Global Protectors – All Fall Down
By Marcus Lycus
Welcome back to the final Global Protectors story. The end is here! Worlds will live and worlds will die and something, something…
If you have not read the previous Global Protector stories you may want to check them out at my story page on the Wizard’s Lair before you read this one:
http://www.superheroinecentral.com/~wizard/Stories_MarcusLycus.htm
Legal Horrors – The Global Protectors are copyright, trademark etc. of Doctor Droid (www.superstories.org/droidzone) and are used with his permission. Other characters and text are copyright Marcus Lycus.
This story is meant for people over the age of 18, please don’t read it if you are younger than that. Any resemblance between characters in this story and any actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental of course.
And finally, please e-mail me with any comments, complaints or suggestions. Remember feedback leads to more stories!
Marcus Lycus
October 2006
Part 3 – Withered Shamrock
Shannon O’Sullivan hurried home after class. Her paper on Modern African Women’s Literature was due in just three weeks and she wanted to get started on it. She was in a good mood, ever since Shamrock helped beat Doctor Darkness, Maple Leaf had her going on more missions and spending less time on monitor duty.
She still remembered those days when she was just starting and felt so confident and full of energy! She had trouble remembering some details and bits of it were fuzzy but somehow she had lost her way. For more than a year after that Incubus case (she wished she could remember the details of that but it was especially fuzzy) she’d been confined to monitor duty and minor missions. She’d begun to feel small and useless and her performance had suffered. Her powers had actually diminished because of her lack of confidence. But now she knew that she could do it, she could be a great heroine. Just last week she had scored better than both Star and Rising Sun in a strength test. Val had been so proud of her and given her a nice hug and a kiss. That had felt good. Naturally Star just left without saying anything, but she was always so busy so Shamrock didn’t hold it against her. But Rising Sun just muttered ‘congratulations’ before leaving. That worried Shannon. Lately the Japanese girl had been very quiet and withdrawn, Shamrock wondered if something was wrong.
***
She unlocked the door to her studio apartment (she was thinking of getting a larger place but it was so expensive and the team really didn’t pay that much money) and almost stepped on the envelope in the foyer. Puzzled, she picked it up, no postmark or return address, just Shannon O’Sullivan written across it. She shrugged and opened it, hoping it wasn’t anthrax or anything. But no, it was just an unlabeled DVD.
“?”
She shrugged and put it in her player.
A fanfare of fiddle music filled the room.
“The Glories of Ireland!”
Shannon grinned, it was tourist video! The team must have gotten it for her! They knew how homesick she could get.
“Starring Ireland’s greatest heroine… SHAMROCK!”
“Ooo” Shannon cooed. A new Global Protectors promotional video! She only appeared for 30 seconds in the last one. Did they really make a whole video just about her?
Sure enough the narrator was soon praising Shamrock for her heroic deeds, showing her saving lives and beating villains. Shannon was much too modest to let this praise go to her head of course. She knew she just did the best she could. So she didn’t feel any pride. Well, hardly any pride.
Her phone rang. She picked it up.
“Enjoying the video Shannon?”
She didn’t recognize the voice.
“Why yes, yes I am. But who are you? Are you one of the PR people? And…” Shannon’s blood suddenly turned cold. He’d called her at home. He’d called her Shannon. No one was supposed to know Shannon O’Sullivan was really Shamrock. Not even the team’s publicity staff. “How do you…”
“Oh, I know a lot of things about you Shannon O’Sullivan. More than you know about yourself I think. Keep watching.”
The scene on the video changed. Now it showed Shamrock talking to a handsome man at some reception. It must be a while ago since Shamrock was in her old costume with the shoulder straps and mask. Then she was having dinner with him on a rooftop penthouse. Shamrock frowned, it seemed familiar but she just could not place it. “What is this all about!” She demanded.
“Keep watching.”
In moments Shamrock’s top was down and the man was feeling her breasts. Shamrock jumped to her feet yelling a protest. She would never! She had never!
“Sit back down Shannon or that video gets sent to your family in Ireland, your parish here and the Global Protectors’ fan club.”
Shamrock sat down.
“Now don’t touch that dial.”
The video kept getting worse. A thumping bass line started as the images showed Shamrock having sex with a man, with men, with women even with teammates. She knew it couldn’t be true, that it had to be a fake like that tape of La Sola, but somehow in the back of her mind all of the scenes had a ring of familiarity, like a dream she’d once had.
At last the video stopped. Shamrock looked at the clock on the wall, it had only been fifteen minutes. It had felt like eternity. She sobbed a few times uncontrollably.
“That was the highlight reel Shannon, we have a lot more to show if you don’t cooperate.”
“W-who…”
“It doesn’t matter does it? Just call me Mr. Senior, I’m the guy who knows the truth about Slut-rock and has the evidence to get you thrown off the team and sent back to Ireland. Of course you won’t be able to go home after I send out this video to your friends and family, no one will have anything to do with you. No job, no powers, no reputation, you’ll just be some slut walking the streets of Megapolis blowing frat boys for some booze money. Unless you do what you’re told.”
“W-what…”
“Put on your costume.”
“But…”
She heard paper rustling on the phone. “Hear that, that’s me filling an envelope for Father McKenzie. Now put on your damn costume.”
Shamrock started frantically unbuttoning her top and dropped her conservative skirt. Recently she’d been wearing her costume under her clothes, just in case she found an emergency she could help with. She reached into her bag and pulled on the boots, bracelets and choker in record time. She picked up the phone again.
“Open the door.”
Knees wobbling Shannon did as she was told. There was a small box there. She opened it. There was a black leather hood and a pair of high-tech handcuffs. Shamrock gulped.
“Close the door you dumb bitch, you want your neighbors to see you in costume?”
Shannon slammed the door in fear.
“Now move to the couch and put on the hood.”
Shannon pulled out the hood it would cover her head except for her mouth making her blind and deaf. Of course with her strength she could tear it off but surely the man on the other end knew that. She just stared at it. There were some computer noises over the phone. “Hear that, that’s me getting ready to post your video on the internet. Now put on the damn hood.”
“I… I already did.” She lied.
“Dumb bitch. Like we don’t have cameras on you now. I have some nice pictures of you in the shower, you want those to go out?”
Shamrock swallowed. She looked down at the hood but also caught sight of her communicator bracelet. Of course! All she had to do was hit the panic button and the team would come and rescue her. They’d find this blackmailer and clear everything up. It would be a humiliating if they saw the video but Shamrock was willing to risk that. As she put the hood on she managed to subtly get a finger onto the panic button and hit it, hopefully there was no sign of her action. Suddenly her bracelet buzzed. The same voice came out of it.
“Wow Slut-rock, the way you’re acting you must really want the world to know the truth.”
Shamrock froze. Their communications were compromised! But Rising Sun had designed them to be impenetrable! She realized this was serious. Unless she was willing to risk her reputation and her career she had to obey. She hesitated for a second and pulled the hood over her head. She reminded herself that with her powers she could tear it off any time. Hopefully the man on the phone had underestimated her strength.
She heard a soft buzz, the chords on the hood automatically tightened locking it on to her.
“Now put down the phone and put on the cuffs behind you” said a voice in her ears. The hood had earphones. She cut off the cordless phone and blindly put it on the table. She slipped her slim wrists into the cuffs, the automatically closed around her. She tested them, they were strong, stronger than steel. Maybe too strong. She started to sweat under the hot leather hood.
“What… what should I do now?”
“Wait.”
The same bass line started again. Shannon fought down panic. She couldn’t see! She couldn’t hear! She felt the air move on her face. “Is-is someone there? Hello? Hello?”
She could definitely feel it now, someone was in the room. She could feel the floor creak slightly and the air move as he or she passed. Fearful she pulled at the cuffs, they didn’t budge!
“Dumb slut. Like we don’t know your strength levels. Valkyrie could snap those easily but a weak little third stringer like you doesn’t have a chance.”
