Chapter 10  The Rescue

Kyla was chained by an iron collar to a bracket in the wall of the room where she had been tortured.  She was too weak to move.  Her entire body was covered in bloody welts.  From the next room she could hear the excited voices of the Black Leopard’s Pussies.  She could not quite make out what they were saying, but they seemed to be distressed about something.  After a number of minutes the noise died down and one of the Pussies entered the room.

Kyla knew her.  It was the one who called herself Tiger.  They had met before in when Ivan Retinoff had caught the bunch of them.  “We need your help,” said the tall blonde.  “So we are willing to make you a deal.  We will let you go if you help us rescue the Black Leopard.  We know where she is.  But it is too dangerous for one of use to go after her without your help.”

Kyla’s throat was so dry that she could only make a croaking noise when she tried to reply.  Tiger seemed to understand.  She left the room and came back with a pitcher of water and a glass.

Lifting Kyla’s head she helped her drink.  Kyla finished the glass and then asked for more.  “Not right away,” Tiger replied.  “I want an answer first.”

“Alright,” Kyla croaked.  “I’ll help you.  I don’t seem to have any choice.  But I want a promise you won’t double cross me at the end.” 

“Promise given,” said Tiger.  “And since you are a superheroine I know your word is good.”  As she spoke, Tiger produced a key and unlocked the collar from Kyla’s neck. 

Tiger helped her to her feet.  She could hardly move.  “Give me a hand here,” Tiger screamed into the next room.  Wildcat came into the room and took Kyla’s other arm.  Together they walked her into the living area of the Black Leopard’s hideout.  “Give me a hand getting her cleaned up.  There’s no telling what that monster is doing to Blackie.” 

The other two Pussies gathered around.  Together the four apprentice villainesses helped her to the bathroom, where they spent the next hour tending to her wounds and washing her.  At the end, Kyla felt much better.  She was still so sore she could hardly walk, but she was able to talk.  With a little rest she would be well on the way to recovery. 

“How do you know where the Black Leopard is?” asked Kyla.

“Simple,” replied Tiger.  “Blackie always wears a homing device on her utility belt.  That way we can find her when she wants us.  The thing that took her didn't deactivate it, so we were able to trace her to his hideout.  Only problem is, we are afraid to go up against him by ourselves.  Anyone who can throw us around like that is a pretty dangerous opponent.  So that is why we need you.”

“I can’t do this by myself,” said Kyla.  “You’ve beaten me up too badly.  I need to contact my friends.  Give me two hours to meet with them by myself and I will come back and we will all go after your boss.”

“Two hours by yourself?  How do we know we can trust you?”

“You said it yourself.  I’m a superheroine.  I never break a promise.”

“No, I suppose not,” said Tiger.  “Alright then.  Two hours and then we meet right here.”

“Two hours,” said Kyla.  “But first give me some clothes, I can’t go out like this.  And give me some money for cab fare.”

Cash in hand, Kyla walked away from the Black Leopard’s headquarters.  She was in considerable pain.  Walking those two blocks was one of the hardest things she ever did, but she forced herself to move as far away from the lair as possible.  Then she used her power to make herself invisible and stepped into an alleyway.   Making sure she had not been followed, she resumed her visibility. The Pussies had dug into their wardrobe and found a modest outfit she could wear in public so she attracted no attention from passers by.  She hailed a cab to take her to the Jade Dragon’s house. 

She entered the cab and gave the driver directions.  Fifteen minutes later she was in front of the Jade Dragon’s home, or rather the home of Master Zhou.  Exiting the cab, she rang the doorbell and waited.  It took only a few seconds for one of Master Zhou’s Chinese house servants to answer the door, but in that interval Kyla almost fainted. Her short excursion had almost exhausted her.  It was going to take her awhile to recover from the beating the Black Leopard had laid on her. 

The servant caught her before she fell and helped her across the threshold.  She heard a voice calling.  “Who is it, Wu?”  A few seconds later Suzi Kendall came into sight.  “Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed. 

