Stella and the Minx #32:
Who are the
new Stella and the Minx?
Stellar Man and Night
Fox were the greatest heroes of the 60s but in the 70s their female
counterparts Stella and Minx took over!
However the Minx has been missing for months
and Stella is realizing that parties and anonymous sex are a lot more fun than
fighting crime!
Will our Girl of the Stars wake up in time?
Will her new friends save her?
And what are these rumors of the Minx’s
return?
Find out in this issue!
Marcus Lycus
August 2009
? ?
Issue 32 – Who are the new Stella and the Minx?
Siegel Square used to be the heart of the city, a bustling
neighborhood of theaters, nightclubs and restaurants. The sort of place you could bring your family
for a night of entertainment.
Not so much anymore.
Oh there’s plenty of entertainment, but not the sort of
thing you could bring your family to…
“Where’s my money bitch?!”
“I’m sorry Joey-“
SLAP!
“Reverent Joey!
That’s Reverent Joey McSugar and don’t you forget it!”
SLAP!
“I’m sorry Reverent Joey!
It’s slow tonight!”
“You holding out on me bitch? You think I’m dumb? Lemme show you how dumb I am bitch!”
The pimp raised his oak cane preparing to bring it down on
the hooker’s skull when a woman’s voice interrupted…
“Put that down now scumbag and you might just walk away with
all your teeth.”
Reverent Joey McSugar spun around, there was a woman there,
dressed in a full-length fur despite the heat of the early autumn night. She was smiling at him, it wasn’t a friendly
smile.
“Who the fuck are you supposed to be?”
“Haven’t you heard?
I’m the Minx. I’m back.”
***
Two months ago…
Meter Maid Pepper Dickinson parked her three-wheeled cart and took out
her pad. The Buick was ten minutes over
on the meter. She filled out the ticket,
put it under the windshield wiper and moved on.
Another victory for justice!
Pepper was a tall girl, about 5’9” even without heels. She had curly blond hair and a pair of nice
breasts visible even under the harsh lines of her uniform. A uniform she hated.
Just a few weeks ago she had been Police Woman Pepper Dickinson, one of
the first police women in Megapolis, fighting for her place in a man’s
world. But then the Minx was arrested
and, even worse, Pepper recognized her as her old classmate Gloria Barbarossa. When Pepper heard that Boss Bruno –
Megapolis’ vice lord – was planning on paying the Minx a visit in prison Pepper
went into action. She changed places
with the Minx, allowing Gloria to escape.
And she’d paid the price.
First at Boss Bruno’s hands when he found her in the cell; then at the
hands of corrupt cops in her own department.
They accused her of working with the Minx, allowing her to escape. They demoted her to meter maid and she knew
they were looking for any excuse to fire her.
And the Minx was missing; no one had seen or heard from her since that
whole fiasco with the robot Stellar Man.
And Pepper Dickinson was reduced to this.
She hated it.
She hated the ridiculous short skirt meter maids had to wear.
She hated the tiny little cart she had to ride around in.
She hated having motorists swear and curse at her for doing her job.
She hated not having her gun.
She hated reading about rising crime every day and knowing she could do
nothing about it.
Most of all she hated not knowing.
Not knowing if Gloria was alive or dead, if her sacrifice meant
anything.
She turned the corner. A black
limo with tinted windows was parked at an expired meter. She tsk'ed, wasn’t that just like the rich,
they have millions but can’t spare a nickel to pay for parking. Well this fat cat would soon taste the wrath
of Pepper Dickinson, Meter Maid!
She took out her pad and marched up to the limo.
The back door opened, strong hands dragged her off the street, a rag was
jammed into her face and sweetly-scented chemicals invaded her nose.
Pepper swooned and the world went black.
***
“Wake up ya dumb broad!”
SLAP!
Her hat went flying.
“Da boss wants to talk to ya now!”
SLAP!
Pepper’s eyes slowly opened.
She was on her knees in the back of a limo it was on the highway headed
out of town. She could see two guys
sitting behind her. Her hands were bound
behind her with her own handcuffs but otherwise she was fine.
Her eyes focused. She saw Boss
Bruno on the seat across from her.
She knew she wouldn’t be fine for long.
“Well, well who do we have here?
Meter Maid Pepper Dickinson, the broad who helped the Minx escape.”
“Let me go Bruno, I don’t know anything about the Minx.”
