A story by Ceramic: ceramic762@yahoo.com

In our previous episode: “Slick and Sweat”

Villains and heroines on fire! Of a different kind, of course.

The Spoils of Victory

Knightkat ducked beneath the heavy swing of Regicide's axe, the long handle sliding along his steel gauntlet and falling aside harmlessly. Sweat poured beneath his cowl as the sun beat down upon him, and his long cape flowed behind him as he flipped back away from the muscle-bound villain's backswing. Suddenly, a dazzling light burst from Knightkat's left, activating his mask's flash suppressors, and he was knocked to the ground, the hard rubber of his armored body-suit the only thing that saved him from Rapskullian's Death-bolt. There were just too many of them!

Rolling to his feet, he faced Rapskullian just in time to see the skeletal-thin freak with the skull mask gather energy about him and send another blast of purple energy straight towards him. Knightkat dived again, sliding along the rooftop tiles. At this rate, he'll be knocked over the edge of the tall industrial building where they battled before help arrived. And he needed help badly. Where were the other Midknights when he needed them?

And what of his partner? Moonlit-Kit? He couldn't see her on the other side of the water-tower that dominated the center of the rooftop. The audio sensors on his mask rotated in that direction, and for a moment he could hear her shouts, and the sounds of fighting. But... how was she doing?

Ducking another purple blast, Knightkat rolled to face Regicide once again, the powerful supervillain with the black executioner's mask and the headman's axe. Of the five villains in the Legion of Terror, he was perhaps the most dangerous up close. Not only was he a skilled axeman, but fast and strong to boot. Knightkat flailed a punch towards Regicide's torso, in an attempt to utilize his knuckle-bombs, but the axeman knocked the clumsy attack easily aside with the haft of his axe. Exhausted, Knightkat backed away. He barely had enough energy to keep his guard up.

"Here pussy, pussy, pussy..." Regicide taunted as he advanced on the hero, his voice the texture of jagged glass and stone.

Knightkat could almost see the axeman's grin beneath his heavy hood. "That's right," he gasped in return, "Keep smiling, ugly." And then, with a flinging motion he tossed a handful of knuckle bombs at the villain's feet.

"What, firecrackers? Am I supposed to be afraid of that, you little piece of shit?" replied Regicide dismissively, before suddenly the bombs ignited and engulfed him in a screen of smoke.

Knightkat grinned. "Hardly," he panted, before he shouted at the top of his lungs and leapt with a flying kick through the smoke. The hard steel edge of his boot connected with Regicide's chest and he heard the villain cough and stagger backwards.

"Infrared," breathed Knightkat, and suddenly Regicide's form was outlined in an angry red as his mask switched optics. Knightkat was on the offense now, and he advanced confidently through the cloud, sending Regicide reeling from gauntleted blow after blow. Desperately, the supervillain tried to fend of the attacks with his axe, but the blocks were too slow, and with a final jump-kick to the throat, Knightkat sent the axeman flying.

As Regicide landed ungracefully a dozen feet away, Knightkat stepped from the smoke. He had got his second wind back... and he was going to take them down one by one. But that was when a bright purple death-bolt struck him full in the chest. And he too found himself painfully lying on the flat of his back.

"Knightkat... surrender!" demanded the crackling voice of Rapskullian. The teeth of the villain's skull-mask clacked as he spoke. Purple death-energy coalesced about the villain's bracers.

Knightkat's body smoldered as he groaned and climbed to his knees. His lungs and chest felt like they were on fire. "No," he croaked defiantly.

"I thought you'd say that," sneered Rapskullian. "Bring her out."

Knightkat hacked up a glob of blood and spat it on the ground. Oh god, something must be broken inside. He tried to rise, but couldn't. It was then that the remaining three of the Legion of Terror emerged from around the water-tower.

The first to appear was the voluptuous Fishnet the Lemurian, dressed in a billowing robe of white that was so short it could have been found in the lingerie aisle. About her narrow waist, giving her a classic hourglass figure, she wore a studded leather belt. Her black hair was long and flowed wildly down her back, and in her hands she gripped a sheaf of javelins. And of course, her athletic legs were wrapped in her trademark slinky, silken fishnets. Fishnet favored Knightkat with a mocking smile.

Besides Fishnet fluttered the gothic Mine Canary, with her pale skin and black hair and white makeup. About her slim body and small breasts, she wore a thin shift of yellow and black. Dropping down to land next to Fishnet, Knightkat saw her two black wings fold behind her gracefully. Like Rapskullian, Mine Canary wore bracers that coalesced with purple energy, which she blasted while she flew. Unlike the grinning Legion of Terror leader, though, Mine Canary's expression was as serious as death.

Behind the two women, the final member of the Legion of Terror emerged: the Humongous Bonesaw. Standing nearly twenty feet tall, this gigantic mass of muscle and fat, lumbered from behind the Water-tower, the only structure in the area that had any chance of hiding his bulky frame. It was said that at one time, Bonesaw had been a brilliant surgeon, but an experiment gone wrong had driven him insane and turned him into this tank of a man. Unfortunately, while the radiation that caused his transformation enlarged his body, it did not do so to his head, leaving him with a tiny pinhead between his wide, wrestler shoulders.