Shamrock wanted to protest, to point out that she’d been training hard these last few months and was stronger than she’d ever been but what was the point? She still couldn’t snap the cuffs. Deep in her mind her confidence eroded a bit more.
She felt hands on her arms pulling her to her feet. She cried out.
“Shut up girl and play along. In fact you should lie back and enjoy it, it is inevitable after all.”
Shamrock started to say “huh” when a pair of lips locked over hers. An unwelcome tongue intruded into her mouth. The meaty hands explored her slim back and firm butt. She wiggled and tried to struggle but that awful voice in her ears reminded her to behave.
The unseen mouth moved lower kissing her neck and shoulders. A thick leg moved between hers and began to rub. Shamrock moaned suddenly, was her body actually responding to this!?
She wished she could hear, wished she could see. Her imagination began to fill in what was happening. She imagined it was a gentleman like her old fiancé James Stock, then she imagined it was him. Or Brad Pitt. Or Roy Keane. Or Humphrey Bogart. Without sight, without sound, with that shameful soundtrack playing, it was like a dream. So unreal. So natural. So private. She felt like she could just… give in.
Something in her belly exploded and she cried out. The mouth went lower, her costume slipped down, now he was sucking on her swelling breasts and her hips moved of their own accord. She felt fingers between her legs, the thin strip of spandex that separated her sex from the world was getting moist, she felt fingers pulling it aside. Her vagina popped out, the lips of her labia were already hanging open, welcoming any entry. The fingers darted in. And out. And in. And out.
She started to pant. Then to moan. She felt something thick and hot slide between her labia lips and she gasped. Then she cried out. Her toes curled in her latex boots, her fingernails jabbed her palms, tears fell from her eyes, her mouth contorted, her breasts shook, her breath came in gasps. IT WAS SO GOOD!
And then it was all over.
The soundtrack stopped. The voice in her ears told her what to say.
“Thanks, t-that will be all. The uh, money was already deposited.”
She could hear the man’s voice through her earphones, it was distorted, she couldn’t tell what it really sounds like.
“You want me to untie you?”
“That’s OK, I have a, key in my room.”
“Hey whatever gets you off, it’s your money. But y’know, if you want to try this again give me a call.”
“Yes. I will. Thank you.”
Shannon mechanically repeated the words in her ear. She just wanted this to be over. The sex had been like a dream, she hated this part, it just reminded her it was real.
“’Kay then, but uh” She felt lips touching hers, she tried to resist for a second but then relaxed and let his tongue intrude. After all she could hardly claim it was inappropriate. “Hope I hear from you.”
“M-Me too.” She said before she realized it.
She sat quietly until she thought she heard the door open and close. Then the cuffs released and she was free. She pulled off the hood and ran into the bathroom for a hot shower. Then she washed her costume three times. Finally she collapsed, exhausted into her bed.
Then the phone rang.
“Was it good for you Slut-Rock?”
“G-go away!” She slammed the phone down.
The phone rang again, so did her communicator. She covered her ears and curled into a ball. Her communicator turned on by itself.
“We’re not finished Shannon, not at all. I expect you back here next Friday for your next little session, unless of course you want the disks to go out.”
“No!”
“What was that?”
“Yes! I mean, I mean, I’ll do it! Don’t send the tapes out!”
“Good girl. Put the hood and the cuffs away, you’ll need them. Have a nice week.”
The communicator turned off. Shannon didn’t sleep at all, she could still smell it. She took two more showers.
***
“Mr. Hatch? Dick Hatch?”
“Yes, this is Dick Hatch.”
“I just wanted to thank you again for those disks you gave us. They have proven most fruitful.”
“So were you able to break my brother’s password? He never told me it so I never saw anything on those disks Billy left me.”
“Oh yes, I have… very advanced computers. Breaking your brother’s encryption was easy.”
“So what was on them anyway?”
“As expected there was some footage of the Global Protectors in very… compromising positions.”
“I knew it! I knew he had nothing to do with that Incubus guy who attacked them! They probably killed him themselves to keep the pictures out of the media!”
“Well rest assured we’re using the information on those disks to get justice for your brother.”
“Glad to hear it after they dragged his name through the mud.”
“Would you like a copy of the data?”
Dick Hatch thought about it for a minute. “Nah. Superheroine porn was Billy’s thing. It always seemed a bit immature to me, that sort of thing is for nerds on the internet.”
“Of course. How about some videos from the Centurian’s Cheerleaders’ locker room then?”
“Hey! Hook me up!”
***
During the week she had her couch steam cleaned and bought a new costume from the team (they were so expensive!). She locked the hood and the cuffs in her closet and tried to forget what had happened, and what would happen again on Friday.
Still, every time she sat in her couch she felt such strange feelings. Not all of them unpleasant.
***
The next Friday finally came.
“You’re late” the voice on the pone said.
“Sorry, sorry! Aussie Girl was late for monitor duty! I’m sorry!”
“Get the hood and cuffs on.”
The evening went much as the last one did. It took a bit less time to bring the young heroine’s body to orgasm and her reaction was a bit stronger. And then she was again left alone.
For another week.
***
“So what did you do on Friday?” Aussie Girl asked. “I called to invite you to the movies but there was no answer at your place or on your communicator.”
Aussie Girl and Shamrock were eating lunch in the Gaea Building cafeteria.
“Huh? Oh, uh, nothing interesting, just uh… the library, and you know I have to turn off my communicator to keep it quiet in there so probably I never even heard it.”
“I thought the library closed early on Friday.”
“The stacks do but not the reading room in the basement.”
“Oh that’s good to know if I ever need something to do on a Friday night.” Aussie Girl said in a tone just short of contempt. Shannon was her friend but sometimes the Irish girl just seemed totally clueless about how to enjoy life in America.
“Are you doing anything this Friday?”
“Uh, yes! Yes, it’s uh, my cousin’s birthday.”
“I thought all your family was in Ireland.”
“Um, yes, yes they are. I have to call her.”
“All night?”
“Um …yes?”
“Whatever.” Aussie Girl could tell when she was being blown off. She couldn’t believe Shamrock was treating her like this. So she left to see what La Sola was up to this weekend.
For her part Shamrock thought about last Friday and started rubbing her legs together. Then she caught herself and stopped. She blushed and was glad no one had seen it. But a few minutes later she was doing it again and doodling “I (heart) Friday” in her journal.
***
“I see you’re ready. You’re a little eager beaver aren’t you?” The voice chuckled. “But you won’t be needing the hood or the cuffs tonight.”
“What? You mean no one’s coming…” Shamrock tried (too late) to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Take off the hood and cuffs Shannon and you’ll see.”
She did as she was told. As she took off the hood she felt something cold enter her left ear, it must have been a bug of some kind, she could still hear the voice.
“You remember the tapes don’t you?”
“Yes, of course that’s the only reason I’m-“
“Of course it is. And you remember what will happen if you do not cooperate don’t you? Humiliation, disgrace, being fired from the Global Protectors, they’ll probably take away your powers as well when they see the filthy things you’ve done-“
Shamrock, vainly covered her ears and shouted. “I know! I know! Please stop! I know all this… I know…”
“And you promise to cooperate?”
“Yes! Yes, I already promised.”
“Good girl, good heroine.” There was a knock on the door, Shamrock jumped. “Now open the door.”
“What?”
“Open the door and let your guest in.”
“No! He… he’ll see me!”
“…”
Shamrock sank to her knees crying, looking at the door like she expected the grim reaper to burst through. “Please don’t make me… please… just let me put the hood on again… please…”
There was another knock louder.
The voice became calm, almost paternal, like it was telling a child why you need to eat your vegetables. “He’s already seen more of you than you can imagine. He’s been in your apartment, he’s seen your photos on the wall, there’s nothing to be afraid of. And he is a very nice man, very gentle I’m sure you’ve noticed. Now be a good heroine and open the FUCKING DOOR!”
