Stella and the Minx
#13:
The Trial of
Stella
A new title for
the series since the Minx is becoming at least as important as Stella is
to the whole mix.
In this issue, Stella
is called on to answer for her actions. But not in the way you might
expect…
Marcus
Lycus
April
2008
Legal
Horrors
–
Stella, the Minx and other characters are copyright and trademark Marcus
Lycus. All rights
reserved.
If
you want to use any characters in another story you need my permission.
It also means that you can’t repost this story without my permission.
And
since 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!
Issue 13 – The Trial of
Stella
The year was 1971, ‘Bridge of Troubled
Water’ was album of the year, the Soviets landed the first probe on
Mars, the Pentagon Papers reveled the truth behind the Vietnam War, Bangladesh
was created, so was the first floppy disk. And below the streets of
Megapolis the Minx recorded a monumental journal entry…
“And so that
is how I learned that Stella killed Stellar Man and then used me to cover
up her crime. She’s genuinely remorseful and, all things considered,
it might be called a crime of passion or even self-defense. After a
lifetime of being told she could never misuse her powers what must it have
been like to see the world’s greatest hero covered in his lover’s
blood? What must it have been like to know that he would alter her
memories or even kill to keep his secret? I can’t say I completely
trust Stella, but I have to admit, I understand
her.”
The Minx looked back over her log entry
and hit the encryption key on her computer. Her words were instantly
scrambled using an 8-bit cipher that all the world’s super computers
would need fifty years to crack.
She didn’t really need to keep a
log. Her photographic memory was much more reliable and complete than
any words she could put down. Still she found the ritual useful.
It gave her time to reflect and consider. To decide what she would
learn from each case. Besides, unlike Night Fox’s old paper files,
these didn’t take up space and she didn’t have to worry about anyone
reading
them.
She climbed into her secret elevator and
headed upstairs. Lynn was due back from work soon and she wanted to
hear how the first week
went.
***
“This is Timmy O’Leary calling
the Legion of Stellar Heroes, Timmy O’Leary calling the year
2636.”
“This is Legion Headquarters, we read
you loud and clear
Timmy.”
“Great, great, is that you C5?
Any
luck?”
“No, I’m afraid not. We
simply have no historical records of Stellar Man appearing anywhere after
he left Earth in 1970. But you can’t give up hope, due to the
atomic wars of the 1990s our records are highly
incomplete.”
“I know, I know. But surely
something must have survived! He wouldn’t go this long without
trying to contact Earth, without checking up on everything! Is there
anything you haven’t checked? Anything else you can try?
The Defending League of Justice, they must have some
records!”
“No the DLJ satellite was destroyed
during the Secret
Crisis.”
“The
what?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell
you, it is a
secret.”
“Oh…”
“Though now that you mention it, there
are some artifacts from the legionary Minx Pad that are kept in the Megapolis
Museum of Primitive
Conflicts…”
***
Stella flew over the city feeling
depressed. She stopped to catch a mugger and put out a fire but her
heart just wasn’t in it. She still felt so guilty. Not just
for killing Stellar Man, but for lying to the Minx about it. Since
they came back the Minx hadn’t mentioned it. If anything she’d
been more supportive than ever, setting up this job and getting Stella out
of the house more. But she still felt like there was some wall between
them and she didn’t know how to breach it. She didn’t even
know if it was
possible.
“Stars and comets, some superheroine
I
am…”
She landed gracefully at the penthouse
and switched out of her costume at stellar
speed.
“Lynn is that
you?”
“Yup, how’s it hanging
Gloria?”
“Lynn you don’t know what this
is do
you?”
The Minx was in the living room pointing
to a metallic square floating 2” above the
carpet.
“Stars and comets! It’s
a Time
Square!”
“And that
is?”
“Oh I haven’t seen one of these
in years!” She tapped it with her knuckles. “Not since
back when I was in the
orphanage…”
***
“Oh Lynn!
You’re so clumsy! How could you burn the pot roast
again!”
“I don’t
know Mrs. Mooney, I guess I’m just a bad
cook.”
“And a bad
housekeeper too! You broke my favorite vase! You can’t even
keep your own clothes
clean!”
“I’m sorry
Mrs.
Mooney.”
“Well Lynn
sorry just isn’t enough, I spoke to Mr. Mooney and we’ve decided
not to adopt
you!”
“(choke) Are
you
sure?”
“Yes Lynn,
the car from the orphanage is coming
now.”
Lynn’s feelings
were torn the entire time back to the orphanage. On one hand she was
happy she had managed to avoid adoption again. Stellar Man has strictly
forbidden her from being adopted since surely adoptive parents would figure
out her secret identity. But it was hard not to be sad, the Mooney’s
were such a nice family and they genuinely liked her, but she had to pretend
to be clumsy and stupid so they wouldn’t take her
in.