In keeping with his medical origins, Bonesaw continued to wear his green surgeons mask over his face. The thin cloth mask, however, did nothing to mute his piercing, hyena like laugh, however. And moments later, Knightkat saw why. Being dragged along on the ground behind Bonesaw, trussed up in a net, was Knightkat's partner, Moonlit-Kit.

Moonlit-Kit was a fairly new member of the Midknights, but could hardly have been called a rookie as she had, like many of the Midknights in general, had a successful solo career before joining the group. A martial artist, she was tall and athletic, hiding her features behind a fox-head mask, and battling crime in a tight-fitting grey body-suit -- the perfect shade of shadow to slink about the night in. But today, in the daylight, she was exposed and unconscious. Whatever they did to her, she had taken it hard.

Knightkat shook his head and coughed again. More blood. He couldn't get his feet under him. He had to get to Moonlit... he couldn't let it end like this. Knightkat swallowed hard, "Let her go, Rapskullian!"

Rapskullian sighed and shook his head, "You're in no position to make demands, hero." Straightening, he watched as Bonesaw dragged Moonlit-Kit next to Fishnet and set her down. Fishnet, who winked saucily at Knightkat, then hefted one of her javelins and pointed it menacingly over Moonlit's head.

"There," continued Rapskullian, "If you don't surrender, Knightkat... we'll make sure you're the first to see Moonlit-Kit's brains splatter all over the rooftop."

Knightkat breathed hard, staring at Rapskullian. Maybe... maybe if he could throw another knuckle bomb he could distract them and...

"Do you really think you can do something before Fishnet impales your friend? No... I think not. And certainly not in your condition," Rapskullian reasoned. "Just hang your head like a good boy, and we'll let her go... eventually."

"Damn you..." hissed Knightkat. He tried to rise again, but the ground gave way.

Knightkat didn't know how the supervillain did it, but Rapskullian's toothy grimace grew even wider. He gestured to Regicide, who had since risen. "Do your duty."

"With pleasure, Rapskullian." Still smarting from the beating that he took, Regicide hefted his executioner's axe and strode menacingly towards Knightkat.

The superhero lowered his head and tried to rise once more, as the shadow of Rapskullian's henchman fell over him. Looming over him, Regiscide mocked, "Don't lose your head over this, Knightkat. You'll get us next time..." He laughed harshly, "Or maybe not."

Knightkat closed his eyes. It would be over soon.

Suddenly, Regiscide roared in outrage. There was a scuffle as another shadow fell across Knightkat. The superhero lifted his head... and then gasped. Someone had interposed himself between Knightkat and the swinging axe.

Catching the axe's haft just below the head, his rescuer and Regicide struggled in a battle of strength, until suddenly with unexpected strength, the newcomer tore the axe from the villain's hands. Startled, Regicide backed away, his eyes wide and frantic from behind his mask. He had not expected this intervention. And judging by the amazed looks of the other villains, no one else had either.

Who was this man? He gazed at the newcomer's back. He was a tall man, broad shouldered, and costumed in a pure-black combat-suit.

"Shit..." muttered Knightkat. He couldn't help it. Knightkat had never met his rescuer in person before. Of course, he'd seen him on television on occasion, and heard stories about him. But, in person? In a fight? No... meeting the frightening hero who was called the 'Ultimate warrior' by the press was something new to him. "Praetorian..." Knightkat heard himself whisper.

And indeed it was the black armored leader of the Strange Defenders, Praetorian. With a heave, he tossed Regicide's axe away, as if it were nothing but a toy. Perhaps in his hands, it was. Praetorian turned and fixed Knightkat with a glare through the half-mask that left only his mouth and jaw exposed. His voice was low when he asked, "You alright?"

"Yes..."

"Good. Stay down."

Across the rooftop, a furious Rapskullian demanded, "Praetorian, if you value the life of this superheroine, you will leave now." Death energy drew itself to his bracers.

"Wait!" Knightkat hissed to Praetorian, struggling to his knees, "Moonlit-Kit!"

Praetorian smirked and looked in the direction of where the Legion of Terror held Knightkat's partner captive. There, the warrioress Fishnet lifted her javelin high. Suddenly, from across the rooftop, there came a twang of a bow and a sharp 'cutter' arrow with a crescent-shaped head chopped the wooden javelin clean in half. With a shout, Fishnet dropped the remains of her weapon and leapt back to ready another.

"Did that sting, Fishnet?" a voice asked. From around the water-tower stepped the tall Native American huntress known as Wind Raven, her bow at the ready.

"Come a little closer and I'll tell you, Wind Raven!" goaded Fishnet.

"Awww... and I thought it was you and I that had the special relationship, Fishnet," another voice called. And then, up in the sky, there was a rush of air and the whipping sound of a cape in the wind as a third hero arrive. This one all the villains knew.

