Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 19:31:55 GMT -5
Titans East Chapter #57 – “Sports Minded”
Written by: Green Lantern
Edited by: Power Guy & Marcus Mebes
In the room containing Black Vulcan and the Sportsmaster
Celeste was disgusted at the thought of allowing a slime-ball like the Sportsmaster kiss her. She considered her options with a heavy heart. She wanted to see her mother’s face again. She wanted to embrace her father and tell him how much she loved him. “All right, creep: Go ahead and do it, but NO TONGUE!”
Meanwhile
“YOU GOTTA BE OUTTA YOUR (Censored by the Hall of Justice Fan-fiction Code Authority) mind!” shouted the Silencer in a fiery anger.
“Look, dude,” explained the Sportsmaster calmly, “at this point the only way for me to get out of here is for me to become one with my other self waiting outside. I can only bring you with me if I have a good hold of you. Seeing that I am completely and helplessly trapped in this rubble, the only way I can get a good hold on you to take you with me is with my mouth… so, pucker up!”
The Silencer was so angry that his vision seemed to turn red. There was absolutely no way that he was about to kiss a guy, and especially not a fruitcake like the Sportsmaster. He decided that this would really be his last stand. He felt a bit embittered at how young he would die. He was mostly frustrated at himself that he walked right into this trap.
The Sportsmaster made some kissing sounds with his lips and batted his eyes at the Silencer. Stew swung his right arm with all of his might and…
POW!
To Stewart Carr’s amazement he found himself safely on land with the Sportsmaster writhing in agony at his feet from the punch. Suddenly another Sportsmaster appeared about twenty-five feet away. To Stew’s shock Black Vulcan was in a lip lock with him. Black Vulcan quickly pushed away the Sportsmaster in humiliated embarrassment.
“Don’t worry, Vulcan,” said the Silencer in compassion, “I won’t tell anyone.”
The Sportsmaster then drew both of his duplicates back to himself. Catching Black Vulcan off guard he quickly grabbed her and kissed her passionately.
CRACKLE! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! SNAP!
“I ain’t sheddin’ no tears for you this time, creep,” said Celeste Pierce as she looked down on the unconscious Sportsmaster.
The Sportsmaster’s Quarters: The Following Day at 1pm
A rude jabbing in his side abruptly awaked Christopher Martin.
“GET UP, JERK!” said a commanding voice.
“You have a LOT to answer for,” added another voice.
Chris rubbed his eyes and sat up. He rolled his eyes once he realized that those two self-righteous jerks, Wonder Man and Nightvision were standing before him with their arms crossed.
“You mind telling us why you tried to kill Black Vulcan and the Silencer?” asked Wonder Man.
“What do you mean?” said Chris indignantly, “I saved their lives!” He noticed the unbelieving glance the two costumed men gave one another.
“So, you didn’t set the trap that almost killed Black Vulcan and the Silencer?” asked Nightvision calmly.
“No! It was a trap set for me! I needed help and they willingly gave it… and I’m glad they did or I probably wouldn’t be here,” explained the Sportsmaster.
“So, who DID set that trap?” asked Wonder Man impatiently.
“The Sting Ray,” answered the villain craftily.
Nightvision drew nearer to the Sportsmaster and asked firmly, “And what is this that we hear about you forcing Black Vulcan to kiss you?”
“It was the only way I knew of to save her. I don’t normally kiss the kind of girl who asks the guy for a kiss, but her life was at stake,” explained Chris.
“What!?! Who asked who for a kiss?” demanded Wonder Man.
“I don’t think we should be angry at her. I think she ran out of ideas and really thought she was going to die. So, she asked me to kiss her,” said the Sportsmaster. “Then I realized that I could probably save her if I kissed her and transported out of there. It was a risk, I admit, but it worked.”
Against his better judgment Nightvision asked, “and what happened with the Silencer?”
