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It is a few minutes past three and another school day has ended at Benjamin Harrison High School in Gotham City. On this brisk early December afternoon, pretty 24 year old first year English teacher Jennifer Bolling checks her mailbox in the main office. Jennifer was quite popular among the students at Harrison High as she participated actively in a number of extracurricular activities, ranging from football boosters to cheerleading to photo club. It didn't hurt that Jennifer was a 5'6 cutey with short blonde hair and a bubbly, warm personality. Ms. Bolling had been organizing the annual Harrison High toy drive for underpriviledged children and had spent the last two afternoons posting leaflets informing those who wished to volunteer for the event to contact her. In Jennifer's mailbox was an interesting letter from a Mr. Lionel Bradley of Master Toys Inc. Mr. Bradley was offering to donate a large number of toys to this charity project and wanted Ms. Bolling to pay him a visit at his toy shop in downtown Gotham to discuss the matter. Feeling she had the perfect sponsor for this toy drive and anxious to make it a resounding success, Jennifer grabbed her sweater and backpack and made a quick trek to downtown Gotham to see Mr. Bradley in person.
After fighting the downtown traffic, Jennifer Bolling arrived at a small storefront with a "Master Toys Inc." sign posted above the door. Our young teacher entered to find a cluttered shop that featured a great many antique toys and games from years past. Jennifer looked around with great curiousity at the vintage wooden soldiers and teddy bears piled in a haphazard manner on the layers of shelfs in the tiny shop. As Ms. Bolling looked around, a small elderly man emerged from the back room to take his customary spot behind the main counter. Jennifer noticed his arrival and flashed a sweet, welcoming smile at the old storekeeper.
"Mr. Bradley?," Jennifer asked, still looking about the various wonders of the toy store.
"Yes...you must be Ms. Bolling of Harrison High," responded Mr. Bradley. "I see you got my letter."
"Yes, I received it today. Thank you for taking an interest in our annual toy drive," beamed Ms. Bolling. "Any help is greatly appreciated."
"It sounds like a wonderful idea, Ms. Bolling," Mr. Bradley boomed. "I'm always able to help a charity in need. If you don't mind, I'm a bit hard of hearing...would you mind coming over to cash register so I can hear you a little better?"
"Of course," Jennifer said sweetly, "that wouldn't be a problem at all."
Jennifer walked over to the counter and the elderly storekeeper came into a better view. He appeared to be quite old, mid-70's, as the skin on his face was severly wrinkled and his body was bent as if his back could barely support the weight of his upper body. Mr. Bradley was not a tall man, but he appeared even shorter as he stood hunched over. Ms. Bolling had her doubts about what Master Toys Inc. would be able to offer the school's toy drive as most of the merchandise was twenty or thirty years old, but she wasn't about the refuse the nice gesture made by the elderly man.
"You certainly have an interesting selection of toys, Mr. Bradley," offered Jennifer in her uniquely perky way. "Most of these items look like the toys I used to have as a kid."
"Yes, we have a lot of great stuff from 1970's and 80's," Mr. Bradley responded. "Most of my business is from vintage toy collectors. Let me introduce my assistant, she's been great in helping an old man manage the business. Barbie...come out here."
A strikingly tall, statusque blonde emerged from the back area. She stood 5'11 with long blonde hair worn straight and curling upward at the shoulders. In a tight tan turtleneck sweater, plaid mini-skirt, and blue nylon tights covering her impossibly long legs, Barbie stepped forward looking very much the spitting image of the doll that shared her name. With an hourglass figure, her large bust and hips contrasted with her tiny petite waist. Ms. Bolling's eyes widened at the sight of this vision of feminine perfection.
"Hello, you must be the teacher, Ms. Bolling," said Barbie with a deep throaty voice. "It is so good to meet you."
"Um, a pleasure to meet you as well, Barbie," stammered Jennifer at the sight of the living, breathing Barbie doll.
The blonde amazon walked past the counter to the back of the store and cast a kind look upon the stunned schoolteacher. Ms. Bolling's eyes followed Barbie as she passed and walked away.
"Say, Ms. Bolling," interjected Mr. Bradley, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "I'll bet you had a Gabby Gabrielle doll as a child, am I right?"
"Why yes, she was my favorite as a little girl," smiled Jennifer.
"I thought so," Mr. Bradley said reassuringly as he turned to the shelf behind the counter and grabbed the doll he referenced. "I saw you looking at it when you arrived."
Mr. Bradley, in his white smock and white collared shirt, held the Gabby Gabrielle doll forward as if to offer it to Jennifer. The Gabby Gabrielle doll looked like a small baby in pajamas with a string behind the neck that allowed it to talk. Jennifer gazed with amazement at the doll she had loved as a youth, not having seen one in fifteen years, and gladly accepted it.
"Wow, a Gabby Gabrielle doll. I can't tell you the last time I saw one of these," Jennifer gushed, staring at the old doll that had been kept in prestine condition.
"Pull the string, you'll see that it still works," offered the kindly toy merchant.
Ms. Bolling pulled the string and activated the speaker in the doll's head. The canned, tinny banter of the children's toy boomed forth just as Jennifer remembered.
"Hi, I'm Gabby Gabrielle," the childlike voice announced from the speaker. "I'm sleepy. Would you like to join me in a nap?"
Ms. Bolling squinted her eyes in confusion as she couldn't remember that being one of the few phrases Gabby Gabrielle spat out. Before Jennifer realized the true purpose of being lured to Mr. Bradley's toy store, a soft Whoooose sound came from the pursued plastic lips of the doll that the unknowing teacher held before her. The air blast from the doll's lips released a blast of glittering powder that struck flush upon Jennifer's face. A dazed, open mouthed, wide eyed look of surprise crossed Ms. Bolling's face at first as her baby blue eyes rolled slowly back once the spray of powder hit her nose and mouth. Once her eyes rolled back, her eyelids fluttered and grew heavy as the same dazed look washed across her cute face. Ms. Bolling's head fell back on her neck as her eyes closed, the shimmering knockout powder had clouded her senses and sent her swiftly to dreamland. Asleep on her feet, Jennifer nearly collapsed to the floor in sweet slumber before Barbie, who had crept behind the tricked teacher, wrapped her up from behind in a bearhug. Ms. Bolling's body, in the python like clutches of the larger Barbie, gave way to complete relaxation as she grew limp and her sleepy head bobbed forward.