“Sure you don’t… you just a dumb blond right? Too dumb to even be a cop!” He laughed at that and his goons joined in.
Pepper struggled but the cuffs were tight and the goons had a grip on
her shoulders. “Bruno, what do you
want?”
Boss Bruno leaned down and opened her uniform jacket. He pulled off her tie and then started
undoing the buttons on her shirt. Pepper
squirmed in fear.
“I seem to remember you had a nice set of tits, the kind of tits that
would make me a fortune on Siegel Square.”
“S-stop! You can’t, I’m a cop!”
SLAP!
“Yer a meter maid kid. And you’d
better learn your place. Cause if you
don’t… well…” Boss Bruno reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope of
polaroids. He dropped one in front of
Pepper. “Look at yer mom and dad, don’t
they look all cozy watching the TV last night.”
He dropped another. “And there’s
yer little sister Salty Dickinson going to class at Mega U. Ain’t she sweet.”
Pepper stared at the pictures in despair. Bruno dropped more.
“And look there’s yer sister asleep in her dorm room. Sure sleeps soundly, never even heard my boys
come in.”
“No… please… she’s only 18…”
“Aw don’t worry, she’s fine. For
now. My boys just popped in to check on
her. Course whether or not she stays
that way… that’s up to you.”
“W-what do you want? I told you,
I don’t know anything about the Minx!”
“So? Who’s asking about the
Minx? No one’s seen that bitch for
months and word on the street is she got what she deserved. Damn shame, she had a fine ass, I could have
used it in one of my clubs. No, I can
think of stuff a lot more interesting than some freak in a fur coat.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well first off, I gotta be sure I can trust you right? You gotta show me that you love your mom and
dad, that you love your little sister.
Don’t you?”
“I don’t under-“
SLAP!
“Come on now Pepper, you’re a bright gal, if you think hard about it I’m
sure a way to prove yourself will uh… turn up.”
Boss Bruno reached down and unzipped his pants. “And let me tell ya, when your chance pops
up, you’d better take advantage of it fast, or who knows what might
happen…” He picked up one of the
pictures of her sister and gave it a kiss.
Pepper got the message. Even if
it made her sick to her stomach, she got it.
She licked her lips.
She closed her eyes.
She put her lips around Boss Bruno’s fat meaty member and closed them.
All she could thing was how easy it would be easy, so, so easy to bring
her teeth down. But she thought of her
parents, of her sister, and she gently licked the crime boss’ dick.
His rough wrestler’s hands seized her head and yanked it forward,
jamming her nose into his pubic hair.
Pepper panicked as the stench of his crotch filled her senses. Fear made Pepper struggle but it only made
him more aroused, she felt his dick growing hotter and fatter in her
mouth. He jerked her head back and forth
a few times forcing her to fuck him with her mouth. Hot tears rolled down her face until finally
he pushed her back and his dick came out with a pop.
Was it over?
She opened her eyes.
And hot white cum shot her in the face, the eyes, the mouth, across her
shoulders and on her breasts.
Pepper sobbed in humiliation.
“Not bad Pepper, not bad at all.
Mom and Dad should be proud. And
your little sister too. Not quit your
crying, I got some good news for you.
Your meter maid days are over.
Pepper looked up at him in fear.
“Nah, not like that, I mean yer getting a promotion. You’ll see when ya git back to headquarters.”
The limo stopped and Bruno opened the door.
“Now get going, I’ll see ya again real soon.”
Still shell-shocked Pepper stepped out.
She’d lost her shoes somewhere during her ordeal she could feel the
rough gravel under her feet. The limo
pulled away and for the first time Pepper noticed her surroundings. She was on a dirt road somewhere in the
countryside. Barefoot, with her top
undone, her hands cuffed behind her back, covered in cum and no idea how to get
home.
She started to walk.
***
“You’re a disgrace to the force Dickinson!” Commissioner Brown shouted.
Pepper walked for miles until she found a payphone. With her hands still cuffed she’d knocked it
off the hook and dialed the operator with her tongue. The State Police who picked her up laughed
the whole way back about the Meter Maid who got the tables turned. They’d freed her hands and let her button up
but other than that they brought her right to the Commissioner’s office.
There was still dried cum on her shirt.
There was even a spot of it on her badge.
“I’m sorry sir.”
“So you were grabbed off the street, handcuffed, driven out to the
country, lost your shoes and you have no idea who did it or why?”
