Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Demi Cups of Justice
‘Mazing girl was the most powerful superhero in the city of Los Angeles.
Also certainly the state of California and the western United States.
One would start to have to argue about the country as a whole but these things were true.
And tonight she was going on a date, courtesy of Match.com
It was the kind of logical leap that one would make in life that would make her - Sarah Jennings, not particularly mild-mannered Prop Master for the stars (or cable television) think about if she gave a flying fuck about the concept "That ‘Mazing Girl shouldn't do that".
But, well...from a logical standpoint it had some merit. She was single. She worked long, if not always hard, hours on set. When she wasn't, she spent a lot of time patrolling the city for crime, evil, etcetera. When she wasn't doing that, going to bars, talking to friends of friends, etc, wasn't how she wanted to spend her time. It was fun about once a month.
So one Wednesday, after flirting with Jimmi Simpson on set (he was an actor who you would recognize if you saw him) she went home, put on some fairly nice makeup and a fairly short dress, and smiled.
Sarah was pretty. But she wasn't necessarily California pretty. She would have hot and cold running guys if she lived in Chicago, and do pretty well in New York. Out here the fact that she wasn't a size 0 hurt her. This was despite the fact that while she didn't do it everyday she could wear an E size cup. She looked pretty good. She slapped her butt and did a little dance, shaking her booty.
"I like big butts and I cannot lie, you others brothers can't deny, when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waste and an ass that’s in your face your face you get..."
She giggled a lot.
Guys liked that.
And one of the beauties of online dating, is that pretty much every woman got like, a dozen hits a day. So she had the ego boost of that.
She drove to a small restaurant in west Hollywood, that she had never actually been in, called Jar. Its one of those fancy restaurants where one of the chefs had been on a cooking show before. She was looking forward to it. Her date had agreed to pay.
She waited out front for a few minutes. This wasn't like a fairytale. She had seen pictures of Paul before. Paul was a patent attorney. His picture was of a fairly nice looking guy in his early 30s - muscular but not necessarily super-thin, but with a pleasant moustache. She liked moustaches.
About five minutes after arriving and told that, yes, they had their reservation, he showed up. In his little picture he was handsome. In the restaurant he was...okay...not bad. He had the look of a man who was impressed to see her. Sarah’s interactions with Paul online suggested that he was trying to please her, which she liked in guys. There was an old sawhorse that the essence of cool was not caring. She, on the other hand, admired it.
He pulled back her chair. She could toss tanks around, but she admired that. It was classy.
However...then she got to talking. Paul wasn't bad. He was obviously smart, but he had a problem shared by a lot of lawyers, of not being the best talker when he wasn't in court. They had a kind of lonely disconnect in unstructured conversations. They talked about what he did - he worked a lot with a couple of companies for online and tech patients, rarely did they go to court but often threatened to go to that level.
She talked a lot about prop design and working in art for TV. She mentioned Jimmi Simpson, and he did recognize the name.
"Wasn't he in the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire hunter?"
She couldn't vouch for it, but yeah...that did sound like something Jimmi would do.
However, it was kind of a little...well, not bad...but not great. The food when it came was. A good well-done pasta with something that wasn't Italian on top. He had a very nice brisket, which she tried. He was friendly, that was true, but her mind wandered.
Yeah, she was ‘Mazing Girl and she was on a date with the guy. She knew that she had an official fan website, her agent kept saying that everyday she got like a dozen marriage proposals. Okay, when she first put up the site it had gotten dozens, now it was a low trickle, but the point stood. She looked at her fan stuff on occasion, and occasionally answered it.
Yeah, the stuff from the guys about wanting to have sex, or get her panties, was creepy - but yeah, she was getting it. She was ‘Mazing Girl.
Then her mind went back and realized what she knew. He was a nice guy. A very nice guy, and certainly the people who wanted her for ‘Mazing Girl wouldn't be any nicer. Maybe handsomer, but not nicer...or better. He was trying, trying very hard, to woo Sarah - and that kind of gave her a trick.
When she felt something on the back of her neck.
Not now.
She ignored it for about 10 seconds, and sighed. She was getting better at telling more information and this wasn't the ‘city in danger’ pain, but...
"Can I go to the ladies room for a second?" she asked.
"You’re asking me?" Paul said.
"Well..." she stood up and giggled.
Sarah grabbed her extra large ‘I can put my costume in’ purse, and walked towards the ladies room.
She checked her phone. She had an app that told her when there was trouble. It wasn't really an app, just an RSS feed. Nothing big on the radar.
She went to the bathroom. It was small for a fancy restaurant, with a door that went out the back. That was a good thing about a fancy restaurant. A cheaper place wouldn't have done that.
She rapidly pulled off her dress, revealing her silky thong panties over her lucious red (just in case and her...
Strapless demi cup bra.
It was red and silky - and a tad small. In other words, not something you wanted if you had to run and jump over the city. Her boobs would fly out of it, and despite being for all practical purposes invulnerable, that was not a good thing.
The curse of being big boobed - yes gravity did effect her and yes support was a good thing.
Well, not that much could be done about that now.
She put her costume on in a flash and realized she was wearing more makeup then she normally did as ‘Mazing Girl. She looked like she was on a date. Superheroines and makeup is not something you often think about. Well, not much to do. And she was ‘Mazing Girl. Not that ‘Mazing Girl and Sarah where different people – but, well...
She opened the door and ran to the back door in a flash.
When she was in the wide open driveway she was glad - because she wouldn't have to jump around the city. Well...abstractly glad.
Five guys were beating another guy up. Why? She couldn't tell. This didn't look like a murder attempt or a robbery - but it was a beating. You saw this around more then you might think.
All five of them of them - all six counting the guy on the ground, were Latinos, looked to be in their early 20s...maybe gang members? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to judge. That guy was a person, even though she knew that at some time this had been voluntary. Gang life not her thing, though she probably should make it her thing.
But she had surprise on her side, and the advantage of running at super fast speed (and not pulling out of her bra). She grabbed one of the guys on top of victim and threw him off.
The other four turned.
Two of them instantly ran away. The other looked like he was hesitating. She kicked him off and, fairly lightly, down to the ground. A third wanted to be a hero - or a villain - and stood up.
"Come at me, Bitch..." He gestured at her.
She stood up looked at him. And then, faster then his eye could see, clocked him in the jaw putting him down.
He went down like a lightweight.
She sighed, and turned. She saw that the guy she had dropped to the ground had grabbed a gun. He was now pointing it at her.
"I’ll, I’ll," he looked at her.
"Put it down, please," she asked, "You shoot me: that’s attempted murder. And we both know it ain't going to do shit."
He put it down.
Internally, ‘Mazing Girl sighed. It had been a bluff - if had hit her bra, that would have been problematic.
She sighed again.
Three of the crooks were on the ground. She grabbed the gunman up and he didn't fight her. She saw some chain on the ground and made improvised handcuffs, for him and the others, pretty easily.
“Do you have a cellphone?" she asked of the guy on the ground, the one they’d been beating up.
She looked at him. He was Latino. But also nobviously gay. Wow, she was in west LA - gay capitol of the world. Wow she was glad she answer that. This may or may not be a hate crime. She would let the courts decide that.
the victim however didn't talk, didn't say anything to her. But he smiled at her nonetheless. She hated the fact that all he would be to her and she to him would be a victim. It was a shame. Obviously they wouldn't date, but well theres more to life then that..
While she was putting on the handcuffs she made a quick call to the police. As she waited she talked to the conscious guy.
"So what was the game?"
"Right to remain silent," he said
"That’s to the cops, and I am not...you know what? No, I don't really care that much to be threatening right now."
The cops did come asked her a few questions, and took about five minutes of her time, though she told them she had to go. Which she did.
However, she realized the entrance to the restaurant was visible. Huh. Damm.
She jumped up on top of a roof (her bra managed to stay in place) and waited until they all seem occupied before she ducked back into the restaurant and changed into her normal clothes.
And then peed, because yeah, she kind of had to.
Altogether it had been about 25 minutes in the bathroom as she walked back to Paul and...
And an empty table.
She saw a waiter. "Oh, I am sorry. The guy you were with finished his meal and paid. He left about five minutes ago."
Huh?
No restaurant desert.
No guy.
Well, she had left at the end of dinner and gone to the bathroom for a long time, but...
He left her.
That hurt a little bit.
She hadn’t planned on going to sleep with him, she was 50/50 on whether she was going to go out with him again, but...
She wasn't a superhero who rested in the angst of her life. Of the impossibility of living a normal life doing what she did, but it was moments like this that such thoughts entered her mind. She had a lot of time to be Sarah, and just be a normal girl. But it wasn't...
She walked out into the night.
And yeah, she stopped for ice-cream on the way home. That cheered her up.
She decided to offer to be Facebook friends with the guy, as a way of making it up to him. There he could see pictures of her boobs. And they were spectacular.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Hi Ho Silver Away!
TALES OF AN 'MAZING GIRL: HI HO SILVER AWAY!
"Go to Las Vegas for the day, have some drinks they say, Do a little gambling" said ‘Mazing Girl, "It will be fun."
She should have said that as she hid behind a pillar, as a heavily armored man heard her and shot at her with a huge machine gun..
But well she had a weakness for classic banter
"Yippie kay yay motherfucker," she said...but the machine gun fire drowned it out. They where really loud.
She said something else but, yeah, gunfire. You couldn’t t hear anything. You don't think it, but yeah.
15 HOURS EARLIER
"WOHOOHOHOHOO000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000" shouted Janice outside the car window.
"Quiet," said Wendy from the backseat. "I've still got a headache."
Sarah smiled. She, Janice and Wendy were driving to Vegas for the weekend. Well, she was driving, as she was the responsible one.
Going to Vegas for the weekend was something people did in LA - but she had never really done. She had been to Vegas on spring break in college – but, well, girlfriends got together in LA and went to Vegas. That’s the way it was. That’s what people did. And she was a person who lived in LA. This was despite the fact that when she went she remembered not liking it all that much.
She had Monday off with a Memorial Day holiday. She was coming home on Sunday - but Wendy suggested it was good to recover. Wise advice, as Wendy who had looked as if she was already recovering from one of her drank-induced hangovers before she even got there. Still, knowing Wendy, in five hours she would be fine.
It would take that at least. They where still in the middle of the desert. Sarah realized that there was still a long way to get to Vegas. But, well she had friends, tunes, and a diet-soda. What more could you ask from the open road?
15 hours latter...
The gun shot, his really heavy machine gun, right at the support column in the New York, New York parking structure, pelting it with dozens, then hundreds, then so many more bullets.
God, ‘Mazing Girl did not like bullets. This would hurt a lot, and really damage her costume, and she only had the one with her. And really hurt. So many bullets rang past her...
For about 5 seconds.
Then she heard the click of an empty chamber.
"Hohoho."
‘Mazing Girl ran out from behind the column.
He pulled out his pistol - he shot at her, aiming for he...however, as the bullet floated through the air she just dodged it. Yeah, she should probably have taken it in the face and been cool about it - but yeah, it would hurt.
She turned her head and watched it fly past almost as if time stood still.
Then she turned again, and took the guy down.
"Okay Bub, what’s the plan?"
"Amazing girl."
"The A is silent."
"No, that would imply," said the thug, "That you spell it with an A but don't pronounce it. You..."
She punched the guy in the head.
He went unconscious.
"Okay. I'll just find out from someone else."
10 HOURS EARLIER
"WOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOO" said Janice
"Will you please, please, be quiet," said Wendy.
Sarah smiled. They where driving down the strip. It was 10pm, and the lights were full effect. Sarah hadn't been here for years and she had forgotten how beautiful the strip was at night - so many lights. So, so many lights. They passed Ballies and Paris, fake Venetian canals and Caesar’s Palace (which didn't look too impressive), the Billagio with a huge fountain, and the Mirage with a volcano. It was magical. As someone who loved movies, and the craft of making them, it was like driving down a movie street, the speed of her car equalling the speed of the print through the projector. It was one of the most beautiful things she had seen in a long time.
"Wohoho" said Janice.
Pity she wasn't sharing it with people who could more appreciate it.
It was snobby, but she was getting a little tired of Janice’s dumb enthusiasm, and Wendy’s hung-over grouchiness. They were both nice enough, but Janice seemed to be sewing her oats from her long term boyfriend and Wendy was just in a snit. She knew them she liked them - but well this hadn't been the funnest trip ever. Still...
They drove in front of New York, across the street from a fantasy castle, and a giant statue of a lion, Kitty Corner from a large tower-that was suposed to be tropical or something(poor theming that). The hotel was comprised of a number of buildings from old New York and a giant statue of liberty in front - with a roller coaster. It was as magical as any.
"Let’s get in, check in, and ROCK THE HOUSE!!!" said Wendy, instantly recovered from her hangover.
"WOHOHOHHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! VEGAS BABY!!!!!!!!!" enthused Janice.
Yeah, great company.
10 HOURS LATER
From outside, the lobby was full of machine gun welding lunatics. And what looked to be several hostages. Not a good scene.
What was a better scene? Well, Las Vegas didn't have any superheros nearly as powerful as she was - they had...wow she knew they had 1 or 2 but she couldn't remember their names right now. She remembered reading an article about one of them a year ago revealing that she was really a Mormon in her private life, but the actual name escaped her.
Lots of people in Vegas who worked at these huge dens of sin were really Mormon. Made it more interesting.
But anyway, no one in Las Vegas was as powerful as ‘Mazing Girl. The police didn't seem to be responding for some reason. And the guy didn’t know she was here. This meant she had the element of surprise - if she could stop with the one-liners from die hard - which was pretty tricky, but she could contain herself.
Sarah leaned in and jumped to the top of the Empire State Building.
Which would have been impressive if it wasn't, like, 1/3 as tall.
She landed on the top like a much smaller version of King Kong. She couldn't help beating her chest a little, but got down to business - there wasn't any super visible access, she looked through the windows trying to spot one she could jump through to take out a terrorist.
However, no gunmen where visible at all. Nothing on the top floor.
It was disappointing.
The top floor itself looked to be lot of expensive suites - however they were empty. She was hoping to jump in, suprise some newlyweds, and go ‘action’.
But nope.
Ah, well...
Sarah found a window in the Chrysler Building across the way, aimed like a lightening bolt across New York harbour, Grand Central Station, and a roller coaster, into the tower...landing with a roll.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
It was a guy watching porn on his TV. It was very dark, and she hadn't spotted him.
Well, God bless him.
"Got a hotel to save, Sir," She informed him, and ran out the front door.
8.5 HOURS EARLIER
"Let’s get this party started," declared Janice.
"YEAH GIRL," said Wendy.
Sarah sighed. They had just checked into a very large hotel room. There were only two beds - but come on, this was Vegas.
Which Sarah had only been in about an hour and a half, and was already getting a little tired of.
Check in, for 10 o’clock at night, had been kind of exhaustingly long even if the lobby was beautiful to look at - something out of the 40s. She had gone to work at 4:00 AM for an early morning shoot before the long weekend, and after 8 hours on location in Venice Beach had driven 7 hours. (Okay, Janice had driven 3 of them in the middle)
But she was tired. She wanted to get some sleep after a very long day.
"Let’s hit the slots!”
