Stella and the Minx #35:

Triumph of the Crowe

Stellar Man and Night Fox were the greatest heroes of the 60s but in the 70s their female counterparts Stella and Minx took over!

After nearly destroying Megapolis Stella was left powerless and defeated! And now?

Marcus Lycus

(Marcus_Lycus@hotmail.com)

February 2010

Issue 35 – Triumph of the Crowe

The ragged figure fell down again, it was so hard to walk, everything hurt so much. But she was almost there, she could see it… Just a little bit further really.

She limped across the campus. She prayed that no one saw her in the early dawn’s twilight.

‘At least no one would ever believe it was really me’ she thought ruefully.

The door to the physics building was locked but she tore the doorknob off. ‘At least I’m still strong enough for that…’

The stairs were a nightmare. She had to stop four times. She almost crawled up the last flight. But finally she arrived.

Dr Corvidae – Stellar Physics

She collapsed at the door.

‘What if he’s not here!’ she suddenly thought! ‘Then what?’

‘It doesn’t matter’ she answered herself. ‘I don’t have the energy to go anywhere else, either he’s here… or I just die on his doorstep… whatever.’

She lay there for a while staring at the closed door.

Then it opened. Silently. As if by the wind.

Stella crawled to her feet.

“H-hello?” She croaked. “Doc? Doc are you there?”

“Yah, yah, please to come in Fräulein Stella. I haff vait for you.”

Stella came around the corner and Corvidae saw her for the first time.

Her pale skin was covered in bruises. Her once-proud costume torn and shredded, a boot was missing. One eye was swollen shut, and an ugly bruise had formed on her lip. She took three steps and stumbled to the floor unconscious.

Dr. Corvidae smiled and opened a lead-lined safe. He lifted his leg and delivered a vicious kick to her head.

WHACK!

“Wakey, wakey Stella.”

“Uh…”

“Oh so sorry Stella, did that hurt?”

“P-powers… My powers… they don’t work… I need help…”

“You need this don’t you?” He held up a small vial with glowing pink fluid.

“N-no… no drugs… need power… weak…”

“Why yes, you are weak.” He shook the vial, she could hear the fluid sloshing in it. “It makes the hurting stop. Makes you feel good. Makes you feel great.”

“No…”

“Oh yes!” Corvidae knelt next to her and pried her lips open. He poured the pink solution down her throat. The injured girl tired to spit it out, tried to close her mouth but Corvidae was too strong, she choked and coughed but enough went in to have an effect.

An almost instant one. Her pained body jerked, her back arched, her toes curled. “Nuh!” She moaned at the loss of control. She felt Corvidae’s rough hands running up her bare legs and under her skirt.

“Nuh! No!” She managed to say.

RRRIP!

Her blue panties tore free. She could feel her body betraying her. The pain retreating, her temperature rising, wetness between her legs. Her legs were pulled apart. Her ragged top was pulled apart. Now the rough hands were mauling her breasts. She felt his dick pushing into the folds of her pussy like a battering ram. Her body betrayed her again by welcoming the intruder. Her hips buckled and she felt her legs wrapping around the diminutive scientist's body.

"Puh-leess, not like this!" She cried out between sobs and gasps but Corvidae kept pounding between her legs. Stella's pupils began to shrink and her eyes rolled up as the drug continued to roar through her system. She gave out a cry, then a gasp. She pulled Corvidae bringing him in deeper and deeper.

"Oh my dear Lynn, if Cousin Ken could only see you now."

But Stella was too far gone to hear.

***

Hours later Stella lay in Corvidae's lap sobbing. The short scientist played with her long blond hair and smiled down at her. Three empty vials of the pink serum lay around them and the stink of sweat and cum was heavy in the air. The bruises and wounds had almost completely disappeared; Stella's body was as lovely as it ever was but now that body was twitching involuntarily and still wet with passion.

“Why? Corvidae why? Why are you doing this to me? Stars and comets what did I ever do to you?” A thin trail of drool and cum leaked from the corner of her mouth.

“Oh Lynn, all those powers, those eyes that can see atoms dance, those ears that can hear a gnats fart, and you can't even see what's in front of you.”

“Huh?”

“You never even wondered what happened to my outrageous accent.”

“Huh? What…”

Corvidae shoved Stella off his lap and rose to his feet. He took out a pill, tossed it in the air and caught it in his mouth. He smiled at her. His smile became a wince. His flesh began to shift, to swell. He bent over and gasped. His hands rose and covered his face. His legs and torso stretched, his forehead grew, the hair on his head fell out. His clothing stretched to accommodate his new form. He dropped his hand and looked at her with new eyes.

“Stars and comets" she gasped. "C-Crowe? Claudius Crowe?”

Crowe smiled at the injured heroine.

“Surprise!”

“But-but… how? Why?”

“How? Because I am a genius and you my dear, are a fool. Why? Because 22 years ago I swore I would take it all away from him. Everything he ever had.”

“But why!”

***

They year was 1950, Truman was President, McCarthy scoured America for communists, Cinderella was in the theaters and What’s My Line debuted on TV. And in the rural town of Littledale, Stellar Boy was on patrol.

“Hey Stellar Boy!”

“Looking good Stellar Boy!”

“That’s for helping with those pesky foxes Stellar Boy!”

His patrol route took him down Main Street, up Elm Street and then out to Johnson’s Road and the outlying farms. As usual there was nothing going on. After all it’s not like Littledale would have alien invasions or super villains running around.

He spotted his buddy Russ Peterson and landed.

“Hey man, want a smoke?”

Stellar Boy took the offered cigarette and lit them both with his stellar vision.

“Missed you at school today Ken.”

“Yeah, I went flying. Got as far as Megapolis this time. I saw a DC-10 and beat it to the city. I tell you I’m getting faster, stronger, all the time.”

“Shit. Guess this place is feeling pretty small these days. You’ll probably just take off any time.”

“Come on man, don’t give me that. Littledale’s home. I'm not leaving. You know that. So tell me what I missed.”

Russ took a drag on his cigarette. He and Ken had been buddies since they were kids, he figured out Stellar Boy’s secret identity about a week after he debuted. He’d seen the changes. Littledale was getting too small for the Boy of the Stars. Russ knew in his heart these days wouldn’t last much longer.

“Man you should have seen the sweater Rhonda was wearing today, so damn tight. And her skirt, at least an inch over her knees. I thought Principal Fletcher would send her home. Even that creepy new kid was staring.”

“Claude? Claude Crowe? Staring at my girl?”

“Yeah that’s the one. Then in science class since you were out, he was Rhonda’s partner.”

Stellar Boy seethed at that.

“So anyway tell me about Megapolis, I hear the girls there wear skirts that are cut up to here!”

“Y’know that Crowe kid’s getting on my nerves. Y’know what he said the other day? He said we should be partners. Something about his brains and my body… Like I’m some kind of dufus he can boss around.”

“Well he’s pretty smart, you should see what he’s working on for the science fair, he says it’ll-“

“And he’s such a skinny little twerp too. Who does he think he is hitting on my girl?!”

“Um…”

“Come on! Let’s teach that poindexter a lesson!”

Before Russ could even answer Stellar Boy grabbed him under the arms and flew to the Crowe place. Russ couldn't even catch his breath.