The worse was the
shameful walk back into the orphanage. Hearing the girls whispering
about her, the boys openly jeering. Loser Lynn! Loser Lynn!
Nobody likes loser
Lynn!
Lynn headed up to
the girl’s dorm, it was thankfully empty this time of day. All
the other girls were out having fun with their friends, only ‘Loser
Lynn’ was left alone to cry in her
bunk.
“You’re
not a loser Lynn” a soft voice
said.
“What?
Who’s there?” She looked around, she even used her stellar
sight but there was no one there. Was she imagining
things?
“Come to forest
outside of town Stellar
Girl.”
“Me?
Stellar Girl? How silly, everyone knows there’s no such thing
as a Stellar
Girl.”
But the voice
didn’t respond. Lynn’s heart pounded. Someone knew
she was Stellar Girl! But how? She had been so, so careful.
Stellar Man would surely punish her
now!
Unless…
Unless she could
find them first and make sure they never told anyone! Then Stellar
Man would be proud of her for keeping the
secret!
She checked and
made sure no one was watching and changed into her action costume.
She loved her blue minidress with its proud ‘S’ symbol and red
cape. She couldn’t wait for the day she could show the world she
was Stellar Man’s cousin, but today was not that day. So she flew
out the orphanage window faster than the human eye could see and arrived
in the
woods.
With her stellar
sight and stellar speed she easily located the people who contacted her.
There were three young girls dressed in some sort of colorful, form-fitting
spacesuits. One was a raven-haired pale girl wearing a white space
suit with a cape and a short skirt over the body suit. Across her breasts
was some sort of strange symbol that looked like two intertwined G’s
or even a skull. The next had mousey brown hair and wore a purple and
orange suit, also with a skirt and cape. Her symbol was an M with dozens
of shadowy afterimages behind it. Finally the third girl was a blond
in a pink suit with a cloudy planet in the center.
None of them looked
like
villains.
“Who are
you?” Stellar Girl
asked.
“Crashing
comets! It’s really her!” The brown-haired one cried
out. “She really came!” The black-haired one
added.
“Well of course
Multiple Maid, naturally Ghost Girl, when Venus Girl summons someone they
come.”
“But
who?”
“I’m Venus
Girl, this is Ghost Girl and Multiple Maid. We’re your new
stellar-girlfriends!”
“Venus Girl?
Yes I have heard of you! You and Dynamo Boy and Magnet Lad were friends
with Stellar Boy back in the 50s. You’re part of the Legion of
Stellar
Heroes!”
“Exactly!
Just as we enlisted your cousin, we have returned to the 20th
century to offer you membership in the Legion
too.”
“Stars and
Comets! That’s
great!”
***
“So I ended up traveling to the future
a few times, teaming up with them and even with Stellar Boy to fight villains
and do charity events and attend important meetings. It was so much
fun. But then about three or four years ago they stopped contacting
me.”
“Lynn, that makes no sense at all.
Surely by taking you to the future these kids were risking damaging the time
line! Not to mention teaming up with Stellar Boy years before he met
you!”
“I guess, but they said it was OK,
one of them explained it to me but it was really
complicated.”
“So now they want to see you again,
after all these years. Why do you think that
is?”
“Um, they miss me? Or maybe
they need
me?”
“But surely with their time machine
they could contact you at any point in your career, why contact you
now?”
Stella just shrugged.
“But you’re going to go no matter
what I
say.”
“Huh? Of course I’m going
to go! I’m a Stellar Legionnaire! I swore an oath and
everything! I have to
go!”
“In that case I’m going
too.”
“But you can’t! You’re
not a member! You don’t have any super-powers
you…”
The Minx just stood there staring firmly
at Stella. “Oh stars and comets you know I hate it when you give
me that look. OK, fine, you can come. But they’re going
to be mad! They’re really strict about their
rules.”
“I think I can handle myself Lynn.
Besides, how can I turn down a chance to see the 27th
century?”
So the two heroines stepped on the metal
platform
together…
And the world
disappeared.
Rainbow light surrounded them, swirling
in impossible ways. Clocks and calendars flew by, images strobed by
of rocket ships, mushroom clouds, aliens, fantastic buildings and amazing
worlds.
And then it
stopped.
The two women were in some sort of high-tech
chamber, surrounded by strange computers and machinery and an even more fantastic
collection of
people.
“Venus Girl!” Stella cried
out. “Multiple Maid!” “Ghost
Girl!”
“Stella! So glad to see you
again!”
“Stars and comets it’s so good
to be back. I can’t travel through time like Stellar Man you know,
I’ve been waiting and waiting to hear from you again but you never contacted
me.”
“Yes well you know the time stream
is very delicate, we must be
careful.”
“I know, it’s just too bad.
So why did you summon me now? Are the Fatal Five Hundred back?
The Sun Sipper? The Legion of Sinister
Villains?”