“Suzi,” Kyla began, then everything swam in front of her and blackness descended.

She awoke a few minutes later.  She was lying on a soft bed and standing next to her were Suzi and Sun Lin.  One of Master Zhou’s female servants was ministering to her.  Kyla moaned in pain, as the woman pulled her blood-soaked clothing from her body.  She tried to get up, but Sun Lin pressed her back down. 

“Relax, Kyla,” Sun Lin said in her Chinese accented English.  “Someone has been very bad to you.  Who did this?”

“Black Leopard,” groaned Kyla, “but I cannot stay here.  Must get back to her lair.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Suzi said.  “You just tell us where she is and we’ll take care of her.”

“You don’t understand,” Kyla gasped.  “I promised.  Superheroine promise…”

“What are you talking about?” said Suzi.  “What promise?”

Between moans as the servant dressed her wounds, Kyla explained her arrangement with the Pussies.

“And you made a superheroine promise?” asked Sun Lin.

Kyla nodded.  “Then we have to help them,” said the Chinese heroine.  “At least until we rescue the Black Leopard.  Then maybe we will see.”

“Don’t forget about Natassia,” said Suzi.  “She is probably in the same place as the Black Leopard.”

“Maybe if we are lucky,” said Sun Lin.  “We will have to hope that is the case.  Anyway, we are wasting time here.  Give us the address of the Black Leopard’s lair and we will deal with this.”

“Thank you,” whispered Kyla.

“Don’t mention it,” replied Suzi, patting her on the arm, “a superheroine’s promise is sacrosanct.”

Since it was still daylight, Sun Lin and Suzi decided to stay in street clothes until they reached the Black Leopard’s lair.  They drove to within a block of the building that Kyla had described and then changed into their superheroine outfits.  Then Suzi put the car in gear and drove the rest of the way.  Neither woman got out of the car.  Instead, Suzi parked across the street and sounded the horn.  After a time one of the Pussies materialized in a doorway at the side of the building.  The two heroines recognized her as Wildcat. 

“What is this?” Wildcat demanded.  “Where is the Blue Avenger?”

“She’s recovering from your welcome, kitty,” Suzi said.  “You’ll have to make do with just our help.”

“Where’s the one with the muscles?” Wildcat demanded. 

“Probably the same place your boss is.  Now, are we going to go after them or do you want to chat all day?”

“Just a sec,” answered Wildcat.  “I have to check with the others.”

A few minutes later all four Pussies showed up.  After some animated discussion they agreed to show the two heroines where the Black Leopard was being held prisoner. 

“I know this place,” said Suzi.  “We checked it out before.”

“Apparently not well enough,” said Sun Lin as she got out of the car.  She turned to Tiger, who had driven ahead of them to the stately house.  “You’re sure she’s in there?”

“That’s where the needle points,” replied the villainess. 

“Alright,” said the Jade Dragon.  “Give me five minutes and then you go in through the front door.” 

Keeping low, she scurried around to the back of the house.  It was the work of only a few seconds to clamber up the downspout to the second floor window.  Taking a cutting tool from her utility belt, she removed part of the glass and then reached in and undid the latch holding the window shut.  Sliding the window upwards she pulled herself into the room.  The whole operation had taken less than two minutes.

Inside she found herself in what appeared to be a disused guestroom.  Dust was thick upon the furniture, and the bed was stripped of covers and sheets.  That was good, it was unlikely that anyone would check the room if she had to hide there for a few minutes.

Slowly she eased the door open.  Outside the hallway was deserted, and she crept into it.  She followed the hallway for about thirty feet until it intercepted a gallery overlooking what seemed to be the main entrance to the house.  At that moment a bell sounded and she realized that Suzi and the Pussies were making their move. 

The sound of the doorbell attracted the attention of only a single individual, an elderly man dressed in the traditional garb of a butler.  He opened the door and was immediately pushed back into the room by the five women waiting outside.  He shouted in protest, but Suzi and the Pussies were in no mood to argue.  Within a few seconds they had trussed him up like a turkey and left him on the floor.