"Lightbeam!" shrieked Mine Canary angrily, her first show of emotion since Knightkat first saw her that day.

The golden locked hero smiled broadly and waved down to the Legion of Terror from where he hovered in the air, as if he were acknowledging the shouts of an adoring crowd. "That's right, I'm here," he beamed. "Praetorian, if you want to do as Rapskullian wants, I'm sure Windy and I can mop things up just fine."

Regicide bellowed, "Mop up? Come down here, you flyin' ass-fucker!"

"No!" shrilled Mine Canary, gathering herself and then launching into the air, "He's mine!" Her wings spread wide as she flew straight towards Lightbeam, the purple death-energy blazing angrily about her bracers.

"So it begins. Stay here," Praetorian ordered Knightkat.

Knightkat replied faintly, "I'll do my best."

Across the rooftop, Regicide retrieved his discarded axe. "Praetorian," he shouted, "Come at me when I'm ready, this time! You're mine!"

Praetorian smiled grimly, "Alright. It's on."

Knightkat nodded in agreement, "Oh yeah... it's on."

The battle moved in a flying blur all around Knightkat. It began when Wind Raven the huntress had shattered Fishnet's javelin and knocked it from her hand to save Moonlit-Kit. It was an amazing shot, given the distance it was fired, but Wind Raven didn't stop to savor her good aim. Instead, she readied another arrow and charged Fishnet and the startled Bonesaw at full tilt. With her long black hair in braids streaming behind her, and the large, impressive orbs of her bust rolling and jostling beneath her white athletic top as she ran, Wind Raven shouted her war-cry.

Fishnet, incensed by Wind Raven's challenging cry, screamed in rage and hurled her second javelin at the rapidly approaching Wind Raven. She was a battle mistress of Lemuria, an ancient land that rivaled the power of Atlantis during its day. She would not be cowed by some upstart Native huntress. Her javelin never reached its intended target, though.

Wind Raven had been waiting for Fishnet's attack, and not losing stride, fired a speedy arrow into the sky in return. In a flash, the two missiles sped and collided high in the air, falling to the side, clattering harmlessly along the rooftop. Laughing, the tall, mountain of a woman crowed to her adversary, "You're getting old, Fishnet. Better give it up and go back to Mount Shasta!"

Fishnet shook her last remaining javelin, her body quivering with fury. "I'll bury you like your ancestors, Native bitch!" she snarled. And like a wild banshee, she howled and charged.

Wind Raven smiled tightly and loaded another arrow on the run. The distance between the two women closed rapidly. And then suddenly, as they were almost upon each other, Wind Raven let loose with three arrows in rapid succession.

*Thwap* *Thwap* *Thwap*!

Fishnet, dodged and could practically feel the feathers of the arrows whip through her robe. But to the villainess' delight, all three arrows missed, and the Wind Whore did not have another arrow loaded. "That was the problem with you Natives," sneered Fishnet as she raised her javelin to impale the heroine, "If your aim was better, this would still be your continent." She aimed the javelin for Wind Raven's heart, and then thrust.

But Wind Raven wasn't there. As the two warrior women collided in battle, instead of meeting Fishnet head on, Wind Raven lowered herself and dove beneath the stabbing attack. Sliding beneath the Lemurian javelin, the huntress leapt to her feet and struck the villainous hard behind the ear with her bow.

Fishnet had received more devastating blows before, from far stronger warriors. But, Wind Raven's stinging attack was disorienting, and it was all Fishnet could do to whirl around and keep her remaining javelin up in a defensive position. She whipped the javelin left, and whipped it right, desperate to keep Wind Raven from getting inside her reach again. "Where are you?"

"Here," Wind Raven replied, appearing once again in front of Fishnet, before delivering a right-cross to the villainess' face that sent stars flashing. Bobbing around Fishnet's slow response, Wind Raven drew an incapacitation-arrow from her quiver and deftly tangled it in the Lemurian's robes.

"I'll get you," drooled Fishnet, dazed, swinging randomly now.

"Sure you will," chuckled Wind Raven, moving easily out of the way. Whirling around behind Fishnet again, Wind Raven moved in close to whisper in the villainess' ear. "And just so you know..." she breathed, "I didn't miss..."

"What?!"

Wind Raven laughed, "Ta-ta!". And then, like a stag, she leapt away from Fishnet's final blow, and dashed off towards where the lumbering Bonesaw waited.

Coming to a breathless stop, Fishnet glared at the retreating Wind Raven. "I hate her," she breathed to herself, before raising her voice and shouting, "Damn it, Bonesaw! Get her!"

Wind Raven's attention was now on the gigantic Bonesaw, the gelatinous mound of stupid flesh that had once been a brilliant doctor, but was now a maniacal stomping machine. Fishnet leaned forward, gasping for breath as she watched Bonesaw stoop into his sumo-wrestler fighting stance. When he hunched, he still towered over the charging heroine. She was fast, and he was particularly slow, but all he needed to do was connect with one fist or one foot, and the nimble Native cunt would be finished.