“Y-yes sir” Pepper said bitterly.
“You know, in Joe Barbarossa’s day he’d have thrown you off the force
here and now.”
“I know sir.”
“But damnit, the women’s libbers would cut off my balls if I did
that. Call it discrimination. So you’re getting one last chance Pepper
Dickinson.”
“Sir?”
He slid an envelope to her.
“You’re being transferred to the evidence room. Since you obviously can’t handle being out on
the streets, even as a meter maid, we’ll lock you in the basement. But remember this; it’s your last
chance. You make one mistake, you’re
late for work once, you miss a day, and you’re gone. Got that?”
“Yes sir.”
“Now get the fuck out of my sight.”
***
Meter Maid Pepper Dickinson sat crying in her tiny apartment. Empty wine bottles littered the floor.
This transfer was another of Boss Bruno’s tricks. One of his men had called her when she got
home. Her new job was to lose any
evidence Bruno found inconvenient. And
if she didn’t…
It was all so hopeless. There was
nothing she could do. As long as Boss
Bruno could go after her family she was helpless.
If only the Minx was still around.
If only the Minx would come back.
No one knew who the Minx was; no one could go after her friends or family. She could fight crime for real.
If only she was around.
An idea formed.
***
Today…
“Minx huh?” Reverend Joey McSugar
chuckled. You look more like one a bimbo
playing dress-up.” He smacked the cane
into his hand. “With tits like those you
could really clean up, why don’t you come here and give Reverent Joey a free
sample?”
“Oh that’s it. Now there’s no way
you’re leaving here with your teeth.
Hope you like eating through a straw.”
Joey charged with a roar. He knew
women, he knew this one was bluffing, she’d be begging him for mercy after a
few love taps from his pimp cane. He
swung at her ribs, he didn’t want to bruise her face, she’d be needing it when
he put her to work.
TONK!
She blocked it with a billy club she pulled out of her coat.
WHAM!
She landed a sharp blow on Reverent Joey’s astonished face.
BAM!
Her club landed smack across his jaw.
BAM!
And again. Blood dripped from his mouth,
he hunched over and puked, two or three teeth fell out.
CRACK!
The fur-clad cutey landed another blow, this one to the back of his
neck. Reverent Joey McSugar fell
face-first into the gutter.
The Minx heard sirens approaching in and frowned. Naturally the cops didn’t care when some poor
girl was being beaten but once a pimp was in trouble they came running. Of course the pimps and their mob bosses paid
the cops a lot more than law-abiding citizens did.
She ducked into an alleyway and aimed her wrist launcher at the
rooftops. It took a second to find the
trigger mechanism but she got it and soon she was on the roof slipping away
before any cops arrived.
Pepper Dickinson laughed. It was
all so easy! As a clerk in the evidence
room she’d had no trouble finding one of the Minx’s old coats in storage. Someone had found it on a rooftop back during
those ‘King of Thieves’ cases. A bit
more searching turned up a wrist launcher and other tools that had been found
around the city. She’d added a black
bodysuit (lingerie just wasn’t her thing) and her old billy club. Back at the Police Academy she’d been the top
of her class in hand-to-hand combat and judo.
With access to the department’s evidence files, Pepper could even target
her crime-fighting on the areas that would most hurt Boss Bruno and his
men. She knew the Siegel Square
prostitution ring was their most profitable business and the most public
symptom of the city’s decline. Driving
away the pimps would show Boss Bruno they were taking the city back.
And best of all, no one knew that the Minx was really Police Woman
Pepper Dickinson! It was perfect!
She jumped over and alleyway and onto the next roof. The night was young. There was still time to hit some of the
pushers in Shuster Park.
She heard a WHOOSH of air and froze.
Suddenly there was a blonde in blue and red in front of her.
“Hey there. Nice coat.”
***
“So um… that’s the story Stella.”
The Girl of the Stars chewed her lip.
She’d been looking for this new Minx for days, hoping that Gloria was back
somehow, afraid that it was another stupid trick like that robot Stellar
Man. But now that she’d found her, she
wasn’t sure what do make of Pepper Dickinson.
“Um… you know this is dangerous right?
Like really, really dangerous. I
mean Gloria she’s… she’s missing and she had a really rough time sometimes.”
“Is it more dangerous than being blackmailed by Boss Bruno?”