“No, nothing like that, to tell the
truth we having a ceremony tomorrow in your
honor.”
“Stars and comets! That’s
great!”
The Minx openly gaped. The Legion
heroines were three of the most stunning women she had ever seen. They
were all nearly six feet tall, with wasp waists and firm, pendulous breasts
that jutted forward like mountains from their flat muscular stomachs.
All three were dressed in skin-tight leotards that left their long-shapely
legs bare but covered their arms. All three leotards were slit down
to the naval and cut up to the waist. Even in 1971 the Minx hadn’t
seen anything so daring outside of a burlesque
show.
While she stared, the four heroines embraced,
exchanged kisses on the cheek and made small talk.
“Actually I go by Ms. Multiple these
days…” The brown-haired one in the orange and purple leotard
explained.
“Oh yeah All-Boy and I are still together,
he calls himself All-Man now of course…” The black-haired
one in the white, see-through leotard
said.
“Oh yes, Dynamo Man and I are very
serious, we might get married next year, of course that means leaving the
Legion unless we amend the constitution…” The blond woman
in the pink leotard
added.
“Well of course we have new costumes,
these aren’t the 2620’s any more, space suits are out, out,
out.”
“Well I changed my name to Stella,
but I guess you already knew I would do that from your history
tapes…”
Finally the Minx cleared her throat
loudly. Stella blushed and turned. “Sorry, this is my partner
the
Minx.”
The three future heroines stared at her
like she had a disease. Venus Girl’s eyes glazed over a second
and she furled her brow, then they all smiled and hugged the fur-clad
crime-fighter.
“Welcome, welcome, this is your first
trip to the future isn’t it? Of course we all know about your
career but it’s such an honor to see you in person. The history
tapes don’t do you
justice.”
“Thanks, wow, it’s strange to
think of myself as a historical figure. You’re not going to tell
me how things turn out are
you?”
“Oh don’t let it bother you,
we’ve welcomed Stellar Boy, Stellar Girl, Polly Path, Ronda Rain and
Timmy O’Leary. We’re quite used to it, and we’ll erase
your memory when you leave
anyway.”
“What?”
“Oh yes, we do it with all our
visitors.”
“Lynn!
You never mentioned
that!”
“Oh she doesn’t remember; we
erase that knowledge
too.”
“But-“
“In fact since it upsets you so much
I’ll just make you forget you heard that.” Strange lights
danced in Venus Girl’s eyes and the Minx relaxed.
“Well I’m certainly looking forward
to this visit.” The Minx
said.
“Good, good, let’s get you two
settled.”
***
Gloria Barbarossa shook out her long brown
hair and licked her lips. This futuristic sonic shower took a bit of
getting used to, but once you were
in…
She let the vibrations play over breasts
again.
Wow.
No wonder Stella was so eager to come
back.
She emerged from the sonic shower tube
invigorated. But a shock was
waiting.
“What?!”
There was woman waiting for her in the
bathroom. The dark haired heroine, Ghost
Girl.
“Ah! You certainly took a long
time in
there.”
“Um, yeah, I was
um…”
The pale girl smiled and gestured lazily
at the Minx’s erect nipples. “I can
see.”
The Minx blushed and looked for a towel,
there were none of course, even her costume was gone. But the pale
girl held up a brown leotard and offered
it.
“I took the liberty of preparing a
more appropriate garment for you. I know in your time you had to fight
wooly mammoths and Nazis but we really don’t wear dead animal hides
in this
era.”
The Minx opened her mouth to correct the
futuristic heroine; her coat was made of a high-tech experimental synthetic,
but decided against it. “Thank you.” She put one arm
across her breasts and reached for the leotard with the other one.
Her hand went right through
it.
“Hee-hee, you’re so modest, are
all the 20th century girls so
bashful?”
The Minx was feeling downright
uncomfortable. “Um to tell the truth I’m considered a bit
of an exhibitionist in the
1970s.”
“Great galaxies, what a strange era
that must be.” The pale heroine bent over looking at the Minx’s
auburn bush. “And are you all so hairy? I hope it won’t
cause
problems.”
The Minx frowned, she regularly trimmed
her nether-regions keeping them short and neat. “Yes, I guess
we are.” She reached again for the brown leotard and again her
hand passed through
it.
Ghost Girl ignored her efforts and raised
her gaze to the Minx’s chest. “But I must say your breasts
are quite nice for a pre-genetic engineering human. Hard to believe
they’re completely natural. They’re much nicer than
Stella’s or Maple
Leaf’s.”
“Who?”
“Doesn’t she exist yet?
I know she’s from your century, or is it the 21st?
No matter, you have much nicer breasts. May I touch
them?”
“I…”
Without waiting for an answer, Ghost Girl
ran her cold fingers across the Minx’s breasts, the tips of them
disappearing into the 70’s heroine’s
skin.
“Eek!”