With a bellow, Bonesaw struck with a mighty hand, swiping at the incoming Wind Raven. But like Fishnet's attacks, all he met with was air as the heroine slipped beneath the slow moving attack. Weaving around his limbs, Wind Raven's momentum never slowed as she came in closer and closer.

It was then that Fishnet saw it... wait... no! "Bonesaw watch out!" she shrieked. Fishnet cursed. That bitch! That horrible bitch!

Wind Raven smiled as she heard Fishnet's ranting in the distance. No, she had not missed with her bow. She had hit her intended target, all three times. And there they were, three arrows: one sprouting from Bonesaw's hip, another from his belly, and the last just above his right breast. For all that he a was fleshy monster, Bonesaw was hardly invulnerable, and the arrows had stuck fast. They were good arrrows, and they would do their job. Sidestepping the last clumsy swing from Bonesaw, Wind Raven knew she was close enough... and she leapt.

"No! No!" moaned Fishnet as she watched Wind Raven climb up Bonesaw like a monkey climbs a tree, using the three arrows she had shot into him as hand-holds. Desperately, Bonesaw swatted at the nimble heroine as she moved from his leg to his thigh and scrambled up his chest, but he was too slow. And there, straddling his face like a cheap hooker smothering a john with her pussy, Wind Raven drew a dagger from each boot... reversed them... and then slammed the pommels into either side of Bonesaw's teeny-tiny head.

Bonesaw teetered, and then feel like a tree.

"Damn," seethed Fishnet. It was then that Wind Raven's incapacitation-arrow triggered and exploded, knocking Fishnet to the ground. And to her humiliation, the Lemurian warrioress found herself out of the fight, and covered with a thick, glue-like substance that would trap her until the battle was over.

"Come here, you asshole!" screeched Mine Canary, as she threw bolt after death-bolt at the elusive Lightbeam. Fury poured from her every attack, fuelling the powerful bolts that she hurled at him.

Lightbeam, however, for his part, seemed to be enjoying himself as he ducked and dodged and plain out-flew the angry goth-bird. As one particularly angry death-bolt nearly put a hole into Lightbeam's white and yellow cape, the legendary superhero laughed, "That was a close one. You're getting better, little girl!"

"Little girl... Little girl!?" cried Mine Canary, taking aim and blasting at Lightbeam with another bolt. "I hate you, Lightbeam. I hate you!"

Launching himself higher into the atmosphere, Lightbeam paused with a frown, "Now... hold on a minute, sweetheart. Did I not call you back or something once?"

"No! You bastard, I never had the chance to not get called back!" Taking advantage of his pause, Mine Canary closed the gap and tossed another bolt, this time at Lightbeam's head.

This blast Lightbeam actually ducked. When he straightened, he looked at her in confusion, "You mean I failed to notice you perhaps? Did we meet someplace, but I didn't ask you home?" At Mine Canary's shrieked response, Lightbeam flew a little bit further, and then turned around again, "I mean... look, sweetheart, I can't believe I'd forget you so easily. You've got such delightful shimmery wings!"

"Stop calling me sweetheart! I'm going to kill you!"

Suddenly, Lightbeam's eyes glowed. "Wait! No... Wings! Your voice!"

"Take that! Do you remember now?"

Lightbeam flew a circle around the blast, "Oh my god. Lightwing, is that you?!"

"Yes, you dolt! It's me!"

"But, you... you had such beautiful long blonde hair!"

"It was a wig. Die!"

"Seriously?" Lightbeam rolled easily around the next attack. "And I thought you retired."

"Shows how much attention you pay to your partners, Joseph."

"Sidekick, Liz. You were my sidekick."

This elicited a shriek from Mine Canary, "You're a bastard! You're a stinking bastard!" And with that, she lifted both arms and fired a continuous blaze of death-energy at the white and yellow costumed hero.

Sensing her renewed intent, Lightbeam nodded and tucked in his chin. With a burst of speed, he shot away, accelerating so it was all that Mine Canary could do to keep up with him. When her curses, and the nasty purple crap she kept throwing at him faded in the distance, Lightbeam slowed and turned about. He could see her, her beautiful wings soaring towards him.

Sighing, Lightbeam shook his head. "It was a wig? Really?" he said to himself in disappointment, "So be it." Taking a deep breath, his eyes narrowed as he focused in on the winged villainess... and then he disappeared without a sound.

Mine Canary was out of breath. She had forgotten just how fast Lightbeam actually was when he wanted to be. "Damn," she cursed to herself, "Where did he go?"

"You never got used to the fact that I could teleport, did you?" she heard Lightbeam ask. He was behind her! Mine Canary whirled around, only just in time to see Lighbeam raise his hand and shoot a ray of light into her eyes.

"Damn it, Joseph," she shrieked, clawing at her face, blinded. "I hate you!"

Flying around her Joseph Santiago III, otherwise known as Lightbeam, nodded sadly even though Mine Canary couldn't see him. Hovering behind her, he struck her neatly in the back of the head and caught her as she fell unconscious. "You hate me? I know."

