White Owl
In
A most Dangerous Game
by
Skytower
The stone was old. Very, very old. Athena Nikos liked that. She loved the past. She loved re-discovering the wisdom of past
civilizations. But this was
different.
“Are you certain?” She asked the
white haired man across from her.
“Field carbon dating confirms it,”
He said taking off his large thick glasses to clean them. “Roughly 1000 A.D.”
Athena looked at the stone that he
had brought into her office. It sat on
her massive oak desk and seemed to call out to her. That was silly of course; it was a tablet of
pure granite carved into a 4x4 block.
But burned into the pink and crystal block was a message in a very
familiar handwriting.
“Help!” Athena read the message
aloud. “Stuck in past! Gambled and Lost against Le Joueur. Laser Gal.”
The letters got progressively
lighter and the last letter was barely there at all. Where ever she was and what ever had happened
to her had drained her powers.
“What happened to her?” Athena
wondered.
“I knew you were fond of the girl,”
the man said. “So when we uncovered this
I knew you’d want to see it.”
“What about the rest of the sight
Mr. Dudley?” Athena asked.
“Caught in the crossfire between
Captain Valiant and Raxor.” Mr. Dudley said.
“Just a few hours after I left the sight with this.” He face showed irritation and Athena could
sympathize. Of all of the people on the
university staff Ronald Dudley was the only one who loved the past more than
she did. He was also one of the people
who knew that she was White Owl. From
the looks of his dusty coveralls he had indeed come from the archeological
sight near Angel Falls harbor. He’d
taken care to set it down so that none of the dust got on her business
suit. While she was in her office Athena
favored expensive and well tailored clothing.
“Nothing left.”
Athena swore silently. Angel Falls was constantly building and
rebuilding due to superhero battles.
Sometimes when a construction crew was clearing the wreckage they found
something like this. Under a condo that
Master Blaster destroyed had been the ruins of an old temple. The stone had been the cornerstone of that
temple and if Dudley was right the temple had been older than anyone had
guessed. And better built. The stones were all perfect cubes with
workmanship far beyond what should have been available in pre-history.
“I’m sorry to say she must be out of
your reach,” Dudley said. “We found the
temple ruins thirty feet down when they were digging for a new underground
garage.”
“Any bodies?” Athena asked. She hated to ask but she had too. If Laser Gal died in the past then there was
no hope.
“None.” Mr. Dudley said.
“If someone sent her there I can get her
back,” Athena said. “She gave the name,
all I have to do is follow up on it. And
I know some places to start.”
“Oh yea I know her,” The grease
covered man said. “Asian chick, loves to
gamble big time. High stakes. Never welches.”
“So I heard,” Athena replied. “So come on Leo, tell me what I need.”
Clean Living Leo put down the engine
block he had been carrying and sat on it.
He was a massive man, easily the width of four men but only half as
tall. Once he had been Short Block but
he found out early on that Angel Falls needed a good mechanic more than it
needed another supervillain. Athena had
helped him realize that after she realized that his heart really wasn’t in the
villain game. Half of the machinery that
the supervillains and some of the superheroes in town used came from the hidden
shop beneath his garage. Athena dealt
with him covertly, leaving her costume at home and bringing her car in for
servicing. She’d introduced Leo to his wife-herself
a former supervillainess-and since then he’d been her best conduit into the
supervillain underground. He didn’t know
that she was White Owl, he thought that she was just the way that White Owl
looked him up for information. She
didn’t consider him completely harmless but he generally kept to small
stuff. Athena looked around at the old
shop. It was one of the few buildings in
Angel Falls that was still doing what it had been built for. A squat two story garage built of red brick. It suited him.
“She’s crazy for betting,” Leo
said. “She drifted into town last year
and made a deal with the Forelli family.
Runs her own floor of the Gold Spire and from what I hear gets an odd
group there. Sorcerers, supervillains…
demons…”
“Any idea what Laser Gal might have
been doing there?” Athena asked. Laser Gal had last been seen in the Golden
Spire casino on the 44th floor.
That matched with the name; Le Joueur.”
“Tracking some girl who got snatched
by the Bounder,” Leo said. “At least
that’s what I heard from the guy who tried to sell me her car.”
“When was that?”
“About a month ago.” Leo said.
“What about the guy?”
Leo shrugged.
“Tried to rip me off,” he said. “Took off and never saw him again.”
Athena hovered outside of the Gold
Spire casino at dawn the next day. There
was no way the guy who sold Laser Gal’s car was still alive. Leo was only a semi-reformed supervillain and
he’d never let some guy live who tried to cheat him. She’d never prove it or find the body so
Athena let it go. What ever happened to
Laser Gal had happened in the gold plated building in front of her. And it had happened a month ago. Athena had been busy but still she felt
guilty that she hadn’t noticed Laser Gal was missing. LG wasn’t her sidekick but still…
Athena had hit up a lot of contacts
for information about Le Joueur. No one
had been able to tell her much beyond the obvious. A direct confrontation was her last option.