The voice in her ear was so loud Shamrock jumped to her feet and reached for the knob before she could even think. The door opened, and a black man was waiting on the other side.
He walked in without any further invitation.
***
Growing up in Ireland there had been a few black people in her county and of course in all the American programs on the tele, but Shannon O’Sullivan had not even talked to one until she met Tigress in the Global Protectors. That first time she shook her teammate’s hand she’d actually checked to see if her hand turned dark. She didn’t dislike black people and she wasn’t afraid of them, she wasn’t! Since joining the Global Protectors she’d been to Africa six times! But… the black people in America always made her a little uncomfortable with their loud voices and bad music and poor manners. She always felt that they just weren’t her kind of people.
And now there was in her apartment, here to… here to… She tried not to think about it.
“Hey baby” his voice was deep! The other times she hadn’t been able to hear it clearly. “I see you still got that costume on, but no hood tonight?”
“Um… no, no, I decided not to… Um, can I get you anything to drink maybe-mmmph!!“
The black man had grabbed her and kissed her! He rudely pushed her off her feet onto her single bed and reached for her top. “No! Stop!”
“He knows you like it rough Shamrock. That’s why he’ll ignore everything you say unless you say the safety word.”
“Safety word? What safety world?”
“Uh-uh Red, you ain’t getting out that easy. I’m gonna fuck your lily white pussy till it bleeds bitch!” He pulled down the costume and tore it off her. Panicking Shamrock shoved him and he flew across the room into her book shelf.
“Oh! Sorry!”
“You should be careful Shamrock, you might hurt him, even kill him if you resist. Then you won’t just be humiliated, you’ll go to jail. Do you know what they do to heroines in jail? It’s not pretty.”
She ran to the black man. “Are you OK?”
He climbed to his feet slowly and glared at her. “That’s gonna cost you white bitch, gonna cost you in sweat and in bread.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean-I mean to, I know you’re just-OW!”
He smacked her across her face. Shamrock’s powers should have made her invulnerable to such a puny attack but like all of the Global Protectors her powers were tied to her mental and physical state. Her guilt and fear and conflict robbed her of most of her powers.
The man shoved her to the floor and pulled her legs apart.
“N-no! No please!” he just slapped her across the face again and plunged his thick black dick into her vulnerable pussy. He pulled her body up crushing her breasts against his leather jacket, the zippers and straps hurt as they pressed into her tender skin.
“Uh!” She grunted as he thrust in and out. It hurt! “Dumb white bitch! I know you want this! Say you want this!”
Shamrock hesitated. He raised his hand.
“I WANT THIS!” She yelled. This didn’t feel like a game anymore, it felt real. Really real. The man grabbed her breasts and roughly squeezed them, Shannon bit her lip. She was helpless, this man was going to have his way with her and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
And that’s when it hit her. “Oooh” she moaned quietly. It was like someone threw a switch in her body and everything that had been hurting suddenly felt good.
“Yeah bitch, that’s what you like, you like it rough.”
Shannon closed her eyes and turned her head away but a rough hand grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look him in the eye. He pulled harder and moved into a sitting position with her on his lap, never missing a stroke. Shannon put her arms around him just to keep her balance. He leaned in and before she knew it she was kissing him. Passionately. She flexed her legs bringing her body up and down his long rod.
She heard herself saying “yes… yes… so good…” but couldn’t believe it. NO! This was wrong. She stopped. “I’m sorry I can’t-”
He slapped her.
“OW!”
She fell on her back and climbed on top of her again. This time it was painful but short. He pumped into her a dozen times until she felt something hot and sticky gush inside her. He pumped a few more times and sighed. He pulled out and got up. He helped her to her feet.
“Hey, that was OK right? That was what you wanted?”
Shannon hesitated. She wanted to scream and hit him. She wanted to lie back on the floor and do it again. She wanted to cry. She wanted… she didn’t know what she wanted. Instinct took over. “Huh? Oh, um, yes, yes that was… that was great. Um thanks.” Shannon always believed when in doubt you should just be polite.
“You seemed pretty scared for a bit there, but you didn’t say the safety word you emailed me, so I figured you were just getting into it.”
“No, uh, it was great. Um, you don’t want coffee or anything do you?”
“Nah, I gotta get going. Same thing next week?”
Shannon swallowed hard, NO! YES! I DON’T KNOW! The voice in her ear spoke up again. “He’ll hear from you.”
“Um, you’ll hear from me.”
“’Kay then. You sure you’re OK?”
“Yes, yes, please go now. Please.”
“Yeah, take care.”
Shannon slammed the door behind the man, sank to her knees and cried. “Why are you doing this to me?!” She demanded. “Why?!”
“Why?” Replied a calm voice in her ear. “Why? Because I like you Shannon, I really like you, and I don’t like seeing you lie to yourself. So if this is what I have to do to help you figure out who and what you are, then I’ll do it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re a hot little slut you needs a dick between her legs, and between her lips. The sooner you learn that the happier you’ll be.”
***
Wolfe watched the video, zipped his fly and picked up his cell phone. He dialed the special number.
“Senior, why are we wasting time with this shit? I mean sending her a gigolo once a week, what the fuck?”
“You don’t like it Wolfe?”
“Hey, I like interracial porn as much as the next guy, but there’s tons of that shit about there already, we’re supposed to be knocking off the Global Protectors so why are we dicking around with Shamrock? She’s the weakest, let’s just hire Bruticus to rape her to death or something.”
“Ah Wolfe, I admire you but you’re still so young and impatient-“
The fifty-something mogul growled at that but Senior continued, “-this isn’t some poorly-written internet fanfic, this is art! This will be a humiliation and breaking people will remember for all time. Besides, don’t misunderestimate what she is capable of.”
“Misunderestimate? Since when is that a word?”
“Since, uh, soon, anyway check some of those files from the Human Dreadnought, the Incubus or Doctor Darkness. Little Shamrock has a lot of potential. If we’re gonna do this right we gotta make sure she never fulfils that potential.”
“Fine. Fine, o it your way, but I got better stuff to do. Next week we start on Aussie and Sola.”
“Good, don’t worry everything is proceeding exactly as I have forseen.”
***
“Shannon why are you ordering another costume?”
“I, uh, mine got ripped.”
“On a mission?”
“No, no, at home, I was, uh cleaning it.”
“Shannon this is three costumes in three weeks, you have to learn to be more careful.”
“I will Maple Leaf. By the way, I have a late class on Friday’s this semester, I can’t do monitor duty.”
Maple Leaf scowled, as if she didn’t have enough trouble with the schedule what with Rising Sun in Japan, Tigress doing who-knows-what and La Sola pulling rank to get weekends off for good. Lucky Aussie Girl is still in the dog house. And hey, at least Maple Leaf knew Shamrock wouldn’t be spending her time off in dance clubs.
“Well OK Shannon, but only because it’s for your education. And you’ll have to take Saturday nights.”
“OK Maple Leaf, thank you Maple Leaf!” She turned and left.
***
That night Shamrock could not get to sleep. All she could think of was being helpless in that black man’s arms. How scary it was. How painful. How exciting. She hugged a pillow tightly. One hand crept into her pajama pants and slipped between her legs, it felt good there.
She had some thrilling dreams.
When she woke up her fingers were sticky and gross. She took an extra long shower that morning.
***
“Um Val? Val can we talk?”
“Of course Shamrock, how can I help you?”
“Val, you’re like a doctor right, you won’t tell anyone anything?”
Valkyrie nodded solemnly while secretly activating the cameras and mikes in her lab.
“Val, um, I uh, I have a friend, you don’t know her, but she’s a heroine just like me. I mean a lot like me.”
“Go on.”
“And she’s worried, that um, well this villain made her do something, something bad, and she thinks maybe she liked it. A little. Maybe. Is something wrong with her? I mean she’s not crazy or uh, a slu- I mean a bad girl or anything is she?”
