She summoned her remaining strength. Uncoiling from the floor she launched her body across the room. But she was not heading for the Count, but for the pendant holding the magical green stone. Too late the vampire realized what she was up to. The heroine’s fingers closed over the Dragon’s Eye. The power of the stone surged through her. Within milliseconds she felt her strength return. Miraculously her wounds healed, leaving her whole again. Now she had a chance.

The Count aimed a vicious cut at her. Had it landed, it would have severed her head from her body. But once more imbued with superhuman speed, Nova ducked beneath the savage blow. She landed rolling, and swept up the sabre from the floor where she had dropped it. Filled with rage, the vampire charged after her, aiming another powerful blow at her head. This time, however, Nova did more than duck beneath the attack. He reflexes now matched those of the vampire and she counter-attacked vigorously. The count was surprised to feel the cold steel of Nova’s blade slice through his sword arm.

With a shriek of rage he retreated. Nova followed up, determined to press her advantage. She remembered from their first encounter that the Count was a better swordsman than she was and she wanted to give him no time to recover. The Count howled again as the point of Nova’s sword ripped open his thigh. She knew that she could not cause permanent damage to the vampire. Like her, his body healed almost immediately from any hurt, but if she could keep up the attack long enough she might find an opening that would enable her to skewer his heart.

Suddenly the Count struck at her with his mind. As in their first encounter, when hard pressed he resorted to the use of his hypnotic powers. This time, however, Natassia was not caught off guard. Part of the Count’s victory in his first attack had been the unexpectedness of the assault on her mind. She had never before encountered a villain with such a power. This time when the onslaught came she was ready for it.

Her Shao Lin training now came to the fore. For the first time in his long life Count Rodna found someone he could not mesmerize. Nova blocked his hypnotic powers and continued her relentless physical attack. Desperate to escape, the Count now retreated behind the huge wheel-like rack. Nova followed , but the maneuver gave him time to recover. The vampire now realized for the first time that he might lose to this formidable heroine. For the first time in a thousand years he felt fear of an opponent. With all of his mental resources he struck out at the attacking heroine.

Nova met the attack with her own mental reserves. It became a battle of wills, with the Count hurling mental assault after mental assault at her. Each time Nova repulsed him, but it was not without cost. Beads of sweat poured down her face from the sustained effort of fending him off. Her entire body tensed as she struggled to maintain control of her faculties.

The count now resumed his physical assault. Preoccupied with the mental battle, Nova was forced backward, but she gave ground slowly, forcing the vampire to fight for every inch of territory. All the time, she looked for that elusive opening that would enable the point of her sabre to pierce his heart.

The strain of the mental attack, coupled with his physical assault was also taking its toll on the Count. Every fiber of his evil being was strained to the maximum. Gradually, he felt his energy being drained from his body. If he did not finish the fight soon he would be too exhausted to continue. Then fate stepped in on the vampire’s side.

The battle had taken them back to the area where the count had drawn blood from the heroine. The floor was covered with the slippery gore, and Nova’s foot slipped as she parried a thrust of the Count’s sword. She did not fall, but it was the opening the count needed. With a quick move, he ducked inside her guard and abandoning his sword, grappled with her.

Nova was momentarily surprised by the vampire’s change of tactics, but she recovered quickly. Here, she was actually superior. Her martial arts training allowed her to quickly gain the initiative. As the Count charged into her she brought her left hand palm outward across the side of his head. It was a devastatingly powerful strike, and would have torn the head off an normal man. For a second the vampire almost lost his grip on her, but he shrugged off the blow and then went after the true object of his assault. As he rolled from the punch his clawed hand snaked up and snagged the pendant holding the Dragon’s Eye. Too late, Natassia realized his true intent. Desperately, she snatched at the pendant, but she was a split second too slow. The power drained from her body. The vampire had her at his mercy once again.

Rolling away from the grinning fiend, Nova saw that she had just one chance. She still held her sabre. Drawing it back she threw it at the Count’s exposed chest. But the vampire was too quick. He turned his body slightly, and the blade flew harmlessly past, clattering into the concrete wall.

For several seconds, the Count merely looked at her, as if savoring his triumph. And then he spoke. "Well done, Nova. You have given me a better fight than I have ever had. And a bit of a fright. You are formidable. Too formidable to be allowed to live. Tonight you die. But first, one last round of pleasure. For old time’s sake."