“Well, first he tried to bribe me into saving him…”
“Bribe you!?!” exclaimed Wonder Man incredulously.
“He was helpless and distraught. You never know what someone will do when they are staring death in the face,” said the Sportsmaster in recollection. “So, after he gave me all of the Hall of Justice codes I explained to him that I couldn’t help him without some type of physical contact. When I told him that Black Vulcan offered to kiss me, he–”
“I am sorry, Sportsmaster, but we are finished listening to your lies. I am calling Amanda Waller right now and getting your sorry butt shipped out of here.”
Nightvision and Wonder Man listened in horror as the Sportsmaster began calmly reciting the various Hall of Justice codes from memory.
“Where did you get those codes!?!” demanded Wonder Man.
The Sportsmaster gasped in offense and said sharply, “I just told you. From the Silencer.”
Nightvision and Wonder Man looked at one another in shock. They were both obviously unprepared for this development.
“Look,” said the Sportsmaster reasonably, “I know we all got off to a wrong start and you don’t trust me, and I can’t blame you. But being on this team and having a chance to make up for my past sins means a lot to me. My report to ‘the Wall’ is at four o’clock. That gives you guys more than two and a half hours to change the codes.”
Wonder Man stormed out of the room.
“I’d watch my step, Sportsmaster,” warned Nightvision as he left the room.
Christopher Martin sat back in his bed and put his arms comfortably behind his head. “Mission accomplished,” he thought to himself in congratulations. No one had guessed his real purpose in the events of the week. No one knew what he was really after, but his plan had worked perfectly. When Black Vulcan zapped him, his invisibility powers were restored. The young schemer created a duplicate of himself. The second Sportsmaster then turned invisible and rushed to the Hall of Justice computer where he copied the new codes as Nightvision and the Silencer frantically reprogrammed them.
The Office of Amanda Waller: 5:01pm
Amanda Waller was very pleased. Using that deranged wacko Sportsmaster as her informant in the Titans East was a stroke of genius. She couldn’t believe how much time she had wasted trying to get information through that Black Vulcan wimp. She was nothing like her father. “The Wall” concentrated on breaking into the Hall of Justice computer files. A smug look radiated from her face as a very tempting idea passed through her mind. She remembered quite well that Starman was formerly a member of the Titans East before he transferred to the West Coast branch of the team. Perhaps there would be some juicy images of him in the Titans East files. Her heart palpitated as she entered codes into the Hall of Justice files. Waiting for the computer to respond seemed an eternity. The finally the site requested information:
NAME:
AGE:
WEIGHT: …never mind, I can see that you seriously need to go on a diet!!!!
You didn’t really think that cracking the Hall of Justice codes would be that easy did you? GET A BOYFRIEND!
Amanda pounded her fist on the desk, knocking her coffee mug on the floor. Piping hot coffee splashed on her ankles and caused her to do a dance of pain in her office.
“I will shut down that team if it’s the last thing I do!” vowed the enraged woman.
“She’s Not Done Yet”
Written by: Scotty2hotty & Power Guy
Card by: Green Lantern
Edited by: Marcus Mebes
Malibu, CA…
The aurakle called Halo sailed across the warm Malibu sky. She was on her way to meet Prince Brion of Markovia who was in the States to seek backers for the new Miss Markovia pageant. It had been quite some time since the former teammates had a chance to see each other and relax. Halo now inhabited a body that resembled her first incarnation, Violet Harper. In fact, Halo had eased into the life of an ordinary citizen and rarely used her aurakle abilities any more.
She flew along the coastline and noticed a familiar scent. “Orchids?” she thought to herself. She said aloud, “There must be a green house nearby. I may stop and look for a bit. Wouldn’t it be funny if I brought Brion flowers?”
“I don’t think Brion is the flowers kind of guy,” came a harsh female voice.
Halo turned around in the air to see the familiar form of the Black Orchid.