Valkyrie took a deep breath. She knew Shannon O’Sullivan. She knew Shannon better than Shannon knew herself. For years Valkyrie had ‘treated’ her friend for trauma after various unfortunate incidents with any number of villains. She’d treated her (and the rest of the Global Protectors) the only way she could, by erasing and modifying their memories with a Mind Control Helmet. After erasing she had carefully restored her friend’s damaged psyche by reinforcing her normal beliefs and attitudes. She had had a standard set of instructions for each of the Global Protectors and knew them each by heart.
“Shannon you are a good girl, you do not believe in sex unless you really, really love a man and he loves you back. You believe that sex outside of marriage is a sin and that sex other than the missionary position” (which she would then show a picture of) “is unnatural. You know that villains may try to force you to do unnatural things but you also know it will never really happen. And it has never happened.” Shamrock’s program went on like that for almost an hour. It ended with “you believe sex with other women is sinful and unnatural.” That was the instruction that hurt the most. Valkyrie loved Shannon. She loved all of the Global Protectors but Shannon O’Sullivan’s innocence, enthusiasm and idealism always appealed to Valkyrie but she knew they would never be more than teammates.
Until Valkyrie slipped. After a night out with Shannon, a wonderful night together, a night filled with romantic moments and mixed messages Valkyrie had snapped. She used the helmet to change her friend’s attitudes, to make them lovers. It was a crime, a violation of her team’s trust and Valkyrie’s own ideals. And it had gone horribly wrong. As Valkyrie’s lover Shamrock lost all restraint, becoming brazen and daring. Instead of meek Irish schoolgirl Shamrock became a powerful fighter, a quick thinker, and a tiger in the sack. After a week Valkyrie undid the damage. And to make sure she would never do it again she erased her own memories of the device, commanded herself never to make one again and destroyed the helmet itself.
Since then she had thought a lot about her mistakes, her successes and her decision. She realized her programs had held back her teammates, freezing them as they were when they joined the team and preventing them from growing psychologically. It may also have saved them from insanity, but she had seen what Shannon was like when liberated from her program and it thrilled her, and it scared her. To this day she wondered if she had done the right thing by returning Shannon to a meek schoolgirl. And she wondered, did she do it to make up for her violation, or simply because she liked Shannon better this way?
Just as important was the practical question of what would she do when her teammate came to her with a new trauma that needed treatment? What would Valkyrie do without the helmet?
“Valkyrie? Are you listening?”
“Huh?” Val finished her internal monologue and returned to the storyline. “Oh, yes, of course Shannon. You-I mean your friend-has a very serious issue to grapple with. I have to ask, have any villains forced ‘your friend’ to do anything recently?”
“What? No, no, no, nothing. Nothing at all.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes! But sometimes, y’know, dreams.” Shannon turned beet red and looked down.
Val tried to hide her relief. She mentally reviewed Shamrock’s recent cases, none of them involved her being captured or missing. There was no need to panic yet.
“Well Shannon, you must remember we superheroines have a very stressful job. People depend on us to protect them, that’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Well yes, of course, why else would anyone become a heroine?”
“And it makes it hard to have a normal relationship, we never knew when we’ll have to run out and fight off an alien invasion. So it’s only natural that your subconscious- or your friend’s-might have fantasies of being helpless. Some heroines dream of losing their powers and living a normal life, others have elaborate fantasies of having a relationship with some kind of bad-boy supervillain or even becoming a villainess themselves. So nothing your friend is feeling is strange or unusual.”
“… I guess…”
“The important thing is that your fantasies-I mean your friend’s fantasies-cannot interfere with your-I mean her-work. We have to be able to separate fantasy from reality. No one wants another Stella or Night Bat Girl fiasco.”
“No, of course not.”
“Fortuanately Shannon, you are part of a team and we can support one another. We have monitor duty and schedule so when you’re off duty you can relax. If you-or your friend-enjoy some fantasies while off duty that can be a healthy way to relieve stress. As long as you don’t really plan to hook up with Dynamo or being forced to serve some perverted villain’s sick desire.”
“No of course not! That would be ridiculous!”
“So if you dream of maybe being tied up in some lab, while some cackling villain taunts you and you struggle in your chains but can do nothing as she approaches with a vibrator and…”
Val noticed Shamrock’s eyes were getting very wide and her lip was tembling. Val stopped. “Anyway I’m glad we had this chat.”
Val hesitated for a second but decided it was worth a try. She put her hand on her friend’s bare knee. She lowered her voice. “You know Shannon, if you wanted to, maybe try some fantasy sometime-“
Shamrock jumped like she’d been shocked.
“What! No! No, of course not, it’s not even me! It’s my friend!”
Valkyrie rose to her feet too. Shamrock started heading for the door. “Sorry Val, I forgot, I have to go!”
Val slumped back into her chair. That was dumb. That was really dumb. Val knew Shannon was just beginning to discover her sexual urges, she needed more time before she could even think of role-playing with her teammate. But the image of Shannon chained up in her lab, shouting defiance as Val violated her with a Thrustmaster dildo until Shamrock submitted to her every desire and…
Val got up and locked the door. She took her vibrators out of their hiding place and settled back in her chair.
“Yes Shannon… You’re at my mercy… I can do anything…” She muttered as the vibrator slipped inside her.
***
“Oh hi Aussie Girl.”
“Hey Shamrock, what’s wrong? You’re flushed.”
“What? Oh just, um, in the gym. Say do you have a number for Rising Sun in Japan? I sort of need to talk to her.”
“Sorry, she’s like on tour or something, we’re just supposed to leave messages with her new managers.”
“Oh.”
“Hey Shannon, we can talk. We’re friends right?”
Aussie Girl and Shamrock had joined together and had been close until recently.
“No, no, it’s just a question about that cooking class we took together. I’ll uh, leave a message for Rising Sun. See you later.”
“OK Shannon, but really, if you need to talk…”
“Goodbye Robyn.”
“Bye Shannon.”
Aussie Girl waited until Shamrock left the monitor room before punching the wall. “Strewth!” She really, really needed to talk to someone about her own problems and even Shannon was blowing her off. Ever since she did that stupid, stupid nude photo shoot the rest of the team had treated her like a leper. She felt like she had no one to talk to.
Almost no one.
She sat back down in the chair and sent an email to the one man who understood her.
***
“Maple Leaf?”
“Oh hi Val. Hey what’s wrong, you’re all flushed.”
“What? Oh, I was um, just in the gym. Anyway I had a talk with Shamrock today, and I think there might be a problem.”
“A serious one?”
“Not right now but it could be. I don’t think she should go on any missions against supervillains for a while. At least not against the, the uh, ‘dangerous’ kind.” Valkyrie made air quotes. “I think she might have some issues.”
“By ‘dangerous’ villains” Maple Leaf also made air quotes “you mean the whips and chains types.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a tall order. It seems like all we do these days is fight perverted villains with a bondage fetish. You don’t think we’re looking at another Stella here?”
“Not just yet but I’d like to keep an eye on her for a while.”
“OK Val, you got it.” Maple Leaf shook her head as she noted it in her personnel files. “I swear, do you ever feel like our whole lives are just one perverted fanfic from the internet?”
Val laughed. “All the time Maple Leaf, all the time.”
***
“You want me to wear the hood and cuffs again?”
“Yes, I think you’ll want them.”
“Um, all right.” Shannon unlocked the door. Sat on the couch, put the hood over her head and the cuffs on her wrists. They fastened automatically thanks to some kind of remote control.