Nova picked herself up from the floor and awaited the Count’s pleasure. Slowly, he removed his clothing. Nova was horrified to see that he was already fully aroused, his immense phallus projecting from his loins like some sort of obscene flagpole.

In an almost leisurely manner he advanced upon her. Nova knew that she could not win, but she was resolved not to give in without a fight. As the Count closed with her she struck at him, her right leg lashing out with lightning speed. The vampire caught her foot easily, and with a quick twist flipped her through the air. She fell heavily, her foot still controlled by the Count, and then her pounced on her. She struggled mightily, but it was all in vain. He caught her right wrist and twisted her arm up behind her. With a feeling of absolute despair and horror Nova felt the touch of a rope on her skin. She redoubled her efforts to escape, but it was to no avail. Within seconds he had bound both her wrists behind her. Then he proceeded to take his ‘pleasure.’

As on previous occasions, the vampire took his time. He liked to let the terror build in his victims as he took them. Even though he had raped Nova many times before, he wanted this last assault to be especially memorable, one filled with as much pain and degradation as he could muster.

He forced her to kneel before him. And then, placing his hands on her firm backside, he pulled her loins toward his waiting shaft. This time he intended to force his way into the heroine without any preparation. He would not use his powers to reduce the size of his immense organ, but rather, would force the helpless woman to accommodate him. Already, he could hear her screams of anguish in his mind.

Nova squirmed in his grasp. What she was facing was beyond any woman’s nightmares. She knew that the vampire’s enormous phallus would split hr like an axe splits kindling. It would be a brutally humiliating and painful experience. And so she fought him with all of her remaining strength.

The vampire felt his great staff become absolutely rigid. The helpless heroine was responding exactly as he wished. She was clearly terrified, her eyes wide with fright and her lithe body trembling with fear. Even so, she fought his with all of her being, her large perfect breasts dancing before him, as he slowly drew her toward him.

Nova whimpered slightly, as her knees were forced apart. She arched her back, straining to break the bonds that held her wrists. The tip of the Count’s penis was only inches away from her exposed nether region. Slowly he drew her closer. She panted in fear. He had raped her before and each time she had experienced the most terrible pain. She knew that unless some sort of miracle occurred she faced another long and agonizing ordeal. And this time the Count had promised her that she would die.

The Count’s grip tightened on her backside. He could feel the strong muscles of the heroine’s gluteus maximus contracting as she fought to preserve her virtue. Her swaying breasts were only inches from his salivating mouth. He pulled her tight against him and then lowered his head and bit.

Nova cried out in pain. The vampire had pierced her right breast, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh on either side of her taut nipple. "Stop!" she cried. "Stop, you brutal bastard." It was language she rarely used, but she was overcome with the horror of her situation.

The Count shook his head, worrying her breast like a dog shakes a rat. Blood flowed from the twin puncture marks, dripping down her breast and across her stomach. Nova screamed again, more in terror than in pain. The Count released her breast, an evil grin of satisfaction in his bloody lips. Then he struck again.

This time, Nova only whimpered as the vampire’s teeth punctured her left breast. It was too early for screaming. She knew that this was only the beginning of her ordeal. She still possessed some self-control. She wanted to hold onto that for as long as possible.

She whimpered again. The Count was lapping the blood from her pierced breast taking much more than he had ever taken before. Slowly he was draining the life from her. She shifted her body, writhing in his grasp in an unconscious attempt to break free.

The Count enjoyed her gyrations. In a few minutes he would penetrate. He was looking forward to her reaction.

Nova continued to struggle. The Count had released her breast, put was now pressing into her. Already, the sweat was rolling off her body in rivulets. A low moan of terror escaped her lips.

The Count pulled her to him, thrusting the smooth glans of his penis against her vulva. Slowly he felt the petals of her vagina part. In a few seconds she would be his.

Nova tried to rise. Her wrists were tied, but her legs were free. Only the weight and strength of the Count held her down. The vampire gripped her bottom more tightly, sinking his clawed fingers into her. And then with a sudden and savage lunge he rammed into her. The power of his thrust was unbelievably painful. She was impaled on his immense phallus, writhing in agony, her mouth wide open in anguish as she tried to hold back her screams. He thrust hard into her once again, forcing open her vaginal canal. With thrust after thrust he rammed himself home, sinking the full length of his immense shaft into her tight sheath. Nova could stand it no longer. She opened her mouth a shrieked like a banshee.