“Oh God…” she gasped as she flew straight up. Halo had seen the news about the attacks on super heroes and she remembered the Black Orchid massacre from having seen it first-hand. Black Orchid was flying toward her screaming like a banshee. Halo fired off a blast of blue light which caused the madwoman to become disoriented. The blonde woman reached into her duffle bag and produced a cell phone.
“Brion can make it here fast and bring help,” she thought.
Black Orchid had shaken off the effects of the blue ray and flew full throttle at Halo, ripping the cell phone from her hands.
“You stupid bimbo! Don’t you know you’re roaming out here?” Black Orchid screeched as she crushed the cell phone in her fist.
The blonde heroine fired all colors of rays at her assailant, which were ably dodged. Halo decided it was best to try to reach the ground. Black Orchid followed right behind. A ray of green bathed Black Orchid’s body and she found she was held in stasis.
“That should hold you until I can get help. I have a feeling lots of people will rest easier knowing you aren’t roaming loose, you monster!” Halo told the struggling murderer.
Just then Black Orchid let loose a yell that sounded like a crazed animal and lunged at Halo. Halo was so stunned that her opponent had gotten loose that she didn’t have time to react.
“You thought you could stop me!? You!? All you can do is fire off pretty colors! You and your whole team of Outsiders are no match for me!!!” Black Orchid giggled maniacally. Halo struggled, but her assailant had her by the throat. With her free hand, the woman in purple plunged her fist into Halo’s chest, wrapping her fingers around Halo’s beating heart. Halo let out a choked gurgle and a single tear ran down her face.
“Who’s your valentine, honey!!?” the woman sneered as she ripped the heart from Halo’s chest.
Halo’s final thoughts were of her son, Lieutenant Atom. Images from his childhood on up to the present filled her mind as she took her final breath.
Even though Halo was dead, Black Orchid was not done mutilating the body. She ripped off the head and held it high, letting the blood cover her body like a macabre shower. “Well that should send a message to that new Justice League… but just in case, I better stop and pick-up a little party-favor.”
***
The next morning…
Prince Brion Markov was awake, but still in his posh hotel bed. He wondered what had happened to his friend. He still knew her as Gabrielle, and that name would never change, regardless of how she appeared. He knew she could be impulsive and surmised she would call later with silly reasons that she never showed. He stepped into the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks. In the sink was the head of his former teammate. On the mirror scrawled in her blood was “Who’s next?”
***
Meanwhile on Paradise Island…
The Amazon known as Bonda made her way down an isolated corridor to Fausta’s cell. Bonda had worked with many women who had been brought to Reform Island, and most of them had been successfully rehabilitated and released back into society. However, Fausta was as evil and cruel as she had been the day she first arrived.
One of Fausta’s few luxuries was a German newspaper that Queen Diana had arranged to be delivered via the United Nations. Perhaps the Queen thought if Fausta began to miss her homeland enough, she might accept the Amazons’ message of loving submission to authority.
Bonda arrived, newspaper and a tray of food in hand. Fausta often refused meals and would exercise to the point of exhaustion daily. “Ah! The lovely Bonda. You are late today, my pretty. Were you playing a binding game with your Amazon sisters?” the villainess sneered.
Bonda slid the tray, along with the newspaper, through a small door into Fausta’s cell.
“Don’t rush off. I am a bit lonely today,” Fausta requested as she skimmed over the articles in her newspaper.
“You know Fausta, if you would allow us to give you a Venus girdle, you would be allowed outside,” Bonda said. “You could even interact with the other women.”
“No thank you. I have no use for your Amazon gimmicks or trickery. Hmmmm… Miss Germany crowned… Oktoberfest underway… new German designer unveils fall line… What has happened to my beloved Deutschland? All of these trivial matters when the people should united and fight for the Reich!!”
“The Germany you knew ended years ago. Oh, Fausta! Why can’t you use your talents and gifts for the betterment of your country… and the world?” Bonda pleaded, growing even more frustrated with the German madwoman.