And Janice pulled off her shirt, revealing her push-up bra.
"I thought you wanted to go downstairs," said Sarah.
"I am not wearing this. I got my Vegas dress," said Janice, pulling out of her clothing.
She was wearing spanks.
Sarah turned her head. She turned to Wendy.
"Hurry up, girl. We got guys to flirt with, and whiskeys to drink."
8.25 HOURS LATER
‘Mazing Girl was at the top of the Chrysler Building, looking around. No-one looked suspicious - most of the actual hotel guests, based on the guy in the suit, were oblivious. This was quiet and simple, and well planed. What were these guys after?
She called the elevator to get down.
When it came, inside was a woman with a submachine gun.
"Why do they come at me with such noisy sticks?" Sarah had read that in a Batman comic once. It sounded cool.
She grabbed the woman’s gun, and with a single flick of the wrist threw it away. It didn't go off or anything. Then Sarah grabbed her.
‘Mazing pressed for the fifth floor. Then pressed every button between. Give her and her new friend chatting times.
"We’re going to have a conversation," said Sarah. "You’re going to tell me a story."
"Okay, I am going to tell you everything,” said the woman, "’Names Indigo, by the way."
"Indigo?"
"When your parents name you something like that, you’ll be a hippy or a criminal. I made my choice. You don't have to beat me up or anything. I'm folding."
"So..?"
"I work for a man named Mr. Anon. I am reasonably certain his parents aren't hippies, so that’s probably an alias. He’s trying to raid the casino’s vaults - they have something like 40 million dollars in there. He put together an army - 80 men and women - to do it like a commando raid, paid-off the police...what have you. Screw Oceans 11. The only way to really do it is a lot of big ass guns. Except they didn't expect you - they had expected the Vegas Gorilla and Ace of Diamonds."
Oh that’s what her name was.
"Well, you just got ‘Mazing."
"Is that a thing?" asked Indigo.
"Well, I have been trying out catchphrases."
"Work some more on it," suggested Indigo. "Anyway Anon’s probably in the central vault. It’s...yeah, under the main casino floor."
‘Mazing Girl grabbed a metal hand rail on the edge of the elevator, ripping it off with one hand. She proceeded to wrap the long steel bar around indigos hands.
"Thanks for your help. For the record: I probably wouldn't have beaten you up - I am not that kind of heroine."
"Well, I have a weakness for women’s prisons anyway."
"With a name like Indigo, that makes sense."
4 HOURS EARLIER
Sarah was surrounded by music. Dancing, throbbing music, and thousands and thousands of blinking lights. A lot of handsome guys and beautiful girls were there for her to oogle (she sometimes did both) and she had a drink that had originally been on fire in front of her.
She was kind of bored.
Wendy was off talking to a guy. Janice, who was hooked up back home, was abstaining, but making lots of hooting noises.
Sarah wanted to go to bed.
The alcohol hadn't really taken effect yet. Well, it was just making her a sourpuss.
She had spent the last 4 hours drinking, watching a dance review, a little dancing, and a little time behind the slots.
Sarah hadn't really had a lot of fun with any of it.
She was thinking a lot of the movie Ghostbusters. That had a lot of great special effects in it. And a surprisingly cogent occult plotline if you followed it, with the weird building that was a dimensional gate to the otherworld...and Slimer. And it was all physical. It had a reality in the etherealness that CGI didn't really produce. Sure, Slimer was a puppet – but...
In high school and college she used to watch a lot of sci-fi movies. And talk about them. In college too, though they occasionally went to Jan Shivmakers weirder European stuff. She had a lot of friends she could do stuff like that with. She sometimes talked to them - often on Facebook - and had made some others about comicbooks and stuff. But really, she had a lot of long discussions about the new 52 online these days. It wasn't quite the same.
She missed them. She was with her other friends, but she missed just being a geek - as opposed to a woman on a Vegas trip.
"WOHHOHOHOHHOHOHO" said Janice.
Yeah, this wasn't as fun.
She liked alcohol. She liked drunken debauchery. But this...well...
It didn't seem her night.
4.25 HOURS LATTER
"This isn’t your night son," said a robber, a tall faced goon with an awesome beard, to what looked to be a hotel security guard. He had him a gun point.
He walked to his compatriot with a not-as-good beard. "I found this guy playing John McLain in the sports book."
He gestured with his gun away from the man.
which gave ‘Mazing Girl a chance to come from the shadows, grab his gun and him with it, then use the same gun motion to hit his companion.
"Hey," said ‘Mazing Girl to the security guard.
"What the...?"
“Don't worry," assured ‘Mazing Girl. "It’s under control. I need to get to the main casino cash-vault...well you know what I’am talking about.”
"Central Money," said the guard. "Third basement, under the lobby. It’s high security. They’re probably robbing it right now. You have to use a key-card to get there, like this one. The main elevator is off the casino floor on the east side of the building. That’s probably where the leadership of this crap is."
"Thanks," said ‘Mazing Girl.
"I am not giving it to you," said the guard. "Names Thomas, by the way. It’s hotel procedure. You might be one of them trying to bluff.”
"Fair point. Then we go together. However I’m bulletproof. Are you?"
"Ha-ha-ha."
"Just checking," said ‘Mazing Girl. "How would you get there? Keep in mind that the main floor has about 1000 hostages, 100 of these guys, and a really annoying Euro dance-mix club."
"They brought most of the hostages to, I think, the east side of the casino. It’s kind of easy to defend. On the main floor, probably not to many. A dozen maybe as floaters. How fast can you run?”
"Fast," said Sarah.
"Can you give me a lift?"
1 HOUR EARLIER
"I think I want to go to bed," said Sarah.
"Come on," said Janice. "They have this great breakfast buffet in two hours - don't you want to say you spent the night up all night?"
Sarah gave her a weak smile. A very weak smile.
"I think I am going to go maybe play some table games. That will keep me awake."
"You need to party," said Janice.
Sarah wandered into the casino. At 4:00 AM it was - crowded was the wrong word, but it had a lot of people. She had some chips and was ready to, yes...to party.
She found a blackjack table. She knew there was a strategy to it. That was good. Despite being someone who, at a time in her life, had travelled 2000 miles to play dungeons and dragons and roll dice, she couldn't fathom craps.
Jack and seven.
"Hit me," said Sarah.
"You shouldn't do that," said the guy next to her.
"What?"
"The dealer has a six showing. Odds suggest your going to win. 1/3 chance she’s going to have a face card and have to stand, most of the rest won't help her. and the deck is at plus 1, so she’s not going to have it."
"Huh?” said Sarah.
"Just saying." The guy was a handsome looking Asian man with glasses, maybe about 25. He looked very pleasant, and pretty, if a nerd.
"Do you want to hit?" asked the dealer.
"No"
And the game continued. The dealer turned over 8.
"14, dealer hits. 10, dealer busts. All players win.”
"Yeah!!!!" said Sarah.
She got a 10 dollar chip in front of her.
"Don't get cocky," the helpful guy warned. "Though since the count is high, it’s a good time to bet."
"Isn't that counting cards - should you be saying this?"
"It’s a 5 dollar table at 4am, nobody cares much."
"He’s right," said the dealer. "We make a show about it, but really the best card counter can turn a game with 47 percent of wining to 51, and that’s not worth getting security over."
Sarah smiled. She looked at the guy
"Sarah Jennings," she said. "Hey, this may be a little forward, but when we’re done here...would you like to go up to my room, and watch Iron Man on pay per view?"
"Daniel Hung, and I’m married."
"Oh."
1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES LATER...
‘Mazing Girl and Thomas were standing at a side entrance to the main casino floor. Sarah grabbed Thomas in her arms. Thomas had one of the guard’s guns.
"They almost certainly have guards across the way at the elevator down. It’s going to take me 10 seconds to get the door open."
Sarah leaned down and grabbed him, lifting him up easily to her back.
"You’re strong."
"Yep."
Sarah began to sprint. She didn't want to go too fast with a guy on her back, so she settled to an easy 80 miles an hour, running through the empty casino floor.
As Thomas had said there were a couple of guards, but not that many. Some of them looked to be dressed like the ones in the casino. One of them wore a tuxedo. It was fun to see them. There was a certain joy in things like that - however they had the kind of scared, don't-fuck-with-me faces that suggested trigger happiness. Sarah contemplated for a second. She knew that actual mob ties were probably nowhere in the casino. (She vaguely recalled that the New York themed casino was owned by a southern company) But there still existed a kind of unspoken thought: You do not fuck with casinos if you want to walk straight. Or walk at all. Or be able to play horseshoes.
However despite her slight fears, it went smoothly. The casino floor was as most were, quite huge - bigger then several football fields. It was kind of interesting to watch it blur - but to business. In less then 20 seconds she crossed it to see a closed doorway.
"In," said Sarah, putting her back into it, cradling Thomas as she did. The metal door bust open, not crashed...the hinges gave first, the door sprawling into the room
As it did, she heard it hit a guard.
She stood for a second, dropping Thomas to the ground, gunfire hit her back (the first time all night that she had been actually hit). Her cape was made of Kevlar - not so much for personal protection, but just to protect her costume. However, it did help a little bit with protection but it still hurt. But she needed to buy time for Thomas to get into cover.
Thomas stood there.
"Hide!" Sarah told him.
"Oh..."
‘Mazing Girl grunted as he got out of the doorway, then turned...spinning fast.
Her cape went up and around as she saw the small elevator lobby in which stood three guards with machine guns...which she just spun around. Her cape hit 2 of their heads, blinding them temporarily and knocking their guns away.
She then used the distraction to hit them. The third gunman, to his credit, stoped shooting not wanting to hit his companions. She then grabbed one and tossed his head into a wall, Then grabbed the second and knocked him down. She then turned to the third.
He kneeled down before her, dropping his gun and raising his hands.
Sarah sighed. He was giving up, and she made it a rule not to hurt people who willingly gave up. She was okay with knocking people unconscious, but concussion was not a good thing in the long run.
She grabbed his M16 machine gun, took his hands and wrapped his weapon around them, taking several seconds to do so. The metal whined and partially melted in her hands as she did, helplessly bending.
"Stay quiet," she commanded.
Thomas was behind her fiddling with the knobs.
"The elevator should come in 12 seconds.”
"They probably know," said Sarah.
"Yeah."
"So you have been working in casino long?" inquired Sarah.
"First year here," Thomas replied. "I worked a couple at the Venetian. Started out as a dealer, but pure security pays more."
Sarah nodded "True you guys don't care very much about card counters?"
The sound of people running towards them in the crowded space and a lot of yelling filled the air.
"Depends on the casino."
"A blackjack dealer told me that earlier tonight."
"That’s pretty brazen," observed Thomas.
The door to the elevator opened. They walked in just as the crowd got there.
There was a ding. And they went down.
There was no musak.
35 MINUTES EARLIER
Sarah had found Wendy and Janice. The breakfast thing was starting in 20 minutes. she had made it through the night, but she was beat. She technically didn't have to sleep all that much, but, well...
However, she would show them...by partying as much as they did.
Janice looked a bit as if she was feeling a little tired too. But Wendy...well, she was looking fresh as a fucking daisy.
"WOHOHOHOHOHO!" whooped Wendy, screaming: "Let’s keep the party going!!"
Sarah had drunk maybe five drinks all night, and was feeling it. She was feeling a lot of things. Like she never wanted to see either of these people again.
Then she put her head against the table for a second...she felt it.
At first she thought it was the start of a hangover - but then she realized it was the sense...the feeling, the horrible feeling of a horrible feeling at the worst possible time. It entered her soul, her psyche, telling her...warning her.
"I think I’m going up to the room to change up for breakfast," said Sarah.
"You look fine girl," said Janice.
"Yeah, well I am going to," said Sarah.
Sarah got up before Janice could talk her out of it...and walked out of the bar they were sitting in, and into the casino. Her costume was in the back of her car.
As she hit the lobby she saw about 40 people walk in from a bus with a lot of heavy luggage. They looked hard , determined, and a little frightened.
And Sarah realized that an already long night was going to get longer.
36 MINUTES LATER
The room was empty when they got there; no one was there. “Mazing Girl and Thomas were standing in front of a bunch of empty tables and a large vault in the back.
"Huh,” said ‘Mazing Girl.
"Help!" begged a voice. "Help me!!"
'Mazing Girl saw a closet and opened it. "What’s going on?"
Inside was a small woman, maybe 100 pounds with cute brown eyes. That was the first thing 'mazing noticed. It had been a very long night.
Thomas walked over and steadied the woman.
"When the robbers came they emptied the room and permanently locked the vault. They sent all the money counted to a separate safe room - but I was outside in the little girls place"
"Yes," said Thomas, he took his machine gun and put it to the girls head.
"Ohhhhhhh," said ‘Mazing Girl.
"We learned fairly early that you were in the building. When Indigo didn't report, we figured you were in the east side of the hotel. It was fairly simple to be captured. We spent half an hour trying to get into it - but as she said it can only be opened now by three keys that aren't on the property. You of course...are, well, super strong. You could get into the vault in like 5 minutes.”
"Three" said ‘Mazing Girl. "Just grab the steel, melt it down with my bare hands, and be in. But no. Are you Mr. Anon?"
"You’re invulnerable," observed the guard formerly known as Thomas. "She is not. And yes.Pleasure to be introduced "
‘Mazing Girl turned for a second to look at the vault door.
"Be quick - or are you really faster then a speeding bullet? At point blank range? And did you ever actually watch Die Hard?"
"Sure,” said ‘Mazing Girl. "That’s why I took the bullets out of the gun."
"What?" demanded Anon.
‘Mazing Girl walked over. "Competent thieves wouldn't have let her stay in the closet for 30 minutes. I’m 99 percent sure she’s a plant...but that doesn't matter. I took them out. I don't shoot people anyway, and I didn't want you to do it.”
Anon trembled for a second, and started to talk in a thick European accent.
"You Americans...always cowboys."
He spoke into a walkie talkie she didn't notice before. "Activate plan 3x"
"whats that"
The most defenseless tenderness and the bloodiest of powers have a similar need of confession. Western man has become a confessing animal-Micheal Focult" said thomas "Benefits of a modern Clasical education"
sarah shook her head they where really doing this "What’s is that?"
"The remaining guards are to hide a bomb in the property and flee. What do you have to say to that, cowgirl?"
"Hi-ho, Silver...away!!"
She punched anon in the face he fell down in an instant.
Sarah turned to the girl. She was panicking and screaming.
"Thank you."
"99 percent you’re bluffing. I am sure he is. Either way you’re not going to get out of here without talking to the cops."
The woman paused. "We have a helicopter to pick us up outside. 3x is the call for it to come early."
‘Mazing Girl nodded. Of course, there was still the other problem.
37 MINUTES EARLIER
Sarah opened the car, her shit and pants already off, not noticing that people may be around in the deserted garage. She was used to it. She saw her bag with her costume.
"Where’s my fucking boots?"
She couldn't find them anywhere in the trunk.
Could she wear her strappy shoes to do this...? No.
Ahh well. What could go wrong with being barefoot?
39 Minutes later.
The casino floor was empty. She heard the sound of a helicopter close by. Well, not that close, as the casino was designed to let very little noise from the outside world in
"What’s going on?" said a voice. It was Janice.