No one knew much about the Crowes. The father was in a wheelchair, the mother had passed away. No one was even sure what they were even doing in Littledale, they were sophisticated and acted like they belonged more in Megapolis. And the dad had a bit of a foreign accent. There were rumors of course, that they’d been involved in the war, or that the dad worked with the Feds. Some neighbors swore they’d seen the FBI coming by from time to time but it was just that. Rumors.

But they were here and they had a small place outside of town, just an acre or two. Claude had set up a lab in an old shed by the river.

Stellar Boy landed outside makeshift lab and deposited Russ next to him.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

“Hey Claude! I know you’re in there!”

The door creaked open. “S-Stellar Boy?”

“Yeah, Stellar Boy! And I’ve got some words for you about looking at-”

“Great Newton’s Apple! You’re just in time! Please come in! Come in!”

Stellar Boy looked at Russ, Russ shrugged. They followed the skinny teen into his shack.

“I’ve been a great admirer of yours since you appeared. In fact, I have a great need for your powers. I’m sure you’ve noticed my father’s condition, you see he was injured in the bombing during the war-”

“The blitz? When the Nazis hit London?”

“Um, sort of… So for the science fair I have been working a project to regenerate damaged cells.”

“Great galaxies! You can do that? But, but you’re just a high school student.”

“Well yes but genius tends to run in my family. Now in theory my process should work but in order to test it I need a highly concentrated dose of x-rays, and I believe that you, Stellar Boy can provide that.”

“Huh? Me? X-rays, um…” Stellar Boy averted his eyes and looked quite nervous.

“Why yes, by my calculations the unique stellar radiation that created your powers should allow your optical nerves to generate all sorts of radiation, microwaves, infrared and x-rays.”

“Buddy is he saying you’ve got x-ray vision?”

“Um… well…” The boy of the stars turned red.

“So like you can see through walls and through buildings and through oh… CLOTHES?”

“You see Russ; the thing about it is…”

“And you never told me?”

Russ and Stellar Boy both broke out laughing.

“Sorry man, I mean, great galaxies it just started up one day, Rhonda and Claire were on the way to cheerleader practice and suddenly-“

“Ahem. As I was saying a burst of hyper x-rays from your stellar sight is needed to empower the formula. Please Stellar Boy, it would mean a lot to me, and to my father.”

“Not to mention millions of other people” Russ muttered.

“Yes of course, them as well. Please Stellar Boy.”

“Great galaxies, of course! Where is it?”

Claude pointed at a bubbling green formula in a glass tube. He plucked a few hairs from his head and dropped them into the fluid. He adjusted the Bunsen burner and backed away.

“If my calculations are correct the solution should prompt growth for these hair cells once your x-ray burst energizes the chemicals. We should see the results instantly.”

“Well I’ll give it the old Littledale High School try!” Stellar Boy’s bright blue eyes turned light blue, then a pale white. The green solution bubbled and frothed.

“Yes, yes, keep going, keep going…”

Liquid bubbled over the sides and spilled on the counter. From the test tube strands of red began to emerge.

“It works! It works! It’s alive! Alive!”

The hairs sprouted further out of the tube, then the fragile glass suddenly burst!

“Um Claude is this supposed to be happening?”

“Silence you simpleton! This, this is amazing.”

“You know Claude I think Russ is right I’m gonna stop now and-“

“What! You fool! Can’t you see how important this is?”
Stellar Boy’s eyes returned to normal. “Excuse me? What did you just call me?”

“Look! I have regrown dead cells! This is a historic ach- WHAT!”

Stellar Boy shoved him to the floor and cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Claude, I think it's time you learned yourself some manners."

"What are you talking about you overgrown muscle-head! I'm in the middle of-OW!"

Claude shook his hand in pain, a red burn appeared.

"See Claude, that's what I'm talking about. Here I am, I did you a favor, even after you were looking at my girl, and then you call me a fool. I think you owe me an apology."

"W-what?"

SMASH! Stellar Boy's fist shattered the granite top of Claude's lab table.

"That didn't sound like an apology Claude."

Claude looked up at the teen of the stars towering over him and then for the first time in his young life felt fear. This ignorant farmer's son had power Claude could only dream of, but the intellect of his potato-digging ancestors!

"Apologize! You da-"

"Um guys? GUYS!"

They both turned to Russ. The growing hair had wrapped around him and was now pulling him closer to the beaker. It pulled tighter on the young boy, pinning his arms.

"Great galaxies! Your stupid creation is out of control!"

"You! Your x-rays were too strong! This is your fault!"

Stellar Boy's eyes blazed red and cut Russ loose from the tendrils of hair.

Then he turned towards the creature's main body.

"Don't! You'll destroy my creation!"

"Claude, that's just what I'm planning." His eyes blazed red again and the creature burst into flame. But bits of it fell to the floor but they continued to grow, soon the creature was bigger than ever. Stellar Boy scowled.

"Gonna need something a bit stronger I guess. Russ get out of here."

The teen needed no more encouragement and ran but Claude stayed tugging on Stellar Boy's cape.

"Don't be a fool! This is a fantastic discovery, we must study it!"

Stellar Boy brushed him off and pulled down several chemicals from Claude's shelves. "Ah this will do…" Mixing them rapidly in a bucket he spun around spraying the fluids at the creature. The poisons did the job, the creature withered and died.

"NO!" Claude howled and ran up to the creatures remains. "It's ruined!"

"Oh la-dee-da. That's a shame."

"You, you monster! Have you no respect for science!"

"Not when it threatens my buddy. And hey, if you like your little monster so much why don't you join it!" Stellar Boy splashed a few more drops of the poison at Claude. The teen genius howled in pain and fell to the floor clutching his head. His hair was falling out and dissolving just like the creature. The boy was writhing on the floor in agony.

"Hmph. That'll teach him not to tug on my cape."

***

“Oh I have my reasons Lynn. I have my reasons. It took almost 20 years but I succeeded. I just wish I could have been there to see his face when I killed him.”

“Huh? But… you didn’t kill him!” Stella looked away; her voice grew small and pained. “I… I did…”

“Did you now?”

***

The year was 1969, the Beatles gave their last concert, the last Looney Tunes cartoon was made, the Saturday Morning Post published its last issue and Star Trek aired its last episode.

And in an office at the Daily Comet something else was approaching the end…

"Dr. Corvidae?"

"Yes, thank you for taking the time to see me. I know you must be quite busy with your-"

“Yes, yes, I am so let's get to the point. What’s up doc?” Polly Path smiled at her own joke.

“Well Miss Path-“

“Ms.”

“Apologies, Ms. Path. I’ve been following your career for years-“

“If you’re just a fan, the Daily Comet will be happy to send you an autographed photo.”

“-and your romance with the Man of the Stars.”

“I don’t talk about that.”

“And I think I can help with certain problems in that relationship.”

Polly sighed and stood up. “Thank you, that will be all. The receptionist will show you out.” She turned to leave.

“Man of steel, woman of tissue paper.”

Polly froze. She scowled and sat down.

"You have one minute. Make this good."

“How are old are you now Polly? Thirty eight?”

“Thirty six.”

“You’ve been ‘Stellar Man’s Girlfriend – Polly Path’ for what? Fifteen years or so? Since you got your start at this paper. How much longer will you wait? How long will you be a virgin?”

“Who says we’ve been waiting?”

“Simple physics. And the fact you’re still alive. Stellar Man’s fingers can crush steel. His breath can extinguish a forest fire. What would he do to an ordinary human in the throes of passion? Sure he can control his strength ordinarily, but can he during a rather, shall we say, 'intense' time? Would he gamble your life hoping he could? I think not. It seems an unsolvable problem does it not?”