"Quickly, Barbie, get Ms. Bolling into the back before anyone else arrives," ordered the Toymaster, a/k/a Lionel Bradley.
"Yes, Mr. Bradley," Barbie meekly replied as threw the small, petite young teacher over her amazon shoulders and carried her into the back room.
Once in the backroom of Master Toys Inc., Ms. Bolling was set down on her back on what appeared to be an elevated oversized Chutes and Ladders game board. The slumbering Jennifer's prone body was held in place on this board by the plastic chutes and ladders bent over her wrists and ankles, form-fitting plastic bent into binding straps by the beautiful Barbie. As Barbie adjusted the plastic chute shaped straps, the Toymaster retrieved a silver plastic space helmet, fitted with an intricate network of wires interlaced about the crown of the headpiece.
"Captain Space Commander helmet charged and in position," Toymaster sneered evilly as he placed the plastic helmet snuggly on Jennifer's head. Once properly fitted, the Toymaster pressed a button on the front of the helmet, which caused the helmet to buzzing slightly. Ms. Bolling's limp and bound body remained still as her eyes slowly opened with a vacant stare. The Toymaster's hypnotic helmet was working perfectly as expected.
"Ms. Bolling," whispered the Toymaster, "can you hear me?"
"Yes...I can hear you," Ms. Bolling responded in a robotic, monotone voice.
"Perfect," purred the Toymaster, "are you prepared to carry out the assignment I have chosen for you?"
"Yes...anything you require...."
"Fantastic, you will make the ideal courier, my dear," the Toymaster cooed sweetly. "I have a box of five teddy bears I'd like you to deliver to five of the teachers at Benjamin Harrison High School. The teddy bears and the list of teachers who are to receive them are in the box I'll hand you shortly. Do you understand so far?"
"Yes...master," was Jennifer's wooden response, completely under the mind numbing control of the hypnotic helmet strapped to her pretty little head.
"Very good, simply tell each teacher that these bears are a token of thanks for their dedicated service to Benjamin Harrison High," commanded the still whispering Toymaster, breathing each command into the captive teacher's receptive ear.
"Yes...a token of thanks."
Barbie reached over to grab the box of teddy bears on a table adjacent to the game board Ms. Bolling was secured to. She quickly examined the contents to make sure the five bears were inside along with the list of recipients.
"Now, I'm going to remove the helmet and release you from your bonds," continued the Toymaster, "and you will have no memory of your visit here, save you mission to deliver the bears as ordered."
"Yes...no memory of my visit," Jennifer said flatly, "deliver the bears..."
Toymaster nodded at the curvaous blonde Barbie and Barbie responded by handing him the cardboard box of teddy bears and pulled the plastic straps off Jennifer's ankles and wrists along with the plastic silver toy space helmet on her head. Once freed, Ms. Bolling sat up from the table, moving stiffly and still wearing the dazed hypnotized stare of being under Toymaster's mind control, and stepped down. Without a word, the Toymaster handed Jennifer the box and watched her walk robotically out of the store.
"Remind me again why you're giving teddy bears to five teachers at some high school, Toymaster?," asked the dim Barbie.
"Call it an educated hunch, doll," replied a confident Toymaster. "Ever notice how many incidents involving the famed Batwoman and Flamebird occur at Benjamin Harrison High?"
"No...never really noticed...," Barbie sheepishly responded.
"Of course you didn't, sweet girl," Toymaster said in a patronizing tone. "But I'm betting that the raven haired caped crusader, Batwoman, is one of the teachers at Harrison High. I've carefully reviewed the faculty of the school and narrowed it down to five possible suspects. Those teddy bears I dispatched via the lovely Ms. Bolling are equipped with a camera in the eye socket and a microphone attached to the mouth. They should pick up everything sight and sound in their classrooms. If one of them is Batwoman, my surveillance bears should give us enough clues as to her secret identity."
"Sounds like a wild goose chase to me," interrupted Barbie with hands on her shapely hips, "and we took a heck of a chance abducting a teacher."
"We'll see about that, petulant child," sniffed the elderly villain. "Once my plan is set in motion and I extract the true identity of Batwoman, she will soon be another of my many playthings."
"Aren't you forgetting about her junior partner, Flamebird, the Girl Wonder?," scoffed a skeptical Barbie.
"I must admit, the Girl Wonder poses a small problem as she could be one of many female students at Harrison High, or even a college student based on her looks," reasoned the Toymaster. "But once Batwoman is in my clutches, she'll made the ideal lure for the fetching Flamebird. She too will become part of my toy collection, a real superheroine action figure."
"Well, I just hope we're not watching surveillance monitors for weeks based on some stupid hunch...," huffed a downcast Barbie.
"Have faith, dollface," reassured an upbeat Toymaster, "once the teddy bears are in place, I plan to speed up the process with a specially planned incident at the school."
The following morning in the girls' locker room at Benjamin Harrison High, the raven haired beauty, Jessica Hansen was cooling down after conducting her aerobics class for her early bird students. Jessica was wiping the sweat off her face with a towel while entering her office in the locker room. Looking fetching as always in a sleeveless bright baby blue leotard and navy blue nylon tights, her sweaty sexy body was showcased even more deliciously as the moisture forced the clinging fabric to fit even more snuggly than usual. While she certainly had the figure and the grace of a superheroine in her role as a mild-mannered aerobics teacher, no one, save her niece Christine, knew that Jessica Hansen was no other than the yellow spandex clad costumed crimefighter, Batwoman.
Sitting down for a brief moment to catch her breath before her next class, Ms. Hansen wiped the last bit of sweat off her face and arms before throwing the towel across her shoulder. Lost in her thoughts, which focused more on crimefighting than aerobics, the silence of the locker room was broken by the entrance of a perky rookie teacher bearing a gift.
"Hey, Ms. Hansen," chirped Ms. Bolling with a teddy bear in her arms, "are you busy?"
"No, not at all," replied a smiling Ms. Hansen. "From the package in your arms, I assume you're getting an early start on the toy drive."