From her vantage point, the Jade Dragon waited for some sort of reaction, but there was none.  Puzzled, she backtracked and began to check each of the rooms she had passed.  She opened the door to each one and found the same thing in all of them except one.  None of the rooms appeared to have been used in quite some time.  The one exception was a small bedroom that appeared to have been slept in by the butler.  Frustrated, she headed downstairs, only to find the Scarlet Falcon coming up.

“We’ve checked the lower floor.  There’s nothing there.”

“Nor here,” the Jade Dragon replied.  She looked at Tiger.  “Are you sure we’re not breaking into the wrong house?”

“The tracking device said that Blackie is here,” Tiger insisted.

“Then she must be in the basement.” 

“No dice,” said Ocelot coming up behind Tiger.  “The basement is empty.  I just checked.”

“Let me see that machine,” said the Scarlet Falcon, taking the tracing device from Tiger.  She held the machine in front of her.  “Let’s see where the needle takes us.” 

The six women moved through the seemingly empty house, following the needle.  Eventually they reached a large room with a huge stone fireplace. 

“According to the machine,” said the Scarlet Falcon, she is right below us.  The needle is swinging in a circle.”

“Oh,” said Tiger.  “I thought that meant it was confused.” 

“You’re giving villainesses a bad name,” replied the Scarlet Falcon.  “There must be a hidden doorway in this room.  Check everything.”


Nova prepared for her nightly rape.  It was always the same.  First the Count worked over the Black Leopard and then he started in on her.  The Black Leopard was in pretty bad shape.  She did not have the powers of recovery that Nova did.  The count had just finished raping the Oriental villainess savagely and she had passed out from the pain.  Now he was turned toward her.

The Count stepped inside the massive steel wheel that held her immobile.  Nova was somewhat relieved.  Usually he beat her for an hour or so before sexually molesting her.  Tonight it looked like he was just going to rape her and then leave it at that.

“Good evening, my dear,” said the Count, his slight accent giving a hint of menace to his words.  “I am afraid this will be our last night together.  Your friends are getting a bit too close.  It is time for me to find another safe haven.  As a result I am going to give you your last vampire’s kiss.”  He reached out and unhooked the pendant that held the Dragon’s Eye. 

Nova felt a spasm of fear.  What did the Count mean?  Last kiss.  She shuddered.  It could only have one meaning.

The Count stepped out of the steel wheel and moved where she could not see him.  Suddenly, she felt her right arm come free.  The Count had released the shackles that held it.  Then her left arm was free as well.  The vampire moved to her feet.  Within a few seconds both her legs were loose.  “I thought in honor of the occasion, and the great enjoyment you have brought me that I would give you a fighting chance.  I quite enjoyed that fencing contest we had when we first met.  When you are as old as I am, one tends to become jaded.  Even I like a little excitement in my life.  Or should I say afterlife.”

The Count moved toward the doorway.  He stooped and picked up something he had placed there.  Nova saw that it was a pair of swords.  They were heavier than the first pair and had slightly curved blades.  “I am sorry that the blade of the rapier was broken in our first encounter.  I have only this pair of sabres.  But I think you will find that they will do just as much if not more damage.”

He presented the weapons to Nova, hilt first.  Her heart beating heavily, Nova selected one of the blades.  The Count crouched before her.  “En garde, superheroine.”

Nova took up a defensive stance.  Without the Dragon’s Eye she had no special abilities.  She did, however, have her Shao Lin training.  Like the rapier, the sabre was an unfamiliar weapon, but she was skilled in the use of many Chinese weapons.  She might have a surprise or so for the Count if he could be lulled into a false sense of security.  She remembered his words in their first encounter: “…a vampire cannot be killed by a strike to anywhere but his heart.”  She would try for that target.