‘Mazing girl had a policy of not getting that close to people who knew her other identity so...
She skedaddled.
There was a door outside to the small front of the casino; there was a small restaurant next to the little lake of New York harbour. In the front of the building...
And she was outside. Wow. It was just after dawn. She had been up all night. You really can't tell time in a casino.
In front of the Statue of Liberty was a huge military helicopter. It must have been able to hold 40 people. She took a moment to appreciate the scale of this operation. It must have cost at least...well, a lot...to put this together.
Just as she left, the helicopter went up - flying upwards in front of The Statue of Liberty (which, despite a joke she remembered from the movie Despicable Me, was pretty big).
Sarah saw a huge fire-hose mounted next to the restaurant door. For what reason, she didn't have any idea. Maybe to put out fires?
She grabbed it, pulling it off the wall. It weighed about 100 pounds. Perfect.
She made a quick lasso out of 20 feet of it, tying it up as the chopper kept rising and rising...she only had seconds to do this...and
She grabbed the hose around her hand as best she could, making sure to hold both ends...
And jumped.
She flew easily 200 feet into the air. Into the dawns warmth.
She grabbed the landing gear of the helicopter. If they noticed there wasn't much they could do. The chopper paused for a second, adjusting in the air, spinning just a tad...
Holding the gear in one hand, and as much of hose as possible, she swung the lasso end of the firehouse around and around...
And threw it over the torch of the Statue of Liberty.
It caught, and the helicopter could go no higher. You think it would be able to break it...but, well, helicopters were surprisingly weak.
She did her best to tie the other end - with one hand - to the copters landing gear...just getting there when someone stepped on the hand holding the landing gear. It distracted her; she let go.
And she started to fall...200 feet towards the roof of Grand Central Station.
However, this was okay. Well mostly okay. Yeah, she screamed a little for a second, but what are you going to do?
Yet as she was falling she adjusted her angle and hit the roof - which only looked like glass - feet first. But do you expect them to do a real glass ceiling in a casino to let in natural light? She bounded right back up to the helicopter in a second after hitting the roof like a rocket, jumping back up to the trapped helicopter. Someone was out trying to untie it…
She landed behind him.
"Hi."
She hit his head against the chopper and threw him inside as she balanced at the door.
She walked into the main copter and saw about 50 machine guns all pointed at her.
‘Mazing Girl smiled. "You start shooting; the entire helicopter goes down. You know that. Gigs up boys."
She did a coquettish little wave. She liked doing that when she won.
"Who wants to be a live con...or a dead crook?"
1 HOUR LATER
Sarah got woken up in her hotel bedroom.
"Hey!" said Janice.
"What?" demanded Sarah, trying to sleep.
"You were in here," said Wendy, opening the door.
"When I came up here...i didn't feel so good. So I went to sleep," Sarah told them. "Just tired."
"Well, you missed a fuck ton!" said Wendy. "There was god-damm robbery. We were both held hostage and shit!"
"Really?" said Sarah?
"’Mazing Girl saved us!" said Wendy. "Or some stupid shit like that."
"Yeah," said Janice. "Well, not literally."
"Oh," said Sarah. "I want to get to sleep now."
"They’re closing the casino for a couple of hours to investigate it," Wendy mused. "Want to hit Caesar’s Palace?"
"Sure," said Janice.
And they both got ready, undeterred by the threat on their lives. That said something.
They made too much noise for a while for Sarah to get back to sleep.
Sarah considered this was her first and last girls’ weekend in Vegas. When she got back she would get back into Warhammer. She had a nice army going, and she would play with it. See about movie groups maybe - those were around. Maybe start up a D&D game...nahh, that was a little too geeky, even for her. Wendy and Janice were a time of her life - a time when she wanted to fit in the movie scene in LA. Now that she was more secure she could be her real self - not the prop m-girl, not the party girl, not even the ‘mazing girl, but Sarah Jennings: nerd girl. She liked herself like that.
But first she would sleep for the next day or so. That was a very good plan.
nd she would still join them for cleaning parties.
The End...
"Go to Las Vegas for the day, have some drinks they say, Do a little gambling" said ‘Mazing Girl, "It will be fun."
She should have said that as she hid behind a pillar, as a heavily armored man heard her and shot at her with a huge machine gun..
But well she had a weakness for classic banter
"Yippie kay yay motherfucker," she said...but the machine gun fire drowned it out. They where really loud.
She said something else but, yeah, gunfire. You couldn’t t hear anything. You don't think it, but yeah.
15 HOURS EARLIER
"WOHOOHOHOHOO000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000" shouted Janice outside the car window.
"Quiet," said Wendy from the backseat. "I've still got a headache."
Sarah smiled. She, Janice and Wendy were driving to Vegas for the weekend. Well, she was driving, as she was the responsible one.
Going to Vegas for the weekend was something people did in LA - but she had never really done. She had been to Vegas on spring break in college – but, well, girlfriends got together in LA and went to Vegas. That’s the way it was. That’s what people did. And she was a person who lived in LA. This was despite the fact that when she went she remembered not liking it all that much.
She had Monday off with a Memorial Day holiday. She was coming home on Sunday - but Wendy suggested it was good to recover. Wise advice, as Wendy who had looked as if she was already recovering from one of her drank-induced hangovers before she even got there. Still, knowing Wendy, in five hours she would be fine.
It would take that at least. They where still in the middle of the desert. Sarah realized that there was still a long way to get to Vegas. But, well she had friends, tunes, and a diet-soda. What more could you ask from the open road?
15 hours latter...
The gun shot, his really heavy machine gun, right at the support column in the New York, New York parking structure, pelting it with dozens, then hundreds, then so many more bullets.
God, ‘Mazing Girl did not like bullets. This would hurt a lot, and really damage her costume, and she only had the one with her. And really hurt. So many bullets rang past her...
For about 5 seconds.
Then she heard the click of an empty chamber.
"Hohoho."
‘Mazing Girl ran out from behind the column.
He pulled out his pistol - he shot at her, aiming for he...however, as the bullet floated through the air she just dodged it. Yeah, she should probably have taken it in the face and been cool about it - but yeah, it would hurt.
She turned her head and watched it fly past almost as if time stood still.
Then she turned again, and took the guy down.
"Okay Bub, what’s the plan?"
"Amazing girl."
"The A is silent."
"No, that would imply," said the thug, "That you spell it with an A but don't pronounce it. You..."
She punched the guy in the head.
He went unconscious.
"Okay. I'll just find out from someone else."
10 HOURS EARLIER
"WOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOO" said Janice
"Will you please, please, be quiet," said Wendy.
Sarah smiled. They where driving down the strip. It was 10pm, and the lights were full effect. Sarah hadn't been here for years and she had forgotten how beautiful the strip was at night - so many lights. So, so many lights. They passed Ballies and Paris, fake Venetian canals and Caesar’s Palace (which didn't look too impressive), the Billagio with a huge fountain, and the Mirage with a volcano. It was magical. As someone who loved movies, and the craft of making them, it was like driving down a movie street, the speed of her car equalling the speed of the print through the projector. It was one of the most beautiful things she had seen in a long time.
"Wohoho" said Janice.
Pity she wasn't sharing it with people who could more appreciate it.
It was snobby, but she was getting a little tired of Janice’s dumb enthusiasm, and Wendy’s hung-over grouchiness. They were both nice enough, but Janice seemed to be sewing her oats from her long term boyfriend and Wendy was just in a snit. She knew them she liked them - but well this hadn't been the funnest trip ever. Still...
They drove in front of New York, across the street from a fantasy castle, and a giant statue of a lion, Kitty Corner from a large tower-that was suposed to be tropical or something(poor theming that). The hotel was comprised of a number of buildings from old New York and a giant statue of liberty in front - with a roller coaster. It was as magical as any.
"Let’s get in, check in, and ROCK THE HOUSE!!!" said Wendy, instantly recovered from her hangover.
"WOHOHOHHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! VEGAS BABY!!!!!!!!!" enthused Janice.
Yeah, great company.
10 HOURS LATER
From outside, the lobby was full of machine gun welding lunatics. And what looked to be several hostages. Not a good scene.
What was a better scene? Well, Las Vegas didn't have any superheros nearly as powerful as she was - they had...wow she knew they had 1 or 2 but she couldn't remember their names right now. She remembered reading an article about one of them a year ago revealing that she was really a Mormon in her private life, but the actual name escaped her.
Lots of people in Vegas who worked at these huge dens of sin were really Mormon. Made it more interesting.
But anyway, no one in Las Vegas was as powerful as ‘Mazing Girl. The police didn't seem to be responding for some reason. And the guy didn’t know she was here. This meant she had the element of surprise - if she could stop with the one-liners from die hard - which was pretty tricky, but she could contain herself.
Sarah leaned in and jumped to the top of the Empire State Building.
Which would have been impressive if it wasn't, like, 1/3 as tall.
She landed on the top like a much smaller version of King Kong. She couldn't help beating her chest a little, but got down to business - there wasn't any super visible access, she looked through the windows trying to spot one she could jump through to take out a terrorist.
However, no gunmen where visible at all. Nothing on the top floor.
It was disappointing.
The top floor itself looked to be lot of expensive suites - however they were empty. She was hoping to jump in, suprise some newlyweds, and go ‘action’.
But nope.
Ah, well...
Sarah found a window in the Chrysler Building across the way, aimed like a lightening bolt across New York harbour, Grand Central Station, and a roller coaster, into the tower...landing with a roll.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
It was a guy watching porn on his TV. It was very dark, and she hadn't spotted him.
Well, God bless him.
"Got a hotel to save, Sir," She informed him, and ran out the front door.
8.5 HOURS EARLIER
"Let’s get this party started," declared Janice.
"YEAH GIRL," said Wendy.
Sarah sighed. They had just checked into a very large hotel room. There were only two beds - but come on, this was Vegas.
Which Sarah had only been in about an hour and a half, and was already getting a little tired of.
Check in, for 10 o’clock at night, had been kind of exhaustingly long even if the lobby was beautiful to look at - something out of the 40s. She had gone to work at 4:00 AM for an early morning shoot before the long weekend, and after 8 hours on location in Venice Beach had driven 7 hours. (Okay, Janice had driven 3 of them in the middle)
But she was tired. She wanted to get some sleep after a very long day.
"Let’s hit the slots!”
And Janice pulled off her shirt, revealing her push-up bra.
"I thought you wanted to go downstairs," said Sarah.
"I am not wearing this. I got my Vegas dress," said Janice, pulling out of her clothing.
She was wearing spanks.
Sarah turned her head. She turned to Wendy.
"Hurry up, girl. We got guys to flirt with, and whiskeys to drink."
8.25 HOURS LATER
‘Mazing Girl was at the top of the Chrysler Building, looking around. No-one looked suspicious - most of the actual hotel guests, based on the guy in the suit, were oblivious. This was quiet and simple, and well planed. What were these guys after?
She called the elevator to get down.
When it came, inside was a woman with a submachine gun.
"Why do they come at me with such noisy sticks?" Sarah had read that in a Batman comic once. It sounded cool.
She grabbed the woman’s gun, and with a single flick of the wrist threw it away. It didn't go off or anything. Then Sarah grabbed her.
‘Mazing pressed for the fifth floor. Then pressed every button between. Give her and her new friend chatting times.
"We’re going to have a conversation," said Sarah. "You’re going to tell me a story."
"Okay, I am going to tell you everything,” said the woman, "’Names Indigo, by the way."
"Indigo?"
"When your parents name you something like that, you’ll be a hippy or a criminal. I made my choice. You don't have to beat me up or anything. I'm folding."
"So..?"
"I work for a man named Mr. Anon. I am reasonably certain his parents aren't hippies, so that’s probably an alias. He’s trying to raid the casino’s vaults - they have something like 40 million dollars in there. He put together an army - 80 men and women - to do it like a commando raid, paid-off the police...what have you. Screw Oceans 11. The only way to really do it is a lot of big ass guns. Except they didn't expect you - they had expected the Vegas Gorilla and Ace of Diamonds."
Oh that’s what her name was.
"Well, you just got ‘Mazing."
"Is that a thing?" asked Indigo.
"Well, I have been trying out catchphrases."
"Work some more on it," suggested Indigo. "Anyway Anon’s probably in the central vault. It’s...yeah, under the main casino floor."
‘Mazing Girl grabbed a metal hand rail on the edge of the elevator, ripping it off with one hand. She proceeded to wrap the long steel bar around indigos hands.
"Thanks for your help. For the record: I probably wouldn't have beaten you up - I am not that kind of heroine."
"Well, I have a weakness for women’s prisons anyway."
"With a name like Indigo, that makes sense."
4 HOURS EARLIER
Sarah was surrounded by music. Dancing, throbbing music, and thousands and thousands of blinking lights. A lot of handsome guys and beautiful girls were there for her to oogle (she sometimes did both) and she had a drink that had originally been on fire in front of her.
She was kind of bored.
Wendy was off talking to a guy. Janice, who was hooked up back home, was abstaining, but making lots of hooting noises.
Sarah wanted to go to bed.
The alcohol hadn't really taken effect yet. Well, it was just making her a sourpuss.
She had spent the last 4 hours drinking, watching a dance review, a little dancing, and a little time behind the slots.
Sarah hadn't really had a lot of fun with any of it.
She was thinking a lot of the movie Ghostbusters. That had a lot of great special effects in it. And a surprisingly cogent occult plotline if you followed it, with the weird building that was a dimensional gate to the otherworld...and Slimer. And it was all physical. It had a reality in the etherealness that CGI didn't really produce. Sure, Slimer was a puppet – but...
In high school and college she used to watch a lot of sci-fi movies. And talk about them. In college too, though they occasionally went to Jan Shivmakers weirder European stuff. She had a lot of friends she could do stuff like that with. She sometimes talked to them - often on Facebook - and had made some others about comicbooks and stuff. But really, she had a lot of long discussions about the new 52 online these days. It wasn't quite the same.
She missed them. She was with her other friends, but she missed just being a geek - as opposed to a woman on a Vegas trip.
"WOHHOHOHOHHOHOHO" said Janice.
Yeah, this wasn't as fun.
She liked alcohol. She liked drunken debauchery. But this...well...
It didn't seem her night.
4.25 HOURS LATTER
"This isn’t your night son," said a robber, a tall faced goon with an awesome beard, to what looked to be a hotel security guard. He had him a gun point.
He walked to his compatriot with a not-as-good beard. "I found this guy playing John McLain in the sports book."
He gestured with his gun away from the man.
which gave ‘Mazing Girl a chance to come from the shadows, grab his gun and him with it, then use the same gun motion to hit his companion.
"Hey," said ‘Mazing Girl to the security guard.
"What the...?"
“Don't worry," assured ‘Mazing Girl. "It’s under control. I need to get to the main casino cash-vault...well you know what I’am talking about.”
"Central Money," said the guard. "Third basement, under the lobby. It’s high security. They’re probably robbing it right now. You have to use a key-card to get there, like this one. The main elevator is off the casino floor on the east side of the building. That’s probably where the leadership of this crap is."
"Thanks," said ‘Mazing Girl.
"I am not giving it to you," said the guard. "Names Thomas, by the way. It’s hotel procedure. You might be one of them trying to bluff.”