"Actually, no, Ms. Hansen," explained Jennifer, "this teddy bear is a gift for you...a little thank you for all you do at Benjamin Harrison High."
Ms. Bolling walked forward and placed the fuzzy brown bear on Ms. Hansen's desk. The teddy bear wore glasses and cradled a small chalkboard in it's mitts that simply stated "Thank you, teacher" written in chalk. Since the bear was roughly the size of a football, it fit nicely on the corner of her desk."
"Aww, that's so sweet of you," gushed an appreciative Ms. Hansen. "Thank you, Ms. Bolling. This was a lovely surprise."
"No, thank you, Ms. Hansen," responded Ms. Bolling. "Just a small token of appreciation for one of Harrison's most dedicated teachers."
"It will have a prominent place on my desk always," smiled Ms. Hansen.
"That's great," Jennifer replied with pride. "I've got one more bear to deliver, so I'll be off. Have a great day."
"You too...and thanks again."
Minutes later, the phone on Ms. Hansen's desk rang. Picking it up, Ms. Hansen heard the concerned voice of the principal, Dr. Simon Sheadly.
"Ms. Hansen, get all of the students out of the locker room and into the parking lot...we just received a bomb threat," Principal Sheadly instructed.
"No problem...do you think its a prank?," asked Ms. Hansen.
"Well, usually they are, but the caller said the device was placed in the library and a suspicious package has been found there," Dr. Sheadly explained. "The police bomb squad is on the way...just get everyone out."
"Right away," Ms. Hansen replied curtly as she hung up the phone.
After doing a quick sweep of the girls' locker room and escorting the few girls inside out to the far parking lot, Jessica Hansen snuck back into her office and pulled the shades over the windows closed.
"I've got a bad feeling about this...," Ms. Hansen thought, "I'd better check this out...as Batwoman."
Jessica looked about to make sure she was alone before moving a file cabinet away from the office wall. A small safe appeared which she swiftly opened to retrieve the familiar yellow leotard, red cowl, red cape, and red gloves and boots of Batwoman. Also inside, was the famed utility belt which contained most of Batwoman's crimefighting devices. A backup costume and utility belt were kept on campus for just such an emergency. As Jessica slipped out of her workout gear and started her tantilizing transformation into the superheroine Batwoman, the recording devices concealed in the Toymaster's teddy bears were recording her every move. From a monitor in the back of Master Toys Inc., the Toymaster and his henchwoman Barbie watched as Jessica Hansen pulled up her tan shiny nylon pantyhose, squeezed her lusty curves into her yellow leotard, and slipped on her identity concealing cowl over her beautiful face.
"Ah, my bomb threat as worked as I hoped it would," Toymaster announced aloud. "It seems that our lovely little P.E. teacher, Ms. Jessica Hansen is the famed dominoed daredoll, Batwoman."
An unknowing Batwoman, who had no idea that her gift teddy bear had just revealed her secret identity to the terrible Toymaster, finished putting on her gloves and boots before attaching the yellow utility belt around her taut slim waist. After taking a quick peek at the office door to see that the locker room was empty, Ms. Hansen, now in her superheroine guise of Batwoman, bounced out in a graceful trot toward the library. There was no time and no need to involve her niece, Christine a/k/a Flamebird, yet. Our spandex superfox raced toward the library in hopes of defusing a potential bomb, not knowing a villain's secret plot was already a sucess.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Batwoman & Flamebird meet the evil Toymaster
Batwoman entered the school library in full costume just moments after the bomb squad of the Gotham City Police had arrived. The library was completely vacant, as was the entire campus, except for the policemen and Batwoman. Batwoman was let inside the library with no resistance from Gotham's finest as she was directed to the sergeant in charge of this operation, Sgt. Flores.
"How's it looking, Sergeant?," Batwoman asked matter-of-factly. "Is this bomb threat a prank?"
"I don't think its a prank, Batwoman," Sgt. Flores said seriously. "I was about to clear this entire area...there's no use in placing all these officers at risk."
"My goodness," gasped Batwoman as she saw the fear in the eyes of this experienced officer. "What are we looking at?"
Sgt. Flores motioned to the bookshelf containing a wooden toy soldier standing about one foot high. The painted doll in red coat, tall black cap, and bayonet at attention looked like any other toy soldier expect for the two small wires connected at the back. There was a putty-like substance that slightly seeped out from a hidden compartment by the wires in the back. One other important difference separated this toy from the normal wooden soldiers, normal wooden soldiers don't making a ticking sound.
"What's that stuff oozing out of the toy soldier's back, Sergeant?," asked Batwoman.
"Until I get a better look, that looks like a type of plastic explosive," Sgt. Flores answered. "What I can't determine is how the explosive is triggered? The ticking indicates a timing device will activate the bomb...but plastic explosives are usually triggered by some sort of motion detector or a type of switch...."
Before moving toward the tricky toy soldier, Sgt. Flores ordered everyone to evacuate and pleaded with Batwoman to do the same. If something was to go wrong, at least the he'd be the only person in the line of fire. Batwoman steadfastly refused, offering assistance not found in the normal Gotham City Police manual.
"While we get a better look," Batwoman instructed as she reached into a pouch on her utility belt, "let me open this blast resistant plexi-glass Bat-shield to protect us while we work."
Sgt. Flores looked on with amazement as Batwoman unfolded a small square cube from her belt that would open into a clear shield that was large enough to protect the two of them. As they approached the toy soldier, Sgt. Flores pulled out a small pair of tweezers and attempted to pull the off the back panel that contained the putty like explosive and the two exposed wires. Reaching out from behind the shield Batwoman held in place in front of them, the wooden piece came free as a wad of gray putty connected to four multicolored wires was exposed.
"How does it look?," Batwoman inquired calmly. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
"No, there appears to be no triggering type device," Sgt. Flores replied. "Those wires don't look like they are connected to anything."
"So this looks like some sort of sick joke?"
"If so, it's an elaborate sick joke, Batwoman," responded a still serious Sgt. Flores. "But best not to take any chances."
As the two breathed a small sigh of relief for a brief moment, the wooden toy soldier appeared to move. The small wooden mouth, which operated in an up and down motion like a nutcracker, moved about as a speaker inside the head of the toy soldier delivered a dire message.
