She headed to another corner of the laboratory, where she slipped through a door. "Stay right there for a moment. I want to show you something else."
After a few minutes of hissing and clanking, another suit of armor marched out of the door and into the laboratory. The armor had the same basic shape and color, but with some differences. It was slimmer and what had once been a barrel chest now curved to form the outline of breasts. Overall, the armor had a more feminine look.
Alley Cat thrust up her fists. "Yay, the Night Watchman's got new gear!"
The armor shook its helmet and said in a distorted but more feminine voice. "No, I'm going to embrace who and what I am. I'm no longer the Night Watchman. Now, I'm the Night Woman."
Paragon grinned and held out his hand. "Welcome aboard, Night Woman."
They shook hands.
He turned to Electronica and pointed at her. "As for you, we need to get you some combat training."
Electronica nodded. "Affirmative."
***
Agatha Thomas sat at the small table in her cramped bedroom and dreamed. She dreamed of the future. She dreamed of freedom. Mostly, she dreamed about money. She puffed on a joint, exhaled the fragrant smoke, and dreamed.
Her dreams were only interrupted by the bedroom window sliding open.
A young woman made of green slime crawled through the window. She dragged a canvas sack with her.
Agatha grinned at her. "How'd it go?"
The woman set the sack down on the bed. "Okay."
"I saw you got caught by those fucking superheroes. Any problems?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle. Hit up a bank on the way home so it wasn't a total bust." The slime woman took a deep breath.
As she breathed in, her translucent green body began to turn solid. It also faded from green to a light shade of pink.
Starting with her feet, the green slime turned into smooth bare flesh. When the wave reached her face, it changed in shape to a woman with freckles, and her green hair changed into curly brown hair. The transformation left her naked and she placed her hands over her breasts and crotch.
Agatha's grin widened as the girl turned human. "I never get tired of that. Good job, Nicolette."
Nicolette reached for a T-shirt on the bed and pulled it over her large breasts. "I'm glad you're happy. I almost got caught this time. There's five thousand dollars there. When are we gonna stop this?"
As Nicolette pulled on some panties, Agatha puffed her joint again and growled, "Stop it? We're just getting started. You're just now learning how to use this Goo Girl shtick."
Nicolette dragged the sack over to a stack of locked strongboxes in a corner of the room. "But we've got so much money already. Why can't we at least move out of this shitty apartment?"
Agatha took a key out of her pocket, unlocked one of the strongboxes, and started dumping the money into it. "You've lived in this shitty apartment your whole life. Now it's too good for ya? Besides, the cops will be all over us. Nah, this apartment is the perfect cover. As long as we're here, no one will notice us. When we have enough, we'll take off and live it up."
"It seems like it's never enough."
Agatha swung around to slap Nicolette's face. "Don't talk back to me, you little shit! You'll do as I say!"
Nicolette shuddered while clutching her hands to her face. "Yes, Momma. I'm sorry, Momma."
Agatha grunted. "That's more like it. Now get. I gotta plan our next job."
Nicolette sighed. "Yes, momma. I'm going to bed. This thing makes me so tired."
She trudged out of the bedroom as Agatha began going over the newspaper. She kept an eye out for new exhibits or deliveries or just bank openings. So much to steal, so little time.
***
In her own bedroom, Nicolette allowed herself to fall onto the bed and rolled over to look up at her ceiling with a sigh. Every muscle in her body ached like she had been doing a six-hour yoga session. Changing shape took a lot out of her.
She thought about how her mother hadn't even asked how she felt. She had been under the control of a supervillain, fought a bunch of superheroes, gotten arrested, and escaped from jail, and all her mother cared about was the money. Nicolette knew she shouldn't be surprised but it still hurt.
Nicolette rolled over again, this time to look up at the poster of Paragon on her wall. Meeting Paragon was the only good thing about becoming a supervillain. She loved messing with him, and it turned her on. She had even managed to kiss and suck his cock last time out.
Then again, he didn't hold a candle to her real crush.
She looked over at the picture she had pinned next to Paragon's poster. It was a worn and faded photo of herself and Ryan Walker as teenagers, both with big smiles and pimples on their faces. She could look at the picture for hours.
Since he had started dating Heather, he seemed more attractive somehow. She wasn't sure why, but it made things even harder between them. Once again, she wished her mother would let her go out with Ryan. Her mother knew she loved Ryan, but wouldn't let her date because she thought it would blow their cover.