Fausta ignored her and continued reading her newspaper. “Here is a story worth reading! Did you see this Bonda!? Your precious Queen Diana’s son has been betrayed by one of his own! I never suspected that wimp Venus had it in her!”
“Yes we know all about Venus and Black Orchid. That poor, poor girl.”
“ ‘Poor’,” echoed Fausta in mocking surprise. “You pity the Black Orchid? You are a fool like the other women on this island. When I get free—and I will—I shall find this delicate flower… this Black Orchid. She would be a worthy ally… a fierce killing machine. Perhaps I would let her kill you, Bonda. I would save you for last, since you have been so kind to me and I would make sure your death would be quick, albeit painful.”
“You are a monster!” Bonda shouted. “You will never leave this island. You are a menace not only to yourself, but to all people.
Fausta flung the tray of food across the room. She lunged at the bars of her cell and Bonda jumped back. “Leave me Bonda. I must begin conditioning my body for the blood bath to come. The Black Orchid is an unstoppable force… a worthy companion to me. Perhaps she was engineered by the Reich itself. I warn you Bonda. Find a way off this island if you want to live. I swear to you… My new Axis Amerika will make the holocaust look like a child’s tea party compared to what I will have Black Orchid do to you and your island.” Fasuta then dropped to the floor and started doing push ups. Bonda merely stood back, rattled by Fausta’s warning.
***
Later in the Ghost Zone…
John and Jenna Stevens worked feverishly to prepare dinner as both were starving after their long walk in Central Park earlier that day.
“We haven’t had your Pepper Steak in months. I can taste it already,” commented John as he kissed his wife on the neck.
“It will be done soon. I just need to make the gravy,” Jenna said as she returned a kiss to her husband’s cheek. All of a sudden, she pulled away and opened the door to the pantry frantically. “Ugh… we’re out of cornstarch. John?”
“I’ll run to the store. Give me ten minutes,” John said as he changed into the Stranger. He approached his wife again, this time kissing her on the cheek.
Jenna was breathless as always as shivers went down her spine. Before she could say a word, the Stranger teleported out.
Minutes later, the Stranger materialized in Tampa, Florida, behind a Publix supermarket. As he walked to the front of the store, he changed his costume into civilian clothing. The trip through the store to the isle where the cornstarch was kept didn’t take John long as he was extremely hungry. On his way up to the register, he noticed the store had fresh cut roses for sale. He smiled as he picked up dozen to bring home for Jenna. After making his purchase, he exited the store and made his way to the back of the building to teleport home.
Upon materializing back in his home, he called out to his beloved wife, “Honey, I’m home!” There was no response.
“She must have the pasta water boiling so hard that she can’t hear me,” he thought as he made his way to the kitchen. “That was pretty dumb,” he added to himself, realizing that no matter how roiling a boil, it couldn’t be loud enough to deafen someone. Upon entering the room, he dropped the cornstarch and the flowers he had bough in response to the horror before him.
There stood the Black Orchid holding his beloved wife Jenna by her throat with a twisted grin on her face. “Well, well, well, it took you long enough Houdini.”
Many emotions ran through the Stranger’s head before he responded: anger, fear, contempt, and loathing. “How did you get here?! You dare threaten my wife?” he said as his hands started to glow. Objects in the room started to levitate and the house began to shake. He could not fathom how the woman could have found his home.
“Spare me the theatrics, Stranger,” countered Black Orchid, tightening her grip around Jenna’s neck. The pretty wife of the Stranger started to gag and choke.
“How did you get in here woman?” demanded the Stranger trying to buy time.
“Fool! I followed you through your portal during your last trip to earth. My shape-changing ability allowed me to appear invisible so that you had no idea I stowed away. Now, your sweet little hussy here just might make it through the night it you play nice. You have something I need magic-man. All you have to do is trade it for your wife’s life,” she said staring the Stranger down.