"Back panel disabled...," blared the monotone voice from the speaker implanted in the toy soldier. "Go boom in 3 seconds...2....1...."
In a quick panic, both Batwoman and Sgt. Flores recoiled back to get in a better position behind the protective shield. They both instinctively closed their eyes to prepare for the explosion that would occur only inches before them. The protective Bat-shield might protect them from the initial blast, but not from the concussion of the explosion nor from the falling debris of the building around them which was sure to follow. Three seconds was hardly enough time to start a decent prayer...
Once the wooden toy soldier reached "one" in his countdown, the "boom" the soldier predicted did occur, just not as Batwoman and Sgt. Flores had feared. The top of the bayonet popped with a force of a cap gun as a small banner labeled "BOOM!" unraveled from the pointy tip of the wooden rifle.
"HUH?!?" gasped a breathless Batwoman, "This was someone's idea of a joke."
"No way," stammered a shaken Sgt. Flores. "If that was a joke, I don't see anyone laughing."
Moments later, after catching their collective breath having received something of a scare, Sgt. Flores grabbed the toy soldier to take a closer examination.
"Did you get any clues from the toy, Sergeant?," asked Batwoman.
"No, not really," said Sgt. Flores still focusing his eyes on the open back panel of the wooden toy. "The putty like substance is nothing more than children's molding clay, like Play-dough, and the wires are just jammed into the clay blob. It looks like a remote control activated speaker and ignited the cap on the top of the rifle, releasing the 'boom' flag."
"So there is no explosive of any type in this rigged toy soldier?"
"No, none at all...," Sgt. Flores explained, "like you said, I think this is some sort of elaborate prank."
Later that evening, as Batwoman changed back into her civilian guise of Jessica Hansen, she was troubled by the fake bomb threat that scared the daylights out of her earlier in the day. Lounging in the front room of her apartment in a loose fitting t-shirt and baggy sweatpants, Jessica sat back in a comfortable leather recliner to comtemplate the prank that played out in the Harrison High library. Usually Jessica loved sounding out such concerns aloud with niece and crimefighting partner, Christine. However Jessica was alone on this early December evening as Christine was studying for a physics test at a friend's house. Jessica resisted the urge to call Christine back home to discuss her concerns as this crimefighting was taking up enough of Christine's valuable time.
"What's troubling me the most," Jessica thought to herself, "is the technical expertise required to pull this little fake bomb prank. Remote controlled speakers activating the toy's mouth to move...a bit more advanced than what the typical Harrison High student is capable of. But what was the purpose of joke? What purpose was served by scaring Batwoman and the Gotham bomb squad? What could someone with that technical expertise gain from a bomb scare at a local high school? None of this is making any sense..."
Jessica sat lost in thought before after her concentration broken by the sound of knocking at her front door. Ms. Hansen stood up and walked lazily to the doorway, sneaking a quick peek of the person out front through the small peep hole. Seeing a young man in mail courier's outfit peaked her interest, but raised no alarm that anything was amiss. Jessica opened the door to see the mailman holding rectangular package that was roughly the size of a breadbox.
"Are you Ms. Jessica Hansen?," asked the impatient postman, looking a bit miffed to still be holding the package.
"Yes, I am," responded a surprised Ms. Hansen, "but I didn't order any package."
"Look, ma'am," huffed the courier, "I didn't send you the package...I'm only delivering it...and your name and address are on the shipping label."
"Well, it is Christmas time," reasoned Jessica in a sunny tone, ignoring the rude treatment the mailman had given her. "Do I need to sign anything?"
"Yeah...sign at the bottom," ordered the mail courier as he handed the package over to Ms. Hansen before producing the clipboard with the form she'd need to sign.
Placing the clipboard on top of the package she cradled, Jessica scribbled out her signature to send the postman on his way. What struck her as odd was the return address on the shipping label, noting the package was from "Master Toys Inc." Now why would someone send a toy to her, a grown woman?
As the mailman drove off, Jessica went back inside her apartment with the package in tow. She placed the box on the kitchen table as she pulled open the sides of the cardboard box to see what was inside. Inside was a wooden toy train engine, complete with a smokestack, cowcatcher, and multiple wheels with a note taped to the top addressed to "Ms. Hansen."
Still standing by the box on her kitchen table, Jessica pulled the note off the toy train engine and folded it open to see if it might offer any clues as to who sent this package and why.
"All eyes are 'Trained' on you, Ms. Hansen..." the note read, penned in perfect cursive, "or should I call you Batwoman!"
Jessica eyes widened as she stood frozen in shock. Just how was this possible? Who had solved the mystery of Batwoman secret identity?
"Wha!?! How?," was all the stunned Ms. Hansen could utter in a shaky voice. Her heart raced and her breathing grew shallow as she thought of the consequences of having her identity revealed and she wondered just how someone made the connection between Jessica Hansen and Batwoman. Jessica's mind jumped frantically from place to place as this shock was simply too much to process all at once. Before regaining her bearings, the package revealed it's second surprise for Ms. Hansen a/k/a Batwoman.
The wooden toy train engine in the box made a whistling noise, resembling the sound of a train whistle, breaking the silence in the room and startling the stunned superheroine. From the smokestack of the train engine, plumes of white smoke gushed forth right into the unsuspecting face of Jessica. She still stood right next to the package on the table, but didn't notice the rising smoke shooting forth until it was literally under her nose.
"No!," shouted Jessica, "Knockout *cough* gasss...."
Ms. Hansen gagged a bit on the thick white smoke that forced her into a restless coughing fit. She felt herself growing woozy and feeling a bit sleepy under the effects of the gas that was still being pumped forth and almost flooding the entire room. Jessica recognized the sickly sweet smell of chloroform laced in the white smoke from the booby-trapped toy train. As the heavy gas coated the floor like a blanket of sleep-enducing fog, Ms. Hansen fumbled down onto one knee as she became to succumb to the narcotic fumes of the Toymaster's knockout gas. Jessica's coughing soon gave way to complete silence as the white sleeping smoke had subdued the surprised superheroine. She fell onto her back on the carpeted floor, fully in the relaxing embrace of sweet slumber. Even as Ms. Hansen collapsed to the floor, the smokestack of the toy train engine continued to emit the thick knockout gas, which had almost completely filled Jessica's apartment. Ms. Hansen's next visitors to her home wouldn't be kind enough to knock as the postman had before them.