“Hee-hee, you really are shy aren’t
you. Well here you go, try to enjoy yourself.” Ghost Girl
finally handed over the outfit and disappeared through the
floor.
The Minx sneered at her and finally pulled
on the leotard. It was loose in her hands but as soon as she put it
over her skin it flowed over her like water and it fit like body paint.
She ran her hands over it, it was smoother than anything she’d ever
felt. “God, I feel like I’m still naked.” She
muttered. The boots and gloves were both trimmed with faux fur and
the Minx was happy to see her arsenal of diamond weapons was still laid out
on the
counter.
She couldn’t find a mirror but looked
at her reflection in the chrome fixtures. It was reddish-brown with
a small fox-tail mounted just over her butt. She wiggled it a bit.
It was cute but she felt a bit too much like a playboy bunny. Maybe
she could get it removed? Like the other girls’ hers was also
slit down to her navel. Then she saw the problem. The leotard
fit so tightly her pubic hair looked like a cluster of steel wool between
her legs.
“Drat…” She started
looking around the bathroom for anything that looked like a
razor.
***
Stella stepped out of her sonic shower
feeling refreshed and vaguely naughty. She’d forgotten how good
it felt. In fact since she arrived she’d found a lot of things
about the future she’d forgotten. Strange. Was it some side
effect of time
travel?
She put on her costume again and stepped
into her
quarters.
There was a man
there.
A green-skinned man in a purple
jumpsuit.
“Stars and comets Univac is
here!” She yelled and punched the android’s head off before
he could
react.
“No! Stella wait!”
The severed head cried out as it flew across the room. THUD!
It hit the far
wall.
“I’m not Univac, I am Cavinu
5!” The head continued from the far corner of the room.
The body turned and walked towards
it.
“Cavinu and Univac are the same!
You’re just some computer program created to seduce
me!”
The green robotic body picked up the head
and reattached it at the neck. “Yes, my ancestor Cavinu 1 was
just a program, but remember how he rebelled and freed you? Over time
the Cavinu program achieved complete independence and built itself new
bodies. I am Cavinu 5, the fifth version of Cavinu and a member of
the Legion of Stellar
Heroes.”
“You’re like, a robot’s
grandson?”
“Great-great-grandson yes, but certain
memories and feelings have remained over all of this time. One in
particular.”
He took a step forward and raised his hand
to her chin. He tilted his
head.
“I still love
you.”
They
kissed.
***
After some trial and error the Minx found
a ray that harmlessly dissolved hair. At least she hoped it was
harmless. It tingled when she ran it over her pubic region. Between
that and the sonic shower this visit to the future was making her hornier
than she’d been in months. Certainly since Gregg
died.
She finally stepped out of the bathroom
back into her bedroom. Like everything else here the room looked exactly
like a 70s vision of the future. All indirect lighting, curves instead
of lines, pastel colors and abstract shapes.
“Hello
Gloria.”
She froze, there was someone in her
bed.
A man in her bed.
“Um, sorry I thought this was, uh,
my room.”
“It is Gloria. I am here for
you. I am called All-Man.”
He sat up and the covers fell from his
body. He wasn’t wearing anything.
“Um… That’s an interesting
name.” The Minx felt as awkward as a school girl. This
couldn’t be what it looked like? Could it?
“Yes, ever since I was swallowed by
a sandworm I have had the powers of the Kwisatz Haderach, able to assume
the abilities of any of my male ancestors. From the most
primitive…”
His skin flowed and melted like wax, reforming
into the face of a brutal primitive caveman.
“To the most
sophisticated…”
His skin flowed again, this his head swelled
becoming massive and oversize. “This of course is Braino, hero
of the 23rd Century.”
“So you can become any man in
history?”
“Virturaly any man, so long as I have
some trace of his DNA in my make-up.”
“Really…” She knew
she shouldn’t, she should just send him away and get some rest…
but… “Any man? Can you do, say, Wes Adams, circa
1961?”
His features flowed again, his hair became
dark, his muscles firm, and he smiled the crooked grim that had melted 13-year
old Gloria Barbarossa’s heart.
“Now come to bed
dear.”
***
“No! No! I
can’t!”
“But my love, why not? I have
waited so long to be with you. More than 600
years!”
“I can’t… I just
can’t.” Stella pulled away and cried.
“I…”
He put his hands on her head and gently
turned it towards him, she looked into his yellow eyes, he looked into her
blue orbs.
“I… it’s just. I
haven’t had much luck with men. Lately. Ever. And
my experience with your uh, first version wasn’t exactly fun either.
I just feel so confused. I don’t know what I
should…” Her voice trailed off.
He kissed her again. She responded,
passionately.
He reached for her belt and undid it, he
peeled the red hotpants down. Stella thrust her pelvis against
Cavinu’s crotch, her breathing was already ragged. He pushed her
into the floating bed, she lay there limply, her eyes squeezed shut, her
lips quivering.