“…” Polly remained silent but her face betrayed that none of this was really news to her.

“But there is an answer.”

“Care to share it?”

“Stellar radiation.”

“That would kill him. Believe me, I’ve thought of it.”

“Radiation comes in many forms, not just the deadly green.”

“Go on.”

The doctor reached into his bag and withdrew a small lamp, no larger than a breadbox.

“Red for example will negate the stellar radiation in his cells, leaving him no different than you or I.”

“He’d never go for it. He’s a boy scout. He’d never go for it before we married, and he won’t marry me. He won't marry anyone, his mission comes first. Fucking boy scout…” She added under her breath.

“Polly, he’s a man. And men have needs. Do you think he’ll wait forever? He has options you know. That feminist in San Francisco, or even his cute little cousin.”

“He’d never!”

“Take it Polly. What do you have to lose?”

“I… It won’t happen. He’ll never go for it.”

“Then you lose nothing. But maybe you gain everything you ever wanted. Mrs. Stellar Man.”

Polly frowned and grabbed the lamp, she threw it in her bag. “Why are you doing this? And don’t give me a line about wanting to make me happy.”

“Stellar Man did something for me once, and I’ve looked for a long time how to repay him. I think this will balance the scales. Good luck.”

“T-thank you Dr. Corvidae. I mean it probably won’t work but…”

“Please Ms. Path, no need to thank me. No need at all.”

***

“You? You gave the lamp to Polly?”

Crowe smiled. “After four years you finally figured it out. There were only two people on Earth who could manufacture something like that, and we both know that Ken was far too repressed to ever make one for himself. That only left one suspect…”

“Stars and comets, I never even…”

“The lamp, of course was rigged to fail, with predictable results. After that I expected Stellar Man would exile himself, or perhaps remove his own powers. To tell the truth I never anticipated your interference. Not that I don’t appreciate your efforts. I just wish I could have seen his face.”

“Stars and comets, I didn’t mean to! It wasn’t my fault!”

“Of course Lynn, nothing ever is. Now rise, we have much to do together.”

***

Meanwhile across town…

"There he is officer, the man responsible for the riot yesterday!"

"Thanks Minx, hey I know a lot of the guys on the force have a problem with you but just let me say it's good to have you back on the job."

"Actually I'm not… oh never mind." Pepper Dickinson was enjoying the admiration of other cops much too much to correct them. So what if she was borrowing the name and costume from her missing friend Gloria Barbarossa? At least she was doing some good.

The cops moved in on Drake Warlock the albino pop artist and he smiled.

"Officers? Can I help you?"

"Yeah, the Minx says you're the one who set off that riot yesterday!"

"Me? I don't see how. From what I saw on the TV it was those heroines, Princess Patriot and Stella. I was here all day, anyone in the Warehouse can testify to that. And if I'm not mistaken so too can the Minx herself."

"Izat true?"

"Um… he was here but he was controlling them with that girl Psyche."

"Psyche? I can't say I know anyone by that name. And even if I did surely I cannot be responsible for her actions."

The puzzled cops scratched their heads. They'd come in hoping to bust some hippy heads and all they had was a polite guy and a heroine spouting crazy nonsense.

"I sounds to me like Ms. Minx is looking to excuse the behavior of her partner."

"I… you… she's not my partner!"

"Um we'd better go. Sorry for disturbing you Mr. Warlock."

"No, no bother at all."

"But…"

"Come on Minx, we ain't got nuttin."

"But…"

"Come on Minx or we'll have to arrest you for trespassing."

The Minx scowled at Drake as she left but he just chuckled and waved.

"Ta-ta! Do come again soon."

***

Crowe took out a small black box with several buttons at it.

"What is that?"

"This? Nothing, just a quick invention I knocked off a few weeks ago. It allows remote control of a television screen. What's more important is this!" He pointed the box at a wall of TV screens and pressed a button. Suddenly they all came to life. A dozen or more voices were talking. Talking about her.

"Latest revelations in the growing Stella scandal…"

"…destroying a school…"

"…report that her x-ray vision causes cancer…"

"…Stella savagely beating Princess Patriot…"

"…has not come clean about her role in the Minx's escape…"

"…Liberator Woman is still recovering…"

"…had sex with several men at riotous parties…"

"…this just in, new photographs…"

"…serious questions about what happened to Stellar Man…"

"…clearly show Satan Girl taking off her mask…"

"…appears to be Stella…"

"…Satan Girl is wanted for robbing banks across the country…"

"…inciting riots in Megapolis…"

"…when viewed side-by-side they are clearly the same woman…"

"…Mayor expected to issue an arrest warrant…"

"…President Nixon declined to comment…"

"…calls from our viewers demanding Stella be arrested…"

"…footage appears to show Stella using drugs…"

"…how can we trust her…"

"…menace to society…"

"…villainess…"

"…evil!"

CLICK, the screens turned off.

"No! Oh stars and comets no, how did they find out? Who told them? I… it's not my fault!"

"Hush now my dear, hush." Crowe cradled the weeping blonde in his arms and patted her back. Stella huddled against him crying like a child. Crowe led her to a couch and sat her down.

"No powers, no costume, and now no reputation. Poor little Lynn."

"You! You did this to me! You, you tricked me!"

Crowe was stunned for a second. Then he laughed. "Oh Lynn, you really are a riot. Of course I did this to you. Of course I gave the TV stations those pictures of you as Satan Girl. Of course my drugs took away your powers. Surely it didn't take you this long to figure it out?"

"N-no, it's just… I… oh stars and comets…" She started crying again. Crowe held her, she didn't resist.

"Of course it's not all my doing. You played an important role my dear. With your neediness, your desperation and of course your stupidity. I doubt even that insufferable twit Princess Patriot would have fallen for this."

Stella just sobbed again.

"So, to tell the truth I didn't do this to you Stella, I gave you everything you wanted. And now you can reap the benefits."

"What do you want?"

"Hmm, that's a hard question. I could just turn you out on the street. Let you wander around in your rags until the police finally find you. Or maybe it will be some angry citizens. Or even some vengeful crooks. I wonder how long a powerless Stella would last out there?"

Stella turned pale. "N-no… please no…"

"It would be a fitting end to Stellar Man's legacy. Him dead, and you serving life in prison. And from what I see there's really no other choice for you. Yes, it would take a genius to get you out of this pickle."

"A genius?"

"Yes, I daresay nothing short of the smartest man on Earth could find a way to save you now."

"You mean… you! You're the smartest man on Earth. You can help me!"

"Hmm… when you put it that way, yes, I suppose I could."

"Please Crowe, I'll do anything, I just…"
"Yes?"

"I just want everything back the way it was. I want my powers back, I want people to like me, please Crowe, please, you have to help me."

"And why would I do that? What could you possibly offer me?"

"I…" Stella pulled off her ragged costume and pressed her body against Crowe's She kissed his neck and put her arms around him. She spread her legs and climbed on top of him.

Crowe just smiled.

Stella reached down and unzipped his fly.

***

"Well done my dear, well done. I think we have a deal."

Crow and Stella lay tangled in his silk sheets. This time she'd need no drugs, no tricks, this time Stella had been a willing and enthusiastic participant.