The End
Written by: Green Lantern
Edited by: Power Guy & Marcus Mebes
In the room containing Black Vulcan and the Sportsmaster
Celeste was disgusted at the thought of allowing a slime-ball like the Sportsmaster kiss her. She considered her options with a heavy heart. She wanted to see her mother’s face again. She wanted to embrace her father and tell him how much she loved him. “All right, creep: Go ahead and do it, but NO TONGUE!”
Meanwhile
“YOU GOTTA BE OUTTA YOUR (Censored by the Hall of Justice Fan-fiction Code Authority) mind!” shouted the Silencer in a fiery anger.
“Look, dude,” explained the Sportsmaster calmly, “at this point the only way for me to get out of here is for me to become one with my other self waiting outside. I can only bring you with me if I have a good hold of you. Seeing that I am completely and helplessly trapped in this rubble, the only way I can get a good hold on you to take you with me is with my mouth… so, pucker up!”
The Silencer was so angry that his vision seemed to turn red. There was absolutely no way that he was about to kiss a guy, and especially not a fruitcake like the Sportsmaster. He decided that this would really be his last stand. He felt a bit embittered at how young he would die. He was mostly frustrated at himself that he walked right into this trap.
The Sportsmaster made some kissing sounds with his lips and batted his eyes at the Silencer. Stew swung his right arm with all of his might and…
POW!
To Stewart Carr’s amazement he found himself safely on land with the Sportsmaster writhing in agony at his feet from the punch. Suddenly another Sportsmaster appeared about twenty-five feet away. To Stew’s shock Black Vulcan was in a lip lock with him. Black Vulcan quickly pushed away the Sportsmaster in humiliated embarrassment.
“Don’t worry, Vulcan,” said the Silencer in compassion, “I won’t tell anyone.”
The Sportsmaster then drew both of his duplicates back to himself. Catching Black Vulcan off guard he quickly grabbed her and kissed her passionately.
CRACKLE! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! SNAP!
“I ain’t sheddin’ no tears for you this time, creep,” said Celeste Pierce as she looked down on the unconscious Sportsmaster.
The Sportsmaster’s Quarters: The Following Day at 1pm
A rude jabbing in his side abruptly awaked Christopher Martin.
“GET UP, JERK!” said a commanding voice.
“You have a LOT to answer for,” added another voice.
Chris rubbed his eyes and sat up. He rolled his eyes once he realized that those two self-righteous jerks, Wonder Man and Nightvision were standing before him with their arms crossed.
“You mind telling us why you tried to kill Black Vulcan and the Silencer?” asked Wonder Man.
“What do you mean?” said Chris indignantly, “I saved their lives!” He noticed the unbelieving glance the two costumed men gave one another.
“So, you didn’t set the trap that almost killed Black Vulcan and the Silencer?” asked Nightvision calmly.
“No! It was a trap set for me! I needed help and they willingly gave it… and I’m glad they did or I probably wouldn’t be here,” explained the Sportsmaster.
“So, who DID set that trap?” asked Wonder Man impatiently.
“The Sting Ray,” answered the villain craftily.
Nightvision drew nearer to the Sportsmaster and asked firmly, “And what is this that we hear about you forcing Black Vulcan to kiss you?”
“It was the only way I knew of to save her. I don’t normally kiss the kind of girl who asks the guy for a kiss, but her life was at stake,” explained Chris.
“What!?! Who asked who for a kiss?” demanded Wonder Man.
“I don’t think we should be angry at her. I think she ran out of ideas and really thought she was going to die. So, she asked me to kiss her,” said the Sportsmaster. “Then I realized that I could probably save her if I kissed her and transported out of there. It was a risk, I admit, but it worked.”
Against his better judgment Nightvision asked, “and what happened with the Silencer?”
“Well, first he tried to bribe me into saving him…”
“Bribe you!?!” exclaimed Wonder Man incredulously.