The count advanced confidently.  He knew that he was much faster than any mortal.  He would play with Nova one last time and then finish her off.  He eyed the gorgeous woman in front of him.  Even without the enhancement of her physique provided by the mystic gem she was a stunningly beautiful creature.  Her high, perfect breasts bounced alluringly as she assumed her fencer’s stance.  The vampire licked his lips.  Already he was salivating at the thought of what he was going to do to her. 

Nova knew that the Count wanted to play with her.  She had no real chance against him.  He was going to use the sword the same way he had used his massive phallus, as an instrument of torture.  The duel would be long and humiliating, as he slowly cut her to ribbons.  She had only one chance, and that was to lull him into such a false sense of security that he would make a mistake.  She eyed the pendant hanging on the wall.  If she could just get to it she might have a chance.

The Count lunged toward her.  So fast did his blade move that she had no chance to parry.  She felt a terrible pain.  The point of the sabre had sliced through the tip of her breast slicing open her nipple. 

Nova gasped in pain, but kept her composure.  This was just the beginning.  She had to keep herself strong enough to take advantage of any opportunity.  Then the Count attacked again.  This time the razor edge of his weapon ripped down her inner thigh, leaving a long red wound.  She hacked wildly at the vampire as he retreated, but only exposed herself to another cut of his blade.  Blood poured from a horizontal slash across her belly. 

The Count surveyed his handiwork.  The superheroine was bleeding badly from the three wounds he had inflicted.  He felt his penis stir.  Soon he would have to have her again.  He feinted toward her forward leg and when she awkwardly tried to defend slashed quickly at her torso.  Now blood streamed from two nasty cuts across her breasts and upper chest. 

Nova staggered backwards.  She was being cut to ribbons.  But before she could recover the Count’s sabre scored again.  Nova screamed as her cheek was sliced open and temporarily dropped her guard.  The count sank the point of his sabre into each of her thighs, cutting through the muscle.  She screamed again, as her legs buckled.  The Count scored again and then again, slicing through her flesh at will. 

Nova swayed, falling forward onto her hands.  She was close to fainting from the shock and pain.  Blood coursed from a score of wounds.  

 “Nova, my dear,” sneered the count, “I am disappointed in you.  I thought you would give me a better fight than that.”  Contemptuously, he lowered the point of his sword. 

It was the chance she had been waiting for.  She summoned her remaining strength.  Uncoiling from the floor she launched her body across the room.  But she was not heading for the Count, but for the pendant holding the magical green stone.  Too late the vampire realized what she was up to.  The heroine’s fingers closed over the Dragon’s Eye.  The power of the stone surged through her.  Within milliseconds she felt her strength return.  Miraculously her wounds were healing, leaving her whole again.  Now she had a chance.

The Count aimed a vicious cut at her.  Had it landed, it would have severed her head from her body.  But once more imbued with superhuman speed, Nova ducked beneath the savage blow.  She landed rolling, and swept up the sabre from the floor where she had dropped it.  Filled with rage, the vampire charged after her, aiming another powerful blow at her head.  This time, however, Nova did more than duck beneath the attack.  Her reflexes now matched those of the vampire and she counter-attacked vigorously.  The count was surprised to feel the cold steel of Nova’s blade slice through his sword arm. 

With a shriek of rage he retreated.  Nova followed up, determined to press her advantage.  She remembered from their first encounter that the Count was a better swordsman than she was and she wanted to give him no time to recover.  The Count howled again as the point of Nova’s sword ripped open his thigh.  She knew that she could not cause permanent damage to the vampire.  Like her, his body healed almost immediately from any hurt, but if she could keep up the attack long enough she might find an opening that would enable her to skewer his heart. 

Suddenly the Count struck at her with his mind.  As in their first encounter, when hard pressed he resorted to the use of his hypnotic powers.  This time, however, Natassia was not caught off guard.  Part of the Count’s victory in his first attack had been the unexpectedness of the assault on her mind.  She had never before encountered a villain with such a power.  This time when the onslaught came she was ready for it. 