"You mean it, I can be Stella again? You'll give me my powers back and everything? And everyone will love me?"

"Yes, I promise. If that's what you really want."

"Stars and comets! Of course!"

"Well then my dear, you'll need something to wear."

***

Stella posed in front of the mirror, she turned again, and again. She pulled up her cape and looked at her back.

“I don’t know, I mean, doesn’t it make my butt look fat?”

“No my dear, not at all, you’re perfect, completely perfect.” Claudius Crowe replied. "In fact even without your powers you will remain perfect for many, many years to come."

“But… I mean Stellar Man would never… I would never…”

“My dear, my dear, think about it. You want to tell the world who you are, what you are. That you are a liberated woman, unrestricted by society’s laws. And what better way to do that then to flaunt their ridiculously restrictive rules on clothing?”

Stella was wearing a blue bikini with her emblem stenciled on her crotch. Even for an invulnerable girl she felt terribly exposed wearing it.

"Besides, the material is indestructible, just as good as the material on your old costume and much better than the rags Drake Warlock gave you."

"But what about the symbol, I mean it was his symbol I should have it over my heart or something, not… y'know, down there."

Crowe wrapped his arms around the skinny blonde, one hand gently touching her breasts, the other drifting between her legs. His fingers slipped between the cloth and her warm skin. She gasped as they disturbed her silky tuft of golden hair.

"Hmm, really? Do you want men staring at your breasts all the time?"

Stella tried to focus, but it was hard with his fingers there. Oh stars and comets! Why was she so horny all the time!

"I… I just… oh!" Her legs suddenly gave out as Crowe's fingers slipped between the folds of her pussy. She held on tight to his neck and kissed his cheek. It just felt so good.

Crowe smiled as he fingered the most powerful woman on Earth to orgasm.

***

"And so it is with a heavy heart that today I must issue a warrant for the arrest of-Stella!"

"Look up in the sky!"

"Is it Stella?"

"What's she wearing?"

Mayor Abraham looked up and turned white. All his advisors agreed this was a smart move, a good political move that would show he was tough on crime. After the riot in Siegel Square the voters wanted blood, they wanted Stella's blood. All he had to do was read his speech and he'd be set for reelection.

Of course no one actually thought she'd show up. And his advisors weren't standing on the steps of City Hall with a chick who could crush a man with her pinky. He took a few steps back looking for his police bodyguard, but the men had already fled.

The bikini-wearing blonde landed next to the mayor and smiled.

"Muh, muh Miss Stella, what a surprise… We were just uh…"

"It's OK Mr. Mayor. It's OK. I know you were about issue a warrant for my arrest. After the last few days who can blame you. But I'd like to try and explain, and if you still want to arrest me, well then I'll go peacefully."

"I… I…" The Mayor looked around, everyone else had somehow disappeared from the stage, and the press were watching. "I uh, think we can give you a chance."

"Thank you Mr. Mayor." Stella turned sharply and confidently to the microphone and addressed the reporters. "People of Megapolis, I know there have been some terrible rumors about me lately and with all the evidence you've seen, I'm sure some of you are starting to believe them. But believe me there is a rational explanation…"

***

Miles away Claudius Crowe dictated the speech into his ultrawave radio on a frequency only Stella could hear. This was it. His masterpiece. Killing Stellar Man wasn't enough. Looting the Citadel of Isolation was not enough. Fucking Stellar Girl was not enough. But this, perverting Stellar Man's legend, this was the capstone of a lifetime of hate. This would make his victory complete.

***

"And so, after suffering horribly in her dungeons, I escaped from Satan Girl's prison in the Anti-Verse and returned to clear my name. It's hard to believe that Satan Girl is really my twin in an alternate dimension and that she could be so evil. I… I only wish I could do more to help repair t-the lives she ruined…"

Stella choked up. The Mayor hugged her and helped dry her tears. Several of the reporters were weeping openly as well.

"…victim of an evil plot…"

"…suffered a terrible ordeal…"

"…clearly innocent…"

Miles away Crowe smiled.

***

"Sweet liberty that poor, poor girl." Kathy Libertine said.

"Yes, that poor, poor girl." Timmy O'Leary repeated mechanically.

***

"Damn it!" Pepper Dickinson cursed as the dusty files slipped out of her hands and hit the floor. She bent over to gather them up, steeling herself for the inevitable comment or slap on the butt from her boss Sgt Novak.

But it didn't come. She picked up the files and headed for his office. She heard sobs.

"I only wish I could do more to help repair t-the lives she ruined…" came a familiar-sounding voice from the TV. Novak was glued to the set, crying.

"What the hell?" Pepper Dickinson cursed as a reporter recapped the events.

Sgt Novak dried his eyes and blew his nose. "That poor, poor girl."

"But that's not true at all! I was th-, I mean I heard all about it. Where's her evidence? What about-"

"You shut the fuck up Dickinson! How can you say that after what that poor, poor girl's been through!"

"But…"

"Get the fuck out of my sight Dickinson! I don't even want to see your fat ass in here!"

Walking through the station Pepper saw dozens of experienced cops crying and telling everyone around how much they trusted Stella. Had the whole world gone crazy or was it just her?

***

"Stars and comets they like me, they really, really like me! Did you see how the Mayor was crying and then he tore up the warrant and tossed it in the air?"

"Yes Lynn, I saw it all."

"And then Commissioner Brown threw his arms around me and apologized for everything he'd said! And then, this is the best part, that TV guy asked the Mayor when he would have a parade for me! And the Mayor was all like 'as soon as we can get it organized!' Stars and comets this is great, it's great!"

Crowe just smiled.

"And…" Stella looked down, she swallowed hard. "I guess I owe it all to you."

"Indeed."

"I don't know how to thank you Crowe."

"I think if you use your imagination you'll come up with something."

Stella nodded. She could already feel her powers fading, in a few minutes she'd be an ordinary girl again, until Crowe gave her another dose. Which he'd only do if he was happy with her. Very happy. She painted a smile on her face and reach back, untying her bikini top.

Crowe waited patiently as she dropped her bottom as well. Wearing only her cape Stella climbed on top of the scientist and unzipped his pants.

"Crowe" She whispered. "Claudius, I… I…"

"Yes my dear?"

"Thank you."

***

The days turned into weeks.

Every few days Crowe would unleash a giant robot or mutant monster or other threat into the city, give Stella a small dose of his yellow serum and send her out to fight it. Most of them exploded as soon as Stella punched them.

But the city didn't seem to care. All they knew was that Stella saved them. Not Princess Patriot, not the fake Minx, her. Stella. And they loved her for it.

And it was all thanks to Crowe.

Stella knew she should hate him. She knew she should be angry, she should be trying to get away from him but…

But if it wasn't for him she'd be powerless and in jail.

Heck, if it wasn't for him she'd still be Stellar Girl and doing whatever her cousin told her to do.

How could she hate him?

She loved him.

***

"All right Stella, what's going on!"

The Girl of the Stars was flying back to Crowe's lab. She'd just beaten up his latest robot, the CrusheRobot and didn't have much time before her powers faded again. But the Minx was there, marching down the street and demanding to talk to her.

Stella had been dodging her for weeks but this time there was no getting around it. There were a dozen TV cameras watching her.

"Oh uh, hi Minx."

"Stella we need to talk."

"OK, fine, let's talk. But let's talk somewhere private." There was a blur, a whoosh and suddenly the Minx and Stella were on top of Shooter Tower looking down at the city.