Shannon’s heart began to race. The guilty feelings that had plagued her were gone. It was like Valkyrie said, this was a good way to relieve stress and as long as she was off-duty and no one got hurt she should enjoy it. She felt rough hands on her again and her costume ripping. Shamrock felt a bit of pain at that. She liked her costume (even it was a bit skimpy) and hated seeing it dirty, much less shredded. But the feeling passed as she felt a mouth sucking on her breasts and hands on her hips pulling her upright. She moaned quietly. This was nice. And since she couldn’t see it really was just like a dream. She felt hands on her shoulders now and a mouth on the back of her neck, it felt so good along with the hands on her hips and the mouth on her breasts.
Then she stiffened. Two mouths? Two sets of hands?
“No! Wait!”
“Scream all you want Shannon, they have your email instructions. You were very specific about what you want these men to do to you. They know they’re not supposed to stop unless you say the safety word.”
“Stop! I mean it!” She was being bent over her coffee table. Her copies of Martha Stuart’s Living jammed into her breasts. “STO-“ Something hot and meaty entered her open mouth. A hand pinched her jaw and stopped her from closing her mouth.
“Don’t try biting, you’ll bite it right off and so straight to heroine jail. You know what they do in heroine jail? They make you do this with the guards every day.”
Another dick entered her pussy from behind. Shamrock was too scared to realize it hadn’t hurt, in fact her pussy was wet and waiting. The pumping started. Shamrock felt like a piece of taffy being stretched one way and then the other. She wiggled her tongue trying to scream and shook her hips trying to get free and started to panic and choke.
And then three things happened. The first was the now familiar feeling of cum shooting up her vagina and leaking down her thighs. The second was the new and unpleasant sensation of warm salty cum shooting onto her tongue and down her throat. And the third was the explosion of sensations coming up from her belly and overwhelming everything else. It was like a roller coaster when you give in to the fear and embrace it. Over her head Shamrock heard the sound of two men giving each other a high-five. Shamrock’s whole body shook and then went limp. She barely noticed the two men pulling out of her and leaving. The cuffs and hood relaxed when they left but Shannon just lay there on the coffee table exhausted.
***
The next Friday Shamrock waited in costume with the hood and cuffs out. The voice in her ear finally spoke. “You won’t need them tonight. Or the costume. Open your door.” Shannon found a box outside. She took it in and opened it. It was clothes. But not the sort of clothes Shannon would ever buy. Or wear. Ever.
“Put them on.”
***
The super did a double take when Shannon O’Sullivan left her building. The shy Irish girl was dressed in a black leather miniskirt (slip up to the waist) a threadbare white tee shirt (tied just below her breasts) and back fishnet stockings that ended below her skirt. If it wasn’t for the distinctive red hair he wouldn’t believe it was the same girl.
“Hey Miss O’Sullivan, looking good!”
The girl looked down and hurried out the door. The super shook his head, she was such a nice girl, it was a shame she had to dress like that to get the boys’ attention.
***
Finding a guy wasn’t hard. Shannon practically had to fight them off when she entered the sports bar. Eventually she settled on an OK-looking guy and took him aside. It took a few tried but eventually she got out the words she’d rehearsed. “Say, uh, would like to come to my place for some coffee or something?”
And that’s all it took.
“Uh! Uh! Uh!” She moaned as the boy pounded into her.
As always sex was painful and humiliating for the first minute or two but quickly became tolerable, then pleasant, and then…
Rapture!
Ecstasy!
Nirvana!
Shamrock could feel her body light up like a Christmas tree! Everything from her scalp to her toes felt like it was alive with pleasure! She loved this feeling! She feared this feeling! She wanted more but was afraid to give in.
And then it was over. She felt something hot and wet running down her thigh, the anonymous boy grunted and sighed, and Shamrock came back down to Earth.
“Damn!” He said. “You were like a fucking cat in heat, uh, girl.” (He’d never gotten her name) “You were all like ‘Uh! Uh! Uh! Oh God!’ it was like crazy shit.”
“Be quiet” Shamrock whispered, “Be quiet and just hold me, please.” The guy was nice enough to cuddle and they feel asleep in each other’s arms.
As she drifted off Shamrock realized she’d gone almost the whole night without hearing Senior’s voice.
***
The next morning…
“Huh?” Shannon awoke with a start. The boy was sneaking out the door with his shoes in his hands.
“Oh, uh, I have to get to work early, but uh, I’ll call you sometime.”
He left.
Shannon pouted for a while wondering if the boy would really call, was he nice, where should they go for their next date… and then it hit her. He didn’t know her number. He didn’t even know her name. And she didn’t know his.
And that was that.
No need to worry about his hobbies, or his sign, or what food he likes. They’d met. Had some fun and parted.
Was that so wrong?
Was it wrong at all?
She hugged his pillow and drifted back to sleep. She could still smell their sex.
***
The next day was Saturday. After monitor duty, volunteering and going to the library Shannon returned home. She looked around her small but neat apartment, at her books and her Friends DVDs and her empty bed.
She sighed and looked at the miniskirt and thin shirt handing in her bathroom. She could go out again. Find a nice boy, come back and…
She shook her head and opened a book.
After an hour she felt her hand slip down to her skirt and reach up between her legs. She stopped herself and shook her head.
An hour after that she reached down again, this time she didn’t stop.
***
That Monday, “Hey Robyn, do you have some time?”
Aussie frowned, now Shannon wants to talk to me? This should be interesting.
“Yeah Shannon, course I got time. Thanks to boss Maple Leaf I’m stuck on monitor duty for seven more hours.”
“I uh, wanted to ask you something. About uh, sex.”
Aussie Girl’s eyes went wide. “You, well, that’s unexpected. What’s up?”
“Well I’ve been thinking. A lot. I know you like to see guys right, and, well what’s it like?”
“Well, Shannon you know we’ve got pretty different attitudes and morals, I mean that was clear from our first case together so I really don’t think you want to hear what I-“
“I do! I really do, please Robyn, I’m not judging your or anything, I just want to know…”
Aussie Girl took a deep breath. Shamrock and Aussie Girl had joined the team at the same time and had been friends but not close ones. The outgoing Aussie would hang out with the shy Irish girl but not really confide in her, they were just too different. Talking about sex with Shamrock was like talking to a nun. But if she wanted to hear it, what the hell.
“OK, it’s like this, some things in life just take two y’know. So like if I’m playing tennis with a guy I’m not worried about whether or not he’ll bring me flowers or how much money he makes or if he’s a good father, all I care about is if he can give me a good tennis game, something I’ll enjoy. Now I know for you it’s different, but for me, if I want to see a guy I want to have a good time and that’s it. I mean, strewth, I’m 20, I’m not worried about getting married or babies or anything like that. Plus y’know, it’s easier for us.”
“Easier?”
“Well there’s the looks of course, even in civy clothes I practically have to fight off guys and if I told them I was Aussie Girl, they’d be lined up around the block. And I don’t know about anyone else but since I got my powers, it’s like sex is like ten times better, so I know I’ll have a good time. And with our supped-up immune systems we don’t have to worry about diseases or babies or anything.”
“Babies?” Shamrock hadn’t even thought of that, she looked down at her stomach as if expecting it to bulge out then and there.
“Yeah, Val was explaining it once, our immune systems are so hyped up that those poor little sperms don’t stand a chance. I mean maybe Ultra Man’s sperm would make it but a normal guy? No way. She says that like if one of us really wanted to have a kid we could take some drugs or something, but most times, no worries.”
“…that’s good…”
“Tell me about it, I mean just the idea, yuk! So that’s where I stand. I like sex, I enjoy it, and there’s no risk so why not. As long as you keep in mind you’re only with this guy for the sex, not for anything long term. You just have to keep all those feeling about kids and houses with white fences and all that under wraps. That’s not always easy of course but you can do it. I mean this guy I’m seeing now… he’s an asshole. No two ways about it. That actually makes things a bit easier since he’s a good fuck and well… there’s no way I’m gonna marry him right?”
“I guess.”
“So what’s up Shannon? You seeing a guy or something? Thinking about getting serious?”