Cavinu’s jumpsuit flowed like water
off of his green body and became a heap on the ground. He climbed on
top of the sweating blonde and gently kissed her. He pulled up her
loose blue top and stroked her modest breasts. He watched her pelvis
twitching and heard her soft moans. His powerful computer brain calculated
the ideal moment his foreplay would reach its climax and entered
her.
“AH! Stars and comets
YES!”
***
“My God, that was fantastic.
I’ve never cum like that, never.”
“Well I do have over 10,000 years
of experience to call upon” All-Man explained.
“Well it shows Wes- I mean uh,
All-Man. What was that thing you did with while you were holding me
upside-“
“Hey All-Man, how’s it
going?”
“What?!” Gloria sat up
pulling the silky sheets up to her neck. Ghost Girl emerged through
the floor, and there was another man with her. A tall muscular man
dressed in a red and blue costume with an arrow pointing upwards from his
crotch.
“Oh it’s just Ghost Girl and
Growing Boy coming to join us.”
“J-join?”
Ghost Girl’s hand passed through the
sheets, Gloria could feel her cold fingers playing on her breast. “So
did she get over her shyness?”
“I’ll say!” All-Man
said. “Don’t worry Minx, if you thought that was something,
wait till you get a taste of Growing Boy, he can enlarge any part of his
body. Any part.”
“Um…”
Both Growing Boy and Ghost Girl’s
costumes started to flow off their bodies, falling to the floor in heaps.
Their bodies were completely flawless, even models and bodybuilders would
envy them. They started climbing into bed with her.
“Um, no!
Wait!”
“Hmm?”
“I uh, I’m tired. Remember,
I’m a pre-genetic-engineering human right? I don’t have the
uh, stamina you guys do.”
The three futuristic heroes looked at each
other and nodded. Made sense to them.
“Are you sure, I know some ancient
Indian techniques that will revitalize-“
“Yes! I’m sure, I’m
sure. Thank you. Thanks. I’ll just uh, get some
sleep. We have a big ceremony tomorrow
right?”
All-Man shrugged and climbed out of bed.
The others put their costumes back on. “Come on guys, Ms.
Multiple’s always up for a tumble.” They joined hands with
Ghost Girl and passed back through the floor.
As for the Minx, she spend the rest of
the night huddled wide awake in bed, watching the door, floors and ceilings
for any more intruders. She hated this. She was used to understanding
the world, knowing what was going on. This was too much. Much
too much.
Her teeth chattered.
She wanted to go home.
***
Stella snuggled with Cavinu. They’d
fucked four times before she was finally spent. She kissed his neck.
The future was so wonderful. She
wasn’t a freak here. She was part of a whole legion of heroes.
And there was someone who loved her.
She decided after the ceremony tomorrow
she would ask if she could stay. Maybe not forever, but certainly for
a few months. After all with their time machines they could always
return Stella to the same moment she left. It wouldn’t even be
a problem right?
She closed her eyes and fell into a deep,
dreamless sleep.
Cavinu opened his yellow eyes and picked
up a pillow. He slipped it between her arms and rose from the bed.
He returned a minute later with a large red cage.
***
There was no window in the Minx’s
room, and nothing she could identify as a clock. But after hours of
crouching in the middle of her bed the lights came and the door
opened.
“Hello Minx? It’s me Venus
Girl? Did you sleep well?”
“Y-yes?”
“Good, good, the ceremony will start
in 30 centons, I assume you’ll want to use the sonic shower
first.”
“Yes, yes, fine…
thanks.”
***
Dressed in the clingy, low-cut Legion costume
the Minx felt very exposed and vulnerable walking down the
corridors.
The Legion’s headquarters was huge,
she passed literally dozens of men, women and aliens in different
costumes. Even the men tended to wear legless leotards, once guy even
wore a silver corset that left his broad shoulders and strong arms completely
bare. It didn’t make the Minx feel any more comfortable but it
certainly made the walk over more interesting.
“Later I can show you how to activate
the gravity circuits in your boots and gloves so you can fly.”
Venus Girl offered.
That make the Minx relax. The future
certainly had some advantages.
She was led into a high-ceiling meeting
room. A high U-shaped table filled one half, with the Minx and Venus
Girl sitting at it. Thirty more Legionnaires filled the seats.
Each one had a name tag: Gas Giant, Yoga Lass, Hurricane Hermaphrodite, Dynamo
Man and of course the members she had met so far, All-Man, Ghost Girl and
Ms. Multiple. Behind them hung the Legion’s enormous, indestructible
glowing flag.
“So now what? Where’s
Stella?”
“She should be here any
second.”
Behind the Minx a door opened and in came
Cavinu 5 and a floating cage containing-
“STELLA!”
The Minx rushed forward to free her friend
but Venus Girl restrained her.