“He was helpless and distraught. You never know what someone will do when they are staring death in the face,” said the Sportsmaster in recollection. “So, after he gave me all of the Hall of Justice codes I explained to him that I couldn’t help him without some type of physical contact. When I told him that Black Vulcan offered to kiss me, he–”
“I am sorry, Sportsmaster, but we are finished listening to your lies. I am calling Amanda Waller right now and getting your sorry butt shipped out of here.”
Nightvision and Wonder Man listened in horror as the Sportsmaster began calmly reciting the various Hall of Justice codes from memory.
“Where did you get those codes!?!” demanded Wonder Man.
The Sportsmaster gasped in offense and said sharply, “I just told you. From the Silencer.”
Nightvision and Wonder Man looked at one another in shock. They were both obviously unprepared for this development.
“Look,” said the Sportsmaster reasonably, “I know we all got off to a wrong start and you don’t trust me, and I can’t blame you. But being on this team and having a chance to make up for my past sins means a lot to me. My report to ‘the Wall’ is at four o’clock. That gives you guys more than two and a half hours to change the codes.”
Wonder Man stormed out of the room.
“I’d watch my step, Sportsmaster,” warned Nightvision as he left the room.
Christopher Martin sat back in his bed and put his arms comfortably behind his head. “Mission accomplished,” he thought to himself in congratulations. No one had guessed his real purpose in the events of the week. No one knew what he was really after, but his plan had worked perfectly. When Black Vulcan zapped him, his invisibility powers were restored. The young schemer created a duplicate of himself. The second Sportsmaster then turned invisible and rushed to the Hall of Justice computer where he copied the new codes as Nightvision and the Silencer frantically reprogrammed them.
The Office of Amanda Waller: 5:01pm
Amanda Waller was very pleased. Using that deranged wacko Sportsmaster as her informant in the Titans East was a stroke of genius. She couldn’t believe how much time she had wasted trying to get information through that Black Vulcan wimp. She was nothing like her father. “The Wall” concentrated on breaking into the Hall of Justice computer files. A smug look radiated from her face as a very tempting idea passed through her mind. She remembered quite well that Starman was formerly a member of the Titans East before he transferred to the West Coast branch of the team. Perhaps there would be some juicy images of him in the Titans East files. Her heart palpitated as she entered codes into the Hall of Justice files. Waiting for the computer to respond seemed an eternity. The finally the site requested information:
NAME:
AGE:
WEIGHT: …never mind, I can see that you seriously need to go on a diet!!!!
You didn’t really think that cracking the Hall of Justice codes would be that easy did you? GET A BOYFRIEND!
Amanda pounded her fist on the desk, knocking her coffee mug on the floor. Piping hot coffee splashed on her ankles and caused her to do a dance of pain in her office.
“I will shut down that team if it’s the last thing I do!” vowed the enraged woman.
“She’s Not Done Yet”
Written by: Scotty2hotty & Power Guy
Card by: Green Lantern
Edited by: Marcus Mebes
Malibu, CA…
The aurakle called Halo sailed across the warm Malibu sky. She was on her way to meet Prince Brion of Markovia who was in the States to seek backers for the new Miss Markovia pageant. It had been quite some time since the former teammates had a chance to see each other and relax. Halo now inhabited a body that resembled her first incarnation, Violet Harper. In fact, Halo had eased into the life of an ordinary citizen and rarely used her aurakle abilities any more.
She flew along the coastline and noticed a familiar scent. “Orchids?” she thought to herself. She said aloud, “There must be a green house nearby. I may stop and look for a bit. Wouldn’t it be funny if I brought Brion flowers?”
“I don’t think Brion is the flowers kind of guy,” came a harsh female voice.
Halo turned around in the air to see the familiar form of the Black Orchid.