Entering the front door of Jessica's now gas filled apartment was none other than the sinister Toymaster and his amazon henchwoman, Barbie. Large gas masks completely covered their faces as they entered with what appeared to be a large multi-colored steamer trunk. The trunk was set down by the doorway as Toymaster and his sexy associate milled through the knockout gas fog to find the sleeping schoolteacher whose crimefighting alter-ego was that of the world famous Batwoman. As the white smoky gas bagan to dissipate a bit, Barbie located the KO'ed Jessica Hansen lying flat on the floor and scooped her up into her arms.
"Found her," cried out Barbie, in a cry that was muffled a bit under her gas mask.
"Very good," replied the equally muffled voice of the Toymaster, "place her inside my toy chest and we'll transport her out of here to my delivery truck. But before we go, let's look about the apartment quickly. I rigged the sleepy toy train to put anyone in this apartment to sleep in case any unexpected visitors happened to be here..."
Barbie scanned the entire apartment to find that Ms. Hansen was all alone at this time. Both Barbie and the Toymaster were hoping that the surprise gassing would capture not only the real Batwoman, Ms. Hansen, but also a certain sexy young lady with short blonde hair that worked as Batwoman's junior partner and sidekick, Flamebird.
"I looked everywhere," Barbie offered, "but no one else is here."
The Toymaster simply nodded and signalled for Barbie to grab the other side of the locked steamer trunk, that now contained the slumbering Ms. Hansen, to remove their kidnapped captive from the scene without drawing any unwelcomed notice. Shutting the door behind them and removing their gas masks as they exited the apartment with the trunk, the villainous duo carried their captive quarry contained in the Toymaster's toy chest a short distance to their awaiting truck. Toymaster and Barbie loaded the trunk into the back of the truck parked outside, labeled with the "Master Toys Inc." logo on the side.
"I'm disappointed by one small thing, Toymaster," Barbie said as she closed the back doors of the delivery truck with the Batwoman containing trunk safely inside. "I hoped we would find Flamebird in there as well, sleeping off your KO toy train smoke."
"Not to worry, sweet Barbie," reassured a confident Toymaster, "the Girl Wonder will in our clutches very soon like her much ballyhooed partner is right now...I can't think of a better person than a trusted ally to deliver her to us."
Barbie flashed a smile to the elderly villain as the evil plot he had conceived was playing out perfectly. Gotham's famed caped crimefighter was helpless in the toy chest and was about to be placed under the mind control of the terrible Toymaster. They quickly entered the cab of the delivery truck and raced back to their downtown toy shop.
Once inside the sinister shop, the still slumbering Jessica was retrieved from the steamer trunk and carried to back room. Strapped down to the large Chutes and Ladders game board by the beautiful amazon Barbie, the Toymaster produced the plastic silver space commander mind control helmet and secured it to Jessica's head. The helmet was activated and the slight buzzing of the brain baffling hypnotic device began. Jessica's eyes opened slowly as she wore the dazed look of a mind controlled slave. Her lovely face looked sleepy and stunned, but still receptive to the voice of her new master, the Toymaster.
"Can you hear me?," Toymaster whispered into Ms. Hansen's ear. "State your name and occupation."
"I am Jessica Hansen...," replied Jessica in a familair monotone hypnotized voice, "and I am a physical education teacher at Benjamin Harrison High School."
"And are you also the famed costumed caped crusader, Batwoman?," asked the Toymaster, continuing his questioning.
"Yes...I am Batwoman...that is my secret crimefighting identity."
"Outstanding, Batwoman," cooed an excited Toymaster, realizing he now had the caped crusader completely under his control. "Can you tell me the identity of your crimefighting sidekick, Flamebird?"
"Yes...," continued the brainwashed Ms. Hansen, "Flamebird is my niece, Christine Hansen."
The Toymaster and Barbie exchanged excited glances now that the secret identities of both Batwoman and Flamebird, long since a mystery to the criminal community of Gotham City, had been exposed in their sinister plot. They could hardly contain their glee as they prepared to add Flamebird to their collection of mind controlled captives.
"Thank you, Jessica," sneered a sarsactic Toymaster. "Would you be willing to help us set a trap for the Girl Wonder, Flamebird?"
"Yes...anything you desire, master," answered Jessica in the flat hypnotized tone.
"Outstanding," continued the Toymaster, "you will depart shortly with a special set of instructions...where you will deliver Flamebird, the Girl Wonder, into our clutches...."
TO BE CONTINUED...
"How's it looking, Sergeant?," Batwoman asked matter-of-factly. "Is this bomb threat a prank?"
"I don't think its a prank, Batwoman," Sgt. Flores said seriously. "I was about to clear this entire area...there's no use in placing all these officers at risk."
"My goodness," gasped Batwoman as she saw the fear in the eyes of this experienced officer. "What are we looking at?"
Sgt. Flores motioned to the bookshelf containing a wooden toy soldier standing about one foot high. The painted doll in red coat, tall black cap, and bayonet at attention looked like any other toy soldier expect for the two small wires connected at the back. There was a putty-like substance that slightly seeped out from a hidden compartment by the wires in the back. One other important difference separated this toy from the normal wooden soldiers, normal wooden soldiers don't making a ticking sound.
"What's that stuff oozing out of the toy soldier's back, Sergeant?," asked Batwoman.
"Until I get a better look, that looks like a type of plastic explosive," Sgt. Flores answered. "What I can't determine is how the explosive is triggered? The ticking indicates a timing device will activate the bomb...but plastic explosives are usually triggered by some sort of motion detector or a type of switch...."
Before moving toward the tricky toy soldier, Sgt. Flores ordered everyone to evacuate and pleaded with Batwoman to do the same. If something was to go wrong, at least the he'd be the only person in the line of fire. Batwoman steadfastly refused, offering assistance not found in the normal Gotham City Police manual.
"While we get a better look," Batwoman instructed as she reached into a pouch on her utility belt, "let me open this blast resistant plexi-glass Bat-shield to protect us while we work."