Knightkat crawled over to where Moonlit-Kit lay and used the laser-knife in his gauntlet to cut through the netting. "Kit," he whispered in concern, feeling for a pulse. Thank god, it was there. "Kit, wake up."

Moonlit-Kit stirred, "Kat?"

"It's me."

"Thank god!" she gasped, sitting up woozily to hug him.

"Careful now," Knightkat whispered, leaning forward to support her.

Suddenly, Moonlit-Kit's eyes widened, "The Legion of Terror!"

"Being taken care of. Look."

The heroine followed Knightkat's gaze, but all she could see was explosive purple fire being hurled across the rooftop. "Is that... Rapskullian?"

"Yes. And he's fighting Praetorian from the Strange Defenders."

She whistled softly in response.

"I know. The villain should just give up now. If you look over there, he's already downed Regicide. And now he's just toying with old skull-face."

Moonlit-Kit jumped suddenly as a loud, agonizing shriek echoed across the rooftop, before quieting to a series of painfully pathetic whimpers.

Wincing himself, Knightkat nodded, "And yep... there it ends. With those broken wrists, he won't be shooting any more death-bolts for a while."

"Did his bracers get crushed?"

"Yea... while they were still on his arms. He'll have to re-engineer some new ones now. That is after his arms heal, and if he can ever straighten them again."

Moonlit-Kit nodded and leaned into Knightkat, not wanting to see anymore. "Kat..."

"Yes?"

"Remind me never to piss off the Strange Defenders. Praetorian scares the shit out of me."

"I know. Me too... me too."

* * *

"Yep. You're fine," Doc Burnsides muttered briskly to Knightkat, as he waved him off the patient table, "Cracked ribs and no internal bleeding. Keep them taped up, stay out of trouble for a little while, and you'll be fine."

Knightkat shook his head as he slid off the cold, hard table, "That scanner thing you ran over me told you all that?" He couldn't believe it. Not only did he and Moonlit-Kit get a lift on the Strange Defender's bird over to the tower that was their base of operations, but Doc Burnsides himself offered to look them over to make sure they were okay.

"No," grumbled Burnsides, "I'm a fucking Doctor, okay? And *I* told you all that."

"Alright! I didn't mean to sound ungrateful."

"Well you did," snarled the Strange Defender's Doctor, "Now get out of my office. I've got other wounded to take care of."

"Yes, sir." Knightkat slipped on the robe that Praetorian let him borrow while he was a guest in the tower and stepped through the sliding door and into the hallway beyond. There he met Moonlit-Kit, gowned in a similar robe. Along the walls of the hallway, large windows looked into other patient rooms, which he glanced into as he strode to meet her.

The first patient he saw was a large man-cat, who looked like he had been tortured as large gouges of fur had been cut from him and ugly stitching crisscrossed the flesh beneath. Knightkat did not linger to look closer.

Nor did he slow at the second window which contained a large, muscular looking piece of meat on life-support. Whoever it was, it might have been a man at one time. Knightkat moved on.

The third room contained a sleeping blonde girl in a red bandana and pajamas, who other than being in a patient room, seemed to be alright. She must have been dreaming, however, as her legs scissored incessantly as she slept.

"That's Sparkle Star," Moonlit-Kit nodded towards the window he looked through.

"From the Invicibles? What is she doing here?"

Moonlit-Kit smiled fondly at Knightkat, "Same as us, Kat. She's a guest."

"Ah."

"She had been captured and missing. And this one..." Moonlit-Kit turned to the window that she stood before, the fourth and final patient, "Saved her."

Knightkat stopped to follow Moonlit-Kit's gaze. There, on the bed slept another young woman with long blonde hair. As far as he could tell, she was very beautiful, with a pixie face, a perfect body and large, beautiful breasts with firm pink nipples that peeked from he edge of the white blanket that covered her. There was something very tight and clean about her small frame that Knightkat couldn't quite put his finger on, however as soft and lovely as her features were, he sensed a steel within her. She was a true superheroine, he was sure of it.

The girl slept serenely, oblivious to all of the blinking medical machines that monitored her health around her. "Who is that?" he asked.

"They say her name is Allure. She's one of the Strange Defender's own."

Knightkat shook his head in admiration, "These Strange Defenders. They're the toughest bunch I've ever seen."

Moonlit-Kit nodded, solemnly, "Allure and the one called Nike. From what I hear, it was them alone who pulled Sparkle Star out of hell."

Knightkat watched through the window, quiet. Finally he asked, "What's wrong with her?"

"They don't know."

"Damn."

* * *

The sweet smell of flowers roused her as sunlight cut through the branches and lit the cracked bark of the massive oak. It was a tremendous summer day and a lovely day to be alive. And just to show it, she spread her wings and trilled happily into the air. Off in the distance, the gentle babble of a stream trickled into a small pond, and the sound of laughing, prancing men and women carried on the air. Leaping from the branch, she glided down towards the tall grasses below the tree. It was the edge of a tranquil glade, and it was at its center that the pond formed.