“I, uh, no, just thinking, I uh, have to go now…”
“Um, OK, nice talking to you.” Aussie Girl shook her head. She really liked Shannon but sometimes just couldn’t get her. What was up with leaving all of the sudden, Aussie really did need to talk to her and already Shannon was back to blowing her off. Whatever. She put it out of her mind. She had more important problems to worry about.
***
Aussie Girl made it sound so easy, but Shannon just wasn’t sure. The whole week she felt frustrated and lonely. She kept wanting to touch herself, even in the Global Protectors’ locker room. She kept waiting for Friday.
The next Friday Shannon waited for Senior’s call but it was 10 pm and nothing had come. She started to worry. She changed into the skirt and tee-shirt and headed for a bar. Just to be safe. Just in case.
She took a boy home Saturday night too. Just to be safe.
***
A few weeks went by. Shannon tried talking to some of the other Protectors but none of them really had time for her, La Sola almost bit her head off! She left messages for Rising Sun but only got back some emails about how busy she was in Japan. Left alone Shannon kept going as she had been. Maybe Aussie Girl was right, maybe Shannon was making too big a deal of this, if she was having sex and enjoying it (it took a lot of time for Shannon to admit she was enjoying it, a little) then was that so bad? The only problem was she was always so tired…
It was now the start of May, Shannon’s classes were winding down. On Monday night she met a boy named Darren in a study session, and feeling lonely, invited him to her place for some tea. And things went from there.
The next morning Shannon’s alarm went off at 6 as usual but she reached over and shut it off. These days she was always so sleepy. Darren was still there, she was a bit surprised by that, guys usually didn’t stay the night. Shannon wasn’t quite sure what to say to him.
“Um, I’m going to make some tea.”
“’Kay babe. Make me some too while you’re up.”
Shannon crawled out of bed and reached for her robe.
“Leave that off babe, I like watching you walk around with your tits all hanging out and stuff, it’s hot.”
Shannon grunted negatively and put on her robe. She started the kettle and silently prayed for this guy to leave. She served the tea and he joined her at the kitchen table. She was grateful he’d put on his boxer shorts.
“What’s with the early rising babe, last night you said you didn’t have class till tonight?”
“Yes but I have monitor du-, I mean I have things to do. I have to get going soon.”
“Maybe you can hold off a little while?”
Darren stood up and walked behind her chair he stroked Shannon’s neck and shoulders, she sighed contently. Maybe he was nice guy after all.
He leaned down and kissed her neck his hands went lower and pawed her breasts through the terrycloth robe. Shamrock’s breathing changed, she had to go! But this felt good! Still… she pulled away and stood up. “I’m sorry, but-“
He grabbed her again, pulled her against his body and kissed her. He jammed his bare leg between hers, under the robe, she felt his hairs rubbing against her pussy lips and moaned. The robe fell open and he kissed her breasts, she moved back and put her butt on the kitchen table, she spread her legs, he rammed his dick home and she cried out.
“Damn babe, you’re so fucking hot, I never fucked a girl who always came before I did, you must be like some kind of nympho or something.”
Just listening to him made Shannon feel dirty.
“I have to take a shower.”
Darren looked down at his still-hard dick and frowned. “Um yeah babe, whatever.”
***
Shannon sighed as the hot water ran down her body, she felt like it was washing away Darren’s filth. All those guys’ filth. It had been five weeks since her blackmailer had called, five weeks of taking home strange boys for sex. Five weeks of letting her responsibilities to her school work, her volunteer work and her missions slide. And Shannon felt dirty all the time.
“Senior’s done with me.” She said firmly. “I don’t have to do this now. I’m stopping.” She nodded to herself. This had gone far enough, she was turning things around starting today.
“Hey babe, mind if I join you?” Darren stepped into the shower with her and started pawing her breasts again.
“No! What are you doing?!” Shannon tried to spin around panicking. Darren pushed her against the tile wall and rammed his tongue down her throat.
Shannon tried to push him back was too tired.
This was wrong! They couldn’t do it here, not in the shower, this was her pure place, the place she went to get clean again! Darren’s fingers entered her pussy and she started to pant. His fingers flicked in and out faster and faster, she slipped and now he was holding her up. He lowered his head and sucked on her breasts, two fingers entered, then three, then four and then…
Shannon shook and squirmed and cried out and collapsed in his arms. He turned off the water and helped her out of the shower, he put her on her knees on the bathroom floor. Shannon was groggy from her second orgasm of the morning and didn’t resist but when her bare knees touched the cold tile floor her skin started to crawl. “…no… wait…” She’d been so tired lately she hadn’t cleaned the bathroom in over a week, she felt like germs were running all over her. Darren ignored her weak objection and positioned her head in front of his semi-firm dick.
“Come on babe, I got you off (for the second time this morning!) now it’s your turn!”
Shannon’s tired eyes tried to focus on the… thing… in front of her. Her encounters had been fairly straightforward, she’d never had to put her head anywhere near… one of those. At least not with her eyes open. It was gross. Even fresh out of the shower it looked dirty and slimy. He peed out of it! And now he wanted her to put her lips around it? Her stomach churned at the thought.
“Come on babe.”
“But I never-“
“You ain’t gonna say you never sucked cock are you? A hot babe like you probably sucked more cock than Brittany Spears. Come on, fair’s fair.”
Shannon looked at it again, an uncomfortable feeling of familiarity came over her. But why? Surely she’d never done anything like this? Had she? She thought of the video, she hadn’t looked at it since this ordeal started. All those events she couldn’t remember clearly, she thought they were fake, but were they? Were they really? What if they were real? That would explain why this felt so familiar, and why she had so quickly given in to her base desires. Maybe Darren was right, maybe she was a big slut and maybe, somehow someone stopped her from remembering it? If so then this was what she was meant to do. Wasn’t it?
Before Shannon was halfway through her internal monologue she was already sucking Darren’s cock.
She felt it jerk and tasted something salty coming out, she jerked her head back pulling away.
And got a full load in her face and hair.
“Wow babe, I didn’t know you wanted the money shot!”
***
Shannon took another shower before she came out. Darren was still there, and he was going through her purse!
“Sorry babe, I need cash for the parking garage. Hope you don’t mind me borrowing twenty bucks.”
“N-no, just go, OK? I have to get ready for work.”
“I thought you weren’t working.”
“Volunteer stuff, I have to go!”
He leaned over and kissed her, he squeezed her ass through her robe. “Hey I’ll stop by soon OK?”
“OK, fine, yes, please go.”
“Ciao babe, thanks for the memories.”
Shannon looked at the clock, it was 9:15! She was already late!
***
Aussie Girl spun the computer chair again and stopped to look at the clock. 9:48 and still no Shamrock. She snarled. Shannon was her friend, but she had better things to do than hang out here waiting for Shannon to come for monitor duty. After that scare yesterday and spending all night on monitor duty she was sick of the whole thing, she just wanted to get out of here and see her boyfriend.
Shamrock ran in flushed and panting for breath. “Sorry Robyn, I was up late studying and I had to review my notes this morning and then the phone rang and-“
“Yeah Shannon, whatever, okay? Just remember I’ve got a life too and I just had to spend eight hours and forty-eight minutes of it staring at a computer screen because you’re too fucking important to come on time. I expect this shit from Star but not from you damnit. I thought you were my friend.”
“…sorry…”
“WhatEVER.” Aussie stormed out leaving a sad Shamrock behind.
***
Maple Leaf ducked into Val’s lab. “Hey Val, any luck with that Thunder Girl thing?”
“Hey Jillian, nothing yet, she must be someone new. But I already told you that. What’s up?”
“Well… have you talked to Shannon lately?”
“No, not outside of work. Why?”
“She’s been acting kind of weird lately. Late, leaving early, distracted.”
“None of those are new problems for the Global Protectors.”
“True. But Shannon’s always been reliable, I mean she’s not much good in a fight or for fund-raising but if you tell her to be somewhere she’s there. But lately… And you did say you were worried about her.”