Sgt. Flores looked on with amazement as Batwoman unfolded a small square cube from her belt that would open into a clear shield that was large enough to protect the two of them. As they approached the toy soldier, Sgt. Flores pulled out a small pair of tweezers and attempted to pull the off the back panel that contained the putty like explosive and the two exposed wires. Reaching out from behind the shield Batwoman held in place in front of them, the wooden piece came free as a wad of gray putty connected to four multicolored wires was exposed.
"How does it look?," Batwoman inquired calmly. "Have you seen anything like this before?"
"No, there appears to be no triggering type device," Sgt. Flores replied. "Those wires don't look like they are connected to anything."
"So this looks like some sort of sick joke?"
"If so, it's an elaborate sick joke, Batwoman," responded a still serious Sgt. Flores. "But best not to take any chances."
As the two breathed a small sigh of relief for a brief moment, the wooden toy soldier appeared to move. The small wooden mouth, which operated in an up and down motion like a nutcracker, moved about as a speaker inside the head of the toy soldier delivered a dire message.
"Back panel disabled...," blared the monotone voice from the speaker implanted in the toy soldier. "Go boom in 3 seconds...2....1...."
In a quick panic, both Batwoman and Sgt. Flores recoiled back to get in a better position behind the protective shield. They both instinctively closed their eyes to prepare for the explosion that would occur only inches before them. The protective Bat-shield might protect them from the initial blast, but not from the concussion of the explosion nor from the falling debris of the building around them which was sure to follow. Three seconds was hardly enough time to start a decent prayer...
Once the wooden toy soldier reached "one" in his countdown, the "boom" the soldier predicted did occur, just not as Batwoman and Sgt. Flores had feared. The top of the bayonet popped with a force of a cap gun as a small banner labeled "BOOM!" unraveled from the pointy tip of the wooden rifle.
"HUH?!?" gasped a breathless Batwoman, "This was someone's idea of a joke."
"No way," stammered a shaken Sgt. Flores. "If that was a joke, I don't see anyone laughing."
Moments later, after catching their collective breath having received something of a scare, Sgt. Flores grabbed the toy soldier to take a closer examination.
"Did you get any clues from the toy, Sergeant?," asked Batwoman.
"No, not really," said Sgt. Flores still focusing his eyes on the open back panel of the wooden toy. "The putty like substance is nothing more than children's molding clay, like Play-dough, and the wires are just jammed into the clay blob. It looks like a remote control activated speaker and ignited the cap on the top of the rifle, releasing the 'boom' flag."
"So there is no explosive of any type in this rigged toy soldier?"
"No, none at all...," Sgt. Flores explained, "like you said, I think this is some sort of elaborate prank."
Later that evening, as Batwoman changed back into her civilian guise of Jessica Hansen, she was troubled by the fake bomb threat that scared the daylights out of her earlier in the day. Lounging in the front room of her apartment in a loose fitting t-shirt and baggy sweatpants, Jessica sat back in a comfortable leather recliner to comtemplate the prank that played out in the Harrison High library. Usually Jessica loved sounding out such concerns aloud with niece and crimefighting partner, Christine. However Jessica was alone on this early December evening as Christine was studying for a physics test at a friend's house. Jessica resisted the urge to call Christine back home to discuss her concerns as this crimefighting was taking up enough of Christine's valuable time.
"What's troubling me the most," Jessica thought to herself, "is the technical expertise required to pull this little fake bomb prank. Remote controlled speakers activating the toy's mouth to move...a bit more advanced than what the typical Harrison High student is capable of. But what was the purpose of joke? What purpose was served by scaring Batwoman and the Gotham bomb squad? What could someone with that technical expertise gain from a bomb scare at a local high school? None of this is making any sense..."
Jessica sat lost in thought before after her concentration broken by the sound of knocking at her front door. Ms. Hansen stood up and walked lazily to the doorway, sneaking a quick peek of the person out front through the small peep hole. Seeing a young man in mail courier's outfit peaked her interest, but raised no alarm that anything was amiss. Jessica opened the door to see the mailman holding rectangular package that was roughly the size of a breadbox.
"Are you Ms. Jessica Hansen?," asked the impatient postman, looking a bit miffed to still be holding the package.
"Yes, I am," responded a surprised Ms. Hansen, "but I didn't order any package."
"Look, ma'am," huffed the courier, "I didn't send you the package...I'm only delivering it...and your name and address are on the shipping label."
"Well, it is Christmas time," reasoned Jessica in a sunny tone, ignoring the rude treatment the mailman had given her. "Do I need to sign anything?"
"Yeah...sign at the bottom," ordered the mail courier as he handed the package over to Ms. Hansen before producing the clipboard with the form she'd need to sign.
Placing the clipboard on top of the package she cradled, Jessica scribbled out her signature to send the postman on his way. What struck her as odd was the return address on the shipping label, noting the package was from "Master Toys Inc." Now why would someone send a toy to her, a grown woman?
As the mailman drove off, Jessica went back inside her apartment with the package in tow. She placed the box on the kitchen table as she pulled open the sides of the cardboard box to see what was inside. Inside was a wooden toy train engine, complete with a smokestack, cowcatcher, and multiple wheels with a note taped to the top addressed to "Ms. Hansen."
Still standing by the box on her kitchen table, Jessica pulled the note off the toy train engine and folded it open to see if it might offer any clues as to who sent this package and why.
"All eyes are 'Trained' on you, Ms. Hansen..." the note read, penned in perfect cursive, "or should I call you Batwoman!"
Jessica eyes widened as she stood frozen in shock. Just how was this possible? Who had solved the mystery of Batwoman secret identity?
"Wha!?! How?," was all the stunned Ms. Hansen could utter in a shaky voice. Her heart raced and her breathing grew shallow as she thought of the consequences of having her identity revealed and she wondered just how someone made the connection between Jessica Hansen and Batwoman. Jessica's mind jumped frantically from place to place as this shock was simply too much to process all at once. Before regaining her bearings, the package revealed it's second surprise for Ms. Hansen a/k/a Batwoman.
The wooden toy train engine in the box made a whistling noise, resembling the sound of a train whistle, breaking the silence in the room and startling the stunned superheroine. From the smokestack of the train engine, plumes of white smoke gushed forth right into the unsuspecting face of Jessica. She still stood right next to the package on the table, but didn't notice the rising smoke shooting forth until it was literally under her nose.