Landing once more, she hopped through the grass to a stop, her delicate white feathers ruffling and then smoothing once more as she tucked her wings at her side. Cocking her head to the side, she watched curiously as a tall yellow satyr gleefully chased a small group of women around the pond, their bodies naked but for the sheen of dampness that splashed from their skin as they danced about the water's edge.

She shook her head, watching the cackling satyr nearly catch one of the prancing nymphs, but barely miss. The lithe young woman with green flowing hair arched her back and leapt away. She shook her head again, and ruffled her feathers. There was something definitely familiar about the creature.

"Oh yes, you've seen him before..." Something hummed softly in her mind, like a low lullaby.

Startled, she cocked her head once more again and searched all about her. No... there was nothing that she could see in her immediate area. An odd sensation ran itself down her spine... her spine? She shivered and wanted to hold herself. But... how could she do that with these wings?

The soft hum in her ear took on a puzzled quality, "Don't fret too much. It isn't unusual to lose oneself when you've entered the planes for the first time."

Quickly, she hopped about in circles, searching for the source of the voice in her head. And then it materialized before her, a small sparkling cloud whirled before her eyes. "Pretty isn't it? It is called an astral projection," the voice explained, "It is how you see yourself in the planes. Of course, you aren't limited in appearance, but I happen to like being a happy little cloud."

"You mean you don't usually look like that?" she asked.

"Hah! Good, you've found your voice," the sparkly little cloud replied with delight. "And no, I do not look like this usually. And neither do you."

She looked down at herself and inspected her sleek feathers, her wings. "I don't? What...? Who am I?"

If a cloud could shrug, it did. "Names can't be given in the planes. You have to remember it yourself."

"Wait... my name..." she paused in concentration. The cackling and the giggling of the satyr and the nymphs in the distance was distracting and she wished it would stop. "My name..."

Suddenly a shriek echoed out from the pond clearing, followed by a low helpless moan. Craning her neck, she saw that the satyr had caught one of the fleeing nymphs and had pinned her to the ground. There was no foreplay in his motions as he pushed her face first into the grass, her long green hair draping into the pond like a willow tree, and then plunged his rock hard cock deep into her body. Each thrust caused the nymph to squeal in pleasure, and soon the sopping sounds of thick meat filling womenly flesh echoed in the clearing.

She swallowed as she watched, and then it suddenly occurred to her, "That...! That one is called Satyrn!"

"Yes..."

"And I... I am..." The tempo of the fucking in clearing increased, as did the wail of the nymph's ravishment. "I am Allure!" It was said! She knew her name!

"Haha! Yes! I knew it wouldn't be long. You are far too talented a psionic to languish in amnesia."

"But... but where am I?" Allure asked, "And why... am I a bird?"

"That's a good question," the little cloud burbled. "Currently, you are in a dream. The one known as Satyrn's dream in fact."

If Allure could frown at such an answer, she did.

"As far as why you're a bird, for some reason it is how you view yourself currently. Don't worry, you don't have to keep it if you don't like it."

"Well... it is okay, I suppose."

Suddenly, the shrieks of the nymph became louder, and she began to plead and beg for Saytrn to stop -- no more... no more... -- but, the demonic creature only laughed and plunged deeper into the forest spirit. Deeper and harder, until her sex overflowed with his seed like a fountain.

Allure shuddered as she watched the scene. "Do we have to stay here?"

"Heavens no," the little cloud replied, shuddering itself, "Come along. Dreaming is only one level of the planes. I'll take you to a safer one. You can stay with me until you orient yourself."

Allure nodded and hopped after the cloud, "But wait! What do I call you?"

"Anything you like... I'm afraid... I'm not ready to tell you my true name yet."

"Oh. Well... how about Wisp?"

The little cloud nodded, "Wisp it is." And then it floated off through the trees.

Allure chirped happy and took flight to follow.

* * *

"So how long have you been hanging out with that loser, Rapskullian, Liz?"

The gothic villainess called Mine Canary jumped as Lightbeam appeared on the other side of the laser-bars that ran across the length of her cell. Pulling her bare feet up onto the cot, she hugged her knees and turned away from Lightbeam. Imprisoned as she was, without her make-up, and dressed in a clean white shift instead of her dark menacing one, she was just a girl. A girl with feathered wings.

She glared at Lightbeam. They had even washed her hair, returning it to it's natural auburn instead of jet black. "I hate you, Joseph."

Lightbeam shrugged and leaned back against the wall to gaze at Mine Canary through the bars. "I know, Liz. But really, him?"

"He's a great man, Joseph. He may not be blessed with powers like you, or cursed with grotesque growths like me-"

"Your wings aren't grotesque."

Mine Canary glared at him. "Shut up. Cursed... like me," she repeated, "But he's a brilliant man. He built me the death-bolt bracers. They were a gift."

Lightbeam stared at her. Finally, he sighed, "Fine, fine. He's the smartest... most genius-ified man on the planet. But damn it, Liz... a villain?!"