“Stars and comets! I’m trying to
tell you, you could die!”
“Stella that was a risk I took when I put on my badge. At least this way I know I can make a
difference.”
“Fine, whatever, wear the coat.
Use the name. It’s not like
Gloria is going to use it.”
“But… what will Gloria say? When
she comes back I mean?”
“Oh, um, I mean, uh… she won’t mind you borrowing it. Y’know.
Until she comes back.”
“Oh. OK then.”
“Just one more thing Pepper.
We’re not partners. You want to
be the Minx, go ahead, but you’re not Gloria, you’re not my boss, so uh, don’t
try and tell me what to do. Got it?”
“Huh?” The idea had never even
occurred to Pepper. “Sure thing
Stella. And uh, thanks.”
“Whatever!” Stella flew straight
up and disappeared into the night sky.
Pepper looked up for a long time and finally shook her head.
It was only midnight. Plenty of
time to bust some pushers.
***
Stella landed on the roof of Drake Warlock’s club ‘The Warehouse’ and
let herself in. What did she care if
some stupid lady cop wanted to pretend to be the Minx? Maybe she’d take care of some of the stupid
crap in the streets so Stella wouldn’t have to worry about it. She was just annoyed she’d missed the start
of Drake’s party.
She paused on the stairs holding her head. Another dizzy spell. She seemed to get them a lot these days. And that stupid Dr. Corvidae couldn’t figure
out why. Maybe it was just stress. Trying to fight crime, and have some fun, and
robbing banks to pay for Corvidae’s stupid serums was just wearing her out.
Speaking of serums… Stella
reached into her cape and pulled out the small tube of glowing pink
liquid. She swished it around a few
times, trying to decide how much of it to drink. She really only needed a small sip to give
her a few minutes of bliss and lower her powers to the point where she could
have sex. And she only had this one vial
left until that lazy shit Corvidae made her more.
But then again she’d found the fake Minx so she figured she’d earned it.
She downed the vial in one gulp.
She gasped and dropped the vial; she barely heard it shatter on the
concrete steps. Her body jerked like it
was hit with a live wire and one hand rose unthinkingly to her breasts and
clutched them through the fabric of her loose top. She let out a low, long sigh.
She headed downstairs leaning against the wall, she felt so dizzy.
“Ah my dear Stella, we’ve been waiting for you for ages!” Drake Warlock cried out.
“Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry.
Y’know, hero stuff.”
“Tsk, tsk my dear, don’t you know that all you’re doing is upholding the
corrupt system with its pollution and its wars?”
“Huh?” Stella weaved from side to
side, the floor kept shifting…
“Never mind, never mind, come here, I had an inspiration! We’re going to make a movie!”
“A movie?” Drake’s face looked so
funny. It was all fuzzy.
“Yes and you will star!”
“Huh?” Drake kept talking but
Stella couldn’t quite get what he was trying to tell her. He looked kind of funny with his head
spinning around like that. She started
to giggle.
“Come, come!” Drake took her by
the hand and the Girl of the Stars allowed herself to be led towards an
overstuffed easy chair, some fat bald guy was sitting on it, he was naked.
“Now kneel down there, that’s a dear.”
Stella meekly complied. Kneeling
down felt good, the floor didn’t move as much when she did that. Drake ran back to a camera and yelled “OK
then, ‘A Stellar Blowjob’ take one and roll!”
Stella kneeled there confused.
“Huh?” She finally said.
Drake made some motions with his hands.
“Huh?”
He made some more motions, Stella looked shocked. “Stars and comets! I couldn’t!”
Drake made a gesture to cut.
“Stella baby, it’s like I told you, this is art!”
“Huh?”
“Art baby, art. This guy, he’s
like a symbol you know, a symbol of the system.”
Stella looked at him blankly.
Drake tried another track.
“Stella baby, you’re a woman right?”
“Um, yeah?”
“So despite all your power, you still have to serve the system, on your
knees. That’s what this film will show,
how even you’re a victim of the system.”
“Oh, um…”
“OK then, ready? Action!”
Stella knelt down still feeling kind of confused. But everyone wanted her to do it so she
locked her lips around the fat guy’s dick.
She gave it a little lick. The
guy must have been really turned on cause his dick was already pretty hard and
hot in her mouth.
Once she started it was kind of fun, kind of like that time the Moon
Witch had her prisoner, but without that icky girl-on-girl stuff.
