by JK Waylon
"You did exceptionally well, Amazing Girl," Ms Amazing said as they returned to striding purposely down the street, scattering hookers, pimps, and pushers before them. "You took him out in spectacular fashion, with lots of witnesses. You will be the talk of the Tenderloin and the city tomorrow. Expect lots of attention in the next couple of weeks, not all of it good."
"What do you mean?"
"The bad guys will test your mettle," she said. "Everyone wants to know just what to expect from you. Whether you should be feared or mocked, but once you show them you are not to be trifled with, they will back off and bide their time."
"Bide their time?"
Ms Amazing nodded, baby blues narrowing at a small huddle of laughing men halfway down a side street. She quickly figured out it was a dice game. Continuing on, she spotted a dozen hookers and three pimps. One of the pimps she'd thought was still in county lockup. She so hated it when they got out early. Overcrowding as the issue. There was a lot of crime in Synne City. Rumor was there were more lawyers per capita in Synne City than in any other city in the United States, and sometimes it didn't seem like there were enough lawyers for all the criminals going through the system.
"Yes. We may be the biggest, baddest hunters in the Tenderloin, but we are also hunted. Men despise us, since we stand between them and the crimes they desire to commit, so they want to take us out. Others, well, they desire us," she said. "Amazons make the best hookers, and as superior women, we have much more spectacular bodies for them to use, abuse, and/or force into prostitution. They want us, real bad."
She noticed Amazing Girl's eyes got big, while one hand rubbed her lower belly. She grimaced, because thoughts of being sexually subjugated kinda got her aroused, too.
"Don't think about it," Ms Amazing said. "It's easier if you don't think about it too much. Believe me, I've been trying to not think about it for years."
Amazing Girl giggled. It was a nervous kind of giggle.
"Yeah, I'm trying, Ms A," she said. "Oops, I mean Ms Amazing."
She laughed. "Ms A is fine. Lots of the other heroines address me like that. I don't mind. Just never, ever address me by my real name while I'm in costume. Even if you know we are alone."
"Oh, I got that down, Ms A," she said, perking up.
They strode the streets of the Tenderloin into the wee hours, without seeing any more crimes in progress. They came across the end result of a few, but nothing to set them into action.
"Slow night?" Amazing Girl said as they got into the car to return home.
"No, afraid not," she said. "We saw more action than most nights."
"Oh."
Ms Amazing laughed. "Don't be disappointed. It won't be long before you love the slow nights." She pulled out of the alley, having to honk at a hooker talking up a john in a car blocking her way. When they figured out who she was, they quickly vacated the scene. "Some nights they will run us ragged. It happens much too often."
"We'll be back tomorrow night, right?"
"No, tomorrow we'll be moving you into Daul Manor," she said as they left the Tenderloin, and headed home. "And then I'm going to take you shopping."
"Shopping?"
"A whole new wardrobe, sweetie," she said. "Designer clothes. Great jewelry. Oh, and best of all…shoes!"
"Oh my," she said, head spinning. "I love shoes."
Chapter 3
Barbara stared at her computer screen. The monthly reports were due to the Board of Director soon. All morning had been filled with meetings, giving her little time to do her work. Being Chairman of the Board and CEO meant she had to set the standards. If she slacked off, they everyone would slack off. So Barbara always gave it her all at the office.
She blew a little puff to push a stray lock of hair out of her face. Her shimmering mass of hair was piled atop her head in an elaborate design of twists and tucks. She prided herself with coming up with the hair style, requiring a single strategically placed bobby pin to hold it all together. Pull that pin, and it all cascaded down her back. Unfortunately by midmorning numerous tendrils of hair were usually framing her face.
She was wearing a standard feminine business suit. Today it was dark gray, pin-striped, with a pale gold silk blouse. She'd removed the jacket earlier. She finished off her outfit with dark nose, black stiletto pumps, and a pair of unneeded glasses. The glasses were her Barbara persona's "mask."