The
Golden Spire had been built in the 1950’s and resembled a stack of poker
chips. Sometime in the 1960’s it had
been gold plated. Trouble was it was owned
by the Forrelli Family. Old time mobster
money, deeply, deeply connected into Angel Falls city government. Safe from any of her friends in the law and
most of the superheroes. The Forrelli’s
were the only group she knew that actually sued superheroes for damages and
pressed charges if assaulted. They used
the law like a sword. Parrying and
thrusting with an artistic range that frustrated anyone who tried to take them
down. Any strong arm tactics Athena
could use would backfire on her.
“So I go in politely and ask,”
Athena said floating over to the window of the forty-fourth floor. She was wearing her formal costume; white
domino mask, a gray cape, light blue evening gown gloves, thigh high white
stiletto boots, a gold utility belt and a French-cut sleeveless leotard made of
special fabric. The window opened at
her knock and Athena floated into a deserted gambling den.
“You are a bit late White Owl,” Said
a surprisingly soft voice. Athena saw a
slim Asian woman sitting at the bar. “It
is dawn and the action here takes place at night.”
“I don’t want action,” Athena
casting her eyes around the room. It was
large and full of poker, roulette and blackjack tables. The walls were lined with slot machines. The odors of cigarette, cigar, marijuana and
other types of vice lingered in the air.
The black carpet felt sticky under her boots. “I’m here for answers about what happened to
Laser Gal.”
The woman stood up and walked over
to one of the roulette tables. She moved
gracefully through the debris of what had been a party the night before. As she moved from dimly lit to strongly lit
sections of the room Athena saw that she wore a green tunic dress belted at the
waist with a belt that was a deeper shade of green. The dress contrasted well with her long jet
black hair. Underneath the tunic she
wore bright green leggings. She wore
green shoulder length gloves. Green
slippers on her feet made no noise as she walked. She gave the roulette wheel a spin and then
leaned on the table.
“She came, she lost a bet.” Le
Joueur said. She had green eyes and pale
skin with a strikingly beautiful face.
It was the type of face that could look 16 or 60 depending upon the make
up.
“Lost a bet with you?” Athena
demanded. “That is what you do isn’t Le
Joueur?”
“It is what I am,” Le Joueur said
nodding. “I was born in a casino and
lost by my mother there. Gambling is
life White Olw and in this place life is distilled to an essence. Every part of life is a gamble in one way or
another. Here there are no grays.”
“What did Laser Gal loose?”
“Herself.”
Athena walked over to the table and
stopped the still spinning roulette wheel.
“I want details,” She said facing Le
Joueur. “I want a name and I want a
place.”
“What makes you think I will give
them to you?” Le Joueur replied not at all intimidated. “I am well within your law here White Owl and
you are not a peace officer in any case.
Try to beat it out of me and you will find out what it is like to be on
the wrong side of the law.”
With an easy and infuriating grace
she spun the wheel again, turned and walked back over to the bar. Athena ground her teeth but didn’t move. She hadn’t come in cold after all.
“However we can work within the laws
of this establishment,” Le Joueur said turning.
“You want to play for this
information,” Athena said.
“Of course,” Le Joueur replied. “As you knew that I would. From the time when you spoke with the police
chief I knew you would be here with some sort of plan. Since you can’t beat it out of me and your
reputation is such that you won’t try to seduce it out of me you seek to play
by my rules and beat me at my own game.”
“No secrets in this town,” Athena
said walking over to her.
“None,” Le Joueur agreed. “Well, a few.” She reached behind the bar and grabbed a
magazine and then put it on the bar between them. “But they tend to come to light. You know this magazine I’m sure.”
“Angel Falls at Night,” Athena said
with a little disgust creeping into her voice.
The cover of the magazine featured a bound policewoman with half of her
uniform torn off. Athena knew the
policewoman. That cover had nearly cost
the officer her job. “Our version of the
New Yorker with a Hustler angle, just not as classy.”
“I lost a bet with the editor,” Le
Joueur said. “Next month I am to be the
center fold.” She paused and then
added. “Unless you loose a bet with me
today.”
“You’re kidding,” Athena
snapped. “No, of course your not.” She
added. Athena tapped her mask. “I wear this for a reason you know.”
“The mask can stay, everything else
goes,” Le Joueur said. She studied
Athena’s face for a moment. Athena knew
that she was handsome with high cheekbones and a strong jaw on top of a solid
figure. Her face was framed by deeply
black shoulder-length hair. “We play a
game. Poker. For each hand you win I will answer a
question about Laser Gal, for each hand you loose you will take off part of
your costume and pose as I instruct.”
“Strip poker?” Athena asked.
“Yes,” Le Joueur said. “Or strip blackjack if you prefer. If your luck is good then you’ll have your
answers. Even if you luck is bad you may
get a few. If you luck is terrible then
you will grace the centerfold next month.”
Athena thought for a moment. Angel Falls at Night paid good money for
photos of heroines with torn or missing costumes. Bondage photos paid even more than nude
ones. They also used model look-a-likes
for some of their photoshoots. That had let a lot of heroines say that it
wasn’t them in the magazine even when it was.
If worst came to worst she could use that. There were no birthmarks or scars on Athena’s
body to give away an absolute ID.
“We are both wearing the same amount
of clothing,” Le Joueur said seeing Athena hesitate. “You may win.”
“You’ve given this a lot of
thought,” Athena accused.