"Fair point. Then we go together. However I’m bulletproof. Are you?"
"Ha-ha-ha."
"Just checking," said ‘Mazing Girl. "How would you get there? Keep in mind that the main floor has about 1000 hostages, 100 of these guys, and a really annoying Euro dance-mix club."
"They brought most of the hostages to, I think, the east side of the casino. It’s kind of easy to defend. On the main floor, probably not to many. A dozen maybe as floaters. How fast can you run?”
"Fast," said Sarah.
"Can you give me a lift?"
1 HOUR EARLIER
"I think I want to go to bed," said Sarah.
"Come on," said Janice. "They have this great breakfast buffet in two hours - don't you want to say you spent the night up all night?"
Sarah gave her a weak smile. A very weak smile.
"I think I am going to go maybe play some table games. That will keep me awake."
"You need to party," said Janice.
Sarah wandered into the casino. At 4:00 AM it was - crowded was the wrong word, but it had a lot of people. She had some chips and was ready to, yes...to party.
She found a blackjack table. She knew there was a strategy to it. That was good. Despite being someone who, at a time in her life, had travelled 2000 miles to play dungeons and dragons and roll dice, she couldn't fathom craps.
Jack and seven.
"Hit me," said Sarah.
"You shouldn't do that," said the guy next to her.
"What?"
"The dealer has a six showing. Odds suggest your going to win. 1/3 chance she’s going to have a face card and have to stand, most of the rest won't help her. and the deck is at plus 1, so she’s not going to have it."
"Huh?” said Sarah.
"Just saying." The guy was a handsome looking Asian man with glasses, maybe about 25. He looked very pleasant, and pretty, if a nerd.
"Do you want to hit?" asked the dealer.
"No"
And the game continued. The dealer turned over 8.
"14, dealer hits. 10, dealer busts. All players win.”
"Yeah!!!!" said Sarah.
She got a 10 dollar chip in front of her.
"Don't get cocky," the helpful guy warned. "Though since the count is high, it’s a good time to bet."
"Isn't that counting cards - should you be saying this?"
"It’s a 5 dollar table at 4am, nobody cares much."
"He’s right," said the dealer. "We make a show about it, but really the best card counter can turn a game with 47 percent of wining to 51, and that’s not worth getting security over."
Sarah smiled. She looked at the guy
"Sarah Jennings," she said. "Hey, this may be a little forward, but when we’re done here...would you like to go up to my room, and watch Iron Man on pay per view?"
"Daniel Hung, and I’m married."
"Oh."
1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES LATER...
‘Mazing Girl and Thomas were standing at a side entrance to the main casino floor. Sarah grabbed Thomas in her arms. Thomas had one of the guard’s guns.
"They almost certainly have guards across the way at the elevator down. It’s going to take me 10 seconds to get the door open."
Sarah leaned down and grabbed him, lifting him up easily to her back.
"You’re strong."
"Yep."
Sarah began to sprint. She didn't want to go too fast with a guy on her back, so she settled to an easy 80 miles an hour, running through the empty casino floor.
As Thomas had said there were a couple of guards, but not that many. Some of them looked to be dressed like the ones in the casino. One of them wore a tuxedo. It was fun to see them. There was a certain joy in things like that - however they had the kind of scared, don't-fuck-with-me faces that suggested trigger happiness. Sarah contemplated for a second. She knew that actual mob ties were probably nowhere in the casino. (She vaguely recalled that the New York themed casino was owned by a southern company) But there still existed a kind of unspoken thought: You do not fuck with casinos if you want to walk straight. Or walk at all. Or be able to play horseshoes.
However despite her slight fears, it went smoothly. The casino floor was as most were, quite huge - bigger then several football fields. It was kind of interesting to watch it blur - but to business. In less then 20 seconds she crossed it to see a closed doorway.
"In," said Sarah, putting her back into it, cradling Thomas as she did. The metal door bust open, not crashed...the hinges gave first, the door sprawling into the room
As it did, she heard it hit a guard.
She stood for a second, dropping Thomas to the ground, gunfire hit her back (the first time all night that she had been actually hit). Her cape was made of Kevlar - not so much for personal protection, but just to protect her costume. However, it did help a little bit with protection but it still hurt. But she needed to buy time for Thomas to get into cover.
Thomas stood there.
"Hide!" Sarah told him.
"Oh..."
‘Mazing Girl grunted as he got out of the doorway, then turned...spinning fast.
Her cape went up and around as she saw the small elevator lobby in which stood three guards with machine guns...which she just spun around. Her cape hit 2 of their heads, blinding them temporarily and knocking their guns away.
She then used the distraction to hit them. The third gunman, to his credit, stoped shooting not wanting to hit his companions. She then grabbed one and tossed his head into a wall, Then grabbed the second and knocked him down. She then turned to the third.
He kneeled down before her, dropping his gun and raising his hands.
Sarah sighed. He was giving up, and she made it a rule not to hurt people who willingly gave up. She was okay with knocking people unconscious, but concussion was not a good thing in the long run.
She grabbed his M16 machine gun, took his hands and wrapped his weapon around them, taking several seconds to do so. The metal whined and partially melted in her hands as she did, helplessly bending.
"Stay quiet," she commanded.
Thomas was behind her fiddling with the knobs.
"The elevator should come in 12 seconds.”
"They probably know," said Sarah.
"Yeah."
"So you have been working in casino long?" inquired Sarah.
"First year here," Thomas replied. "I worked a couple at the Venetian. Started out as a dealer, but pure security pays more."
Sarah nodded "True you guys don't care very much about card counters?"
The sound of people running towards them in the crowded space and a lot of yelling filled the air.
"Depends on the casino."
"A blackjack dealer told me that earlier tonight."
"That’s pretty brazen," observed Thomas.
The door to the elevator opened. They walked in just as the crowd got there.
There was a ding. And they went down.
There was no musak.
35 MINUTES EARLIER
Sarah had found Wendy and Janice. The breakfast thing was starting in 20 minutes. she had made it through the night, but she was beat. She technically didn't have to sleep all that much, but, well...
However, she would show them...by partying as much as they did.
Janice looked a bit as if she was feeling a little tired too. But Wendy...well, she was looking fresh as a fucking daisy.
"WOHOHOHOHOHO!" whooped Wendy, screaming: "Let’s keep the party going!!"
Sarah had drunk maybe five drinks all night, and was feeling it. She was feeling a lot of things. Like she never wanted to see either of these people again.
Then she put her head against the table for a second...she felt it.
At first she thought it was the start of a hangover - but then she realized it was the sense...the feeling, the horrible feeling of a horrible feeling at the worst possible time. It entered her soul, her psyche, telling her...warning her.
"I think I’m going up to the room to change up for breakfast," said Sarah.
"You look fine girl," said Janice.
"Yeah, well I am going to," said Sarah.
Sarah got up before Janice could talk her out of it...and walked out of the bar they were sitting in, and into the casino. Her costume was in the back of her car.
As she hit the lobby she saw about 40 people walk in from a bus with a lot of heavy luggage. They looked hard , determined, and a little frightened.
And Sarah realized that an already long night was going to get longer.
36 MINUTES LATER
The room was empty when they got there; no one was there. “Mazing Girl and Thomas were standing in front of a bunch of empty tables and a large vault in the back.
"Huh,” said ‘Mazing Girl.
"Help!" begged a voice. "Help me!!"
'Mazing Girl saw a closet and opened it. "What’s going on?"
Inside was a small woman, maybe 100 pounds with cute brown eyes. That was the first thing 'mazing noticed. It had been a very long night.
Thomas walked over and steadied the woman.
"When the robbers came they emptied the room and permanently locked the vault. They sent all the money counted to a separate safe room - but I was outside in the little girls place"
"Yes," said Thomas, he took his machine gun and put it to the girls head.
"Ohhhhhhh," said ‘Mazing Girl.
"We learned fairly early that you were in the building. When Indigo didn't report, we figured you were in the east side of the hotel. It was fairly simple to be captured. We spent half an hour trying to get into it - but as she said it can only be opened now by three keys that aren't on the property. You of course...are, well, super strong. You could get into the vault in like 5 minutes.”
"Three" said ‘Mazing Girl. "Just grab the steel, melt it down with my bare hands, and be in. But no. Are you Mr. Anon?"
"You’re invulnerable," observed the guard formerly known as Thomas. "She is not. And yes.Pleasure to be introduced "
‘Mazing Girl turned for a second to look at the vault door.
"Be quick - or are you really faster then a speeding bullet? At point blank range? And did you ever actually watch Die Hard?"
"Sure,” said ‘Mazing Girl. "That’s why I took the bullets out of the gun."
"What?" demanded Anon.
‘Mazing Girl walked over. "Competent thieves wouldn't have let her stay in the closet for 30 minutes. I’m 99 percent sure she’s a plant...but that doesn't matter. I took them out. I don't shoot people anyway, and I didn't want you to do it.”
Anon trembled for a second, and started to talk in a thick European accent.
"You Americans...always cowboys."
He spoke into a walkie talkie she didn't notice before. "Activate plan 3x"
"whats that"
The most defenseless tenderness and the bloodiest of powers have a similar need of confession. Western man has become a confessing animal-Micheal Focult" said thomas "Benefits of a modern Clasical education"
sarah shook her head they where really doing this "What’s is that?"
"The remaining guards are to hide a bomb in the property and flee. What do you have to say to that, cowgirl?"
"Hi-ho, Silver...away!!"
She punched anon in the face he fell down in an instant.
Sarah turned to the girl. She was panicking and screaming.
"Thank you."
"99 percent you’re bluffing. I am sure he is. Either way you’re not going to get out of here without talking to the cops."
The woman paused. "We have a helicopter to pick us up outside. 3x is the call for it to come early."
‘Mazing Girl nodded. Of course, there was still the other problem.
37 MINUTES EARLIER
Sarah opened the car, her shit and pants already off, not noticing that people may be around in the deserted garage. She was used to it. She saw her bag with her costume.
"Where’s my fucking boots?"
She couldn't find them anywhere in the trunk.
Could she wear her strappy shoes to do this...? No.
Ahh well. What could go wrong with being barefoot?
39 Minutes later.
The casino floor was empty. She heard the sound of a helicopter close by. Well, not that close, as the casino was designed to let very little noise from the outside world in
"What’s going on?" said a voice. It was Janice.
‘Mazing girl had a policy of not getting that close to people who knew her other identity so...
She skedaddled.
There was a door outside to the small front of the casino; there was a small restaurant next to the little lake of New York harbour. In the front of the building...
And she was outside. Wow. It was just after dawn. She had been up all night. You really can't tell time in a casino.
In front of the Statue of Liberty was a huge military helicopter. It must have been able to hold 40 people. She took a moment to appreciate the scale of this operation. It must have cost at least...well, a lot...to put this together.
Just as she left, the helicopter went up - flying upwards in front of The Statue of Liberty (which, despite a joke she remembered from the movie Despicable Me, was pretty big).
Sarah saw a huge fire-hose mounted next to the restaurant door. For what reason, she didn't have any idea. Maybe to put out fires?
She grabbed it, pulling it off the wall. It weighed about 100 pounds. Perfect.
She made a quick lasso out of 20 feet of it, tying it up as the chopper kept rising and rising...she only had seconds to do this...and
She grabbed the hose around her hand as best she could, making sure to hold both ends...
And jumped.
She flew easily 200 feet into the air. Into the dawns warmth.
She grabbed the landing gear of the helicopter. If they noticed there wasn't much they could do. The chopper paused for a second, adjusting in the air, spinning just a tad...
Holding the gear in one hand, and as much of hose as possible, she swung the lasso end of the firehouse around and around...
And threw it over the torch of the Statue of Liberty.
It caught, and the helicopter could go no higher. You think it would be able to break it...but, well, helicopters were surprisingly weak.
She did her best to tie the other end - with one hand - to the copters landing gear...just getting there when someone stepped on the hand holding the landing gear. It distracted her; she let go.
And she started to fall...200 feet towards the roof of Grand Central Station.
However, this was okay. Well mostly okay. Yeah, she screamed a little for a second, but what are you going to do?
Yet as she was falling she adjusted her angle and hit the roof - which only looked like glass - feet first. But do you expect them to do a real glass ceiling in a casino to let in natural light? She bounded right back up to the helicopter in a second after hitting the roof like a rocket, jumping back up to the trapped helicopter. Someone was out trying to untie it…
She landed behind him.
"Hi."
She hit his head against the chopper and threw him inside as she balanced at the door.
She walked into the main copter and saw about 50 machine guns all pointed at her.
‘Mazing Girl smiled. "You start shooting; the entire helicopter goes down. You know that. Gigs up boys."
She did a coquettish little wave. She liked doing that when she won.
"Who wants to be a live con...or a dead crook?"
1 HOUR LATER
Sarah got woken up in her hotel bedroom.
"Hey!" said Janice.
"What?" demanded Sarah, trying to sleep.
"You were in here," said Wendy, opening the door.
"When I came up here...i didn't feel so good. So I went to sleep," Sarah told them. "Just tired."
"Well, you missed a fuck ton!" said Wendy. "There was god-damm robbery. We were both held hostage and shit!"
"Really?" said Sarah?
"’Mazing Girl saved us!" said Wendy. "Or some stupid shit like that."
"Yeah," said Janice. "Well, not literally."
"Oh," said Sarah. "I want to get to sleep now."
"They’re closing the casino for a couple of hours to investigate it," Wendy mused. "Want to hit Caesar’s Palace?"
"Sure," said Janice.
And they both got ready, undeterred by the threat on their lives. That said something.
They made too much noise for a while for Sarah to get back to sleep.
Sarah considered this was her first and last girls’ weekend in Vegas. When she got back she would get back into Warhammer. She had a nice army going, and she would play with it. See about movie groups maybe - those were around. Maybe start up a D&D game...nahh, that was a little too geeky, even for her. Wendy and Janice were a time of her life - a time when she wanted to fit in the movie scene in LA. Now that she was more secure she could be her real self - not the prop m-girl, not the party girl, not even the ‘mazing girl, but Sarah Jennings: nerd girl. She liked herself like that.
But first she would sleep for the next day or so. That was a very good plan.
nd she would still join them for cleaning parties.
The End...
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Tales of An 'Mazing Guy
Sarah was wearing her ‘Mazing Girl costume doing her least favourite part of the job.
She put on her biggest fake smile and she walked into the children’s cancer center with dread.
Today, for the Make a Wish Foundation, she was going to give a little boy a fly around the town. Once or twice a year they came to her for stuff like this, and well, what are you going to do? Say no?
Yet she didn't have the power to do much for the kids there.
She walked past older cancer patients sitting in a hallway. They looked to be getting chemo. She waved at them as some of
them recognized her.
"HEY!" a middle age guy shouted "Hey, ‘Mazing Girl"
She turned.
"I am not sure you remember me - probably don’t...my name is Fred Olsen. You rescued me from a fire last year."
Huh?
"And you’re here now?" that wasn't the right thing to say in this circumstance, but it’s what she said.
"Well, what can you do?" Fred said. "This ain't going to kill me. It’s cancer of the pancreas. I am going to walk out of here
a diabetic, but they caught it quick so I am going to get out of here. 85%."
She nodded.