Her desk phone buzzed, and her secretary's voice addressed her. "Ms Daul….Hey! Don't go in…" Her office door opened and a man she truly loathed stroked in angrily. "Ms Daul, Armand Germaine is barging into your office! I tried to stop him."
"I know," Barbara said, spinning her chair around to face him. "Close the door. I'll deal with Mr. Germaine."
"Yeah, bitch, you're going to deal with me all right," Armand said. As usual, he looked angry. It was his usual mood when dealing with Barbara. "How dare you use your influence to block my Albright Project."
Barbara rubbed glossy red lips together as she regarded her bitterest business rival. On top of that, Armand's trophy wife was Sylvia, her lifelong rival. Sometimes she wondered if Armand and Sylvia were attracted to each other by their mutual hatred of her.
"You don't look well, Armand," she said. "Having you been getting enough sleep? Is Sylvia wearing out your aged body?"
Armand was sixty, and Sylvia was just a month older than Barbara at twenty-five. Armand was a very fit sixty, with salt and pepper hair. Leaning more towards salt the last few years. She had no doubt he could keep up with Sylvia, who wasn't the most acrobatic lover in the world. At six four, he was quite dashing in his expensive tailored suite.
"And you look like a worn out slut," he sneered. "Can you get a tighter skirt than that one?"
Barbara smiled. "No, but not from a lack of trying. Thanks for noticing." She winked at him. Flirting with Armand just pissed him off more. "What can I do for you?"
"You can stay out of my business."
She frowned. His business was pretty unsavory. He owned open strip minds. Had no problem cutting down whole forests, leaving land barren and ugly. His factories were some of the worst polluters in the world, not just the nation. And none of it bothered him. All he cared about was wealth and power, especially power.
"No can do, Mr. Environmental Enemy Number One."
He placed his fists on her desk and leaned over, glaring into her baby blues. She was not intimidated, so let a little smile curl her lips as she gazed up into his eyes. Unflinching. Unconcerned.
"I have a billion and a half of my own money invested in the Albright Project," he said. "If we don't get City Council approval, I'll lose it all. Do you understand. I do not like losing money, bitch."
"Well, Mr. Moneybags, it's a good thing you are worth twenty billion, because with the goddess as my witness, you are going to lose that investment," she said. "I will not stand by why you bull doze five blocks of historic homes, and the city's oldest public park." She shook her head. "All for an entertainment complex?"
"With a new domed football stadium to attract a professional football team to the city," he said. "That will bring economic growth and property."
"Yes, your prosperity," she said. "They city and the people would be much poorer for all you take away. And we both know you have it all structured so that you will be the overwhelming benefactor of that economic bonanza."
He stood up and gazed speculative down at her. "What if we restructured, so that you and your friends could benefit from this project? After all, you are barely worth the billion and a half I have invested in the project. Maybe you'll like to bump your wealth up to the next level?"
She sighed gustily. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to 'bribe' her with promises of extreme wealth. That's how their bad relationship first started seven years back, in that very office, with him looming over her with threats of total destruction if she didn't cooperate. It was her first week as Chairman and CEO, after her parents untimely death in a private jet crash.
"That is so k
ind of you, sir. But you know, I'm having the most god-awful time spending all the money I make as it is," she said. "More money would just be more stressful. A girl can only own so many cute shoes, right?"
"Don't play games with me, Barbara."
Her baby blues narrowed. "Fine, Armand. You are a money hungry pig. You have no concept of right and wrong, or any kind of social conscience at all. Oh, you host and attend charity events, but it's just for show, to put a pretty mask on the ugliness of your unsavory business dealings," she said, rising to her feet to lean over the desk at him. Her eyes narrowed even more. "My friends and I are here to check your unbridled desire to plunder the world."
Armand clenched his fists, face getting red. Somehow that was how most of their meetings ended. She gave him a smug little smile, sat back down, and leaned back. Crossing her legs, she looked pointedly at him, and then at the door.
"Good day, Mr. Germaine."
"Not for you, Ms Daul," he growled. He caught her eyes, glaring deeply. "Payback is a bitch, bitch."
He spun on a heel and marched out, slamming the door. Barbara sat there shaking her head.