“You’ve been asking questions all
day and spent most of the night hovering outside,” Le Joueur said. “Tell me what is Laser Gal to you?”
A confused and scared college kid
who fell asleep in the lab one night and woke up able to shoot laser beams out
of her eyes, Athena thought. A young
woman who had the bad luck to room with the daughter of the Mind Master and
date his son. A very lucky young woman
who managed not to get killed when Ultra Woman, the Scarlet Witch and I took
him down. A young woman who didn’t have
an ounce of malice in her body and didn’t like those who did. The girl who-when she slept over at Athena’s
apartment because the student dorm had been destroyed in her battle with the
Roach League-had made Athena breakfast in bed twice and destroyed two toasters
and nearly a stove doing it. Athena
didn’t consider her a sidekick, more of a kid sister.
“A lover?” Le Joueur asked when
Athena hesitated.
“No,” Athena snapped.
“Well then I’ve lost a bet,” Le
Joueur laughed. “The head of the Roach
League was sure that you two were lovers, or at least showered together.”
“You win half that bet,” Athena said
coldly. “But she’s just a friend.”
“Good enough of a friend to wager
your modesty?” Le Joueur asked extending her hand.
“It’s a bet,” Athena agreed taking
her hand and shaking it. “No hidden
cameras around here?”
“Shut off,” Le Joueur snapped
angrily pulling her hand back. “I play
the game straight or I do not play it at all!”
Touchy, Athena thought as the woman
leaned over the bar and picked up an expensive looking SLR camera.
“Only
this one works.”
“Good enough,” Athena said. “Poker then.”
“A game of strategy,” Le Joueur said
and her voice was full of anticipation. “I
will win many bets if you have any piercings or tattoos.”
She led Athena over to one of the
poker tables and reached down bellow it.
There was a locker there with at least ten card decks. Le Joueur handed it to her.
“As you can see the seal is not
broken.”
“It isn’t,” Athena agreed studying
the plastic shrink-wrap. “Who shuffles?”
“The machine,” Le Joueur said.
She opened the deck of cards,
removed the jokers and then placed it into a rectangular box. She closed the box, pressed the number 2 on
the key pad and then pushed a button.
Athena could hear the gears whirring.
The machines were straight, they had to be in Angel Falls. Supervillains were tolerated, card cheats
weren’t. More than one casino had become
a deserted ghost town when it was found to be stacking the deck.
Le Joueur sat down and Athena sat
across from her.
“I’d offer you a drink but I don’t
think you’d trust it,” Le Joueur said.
“I never drink and gamble,” Athena
said.
The dealing machine beeped and spat
out five cards for each of them. They
slid across the felt table top smoothly an Athena picked them up. Not the best hand, but not the worst
either. A pair of 2’s, a 3 and a 5 and a
Jack. Le Joueur glanced at her cards but
did not take them completely off of the table.
“I’ll take one card,” She said and
put a card into the discard area. She
pressed the number one on the machines keypad and it spat out a card.
“I’ll take three,” Athena said
discarding her cards and pressing the 3 key on the pad. Her new cards were a 2, a 4 and a 7. Three of a kind was a good start.
“I’ll start with my slippers,” Le
Joueur said.
“I’ll match that with my boots,”
Athena said.
The Asian woman flipped her hand
over to reveal three jacks, a 2 and an 8.
“Round one to me,” Le Joueur said
smiling as she saw Athena’s cards.
“Yea,” Athena agreed. She reached down and unzipped her boots and
then slipped them off.
“I think…” Le Joueur looked around
and then pointed to the bar. “On the
bar, smiling and holding your cape wide.”
Athena got up and walked over to the
bar and then hopped onto the top. She’d
decided on her formal outfit at the last minute when she’d come up with plan B
and now she was glad that she had. She
rarely wore it so even if she lost the pictures would look less authentic. She smiled as the flash went off but clenched
her hands into fists. The picture would
show her strong handsome face and well toned body, but it could be anyone
behind the mask.
“Purple toe polish?” Le Joueur. “Had a girl’s night out recently?”
“Something like that,” Athena said.
“Ready for the next hand?”
“Yes,” Athena said hopping down from
the bar.
“I’m curious,” Le Joueur said as
they sat down, “Why do you do this?”
“Do what?”
“The costume, the cape… being a
heroine? I can understand the thrill of
showing off your body but the crime fighting?
You can’t think that it does much good.
Your kind has been active in Angel Falls for nearly 20 years now and things
aren’t any better.”
“You think we should just give up?”
Athena asked.
“It would make sense.” Le Joueur
said looking at the small screen on the back of the camera. “You are what… 27, 30? How long do you think you can keep going
before you end up like the first or the second Ultra Woman? Dead or sexually enslaved? Did you hear what happened to Valiant
Girl? The torture was so bad she sits in
a straight jacket in a padded room. The
law doesn’t appreciate you.”
“Some of the law does,” Athena
said.
“Many police come here every night
and I hear what they say about your kind,” Le Joueur said carefully examining
the picture she had just taken. “I’m
sure you know what they say.”
“You think we should just lay back,
spread our legs and give up?” Athena demanded.
“I said nothing about sex,” Le
Joueur replied putting the camera down.
