The Price Of Victory Ch. 02

EVEN sooner than she expected, Victory heard footsteps in the hallways coming towards her. Her mind began to spin wondering how she would live down this humiliation. Would this be the end of her crime fighting days? She had come this far with an endorsement from the mayor of Capital City himself, without which she'd likely have been branded a common vigilante. Once word of her defeat got back to him, how would he react? It's one thing to endorse an invincible super-heroine to guard your burgeoning metropolis and quite another to allow a foolish little girl in a spandex two-piece to run around your city trying to get herself killed. After a long moment a single uniformed officer came around the corner, she had long black hair pulled into a ponytail, her standard issue berretta led the way. Victory was surprised at first to see a woman standing there, then even more surprised to recognize her.

The officer's name was Sasha Cortez and she had become something of a celebrity in Capital City. Partially because of a few marquis cases she'd been involved with but mostly because being Latin and a woman made her a P.R. bonanza for the scandal ridden CCPD. The fact that she looked absolutely gorgeous on camera (or anywhere else for that matter) was icing on the cake.

Sasha looked at the bound heroine with surprise of her own. "Victory?"

"They're gone," Victory said quickly. "It was..."

"Cassandra X., I know," Sasha spoke with a sexy accent. "I've been on her case most of the day but she gave me the slip earlier this evening... and now again...damn!"

The voluptuous Latina slipped her pistol into its holster and hurried to Victory's side. She quickly began untying the ropes and the young heroine felt instant relief flood through her at the first hints of slack. Victory bit her bottom lip to hold back a gasp. She wasn't sure she could stand this kind of treatment regularly. Her arms came free of their bonds and Victory sat forward rubbing her wrists. She didn't take much time before going to work on her ankles while Officer Cortez was undoing the ropes around her waist.

"I should have known the Knox Diamond would be her target," Officer Cortez chided herself.

"Don't feel too bad," Victory said flush with embarrassment. "At least you aren't..."

"Don't," Sasha cut her off. "Cassandra X. is the most successful thief in the world and if the rumors are true you wouldn't be the first super-heroine she's caught off guard."

Freed at last the heroine stood and stretched. True or not that came as scant consolation to the humiliated heroine.

"The silent alarms have been tripped," Sasha said. "You'd better get dressed before the CCPD arrive, you might even be able to get out of here unnoticed."

Victory followed her pointing finger to a pile of clothes: her gear! The heroine rushed to the pile and began to separate and take inventory; boots, hot pants, bracelets...even her powerbelt was present and accounted for! She buckled that around her waist feeling her powers return. She understood why Cassandra X. had left her mask but not the rest. Fortunately that meant the cat burglar was unaware as to the source of her powers. She was just tucking her plump C-cups back into the skintight halter as they began to hear sirens arriving outside. She still had time to escape with her dignity intact, as long as... The superheroine hesitated looking to Officer Cortez. It had been embarrassing enough to be found that way by a lone female, now would she have to admit her defeat to an entire group of men? The CCPD weren't necessarily her biggest supporters, despite her mayoral endorsement. Still Victory tried to remain a paragon of virtue and it didn't feel right to lie or run away.

"Go!" Sasha seemed to read her mind. "No one but Cassandra would benefit from your defeat going public." They could now hear the reinforcements storming into the museum.

"I owe you one!"

"You owe me two," Officer Cortez said. "One for the rescue, one for covering your cute little butt...literally."

Sasha's tone was light but Victory suspected the shrewd woman wasn't altogether joking. She nodded and slipped away just as a group of officers rushed into the room shouting and brandishing their weapons. She heard Officer Cortez shouting back and a communal groan of disappointment. Victory quickly found an as yet uncovered exit and took it, conveniently enough, into the alley where the Victorycycle was hidden. The heroine climbed on feeling a measure of reassurance on the powerful motorcycle. In short order the she had returned to her apartment and reverted to her secret identity of Jordin Tyler.

Jordin enjoyed a relaxing bubble bath, hoping the hot water would wash the soreness out of her recently stretched body and let that night's events drift into nothing more than unpleasant memories.