"The man has anger issues," she mumbled. "And why does everyone call me a bitch?"
"Because men don't like strong women, Ms Daul," Jasmine, her secretary, said as she entered the office. "I'm sorry about that, Ms Daul. I'll talk to security about stopping him before he reaches the office in the future."
She smiled at the pretty brunette. "Thank you, Jasmine. Can you get me a cup of green tea and the Jacobs file?"
Around midafternoon, Barbara was informed that Armand had purchased a huge block of Daul Enterprises stock. He was now the second largest shareholder in her company, with her the largest. She had forty percent of the voting stock. Before Armand bought fifteen percent that day, the second largest shareholder was Synne City Bank and Trust, with just two percent. If he bought any more, she'd have to consider buying more stock, too. Her forty percent of Daul Enterprises was worth about a billion, with the rest of her wealth invested in real estate. But she had enough liquid assets and credit to buy another eleven percent to give herself a fifty-one percent stake in the company. Unfortunately, it would be another month before she was legally able to buy more stock, due to federal regulation.
Armand wouldn't be subject to the same restrictions until he joined the board, and became an employee of Daul Enterprises. So he could continue to buy stock. Though she had on good authority he was cash strapped at the moment, due to the Albright Project. He probably had to borrow to buy what stock he purchased.
"Dammit, he just bought himself a seat on the board," she said. "Another thorn in my side that I don't need."
She used Daul Enterprises to block most of his unsavory dealings. With him on the board that would be more difficult, if not impossible, in the future. Hell, he would know everything she planned so he could counter it.
Barbara arranged a meeting with her friends on the board, to plot their strategy to contain his influence. And then she went back to work. It proved a long day, not ending until six-thirty when she heard a cell phone ring in her purse.
It was her Ms Amazing ring tone.
When she answered, Barbara dropped her voice to her commanding Ms Amazing voice. "Hello, this is Ms Amazing, how may I assist you?"
"Ms A. It's Solly," a familiar male voice said. He was her best informant, and one of the few people who was not a heroine or a police chief with her cell number.
"Hello, Solly, you have something important for me?"
"Yea, yea, it's big. It's real big and going down now," he said. "I know you don't like me calling for little shit."
Her body tensed up. Solly didn't usually waste her time. His information was right on most of the time. But he had a bad tendency to talk too much, forcing her to make him just tell her what he knows.
"What's going down right now? A bank robbery?"
"Worse! Danica Solis is personally supervising a major drug deal. Cocaine, I think."
Ms Amazing sucked in a sharp breath. She'd been after Danica Solis for five years. Danica was the boss of the Solis crime family. Indeed, she was so ruthless and powerful, she'd made herself the Boss of Bosses in Synne City. Hardly a crime went down in Synne City that she'd didn't get at least a small cut.
"Just cut the BS and tell me where, Solly," she said. "And you will be richly reward if this proves true."
He gave her the location and she tingled with anticipation and pleasure. It was going down in the Tenderloin, and wasn't that far for a super heroine with the power of flight.
Barbara hurried into her private elevator, and headed for her luxury condo in the high rise next door. She owned the penthouse there, with its own private elevator. So it only took a few minutes for her to reach the privacy of her second home. She didn't maintain evening staff at either residence, so she was completely alone when she arrived, though she double-checked anyway. The penthouse came with a secret and well hidden safe room, that she turned into her Ms Amazing dressing room. Even her staff didn't know about that safe room.
After years of changing into Ms Amazing, she could do it swiftly. Then she pushed a button that opened an armored trapdoor in the roof, which allowed her to soar straight up at breakneck speed and vanishing in the night sky. The trapdoor automatically closed behind her.
Ms Amazing streaked across the sky, weaving through the skyscrapers, as she headed for the Tenderloin and a date with Danica Solis's destiny. She couldn't keep the smile off her masked face as she flew. Seeing Danica finally taken away in handcuffs were be so good.