"Well good luck to yo" she said.
That also wasn't the right thing to say, but...
"And thanks again. You know I bet you get it a lot, but what you did, you know -you really are a hero."
She turned away.
"And I apologize for peeing on you."
She paused and turned. “What?”
"In the air...it was scary - I just of peed my pants," he said. "I thought a lot about it over the last year, and I truly am sorry."
"You did what?" she said
She wanted to slug the guy – but, well...he had cancer.
"You know you think you do something really bad – I mean, it was going over my pants, probably a fair amount was on you. And
it was voluntary. It was just...you know...relief."
She closed her eyes and relaxed a second.
"Well...it wasn't that. And I forgive you. And you’re welcome. I don't do this for thanks....or to be mildly assaulted.
Really, you know I am not totally invulnerable, out there I am risking my life to do this stuff, and you did that - I mean
yeah, it’s scary, but just letting rip in the middle of fucking that. Fuck you asshole. I do hope you survive, and I am not
going to press charges or something stupid like that, but fuck you...”
"Um," interrupted a voice.
She turned and saw Sheryl Hawkins. Sheryl was the head of the Make a Wish Foundation in Southern California. This was
something one would realize about something like this. How many people were involved to make these kind of things happen.
Sheryl was nice enough in her encounters with her. But she was a smiler. She had told ‘Mazing that she believed in these
kids, and their chance to survive (and something like 45% did) but she still smiled a lot for someone in her circumstances.
She also was a very conservative republican, which is something you didn't always realize. A lot of people involved were. But
well, charity is a good thing to do.
So she smiled at the swearing superheroine.
"Sorry," said Mazing. She looked at Fred. "Get well soon"
They walked off.
"Thanks again for doing this," said Sheryl. "Been talking to Ben all morning and he’s really looking forward to this."
"That’s good," Sarah said, "I bought the bjorn."
"Yeah don't try to scare him too much. He’s at that stage of cancer - where he’s going to stay where he appears pretty
healthy - he should be able to do this well enough. Just try to keep his heart rate down. His bones are a little weak, so not
too much stress - don't let him...I don't know...land on his feet."
"I know what I’m doing," ‘Mazing assured her. "I am pretty good at this."
"His parents want to meet you – like, take a picture with you."
“Of course."
Sarah pressed up her smile.
She didn't quite know what to expect with Ben. This was hard to do. Ben, it turned out, looked a lot like Ben from the show Lost. She should know the actors name, but didn’t. She knew he was on another TV show that she didn't watch, but had briefly been in the running to do props on: Persons of Interest. With Jim Cavival, who played Jesus in the movie a while back...
But Ben, he was a small black haired child in glasses that made him look like a nerd. She generally liked nerds, and she liked him. Sometimes when she had done this the children were close to death, days away, and it was horrible. But he looked just like an ordinary, smiling, happy boy.
Of course kids don't survive Leukaemia. Adults don't always survive it.
But she smiled.
"Amazing girl!!!""
The A wasn't proncounced , but no, she wasn't going to correct him.
He got up and hugged her. She smiled, and hugged him back.
And his head went to her breasts, but well...she wasn’t going to stop him.
"You have been my hero forever!"
She smiled at him. Dying or not - and he was dying - there was something to his enthusiasm that got her.
"He’s just finished treatment today."
‘Mazing Girl turned and saw a doctor was in the room, as well as two smiling people.
"Here’s our address," said the father, still smiling, "I was wondering if you could take him home."
She nodded, walked over, and shook his hand.
"We want him to like this place," he whispered in her ear. "He’s going to spend a lot of time here."
‘Mazing Girl nodded. Tuinga. That was one of those far-off in The Valley places. Ahh, she could handle it.
Sheryl walked in.
"Aren't you glad she’s doing this? Remember to thank her, she’s a very busy person...she’s saved the city....”
"15 times! I read it in a magazine.”
Wow...that many? Huh...well, she was impressive.
She posed for a couple of pictures. This was relatively easy. Make a Wish wasn't above bringing the press out and making a big to-do over her, after the first time she did this she said no to that in the future. To their credit, Make a Wish were cool with that.
She and Ben walked to the elevator and went up to the roof - his parents stayed behind.
"So what grade are you?"
"4th" Ben told her. "I'm 11."
"I liked 4th grade," she said.
"So your, like...human. You’re not an alien monster.”
"Nope," she confirmed. "Was born in America, grew up in...well, I'll tell you: Florida."
"You have a secret identity," he realised, "like Clark Kent. Wear glasses?"
In truth she did wear glasses in her secret identity, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She needed them to read.
"Let’s not talk about it."
"I'm sorry. You can tell me...I’m going to die in a couple of months!!"
His voice was cheerful. Very cheerful. He looked like a person for whom the concept of his words hadn't quite hit. Which she supposed was the good, and bad, thing about this. But it was weird how cheerful he was. She’d seen some weird shit - slimy monsters, men with flaming heads, geometry - but Ben’s cheerfulness was one of the strangest things she’d encountered.
They rode the elevator all the way up to thee roof.
"You’re going to pull through," she said. "And when you’re older, sell it to the press."
"I would never do that. You can trust me. I read this issue of Spiderman where he did that to a dying kid..."
"Your not dying," said Sarah.
"Am to!!!"
Sarah just let the conversation drop.
They reached the roof - 35 stories tall over Cedars Sinai. She looked over Southern California. It wasn't a particularly windy day in So Cal, but it was windy up here. There was a beautiful view in middle of the city - she could see the ocean, see downtown, see it all. She never quite got tired of it - but Ben...
"Wow! Just being up here!" said Ben.
Sarah nodded. she pulled out her borojn and put it over her shoulder. It was a white shoulder strap device that she had gotten from a fan four years ago through her agent. It was pretty sturdy and strapped over her back to let people in."Now let’s climb in."
"You just climb in?" asked Ben.
Sarah helped him with it.
"You put it between your legs here – it’s like a seat around your back - like through your arms...let’s tighten this up." She pushed this and that, and...
"You’re going to lift me up?" said Ben.
"Yeah," Sarah told him.
"You’re that strong?" asked Ben.
"You’re not that heavy," said Sarah, "I bet your father could lift you."
"But you can...you’re going to take me out home...that’s, like, 30 miles away."
Sarah nodded. "Yeah."
"Wow."
"Mostly I’m just an average everyday person really...but just this momment we’re...magic."
Sarah lifted up the 100 pound boy like he weighed nothing at all. For her he did. She put him on her back.
"Wrap you arms around my back for second, see if you can hold your weight - I need to strap these things in like this...and...”
Snaps clicked into place.
Ben smiled.
Sarah looked outward.
"Up, up..."
There was a pause.
Ben looked as if he realized he forgot something.
"I can only jump you see, when you say: ‘away’...so: Up, up, and...then you.”
"Really?"
Sarah nodded.
"Up, up," intoned Sarah.
"AND AWAY"
As soon as he spoke Sarah leaned down and jumped 500 feet into the air.
"MY GOD IT’S......"
The wind was moving really fast now. Sarah was moving at 150 miles an hour through the wind, cutting through it like a knife in the breeze. She adjusted her angle a bit in the air, pushing through it through her arms. She didn't usually do the classic arms-forward, body-down pose, but it was helpful for control sometimes she flew. Then, a thousand feet into her arch, she was as high as she could go.
"What’s going on.....?"
And Sarah started to fall. Sarah was used to it. Ben wasn't. As the ground got bigger and bigger and bigger bellow them, they dropped like a rock, or maybe a cannon ball was a better comparison. She was pushing against the air as the city rose underneath them much bigger then before. Sarah saw a small park in Beverly Hills; she adjusted a little bit...
And hit the ground bending her knees, absorbing nearly 20 tons of force with her legs as if it where nothing.
"What the...my God!!" said Ben, catching his breath.
"That’s pretty much what it’s like,” said Sarah. “I can jump about 40 or 50 miles if there’s no wind against me, but I tend to do about 5 miles in the city max, 1 or 2 when I am just going round – it’s easier on landings.”
"How far was that?" asked Ben.
"About 4."
"Wow" said Ben. "It was like a rollercoaster."
"We can go to Magic Mountain, if you want," said Sarah, "and compare it."
Sarah had done that before actually. When she was at CalArts, she’d had a season pass to Magic Mountain; one of the largest pure rollercoaster parks in the world (it had the largest number when she was there). But, yeah, jumping around flying was way funner then roller-coasters.
However, they had really good garlic fries and fritters, and she couldn't really do loop-de-loops.
"So you want to keep going?"
"Yeah...and away!!!”
"I have to say ‘up-up’ first."
"Sorry."
"Up, up..."
"AND AWAY!!"
And Sarah leapt up. It was less impressive to go so high when she wasn't on a building, but what-the-hey. She started to fly north.
"Hey!" she said, six hundred feet in the air.
"WHAT?" said Ben, unable to hear her.
"I WAS SAYING HEY!"
"THAT’S NOT REALLY SAYING!”
She landed in a vacant lot near Sunset.
"I was going to say, I could go through downtown, past all the big buildings over the mountains."
"My God, that was awesome!"
"Um...oh, yeah. It’s easier to do many jumps at once through the mountains.”
"Whatever you want."
Sarah leaned down
"You didn't say ‘up, up’."
"Sorry. Up, up, and..."
"AWAY!"
And Sarah started jumping. She normally jumped to the valley over the Sepulveda Pass, but decided to go moresecuritious and started to jump over the Santa Monica Mountains. Flying through the hills, landing in backyards and jumping up again hundreds
of feet – traversing thousands of feet at once over valleys and peaks, landing in small forests and empty vineyards as sh flew.
It was amazing. Sarah realized it. She rarely, these days, just got to fly. Now she could and she was. And the world was wonderful.
She flew farther west then she needed to, but stoped in Stunt Road Park. A small park. She could see the valley the mountains
- the crags of the hills. You could see how much of LA was just open space - for all of its size it had so many hills so many
crags, so many buildings built into it like it was made for it, then the ocean next to it. The vast blue Pacific, looking a
jewel, with lapping waves and crystal peaks. It was gorgeous.
"WOW" said Ben. "Look how far you can see!"
"You can see Catalina there," she said, looking out.
"Can we go there?"
She considered.
"Theoretically. I would be worried about hitting the water, though. A little tricky in the landing."
"You could do it. You’re amazing!"
Sarah laughed a little.
Then she felt it.
"We need to go."
She started to run - getting a good run-up along the road, and then leapt, leapt with more power then she had done so far.
In seconds they where 10 miles away, moving as fast as she could go into the valley - over the Agoura hills, the woodlands - to the 101 freeway into Encino.
She moved as fast as her considerable power allowed. She only had a few seconds here. A few seconds to get to it. And as she landed on the divider of the freeway she saw it. A huge Mack truck heading west - so big it almost looked overloaded. So gigantic. Bearing down the highway at 50 miles an hour. And it’s driver was just about to realize its brakes were shot.
It started to jack-knife, going across the five lane highway at incredible speed.
She jumped into the freeway and saw the huge trailer come right at her.
And she punched it. Just punched it. She didn't try to stop it, barely watched it as it flew a 100 feet into the air,
spinning and twirling as it did.
Then she saw the cab fly past her. She turned in a second and grabbed its rear, dragging it to a stop. She hoped the guy’s airbag was good because she didn't have the time to feather this. It would take a tremendous effort to do this and she barely had time to watch it drag to nothing in 10 feet. All four of its tires burst from the tremendous stress of her hands, pushing
into the wheel, melting into rubber goo.
Cars were moving past her at 60 miles an hour but she didn't care an iota. Well, maybe for the cars.
She then turned her head and saw the cab flying into the air.
And she jumped up. Again moving faster then it was falling, and grabbed its bottom and lifting the 20 tons of - hey what was in it? - above her head...
She landed on Balboa Boulevard next to the freeway, and put it down on the relatively empty street.
It had taken maybe 30 seconds since she had been in Stunt Road Park.
"Wow" said Ben.
"Huh?" asked Sarah.
She looked behind her.
"THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" said Ben. "Can we do it again?"
Sarah then realized that in the entire process she had incredibly endangered the young kid. I mean, spectacularly endangered his life. That was incredibly risky. She could survive being next to a flaming cab in the middle of one of the busiest freeways in the world...not him. I mean if he got hit by a subcompact he would be dead. So fragile.
She sighed. Then a very dark thought hit her head. So damm dark. Well, he was dying. If she took the time to take him out of her rig it would have been too late. She had probably saved at least a couple of lives - maybe as many as 10...and a lot of damage to the road and the cars. It was…
And then she started to cry.
"What’s wrong?" Ben asked.
"I risked your life" explained Sarah.
"Don't worry...I’m going to die anyway" said Ben.
And she started to cry more.
"I mean, I don't mind dying - I mean, I am going to die out there...it’s just you know, risk. Bravery. My powers are for the good of the world but...but..."
Sarah stoped. Wow. She was just like him wasn't she?
"I don't mind. I’m a junior superhero!"
"Yeah," agreed Sarah. "You’re ‘Mazing Guy, my little kid sidekick."
"Really?" said Ben
"Of course. You know, I’m going to go back to the freeway and see if they need my help...but afterwards we’re going to go to, like, a T-shirt place and make you an official ‘Mazing Guy T-shirt. And get you an ‘Mazing Guy mask and cape. How does that sound?"
"'Mazing."
Sarah smiled
"Up, up and..."
"AWAY"
the End
Note: Make a Wish Foundation later graciously reimbursed her the cost of the T-shirt and cape. To donate to cover the cost of future funds please write at wish.org
Friday, August 9, 2013
A Depressing Encounter of Little Import
‘Mazing girl: Depressing Encounters of Little Import
Sarah was making love.
And being surprisingly bored with it.
They guy was an actor who had a guest role on her show last week as the villain’s evil henchman. They seemed to be hitting it off okay during dinner, but ahh...
He was handsome in a kind of cute way. He had Latino charm. His cock had been acceptable, and made decently funny sounds as she gave him a blowjob.
But now...now he was just thrusting into her. Badly. Not horribly, but with not a lot of passion. And taking the time of it. Stamina this guy had. But was his penis to thin? Was his breath bad? She tried to analysis what was wrong it. That was more interesting then the actual sex.
She didn't want to tell him to stop. That would be rude. This wasn't rape - she could have crushed his penis with her vagina in a second if she wanted to (but never actually had)...but this wasn't fun, and as he continued with increasing stamina it was becoming less boring and more something she wanted to end.
She tried switching positions, getting on top. Increasing her thrust...but he pushed her kind of roughly underneath him again. He wanted to be in charge. Fuck him.
She tried putting her legs together; she heard that helped...nope. Putting them upward to change his angle, he pushed her down. He was really enjoying this and the part of her that kind of liked him - which was fading by the moment - appreciated that. But fading by the moment.
"Um...I’m getting a cramp."
"What?” the guy asked.
"like, my lower back, can you stop a minute?”
"Just give me a second."
Sarah sighed...and he continued to pump into her.
And it was getting really unpleasant.
She moved a hand onto his stomach and pushed, very slightly for her, but hopefully forcefully.
"What?"
She pushed him out...just to get a splatter of cum coming out of his cock all over her.
Great. Just great.
A good guys seed was a tressure. This was crummy...she wanted to take a shower.