“You don’t have too,” Athena
said. “It’s always about sex. It’s primal and sex is power. All the big men, all the super villains, all
the mobsters… it’s the same thing. It’s
a big ape standing on a pile of bones and banging his chest saying ‘Hey, I’m
tough! I’m so tough I’m gonna take what
I want!’ It’s the law of the jungle.”
“That is the nature of man,” Le
Joueur said throwing her arms out as if to encompass the human race. “That is how it has always been.”
“That’s the animal,” Athena said. “That’s what you get when you don’t
think. What you get when you think is
civilization. When you think you realize
that there’s all types of strength and maybe someone who can’t pound someone to
get the prize doesn’t that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it. My club stands up and says ‘no’ to the
animal. My club says that smart people
make the rules and they make them fair.”
“You sound like Laser Gal,” Le
Joueur said as she pushed the deal button on the box. Five cards slid toward Athena. “So earnest.”
“When did you hear her?” Athena
asked picking up her cards. Le Joueur
smiled at her and Athena looked at the cards she had been dealt. Two aces, a 3, a 7 and a 9. The aces were good, but the rest…
“One card,” Le Joueur said putting a
card down and pressing the one key on the keypad. A card slid toward her.
One card again, did she have three
of a kind? Again? Not likely.
“Three cards,” Athena said.
The machine gave her a queen,
another 7 and a king.
“I’ll bet my slippers again,” Le
Joueur said.
“My cape,” Athena said.
Le Joueur laid her cards down and
Athena saw two jacks and two queens. She
sighed and stood up.
“On the bar again if you please,” Le
Joueur said.
Athena took off her cape and folded
it over the side of the chair. Then she
floated over to the bar.
“Hold your hair above your head,
tease it a bit,” the Asian woman ordered.
“And smile. Tilt your head back a
little… That’s it thank you.”
Athena smiled as she posed but hoped
that her eyes showed how angry she was.
Standing with her arms up pulled her breasts up and she knew damn well
that was what Le Joueur wanted. Athena
wasn’t the DD cup that Bouncer Girl was but that didn’t stop everyone from
staring at her chest a lot. Her breasts
were good sized. Again she clenched her
hands into fists.
After the flash went off Athena
floated back over to the table.
“Are you sure you won’t have a
drink?” Le Joueur asked walking back to the table. She had grabbed a bottle and a glass filled
with ice from the bar.
“I need a clear head,” Athena
said.
Once again the cards were dealt and
Athena was more hopeful this time. She
had been dealt a pair of kings and a 2, a 7 and an 8.
“Three.” Athena said.
Again she was lucky. Another king and an ace and a five.
“Well I’ll go with my slippers
again,” Le Joueur said after taking two cards.
“My belt,” Athena said.
“No picture this time,” Le Joueur
said when they flipped over their cards.
She reached under the table and pulled off her slippers and then leaned
back in her chair, putting her feet up on the table.
“Nice,” Athena commented. Each toenail was covered with gold nailpolish
and studded with small diamonds.
“Thank you,” Le Joueur said. She poured herself a drink. “It’s real gold you know, stung like hell
when they put it on.”
“I bet,” Athena said. “Who was Laser Gal with when she came here?”
“Mr. Snow,” Le Joueur said.
Athena swore. Mr. Snow was a snitch, a drug dealer and
easily underestimated. Why was Laser Gal
with him?
“She didn’t come willingly,” Le
Joueur said taking a sip from her drink.
“She was led in on a leash, her arms behind her back in a single glove
and she was hobbled. First rate bondage
gear from Ms. Restrained. The collar
around her neck was studded.”
Ms. Restrained was the Leo’s
opposite. She had started out as a
heroine but now worked with what ever supervillain would pay her. At least now Athena had another place to
check out if this turned into a dead end.
“What about her powers?” Athena
asked.
“She was blindfolded,” Le Joueur
said. “From the bruises and the fact
that her costume was torn I’d say he worked her over. I’m curious, did she always have her nipples
pierced?”
Athena growled and Le Joueur smiled.
“New deal,” She said pressing the
button.
Athena looked at her cards. Two 5s, a 3 and a Jack.
“Three,” She said.
That got her another five and
another 3 and a 4. Not perfect, but
three of a kind…
“One,” Le Joueur said and got her
card. “My blouse.”
“My belt,” Athena said. She sighed with relief when Le Joueur only
had a pair of 7’s.
Le Joueur stood up and stretched and
then slowly unbuttoned her blouse and took it off. Underneath was a sheer green bra and between
her breasts was a small dragon tattoo.
“What did they do while they were
here?” Athena demanded.
“He gambled, she tried to break free
every now and then. Many sarcastic
comments no matter how many times he hit her.
I think she threw his game and that maybe why he lost her.”
“He lost her?” Athena demanded. “To who?”
“Next hand,” Le Joueur said.
Frustrated and worried Athena picked
up her cards. Two 8’s, an ace, a queen
and a king.
“Three cards,” Athena said and got a
5, a 6 and a 9.
“Two cards,” Le Joueur said. “I think my bra, you are staring at my breasts
already, might as well give you the full showing.”
“Dream on,” Athena said. “I’ll bet my belt.”