As usual, Solly's information was solid. She found the drug deal going down at the location given. Danica's Rolls Royce limo was there, with Danica standing in the middle of a line of her henchmen. Danica was decked out in tight pink leather skirt and short jacket, her long brown hair flowing down her back. Another line of men faced them, standing in front of a black SUV. The scene was lit by their headlights.
She hovered above until they exchanged suitcases. And then she dropped straight down between them. Yeah, her sudden arrival got them all riled up.
"Ms Amazing!" Chucky cried. He was one of Danica's bodyguards, big and burly, and dump as dirt.
"You're going down, Danica!" she cried, and kicked Chucky in the nuts. Then she jumped over him and send a flying roundhouse into the side Paulie's head. He was a thirty-something enforcer with the Solis Family she'd dealt with before. Five times to be exact, and five times she beat him down and sent him to jail. He was also Danica's chief bodyguard, at six feet six and lots of muscles. Not someone she took lightly. "I'm going to kick your fat ass, and then arrest you."
"Get her!" Danica cried.
One of her enforcers, Edward, pulled a pistol as Danica hurried into the back of her limo. Ms Amazing ripped the gun from his grip, breaking his trigger finger in the process. He screamed and clutched his hand, while she turned his .44 magnum on the front of the Rolls Royce and emptied it.
"You aren't going anywhere, Danica," she muttered as she tossed the empty pistol aside. "Except to prison."
Bang!
Ms Amazing let out a tiny grunt, as her belt suddenly sucked life energy to fuel the shield. She slanted narrowed eyes over her shoulder to find the one of the men from the buyers was shooting at her. It took her a second before she recognized him. Franco. Last name unknown. It was the first time she'd met him, but the police had shown her his picture many times. He was a known middle man in the organized crime world, orchestrating such drug deals for overseas clients. He was a tall, lean Latino, and roguishly handsome.
He emptied his pistol at her. BangBangBangBangBang!
"You're just wasting your time and ammo, miscreant," she sneered. And thinking, And my valuable energy.
Stopping a bullet took more energy than flying. It hurt even more after her breakneck flight over from downtown. Almost every one of the thugs there was reaching for a weapon. For a second she worried that they would all start shooting at her. Together, th
ey could pretty quickly deplete her life energy. There was a possibility they might even defeat and capture her if they did so.
"Morons, have you forgotten I am shielded against guns?"
Thankfully none of them pulled their pistols, and instead balled up their fists and moved towards her. She was as strong as ten men, so Ms Amazing had full confidence in her ability to defeat them all handily. Add other powers and talents to that super strength and endurance, and she expected to kick their butts in record time.
"I take it you boys don't plan to surrender nicely," she said, baby blues a-twinkle with wicked glee. "Let's party."
Two of the buyers rushed her. Ms Amazing jumped straight up as she spun into a brutal flying roundhouse. One ducked, but she caught the other in the side of the head. He went down and didn't move. But the other man tried to grab her lowered leg.
"I don't think so," she cried, willing her body to soar straight up about twenty feet. Then she did a big loop, and went into a power dive straight into his back. Ms Amazing hammered five super powered punches into his back, driving him into the ground. She landed beside him, grabbed his belt, and threw him against the nearest wall. He crumbled in a pile and didn't move. "Damn, bet that hurt."
"I'm going to give you some hurt, Ms A-hole!" Chucky said, charging her.
She wagged her brows at him, waited to the last second, then faked jumping up to fly away. He leapt up, anticipating her move. She ducked low, and charged through his legs. Chucky flipped and landed on his back. Ms Amazing jumped up, and came down with an Atomic Elbow to his head.
Chucky was out for the count.
Kicking her legs straight up, and using her ability to fly, she rose up ten feet and over two more of the charging buyers. When they whirled around to face her, she leapt between them, shoulder high, and kicked straight out in both directions. A perfect midair split that landed brutal kicks to both of their heads. They didn't get up either.
Ms Amazing slowly turned around in the middle of the moaning, groaning bodies. A few were glaring murderously at her, but hurting enough to reconsider attacking again. She knew that wasn't going to last long. They'd all rather fight than go to jail.