"Well?" Stella shifted uncomfortably. She could feel her powers starting to fade. Why didn't Crowe give her more of the serum? Didn't he trust her? She had to keep this short or she'd be stuck out here.

"Let's start with that bull you told the press about Satan Girl and the Anti-Verse. I was there, that was the real you, not some evil twin from another dimension."

"Oh, that… look it wasn't my fault that Gayle chick she mind-controlled me and…"

"Maybe at first Stella but I saw you. You were in control of yourself."

"I… I was confused. I didn't know… they tricked me! It's not my fault."

"So now you're the one doing the tricking."

"Huh?"

"That broadcast, and all the ones since then. You've been putting subliminal messages to make people love you and trust you."

"Huh?"

"I used the machines at police headquarters to analyze the broadcasts, I had to slow them down a thousand times but the messages are there. No wonder everyone bought your story."

"But I didn't… I never…" Stella could feel it, the cold feeling of her powers leaving her. She definitely didn't want to be trapped up here, powerless with the Minx. "I gotta go!" She jumped off the side of the building and sped off for the mountains.

"Stella wait!" The Minx screamed but it was too late. Then she sighed. She was stuck almost 100 stories in the air. It was going to be a long climb down.

***

Stella almost made it before her powers quit. She had to walk the last mile to Crowe's secret lair. Stones hurt her feet through the thin sandals and branches cut her bare skin. She wished Crowe had given her something more to wear than a bikini. She wrapped her cape around her like a blanket.

As she walked she obsessed over what the Minx told her. Subliminal messages? Mind control? It couldn't be. The people forgave her. They loved her again. That wasn't mind control. Was it?

She finally got to the road that led up to Crowe's cabin and the hidden entrance to his lab. She looked up at the steep path and sighed. Life was so hard without her powers.

"Señora? Señora Estella?"

She spun, oh no! No one could see her like this! A young boy emerged from the brush, dressed just like Crowe.

"Oh hey, you scared me, you're that kid I saw in the lab, Claudius' assistant right? Calvin?"

"Actually I am his son. Though I wish it were not so."

"His son? Stars and comets, I never knew he had a son."

"Si he, he does not wish it known. Please follow me, there is a secret door nearby so you do not have to walk all the way up."

"Thanks kid, that's really nice of you." She ruffled his hair and Calvin beamed.

***

"You're late." Claudius Crowe barked as she walked in.

"I… I'm sorry, it's just the Minx, that fake Minx stopped me and then my powers wore off and I had to walk and-"

Crowe glared at her.

"It's not my fault!"

"And how did you get in anyway? I didn't see you on the surveillance cameras."

"Father I let her in the secret entrance so she would not have to-"

"Calvin, don't you have work to do?"

"Yes father." Calvin Crowe sheepishly skulked away.

"Now as for you… follow me, we have… work to do."

***

"STOP! Oh stars and comets stop, please Crowe, please; I'll do anything, just stop!"

Stella was naked, strapped to a metal frame and being subjected to a barrage of green rays.

"Hmm…" Crowe muttered adjusting a dial. "Even with your powers gone the radiation seems just as effective as before. It seems the physiological changes I noted are permanent, whatever the state of your powers."

"Please Crowe, please, I'm sorry Crowe! I'm sorry I was late!"

"Lynn, I'm not some sadist. I'm not punishing you. This is strictly science. Now tell me how this feels." He twisted a dial up to 8.

"AH! It hurts! Crowe it really hurts!"

"Yes, I imagine so. But how does it hurt? What are you feeling? Those are the important questions."

"Please!"

"Answer the question Lynn, then we can move on."

"Needles! It's like needles! All over my skin!"

"See. Now was that so hard?" He turned the dial back down to 3. Stella breathed a sigh of relief.

"And now?"

Stella panted a few times. "It's like I'm nauseous and my head aches."

"Interesting. Now let me try a different wavelength."

"AH!"

"Well?"

"Fuh-fire! Burning! Please Crowe, please stop!"

Hours later the rays were finally turned off. Crowe held Stella's twitching; barely conscious body in his arms and gently carried her back to his room. He helped her into the bathroom, washed her and carried her to bed. And then they made love.

***

Watching on a camera Calvin Crowe hissed his displeasure.

He turned to the tube in the center of the bio lab and smiled. His 'brother' floated in it. Grown from a fertilized egg stolen from Stella it looked like a six-year old child now.

Calvin plugged in the learning machine.

***

"Surrender Stella! You are no match for KORG THE CATASTROPHIC!"

"Pfft. Whatever." Stella swooped down and punched the hulking monster's jaw.

CRACK!

He fell on his back and began to dissolve. But that's to be expected; after all it was just something Crowe grew in his lab.

Another day, another easy victory thanks to Claudius Crowe.

Onlookers ran up to her.

"Stella thank you!"

"You're great Stella!"

"We never should have doubted you Stella!"

"You're much better than Princess Patriot, Stella!"

"We love you Stella!"

The Girl of the Stars wanted nothing more than to stay and bask in their admiration but she could feel her powers slipping away. She didn't want a repeat of last week.

"Stars and comets! Thank you, thank you! But I have to go now, a heroine's work is never done you know!"

She gracefully rose into the sky and disappeared in a cloud.

Once she was out of sight she frowned. She couldn't stop thinking about what the Minx, the fake Minx, said. Subliminal messages in the news? Making people like her? It couldn't be true! But then again they were never like this before, even when she was Stellar Girl people weren't quite so… admiring. She bit her lip. If it was true it had to be Crowe doing it. And was it really so bad? She finally had everything she wanted. Admiring fans. Powers she could turn off. A man she lov- liked. Didn't she deserve all this? That stupid fake Minx was ruining everything!

"Help! Help!"

Stella hesitated. How much longer did she have before she became powerless?

"AH-" Another scream, this one cut off.

Long enough to take care of some muggers she figured.

Her stellar sight quickly found the source of the cries and graceful girl of the stars arched her back and headed for it. It was alleyway off of Siegel Square, right in the heart of the city. She tsk'ed. Back in Stellar Man's day no one would dare commit a crime so brazenly. But now the classy old theaters were becoming filthy grindhouses playing X-rated filth for drug addicts and perverts. Stella made a note to clean this place up once her powers were fixed. A few quick blasts of her stellar sight would burn out the infection, then they could make the place nice again. More screams focused her mind again.

"AH!"

"Shaddup bitch!" SMACK!

Three men were pulling a teenaged girl behind a dumpster. Stella landed in the filthy alleyway and smiled. This would be easy.

"Why don't you boys try that with me!"

She put her hands on her hips, spread her legs out and smiled. A convenient breeze made her cape billow out behind her. For a second there she was her old self, confident, powerful and heroic.

Then she felt a chill.

And a shiver.

The cold was bothering her. She felt goose bumps forming and then she realized what it meant. Her powers! Just like that they were gone!

The three punks came out from behind the dumpster, still holding the girl by her arms.

"Um, guys just let her go and we can just forget this OK?" Stella took a hesitant step back; she figured she could probably make to the square if she had to run for it.

One of them snickered. He was a lanky punk in torn jeans and a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? A real live Sooperhero?"

"Y-yeah, yeah and if you don't let the girl go things will get pretty rough."

"Oh I think things are gonna go rough no matter what." He kept striding towards her, eying her like a piece of meat. Stella shivered again as his eyes lingered on her crotch. Why did Crowe put her symbol there? Everyone was always staring!