“Oh God…” she gasped as she flew straight up. Halo had seen the news about the attacks on super heroes and she remembered the Black Orchid massacre from having seen it first-hand. Black Orchid was flying toward her screaming like a banshee. Halo fired off a blast of blue light which caused the madwoman to become disoriented. The blonde woman reached into her duffle bag and produced a cell phone.
“Brion can make it here fast and bring help,” she thought.
Black Orchid had shaken off the effects of the blue ray and flew full throttle at Halo, ripping the cell phone from her hands.
“You stupid bimbo! Don’t you know you’re roaming out here?” Black Orchid screeched as she crushed the cell phone in her fist.
The blonde heroine fired all colors of rays at her assailant, which were ably dodged. Halo decided it was best to try to reach the ground. Black Orchid followed right behind. A ray of green bathed Black Orchid’s body and she found she was held in stasis.
“That should hold you until I can get help. I have a feeling lots of people will rest easier knowing you aren’t roaming loose, you monster!” Halo told the struggling murderer.
Just then Black Orchid let loose a yell that sounded like a crazed animal and lunged at Halo. Halo was so stunned that her opponent had gotten loose that she didn’t have time to react.
“You thought you could stop me!? You!? All you can do is fire off pretty colors! You and your whole team of Outsiders are no match for me!!!” Black Orchid giggled maniacally. Halo struggled, but her assailant had her by the throat. With her free hand, the woman in purple plunged her fist into Halo’s chest, wrapping her fingers around Halo’s beating heart. Halo let out a choked gurgle and a single tear ran down her face.
“Who’s your valentine, honey!!?” the woman sneered as she ripped the heart from Halo’s chest.
Halo’s final thoughts were of her son, Lieutenant Atom. Images from his childhood on up to the present filled her mind as she took her final breath.
Even though Halo was dead, Black Orchid was not done mutilating the body. She ripped off the head and held it high, letting the blood cover her body like a macabre shower. “Well that should send a message to that new Justice League… but just in case, I better stop and pick-up a little party-favor.”
***
The next morning…
Prince Brion Markov was awake, but still in his posh hotel bed. He wondered what had happened to his friend. He still knew her as Gabrielle, and that name would never change, regardless of how she appeared. He knew she could be impulsive and surmised she would call later with silly reasons that she never showed. He stepped into the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks. In the sink was the head of his former teammate. On the mirror scrawled in her blood was “Who’s next?”
***
Meanwhile on Paradise Island…
The Amazon known as Bonda made her way down an isolated corridor to Fausta’s cell. Bonda had worked with many women who had been brought to Reform Island, and most of them had been successfully rehabilitated and released back into society. However, Fausta was as evil and cruel as she had been the day she first arrived.
One of Fausta’s few luxuries was a German newspaper that Queen Diana had arranged to be delivered via the United Nations. Perhaps the Queen thought if Fausta began to miss her homeland enough, she might accept the Amazons’ message of loving submission to authority.
Bonda arrived, newspaper and a tray of food in hand. Fausta often refused meals and would exercise to the point of exhaustion daily. “Ah! The lovely Bonda. You are late today, my pretty. Were you playing a binding game with your Amazon sisters?” the villainess sneered.
Bonda slid the tray, along with the newspaper, through a small door into Fausta’s cell.
“Don’t rush off. I am a bit lonely today,” Fausta requested as she skimmed over the articles in her newspaper.
“You know Fausta, if you would allow us to give you a Venus girdle, you would be allowed outside,” Bonda said. “You could even interact with the other women.”
“No thank you. I have no use for your Amazon gimmicks or trickery. Hmmmm… Miss Germany crowned… Oktoberfest underway… new German designer unveils fall line… What has happened to my beloved Deutschland? All of these trivial matters when the people should united and fight for the Reich!!”
“The Germany you knew ended years ago. Oh, Fausta! Why can’t you use your talents and gifts for the betterment of your country… and the world?” Bonda pleaded, growing even more frustrated with the German madwoman.