“I, uh, I hadn’t noticed, I don’t really watch her that closely these days… I mean um, I’ve been very busy and haven’t noticed any problems.”
“Well could you sit her down, if there’s a problem we need to know about it before the press does.”
***
Shamrock finished her shift and hurried for the door. She only had a half hour to fly to class and she was still feeling tired from this morning. The whole day on monitor duty she’d been thinking about that video, about her whole career as a heroine. The more she thought about it the more she realized there were a lot of cases she couldn’t clearly remember. She’d remember the start and maybe the end but the middle was just blank. And every time she tried to remember the details she felt nauseous and got a splitting headache. Today she’d tried looking them up in the computer but those records were even more vague, just a name, a date and one or two sentences. That didn’t make sense, after every mission Shannon had to write at least a 2 page report.
She promised that when she got home she would play that video again, and even if it made her sick she’d watch all of it and figure out if it was real or not. And then… well she didn’t know what she would do.
“Shannon, can I talk to you?”
“Sorry Val I have to go to class.” Shannon tried to maneuver around Valkyrie but the tall Swede didn’t let her by.
“Shamrock, this is important. It’s about you. We need to talk.”
Shamrock was suddenly afraid, what did Valkyrie know? She numbly followed the blonde downstairs into her examination room. Val took the chair and told Shamrock to sit on the examination table.
“Shannon, is there anything wrong with you? Are you having any problems? Maple Leaf and I, we’re worried about you. I just checked your records, you’ve been late, missing training, late for missions, unprepared… I remember our last talk together and I want to know if there are any problems. Shannon I want to help.”
“No Val. Nothing.”
“Really?”
“Really!”
Valkyrie got up and sat next to the smaller Irish girl on the table. She thought for a minute and said “Shannon I know we haven’t been close lately but, but I really care for you, and I can see something is wrong. Let me help you, please.” Val put a hand on Shamrock’s shoulder and another on her knee.
Shamrock felt another moment of vertigo and nausea. Images came to her, images of her and Val in this same room, on this same table, but naked and… kissing?
She jumped up horrified.
“You!”
“What? Shamrock what?”
“You did something to me! You made me do things! I-I remember!”
“What? No, Shannon no, you don’t understand, I- no!”
Shamrock turned and ran from the lab, up the stairs and out a fire door. She took to the air feeling sick to her stomach, her own team had betrayed her! Her friends did something to her!” She tried to remember more but the more she thought about it the more her head hurt and… AH! She blacked out.
She tumbled from the sky and fell into the woods.
***
Valkyrie was too shocked to respond in time and had to hurry after Shamrock. But by the time she got out of the building and into the air the Irish girl was nowhere to be found.
“Damn” Valkyrie muttered and headed back to her lab. Then she cried.
***
Across town Maple Leaf took a seat in Wolfe’s conference room. A dozen middle aged man leered at her tits and ass but she was used to that. Most days the 30-something heroine welcomed the attention, but not today.
Wolfe had asked her there to meet with his accountants. Maple Leaf could hardly refuse. For the last few months Wolfe had been buying up the Global Protector’s debts and investing heavily in their enterprises. In the meantime other sponsors and donors had been pulling out. The team was becoming dependent on him and his money.
And Maple Leaf had been spending a lot of her nights in his bed.
It wasn’t the sex that bugged her. Maple Leaf just hated being out of control. Wolfe hadn’t asked for anything other than a good fuck, but she had a sickening feeling that would change. She’d had this feeling ever since Wolfe asked for access to the team’s records for some ‘feedback’.
“Miss Maple Leaf, thank you for accepting my invitation.”
“No problem Buck, you know my team and I are always happy to meet with our supporters.” Maple Leaf tried to force a smile.
“Well as part of my due diligence I’ve had these gentlemen go through your books and well, they don’t like what they see.”
“We are going through a bit of rough patch but that’s the nature of the media business, I’m sure-“
“Your expenditures have exceeded your income for seven quarters.”
“Yes but-“
“According to Capes and Masks you’re now the #6 superhero team in the country, you’re ranked even lower than the goddamn Ultimate All-Stars.”
“They’re just a fad, they can barely get out two adventures a year we’ll be back-“
“The way I see it the Global Protectors are just a fad and you’re on your way out.”
“Um, well, I really have to disagree we have a lot of new projects going on, Rising Sun is working on something in Japan and Star’s new album-“
“Maybe, maybe. But you know what they say about a bird in hand right? For now you need to refocus, rationalize and reorganize. I’ve taken the liberty of writing a plan…” Wolfe slid Maple Leaf a binder.
For the next few hours the Canadian heroine tried to stay calm. Wolfe and his accountants had a plan for cutting the team’s costs and improving profits. It would be painful. It would mean practically turning the Gaea Building into a theme park, it would mean giving up a lot of their charity work. But it would bring them back to profitability and maybe put them back at number one. Maybe.
“Just one more thing, your insurance.”
“Yes?”
“You pay over a million bucks a month for each heroine on the team right?”
“Yes, it covers our liability if someone sues us.”
“And from the looks of things you’ve got at least one member who doesn’t pull her weight.” He pointed to a line on a graph.
“Well Shamrock is not the most successful heroine at marketing but she is a valuable member-“
“A few years back she got your whole HQ trashed and cost you somewhere in the eight figures.”
“Yes but no one is perfect-“
“According to this you had to rescue her three times last year.”
“Yes but-“
“And your own performance ratings put her near the bottom. And getting worse.”
“She… she’s really nice…” Maple Leaf said weakly.
“This report by Tigress says she’s a hazard to her teammates. That one by Val asked that she not be sent on any missions against ‘dangerous’ foes.”
“I suppose she has had some problems…”
“Maple Leaf, she’s a loser. Let her go.”
Maple Leaf sat silently for a full minute.
“Maple Leaf, you still with us?”
“Yes. Okay.”
***
Shamrock woke up in a clearing a few miles from the Gaea building. It was well after sundown. She felt weak and sick and could barely walk to the road, much less fly home. She didn’t dare call her teammates but luckily her communicator included a cell phone.
“Hello Darren…”
***
Darren’s Scion pulled up and Shamrock ran out of the woods and jumped in.
“Whoa babe, what’s with the costume? What’s with the woods? You doing something kinky out here? We gonna do something kinky?”
Shamrock panted a few times to catch her breath and let it all out. “Darren I have to tell you something, I’m Shamrock from the Global Protectors!”
“Right, OK babe, and I’m like Dynamo or someone right?”
“No, I mean really, for real, I’m Shamrock.”
“Is that so?”
“And I think my teammates did something to me, I think they did something to me and erased my memories of it!”
“Uh-huh. Right. Sure. So what did they erase?”
“They… they uh…” Shamrock massaged her head, she had to say it, it was on the tip of her tongue but she just couldn’t even think of it, every time she tried to think of it, it hurt so much. “I can’t remember! They erased it!”
“Yeah, babe, right. So if you’re really Shamrock how come you didn’t just fly home?”
“I tried, I really tried but I have a headache and can’t fly.”
The conversation continued this way for the whole drive back. Darren realized that the chick he’d been fucking these last few days had some really serious issues going on. But she was still hot. So he faced the eternal question all men must face at some time in their lives, should you fuck a hot chick who’s fucking nuts? And he made the same call all real men make.
They got back her place and Darren shoved her through the door. She still had her little heroine suit on, the gold, white and green boots, the heavy communicator bracelets and even the metal choker with an inlaid shamrock. He was impressed, the whole outfit looked really authentic. Darren dumped her on the bed and tore out the white spandex crotch of her suit. The rough stuff made the Irish girl go wild. “Oh, I’m at your mercy, please don’t hurt me! Please, I’ll do anything you want, you can even fuck me Darren.”
“You got it babe, and hey, call me Dynamo okay?”
