SUPERHEROINE TEAM UP PRELUDE: PHANTOM LADY by Valereya James, http://valereyajames.deviantart.com/ Tony Vega licked his lips with anticipation as he rubbed his hands together. Of all the things to happen to a random goon in Opal City, getting the drop on Phantom Lady had to be the best thing. Phantom Lady was crouched the far side of the rooftop, looking down on the street below. The high winds had blown her cape to the side, giving Tony an excellent view of the lime green thong that cleaved her majestic ass cheeks. Oh the things I'm gonna do to her he thought as he quietly approached. He was a random sentry, one of many spread across this section of town to make sure the plan went off without a hitch. It went through his head that maybe he should call for help, but nah. This was his catch. Phantom Lady leaned out, sticking her ass out even more. For a moment, Tony wondered how she could even fight crime in an outfit like that. Her costume consisted of a lime green sling-shot bikini and a cape, not exactly practical. Then Tony realized he didn't care how practical it was, but it looked damn good. He was only a few feet away, raising his open hands, ready to take the scantily clad superheroine by surprise. And then the lights went out. Everything went black. Tony whirled around. It was pitch, he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. How? He was outside, the lights from the city, the stars, the moon, streetlights, all of it. It was the darkest he had ever known. Tony started to wheel around, see if he could find something to break the darkness. "I would watch my step if I were you, one wrong move and you'll be splattered all over the pavement." A female voice rang out from the blackness. "What? Who the- What the hell is this?" Tony pulled his gun from his jacket, hoping a target would present itself. "I'll be asking the questions" The woman said. Tony's wrist twisted, the gun ripped from it. He screamed and backed up. "How are you doing this!" He screamed. "I said I would be asking the questions." Tony felt a hand push against him. He reached out, groping in the darkness for his attacker but found nothing. He wheeled around, arms outstretched, finding only empty air. He took a step forward. And felt himself plunging into space. His arms flailed, a scream escaped his lips when he felt someone grab his leg. Tony screamed and groped at nothing while he dangled over some abyss. "I told you to watch your step." The Woman said. "Please, don't let go! Please! Please! Please!" "I'm willing to be nice if you are." She said. "Yes! Yes! Please! What do you want?" "As I said, I'll be asking the questions." *** After the interrogation, Phantom Lady knocked the goon out and left him tied up on the roof, which was better than what he intended for her, she was sure. She looked down at his unconscious body and allowed herself a smile. She looked at her new Blacklight Projector in her hand, pleased that it had passed it's test run. She had a run in with some criminals a few months ago and lost her last Blacklight Projector, and had finally finished constructing a new one. It allowed her to shroud herself in darkness as well as anyone she pointed it at, only the neon goggles on her head allowed her to see in the impenetrable darkness. She hooked the Projector to her belt and slid the goggles up on her forehead, knowing her night wasn't over yet. As pleased as she was with herself, she didn't like what the goon had told her. She had been focusing her efforts as of late on cleaning up the slums of Opal City. Her father, Senator Knight, was attempting to revitalize this area, though crime was keeping businesses and other politicians away from it. As Phantom Lady, she was making it her business to cut down the crime so her father could accomplish his work. She allowed the goon to think he had the drop on her so she could get him to drop his guard and interrogate him. She noticed a lot of sentries posted on random rooftops, tipping her that something was up. The goon had confirmed her suspicions, telling her that a tenement not far from her was scheduled to go up in flames. Someone did not want the slums saved. Phantom Lady started running towards the next rooftop. Gritting her teeth, she jumped, landing on the next roof and continuing to run, never breaking her stride. Whoever was behind this was going down, tonight. *** Phantom Lady stood on the rooftop looking down at the old tenements. Windows were blown out, the paint rotting, empty. She knew some of these did have people living in them, it was sad, the thing her father wanted to change. She had been watching for some time now and hadn't seen anyone go in or out, but the goon told her this was the place. Could it be a trap? She was always cautious, more so now after her experience with "The Boss". Phantom Lady had found herself tied up and at the mercy of "The Boss" and her goons more times than she cared to admit, sometimes in a state of undress worse than what she was now. She kept watching the old buildings, but there was something about the silence she didn't trust. As much as she hated to admit it, she would have to go down there and check it out. *** Her cape flapped in the wind as Phantom Lady strode across the street. If anyone was behind her, they would be getting a perfect view of her thonged behind. But the streets still seemed deserted. Phantom Lady stopped on the staircase outside the tenement and stared at it. The door was slightly ajar, someone could have been in, set a bomb, and left. It was risky, it could go off at any moment. She unhooked her Blacklight Projector from her belt and lowered her goggles. She walked up the stairs and edged the door open. Still silent. Quietly, she set one foot in front of the other. She stood inside the lobby, taking in the building. The door closed behind her. Before she could react, a hand clamped over her mouth. "Mmmmph! Ummmph!" She protested. Another pair of hands ripped her Blacklight Projector from her hands. "What have we here? Snoooping?" "Hmmmph! Ummmph!" Phantom Lady kicked as her captors started dragging her away. *** Her goggles and Blacklight Projector, along with her belt, sat on an old rickety table on the other side of the basement. One goon tied her to a chair while another tied her feet together. Another goon, the one she took as the leader, was setting a bomb on the same table as her supplies. "I hate to say it, but if you want to be sneaky, you might want to think of a different