Fausta ignored her and continued reading her newspaper. “Here is a story worth reading! Did you see this Bonda!? Your precious Queen Diana’s son has been betrayed by one of his own! I never suspected that wimp Venus had it in her!”
“Yes we know all about Venus and Black Orchid. That poor, poor girl.”
“ ‘Poor’,” echoed Fausta in mocking surprise. “You pity the Black Orchid? You are a fool like the other women on this island. When I get free—and I will—I shall find this delicate flower… this Black Orchid. She would be a worthy ally… a fierce killing machine. Perhaps I would let her kill you, Bonda. I would save you for last, since you have been so kind to me and I would make sure your death would be quick, albeit painful.”
“You are a monster!” Bonda shouted. “You will never leave this island. You are a menace not only to yourself, but to all people.
Fausta flung the tray of food across the room. She lunged at the bars of her cell and Bonda jumped back. “Leave me Bonda. I must begin conditioning my body for the blood bath to come. The Black Orchid is an unstoppable force… a worthy companion to me. Perhaps she was engineered by the Reich itself. I warn you Bonda. Find a way off this island if you want to live. I swear to you… My new Axis Amerika will make the holocaust look like a child’s tea party compared to what I will have Black Orchid do to you and your island.” Fasuta then dropped to the floor and started doing push ups. Bonda merely stood back, rattled by Fausta’s warning.
***
Later in the Ghost Zone…
John and Jenna Stevens worked feverishly to prepare dinner as both were starving after their long walk in Central Park earlier that day.
“We haven’t had your Pepper Steak in months. I can taste it already,” commented John as he kissed his wife on the neck.
“It will be done soon. I just need to make the gravy,” Jenna said as she returned a kiss to her husband’s cheek. All of a sudden, she pulled away and opened the door to the pantry frantically. “Ugh… we’re out of cornstarch. John?”
“I’ll run to the store. Give me ten minutes,” John said as he changed into the Stranger. He approached his wife again, this time kissing her on the cheek.
Jenna was breathless as always as shivers went down her spine. Before she could say a word, the Stranger teleported out.
Minutes later, the Stranger materialized in Tampa, Florida, behind a Publix supermarket. As he walked to the front of the store, he changed his costume into civilian clothing. The trip through the store to the isle where the cornstarch was kept didn’t take John long as he was extremely hungry. On his way up to the register, he noticed the store had fresh cut roses for sale. He smiled as he picked up dozen to bring home for Jenna. After making his purchase, he exited the store and made his way to the back of the building to teleport home.
Upon materializing back in his home, he called out to his beloved wife, “Honey, I’m home!” There was no response.
“She must have the pasta water boiling so hard that she can’t hear me,” he thought as he made his way to the kitchen. “That was pretty dumb,” he added to himself, realizing that no matter how roiling a boil, it couldn’t be loud enough to deafen someone. Upon entering the room, he dropped the cornstarch and the flowers he had bough in response to the horror before him.
There stood the Black Orchid holding his beloved wife Jenna by her throat with a twisted grin on her face. “Well, well, well, it took you long enough Houdini.”
Many emotions ran through the Stranger’s head before he responded: anger, fear, contempt, and loathing. “How did you get here?! You dare threaten my wife?” he said as his hands started to glow. Objects in the room started to levitate and the house began to shake. He could not fathom how the woman could have found his home.
“Spare me the theatrics, Stranger,” countered Black Orchid, tightening her grip around Jenna’s neck. The pretty wife of the Stranger started to gag and choke.
“How did you get in here woman?” demanded the Stranger trying to buy time.
“Fool! I followed you through your portal during your last trip to earth. My shape-changing ability allowed me to appear invisible so that you had no idea I stowed away. Now, your sweet little hussy here just might make it through the night it you play nice. You have something I need magic-man. All you have to do is trade it for your wife’s life,” she said staring the Stranger down.
The End