The camera zoomed in on the man’s face recording how his smile became a
moan and his moan became a slack-jawed look of pure pleasure.
He put his hands on her head and pulled it back just as his member
twitched and fired its load across Stella’s chest. The camera zoomed in to catch his cum
staining her proud ‘S’ symbol.
“Oh Stella baby, that was beautiful!”
“Oh, um… yeah.”
“Seriously, that was art, pure art.”
“Oh. Well good then. Right?”
“Heh, Stella you kill me, you really do.
Now come along, the party’s already started.” Stella allowed herself to be led downstairs;
the main floor of the Warehouse was already full of revelers. A hot new British band was on the stage, lots
of cute guys were on the floor, Stella couldn’t wait!
“Hello there my beautiful Girl of the Stars.”
Stella froze, she recognized that voice.
I belonged to-
“Gayle. Gayle Dixon. Perhaps you don’t remember me, but we-“
“I-I remember.” Stella tried to
slip by the spooky brunette but the girl blocked her path and kept staring at
Stella with her violet eyes. She was
still wearing nothing but a purple robe and matching panties. Didn’t the girl own any clothes?
“I uh… I’m going… um…” Stella
started to feel dizzy again. She
couldn’t quite remember what she wanted to say.
“Come with me, I’ve missed you.”
“But, but…”
The Girl of the Stars tried to protest but once Gayle took her hand she
felt powerless to resist.
She led her away from the party to one of Drake’s guest rooms and closed
the door.
***
Stella awoke with a huge headache.
Fragments and images of the night before were all she had. The salty taste of that guy’s cum. Gayle’s weird violet eyes. The feeling of Gayle’s tongue inside
her. Climaxing again and again at
Gayle’s touch, babbling endlessly to the brunette about anything and
everything…
And now paying the price in exhaustion, weakness and humiliation. Why did she do that? Sure it felt good but Stella came here to
party, to meet guys, to have a good time.
Not to be shut up with some creepy chick who keeps talking about ‘her
aura’.
As usual when she woke up, the bed was empty, she was alone. She could feel her powers slowly
returning. She scowled as the noise of
the city intruded on her thoughts.
Stella was naked; she looked for her costume but couldn’t find it. She pulled up a sheet and wrapped it around
herself.
“Ah there you are my darling, you look ravishing.”
“Oh, uh, hey Drake. Say do you know
where my clothes are?”
“Oh those old rags, feh, I could not let you wear them one more day!”
“Huh? But it’s my costume, I need
it!”
“Puh-lease, Stella darling, this is 1972, you can’t just go around
looking like a 60s go-go dancer.”
“But… but…”
“No need to thank me Stella! I’ve
already designed you a new one!” Drake
clapped his hands and several of his boys entered carrying packages. “Please put it on!”
Stella looked at Drake’s expectant face and shrugged. She had better things to do than argue with
Drake about fashion.
“Um, OK.”
First she pulled on a blue minidress, similar to her old ‘Stellar Girl’
uniform but tighter and with a shorter skirt and her proud symbol across her
chest.
Next came a pair of long red opera gloves covering her hands and arms,
then a fancy red and yellow belt with a red sash that hung down.
The cape was longer than her old costume and clipped to a yellow disk on
her suit rather than attaching at the shoulders. Finally there was a pair of red and yellow
thigh-high boots to cover her long legs.
Stella looked at the finished costume in the mirror.
“Stars and comets…” She
whispered. “I look great.”
“Indeed you do my dear, indeed you do.
Now you truly look like a ‘Girl of the Stars’ and not a girl of the
go-go bar.
Stella turned around a bit, check out the costume from different
angles. It was a bit showy but then
again she was the most powerful heroine on Earth, didn’t she deserve to look to
part?
She felt the material; it was expensive stuff but still just ordinary
Earth fabrics. She’d have to treat it at
the Citadel of Isolation to make it indestructible like her old costume.
She felt the cape; she’d need to add a hidden pouch to it so she could
store her street clothes and her…
“STARS AND COMETS! My old
costume! Where is it! I need it!”
“Oh puh-lease Stella, we threw away that old rag.”
“But- but- I left something in it and I-“
“You mean this?” Drake reached
into a bag and pulled out a black leather costume. Her ‘Satan Girl’ suit.
“I um… that’s not mine. I don’t
where it came from.”