"No!," shouted Jessica, "Knockout *cough* gasss...."
Ms. Hansen gagged a bit on the thick white smoke that forced her into a restless coughing fit. She felt herself growing woozy and feeling a bit sleepy under the effects of the gas that was still being pumped forth and almost flooding the entire room. Jessica recognized the sickly sweet smell of chloroform laced in the white smoke from the booby-trapped toy train. As the heavy gas coated the floor like a blanket of sleep-enducing fog, Ms. Hansen fumbled down onto one knee as she became to succumb to the narcotic fumes of the Toymaster's knockout gas. Jessica's coughing soon gave way to complete silence as the white sleeping smoke had subdued the surprised superheroine. She fell onto her back on the carpeted floor, fully in the relaxing embrace of sweet slumber. Even as Ms. Hansen collapsed to the floor, the smokestack of the toy train engine continued to emit the thick knockout gas, which had almost completely filled Jessica's apartment. Ms. Hansen's next visitors to her home wouldn't be kind enough to knock as the postman had before them.
Entering the front door of Jessica's now gas filled apartment was none other than the sinister Toymaster and his amazon henchwoman, Barbie. Large gas masks completely covered their faces as they entered with what appeared to be a large multi-colored steamer trunk. The trunk was set down by the doorway as Toymaster and his sexy associate milled through the knockout gas fog to find the sleeping schoolteacher whose crimefighting alter-ego was that of the world famous Batwoman. As the white smoky gas bagan to dissipate a bit, Barbie located the KO'ed Jessica Hansen lying flat on the floor and scooped her up into her arms.
"Found her," cried out Barbie, in a cry that was muffled a bit under her gas mask.
"Very good," replied the equally muffled voice of the Toymaster, "place her inside my toy chest and we'll transport her out of here to my delivery truck. But before we go, let's look about the apartment quickly. I rigged the sleepy toy train to put anyone in this apartment to sleep in case any unexpected visitors happened to be here..."
Barbie scanned the entire apartment to find that Ms. Hansen was all alone at this time. Both Barbie and the Toymaster were hoping that the surprise gassing would capture not only the real Batwoman, Ms. Hansen, but also a certain sexy young lady with short blonde hair that worked as Batwoman's junior partner and sidekick, Flamebird.
"I looked everywhere," Barbie offered, "but no one else is here."
The Toymaster simply nodded and signalled for Barbie to grab the other side of the locked steamer trunk, that now contained the slumbering Ms. Hansen, to remove their kidnapped captive from the scene without drawing any unwelcomed notice. Shutting the door behind them and removing their gas masks as they exited the apartment with the trunk, the villainous duo carried their captive quarry contained in the Toymaster's toy chest a short distance to their awaiting truck. Toymaster and Barbie loaded the trunk into the back of the truck parked outside, labeled with the "Master Toys Inc." logo on the side.
"I'm disappointed by one small thing, Toymaster," Barbie said as she closed the back doors of the delivery truck with the Batwoman containing trunk safely inside. "I hoped we would find Flamebird in there as well, sleeping off your KO toy train smoke."
"Not to worry, sweet Barbie," reassured a confident Toymaster, "the Girl Wonder will in our clutches very soon like her much ballyhooed partner is right now...I can't think of a better person than a trusted ally to deliver her to us."
Barbie flashed a smile to the elderly villain as the evil plot he had conceived was playing out perfectly. Gotham's famed caped crimefighter was helpless in the toy chest and was about to be placed under the mind control of the terrible Toymaster. They quickly entered the cab of the delivery truck and raced back to their downtown toy shop.
Once inside the sinister shop, the still slumbering Jessica was retrieved from the steamer trunk and carried to back room. Strapped down to the large Chutes and Ladders game board by the beautiful amazon Barbie, the Toymaster produced the plastic silver space commander mind control helmet and secured it to Jessica's head. The helmet was activated and the slight buzzing of the brain baffling hypnotic device began. Jessica's eyes opened slowly as she wore the dazed look of a mind controlled slave. Her lovely face looked sleepy and stunned, but still receptive to the voice of her new master, the Toymaster.
"Can you hear me?," Toymaster whispered into Ms. Hansen's ear. "State your name and occupation."
"I am Jessica Hansen...," replied Jessica in a familair monotone hypnotized voice, "and I am a physical education teacher at Benjamin Harrison High School."
"And are you also the famed costumed caped crusader, Batwoman?," asked the Toymaster, continuing his questioning.
"Yes...I am Batwoman...that is my secret crimefighting identity."
"Outstanding, Batwoman," cooed an excited Toymaster, realizing he now had the caped crusader completely under his control. "Can you tell me the identity of your crimefighting sidekick, Flamebird?"
"Yes...," continued the brainwashed Ms. Hansen, "Flamebird is my niece, Christine Hansen."
The Toymaster and Barbie exchanged excited glances now that the secret identities of both Batwoman and Flamebird, long since a mystery to the criminal community of Gotham City, had been exposed in their sinister plot. They could hardly contain their glee as they prepared to add Flamebird to their collection of mind controlled captives.
"Thank you, Jessica," sneered a sarsactic Toymaster. "Would you be willing to help us set a trap for the Girl Wonder, Flamebird?"
"Yes...anything you desire, master," answered Jessica in the flat hypnotized tone.
"Outstanding," continued the Toymaster, "you will depart shortly with a special set of instructions...where you will deliver Flamebird, the Girl Wonder, into our clutches...."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Chrstine Hansen was walking home after a spirited study session at her friend Julia's house, only a few blocks from the apartment she shared with the Aunt Jessica. Enjoying a rare night off from fighting crime alongside Batwoman as the famed costumed superheroine Flamebird, Christine used her free time to catch up on her studies. Arriving at the entrance of the plush apartment complex, Christine's cell phone began to ring inside her backpack. Answering it quickly, the eighteen year old student with short blonde hair could tell by the tone of her Aunt Jessica's voice that trouble was afoot in Gotham City.
"Christine, are you in a place where we can talk?," Jessica asked, signaling that the topic to be discussed involved matters pertinent to fighting crime.