They were at his none too shabby apartment. She wanted to go. However she didn't have a car. Frankly she could have been home, street clothes or no, in less then a minute. But Sarah made a point never to do that.
Where was her costume? Not here.
****
To get him to take her home and not cuddle, she suggested they go to a bar near where she parked her car.
When he wasn't fucking her he was objectively kind of charming. However, that was rapidly fading in her eyes. Still, he seemed happy. She had the horrible feeling that he thought things were going great, and there was much calling to be done in the future. She didn't want to break his heart in person.
Because of her powers she was never afraid of guys. He was no threat to her whatsoever...however, fighting was unpleasant. It made for bad emotions. And it never ended well.
So she went to the bar and agreed to have a drink. A beer, so she could get home a little okay.
The bar itself she had never been in before. She had always assumed it was a divey nothing. However, going inside it looked a bit like Cheers, all oaks, and a veneer of class. If, like Cheers, not much actual class. Still people did seem friendly and a lot of people where laughing, so many this was funny.
But no one knew her name. Well, her date did, but she wanted to forget him.
They sat at a table. He looked pretty satisfied with himself. Sarah was no model, 5'6 of plumpy flesh, but the guy looked like he had scored with Kate Upton or something. Like he was going to call all of his friends and all of her friends and tell them about it. What a creep.
Now he was laughing, telling a funny audition story. Actors were the only people who liked funny audition stories. She should make it a rule never to sleep with actors, but she hated rules like that. Just like she hated actors. And herself. God, should she make it a rule never to be that stupid again?
She wasn't precisely sure she was going to cry when she got into her car but that was increasingly possible. Especially because the fake charm of the guy was rubbing her the wrong way. She felt alone and very helpless.
She hadn't been raped, that was obvious. She ‘Mazing Girl for one, and two: well, she had said yes, I mean...she had consented. She had lead the guy on. She had given him oral sex, and kissed him. That somehow made the violation worse.
And he was laughing. Laughing his fool head off.
Everyone in the bar seemed to be laughing.
They all knew, didn't they...
Fuck.
"Are you okay, my little Miss Piggy?" he asked.
She looked at him. And then slapped him. His face grew red as his entire body turned around in its chair and flew to the floor.
Oh no.
She really shouldn't have done that.
Her super-strength was a gift. Her gift, her power, to use to make the world a better place. And every second of every day she had to respect that. Now look at her...she had hopefully not killed this guy, not over bad sex. She hoped he was okay...but what a pathetic loser she was. She was one of the strongest people in the world and she had done this to the guy.
She looked around the bar. There were about 20 people there that night. None of them seemed to be responding. Usually when people fought in bars there was a bouncer or something. Well, she deserved to get bounced...to get beat up.
But everyone in the bar, well most of them, were laughing uproariously. Some of them were laughing so hard they were crying. One of the guys in the corner looked terrified. He was weirdly pathetic. like her.
And weirdly wrong, like her.
She put her head to the table and started to cry even as the guy moaned on the floor. He at least would live. But only to tell everyone what a monster she was. Because she was a monster.
Then the bar door opened, and a man with a gas mask walked in wearing a tweedy suit.
"Rolling drunks isn't the biggest crime, I'll give it. But it has the virtue of simplicity."
Oh no, thought Sarah. Oh shit.
He pushed one of the laughing men over who didn't resist at all. "And lucrative enough. I bet there’s 5000 dollars here tonight."
Sarah put her head down to cry, trying to snap out of it. But she was sad. He was so fucked. The guy was still down for the count, everyone else was lost.
She watched him go from the door, pacing through the room, taking peoples wallets, jewellery (he left their wedding rings, luck saps). The people seemed so very out of it, so lost in their own strong emotions that they couldn't be bothered. Sarah was obviously the same, she constantly cried.
One of the people tried to make a break for the door - even in his fit of laughter, and Sarah saw it as an opportunity. With incredible difficulty because it was just so God-damn sad, she got up and ran for the door, Probably faster then was normal for a fat piggy who no-one loved. She got through with the guy and two others. The professor, if he saw, ignored them.
Sarah paused outside. Here she felt maybe a little better. It was obvious now that a gas of some kind was at work, something that effected your emotions...made them more acute. A metaphor perhaps for drinking, but she had only had, like, one beer.
She ran for her car, now going defiantly faster then she should have, but what-the-hey. She grabbed open the trunk and broke the lock as she pulled it up (not for the first time). Inside was her costume. She was a stupid fucking idiot who let herself get taken tonight, but she was going to make good.
****
The mad scientist, whoever he was, was down the bar by the time ‘Mazing Girl burst through the door.
"Shows over partner. This town isn't big enough for the two of us."
Sarah liked to think of her repartee with villains as witty. She wasn't super good at it, but she gave it a shot. He wasn’t a western themed villain or anything, but well...
The gas mask wearing fiend turned. "Oh great."
Sarah walked hesitantly...but the gas was affecting her. She was crying and balling as she walked in. It was 20 feet, but each step was harder, tougher...and as she got close to him she just fell to the floor.
"You should have invested in gas mask technology," said the man.
He kicked her, but she didn't even feel it.
She was crying. She had been fault. She had been so stupid. Stupid...and dumb. Weak. And look at her now.
He pulled out a gun and shot the top of her head. But she didn't really feel that either. That was perhaps the good part of strong emotions. No real pain could get in.
And she cried. It was just so fucking Horrible.
Then he shot her again in the head. That she felt. She got up to her hands and tried to punch his legs. But she missed.
"This...is an unexpected pleasure. What I have learned. I am not sure I can kill you tonight. I can make you cry. That’s what my new gas can do. Lovely..."
Lovely. That was a word for this guy.
"you would feel that way, Professor Milner" observed a new voice
And the entire room felt like it was full of ghosts, which didn't help Sarah’s mood.
"Where are you?" demanded The Professor.
"present" said the voice...which Sarah realized was The flame. Her voice sounded as if she should be played by Juliet Landeu.
"feeling a tad scared are you? Emotion. I admit it has power. such power...to abuse, to control. but this is sadism. And that is beneath us."
Sarah saw the man wildly move his gun around. But then he grabbed a man slumped over into narcoleptic sleep "I can't kill her...but I can kill him."
"you know, guns are useless around me," said The flame. There was a slight mockery in her voice. "As are your toys, your tricks, everything."
Milner looked around, terrified. "I'll do it!!"
"and you'll be charged for murder when I bring you in. either way is fine with me.”
With that, out of a slightly misty haze, The flame walked in. Her denim dress and the light of the bar made her look like a demon.
"why doesn't my gas work on you?" demanded Milner.
"I have no heart to break, like she has, Like they do. I envy you, perhaps, but that would be an emotion, a feeling. You’re nothing. You’re trying to pretend to be me, but it won't work.”
Milner started to cough inside his mask, coughing in fits and starts.
"your mask that protects you, has inside it a little filter. tinder. its going now, quickly in fact. it won't last long. You can either fight it, or join your creations"
Milner kept coughing and coughing.
Sarah was watching it. And realized that she wasn't feeling terrible. She wasn't sad. Well...she was, but this....
Milner at last pulled off his mask, and breathed in his own gas.
Wow, he was black, Sarah realized. As he collapsed into a pile of gibbering fear like something out of Lovecraft.
Was it racist to notice he was black right away?
The flame walked over and helped ‘Mazing Girl up.
"he was a professor at USC. promising once, too. but look at him now. pathetic. just pathetic"
*****
Ambulances soon came and took care of some the people. Most of them, once they left the bar, were okay. ‘Mazing Girl was fine, or are least told them so. Hospitals, when it came to secret identities, were awkward places.
Her date ended there too. No one quite figured out what happened to him. Probably for the best.
She stood in an alley, in costume, drinking water as she considered her next step. She was still a wreck emotionally, but there was a slight pleasure in knowing that her emotions came from chemicals. Well, mostly.
She thought about flame. Now that was professionally done in there. She had a much different persona. A kind of friendly, help-everyone type of derring-do, but she could respect a professional.
Sarah caught her breath as she stood against a lamppost. In an alley, the shadows moved.
"are you alright?" asked the flame.
"I guess just need that stuff to get out of me," Sarah replied, shaking her head.
"dr. milner’s serums tend to take a couple of hours to work there way through," said The flame. "there is stuff I could do, but I’m afraid the cure is worse then the serum. no, I am afraid your going to have suffer through it."
Sarah grunted. She wasn't sad anymore, but was still in the kind of emotionally vulnerable state that led to sadness. Standing next to this fearsome creature didn't help.
"You married?" she asked the flame. Something about her suggested that the answer was yes. They probably had a happy marriage too, where they all went to wholefoods on Sunday. No kids. No-one could be that thin and have had kids.
"as a matter of fact, I am not" said flame.
"Wanted pointers on how to do this and have a romantic life."
"doesn't knife girl, I think, have a live in boyfriend? once caught a stray thought of hers, though I don't mean to pry."
"Yeah," Sarah shook her head.
"it’s certainly doable. it’s a juggle, I guess...like anything else. So many balls. Some of them, perhaps, have to be put down now and again, But it’s workable."
flame looked at ‘Mazing Girl in a way that instantly judged her and found her wanting, Sarah could almost feel flame’s power inside of her. .and
"you’re a good sort, ‘mazing. not just in the power department, but in general. someday, you’re going to make someone happy."
And with that, and a pivot, flame walked back into the shadows.
‘Mazing Girl shrugged. She knew the stuff about having no heart was just part of the act. Maybe flame wasn't a monster. Which suggested that Sarah wasn't a monster either. Which was probably all for the best.
Still, Sarah really wanted to get home to shower.
The End...
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Batman’s Butler Edition
"So would you like to come with me to a trivia night after work?" said Max.
Sarah paused. They where eating lunch in a small park that could be considered romantic except there where about 30 other people there (and one of the actors from Firefly [actually two as Jewelle Staite was guest staring but she was eating lunch in her trailer])
Max was a gaffer on the show. What does a gaffer do? I am not going to tell you. He was a friendly sort in a podgy way. He was the sort of guy if you saw her with Sarah one might say 'yeah, they could be a couple'. However they weren't. Max was in fact married to a former model of the appear in print ads variety. Sarah and Max were friends. They met on the show 2 years ago. When it started and had moved from 'work friends' to just 'friends' at some point.
"You strike me as someone who knows their share of obscure data. And if it’s on comicbooks, watch out."
They were eating craft cervices food under a giant tent. Not bad craft service food, as craft service food was rarely bad, but lowest common denominator craft service food. Today it was a kind of spiceless curry. Well, it was free.
"I’ll think about it," Sarah said. "Sounds like fun."
"Get back to me before four," said Max.
Sarah sighed. Since she had gotten involved in an incident last month where she had, kind of possibly, let a giant supervillain escape. She had been spending a lot of time patrolling, fighting crime as ‘Mazing Girl. This could be kind of boring if you weren't looking for specific stuff.
Despite the reputation, there wasn't a lot of visible crime in Los Angeles. She stopped the occasional mugging or convenience store robbery, helped a bit with traffic accidents, but mostly when she patrolled she would come home not having done much. It was in it’s way fun to run around and soar over LA. It was a beautiful city. But increasingly she was listening to her ipod while doing it. This kind of defeated the point when people cried out for help.
However, it was important...so most of her free time was spent doing patrolling.
However...
*****
She had thought this was like barroom trivia, however this looked a bit more formal. It was in a rec centre room with about 40 people, some of whom looked like they took it vary seriously. They sat in groups of five, in fold out chairs. There were a couple of snacks available.
"Why do you hold that bag so tightly" asked Max as they went to his group.
She was holding her bag tightly. "No reason. Hey, I may get called out on business, stuff...um, an indie movie that I might work on, want to take a call on."
There was of course another reason. If there was an emergency, Sarah wanted to be out of here in less then a minute.
Max at least bought her excuse. "I understand...creative types and that."
The beauty of being a gaffer, (which she had done a little of in college) was it was one of those positions that was usually filled a couple of days before the shoot. There are good gaffers and bad gaffers, and on set you noticed it, but it was not something that required a lot of planning. Which meant that every day was a hiring adventure whether there was work or not.
‘Suppose that was a bad thing. However, Max did okay.
The four other people on the team less so. Or at least they gave that vibe. They all seemed intense guys. And all of them were guys. She never quite got there names. Two of them were retirees - one was a studio musician who used to play violin on film scores; the other just looked very old, but very sharp.
There was an extremely tall and thin guy who gave the intense sensation that his mind was moving on planes that were beyond her, and may not actually exist. He would be a good guy to play an arch villain, or the guy who aided her on the quest. Arch villain, it turned out...
The final guy was short and fat, and smiled a lot. This belied a mind that was very smart and if slightly more tolerant, wasn't.
And the game hadn't even started yet.
The game was broken up into rounds of trivia open to the floor, things with paper they had to work on, and various lightening rounds. There was a TV that looked to be from the eighties set up for video questions, various boards...etc.
"Okay: open question. Who was Batman’s butler...?"
This was easy.
"In the 1966-68 TV show?"
Well she had to respect that.
One of the other teams got that one. The other teams got most of them. Her team did okay, sometimes good, but she wasn't helping ("what was the largest export of boliva?": Who the fuck knew that?)
The superior guy with the giant head was increasingly looking at her as if she was the enemy...as if she was causing them to loose.
"This Canadian superhero protected Toronto in the 60's and 70's and was later Governor General in the eighties."
She: A) should know this as she was a superhero; and B) that was an option? Wasn't the Governor General like the President? Wow, she should look into that.
Maybe Sarah should go into politics or something...
"Whitestar, Eric Montain"
"How can you be so stupid?! Stupid! Stupid!!" demanded big head.
Max was doing okay. He seemed cool with her being there, but he wasn't doing anything to defend her either. Well he did once say "she was new" but he wasn't doing much more. Even if he wasn't an asshole this was a side of Max she didn't quite know. She wondered if telling him her secret identity would have the same effect. Wow, you think you know a person. However, when they go home at night the change...into a really competitive trivia contestant.
Sarah sighed as she scrontched in.
She hoped there was something tonight that required her to be a superhero. She reached into her bag and pulled out her cellphone to check...
“Hey!!" one of the older guys admonished, "No cheating!"
Sarah put it down.
"We’re in the middle of the round," he reminded her.
"Okay, the answer is 3."
"Come on. Who was the concept artist on the original Starwars?”
Sarah paused. "Oh! I know this one: its Ralph Macquire."
"She’s been leading us wrong all game," observed big head.
"That sounds right."
"He worked on Tron, I think Dune, lots of fantasy movies from the eighties.”
"You’re thinking of Giger, that’s the answer," said smiley face.
"No, he did Alien. Um he also worked on Dune, but all his stuff got thrown out."
"Let’s go with Giger," said one of the old guys.
"I agree" said the others.
Sarah shrugged.
"Giger" said big brain.
"No! I am sorry, it was Ralph Macquire!"
Sarah shook her head. She then got out her phone.
There was a fire at a clothing factory in Longbeach.
She shook her head.
"Got that message I told you about earlier. Work to line up.”
No-one said anything to stop her.
"You coming back?" asked Max.
"Um, I'll see."