“Now, now my dear, do I look like the sort of man who would snitch on
you? No, no, in fact I approve of what
you’ve been doing. Look at you, the champion
of law and order, undermining the corrupt system by night. Why it’s brilliant, I couldn’t have come up
with something better myself.”
“Oh, well it’s not exactly like that, I mean y’know being a heroine
doesn’t really pay so I kind of have to-“
“Hush my dear. It’s OK; no one
here will judge you. Although there is
one little thing…”
“Huh?”
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
***
“Nice outfit” detective Mulligan muttered as Stella walked in.
“Um, thanks… it’s uh new.”
Stella had flown straight to police headquarters from the
warehouse. Lately the cops had been
making Stella come in once a week to report on what she’d been up to. Stella and-
PRINCESS PATRIOT!
“Stella! Sweet liberty you look
great!”
“Oh hey.” She nodded at Princess
Patriot and tired not to make eye contact.
“I love the new outfit, it’s so mod, and just between you and me your
old outfit looked a bit, you know… lady of the night.”
Stella scowled at the patriotic heroine but bit back a reply, she was
just too damn tired for Princess Patriot’s crap. And who the heck was she to give fashion
advice anyway!
“OK, I’m here-“
“A half hour late.” Mulligan
threw in.
“-so what’s going on?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you.
I see this ‘Satan Girl’ character hit three more banks. Any progress on catching her?”
Stella smiled. “Well Detective I
don’t see what I can do, I mean she’s been hitting places all over the
map. She robbed banks in San Francisco,
New York and Chicago, nothing in Megapolis.
She’s just too clever.” Stella
smiled to herself. With stellar speed it
was easy to keep hitting places out of town.
“Perhaps we should coordinate our efforts with other heroes around this
great nation!” Princess Patriot chimed
in. Stella scowled at her.
“Not a bad idea, Stella can you contact some of them?”
“Huh? I mean um, yeah, I
guess. I think the Minx had their
numbers somewhere…”
“Speaking of the Minx, any luck tracking those
rumors of her return?”
“Oh I found her.”
“WHAT?”
“Yeah. It’s
not Glo- I mean uh, it’s not the Minx, I mean not the real Minx, it’s a fake
Minx, she’s a poli- she’s uh, she’s filling for a while.”
“Another Minx?”
“Yeah, different chick, this one’s blond.”
“And you just let her go?”
“Huh? Yeah,
I mean she didn’t do anything, she’s just-“
“She’s just running around the city beating people
up. That makes her a criminal.”
“But-“
“Look Stella, this isn’t the 60s, we can’t just let
masked vigilantes run around the city and trust that they’re the good
guys. The public won’t stand for that
any longer.”
“But she’s fighting crime-“
“Stella, if you see this woman again, you are to
bring her in, she’s a criminal. Do you
understand?”
“Whatever.”
Mulligan scowled at the Girl of the Stars and
turned to Princess Patriot. “Princess,
that goes for you too.”
“Sweet liberty, of course.” She put a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Don’t worry.
If she’s really on the side of right I’m sure the courts will clear
her. After all, America has the greatest
system of justice in the world!”
“Whatever.”
Mulligan grunted and waved them away. “OK, I guess we’re done here. See you next week. On time.”
Stella winced and flew out the window. They wanted her to arrest that new Minx? Forget that!
Drake was right, the cops were just part of the whole corrupt system and
Stella was getting tired of being a part of it.
Well tonight she’d strike another blow against the corrupt capitalist
system and hit a bank in San Francisco.
***
Princess Patriot watched her flying away. Something was wrong with Stella, something
big. And the Princess figured it had
something to do with those hippies at Drake Warlock’s place.
She flew back towards Timmy O’Leary’s place. It was time the two of them did something!
***
KNOCK-KNOCK!
KNOCK-KNOCK!
KNOCK-KNOCK!
Whoever was at the door wasn’t giving up Stella realized. He’d pound on the door till she answered it
or till it gave way. She checked the time, she still had a little while before
she had to head out west.
She muttered a curse under her breath and crawled out of the couch.
Ever since that thing with Psyke she’d been feeling out of sorts. Her dizzy spells were continuing, even
getting worse and lately all she wanted to do was sleep. But there was always someone out there who
wanted her.
“Stars and comets who are you and what the hell do you want!”
“My name’s Joe Barbarossa. And
want my daughter.”