* * *

"My God, what was that?" asked Tiger.

The Jade Dragon went cold. The sound she and the other woman had heard was the unmistakable screech of a woman undergoing terrible torture. Even more frightening was the fact that Sun Lin recognized the maker of that terrifying sound; it was Nova.

The sound seemed to be coming from right below them. She looked around the room. "There must be a secret room below us. Somewhere there must be a hidden passage leading to the vampire’s lair. Search the room. Check everything."

The six women scattered about the room. They tapped on walls, looking for hidden passages, pulled on wall lamps in the hope that they might be levers, and pushed and poked ornaments in an attempt to trigger the opening of some secret door. But try as they might, they found nothing. All the time the screams of anguish emanating from below continued unabated, actually increasing in intensity. The longer the search took, the more frantic the Jade Dragon and Scarlet Falcon became. It seemed impossible that anyone could make such screams and survive for long. They were sure that their friend Nova was dying.

It was Ocelot that stumbled upon the secret passage. Her fingers triggered a hidden lever by the fireplace and suddenly the entrance to the vampire’s secret lair was revealed. In amazement the six women stared at the opening for a few seconds. Then the Jade Dragon was across the room and racing down the stairs with the Scarlet Falcon close behind. The Pussies, more cautious followed at a distance.

* * *

The Count could hardly believe the tightness of his victim. Each time he raped her it only seemed to get better. But now it had to end. Her friends were getting too close to him. There was too great a chance of discovery. It was time to bring the relationship to a conclusion.

Beneath him the heroine was writhing in incredible agony. He was fully within her, forcing her tight vagina apart. Her screams rent the air, almost deafening him. "So sorry, Nova," he said. "It is time to say goodbye." He bent forward, his lips pulling back from his two great fangs. He would drink of her blood one last time, draining the life from her. He bent forward, and sank his teeth into the great vein in her slender throat. So intent on his task was he that he did not even hear the sound of the door to the basement room burst open.

The Jade Dragon charged into the subterranean lair. Nova’s creams had sounded louder and louder as she descended the staircase. Throwing caution to the winds, she had taken the stairs four or five at a time. What she saw when she reached the vampire’s lair filled her with horror and anger.

Across the room Nova’s helpless form was impaled on the phallus of the Count. For a second Sun Lin stood transfixed, taking in the frightening scene. Then suppressed memories flooded back into her mind. She remembered in dreadful detail her own experience at the hands of the brutal vampire. A door had opened in her mind and captive memories burst out. Her anger became a raging fire, burning for vengeance. Almost without thought she took one of her throwing disks from her belt, and hurled it with frightening force across the room. It was at that moment the Count became aware that he was not alone. He raised his head just as the razor edged disk arrived. In the instant before he died, his eyes widened and then the disk sliced through the vampire’s neck, cutting his head from his shoulders as cleanly as if it had been severed by a guillotine.

The severed head flew across the room. The body, as if it was still alive jerked itself erect, pulling the now deflating phallus from Nova’s body. For an instant it appeared that the undead monster still lived, and then flames flickered from the body and the head. Within seconds the vampire’s body had crumbled to a gray smoldering ash.

The three heroines watched the destruction of the vampire in wide-eyed amazement. And then Sun Lin and Suzi went to Nova. The ravaged heroine lay on the floor, too weak to get up. Sun Lin cradled her in her arms while Suzi took a quick glance about the room. Spotting the Dragon’s Eye where the Count had thrown it, she retrieved it and hurried to the moaning heroine’s side. She placed the necklace about Natassia’s neck, and immediately, the incredible power of the mythical jewel manifested itself. Within seconds, Nova was whole again, her strength returned.

Nova’s return to full health enabled the superheroine to use her powers to restore Sun Lin and Suzi to full health. Both heroines had not fully recovered from the brutality of their treatment at the hands of the vampire. As agreed, they also freed the Black Leopard, healing her and giving her an hour’s head start in order to escape. Then the three heroines returned to Master Zhou’s home where Nova healed and restored Kyla. Once again great evil had been defeated, and truth and justice had prevailed. There was still the matter of the Black Leopard, but the confident heroines knew that sooner or later they would run her to ground. After all, wasn’t that the way it was supposed to end?