Then the punk took another step closer and Stella realized she had more important things to worry about. She took another step back.

"D-don't come any closer! J-just let the girl go and, and get out of here! Or, or else!"

WHSST. He popped a switchblade. He was just a few feet from Stella now, he waved the blade around in her face, Stella caught a reflection, she looked scared. Very scared. Just how she felt.

"Or else what?"

"Or… or…"

He waved the blade around again, just inches from her face.
"AH!" Stella turned and ran, the three pursued. She made it out of the alleyway into the streetlights. "Help! Call the cops!" She yelled. A few winos and drifters looked at her but shrugged. She ran a few more steps and the something tugged her cape. She lost her balance and fell on her butt. Two of the thugs were pulling her back into the shadows by her cape.

Stella screamed again and tried to untie the cape but the leader, the one with the knife, walked around smacked her across the face. Momentarily stunned, Stella was helpless as he grabbed her ankles and helped pull her out of sight. Stella caught a glimpse of the other girl running out of the alleyway and disappearing around the corner, but she had no time to celebrate her small victory, not with her own life in danger!

She finally got the cape loose and made a break for it. The leader just tripped her and stomped on her back when she fell.

"Opps." He said with a chuckle.

Stella gasped for air then kicked out to the side, the punk dodged but it gave her time to jump to her feet and run a few steps. Till the leader tackled her and knocked her down again. Stella struggled until he slammed her head again the concrete, then she fell silent and the world went dark.

***

The world was so far away. It was peaceful here. Quiet. The world was all fuzzy. Fuzzy and painful.

"…no way she's the real one…"

"…real one has much nicer tits…"

"…not to mention superpowers…"

Stella moaned, she could hear someone talking but couldn't quite make it out. Why did she feel so weak?

"She's probably just some whore with a gimmick. Like that Blackout chick Boss Bruno has dancing at his club."

"Well she's gotta learn not to take it so seriously."

"Guess we better teach her."

Stella's blue eyes fluttered open and she gasped. She was on her back in the alleyway. She could feel the rough concrete. Her cape had been used to tie her hands behind her. She was helpless and surrounded by three punks in Wolf Pack colors.

"You up? You sure are a dumb little slut. You should know better than to dress like Stella in Wolf Pack turf."

"I… I'm sorry! Please let me go! Please! I promise I'll never do it again!"

"She killed my buddies you know. No one ever proved it but everyone saw here there when the building burned down."

"That… that wasn't me, I'm not Stella, I'm just a dumb girl, please let me go!"

"See the problem is thanks to you playing Stella our little entertainment got away. "So I guess we'll have to take out our frustrations on you."

He reached down, Stella flinched but his touch was gentle. He ran his meaty fingers along her flat belly up to her bikini top. He closed his hand over one breast.

"See that's how we know you're not the real Stella, the real Stella has an amazing rack and you've got, what, B-cups? Let's take a closer look huh?" He popped the switchblade again and tried to cut the straps on Stella's indestructible top. After a minute of trying he tossed the knife away and untied the bikini instead. "Fucking knife must be dull." Stella's bottom quickly followed her top into the gutter. Now the girl of the stars was helpless and naked in the hands of three vengeful punks.

***

Timmy O'Leary found her huddled in a ball on the couch. A scroll was crumpled in her hands. She was crying.

"Kathy? Kathy what's wrong?"

Katherine Libertine just sobbed.

Timmy sat down next to her and hugged the crying teen. "Ssh… ssh… It's going to be OK, whatever it is it'll be OK."

Kathy just shoved the scroll into Timmy's hands.

"Honey, is this the problem? What's wrong?"

"J-juh-just read it!"

Timmy unrolled it.

"Um, Princess it's in Greek."

"Oh… right. It… it's a reprimand! Y'know for that whole thing with Warlock."

"A reprimand? But you were mind-controlled. You didn't have a choice."

"It doesn't matter! Princess Patriot must be a paragon of virtue, she must be pure and just and strong. The fact I allowed myself to be mind-controlled shows I'm not worthy!"

"But, but it's just a reprimand right? You're not fired or anything are you?"

"No, no, not yet…"

"Then what's the problem, you'll just have to be more car-"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! No Princess Patriot has EVER been reprimanded before! Ever! And… and… they're right. I'm weak, I make mistakes, I've been here more than a year and I haven't made anything better! Everything is worse!"

"Honey, you're not perfect, no one is, but you're trying you bes-"

Katherine shoved Timmy off of her and climbed off the couch. "Well my best isn't good enough! I worked my whole life to be Princess Patriot, studying, training, dieting, and IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"

"Honey-"

But Katherine was already going into her pirouette. Timmy barely had time to cover his eyes before…

There was a flash of light and a crash of thunder and-

Princess Patriot

-stood before him.

But only for an instant, then she ran to the window and vanished into the night sky.

Of course Timmy didn't understand. How could he? She'd never told him much about life on Minerva Isle. About the constant pressure from the high priestess to obey, to be good and virtuous. Or about the opposite pressure from the other girls to rebel, to sneak away and enjoy forbidden pleasures. She'd never told him about the trials, the temptations lustful Aphrodite, enticing Dionysus and wily Hermes put in her path. She'd resisted all of them. She'd tried so hard, and now she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was not enough.

Flying low over Siegel Square the signs of her failure were everywhere. She'd been in America for over a year and the squalor was only getting worse. Once-proud music halls were becoming porn theaters showing the most vile filth. Buildings were covered in graffiti. Winos slept in the doorways. And the corners were haunted by women of the night. Princess Patriot had tried cleaning them up for a brief while but the women were all drug addicts and runaways. They'd soon returned to their vile ways. She'd finally given up in frustration.

Passing over an alleyway she heard cries of lust. No doubt another hooker making a living. She sneered and turned away heading for better neighborhoods.

***

Stella looked up at the stars, imaging herself flying among them, like she should be instead of lying in the gutter while a gang member pounded her loins. For a second she thought she saw a red and blue figure fly by but then it was gone. She chastised herself, she should know by now that no one was coming to save her. So she faked a moan of pleasure. The punks made it clear they expected her to enjoy this and that they would be very offended if she did not. Her face still hurt from their little reminder.

"Oh yeah!" The second one shot his load into her and sighed in contentment. He got up and gave his buddy a high-five. The third one was already pulling down his pants.

"So… is this a private party or can anyone join?"

The three turned to confront the new-comer. Stella moaned in misery. Not another one!

"Get the fuck out of here." Stella heard the switchblade extend. "This here is Wolf pack territory, not fucking, bald asshole territory."

Bald? Lying in the gutter Stella twisted her head. She could see a bald man in a white shirt but couldn't make out his face. Could it really be him?

"Crowe?"

"One minute my dear, first I have to clean up some trash."

"CROWE!"

"Oh that's it baldy you're going duh, duh, duh…"

The first one had taken a step forward and Crowe had simple taken out a small device the size of a pen and pointed it at him. The punk's leg twisted and bent like the bones were made of rubber. His whole body went limp and hit the gutter with a disgusting squish. His flesh began to flow like water and vanish down the sewer grate.

"Oh shit! Oh shit!" The second one produced a small revolver from his jacket and fired six times in rapid succession. Stella could see the red-hot bullets hanging in the air in front of Crowe, suspended in his force field. Crowe put away the first device and made a show of finding another weapon to use. He settled on a small ray gun and fired it at the punk. Crackling green beams surrounded the teen.