“Oh stars and comets…”
“Mind if I come in?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sure, please, um,
do you want some coffee or something?”
“I want to know where Gloria is.”
“Um, I told you on the phone she has a big consulting job in um Sweden-“
“You said Switzerland on the phone.”
“Um, yeah Switzerland and-“
“My birthday was last week.”
“Oh? Um happy birthday.”
“Gloria didn’t call, didn’t write.
She hasn’t missed my birthday since she was three years old.”
“She’s um, she’s really busy and-“
“And she’s the Minx.”
“Huh?”
“Please Lynn, stop bullshitting me.
I was police commissioner of Megapolis for twenty years. I knew Gloria was the Minx almost from the
start. Just like I know you’re Stella.”
“Oh.”
“That’s why I put up with your BS all these months, everyone knew the
Minx was missing and I figured she was off trying to clear her name. But now they’re saying the Minx is back, and
I want to know where the hell she is.”
“Um… wow, you knew? All
along? I mean Gloria was sure you had no
idea…”
“Stop trying to change the subject Stella. Where’s the Minx? Where’s my daughter?”
“It’s um, it’s not her. It’s
another girl. A cop. She’s a friend of Gloria’s.”
“Pepper? Pepper Dickinson?”
“You know her?”
“Know her? I recommended her for
the force. So now she’s a
vigilante… Not sure how I feel about
that.”
“She’s doing a really good job.”
“Now what about my daughter?”
“She’s um, she’s in Nepal.”
“You’re lying.”
“Huh? No, no I-“
“Lynn!”
“Sorry, sorry, stars and comets…
OK. She… um… she died.”
Joe Barbarossa went white. He
staggered. Stella took his arm and
helped him sit down. “How? When?”
“A couple of months ago. Ferret
and I found her in this old warehouse.
We’re not sure how, he’s checking it out.”
“Oh.” Barbarossa sat silently for
a minute. “So when were you going to
tell me!?”
“I- um… I’m sorry. I didn’t know
you knew, I didn’t know what to do!”
“So you lied and hoped no one would find out?”
“Um…”
Barbarossa climbed to his feet and walked to the door. “Listen missy, if you hear one word, one
goddamn word from Warren you call me right away you hear!”
“Yes sir.”
“Hmph!”
SLAM!
Joe Barbarossa was silent for the long elevator ride down to the
garage. He calmly walked to his car and
sat down.
Then he started to cry.
***
Stellar vision took care of the alarms; stellar strength took care of
the vault door. The intruder grabbed a
few bags of cash (no point in being greedy, besides she had to fly them home)
and headed for the exit.
Another successful night for the arch criminal ‘Satan Girl’ and, as usual,
no one suspected she was really the heroic Stella.
“Sorry, I’m afraid banking hours are 9 to 5, you’ll have to come back
tomorrow to make a withdrawal.”
“Huh?”
“Oh that’s witty, somehow I expected better from the famous Satan Girl.”
“Oh crap it’s…”
Liberator
Woman!
“Got it one guess huh? Guess
you’re not as dumb as you look. Princess
Patriot said I should keep an eye out for you.”
“Stupid Princess Perfect” Stella muttered under her breath.
Stella tried to remember everything she knew about Liberator Woman. They’d only met in passing; but she knew
Libby was some kind of feminist heroine from California, always busting
pornographers and pimps. She was tall
and athletic where Stella was thin and waifish, and people said she had biggest
breasts of any heroine around. Wasn’t
she supposed to be the daughter of that guy from World War II? Stella couldn’t remember. But she knew Libby could fly, and she was
strong and tough, but not supposed to be in Stella’s class. So maybe Stella could make this short.
“Listen, I know you’re doing what you think is right but I really,
really need this money and what do you care?
It’s just a stupid greedy bank.”
Liberator Woman smirked at the black-clad robber. “Oh so that makes it OK then? Sorry Satan Girl, I don’t buy your commie
bullshit.” She cracked her knuckles.
“Whatever. I gave you a chance
OK?”
Stella looked up and shot through the ceiling like a bullet. She had to watch her speed a bit since her
Satan Girl suit wasn’t indestructible.
If she wasn’t careful she could tear it while smashing through a wall or
even incinerate it from air friction.
Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?
She could see Libby trailing after her but even at a reduced speed the
California girl had no hope of catching up.
‘Satan Girl’ was already over San Francisco Bay and headed for Oakland.