"He accepted me, Joseph..."

"Oh, don't start that, Liz..."

"I'm his partner."

"I'm sure you are," Lightbeam deadpanned.

"And he fucks my brains out every night... my wings turn him on."

"That's enough, Liz."

"He makes me scream and takes me so hard that I can only get around the morning after by flying."

"That's enough I said!" Lightbeam shouted.

Mine Canary quieted, and then a slow smile touched her lips. "You're jealous aren't you. That some supervillain got what the legendary Lightbeam did not."

Lightbeam glared. Moments later, he shook his head, "Liz. This will be the last time I visit you. I just wanted to let you know what is going to become of you and your 'Legion of Terror'."

Mine Canary shrugged, "Going back to Helsing, obviously."

"Yes. But, without Rapskullian. He'll be transferred from the Strange Defender's tower to a secret facility."

Mine Canary nodded, silently. "I see."

Lightbeam nodded, "That's all. I'm through here." He turned to walk away.

"Joseph?"

"Yes?" He stopped.

Mine Canary met Lightbeam's gaze, and this time he could see the pain there. "Why... why didn't you ever..."

"Why didn't I ever take you to bed?"

"Yes... Didn't you know? I dreamed about you every night. There were times, when we were out patrolling together, and I thought you'd see the wet spot in my costume above my pussy... or the dark streaks running down my thighs."

"Liz..."

"I was your partner, damn-it!" she shouted.

Lightbeam stared at Mine Canary, until finally he shook his head and sighed. "No... Liz. I told you already, were my sidekick."

"Its the same thing!"

"No, its not. You were my sidekick. And I don't do that." With that, Lightbeam turned and walked away.

Walked away... to the next cell over.

"So, what are you staring at, Lightbeam?" her voice was husky. She was dangerous even without a weapon, so they had her dangling, chained up high against the wall, her arms manacled above her head and bindings and more chains at her thighs and ankles. Spread wide like she was, she was practically doing the splits. Pressed back against the wall, she was forced her to push her impressive tits out, even if they were still covered by the flimsy white robe they let her keep.

"Fishnet... Fishnet... Fishnet," chuckled Lightbeam. "Why does it always seem we're meeting this way..."

Fishnet leaned her head back, letting her long black hair press up against the wall. "Like what?"

"You know what I mean... you doing villainy, me having to come and bust you back to prison. All the destruction... all the fighting..." Lightbeam reached over and shut off the laser bars and stepped into the cell.

Fishnet lifted her chin and fixed him with a smoldering glare. "I am a warrior woman of Lemuria, Lightbeam... there can be no other way."

Lightbeam chuckled and moved before her. With a leer, he gazed down at her breasts, "Ah yes... you're a warrior woman of Lemuria. And I especially love that you warrior women abide by the code of the ancients."

Fishnet smiled slightly, but she turned away, silent.

Lightbeam leaned into her, his hand slipping into the front her robe, feeling the firm flesh of her heavy breast. She wore no bra, and Fishnet gasped as his thumb found her nipple. For a hardened warrioress, she was delightfully sensitive, as he rolled it... flicked it... and tortured it beneath the smooth material. "Say it..." he ordered, whispering in her ear.

"N-nnnn..." she moaned, shaking her head slightly.

"Say it..." he ordered again, but with more firmness. "Slave."

"To... the victor," she breathed, "Goes the spoils."

Lightbeam smiled. It was said, the traditional acknowledgment of submission. And then he went to work, one hand move to pull open her thin robe, while the other unbuckled the belt that kept it pinned to her waist.

"But..." she protested, "Lightbeam... it was not you who defeated me."

Lightbeam raised an eyebrow as he leaned back to look Fishnet in the face. "No," he replied, when he saw that it was only a moderate protest... a technical pointing out of the law, and that there was an eager fire in her eyes, "The victors are the Strange Defenders... and if we wanted to we could all drag you down and gang fuck you into oblivion, slave."

To that, Fishnet smiled, "You know... that is why I like you Strange Defender men. You're not afraid to claim your prizes."

Lightbeam groaned, tearing open Fishnet's robe now, unable to wait, and gazed upon her beautiful bronzed flesh. Her firm breasts... her flat belly... the flare of her hips and her thighs and legs... and her pink slit, already dripping wet, delicately spread wide and framed by trim black fur. Breathing heavily, he gazed at her lush body... and then their eyes met, and he was upon her.

Fishnet shrieked with pleasure as Lightbeam fell upon her like a ravenous beast, his mouth devouring her bloated tits, sucking her sensitive flesh, mauling her helpless nipples, while his large hand plunged violently into her exposed cunt. Helplessly, she screamed and shuddered as he divided her in half with a four-finger gouge, ramming his long hard digits into her pussy so hard that she slammed back against the metal wall of her cell again and again and again... the echoes of the brutality reverberating down the hall and mixing with her screams.