Le Joueur flipped over her cards to
reveal three 3’s and a pair of 6’s.
Athena stood up and took off her belt.
“On the bar please,” Le Joueur said.
“Lying on your side, head resting on one
hand, arm and one leg pointing straight up in the air. And keep smiling.”
Athena complied but kept her free
hand clenched into a fist.
“The camera loves you,” Le Joueur
said. Athena didn’t reply.
Once they sat down at the table
again Le Joueur took a pack of Winston cigarettes from under the table and lit
one. A slight rose scent filled started
to fill the room as the smoke flowed from it.
“Those things’ll kill you,” Athena
said.
Le Joueur laughed and blew the smoke
into her face.
“In our business longevity isn’t
something you count on,” She said. She
pressed the button and again the cards were dealt.
Athena picked up her cards. Two 9’s, a 7, an 8 and a jack.
“Three,” She said.
That got her back a 6, a 10 and
another 9. Three nines was pretty good.
“I’ll bet my leotard,” Athena said.
“Two,” Le Joueur said. “Again, my bra. I know you can hardly wait.”
“I’m straight,” Athena said.
“I don’t care,” Le Joueur said. “That is what Laser Gal said.”
“What…”
“If you can beat this you can find
out,” Le Joueur interrupted smiling. She
had four 7’s.
“Damn!” Athena said. She stood up and hooked her thumbs under her
shoulder straps and pulled them down.
Then she pulled the costume the rest of the way down revealing her bare
breasts and a pair of white bikini briefs.
“Worth the wait,” Le Joueur said
gazing at her body. “Please stand on the
bar as before, use your hands to tease your hair up and remember to keep
smiling.
Blushing Athena went over to the bar
and assumed the pose.
“You are wasted as a heroine,” Le
Jeueur exclaimed as she snapped the picture.
This could be a problem. Athena’s
breasts were large and full and her areolas were light brown and diffused into
her breasts, there was no clear line around them. That was distinctive and someone could argue
later that it was she in the magazine.
“It’s a fulfilling life.”
“You’re joking,” Le Joueur said
blowing smoke up at her body. “All of
the work you and your club has done, all of the members of my class you’ve
killed or put in jail; do you think the world is any better? Crime in this city alone stands at the same
level statistically for fifty years now.
You haven’t stopped war, poverty, disease…”
“Neither have you,” Athena snapped
hopping off of the bar. She was dizzy
after the jump and steadied herself against a chair. “At least people like me are trying.”
“And failing,” Le Joueur snapped
back. “Go two blocks from this building
and you’ll find a young girl selling herself, a block and a half and you’ll
find her brother selling himself. With
all your power what good do you really do?”
“I stop people like you,” Athena
said walking over to her. “Yea, maybe it
doesn’t change the course of history but you know what? I don’t care!
I do what I can when I can.”
“And when you can’t they are left
for people like me,” Le Joueur said smiling again. “and I do what I can.” She blew more smoke into Athena’s chest and
then walked back to the table. “There’s
more of me than there is of you, even if you do have the power of a slut of a
goddess.”
“What did you say? Athena demanded
angrily.
“Come now,” Le Joueur said sitting
down at the table. She took a sip from
her drink. “Don’t you know what Athena
was like back when she and the rest of them ruled? You think I’m bad? They were ten times worse. You’re a hypocrite if you think otherwise.”
“Athena and the rest of the gods
were young,” Athena said stomping back to the table and sitting down. “Wisdom takes time even for gods.”
“You know that your breasts bounce
wonderfully when you’re angry?” Le Joueur asked blowing more smoke her way.
“Yea I’ve heard,” Athena said waving
her hand in front of her face. She
leaned forward. “I know what Athena was
like, what the others were like. They
know too, that’s why they pulled back, learned to control themselves. Learned to be true gods. They are ashamed of what they were and what
they did, but their wiser now. That’s
why they don’t do more than send me and a few others into the world. They know that man has to learn for himself.”
“We’ll never learn,” Le Joueur
said. “I’m mild by comparison to many
others but still I’m evil, selfish… if there’s a law I haven’t broken it is
only because I haven’t gotten to it yet.”
She leaned forward and smiled. “I
have raped your kind, male and female and I’ve loved it. I’ve had them squirming and screaming and
laughing… Ultraman, Maple Leaf… I’ve
bound them, whipped them, tickled them until they cried… and I’d do it again if
I could. And so will 99 out of a hundred
men.”
“I’m here for the one who won’t,”
Athena said. “I’m here so that you
can’t.”
Le Joueur leaned back and blew her
smoke into the air above them.
“You’re doing fine so far,” Le
Joueur said sarcastically leaning her head back and blowing her smoke into the
air. “The Forrelli family goes after
that one person all the time.”
“And sometimes I’m there,” Athena
said.
“Your cleaning an oil spill a
thimble at a time!”
“I’m still cleaning it,” Athena
said. “Now deal!”
Le Joueur smiled and pressed the
button. A red light came on and there
was a beep from the machine.
“Time for a new deck,” Le Joueur
said and started to refill the machine.
“What about you? You ever thought of packing this in?” Athena
asked. “Going legit? You said it yourself this isn’t a life with
longevity.”