“Uh, uh, call me Shamrock, oh please, call me Shamrock…”
“Sure Shamrock, I’m fucking you Shamrock, feel that, that’s me fucking a heroine.”
“Oh yes! Oh YES!”
***
They were cuddling in Shannon’s single bed. He stroked her hair and she cooed. “Mmm, you know my secret identity now.”
“Yeah babe, you’re Lucky the Leprechaun.”
“No silly I’m Shamrock, I really am. And now that you know I’ll have to protect you from my enemies.”
“Uh-huh, sure babe.”
“Maybe we could move in together so I can watch over you. Maybe get engaged, oh! We could have a superhero wedding with Ultra Woman and Colonel Liberty and- Darren? Darren where are you going? Darren don’t leave! Darren!”
But the guy was already gone, fueled by fear he’d dressed and run out the door in record time. It was one thing to fuck a crazy hot chick, but once she started talking commitment, Darren knew what to do.
Shannon fell to knees in the center of the room crying. Now she was alone again. Alone. She sobbed. She could barely remember why, but she knew she couldn’t trust her teammates. She tried to remember why but it kept slipping away. And now her boyfriend had left her. She cried. She went her closet and found her Shamrock teddy bear. It was a prototype, the only one. The toy company decided not to make them and went with a Star teddy bear instead. Shannon hugged the red-furred bear between her breasts. She slipped one hand between her legs and moaned as her finger slipped inside. I was almost as good as having a man.
Almost.
***
The next day Shamrock came back to the Gaea Building and immediately felt sick again. She felt like there was something she had to do but couldn’t quite figure out what.
Valkyrie was waiting for her. She noticed the Irish heroine was wearing civilian clothes but decided not to ask about it. She had more important things to discuss.
“Hi Val!” She said mustering up some enthusiasm.
“Um, Shannon about yesterday, we need to talk.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me.”
“?”
“I just felt really sick and went home. I can hardly remember anything from yesterday.”
Valkyrie had a whole speech memorized. Explaining how she had used mind control on her teammates, how she did it for their own good to suppress bitter memories that might drive them mad. How she regretted it so much and had destroyed the mind control helmet. How much she loved her teammates. It vanished from her mind.
“Well, um, OK then, see you later Shamrock.”
“See you Val.”
Valkyrie shook her head, she wasn’t sure if she’d just been saved or damned. She headed downstairs to think.
***
Shamrock put in an uneventful 8 hours of monitor duty and got ready to leave. Maple Leaf stopped her.
“Shannon come to my office please.”
“Um, OK Maple Leaf but I don’t have much time, I have, uh a choir meeting.”
Maple Leaf mumbled something about not taking long. Shamrock took a seat. “I see you’re out of uniform and you’ve put in another request for a new costume.”
Shannon didn’t even hesitate before lying. “Yes, you see I was cat-sitting for my friend and the cat got into the closet and-“
“Yes, yes. Do you have your communicators with you? Can I see them?”
“Sure.” Shamrock handed over her communicator bracelets and metal chocker. Maple Leaf put them on her desk.
“Shannon I’ve been looking at your performance the last few weeks.”
“I can explain, I’ve been busy at school and-“
“You missed two meetings. More importantly there were four emergency calls for you during the last few weeks. You were late to two of them, arriving after the fighting was over, and you never even showed up for the other two.”
Shamrock squirmed. “I think there might be a problem with my communicators-“
“Tigress says at the last battle you could barely fly and you took a cab home.”
“I-“
Maple Leaf tossed a metal bar to Shamrock, the Irish girl missed it and had to walk across the room and pick it up. “Bend that.” Shamrock held it in both hands and tried to bend it. After straining for a minute it bent. Slightly. She sheepishly handed it back to Maple Leaf. Maple Leaf casually bent it into a pretzel and put it down.
“You haven’t been to training in weeks.”
“Um, no.”
“You missed the party last night.”
“Sorry.”
“There was an incident yesterday, La Sola said she saw you run out of here in tears and fly off. What was that about?”
“Nothing…”
“Shannon is there anything, anything at all you want to talk to me about? We’re friends, you know I want to help you.”
Shamrock fought back tears and choked up. She just shook her head and looked down. Maple Leaf swallowed and took a deep breath. When she spoke again it was in her coldest most professional voice.
“You know Shannon, the Global Protectors have to pay liability insurance for each of our heroines to cover any damage we do in the course of our duties. We have a headquarters to maintain. And certain image of professionalism.”
“I can do better!”
“I know you can. That’s why I let things slide for so long. But Shannon, I can’t let things go anymore. I’m afraid…” Maple Leaf’s voice broke, she paused to regain composure. “Shannon O’Sullivan I’m afraid we no longer require your services.”
“Huh?”
“Shannon, we’re letting you go. You are no longer part of the Global Protectors.”
“What? No! Did the others-“
“I’m the team leader and CEO of the Global Protectors Foundation. I made this decision. As of today you not part of the team.”
“But… but I can still be Shamrock right?”
“We’re not going to take away your powers or anything but your costume and your code-name are trademarks of the Global Protector Foundation. So, uh no. You’re not Shamrock any more.”
“Bu-but…”
“There are plenty of other good superheroine names out there, I’m sure you’ll think of a new one. Anyway I think we’re about done here. I’ll mail your personal effects and severance pay and, um, it was nice working with you. There’s a cab waiting outside. Our treat.”
“But…”
“Shannon don’t make this harder than it is, just go. Just go. Please.” Maple Leaf tried hard to keep her face impassive, not to cry, she did not entirely succeed.
“But…”
“GET OUT! Damnit! This is it! Go! You’re done Shannon! You’re done!”
The frightened girl ran out of the office. A security guard was waiting outside, he firmly led her out of the building and showed her to her cab.
***
The door opened again and a blond heroine in an American flag entered Maple Leaf’s office.
“So you finally dumped the Irish chick huh? ‘Bout time if you ask me, she was just taking up space, hogging the spotlight, taking credit for other people’s work. Good riddance to bad rubbish, that’s what I say.”
“Star, get out.”
“I’m just saying-“
“Star, whatever Shannon’s faults she was ten times the heroine you are. She could have been something, she had heart… and she just pissed it all away!”
“Ah I don’t think she really-“
Maple Leaf threw a glass paperweight at Star and screamed “GET OUT! Just get the fuck out!”
Star ducked out the door. Maple Leaf walked over and locked it. She poured herself a stiff drink and slumped back in her chair.
***
Shannon O’Sullivan was in a daze as she walked into the apartment. Fired? It didn’t seem real. It didn’t feel real.
She thought of calling Rising Sun, but she didn’t have her friend’s number in Japan. She thought of calling one of the other Protectors but she was afraid. Afraid they would laugh at her. Or feel sorry for her. Or tell her she deserved it.
She collapsed into bed and did not move for a few hours. The shadows in her room got long.
“I’m a liar.” She muttered.
“And a failure.” She added.
“And a slut.” She sobbed.
When she worked up the energy to sit up she saw her answering machine was blinking. 28 messages. Probably from boys who saw her profile on www.Megapolissexlinkup.com. She pushed play. The first one sounded all right. She called and asked how fast he could be over.
Afterword
Believe it or not poor little Shamrock is my favorite of the Global Protectors. My first GP story was the Seduction of Shamrock and without her I doubt I would have done any GP stories. There’s an old quote that sums her up perfectly, “Virtue untested is innocence”.
Unlike some of the others she really does want to help people and make the world a better place but just lacks the self-confidence to pull it off. So she does small things like volunteering for animal shelters but is afraid to try something big. There’ve been a few times in the series when she showed off her potential but always found herself back in the role of the mousey little do-gooder. Maybe with a bit more encouragement she could have come through her trials as a confident powerful woman but somehow she never does.
But hey, there’s still a few more chapters, maybe she can still turn things around.
Don’t forget to write, feedback and suggestions are welcome!