"Huh? What's going on? How come everything's so big? This ain't funny man! This ain't funny!"

But Crowe laughed anyway as the Wolf Pack member shrank to an inch high. Then he turned his attention to the third one.

With his pants still around his ankles he was backing up towards the square. "Hey man, it's cool you know. I didn't even touch her man, I wasn't going to do nothing man, I swear."

Crowe extended a hand and helped Stella rise. "Well my dear, it seems the man is innocent. Whatever shall we do with him?"

Stella smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. "Burn him."

"Whatever you say my dear." Crowe drew a third device from his belt and pointed it, the would-be rapist turned to run but stumbled in his jeans. The device fired a thin red ray.

The scream was terribly loud in the narrow alleyway. The first shot burned the flesh from the punk's bones filling the air with the aroma of cooked meat. The second shot cooked away his left arm. Then his right. By then the screams had turned to gasps as the boy went into shock. Crowe handed the device to Stella. She pointed it at him and slowly cooked the skin off his groin, his stomach, his chest and then his head. The bones crumpled into ash. She gave Crowe back his weapon.

"Come my dear, gather your costume and let us return."

Stella nodded and found her bikini among the trash in the alleyway. She also noticed the inch-high crook being eaten by two rats.

Crowe took her hand and together they teleported back to his lab.

***

Stella doubled over and puked on the floor. Crowe watched with detachment until she finished.

"Wash yourself Stella. I'll be waiting." He turned on his heel and headed for his bedchamber. Stella meekly followed.

Unnoticed by both Calvin Crowe watched.

When Stella emerged from the shower Crowe was waiting.

"Crowe, I uh, I want to thank you, you saved me."

Crowe lay impassively on the bed barely even looking at the wet, naked blonde.

"I, I mean I was powerless, those guys could have done anything, they could have dragged me back to their lair, stars and comets they could have killed me!"

Crowe didn't even blink.

"But you came and saved me, and, I mean I know that like, our relationship is kind of messed up but I guess I want to say when I saw you in the alleyway, when you called me 'dear' I just… I… I really felt something. Like not just that you were saving me because of some plan you have but that you care for me, that you really care for me."

Crowe turned and looked at her.

"I just wanted to say that because, well… I care for you Claudius. I know it's messed up and I know the Minx would yell at me but I really do care for you. I… I love you Claudius. I do!"

"Come here." Claudius Crowe commanded.

And that night the Girl of the Stars gave Claudius Crowe the best sex of his life.

***

Crowe untangled himself from the sheets and dressed. Leaving the Girl of the Stars to her post-coital bliss he got back to work.

"Report!" He barked to Calvin.

"T-The readings are normal father. The project is developing according to projections."

Claudius Crowe looked up at the small body floating in the tube. It was not about 3 ½ feet tall, the size of a preschooler. In a few weeks the body would be developed enough for the transplant. Then he would have no further need for the stellar-bimbo upstairs or his idiot son.

He'd already planned a tragic death for the Girl of the Stars. Arrgon the Abomination was growing in his genetics lab. The creature would beat Stella within an inch of her life and then rape her in front of the whole world. Then at the last minute he would arrive in his glorious new body, seconds too late to save Stella. Stellar Man. That's what he would call himself. The real Stellar Man returned from the stars. And the world would throw itself at his feet.

"The ECG!" He barked again. Calvin held a print-out; Claudius snatched it from his shaking hand. All lines were flat. Excellent. He'd designed the project so that this hybrid son would never awaken, never think. A blank brain was essential for him to overwrite his own mind.

"It seems you can do something right." He growled to Calvin. "Perhaps my heritage is finally showing itself."

Calvin smiled.

"Then again even a broken clock is right twice a day." He turned on his heel and left. He wanted to check his global news monitor. He wanted to make sure there was no word of Stella's failure.

Calvin waited for his father to leave, then waited a few minutes more to ensure Claudius would not double back to check on him. Satisfied he reached under a console and deactivated his father's hidden surveillance cameras. He walked up to the tube.

"Good afternoon brother, how are you?"

"I am well Brother Calvin. Thank you."

***

Days passed. Stella found her problems getting worse; her powers were deserting her sooner and sooner. Twice now she'd had to beg Claudius to teleport her home as she hid powerless in an alleyway.

"Claude what am I going to do!" She whined.
He glared at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I meant Claudius."

He glared.

"I'm sorry Crowe."

"I did warn you those pink serums could have long-term effects. Perhaps if you had managed to control your impulses your powers would not have been hobbled."

"Stars and comets… I never thought…"

"No you never do."

Stella blinked away tears. "Please Claudius you have to help me! I'll do anything!"

Claudius smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. Stella beamed at him.

SMACK!

The blow sent Stella falling to the floor gasping in pain and surprise. Claudius smiled down on her. "Lynn, you will do anything I ask regardless of whether or not I restore your powers."

"Y-yes Claudius. Of course Claudius. Anything!" She rubbed her stinging cheek; he didn't have to do that! She loved him! She'd said she would do anything for him.

"Good. Now I do have some ideas but I could use your help in getting my creative juices to… flow."

"Huh?"

Crowe shook his head slowly. He firmly pushed Stella to her knees in front of his crotch. "Oh…" The Girl of the Stars dutifully unzipped his fly and applied her lips to his member.

She could hear chalk on the blackboard above her as Crowe jotted down formulas and equations. After several minutes his thick member throbbed in her mouth, she pulled back and let the stream of hot white cum land on her face and flow down her breasts. She knew Crowe liked it that way, something about her not being worthy of his seed.

He was still working. She shrugged and started licking and stroking his member again. She knew Crowe could cum four or five times without resting.

Finally…

"Rise. You have an appointment with Dorgon the Demolisher in fifteen minutes."

Stella wiped her face and chest with her cape. "Oh stars and comets do I have to-" She saw the look in Crowe's eyes. "Yes sir." She said meekly.

"There is some serum on the counter. This is a new formula; it should empower you for a full hour."

Stella spotted the six vials of golden liquid. Six hours of powers. That was all she had until Crowe created some more. It made her nervous just to think about it.

"Well?"

"I'm going Claudius." She ran over to the counter and downed the first vial she could reach. The effects were almost immediate. She crushed the empty vial in her hand. Her pale blue eyes turned almost white as her stellar sight returned. She could feel power flowing through her limbs, feel her skin tingling with an aura of invulnerability. She'd forgotten how good it felt to be the Girl of the Stars.

"Dorgon should be landing on the Sterenko Bridge in five minutes. You'd best be going. Your city needs you."

"Crowe…" She walked over to him and put her arms around his lean body. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

He smiled back. "Go. I don't want to have to teleport you back this time."

"Yes dear." Stella turned and flew out of the lab. She could be at the Sterenko Bridge in less than a minute. It was good to have stellar powers!

Crowe turned back to his equations.

***

Dorgon the Demolisher turned out to be tougher than the last few monsters Crowe had sent against Stella. It took almost an hour to beat him, wrecking most of the Sterenko Bridge and Lopez Heights in the process. Lucky Crowe's subliminal messages seemed to be doing the job. Everyone still yelled 'Yay Stella' when she finally beat him and the hulking monster dissolved into gook. But Stella barely had enough power to fly away and land on an isolated rooftop before her powers faded. She shivered in her bikini, suddenly as vulnerable to the elements as any other girl. She took out the mini radio Crowe gave her.