UP early the next day, Jordin hit the gym, working out her frustrations in an hour long session of cardio kickboxing and then stretching out the stubborn kinks and cramps leftover from the previous night's ordeal, in a half hour yoga session. Afterwards she stopped for an herbal tea and use of complimentary wifi to do some research on airborne sleeping agents, knowing she'd need to find some countermeasure before facing Cassandra X again. However her results were fruitless and so, frustrated, she switched her focus to searching for information on the infamous cat-burglar. Finding equally futile results, Jordin settled at last for some stress free on line shopping. Summer was winding down after all and the new fall lines were starting to show up.

On a sudden whim (call it women's intuition) Jordin found herself Google-ing Capital City's most-well-to-do residents. It had occurred to her that Cassandra X. might have some unknown benefactor or at least some local connection here in Capital City. As she clicked through names and news articles Jordin began to wonder if this wasn't too open ended of a search. After all she didn't even know where to begin; crime bosses, oil barons, CEOs, lawyers, politicians; all sorts of wealth called Capital City "home". Then, by chance, she came across something very interesting; an article from the CC Inquirer about the latest antics of billionaire playboy Connor Eldridge. It led with a picture of him getting out of a limo with three women, none of whom seemed to be wearing any underwear, and went on to detail his drunken escapades. It was a line near the bottom of the article that caught her eye.

"Connor's father Holden Eldridge could not be reached for comment as he went before the Supreme Court this week to face allegations of corporate espionage involving chief competitor Knox Enterprises."

There it was in black and white! Jordin was not familiar with white collar crime, nor with the intricacies involved in these sort of corporate rivalries, but she did know something about coincidences or more precisely that there was no such thing. The famed Knox Diamond being stolen in the same week that Eldridgecorp and Knox Enterprises began a high stakes legal battle sent up a huge red flag!

ELDRIDGE Estates was a palatial ten acre mansion on the north-eastern outskirts of Capital City. It was a long ride from Jordin's downtown apartment but the Victorycycle made it a relatively quick trip. Still it was dark by the time the heroine arrived and as she approached from a rise in the highway, she was truly able to appreciate the size of it. All lit up and set off by itself the mansion looked almost like its own small city. Victory approached from the rear, locating the servants' entrance and parking her cycle down the street from that gate, concealing it behind some brush. There was a chill in the wind and goose bumps rippled across her long, bare legs. Having become well accustomed to her two-piece uniform, the heroine shook it off focusing on the task at hand.

The entire compound was encircled by a ten foot fence but thanks to her powerbelt Victory was able to clear it with an almost effortless bound. She crossed a short lawn, skirted around the tennis courts, and then made a quick dash through a meticulously well-kept flower garden before finally reaching a window which actually opened into the mansion. It was not locked and slid open easily allowing Victory to crawl through into an enormous library. Once inside she could suppress a sigh, sneaking around like this, breaking and entering essentially, wasn't her favorite tactic but some situations called for it. After all she'd hate to make enemies of the Eldrigdes without good reason.

Victory made her way through the library, marveling at the size of it and wondering if anyone had ever actually read a single book there. When she came at last to the door on the far side she cracked it open and peered through cautiously. The hall on the other side was mostly darkened and more importantly completely silent, so the young heroine made her way down it. Detective work was not Victory's strong point, and as she walked down that long, dimly lit corridor she began to wonder just what she even expected to find. It wasn't as if there'd be an empty trophy case with a sign hanging in it; KNOX DAIMOND: COMING SOON! Not to mention this mansion was big enough she could easily get lost in it.

Too late now, she told herself. I'm already here, if there's anything amiss there'll be some sign, I just know it.

As if in answer to her (women's intuition) assumption, the lights in the hallway came suddenly on. Victory even had to shield her eyes against the flare. Then two gleaming metal gates dropped from the ceiling, one in front and one behind her. Moving quickly Victory grabbed two of the bars on the gate in front of her; Iron! It posed little resistance to her super strength and she easily pulled them apart to create an opening. As she stepped through, a mechanical arm dropped in her path. On the end was a saw blade four feet in diameter; it began spinning and came straight at the super-heroine. She ducked it easily, her reflexes enhance by the powerbelt, but almost as quickly the arm changed directions swiping down at her. Luckily Victory was able to get an arm up and the blade skipped harmlessly off her silver bracelet. The blade came back again, only this time Victory was ready! She charged, knocking the blade sideways with a swing of her arm, using the bracelet offensively. The force hammered the saw and connecting arm into the wall where it sliced in, ground to a halt and became stuck. Victory grinned hearing the servos and hydraulics burn themselves out.