Her Shao Lin training now came to the fore.  For the first time in his long life Count Rodna found someone he could not mesmerize.  Nova blocked his hypnotic powers and continued her relentless physical attack.  Desperate to escape, the Count now retreated behind the huge wheel-like rack.  Nova followed, but the maneuver gave him time to recover.  The vampire now realized for the first time that he might lose to this formidable heroine.  For the first time in a thousand years he felt fear of an opponent.  With all of his mental resources he struck out at the attacking heroine.

Nova met the attack with her own mental reserves.  It became a battle of wills, with the Count hurling mental assault after mental assault at her.  Each time Nova repulsed him, but it was not without cost.  Beads of sweat poured down her face from the sustained effort of fending him off.  Her entire body tensed as she struggled to maintain control of her faculties. 

The count now resumed his physical assault.  Preoccupied with the mental battle, Nova was forced backward, but she gave ground slowly, forcing the vampire to fight for every inch of territory.  All the time, she looked for that elusive opening that would enable the point of her sabre to pierce his heart. 

The strain of the mental attack, coupled with his physical assault was also taking its toll on the Count.  Every fiber of his evil being was strained to the maximum.  Gradually, he felt his energy being drained from his body.  If he did not finish the fight soon he would be too exhausted to continue.  Then fate stepped in on the vampire’s side.

The battle had taken them back to the area where the count had drawn blood from the heroine.  The floor was covered with the slippery gore, and Nova’s foot slipped as she parried a thrust of the Count’s sword.  She did not fall, but it was the opening the count needed.  With a quick move, he ducked inside her guard and abandoning his sword, grappled with her. 

Nova was momentarily surprised by the vampire’s change of tactics, but she recovered quickly.  Here, she was actually superior.  Her martial arts training allowed her to quickly gain the initiative.  As the Count charged into her she brought her left hand palm outward across the side of his head.  It was a devastatingly powerful strike, and would have torn the head off a normal man.  For a second the vampire almost lost his grip on her, but he shrugged off the blow and then went after the true object of his assault.  As he rolled from the punch his clawed hand snaked up and snagged the pendant holding the Dragon’s Eye.  Too late, Natassia realized his true intent.  Desperately, she snatched at the pendant, but she was a split second too slow.  The power drained from her body.   The vampire had her at his mercy once again.

Rolling away from the grinning fiend, Nova saw that she had just one chance.  She still held her sabre.  Drawing it back she threw it at the Count’s exposed chest.  But the vampire was too quick.  He turned his body slightly, and the blade flew harmlessly past, clattering into the concrete wall. 

For several seconds, the Count merely looked at her, as if savoring his triumph.  And then he spoke.  “Well done, Nova.  You have given me a better fight than I have ever had.  And a bit of a fright.  You are formidable.  Too formidable to be allowed to live.  Tonight you die.  But first, one last round of pleasure.  For old time’s sake.”

Nova picked herself up from the floor and awaited the Count’s pleasure.  Slowly, he removed his clothing.  Nova was horrified to see that he was already fully aroused, his immense phallus projecting from his loins like some sort of obscene flagpole. 

In an almost leisurely manner he advanced upon her.  Nova knew that she could not win, but she was resolved not to give in without a fight.  As the Count closed with her she struck at him, her right leg lashing out with lightning speed.  The vampire caught her foot easily, and with a quick twist flipped her through the air.  She fell heavily, her foot still controlled by the Count, and then her pounced on her.  She struggled mightily, but it was all in vain.  He caught her right wrist and twisted her arm up behind her.  With a feeling of absolute despair and horror Nova felt the touch of a rope on her skin.  She redoubled her efforts to escape, but it was to no avail.  Within seconds he had bound both her wrists behind her.  Then he proceeded to take his ‘pleasure.’

As on previous occasions, the vampire took his time.  He liked to let the terror build in his victims as he took them.  Even though he had raped Nova many times before, he wanted this last assault to be especially memorable, one filled with as much pain and degradation as he could muster.