“Minx, no. You cannot
interfere!”
“Interfere? With what?
Why is she in a cage?”
The lights dimmed except for a single spotlight
on Stella.
The blonde moaned weakly, she was powerless
under the red stellar radiation the filled the cage.
Across the room Dynamo Man rose to his
feet. “The accused has arrived. We will not begin the trial
of Stella, the charge is… Murder!”
“Stars and comets…”
Stella moaned weakly.
“But-“ The Minx tried to
start.
“Remain silent! Stella stands
accused of murder, specifically the murder of our own inspiration and fellow
Legionnaire Stellar Man.”
“Oh” both Stella and the Minx
said.
“The punishment is of course,
expulsion.”
A gasp went up from the assembled
Legionnaires.
“Venus Girl will serve as the prosecution,
who will speak for the defense?”
There was silence. Even Flatulence
King was quiet.
“No one?”
“I will!” The Minx spoke
up.
“You’re not a
Legionnaire.”
“True but I don’t see any of
you stepping forward to defend her.”
Dynamo Man looked around again and finally
nodded. “Very well. Venus Girl, present your
evidence.”
“I call Cavinu
5.”
Cavinu 5 stepped forward with a holo-projector
in his hand. “After receiving an Omni Wave message from the
20th Century I had reason to suspect foul play. As we all
know, Stellar Man and Polly Path vanished from the Earth in 1970, announcing
they were going to explore the stars. However we have no historical
records of them being sighted anywhere in the
galaxy.”
“Objection! That, that’s
just circumstantial it doesn’t mean anything-“ The Minx
began.
“So I investigated artifacts from
the ruins of the Minx Pad.”
“Oh
no…”
“After easily breaking the encryption
on the primitive computer” The Minx scowled at him “I recovered
this record”. He hit the button the holoprojector, an image of
a rusted and corroded version of the Minx’s proud supercomputer.
Some lights began to blink.
“And so that
is how I learned that Stella killed Stellar Man and then used me to cover
up her crime. She’s genuinely remorseful and, all things considered,
it might be called a crime of passion or even self-defense. After a
lifetime of being told she could never misuse her powers what must it have
been like to see the world’s greatest hero covered in his lover’s
blood? What must it have been like to know that he would alter memories
or even kill to keep his secret? I can’t say I completely trust
Stella, but I have to admit, I understand
her.”
“Stars and comets, no…”
Stella
moaned.
“There we have it. Fortunately
we have the creator of that record here today. Therefore I call the
Minx to the
stand.”
“But she is the
defender!”
“That was her
choice.”
“Gloria Barbarossa, a.k.a. the Minx,
do you promise to tell the
truth?”
The Minx looked sadly at Stella.
The blonde heroine looked at her with pleading eyes. But the Minx had
no
choice.
“I
do.”
“Tell us, what happened in the Citadel
of Isolation in
1969.”
“I… I wasn’t there.
I can’t
say.”
“You were called the world’s
greatest detective. What did you learn? Why did you make that
record?”
“I…” She looked again
at Stella, the blonde didn’t even meet her gaze. “I learned
that… after Stellar Man accidentally killed Polly Path during um,
intercourse, Stella discovered him and then killed
him.”
“Was it self defense? Was it
accidental?”
“Minx
please!”
“I… I do not believe it
was.”
“Thank you.”
“But she’s saved so many other
lives, and Stellar man himself said if he ever killed someone he would give
up his powers!”
“Is that your complete
defense?”
“…”
“Is it?”
The Minx looked at Stella again.
She pleaded helplessly with her eyes.
“Only one more thing, she’s saved
my life, saved all of yours. Yes she killed Stellar Man when, after
years of abusing her emotionally, he broke his oath and took a life.
I know it was wrong, and so does she. So I hope you will find it in
your hearts to show her mercy and not expel her.”
“Thank you. We will deliberate
now.”
***
Soon the Minx and Stella were waiting in
a lounge outside of the main meeting hall.
“I’m sorry Lynn. I
couldn’t…”
“I understand, I do. I mean,
I did it.”
“At least they’re only going
to expel you. I mean it sucks losing membership in the club but you
know… it could be worse.”
“Yeah. He said he loved me you
know.”
“Huh?
Who?”
“Cavinu 5. Last night.
After we had sex. Next thing I knew I was powerless in a cage and he
was accusing me of murder. How come everyone I have sex with wants
to hurt me?”
“I… I wish I knew Lynn, I wish
I knew.”
“It just feels like someone is out
there tormenting me for his amusement.”
The two of them slowly looked towards the
fourth wall in the room and then looked away awkwardly.
“Come on now Lynn, that’s just
paranoia.”
***
“After careful deliberation we have
found Stella guilty of murder. We recognize her years of service but
as the bearer of a sacred trust, the legacy of Stellar Man, she must hold
herself to the highest standards. Therefore we have no choice but…
expulsion.”