"Is that the best you've got?" she shouted, assuming (correctly) there were cameras on her now.

When no reply came and she turned again, realizing how far she had yet to go down this treacherous corridor. Something told the heroine it was not over. Feeling her hunch was now confirmed; Victory turned brushing her thick brown locks out of her face and knowing she had to press forward, regardless what came next. She did not have to go far to find out.

As she proceeded forward with cautiously another mechanical arm lowered before her. This one did not have a saw blade on the end but rather what looked to be a radar dish. Victory stepped back, bringing her fists and bracelets up before her. Then a deep tonal hum resonated through the hallway. The air around the young heroine seemed to shimmer and then glow, that dish seemed to be generating some kind of force field. It encircled her like a bubble and began shrinking. Victory braced her hands against it thinking her super strength would be enough to counter it. However the sheer force of the energy seemed irresistible. She found herself quickly losing ground! The young heroine doubled her efforts fighting back with all her considerable might seemed to do no good. The force field constricted gradually, frustration turned to dread as Victory found herself driven to her knees! She groaned, shoving harder still, yet completely ineffectually. Desperation began to clutch at her. On the defensive now Victory was unable even to hold the force field at bay. With a helpless moan she was folded further back, lying almost flat on the floor now. Fortunately, though it wasn't comfortable, her lean body was flexible enough (thank you yoga!) that she wasn't in pain and so kept her wits.

Have I really been beaten again? She thought to herself in dismay.

As the relentlessness of the force field sapped her will to fight, Victory's arms slackened and in that instant the constriction seemed momentarily to yield. The quick witted heroine took note and her mind turned it over.

The harder I fight it, the stronger it becomes, she realized. Somehow this energy feeds off my own!

Now pinned all the way down, panic threatened to overwhelm the heroine. Through sheer force of will she fought down her alarm and forced herself to go completely limp. As her nubile body relaxed the force field had nothing to feed off of. In the instant it began to relent, Victory again pushed with everything she had. There was a bright flash and shower of sparks from the emitter dish. The change and spike in power had shorted out the device. The force bubble popped and vanished!

Victory came to her hands and knees, breathing hard but in relief. That had been too close! She stood feeling drained but knowing she had to push on. Her powers were not without limits and this clever device had nearly reached them. As she passed the mechanical arm Victory ripped it out of the ceiling!

She was almost to the end of the hall now. Judging from what had come before she thought there seemed room for one more trap. As the thought passed her mind Victory felt the floor beneath her feet shift: a trap door! She avoided that easily enough, hopping forward nimbly and wondering if that was truly the last quaint little line of defense. It was only a distraction though and in the very place which she leapt to avoid the trap door a net dropped from the ceiling. It was a heavy metallic mesh and the young heroine quickly found herself entangled! Still it seemed a paltry challenge. Then even as she struggled to free herself, a jet of noxious gas enveloped her!

The super-heroine coughed, inhaling the sickly sweet fumes. Instantly her head was spinning and the net suddenly seemed to gain an incredible amount of weight. Disoriented Victory gasped for breath, the net seeming to grow heavier every moment, and cling more persistently the more she wrestled with it. Groaning in frustration Victory was forced to appreciate the cleverness of these combined traps. Forcing herself to slow her breathing, everything seemed to spin around her; she was able to focus enough to bring her hands to the same part of the net. At last able to find a grip and pull with all she had left the metallic net was torn asunder and Victory shrugged it off. She stepped unsteadily out of the cone of gas and saw the spigot above her spewing the toxic fumes. Trying to clear her head, Victory used the net like a whip to mangle the spigot enough to cut off the flow.