“I was born and raised into this
life,” Le Joueur said. “My mother lost a
bet to my father and I was born, my father lost his life in a bet, my mother
lost me in a bet. Passed from hand to
hand I’ve learned that as good as your kind is-or pretends to be-you’re too
outnumbered. You were never there when I
needed you. Neither was that slut of a
goddess you worship. Being the one who
isn’t a predator guarantees that you’ll be preyed upon sooner or later. I’ll never be queen but I’ll never be a pawn
either. An ordinary life would be the
death of me.”
Cards slid across the table to her
and Athena picked them up.
“Your life isn’t ordinary,” Athena
said “but you’re still just middle management.
“Two cards,” Le Joueur said pressing
the button. “And don’t ever call me
that!”
That got her, Athena thought. Her cards were in good shape too. A pair of kings, a 4, a 5 and a jack.
“Two,” Athena said discarding the 4
and the 5.
That got her a 6, a 10 and another king.
“You don’t have much left,” Le
Joueur remarked staring at Athena’s breasts.
“So even it out a bit,” Athena
said. “My panties against your bra and
leggings.”
“My you do have a good hand don’t
you?” Le Joueur said.
“Maybe I do,” Athena said keeping
her voice level.
Le Joueur laughed and blew another
cloud of smoke at her.
“No, I’ll stay with just my bra
thank you.”
“Not for long,” Athena said laying
her cards on the table.
The Asian woman laughed and stood up
not even bothering to show her cards.
Slowly she pulled her bra off and then with another laugh tossed it over
her shoulder.
“They aren’t as big as yours,” She
said cupping her breasts with her hands.
Her breasts were small but firm with dark aureoles and pronounced
nipples. She pinched the nipples. “But I like them.”
“Good for you,” Athena said. “Now who did Laser Gal spend time with and
what did they do?”
Le Joueur took another sip from her
drink and then lit another cigarette.
“She came in with Mr. Snow, but he
put her up as security against a bad hand of poker and lost her to Nick
Forelli, but Nick had an outstanding debt to Dynamo and so she was passed to
him. Dynamo was drunk and lost her on a
coin toss to Ms. Mesmer, but as she needed eye contact to make her powers
work…”
Le Joueur paused to take another
drink and then blow out another cloud of smoke.
Athena held her temper in check.
“Ms. Mesmer however owed a debt to
me and I took her.”
“What did you do?” Athena asked
quietly. It took effort to ask quietly
but she did.
“I bet her that I could make her
climax in one hour or under,” Le Joueur said.
“Using only a feather.” She
leaned forward and smiled. “I lost. But it was a fun loss.”
Somehow Athena swallowed her rage.
“What did she win?”
“Her freedom,” Le Joueur said. “Which she lost a few minutes later when she
bet me that she could make me climax in that same amount of time.”
“What would she have won?” Athena
asked cursing the fact that Laser Gal could be that reckless. She could be of course, the girl had absolute
faith in her own luck.”
“The location of the Bounder’s
lair,” Le Joueur said. “But she lost and
after that I lost her in another wager.”
“To who!?” Athena practically
shouted.
“Next hand,” Le Joueur said pushing
the button on the machine.
Athena actually growled but kept her
seat. The answer was close. But then so was complete nudity. Well if she lost there was always plan B.
The next set of cards looked to
favor her. Two aces, a king, a jack and
a 7.
“One card,” Athena said and got back
a 10. “I’ll bet my panties.”
“Three,” Le Joueur said. “And I’ll bet my leggings.
“Damn!” Athena swore as Le Joueur
turned over her cards and revealed three queens.
“The roulette table!” Le Joueur said
picking up the camera.
Athena sighed and stood up and then
hooked the elastic of her panties with her thumbs and pushed them down her
legs.
“Clear cut!” Le Joueur said as she
saw Athena’s shaven pubic area. “I’ll
take five thousand from Old Man Forrelli, thank you very much.”
“Yea, you’re welcome.”
Athena walked over to the table and
climbed onto it.
“I want your legs spread around the
wheel, sit up and put your arms behind you to support your body. And smile of course.”
Growling to herself Athena posed as
ordered. Privately she swore to melt
that camera the first chance that she got.
“No, lift your knees up a bit, scoot
forward, think of this as a gyno exam.
Straddle the wheel.”
Athena did as she was ordered and Le
Joueur angled the shot carefully, standing in front of the wheel. Athena knew that her pussy would be blocked
by the wheel, but that didn’t help.
Again the hated flash went off and after it Athena rolled off of the
table.
“The game is almost over,” Le Joueur
said walking back over to the poker table.
“The only real mystery is if you use nail polish or not.”
“It’s not over yet,” Athena said.
They sat down and Athena tried to
hide her nervousness. She was down to
her gloves and her mask. The leather
seat was cold under her butte and she didn’t want to think about what her bare
feet were walking over. One more
question could lead her to the man or woman who had taken Laser Gal. One more hand could leave her naked. Le Joueur had two more chances at her.
Le Joueur calmly smoked her
cigarette and drank her liquor.
“Deal,” She said pushing the button.
The machine spat out the cards and
Athena picked them up. Immediately she
felt better. Two aces, a king and two
4’s.
“One card,” Athena said and got
another 4.