He forced her to kneel before him.  And then, placing his hands on her firm backside, he pulled her loins toward his waiting shaft.  This time he intended to force his way into the heroine without any preparation.  He would not use his powers to reduce the size of his immense organ, but rather, would force the helpless woman to accommodate him.  Already, he could hear her screams of anguish in his mind. 

Nova squirmed in his grasp.  What she was facing was beyond any woman’s nightmares.  She knew that the vampire’s enormous phallus would split her like an axe splits kindling.  It would be a brutally humiliating and painful experience.  And so she fought him with all of her remaining strength. 

The vampire felt his great staff become absolutely rigid.  The helpless heroine was responding exactly as he wished.  She was clearly terrified, her eyes wide with fright and her lithe body trembling with fear.  Even so, she fought his with all of her being, her large perfect breasts dancing before him, as he slowly drew her toward him. 

Nova whimpered slightly, as her knees were forced apart.  She arched her back, straining to break the bonds that held her wrists.  The tip of the Count’s penis was only inches away from her exposed nether region.  Slowly he drew her closer.  She panted in fear.  He had raped her before and each time she had experienced the most terrible pain.  She knew that unless some sort of miracle occurred she faced another long and agonizing ordeal.  And this time the Count had promised her that she would die. 

The Count’s grip tightened on her backside.  He could feel the strong muscles of the heroine’s gluteus maximus contracting as she fought to preserve her virtue.  Her swaying breasts were only inches from his salivating mouth.  He pulled her tight against him and then lowered his head and bit.

Nova cried out in pain.  The vampire had pierced her right breast, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh on either side of her taut nipple.  “Stop!” she cried.  “Stop, you brutal bastard.”  It was language she rarely used, but she was overcome with the horror of her situation. 

The Count shook his head, worrying her breast like a dog shakes a rat.  Blood flowed from the twin puncture marks, dripping down her breast and across her stomach.  Nova screamed again, more in terror than in pain.  The Count released her breast, an evil grin of satisfaction in his bloody lips.  Then he struck again.

This time, Nova only whimpered as the vampire’s teeth punctured her left breast.  It was too early for screaming.  She knew that this was only the beginning of her ordeal.  She still possessed some self-control.  She wanted to hold onto that for as long as possible. 

She whimpered again.  The Count was lapping the blood from her pierced breast taking much more than he had ever taken before.  Slowly he was draining the life from her.  She shifted her body, writhing in his grasp in an unconscious attempt to break free.

The Count enjoyed her gyrations.  In a few minutes he would penetrate.  He was looking forward to her reaction. 

Nova continued to struggle.  The Count had released her breast, put was now pressing into her.  Already, the sweat was rolling off her body in rivulets.  A low moan of terror escaped her lips.

The Count pulled her to him, thrusting the smooth glans of his penis against her vulva.  Slowly he felt the petals of her vagina part.  In a few seconds she would be his.

Nova tried to rise.  Her wrists were tied, but her legs were free.  Only the weight and strength of the Count held her down.  The vampire gripped her bottom more tightly, sinking his clawed fingers into her.  And then with a sudden and savage lunge he rammed into her.  The power of his thrust was unbelievably painful.  She was impaled on his immense phallus, writhing in agony, her mouth wide open in anguish as she tried to hold back her screams.  He thrust hard into her once again, forcing open her vaginal canal.  With thrust after thrust he rammed himself home, sinking the full length of his immense shaft into her tight sheath.  Nova could stand it no longer.  She opened her mouth a shrieked like a banshee.


 “My God, what was that?” asked Tiger.

The Jade Dragon went cold.  The sound she and the other woman had heard was the unmistakable screech of a woman undergoing terrible torture.  Even more frightening was the fact that Sun Lin recognized the maker of that terrifying sound; it was Nova. 

The sound seemed to be coming from right below them.  She looked around the room.  “There must be a secret room below us.  Somewhere there must be a hidden passage leading to the vampire’s lair.  Search the room.  Check everything.”