But then it happened. Her eyes
had trouble focusing. She lost speed and
altitude and that quickly became a head-first fall towards the waters of the
bay.
“Stars and comets! NO!” She let go of the bags, cash scattered to the
four winds. The water was rushing up so
fast!
Stella closed her eyes and started to pray. “Oh God please bring my powers back, please,
I promise I’ll never do this again, please oh please oh-“
There was a WHOOSH! And suddenly
she was in Liberator Woman’s arms. “Got
cha!”
Libby dropped the powerless girl on dry land and smirked at her. “Guess you forgot to take your vitamins huh?”
“F-fuck you…” Stella panted. She could feel something warm on her legs,
had she wet herself?
“Well now, let’s see who you really are.” Liberator Woman reached for Stella’s black
mask and pulled it off.
“NO!” Stella jerked back,
covering her face with her hands, stars and comets Liberator Woman had actually
met Stella! She’d recognize her! They’d take away her powers! Throw her in jail! She couldn’t let it happen! She just couldn’t!
“Now, now, I just want to see your pretty fa-AIEE!!”
Stella’s eyes burned red, beams of heat shot from them right into
Libby’s eyes. The Californian Crusader
reeled back clutching her face. Stella
punched her in the gut sending the woman flying back. She pulled up Libby by her short blond hair
and tore open her white costume.
“You’re going to bust me?
You?!” That’s a laugh!”
She smacked the screaming woman across her breasts leaving a bright red
mark.
“You’re just a stupid copy of me!
You suck! People only like you
cause you’ve got those huge tits!” she smacked them again. They jiggled and made a reassuring THWACK
sound. “Well how do you like them
now?” She dropped the crying woman and
kicked her few times until her cries became weak moans. “Huh.
Not so smart now are you?”
Stella pulled her mask back on and took off. The money was gone thanks to stupid Liberator
Bitch but she still felt good. At least
she’d taught that girl a lesson. And
hey, her powers were back. Nothing like
a good rush of adrenaline to get going again huh?
She set out for Megapolis and a good night’s sleep.
***
The Minx administered another blow to the back of the would-be rapist’s
skull. These Wolf Pack kids were getting
more daring every day. Three of them had
slipped onto the campus of Mega University hoping to prey on some co-eds. Luckily the Minx was on the case.
She quickly handcuffed them and left them with a note for the campus
police. As a cop Pepper Dickinson knew
they couldn’t be charged, not without evidence, not without a witness, and she
certainly wasn’t going to come forward.
But hopefully their fractured skulls would keep them out of action for a
few weeks. Maybe even knock some sense
into them.
She slipped away, peeled off her coat and climbed into her car.
This was great. She was finally
fighting crime the way she’d always dreamed.
No rules, no paperwork, no one threatening her family. Nothing but justice at the end of her billy
club.
No wonder Gloria liked it so much.
***
Stella landed at the penthouse and peeled off her ‘Satan Girl’
suit. She smelled it. Yep.
She’d wet herself when she fell.
She wondered how to get the smell out of leather. Gloria would know…
“Damn Gloria, she got me into this whole mess…”
She wondered for a second how Liberator Woman was doing. She’d burnt her face pretty badly. But then she shook her head, it was Libby’s
fault, she shouldn’t have messed with Satan Girl. Besides she was pretty tough. Right?
Whatever.
Stella just wanted to climb into bed and forget today ever
happened. She was asleep as soon as she
hit the pillow.
She never noticed the floating figure land on her penthouse terrace and
slip into the apartment. She never felt
the soft hand on her forehead.
“Ah my darling Stella, no rest for you.
We have work to do now.” Gayle
said.
Her violet eyes glowed and Stella’s limp body floated out of bed.
Together the two women flew out the window.
Afterword
Well OK, you got me.
So I did bring the Minx back.
Well ‘a’ Minx at any rate.
Police Woman Pepper Dickinson has been hanging around since
pretty early on, since Issue 7 if I remember right. I knew sooner or later she’d be playing a
larger part. Same with Liberator Woman,
I had plans for her but never got a chance to pursue them till now.
But I ended up spending so much time on their stories I
didn’t really get to the one I planned for this issue but that’s fine. Cause next issue…
Next
Issue: Revolution! Riot!
Anarchy! Communists and other
criminals are plotting against us threatening to turn the
Marcus Lycus
August 2009
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