"Hello? Crowe are you there? Sweetie, that was one tough monster, it took forever to beat him and now I kind of need a ride home. Crowe? Crowe?"

She tried again. And again. She stammered apologies for her failure. She swore her love for Crowe. She cursed him. She begged. She pleaded. She panicked. And finally the batteries wore down the and radio went dead.

"Stars and comets, now what?"

***

Claudius Crowe fled through the hallways, firing heat rays over his shoulder even though he knew they would do no good. His Gravity Gauntlet and armor were two levels down, if he could just make it to the stairs.

"Blast that idiot son of mine!" He swore.

SMASH! The wall in front of him exploded outward.

"Which 'idiot son' do you mean father?" The small floating figure asked.

Crowe drew and fired his heat ray and shrinking ray at the boy. Neither had any affect. Crowe cursed his own reflexes. He knew damn well the only thing that could stop this creature was a green stellar radiation ray. Which is why the boy had destroyed those first.

The boy's eyes flashed red and the two devices burn to slag. Crowe bit off a cry of his pain as his hands burn as well.

"Opps. Sorry father, I guess I can't quite control my stellar sight yet."

Crowe's brilliant mind took stock. His teleport relay and force field were already gone. His robots were scrap. And with his hands burnt he couldn't even use his remaining devices, not that any of them would do any good against this stellar-powered for. All he had left were words. But they could be his most powerful weapon of all.

"Why are you doing this? I created you. I am your father!"

"Yes. I know this. Calvin told me."

"Calvin? Calvin did this?"

"Yes it was my brother Calvin who awoke me, who taught me, who warned me."

"That lying little… listen, he's been lying to you! The boy is an idiot, in fact I doubt he's even my son. I only keep him around out of pity."

"Truly?"

"Yes! Yes! He's lying to you! I never planned to transplant my mind into your body!"

"You seem very well informed about which lies Calvin told."

Crowe turned a bit more pale. "I… I assumed that was the logical deception for him to use. But it is a lie. I always meant for you and I to rule the world together, as equals!"

"Equals?" The boy pulled a piece of rebar from the rubble and twisted it like taffy.

"I… I mean at first of course. Then naturally I would step aside, focus on my research."

"Naturally." The boy's eyes flashed red and the rebar melted under his gaze. The molten steel flowed over his hands and onto the floor.

"Obviously this sort of tantrum is to be expected, what with you having just been born. So do not worry. I forgive you."

"Most generous of you father."

Crowe rose shakily to his feet. "Now come, we should find your brother Calvin and 'explain' things to him."

"Father?"

"Yes son?"

"What is my name?"

"Your name?"

"Yes father. If in fact we were to be equals, if I was more than just a body for you to be transplanted into, what name did you give me?"

"I… I…" Terror shot through Crowe's mind, he tried desperately to come up with something but his remarkable brain was blank.

"Thank you father, I think that clears everything up." The boy's eyes flashed red again and Crowe's legs below the knees burnt to a crisp.

Crowe bit back a cry of pain as he fell to his hands. "Listen you fool! I created you! Your genetic matrix is unstable! You still need me, you still need the data I gathered from Stella!"

"I need you?"

"Yes! Naturally as a servant but without the information I alone have you will never be able to stabilize your genetics or use your powers to the fullest!"

The boy hovered there for a few minutes considering Crowe's words.

The bald scientist was gasping for air by then, he could feel himself going into shock. "Please son, I need to get to the medical lab, you can't let me die, you need me."

The boy landed next to the crippled scientist and shook his head. "I am a Crowe. Like my father before me and his father before him. We are the masters of this world. I need no one."

"Please I beg you-"

"Do not beg father, you shame your heritage."

"Heritage?! You dare speak of heritage!? You're not a Crowe!" Claudius gasped. "Even my idiot son is more a Crowe than you are! You're just a genetic experiment gone wrong! No more a Crowe than one of my robots! You don't even have a name you spawn of a test tube."

"You are right about one thing father. I do not have a name. So I choose one now. We Crowes have always built our empires on the graves of others, so I shall be Carrion Crowe." His eyes blazed red one final time and Claudius Crowe was burnt to ash. "I see you have no objections."

Carrion puffed his cheeks and even the ashes were scattered to the four winds.

"You may emerge Calvin."

Shaking, Calvin Crowe emerged from around the corner. "Y-you see, it is as I warned you. He was going to kill you to claim your body as his own."

"Yes, I see."

"Now we can work together, as brothers, and make ourselves the true masters of this world."

Carrion glared at his brother.

"I mean, if you want…"

Carrion looked up. His dark eyes turned a pale grey. "Do you know what it is like to be me?"

"Um…"

"My eyes can see dancing atoms or gaze at exploding galaxies. Do you really think that this one world has any interest for me?"

"No, I suppose it would not-"

"I will leave now. Pray I never return."

BOOM!

The impact knocked Calvin off his feet. Carrion shot through hundreds of feet of solid stone and disappeared into the sky.

***

It was almost nightfall when the cab dropped Stella off outside the shack. After buying some clothes to cover her costume she didn't have anywhere near enough money to pay for the cab ride out of town. She'd had to give the driver a blowjob to make up the difference.

She found the hidden entrance and took the elevator down. The elevator was slow and the main light wasn't on, she shrugged. Maybe that's why Crowe didn't answer the radio. Even a genius could have blackouts right?

Finally she arrived in his underground lab.

It was in ruins.

"Stars and comets, no!"

She ran through the corridors, every room was trashed, every piece of equipment. And there was no sign of Crowe anywhere.

Finally she found her way into his stellar radiation lab. "Stars and comets, stars and comets please let them be OK…"

There on the granite counter were five glass vials still holding their precious golden serums. Stella hugged them to her chest and cried. Then she saw the note.

My Dearest Lynn,

I regret to report my beloved father passed away this afternoon in an experiment gone awry. In my grief I have chosen to relocate. I leave you with these samples of the serum to restore your powers and wish you well in your future endeavors.

With best wishes,

Calvin Crowe

"S-stars and comets… what do I do now?"

Afterword

Well this is it! This is the chapter I had in mind when I started this story almost 4 years ago! I always knew it was Crowe who'd caused Polly and Stellar Man's death and that eventually Stella would end up under his thumb.

The problem was I didn't know where I would go from there. I could spin my wheels for a few issues as Crowe put Stella through more and more shit but that would get boring.

But how could I move past this point? It's not like Crowe would gracefully let her go.

So then I realized this chapter could only end one way. Hey I promised the Triumph of the Crowe, but I never said which one.

The evil Crowe family is one of the first things I created, way, way back in Global Protectors vs. The Wraithlord. Since then different generations have shown up in my stories. One of these days I'll finish my story 'A Murder of Crowes' that gives their full history.

Nasty Stellar Boy is another idea I wanted to do for a while. I always figured it would be much more interesting to write a teen with godlike powers who acts like a teen, than one who acts like a saint. He can still be essentially good, but make mistakes. I might revisit him some time.

Anyway Stella has lost everything. Come back next issue as she tries to regain her powers and rebuild her life.

And look for the return of a character who's been missing for far, far too long.

Yeah.

Her.

Marcus Lycus

(Marcus_Lycus@hotmail.com)

February 2010

Next issue: The Long Road Home, in more ways than one.

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