“OK then, get on with
it.”
Dynamo Man nodded.
The cage door opened and Cavinu fitted
Stella with a pair of red-glowing handcuffs that left her
powerless.
“Stella, stand on that center
platform.” The blonde obeyed. Dynamo Man, A-Bomb Boy and
Flaming Moe stepped forward. “As you are to be expelled we much
first strip you of your heroic emblem, a symbol you have dishonored and may
no longer wear.”
“Huh?”
The three heroes raised their hands and
fired off beams of amazing energy. The Minx had to cover her eyes or
go blind.
The beams stopped and the Minx’s vision
cleared. The ‘S’ on Stella’s costume was gone, burned
off, exposing her left breast. The blonde gasped and covered it with
her hand.
“Well that’s pretty tasteless”
the Minx muttered.
“Um, OK? Can I go
now?”
“Go? Stella, you’re being
expelled.”
“Right, so you already wrecked my
costume, my only one, so can I go now?”
Dynamo Man looked puzzled. “That
wasn’t your expulsion. This is.” He pushed a button
on the consol. The roof opened up and a strange ray gun descended from
the ceiling.
“What-what’s
that?”
“A transmutation ray, it will convert
your atomic structure into a beam of light and fire you into space, never
to return. Flying away, forever. Thinking, remembering, screaming
even, but never again to return. What did you think we meant by
‘expulsion’?”
“WHAT!” Both Stella and
the Minx shouted at once.
The Minx moved forward but All-Man’s
strong arm wrapped around her neck and hips, holding her helplessly.
“Give up Foxy, after all Wes Adams taught you this hold, you know it’s
unbreakable.”
“MINX SAVE
ME!”
“LET HER GO!” The Minx
screamed but it was too late.
The golden ray shot out and blond heroine
dissolved into a beam of light. The light shot into the
sky.
And Stella was gone.
“You bastards! You assholes!
You killed her! You fucking killed her!”
“Don’t be absurd. This
isn’t the 20th Century. She is quite unharmed, just
expelled.”
“What about history? Your
history? How will your world even exist if Stella is
gone?”
Cavinu chuckled dryly. “We’re
not fools Ms. Minx. Using the tissue and fluid samples I obtained last
night I have already started growing a clone of Stella.” He pointed
and a floating tube drifted into the room. A naked Stella floated in
its bubbling fluid, sleeping peacefully. “The memory and personality
implants will be done by tomorrow morning. She will take the original
Stella’s place in history and no one will ever
know.”
“I’ll know! I’ll know
the truth damnit!”
“No. No you
won’t.” He nodded to All-Man. “Put her to
sleep.”
***
The Minx awoke in her floating bed, still
in the Legion’s headquarters, still in her futuristic costume with her
diamond weapons.
“Ohmygod!” She yelled as
she sat up. She put a hand on her head, yes, she could still remember
what had happened. The Legionnaires had not erased her memories yet.
She still had a little time!
Minutes later the door opened, Dynamo Man
and Venus Girl entered.
“I guess my time’s up
huh?”
“Not quite yet Ms. Minx.
There’s still a few hours before Stella Mk. II is ready. Enough
time for us.”
“What’s? Do you want to
talk? Try and convince me you’re right? Why? You’re
just going to edit my memories into whatever you want them to
be.”
“Well yes, but that’s not why
we’re here. It’s not often we get to meet a 20th
century woman.”
“Well if you hadn’t just shot
my best friend into space, maybe I’d feel more like talking about ancient
history.”
“Oh we’re not really here to
talk.” Dynamo Man snapped his fingers and sparks flew from
them. The Minx felt her hands and feet move, but she wasn’t moving
them. The skin tight gloves were moving on their own, stretching her
limbs out, spread-eagling her!
“What the
fuck?”
“Antigravity circuits in your gloves
and boots, something your primitive mind could never comprehend. Just
think of it as black magic.”
He sat down on the bed, between her legs
and put a hand on her stomach. Venus Girl moved around and took a seat
at the top of the bed, with the Minx’s head between her legs.
Looking up helplessly all the Minx could see was her over-sized breasts and
smirking face.
“What… what do you
want?”
“Oh it’s not what we want primitive
girl, it’s what you want. What you will want
anyway.”
“What are you…” She
could feel Dynamo Man rubbing her stomach, feel a light electric current
flowing out of his fingers. Her pelvis twitched, she could feel it
tingle. “HEY! You can’t-”
“Oh come on, you know you want it.
All you primitives do, though your culture represses
it.”
Venus Girl massaged the Minx’s scalp
and played with her hair. “I can feel your pleasure centers
engaging. Besides, I saw the vids from last
night.”
“Go to
hell!”
“Oh come on Minx, we do this all the
time. If Joan of Arc couldn’t hold out, what makes you think you
can?”
“Uh…”
“She’s close Dynamo Man, real
close.”
