Chapter 10  Nova’s Degradation

Natassia struggled to pull her hands from the straps that held her to the crossbar.  Retinoff was busy attending to the Black Leopard and no one was paying her any attention.  She felt quite helpless without the Dragon’s Eye, but she could not give up without a fight.  She could see that her companions were also struggling to break free, but without much success.  The problem was that the crossbar she was strapped to was so high off the floor that she was forced to stand on tiptoe.  This made it almost impossible for her to gain any leverage.  Several minutes of straining left her no closer to freedom than before she had started.  She had, however, worked her body into a sweat.  Her partially removed costume was stained with perspiration.  Retinoff had been interrupted before her had been able to cut her clothes from her body, but he had made a cut that extended from her neck to her navel, exposing the exquisite body beneath.  Her struggles resulted in the tattered front of her costume falling open, baring her large full breasts. 

“Very nice, Nova,” said Retinoff.  “So nice of you to do my work for me.”  The little man had returned.  In her attempts to free herself she had not noticed that he was no longer fussing with the unconscious Black Leopard.  “I see, however,” he continued, “that there is still something left to reveal.”

He had the knife in his hand again.  Pulling aside the material he had already sliced through, he cut away the sleeves of her costume, completely revealing her now naked torso.  He stepped back to admire his handiwork.  Like all superheroines, Nova was a striking woman.  She was tall, about five-foot-nine and was possessed of a perfect hourglass figure.  Her breasts were round and firm, with upward pointing pink nipples.  Her oval face was highlighted by remarkable gray eyes that seemed to look right through anyone she gazed upon.  Full bow-shaped lips and a pert nose rounded off a picture of feminine perfection. 

“This time, there will be no escape.  I have your gem, and without it you are but a normal woman, albeit, a very pretty one.”  As he spoke Retinoff reached up and caressed her face.  Natassia turned her head away.  “Still too proud to be touched by the likes of me are you?  Well I will eliminate that haughty attitude.  By the time I am finished you will be begging me for more.”

Natassia simply glared at him.  Her stare and courage were the only weapons she still had to resist the gnome-like scientist. 

“With so much choice I wondered who I should start with, but you have answered that question for me.  You need to be taken down a peg, and I have just the tools to do it.  How shall we start?  Perhaps with a little bit of physical persuasion.”  Retinoff nodded to one of his assistants and the man moved over to one of the counters scattered about the room.  He returned carrying a wicked-looking whip and handed it to Retinoff.  The evil little scientist handed the sharp-bladed knife to another assistant and the man advanced on her.  With a few quick cuts of the knife he finished stripping her costume from her body.  Now she hung completely exposed, her smooth naked skin glinting with sweat. 

The sadistic little scientist got an erection simply by envisioning what he was going to do to her.  “My God,” her thought “what beautiful women!”  They were absolutely incredible and they were all his.  He looked at the Jade Dragon and then at the Black Leopard.  It was difficult to know where to start.  There were so many choices.  But Nova was his favourite.  He had almost lost his virginity with her at their first meeting.  He had vowed that if he ever got the chance again he would royally entertain her.  He would take her first.  He could hardly wait to see the look on her beautiful face when he took her maidenhood.  He flexed the whip in his hands.  It was going to be interesting to see how she stood up to a real beating without the healing power of her gem. 

He started teasingly, flicking the cruel lash over her muscular buttocks.  The whip was a vicious device.  He had designed it himself.  Attached to a two-foot hardwood handle was a four-foot lash.  The lash was composed of finely braided strands of stainless steel.  Every six inches there was a sharp metal tang.  Retinoff doubted that there was a more devilish instrument anywhere in the world.  It was designed to inflict maximum pain with a minimum of effort.  He licked his lips.  It was going to be great fun trying it out.

Natassia flinched as the wicked lash flicked over her backside.  She realized from the strength of the blow that Retinoff was only playing with her, but the lash still stung, even if it did not break the skin.  The next blow was harder.  She tensed her muscles.  Retinoff was testing her, determining how much pain she could stand. 

Crack!  That really hurt!  And he had not yet broken her skin.  She twisted her body, trying to turn her derriere away from the tormenting lash.  Then she realized that Retinoff did not really care what part of her he flogged.  She stopped turning.  Better her rear end than her breasts or back. 

Retinoff pulled back his arm for his first real blow.  He telegraphed it, letting Natassia see it coming, knowing full well that the fact she was helpless to avoid the lash would add to her torment.

Thwack!  Natassia’s body quivered as the brutal scourge ripped into her heretofore-unblemished skin.  The whip left a long bloody stripe across her backside. 

Thwack!  Natassia bit her lip to keep from crying out.  It was a terrifying ordeal.  She was completely at the mercy of a brutal criminal who had no good reason to punish her other than sadistic pleasure.

Thwack!  “Unnggghh!”  This time Natassia could not suppress a grunt of pain.  The lash hurt her terribly, ripping into her soft flesh and splattering blood several feet. 

“Hold on, Nova,” came a quiet voice.  “It was the Jade Dragon trying to encourage her.  Natassia gave a little nod of recognition.  She would try to be brave.

Thwack!  Thwack!  Thwack!  Retinoff struck her in quick succession.  With renewed courage, Natassia stood up to the flogging.  She would try to resist for as long as possible.

“Damn you,” said Retinoff in frustration.  He wanted to hear her scream.  Perhaps he was not strong enough to do the job properly.  “Hughie,” he called.  “Come here, I’ve got a job for you.”

The huge man that Natassia had noticed before lumbered forward.  He did not appear intelligent, but it was obvious that he was very strong.  “Yeah Doctor Retinoff?” he answered.  He spoke very slowly, as if he had to think over each word before he pronounced it.  Retinoff handed him the whip and nodded toward Natassia.  The giant smiled dimly as he received it.  Stepping forward, he delivered a frightening blow.

THAWACK!  “Aaaagghhh!”  Natassia was not able to disguise her agony.  The force of the blow shook her entire body.  And Hughie had changed the target.  He struck her full across her arched back.  He struck again.  And again.  And again.  Each application of the lash almost drove the breath from Natassia’s body.  Her screams of pain and fear filled the room. 

Retinoff let Hughie deliver a good twenty lashes before he called him off.  He did not want the superheroine to faint from pain or loss of blood, he wanted her conscious for her next humiliation.

Retinoff had his assistants unstrap Natassia from the crossbar.  She made no effort to escape.  The beating had taken all of the fight out of her.  She was carried over to a hospital gurney and laid face down on it.  For the next few minutes Retinoff’s men attended to her wounds, stopping the bleeding and binding them up with gauze.  She was glad of the medical treatment, but knew that Retinoff merely wanted to keep her strong enough for further punishment and she could certainly guess what that might be.  As Retinoff’s men finished ministering to her she tested her strength, flexing her muscles in what she hoped was an unobtrusive manner.  She almost fainted.  Any movement at all was excruciatingly painful.  She would be unable to move for hours if not days.  She was helpless.  She had no choice but to wait for whatever else the evil scientist had planned for her.

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