The six women scattered about the room.  They tapped on walls, looking for hidden passages, pulled on wall lamps in the hope that they might be levers, and pushed and poked ornaments in an attempt to trigger the opening of some secret door.  But try as they might, they found nothing.  All the time the screams of anguish emanating from below continued unabated, actually increasing in intensity.  The longer the search took, the more frantic the Jade Dragon and Scarlet Falcon became.  It seemed impossible that anyone could make such screams and survive for long.  They were sure that their friend Nova was dying. 

It was Ocelot that stumbled upon the secret passage.  Her fingers triggered a hidden lever by the fireplace and suddenly the entrance to the vampire’s secret lair was revealed.  In amazement the six women stared at the opening for a few seconds.  Then the Jade Dragon was across the room and racing down the stairs with the Scarlet Falcon close behind.  The Pussies, more cautious followed at a distance. 


The Count could hardly believe the tightness of his victim.  Each time he raped her it only seemed to get better.  But now it had to end.  Her friends were getting too close to him.  There was too great a chance of discovery.  It was time to bring the relationship to a conclusion. 

Beneath him the heroine was writhing in incredible agony.  He was fully within her, forcing her tight vagina apart.  Her screams rent the air, almost deafening him.  “So sorry, Nova,” he said.  “It is time to say goodbye.”  He bent forward, his lips pulling back from his two great fangs.  He would drink of her blood one last time, draining the life from her.  He bent forward, and sank his teeth into the great vein in her slender throat.  So intent on his task was he that he did not even hear the sound of the door to the basement room burst open. 

The Jade Dragon charged into the subterranean lair.  Nova’s creams had sounded louder and louder as she descended the staircase.  Throwing caution to the winds, she had taken the stairs four or five at a time.  What she saw when she reached the vampire’s lair filled her with horror and anger. 

Across the room Nova’s helpless form was impaled on the phallus of the Count.  For a second Sun Lin stood transfixed, taking in the frightening scene.  Then suppressed memories flooded back into her mind.  She remembered in dreadful detail her own experience at the hands of the brutal vampire.  A door had opened in her mind and captive memories burst out.  Her anger became a raging fire, burning for vengeance.  Almost without thought she took one of her throwing disks from her belt, and hurled it with frightening force across the room.  It was at that moment the Count became aware that he was not alone.  He raised his head just as the razor edged disk arrived.  In the instant before he died, his eyes widened and then the disk sliced through the vampire’s neck, cutting his head from his shoulders as cleanly as if it had been severed by a guillotine. 

The severed head flew across the room.  The body, as if it was still alive jerked itself erect, pulling the now deflating phallus from Nova’s body.  For an instant it appeared that the undead monster still lived, and then flames flickered from the body and the head.  Within seconds the vampire’s body had crumbled to gray smoldering ash. 

The three heroines watched the destruction of the vampire in wide-eyed amazement.  And then Sun Lin and Suzi went to Nova.  The ravaged heroine lay on the floor, too weak to get up.  Sun Lin cradled her in her arms while Suzi took a quick glance about the room.  Spotting the Dragon’s Eye where the Count had thrown it, she retrieved it and hurried to the moaning heroine’s side.  She placed the necklace about Natassia’s neck, and   immediately, the incredible power of the mythical jewel manifested itself.  Within seconds, Nova was whole again, her strength returned. 


Epilogue


Nova’s return to full health enabled the superheroine to use her powers to restore Sun Lin and Suzi to full health.  Both heroines had not fully recovered from the brutality of their treatment at the hands of the vampire.  As agreed, they also freed the Black Leopard, healing her and giving her an hour’s head start in order to escape.  Then the three heroines returned to Master Zhou’s home where Nova healed and restored Kyla.  Once again great evil had been defeated, and truth and justice had prevailed.  There was still the matter of the Black Leopard, but the confident heroines knew that sooner or later they would run her to ground.  After all, wasn’t that the way it was supposed to end?

 

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