“None,” Le Joueur said. “My leggings against your gloves?”
“Ok,” Athena said and turned over
her cards.
“Very lucky,” Le Joueur said turning
over her cards. She had two jacks.
Standing up Le Joueur slipped her
leggings down her legs revealing a black thong and another dragon tattoo on her
right leg. She wasn’t shaved.
“Very nice don’t you think?” Le
Joueur said. “I danced professionally
you know.”
“I’m sure you were a great
stripper,” Athena said. “Now who did you
loose Laser Gal to?”
“A new comer, a drow who referred to
herself as Matron Bel-Bruh Queen of Kalan Falls.”
“Where the hell is that?” Athena
snapped as her heart sank. Drow were
dark elves. Vicious, cunning,
cruel… Laser Gal in their power? That was like Bambi versus Godzilla.
“Next hand,” Le Joueur said. She took a drink and sent another cloud of
smoke toward Athena. “Now we come to it,”
She said pushing the deal button on the machine. Her eyes blazed with excitement. “Your questions might be answered or my
question might be answered.”
“What do you need to know?”
“Why you kept your gloves on,” Le
Joueur said.
“My hands were cold.”
“We’ll see.”
Athena looked at the cards she had
been dealt. Two kings, two 10’s and an
ace. Just about as good as she was going
to get, but still…
“One card,” Athena said discarding
the ace. She got a 9 back.
“Three cards,” Le Joueur said. Her face was expressionless but her eyes were
still blazing. “Care to make it just a
little more interesting?”
“Maybe.”
“All your questions answered and
I’ll even testify against the Forelli family.”
“You must have a good hand to risk
that,” Athena said.
“Maybe I do,” Le Joueur said blowing
more smoke at her. She leaned back and
took a drink. “Maybe not.”
“And if I loose?” Athena demanded.
“You become mine,” Le Joueur
smiled. “My slave for a week.”
“Nice try,” Athena said. “But I’ve got no reason to push this. If I loose I’ve still got enough to track
down this Bel-Bruh. Gloves only.”
“You seem very sure,” Le Joueur
said. “Very well.” She laid her cards on the table and Athena’s
heart sank.
“A royal flush!”
“I was very sure,” Le Joueur said
laughing. She picked up the camera. “Now, on the bar, standing on your hands,
legs spread as far apart as you can make them go. And smile.”
“Would you have really testified
against them?” Athena asked as she walked over and climbed on the bar. She pulled her gloves off and folded them
over a barstool.
“A bet is a bet,” Le Joueur
said. “On your fingertips please.”
Athena assumed the pose and
smiled. Le Joueur took longer than
before to focus this time and Athena was relieved when the flash went off. She let her self fall and for a moment lay on
the bar breathing.
“Care to try one more time?” Le
Joueur asked. “For the mask?”
“No,” Athena said. “Bets over.
Now I’ll just ask you and you’ll answer.
Unless you want the Forrelli’s to hear that you were willing to testify
against them.”
“They wouldn’t believe you,” Le
Joueur said. She put the camera down and
picked up her cigarette.
“They’d believe the recording I
have,” Athena said. “That’s why I wore
my formal costume, the cape has a camera in the buckles and the gloves have an
audio recording device.” She picked up
the gloves. “Small enough not to be
noticed by the detectors in here. Mic is
right on the fingertip.”
“Well played,” Le Joueur said though
she didn’t seem worried and that worried Athena. “But there is a flaw in your strategy. We played for the clothes and now they belong
to me.”
“The hell they do,” Athena said
defiantly.
“The hell they do,” Le Joueur said
smiling.
Athena’s hand shot out and grabbed
her throat. Le Joueur stopped
smiling.
“I did my homework, you don’t have
any superstrength, there’s no weapons handy and you’re going to start talking
or I’m going straight to Old Man Forrelli.”
Le Joueur smiled again and grabbed
Athena’s wrist with one hand and twisted it, breaking the hold. She kept her hold on the wrist and kept
twisting, forcing Athena off balance until she fell to the floor.
“I don’t need superstrength,” Le
Joueur said. “And I don’t like being
threatened.”
Athena stood up ready for a fight
and wondering what had happened to her powers.
The woman’s grip had been too strong to be the strength of a normal
human. So either her contacts were wrong
or somehow Le Joueur had found a way to strip Athena of her powers along with
her clothes.
“Do you want to see something?” Le
Joueur asked walking behind the bar. She
pressed a button underneath and part of the bar opened inward. Lights came on and Athena saw another
room. It was a dungeon with stone walls,
all manor of bondage gear and cages.
“Impressive,” Athena said.
“Wait until you’ve been in there for
a few days,” Le Joueur said. She took a
few lengths of rope from under the bar and tossed them onto the floor around
the room.
Athena moved leaping over the bar
she aimed a wide kick at Le Joueur’s head.
Or that was the plan. She managed
to get onto the bar but didn’t clear it enough and ended up rolling over into
Le Joueur. With a grunt the other woman
pushed her back and Athena rolled off of the bar and onto the floor. That proved it; her strength was gone
somehow. Athena judged that she was way
bellow even a normal person’s strength level.