She remembered the other night when she saw him coming out of his apartment with that beautiful blonde Heather on his arm. They seemed happy together. It pained her to see him going out with someone else, but she wanted him to find happiness. If not with her, then Heather seemed like a good match. Still, Nicolette hoped something would change in her favor.
Nicolette ran her finger down Ryan's face in the photo. "One day, baby. One day."
***
In a dimly-lit hospital room, Nurse Esperanza McKowen adjusted the IV in Captain Alpha's arm and continued to talk to him. "I told Jerry, I said, I'm not letting you in my ass again. It hurts like shit."
She looked at Captain Alpha, watching his chest rise and fall. "Can you believe it? He asked again. Like I'm gonna let him do it after last time."
He didn't say anything, and didn't even open his eyes. She didn't expect him to.
She sighed as she rolled him over a few inches to avoid bed sores. "You know, Captain, I'm not happy you were poisoned, but I am glad you're here. You're, like, so easy to talk to. These past few months, it's been nice talking to someone about this stuff. I hope, when you wake up, you'll be my friend for real."
Once again, she found herself tempted to take a peek under his mask. There had been a lot of discussion in the hospital about Captain Alpha's secret identity, but no one had dared to try to look. The hospital had a strict policy of maintaining secret identities which is why so many superheroes and supervillains used it. Bills were paid through donations and grants instead of private or public insurance.
She resisted the temptation. She found the mystery more exciting.
She picked up the remote. "Hey, it's time for the evening news. I know you like Danielle Davis."
She turned on the television, and the beautiful news anchor smiled on the screen. "-final walk of shame. And, of course, everyone is talking about the victory over Aphrodisia and the return of the Night Watchman."
The screen cut to footage of the chaotic streets with naked men and women tangling themselves into piles of writhing flesh while others ran screaming down the road. In the unsteady view, Paragon could be seen flying over the stadium. When the camera zoomed in, it showed him kissing Aphrodisia while the anchor spoke.
"Despite Aphrodisia's efforts to take over the city, she was defeated in a final standoff with the hero Paragon."
Captain Alpha opened his eyes. He wheezed as he took a sudden deep breath.
Esperanza screamed and jumped back. "Captain!"
He sat up. His red eyes wavered as they looked down at the wires and tubes attached to himself.
"What," he croaked, "is this? Where am I?"
She leaned closer. "You-you're at the hospital."
He closed his eyes and must have turned on his force field, because an invisible force ripped all the tubes and wires off his body.
She reached for his sunken face. "Captain Alph
a, I'm Nurse McKowen."
He ignored her, looking up at the TV. The news showed Paragon surrounded by cheering crowds while he had his arms around Heavenly Hawk.
Captain Alpha raised a quivering hand and pointed at the screen. "What is this? Who is that?"
Esperanza couldn't help smiling at the TV. "That's Paragon. He's a new superhero. I guess you didn't hear about--"
Her throat felt like an invisible band wrapped around it and squeezed. Her tongue swelled as her oxygen cut off, and she felt her lungs tighten.
Captain Alpha turned his head to look at her. In the weak light, shadows fell over his eyes, turning them into dark holes in his face. "Those people are cheering for him. My city is cheering for him. He has his hands on my woman. Why?"
She wanted to answer, but she couldn't talk. She couldn't even scream. She grabbed at her own throat, trying to pull off the thing choking her, but felt nothing.
"A new superhero?" Captain Alpha sat up higher. "The people of Eros City replaced me? Left me here to rot? While you turned your affections to another superhero?"
Esperanza dug her nails into her throat so hard that blood ran down over her fingers. Stars danced into her eyes as she felt her life slipping away.
On the TV, Paragon smiled at Heavenly Hawk. "I couldn't have done it without her. I love you, baby."
The two heroes kissed.
Just before Esperanza died, she heard Captain Alpha let out a roar as the television set exploded.
Coming Soon:
Super Babes 3
From the Author
Reviews are critical to any author's success! The more copies I sell, the more time I can devote to writing. If you’ve enjoyed this book, please go to the site where you purchased it and post a review so others will know!
To get the latest news on events and new releases, contests, a FREE ebook every month, an exclusive Venus Online story and much more, you can subscribe to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dCm0ID.
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Super Babes 2: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure Page 19