costume." Said the goon tying her feet. Behind her, the other goon finished tying the ropes around her chest. Her hands were also tied to the back of the chair. "What do you plan on doing here? Who do you work for?" Phantom Lady demanded. "Not in much of a position to ask questions, lady." Said the goon with the bomb. She could see a timer on it. "I will be once I get free." She said. She tugged on the ropes, tied tight. "After the next one we gotta get back, the crew in Angel City has the package." "Angel City? You boys aren't local." She said. "We're expanding." Said the leader The goons finished tying her and stepped away. The leader took a step towards her. "We got a few more tenements to destroy before the night is over. We can't have anyone interfering." He said. "Why? What do you want?" "To keep things as they are. Like I said, expansion. Now, I hate to leave you lady, but we got a few more buildings to level." "You're insane. Some of these buildings have people living in them! You'll never get away with- Ummmph! Mmmmph!" The leader stepped behind her and wrapped a thick, white cloth around her mouth, gagging her. Phantom Lady twisted her head as she felt the gag being knotted at the back of her head. "Mllppphghhp! Mlllumph! UmmmPhhmmmph!" She protested into the gag filling her mouth. "Sorry lady, time for you to get bulldozed like the rest of these people." The leader smiled and walked over to the bomb. "Mmmmph! Ummmph! Mmmmmph! Nmmmpooph! Mmmlummmph!" She pleaded with him from under the gag. The leader laughed and hit the timer. 3:00 flashed and began counting down. "Glllmmmph! Uggglumpph! Mmmmoooll!" She tugged on her bonds. The goons laughed and headed for the staircase. "One of you hang around, make sure she doesn't come out." she heard the leader say. "Ummmmph! Mmmmph! Glllphhn!" She moaned through the gag. She pulled and strained, seeing if maybe she could break the old chair. 2:30 "Mmmmmph!" She grumbled when she looked at the clock. She started rocking the chair back and forth. "Mmmmph! Ummmph!" The chair teetered. She allowed herself another look at the timer. "Ummmph!" She didn't like what she saw, "Mmmmph!" She threw herself to the side. The chair toppled. She heard a loud CRACK. She tugged on her bound hands. Still secured to the chair. "Mmmmmmmph! Grrrrrrmmph!" She grunted as she strained and pulled. Her muscles screamed, pushing against the constricting rope. She took another look at the timer. "Ummph!" the sound she emitted came out like a squeak. She was not doing good on time. She tried to twist around, every muscle in her body screaming. The chair protested, creaking along with her. "MMMMMRRRRRPH" The chair turned, creaking as it went. The back legs cracked and she felt the ropes around her legs slacken. "Mmmph!" Another squeak, this one of shock. She started to shake her leg, trying to get the ropes to fall away. One leg stretched free, and she tried using it to help clear the rope away from her other leg. It worked. She stood, her legs free but her arms and waist still tied to the chair. "Mmmmph!" she threw herself back against the wall. Pain shot through her entire back. The chair held. "Grrrrmph!" She threw herself back again. The chair split apart. She stood up straight. Her hands were still tied behind her. She took a look at the timer. No time. She sprinted up the stairs, still bound and gagged, and hit the door with her shoulder. It flew open and she emerged into the first floor. Directly across from her was an open window. "Mmmph!" Phantom Lady ran for the window like she had never ran before. She braced her legs and jumped out into space. And landed in a dumpster. The impact caused the lid to close above her. Then the explosion came. The boom was deafening. The metal of the dumpster echoed around her. She felt her metal prison being thrown by the force of the blast. Her hands still bound, she braced her legs against the side of it. "MMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPHHHH!" she screamed into her gag as the dumpster bounced and rolled, and then suddenly it jarred to a halt. "Ummmph!" She screamed as she was thrown from one side of the dumpster to another. Her head slammed against the metal. And then there was black. *** "Ummmphh..." She sighed into her gag. Her eyes drifted open, looking up at the stars above her. The dumpster had over turned, she lay, still bound, in a pile of garbage. Her head throbbed. "Mmmmph... mmmmph..." She opened and closed her eyes, trying to shake the cobwebs. She turned her head. The tenement was ablaze. Flames licked the sky. Flaming embers joined the light of the stars. Phantom Lady rolled over, shaking her head. "Mmmm..." She surveyed the street. One of the henchmen stood by a black car, admiring the destruction. Elsewhere, the sound of another explosion hit. She had failed. They were destroying the tenements. The hencman's phone rang. He answered and walked towards the explosion, his back towards her. "Ummmph..." Phantom Lady got to her feet. They wobbled beneath her. Her stomach did flips. She closed her eyes and tried to collect herself. Last thing she needed was to throw up while still gagged. Using all of her will to control her body, she ran towards the car. The henchman was right outside the flaming building now. "Yeah, I'm sure she was in there." He said. Phantom Lady collapsed behind the car, breathing heavily through her gag. She slipped her bound hands under her feet and up in front of her, pulling down her gag and allowing herself a breath. Using her teeth, she undid the ropes binding her hands and fell against the back of the car. "Okay, so the place in Angel City? I'll leave now." Phantom Lady peeked out from around the car. The henchman still had his back to her. She had to act. She tested the trunk, feeling for a latch. It popped open. She took another look at the henchman. He was still admiring the flames. Quickly she opened the trunk and dived in, and gently pulled it closed. She lay completely still, hoping the henchman hadn't heard or seen her. If he did, she didn't know if she had the strength to fight him. She lay there for what seem like an eternity in darkness. Finally, she heard the engine start. Phantom Lady allowed herself to relax. The car started moving. Angel City was a far drive, but she would not let these goons win. She owed it to her father. She relaxed though and gave in to her exhaustion, allowing sleep to overtake her. TO BE CONTINUED IN PHANTOM LADY/BLACK SCORPION TEAM UP.