She was climbing to her feet when Le Joueur came around the bar and
grabbed her wrist. Athena grunted in
pain as her arm was twisted and she was forced face first onto a table. Le Joueur held her arm there and started to
wrap the rope around Athena’s wrist.
Athena’s struggles were in vain.
“What did you do to me?” Athena
demanded as she squirmed and twisted.
With a tremendous effort she threw Le Joueur off of her.
“Once you’re tied up I’ll tell you,”
Le Joueur said.
She moved in again but Athena dodged
around the table. Athena had been without
her strength before she could fight without it.
She hoped. Le Joueur laughed and
leapt over the table and tackled her.
They rolled around on the floor until Le Joueur managed to pin Athena on
her back. She held Athena’s wrists above
her head with one hand and reached for a length of rope. Athena bucked and twisted but couldn’t throw
the other woman off of her. Her muscles
just wouldn’t work. She managed to pull
her hands free and punched Le Joueur in the stomach and the throat but her
blows didn’t have any effect. Le Joueur
caught her left wrist and pulled it over her head and then shifted her weight
so that she was sitting on Athena’s face.
Athena kicked her legs and pounded on the woman with everything she had
but Le Joueur didn’t even notice. Athena
became more and more desperate as she felt the rope being tied around her
wrist. She clawed at Le Joueur and the
woman gasped in pain as Athena’s nails drew blood from her back.
Suddenly Le Joueur jumped off of her
and grabbed Athena’s other wrist. She
pulled Athena into a sitting position and then twisted Athena’s arms painfully
until Athena was on her stomach.
The fight was over at that
point. Still Athena struggled as her
arms were crossed behind her back and her wrists tied to her elbows. Le Joueur forced her to sit up and began to
wrap the rope around her chest and stomach.
Athena could only growl and try to pull away. Once again Le Joueur pushed the heroine onto
her stomach and Athena felt more rope being tied to her arms. Then Le Joueur pulled the rope between her
legs and passed it through the rope that was between her breasts. Athena cried out as Le Joueur pulled the
crotch rope tightly, dragging it into her sex.
Le Joueur pushed her down and then
tied Athena’s legs together above the knees and at the ankles. The ropes were tight and Athena could see
that the knots were professional. It was
going to be impossible to get free on her own.
When it was done and Athena was
helpless Le Joueur walked back over to the bar and picked up her camera. Athena blinked as the flash went off again
and again.
“I think I have a few cover shots,”
Le Joueur mused.
“I didn’t come here without telling
people,” Athena said.
“Yes I’m sure you didn’t,” Le Joueur
said. She put the camera down and took
hold of her legs. “You aren’t the fool
that Laser Gal was.” Lightly she ran her
fingers up and down the soles of Athena’s feet.
“Ha… Stop… Ha…” Athena struggled as
she laughed and was surprised when Le Joueur actually stopped.
“Just testing,” Le Joueur said. Taking hold of Athena’s feet she dragged the
helpless heroine across the floor and into the dungeon. Athena’s skin was tough, the rug didn’t burn
as she was dragged across and the stone didn’t scrape. But her muscles still didn’t have enough
strength to free her.
“Now for an answer,” Le Joueur
said. She walked out of Athena’s line of
sight for a moment and then came up behind her.
Athena had no time to protest as she was gagged.
“My cigarette smoke was doused with
a muscle relaxant,” Le Joueur said. “My
drink was the counter agent.”
If Athena could have cursed then she
would have. She’d been breathing that
stuff for the better part of an hour!
“It was a gamble,” Le Joueur
said. “Would you notice the effects? Would you tell me to stop smoking? Would you drink with me? Would the game go on long enough to weaken
you?”
“Y’ un,” Athena growled through the
gag.
“Yes I won,” Le Joueur agreed. Reaching down she pulled Athena’s mask off of
her face. “Nice to meet you again Ms.
Nikos. I remember you. Five years ago I was a dealer in Monte Carlo
when you and your brother were there.”
Le Joueur dropped the mask onto the
floor and walked over to the wall and took a blindfold from a hook. She walked back to Athena slowly. Athena was truly afraid now and cursed
herself for not coming in with back up.
Le Joueur had at least till the afternoon before Captain Valiant showed
up.
“You want to know the most ironic
part of this? Your brother played this
game and won! We had a fun night
together even if he was drunk.”
Alex? With this woman? Athena struggled angrily against the ropes
but it did no good. Le Joueur only
laughed and ran her hands up and down Athena’s body.
“Another bet,” Le Joueur said as she
put the blindfold on her and Athena’s world went black. “I have to arrange for a double of you to be
seen leaving the casino, I have to call the Queen. I think she might like a follower of Athena,
I’ll have to see and I have to make sure those pictures are in a safe
place.”
Le Joueur leaned over and whispered
in Athena’s ear as she fondled her breasts.
Athena squirmed as her nipples were pinched.
“Can I do all that before the drug
wears off and you break free? If you’re
free when I get back I’ll tell you everything.
If you’re not then Laser Gal will have company.”
Athena heard the woman’s soft
footsteps leave the room and the door close.
With everything she had Athena started to work on the ropes.
End.
SCARLET'S
SANCTUM MAIN PAGE SKYTOWER'S
MAIN PAGE