Sarah walked out the door...and then rushed into the street. She couldn't exactly change on the fly, but she did jump instantly to the top of the building, opening up her bag as she did.
*****
Within a minute she was ‘Mazing girl, and leapt up into the sky headed towards the fire.
Only she noticed something on the ground.
As she was racing along the highway interchange through Torrance, she saw a guy being pushed out of his car onto the street.
Yep...a jacker.
This was tricky. He was racing south down a busy street.
However, this was tricky.
You often see in comicbooks a superhero picking up a car and flying away...however from a logistical standpoint that was actually pretty damm near impossible. Going 40 miles an hour with 100s of people present didn't help. She was keeping up using a mixture of jumping and running, keeping pace with him easily, but actually stoping the criminal required some thought.
They came to a red light.
He ran it.
Well, that wasn't going to help. And now he was driving really dangerously.
She didn't want to damage the car though. It was a blue station wagon. Not a nice car, but you know, something to someone.
She jumped on top of the car as it swerved and grabbed the roof rack.
He noticed that from inside the car.
However, it’s really hard to do anything with a girl on the roof, even look, without stopping a car.
He attempted to dislodge her, swerving left and right. However her powerful grip kept her pretty much in place.
"Stop the car" she ordered, trying to sound authoritive. She was never great at that, but it often did the trick.
Not now.
He kept swerving left and right. She kept holding on. Even if she could literally fly holding a car by it’s roof rack this wouldn't be a very viable strategy.
She waited until the car turned onto a relatively empty street. This would work better as he turned. She jumped off the back of the car, grabbed the bumper with her hands, and put her feet on the ground. She pushed, and the back of the car lifted as she hit the ground. It hurt a little bit, but...
She now had her feet on the ground.
And the bumper in her hand.
And the car racing down the road.
Fuck.
She shook her head and started running. She imagined that in the car widnow she would look like one of those scenes in the Wonder Woman show where they could see Wonder Woman racing towards them and gaining on them. She liked the notion, and kind of hummed the song a bit.
"Wonder Woman...the whole world is waiting for you...and the magic you possess..."
Sometimes it was just a’Mazing to be this strong this powerful. She didn't want to let it get to her ego...but, well...she was at heart, human.
Within seconds she was running with the car...and then as she did kicked the front tire on the driver side, then the back tire, then ’Mazing Girl flipped over the top of the car with a cartwheel and kicked the backside of another tire.
She was going to get the last one, but it was enough. The car stopped.
The guy opened his door and started to run.
But ‘Mazing Girl grabbed him before he got five feet.
"I told you to stop" she said.
******
It was about 20 minutes later when she got to the fire, which was still blazing.
"No-ones inside anymore, we think, actually it looks like everyone took the fire exit before it got too bad," a fireman told her.
"Okay," said ‘Mazing Girl. "Anything I can do?"
"Yeah," said a guy, coming forward. "I manage the place. There’s a giant case of silk on the top floor. I don't think the fires got there yet, but it’s worth about 100k.”
Sarah could use a 100k. "Understood."
This kind of stuff happened pretty often. Didn't make the newspaper but she tried to help.
Sarah saw the 10 story building. She paused, and then jumped 120 feet easily, and put her hand over her face as she broke through a window.
There was a huge amount of fabrics in large bins. No fire yet, but she could see it wouldn’t be long. She picked up a couple of bolts and jumped through the window.
"Just put them anywhere," said the guy.
Sarah nodded. This beat doing stupid trivia.
She made about 10 trips ("No, that’s rayon, but thanks anyway...") and managed to get the last of the stuff when she saw something in the corner.
'Meow'.
It would be nice to say it was a kitten or something. Really it looked like, kind of middle age-ish and a tad overweight. But it was a cat and she was instantly glad she was her to help. She picked it up, and brought it down.
"I think that’s the last of it," she said, putting down the cat.
"Thank you so much so much," said the guy, "That really saves my bacon."
"Here to help," said ‘Mazing Girl.
"Hey, we got some company records on a computer in the fifth floor...could you...”
There was a giant boom as flame shoots out of the fifth floor.
"Well, you can cancel that." The guy shook his head.
"Cloud storage," advised ‘Mazing girl.
*****
Sarah never made it back to the trivia game, though she did have to get back to her car...which was further from her house then the fire. Oh well, she liked the night, liked running.
She felt good about herself in a way. Maybe she wasn't a screw-up. Maybe she was a powerful heroine to be taken serious. This was the kind of stuff she was good at. The big stuff was the big stuff-she would handle it when she did. But As long as she did rescue kittens or fabrics and stoped car jackers-if she took care of the small stuff maybe she could be Mazing girl and Sarah.
Maybe.
And the answer hit her.
It was Alan Napier who played Alfred in the TV series.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Dance of the Sugar Cleaning Fairies
It was a Good Idea. It wasn't sarah's entirely but it was a good idea.
When she had first moved to LA three years ago, she had met Wendy, who introduced her to Grace and F (her name was Florence, but everyone called her F). All of them were low industry girls at the time, living in the Southbay. Wendy and F were roommates of the non-sexual variety. Three years latter Sarah had become prop master on her own show. Janice had moved from working at a rental shop to being a first assistant camerawoman. F was now manager at the rental house, and Wendy was still a secretary for a production company.
They still got together once a month or so and had cleaning parties. All of the girls where messy, so spending a couple of hours each month to clean off their apartments together did help. Each girl would get a chore that they could somewhat tolerate, they would spend about an hour at each place...and well, maybe drink (Janice was a featherweight so usually she drove). Mainly they chatted about boys, music, or whatever. Sarah was the biggest nerd of the group by far, so constant talk about pop music was something she could kind of zone out on, but she was pleasant and she had fun. And occasionally they wouldn't bother with the chores, and watch a DVD or something.
It was Thursday around 7. Sarah had spent about 7 hours in the studio which was pretty easy work in the business. She felt kind of awake to be honest. It was the kind of night she could have gone out and fought crime. But crime would have to wait.
Or maybe spent some time with her little magic wand (don't judge her). It was often said of superheroes that their powers made them super-horny. Not Sarah, not really. Her libido was normal, maybe a tad above average, but really, she could manage it.
But Sarah couldn't help rubbing her legs together a bit as she sat on her bed. She knew would have to get dressed after taking off her work clothes to put on some old sweats (that were rubbing her breasts just the right way) She had to get to Janice’s house by 7:30 . She did have 15 minutes. if she ran and jumped there, she could do it three times as fast as driving. And she was feeling worked up...
She sighed. No, that probably wouldn’t work.
Then her hand found its way into her sweats pants. Ahh, fuck.
****
It was around 7:40 when a slightly flushed and unshowered Sarah made her way to Janice’s house (and it was a house, even if like a lot of places in the Southbay it had no yard or anything). Janice at some point had invested in the kind of furniture one would get from an Italian store. It was brass bowls and strong colors. Still, Janice was nice enough, if maybe a tad withdrawn, and they got along okay. Sarah was the last person there but no one commented.
"Tough day at the shoot"
"Good episode?" asked F. F was the type of person who worked in TV but never actually watched much of it. She was the kind of conventional attractive that one would see from across the street, until you realize that she kind of had a strange personality. How strange was hard to say.
"Ahhh, the directors not bad actually," Sarah commented "He’s done some Indie movies you never heard of, and he’s trying some interesting stuff with the camera"
The actual answer was, 'No, it was pretty terrible', but Sarah was not the type in Hollywood to bad-mouth the crap she worked on.
"Bought some margarita mixes. Three in the package, a forth I made my own," said Wendy. “Let’s have ourselves a night."
Wendy drank. The imprecise amount of alcohol in her drink suggested that she may in fact have a 'dranking' problem. owever, she was a pleasant enough person either sober or drunk, and she was good with a vacuum.
Wendy vacuumed. F could dust with the best of them. Janice could wash and clean a kitchen to spotlessness. Sarah had learned something about herself. She actually could tolerate cleaning other people’s bathrooms, despite what people did in bathrooms. She was tolerant of shit and blood she found, well, she could handle it. It wasn't that hard. This was despite the fact that they had by moving doubled the number of bathrooms she did in the night from 3 to 6. She found she was better at a really good once over.
Sarah spent about 30 minutes in the bathroom. It was kind of hard to hear Janice talking about her boyfriend, who was clearly coming over a lot. Pee stains on the side of the toilet confirm this, and the **** vague/vast **** amounts of it suggested it wasn't from one visit.
He was really into sports, and Janice’s voice suggested that she was in a particular stage of maybe caring about sports herself.
Sarah had seen sporting events of course, on occasion, but had never managed to care about it. With her great gifts at all athletic endeavours she had tried, basketball, softball and tennis had been trifles, not worth the bother to win, or watch the other players loose. She got peeved at them for their lack of ability. It was around Junior High when her abilities fully blossomed that her parents suggested she faked being bad, to go into the background and not become the worlds best tennis player or fastest miler . She agreed, and never did much in the way of traditional athletics again...and never bother watching it either. Why didn't that basketball player do a slam dunk from half court like she could? Instead, she found a whole world of comicbooks and action figures to bide her time.
It should be noted, as said before, that Sarah Jennings was secretly ‘Mazing Girl, champion of Los Angeles. None of her friends here knew. The only friend who knew (except for Knife Girl, who was also a hero), was Jim...an ex-boyfriend who was now just a friend...but he knew her secret. The rest just assumed she was a plumpy, vaguely semi-put-together nerd. A nerd who was friendly enough, enjoyed a beer, and was a good shoulder to talk to And willing, in Janice’s case, to clean her bathroom of a lot crud this week. Ahh well.
Yet they were her friends and she was glad for them. She knew other superheroes spent a lot of time mainly together forming cliques and circles. She wanted to you know actual humanity. She worked all day with actors, and had seen what happened to them...how they could grow isolated in their fame. Even the friendliest of stars, tended to have an aura of isolation...of distance. She shook her head. Not for her. Theoretically there were methods through advertising or some foundation she could be 'mazing full time, but she was glad for being her.
"Ooh! A quarter!" she said, as she found it behind the toilet. She paused Janet was a good friend. And 25 cents had some value as money. But ahh, it was hers.
It took her about 30 minutes to clean bathroom one, 10 to clean bathroom two (the half bath off the main living room), and a glance at the small bathroom for Janice’s unused second and third bedrooms to confirm that, once again, no one had used them since last time. Hell, she probably should do some light dusting. Meanwhile the other girls finished their chores, and some margaritas were consumed. It wasn't a great evening, but the margaritas were starting to kick in when Janice agreed to drive them to Sarah’s condo to get going.
Sarah was a little embarrassed by her little two bedroom condo. One bedroom was obviously a bedroom with a giant bed, and the second was used as an office/workroom that in actual working periods didn't see much use, other then to paint models or the occasional action figure (her hobby). It was maybe a tad bigger then a two bedroom apartment, but only a tad. Some posters, some of them signed by the original artist, lined the wall...but they weren't framed or anything. She could have probably, theoretically, afforded more...but ehh, it was her little piece of El Segundo magic (though it didn't have a view of the ocean or anything).
She didn't have a Batcave. She had thought about getting, like, a bat-computer or something, but had no idea what she would actually do with it. She put some news apps on her phone and felt she was giving due diligence in that department.
Still, secrecy made her keep her costume, and her backup costume in the trunk of her car. What if they came across her embarrassing secret!! The vibrator she kept in her room worried her, but less. She drove her car home, feeling sober enough to drive, hoping that a cop would agree...and not find her secret. This would be the most embarrassing way to loose your secret identity imaginable. Unless midgets or people wearing furry costumes were involved.
Well what can you do? She hadn't drank that much yet, and it would be a pain to get the car tomorrow.
It was on the drive home that she noticed it. Well...heard it. She turned on local news.
“A large apartment fire is raging in Torrance this evening...”
She could have driven there in, what? 2 minutes? She was good with fires. Her powers made these kinds of events trivial.
But she had guests coming home. And an apartment to clean...
"No causalities have been reported as yet, but fire-crews are on the scene, rescuing people...”
Friends. And she had promised snacks.
She got home and opened the door for everyone.
"Someone’s been messy" F teased.
Well screw you. But she had guests.
She worked on cleaning her own bathroom. She hadn't been that bad really, but clearly at some point she had spilled some stuff.
The girls talked. She turned on the radio.
"What’s going on?" asked Wendy.
"Just listening."
"...artment fire in Torrance. It has spread to an adjoining building...and the super villain known as Deca is at the site.” They played Deca’s voice: "PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES, BUT MAINLY THE WRETDCHED CREATURE KNOWN AS ‘MAZING GIRL, COME TO ME!!! OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR PRECIOUS CITY, BUILDING BY BUILDING!!!”
Deca. He was her arch-nemeses. His real name was Arthur Macquire, and like her had a superpower: Telepathy. He had used it in a productive way. For insider trade so much that it hurt. But as he read peoples mines he learned dirty secrets (and clean ones) about earnings reports etc. It was never proven that he actually talked to anyone, which just meant he was very lucky at the stock market.
Still, Sarah had captured him about two years ago. But not on this. For Macquire wanted to be a real supervillain too. Despite making millions and millions and owning a very large mansion in Bel Air (She had been there. It was pretty sweet), he had invested in thugs, private armies, and most notably power-armor. She remembered the truck incident about a month ago. That so could have been him. He liked armor and machines and things like that, and despite having no real technical skill had invested in tons. Plus he had a snazzy black cape.
But why? Even at his trial he had never really given a good answer as to what the end-game was. It wasn't money. He wasn't trying to take over the world or destroy it. What his end-game was, despite really being mad at her for capturing him, was never known. The government had taken his house, his cars, and his gay lovers (well the government didn't take that but that had been the result).
She hoped he wasn't monarching her from the Venture Bros, because she always found that show tiresomely up its own ass.
He had managed to escape jail using his a’Mazing powers to get past the guards (or possibly bribed them) and had spent a lot of time trying to enact some terrible vengeance on her.
This was pretty brazen.
But, well...she had bathrooms to clean.
"We have fresh reports that Nighthawk and The Glider are now on the scene. One unconfirmed sighting of Knife Girl...”
She finished early and helped Janice in the kitchen.
"You doing something interesting with cheese," Janice said.
"Made some pretty kicking fajitas the other night."
She wanted to be social but she only half paid attention.
"This is something to see, Jim. Glider is setting down anti-aircraft style fire from his laser at Deca, while Nighthawk is trying a more hands on strategy. However, Deca’s armor is extremely powerful, and it maybe to much for him to...”
"WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL!? DO NOT PESTER ME WITH THESE PATHETIC FOES!!”
Her apartment was pretty easy to clean. It was small, before they then moved on to F’s largish house. Sarah paused to consider. Should she call it a night? People’s lives could, you know, be at stake, and all...
"Hey, you know guys...um...I’m feeling a little...well I’m feeling a little...crampy.”
“Urgh,” uttered Wendy.
"We’re at my house already...I don't think the alcohol was helping..."
"Alcohol helps all problems," Wendy said.
"I don't want you have to drive me home early."
"That’s a good idea" said Janice. “We’ll finish up here."
And they did finish up, helpfully, as Sarah lay on her bed. And listened.
"WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL? WATCH ME RIP THE SKULL FROM THIS PRETENDER!"