As Lightbeam moved from one breast to the other, his free hand moved up and clamped itself over her mouth to muffle her cries, and soon, there was only the sound of her head and body slamming against the wall as she was finned long and hard.

Again and again, he destroyed her pussy with his hand, pounding her inside out. Spatter from her overactive cunt-juices painted the wall behind her with each thrust, exploding like gunshot residue all over her legs and belly and ass. Faster and harder he took her until, her eyes rolled back in her skull, and her body quavered in multiple release.

Releasing her mouth, Lightbeam let her shudder and breathe deeply for a moment, watching her abused nipples drip with his saliva. "What's the only thing you're good for, slave?" he asked.

"Cum..." she moaned, her eyes half-glazed... "To fill with... cum..."

"That's right," smiled Lightbeam, with lust in his eyes. "But not yet."

Grabbing Fishnet beneath her knees, he pushed into her joints so her legs rose high, but the weight of her body forced her torso down. Up she rose, until her knees were pressed high and her thighs was spread before Lightbeam like a butterfly... her sex exposed to him, dripping, unprotected... and very very tender. "Master," she breathed... whined, and then she screamed as Lightbeam's face lowered and dove into her sex.

Lightbeam's tongue burrowed deeply into Fishnet's overly tender sex, exploring it, spreading it, and ravishing it over and over again. Her clit, huge and hungry, poked out from beneath its hidden nook and received his rough attention, again and again until it too dripped with his burning saliva. He didn't care if she screamed now... she was his to use by ancient right. Let everyone know that when he was through, she had been claimed thoroughly. Again and again, she screamed, and again and again, his tongue backed out to torture the sensitive flesh between her pussy and asshole, only to run rings around her puckering anus before returning to the deep recesses of her sex. By the time his mouth was through with her, the villainess had been reduced to incoherent madness.

It was only then, when her shrieks were wild, and her pleading was nothing more than drool, did Lightbeam press the release on the wall and lower her back down. But he wasn't done. Twisting her around, he slammed her face up against the wall and leaned into her. He knew she could hear her voice... and that some part of her mind understood, when he spoke into her ear. "And now, slave... the prize."

Fishnet moaned into the metal wall. And then, she was invaded.

Lightbeam's prick was massive, and he plunged it in and out of the villainess' destroyed pussy violently. He could feel her body, seize and seize as overwhelming orgasm after orgasm sent her body into shudders. Deeper and deeper, he drove himself into her, forcing her juices to overflow itself around his cock. Lightbeam had heard a long time ago that the nectar of the women of the ancient races, like the Atlanteans... the Venusians, and even the Lemurians, had powerful sexual properties. Aphrodisiacs. And if the size of his hard-on was any indication, those rumors were most certainly true.

Suddenly, though Lightbeam had to see her face. Had to see her eyes. She had to know... had to see his bloated meat enter her again and again to the hilt. Ramming himself into her one last time, Lightbeam withdrew and flipped the supervillainess around. "Watch it..." he commanded her. Her eyes rolled, her conciousness shattered by the brutal fucking, but she did as commanded, and her Lemurian eyes lowered to watch as he slowly impaled her. Inch by inch it disappeared into her body, causing her to shake and moan, until finally, he was balls deep. And he was fucking her spine in half with long, controlling strokes.

With her back against the wall once more, the powerful sound of Fishnet's thorough domination boomed off the walls once more, along with her more muted mewling cries. Lightbeam closed his eyes as he thrust hard into her again and again and again.

It occurred to him that in the distance, Mine Canary must be listening to her comrade's callous use. And she had to know it was Lightbeam that was doing it. So be it, Lightbeam smiled to himself. Listen, sidekick, and be envious.

Cruelly, Lightbeam increased his powerful tempo, pounding Fishnet's pussy harder and harder into jelly. Fishnet mewling cries turned into screams of agonizing pleasure, as Lightbeam's thrusts turned into a frenzy. Until he himself lost control, and released powerful fountains of his seed again and again in the body of his slave. White cum exploded from her pussy, mingling with her nectar and splattering in pale rivulets down the metal wall.

When all was through, Lightbeam leaned back and staggered away from Fishnet's limp body. Using the chain controls, he lifted her cum-flooded body back to its original position and gently tried to rearrange her robe to cover her use. It was pointless, as the pool of their combined fluids seemed to continuously grow as it poured from her sex, but there were some levels of civility he meant to keep.

As stepped back out of the cell and energized the bars again, he turned back to the villainess. "Like always, an exceptional time, Fishnet."

Fishnet lifted her weary head and smiled, "Of course, Lightbeam. Why else do you think I surrender so easily when you Strange Defenders come after me?"

Lightbeam grinned and turned to depart. However, after a step he hesitated. "One more thing... slave."

Fishnet met his gaze. "Yes, Master?" she replied, her voice, like her body, still dripping with desire.

"If you ever want to send Mine Canary into fits... tell her all about it."

Fishnet grinned, "Yes, Master."

Then, with a laugh, Lightbeam and left the cell. By the time he reached the prison doors, he was even whistling a cheerful tune.

End Chapter