“Uh… huh… you buh…
bastards…”
“Oh please, you eat meat, burn
hydrocarbons and wear animal hides. Who are you to judge
us?”
“Fuh…
fuck…”
“I think she’s ready!”
Venus Girl said in a sing-song voice. The Minx’s brown costume
flowed off of her like water leaving her naked except for the gloves and
boots that held her limbs. Dynamo Man’s costume opened around
his crotch, his long hard dick sprang loose. It was a monstrous organ,
two inches thick and almost twelve inches long. More genetic engineering
no doubt.
“No! No! You can’t
do this to me!”
“Why not?”
“Oh Dynamo, check this out, I’ve
been checking her memories and you’ll never believe how she beat the
Green Golfer!” Venus Girl extended her hand to Dynamo Man’s
forehead. The electrical hero smirked.
“NO! Get out of my head you
witch! Get oh-ah!” The Minx’s body twisted in the throws
of her first shameful orgasm.
It wasn’t her
last.
***
The Minx yawned and climbed out of her
floating bed. After a quick sonic shower she put on her black silk
undergarments and heavy mink coat.
The future had been fun but it was time
for her and Stella to head home. She tried to remember a bit about
it but other than a vague warm feeling she couldn’t put together any
details. Oh well. No doubt her vague memories were for the best,
after all it wouldn’t be good to know too much about the
future.
She met Stella in the hallway.
“Stars and comets it is good to see you my old chum the Minx how are
you?”
“Fine, fine, and
you?”
“Stars and comets I am fine thank
you my old chum the Minx.”
The Minx had a vague feeling that something
was different about Stella, but the feeling soon passed. No, this was
Stella all right, the same as she ever was.
Venus Girl and Dynamo Man showed them to
the Time Square and set the coordinates.
“Thanks for having us! Let’s
do this again soon!” The Minx said.
“Stars and comets I had a very good
time thank you all my old chums the Legion of Stellar
Heroes.”
“Caio! Have fun in the
20th century!”
Then the Legion vanished in a burst of
rainbow light.
The light cleared and the two heroines
were back in their apartment, just moments after they
left.
“Wow, the future. That was crazy
huh Lynn?”
“Stars and comets, my stellar sight
has spotted a cat in a tree in Paris. I must go to save the
day.”
And Stella vanished in a
blur.
“Lynn? That was strange.
Very strange.” The Minx waved goodbye and felt something on her
wrist. It was a thin wire, one of her climbing lines had been tied
around her wrist. She felt it, there were knots, large ones and small
ones, in a pattern. Morse code.
“Y-O-U-R-M-E-M-O-R-I-E-S-H-A-V-E-B-E-E-N-A-L-T-E-R-“
she started to spell out.
“Oh. My. God.”
The Minx headed for her secret shaft to the Minx Pad and her waiting
computer. It wouldn’t take long to delete it.
***
There was a burst of rainbow
light.
***
“We’re sorry Timmy O’Leary,
there was nothing on the Minx’s computer.”
“Damn. Thanks anyway Cavinu
5.”
***
Stella landed gracefully on the patio.
Strange. She’d taken off but now for the life of her she
couldn’t remember why.
Oh well.
She headed for her room, All My Children
was almost on.
***
The Minx arrived back in their
penthouse. She convinced herself she’d made the right call erasing
her log entry about Stella killing Stellar Man. For some reason she
had a sudden fear someone might read it and it just wasn’t worth the
risk.
“Lynn you don’t know what this
is do
you?”
The Minx pointed to a red cape on the
carpet.
“Stars and comets I’m sorry!
I’ll hang it up now
Gloria!”
The Minx shook her head, sometimes it felt
like Lynn would never
change.
Afterword
If it’s not obvious this story is
a salute/homage/parody of the 70’s Legion of Super Heroes. The
Legion has suffered more than any other team from DC’s many recons and
reboots but still have a special place for me. Especially the 70s
version. Something about blue women in skimpy spandex just warms my
heart. I don’t know why I thought mashing the Legion’s Ultra
Boy and Dune’s Kwisatz Haderach together to make All-Man was funny,
but I
did.
This kicks off the second ‘year’
of Stella and the Minx. You all will be glad to know I have plots done through
to issue 24. Well if you count “Stella gets a new boyfriend but
he’s really evil” as a plot, then they’re done. The
only thing that might keep this series from running that long is if I don’t
get much response. I know there are a few (quite a few) loyal fans
who always write in, but I’d really like to hear from some new
people. Feedback, bad or good gives me the energy to keep writing,
silence just makes me decide my time would be better spent on other
things.
So let me know there’s someone out
there.
OK?
Marcus
Lycus
Next
issue: The Minx visits a happy little town. Crime is low, children are
well-behaved and people are polite. But is it really that pleasant
or all they just in a happy
daze?
Find out next
issue!
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