"Oh my...Nighthawk...how to describe it...wait, wait. Knife Girl IS here. Knife Girl is here...She’s throwing knives at Deca, which seems to have distracted him from killing nighthawk. Deca’s coming over to attack...Glider just came down and kicked him. No wait! Deca has hit Glider’s hang-glider and he’s down. God! He’s down! Nighthawk is up and going at Deca from behind...and wait...Knife Girl has stuck a knife in Deca’s back...it looks...it looks like it hit something important. Sparks are flying...”
"DAMM YOU!! WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL!!!?”
“Deca has thrown down all three heroes with just a thrust of his hand. Like they’re dominos...bowling pins...now he’s running away...running...”
"PESTERING ANTS...NO I WILL NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA...”
"I think we’re done in here.”
"Thanks, guys," Sarah said as she helped them out. “I really got to thank you all.”
"What are friends for? See in you a couple of weeks.”
"I'll buy some really kick-ass cleanser. And some better margaritas."
*******
It was about 30 minutes before she got to the scene. The fire was still blazing, but all the people had been evacuated. Not much she could do. Still she made an appearance, looking over the wreckage.
She looked over at the building from another side.
"Where were you?" demanded Nighthawk, coming from the shadows.
"Um, I had personal business to attend to...I came as fast as I could.”
"That clown of a friend of yours, Knife Girl, almost got me killed," said Nighthawk, "We almost got killed, and Glider...”
Glider was a telekinetic, which meant he could move things with his mind. Mainly himself. He couldn't fly, perse, as his powers tired his mind quickly, but he could manipulate a hang-glider to provide lift and float so he could kind of fly. He also had a laser from somewhere.
"I heard you, all of you did pretty well...you and Knife Girl made a pretty good team."
Nighthawk shrugged. "She’s a menace."
"Right," said ‘Mazing girl. "Sorry I couldn't help more."
"You are the most powerful among us ‘Mazing girl. Frankly you’re among the top five in the world. You have to be responsible with these gifts, use them well, or they might as well not be there."
"I came as soon as I could. You know super-battles. This was done in like 5 minutes. I can't be everywhere."
Nighthawk didn't answer, he just slinked off into the shadows dropping into the night .
Sarah sat down on the buildings edge. She was feeling really guilty about letting down two sides of her life. Wendy’s bathroom would not be as fresh as it could be...and Deca had escaped to possibly threaten millions.
Life. Well...life.
When she had first moved to LA three years ago, she had met Wendy, who introduced her to Grace and F (her name was Florence, but everyone called her F). All of them were low industry girls at the time, living in the Southbay. Wendy and F were roommates of the non-sexual variety. Three years latter Sarah had become prop master on her own show. Janice had moved from working at a rental shop to being a first assistant camerawoman. F was now manager at the rental house, and Wendy was still a secretary for a production company.
They still got together once a month or so and had cleaning parties. All of the girls where messy, so spending a couple of hours each month to clean off their apartments together did help. Each girl would get a chore that they could somewhat tolerate, they would spend about an hour at each place...and well, maybe drink (Janice was a featherweight so usually she drove). Mainly they chatted about boys, music, or whatever. Sarah was the biggest nerd of the group by far, so constant talk about pop music was something she could kind of zone out on, but she was pleasant and she had fun. And occasionally they wouldn't bother with the chores, and watch a DVD or something.
It was Thursday around 7. Sarah had spent about 7 hours in the studio which was pretty easy work in the business. She felt kind of awake to be honest. It was the kind of night she could have gone out and fought crime. But crime would have to wait.
Or maybe spent some time with her little magic wand (don't judge her). It was often said of superheroes that their powers made them super-horny. Not Sarah, not really. Her libido was normal, maybe a tad above average, but really, she could manage it.
But Sarah couldn't help rubbing her legs together a bit as she sat on her bed. She knew would have to get dressed after taking off her work clothes to put on some old sweats (that were rubbing her breasts just the right way) She had to get to Janice’s house by 7:30 . She did have 15 minutes. if she ran and jumped there, she could do it three times as fast as driving. And she was feeling worked up...
She sighed. No, that probably wouldn’t work.
Then her hand found its way into her sweats pants. Ahh, fuck.
****
It was around 7:40 when a slightly flushed and unshowered Sarah made her way to Janice’s house (and it was a house, even if like a lot of places in the Southbay it had no yard or anything). Janice at some point had invested in the kind of furniture one would get from an Italian store. It was brass bowls and strong colors. Still, Janice was nice enough, if maybe a tad withdrawn, and they got along okay. Sarah was the last person there but no one commented.
"Tough day at the shoot"
"Good episode?" asked F. F was the type of person who worked in TV but never actually watched much of it. She was the kind of conventional attractive that one would see from across the street, until you realize that she kind of had a strange personality. How strange was hard to say.
"Ahhh, the directors not bad actually," Sarah commented "He’s done some Indie movies you never heard of, and he’s trying some interesting stuff with the camera"
The actual answer was, 'No, it was pretty terrible', but Sarah was not the type in Hollywood to bad-mouth the crap she worked on.
"Bought some margarita mixes. Three in the package, a forth I made my own," said Wendy. “Let’s have ourselves a night."
Wendy drank. The imprecise amount of alcohol in her drink suggested that she may in fact have a 'dranking' problem. owever, she was a pleasant enough person either sober or drunk, and she was good with a vacuum.
Wendy vacuumed. F could dust with the best of them. Janice could wash and clean a kitchen to spotlessness. Sarah had learned something about herself. She actually could tolerate cleaning other people’s bathrooms, despite what people did in bathrooms. She was tolerant of shit and blood she found, well, she could handle it. It wasn't that hard. This was despite the fact that they had by moving doubled the number of bathrooms she did in the night from 3 to 6. She found she was better at a really good once over.
Sarah spent about 30 minutes in the bathroom. It was kind of hard to hear Janice talking about her boyfriend, who was clearly coming over a lot. Pee stains on the side of the toilet confirm this, and the **** vague/vast **** amounts of it suggested it wasn't from one visit.
He was really into sports, and Janice’s voice suggested that she was in a particular stage of maybe caring about sports herself.
Sarah had seen sporting events of course, on occasion, but had never managed to care about it. With her great gifts at all athletic endeavours she had tried, basketball, softball and tennis had been trifles, not worth the bother to win, or watch the other players loose. She got peeved at them for their lack of ability. It was around Junior High when her abilities fully blossomed that her parents suggested she faked being bad, to go into the background and not become the worlds best tennis player or fastest miler . She agreed, and never did much in the way of traditional athletics again...and never bother watching it either. Why didn't that basketball player do a slam dunk from half court like she could? Instead, she found a whole world of comicbooks and action figures to bide her time.
It should be noted, as said before, that Sarah Jennings was secretly ‘Mazing Girl, champion of Los Angeles. None of her friends here knew. The only friend who knew (except for Knife Girl, who was also a hero), was Jim...an ex-boyfriend who was now just a friend...but he knew her secret. The rest just assumed she was a plumpy, vaguely semi-put-together nerd. A nerd who was friendly enough, enjoyed a beer, and was a good shoulder to talk to And willing, in Janice’s case, to clean her bathroom of a lot crud this week. Ahh well.
Yet they were her friends and she was glad for them. She knew other superheroes spent a lot of time mainly together forming cliques and circles. She wanted to you know actual humanity. She worked all day with actors, and had seen what happened to them...how they could grow isolated in their fame. Even the friendliest of stars, tended to have an aura of isolation...of distance. She shook her head. Not for her. Theoretically there were methods through advertising or some foundation she could be 'mazing full time, but she was glad for being her.
"Ooh! A quarter!" she said, as she found it behind the toilet. She paused Janet was a good friend. And 25 cents had some value as money. But ahh, it was hers.
It took her about 30 minutes to clean bathroom one, 10 to clean bathroom two (the half bath off the main living room), and a glance at the small bathroom for Janice’s unused second and third bedrooms to confirm that, once again, no one had used them since last time. Hell, she probably should do some light dusting. Meanwhile the other girls finished their chores, and some margaritas were consumed. It wasn't a great evening, but the margaritas were starting to kick in when Janice agreed to drive them to Sarah’s condo to get going.
Sarah was a little embarrassed by her little two bedroom condo. One bedroom was obviously a bedroom with a giant bed, and the second was used as an office/workroom that in actual working periods didn't see much use, other then to paint models or the occasional action figure (her hobby). It was maybe a tad bigger then a two bedroom apartment, but only a tad. Some posters, some of them signed by the original artist, lined the wall...but they weren't framed or anything. She could have probably, theoretically, afforded more...but ehh, it was her little piece of El Segundo magic (though it didn't have a view of the ocean or anything).
She didn't have a Batcave. She had thought about getting, like, a bat-computer or something, but had no idea what she would actually do with it. She put some news apps on her phone and felt she was giving due diligence in that department.
Still, secrecy made her keep her costume, and her backup costume in the trunk of her car. What if they came across her embarrassing secret!! The vibrator she kept in her room worried her, but less. She drove her car home, feeling sober enough to drive, hoping that a cop would agree...and not find her secret. This would be the most embarrassing way to loose your secret identity imaginable. Unless midgets or people wearing furry costumes were involved.
Well what can you do? She hadn't drank that much yet, and it would be a pain to get the car tomorrow.
It was on the drive home that she noticed it. Well...heard it. She turned on local news.
“A large apartment fire is raging in Torrance this evening...”
She could have driven there in, what? 2 minutes? She was good with fires. Her powers made these kinds of events trivial.
But she had guests coming home. And an apartment to clean...
"No causalities have been reported as yet, but fire-crews are on the scene, rescuing people...”
Friends. And she had promised snacks.
She got home and opened the door for everyone.
"Someone’s been messy" F teased.
Well screw you. But she had guests.
She worked on cleaning her own bathroom. She hadn't been that bad really, but clearly at some point she had spilled some stuff.
The girls talked. She turned on the radio.
"What’s going on?" asked Wendy.
"Just listening."
"...artment fire in Torrance. It has spread to an adjoining building...and the super villain known as Deca is at the site.” They played Deca’s voice: "PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES, BUT MAINLY THE WRETDCHED CREATURE KNOWN AS ‘MAZING GIRL, COME TO ME!!! OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR PRECIOUS CITY, BUILDING BY BUILDING!!!”
Deca. He was her arch-nemeses. His real name was Arthur Macquire, and like her had a superpower: Telepathy. He had used it in a productive way. For insider trade so much that it hurt. But as he read peoples mines he learned dirty secrets (and clean ones) about earnings reports etc. It was never proven that he actually talked to anyone, which just meant he was very lucky at the stock market.
Still, Sarah had captured him about two years ago. But not on this. For Macquire wanted to be a real supervillain too. Despite making millions and millions and owning a very large mansion in Bel Air (She had been there. It was pretty sweet), he had invested in thugs, private armies, and most notably power-armor. She remembered the truck incident about a month ago. That so could have been him. He liked armor and machines and things like that, and despite having no real technical skill had invested in tons. Plus he had a snazzy black cape.
But why? Even at his trial he had never really given a good answer as to what the end-game was. It wasn't money. He wasn't trying to take over the world or destroy it. What his end-game was, despite really being mad at her for capturing him, was never known. The government had taken his house, his cars, and his gay lovers (well the government didn't take that but that had been the result).
She hoped he wasn't monarching her from the Venture Bros, because she always found that show tiresomely up its own ass.
He had managed to escape jail using his a’Mazing powers to get past the guards (or possibly bribed them) and had spent a lot of time trying to enact some terrible vengeance on her.
This was pretty brazen.
But, well...she had bathrooms to clean.
"We have fresh reports that Nighthawk and The Glider are now on the scene. One unconfirmed sighting of Knife Girl...”
She finished early and helped Janice in the kitchen.
"You doing something interesting with cheese," Janice said.
"Made some pretty kicking fajitas the other night."
She wanted to be social but she only half paid attention.
"This is something to see, Jim. Glider is setting down anti-aircraft style fire from his laser at Deca, while Nighthawk is trying a more hands on strategy. However, Deca’s armor is extremely powerful, and it maybe to much for him to...”
"WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL!? DO NOT PESTER ME WITH THESE PATHETIC FOES!!”
Her apartment was pretty easy to clean. It was small, before they then moved on to F’s largish house. Sarah paused to consider. Should she call it a night? People’s lives could, you know, be at stake, and all...
"Hey, you know guys...um...I’m feeling a little...well I’m feeling a little...crampy.”
“Urgh,” uttered Wendy.
"We’re at my house already...I don't think the alcohol was helping..."
"Alcohol helps all problems," Wendy said.
"I don't want you have to drive me home early."
"That’s a good idea" said Janice. “We’ll finish up here."
And they did finish up, helpfully, as Sarah lay on her bed. And listened.
"WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL? WATCH ME RIP THE SKULL FROM THIS PRETENDER!"
"Oh my...Nighthawk...how to describe it...wait, wait. Knife Girl IS here. Knife Girl is here...She’s throwing knives at Deca, which seems to have distracted him from killing nighthawk. Deca’s coming over to attack...Glider just came down and kicked him. No wait! Deca has hit Glider’s hang-glider and he’s down. God! He’s down! Nighthawk is up and going at Deca from behind...and wait...Knife Girl has stuck a knife in Deca’s back...it looks...it looks like it hit something important. Sparks are flying...”
"DAMM YOU!! WHERE IS ‘MAZING GIRL!!!?”
“Deca has thrown down all three heroes with just a thrust of his hand. Like they’re dominos...bowling pins...now he’s running away...running...”
"PESTERING ANTS...NO I WILL NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA...”
"I think we’re done in here.”
"Thanks, guys," Sarah said as she helped them out. “I really got to thank you all.”
"What are friends for? See in you a couple of weeks.”
"I'll buy some really kick-ass cleanser. And some better margaritas."
*******
It was about 30 minutes before she got to the scene. The fire was still blazing, but all the people had been evacuated. Not much she could do. Still she made an appearance, looking over the wreckage.
She looked over at the building from another side.
"Where were you?" demanded Nighthawk, coming from the shadows.
"Um, I had personal business to attend to...I came as fast as I could.”
"That clown of a friend of yours, Knife Girl, almost got me killed," said Nighthawk, "We almost got killed, and Glider...”
Glider was a telekinetic, which meant he could move things with his mind. Mainly himself. He couldn't fly, perse, as his powers tired his mind quickly, but he could manipulate a hang-glider to provide lift and float so he could kind of fly. He also had a laser from somewhere.
"I heard you, all of you did pretty well...you and Knife Girl made a pretty good team."
Nighthawk shrugged. "She’s a menace."
"Right," said ‘Mazing girl. "Sorry I couldn't help more."
"You are the most powerful among us ‘Mazing girl. Frankly you’re among the top five in the world. You have to be responsible with these gifts, use them well, or they might as well not be there."
"I came as soon as I could. You know super-battles. This was done in like 5 minutes. I can't be everywhere."
Nighthawk didn't answer, he just slinked off into the shadows dropping into the night .
Sarah sat down on the buildings edge. She was feeling really guilty about letting down two sides of her life. Wendy’s bathroom would not be as fresh as it could be...and Deca had escaped to possibly threaten millions.
Life. Well...life.
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