Coughing and still feeling light headed Victory turned towards the door, so close now. As she took her first step another of the huge gates dropped into her path blocking the door. The young heroine smirked, drained as she was this was truly was a paltry obstacle.

"Already tried this one, remember?" she shouted.

When she grabbed the bars, intent on ripping them open just as before, she was again taught the price of over confidence. As her hands closed on the metal a surge of energy flowed into her! Every muscle in the heroine's nubile young body tensed. Pain washed over her and she could not help but cry out. The weakened heroine sank to her knees, letting her arms drop at her sides. She had been outsmarted and defeated again, this time in the very lair of her adversary!

The gate ascended as the door behind it opened. Three men wearing flak jackets and fatigues came through it. Even as they approached Victory knew she didn't have the strength to fight off even one of them, much less all three. As they moved to surround the timid heroine a fourth figure came through the doorway; an all too familiar redhead wearing an infuriatingly smug expression.

"Perhaps I underestimated you before, Vicky," Cassandra X. crossed her arms under her considerable bust. "We won't be making that mistake again."

Before the young heroine could even formulate a reply the thug to her left hit her with lightning quick punch. Victory gasped is surprise and pain, sprawling on the floor. The one on her right wasted no time kicking her hard in the stomach. All the breath exploded from her lungs and the heroine curled into a ball, clutching her slim midsection. One of them (she was already losing track) grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her back to a kneeling position, only so she could be sent sprawling once again by another vicious right hand. Knowing she was in trouble Victory struggled up to her hands and knees. They let her crawl a short distance, no doubt enjoying the sight of her peach-like ass in that position; thrust up, those Lycra shorts beginning to ride up a bit.

Then a hand coiled itself again in her thick brown mane, halting her momentum. Behind her one of the thugs used his boot to kick her knees apart, spreading her legs. Even as Victory registered the action, he drove that boot into her vulnerable crotch with enough force to lift her off the ground. The helpless girl cried out as starbursts of pain erupted behind her eyes. She collapsed on her side, holding the soft V between her thighs. Her chest heaving as she struggled for breath, momentarily oblivious to everything except the pain. Squeezing her legs together, Victory rolled onto her back and swallowed hard meeting the gaze of the man who had kicked her. He had a blond crew cut and bigger arms than either of the others.

"Big man...Blondie..." she spat between gasps. "Must be ...the only way...a woman would feel you..."

He actually chuckled. Victory was unable to resist when he kicked her slender legs apart again, this time stomping on her pussy! Again the heroine cried out, her skinny body writhing in agony.

"Guess so," Blondie replied.

No witty comeback came to her lips now; the defeated heroine only lay on the floor, firm breasts heaving with each gasped breath.

"Enough, get her up," Cassandra X. ordered.

Two of the men moved quickly, each grabbing hold of one arm and hauling Victory to her feet. She sagged in their grasp, her slender legs bowing weakly at the knees. Blondie took up position in front and grabbed both her wrists. The heroine tried meekly to pull away but he was able to get a firm grip. They laughed at her futile struggles.

"The mighty Victory, weak as a kitten," one of them guffawed. "Who knew!?"

"I did," Cassandra X. pointed out. "Don't dawdle now, no telling how quickly she'll recover."

That thought sobered them. Blondie started to pull off her bracelets, the hapless heroine resisting to no avail. A frustrated whimper escaped her lips as he stripped them off; the items were quickly passed to Cassandra X. in exchange for a silver coil. As he returned with the coil Victory again tried to pull free or fight back but was easily subdued. That coil was a type of metal the heroine was unfamiliar with; it was pliable but strong and was quickly wound about her wrists binding them together. Victory's head drooped, she tested the coil but with her powers temporarily expended it was a pointless exercise. Now that she could easily be restrained by only one, the thug on her left released his grip pulling a strip of cloth from one of his pockets. The strip was looped over her soft mouth, yanking back her head and wedging itself between her lips and teeth as he cinched and knotted it tightly at the back of her head. Victory groaned helplessly as she was gagged, now completely captive.

"You boys know what to do with the little bitch now," the cat burglar said. "I'll go and let the lady of the house know that her guest has arrived."