"Yes, I'm alone right out in front of our apartment," Christine responded. "What's going on?"
"Don't go into the apartment!," Jessica commanded. "Remember that bomb scare at school this morning? I did a little snooping and some guys followed me home. They tried to abduct me at the apartment, but I managed to escape. I'm afraid one of those guys might still be hanging around our place, waiting for me to return."
"O.K., I'll stay away from the apartment," Christine responded with a note of fear in her voice as she looked around at the complex for any suspicious looking characters. "But what do you want me do to?"
"Do you have your spare costume and utility belt in your backpack?," asked Jessica. "Do you have a key to the secret entrance for the Batcycle?"
"Yes, I stashed a spare costume and belt just like you told me to," answered the harried young heroine, "and I have that key on my key ring. Are you O.K.? Just what are we dealing with here?"
"I'm fine," Jessica replied, "and I'm not sure what or who were dealing with here. That phony bomb scare was just the first step in something much more sinsiter than I first imagined."
"Great, now what do you need me to do?"
"I need you to make sure the coast is clear and head over to that little shed next to the apartment pool," Jessica ordered. "Change into costume there once you're sure no one is around. Get to the Batcycle and meet me at 15980 East 24th St. in downtown Gotham. It's a little toy shop called Master Toys Inc. I'll be there...as Batwoman. The crew that tried to kidnap me is holed up in there."
"No problem," beamed a confident Christine, "I'll see you there in a few minutes."
Christine followed her aunt's advice and made her way cautiously over to the shed by the pool in their apartment complex. Emerging just moments later, the seemingly plain Christine had transformed into the sexy spandex-clad superfox, Flamebird. In her red leotard with matching yellow gloves, boots, and eyemask, Flamebird was a stunning vision in full costume.
"Damn, I'd look perfect if I didn't have a run in my spare pair of shiny tan pantyhose," Flamebird, the Girl Wonder, jokingly thought to herself as she adrimed her shapely bod in the mirror inside the shed as she tied the yellow cape she wore at the neck. Having to dress down at bit to downplay her natural good looks in her alter ego of Christine Hansen, Flamebird loved the way her form-flattering costume looked on her and the confidence it gave her casued her to glow with pride. But this was no time for jokes, serious business was at hand in downtown Gotham.
Flamebird crept to a hidden garage door obscured by a cluster of foliage and opened it to retrieve the Batcycle. Moving quickly, the sexy young superheroine climbed on and swiftly sped to the location where she would meet her crimefighting cohort, Batwoman.
The Batcycle arrived at the destination of 15980 East 24th St., the Master Toys Inc. toy store, and Flamebird scanned the block for any sign of the shapely form of Batwoman in her red cowl and yellow leotard. Batwoman emerged from an alley just a few feet from the toy shop as she silently signaled for Flamebird to park the Batcycle in this alley where it would attract little attention. Parking the motorcycle and practically bouncing off the seat, Flamebird dashed over to Batwoman and gave her a big hug.
"Batwoman, I'm so glad to see you're O.K.," gushed Flamebird, locked in the comforting embrace of her mentor.
"I'm fine," Batwoman responded somewhat coldly as she pulled back from the hug, "but we don't have much time. I was able to jimmy open the side door entrance to the toy store. If we sneak in through the back area, we should catch these villains by surprise."
"Right," Flamebird nodded, "but who are these villains? Just what might we be walking into?"
"I'm not sure, but it sounded like they were having some sort of a party in there," Batwoman explained. "They're probably too drunk to pose much of a threat, but a cannister of Batgas should subdue them before they can pull any sort of surprise."
"O.K., let's go," Flamebird agreed. It wasn't like Batwoman to walk into someplace without knowing the possible dangers of what might be waiting for her. Batwoman had warned her many times about looking before you leap. Flamebird dismissed such thoughts, however, confident that they would have little trouble rounding up this gang of crooks.
Batwoman and Flamebird entered the side entrance of the Master Toys Inc. store cautiously as they slowly pulled the door open to enter. The back room area was dimly lit and appeared to be unoccupied. There was no sound, almost complete silence, as they tiptoed through a narrow walkway between rows of cluttered shelves. It certainly didn't sound like any sort of party was going on.
"Batwoman...," Flamebird whispered, "it doesn't sound like anyone is here..."
"Shhh....," Batwoman insisted as she placed a stern gloved finger up to the lips of the Girl Wonder. "Be quiet...before you tip them off that we're here."
The chastised Flamebird recoiled back in shame after getting yet another lecture from Batwoman. Trying to stay quiet, she didn't notice that Batwoman had kicked over a small plastic green garbage can, which was no bigger than a dixie cup. Stepping forward and leading the way through the maze of shelving in the darkened storeroom, Batwoman manage to avoid stepping in the contents spilled from the tiny green garbage can. Flamebird, who was following behind her partner, wasn't so lucky.
A thin coating of green slime spilled onto the back room floor and Flamebird planted her feet right into the middle of this goopy green mess. She noticed nothing at first, until she tried to take another step forward. It was then that the Girl Wonder looked down to see that her yellow boots were covered with the sticky green blob of Slime and her feet were effectively glued to the floor.
"Batwoman!," Flamebird whispered with great urgency, "I'm stuck...boots covered in glue...can't move my feet."
The shadowy figure of Batwoman came into better view as she spun around. The lights of the storeroom burst on, flooding the room with brilliant bright light. Flamebird heart raced in panic as she realized that their attempt to sneak inside the toy shop undetected had failed and she was virtually helpless with her feet covered in a green sticky goop, leaving her unable to move.
Flamebird panic grew as she saw an elderly man in a white smock joined by a large shapely supermodel standing at the end of the aisleway. Batwoman stood, almost frozen in place while facing the gooped Flamebird, wearing the emotionless, glazed over, hypnotized gaze of someone placed under mind control.
"Batwoman!," Flamebird cried out. "I'm stuck! Get me loose!"
Batwoman remained motionless and unresponsive now that her master, the Toymaster, had arrived. It became abundantly clear from Batwoman's vacant stare that these villains before her had brainwashed Batwoman in some way. The Toymaster and Barbie shared a good laugh as a look of panic crossed Flamebird's masked face.
"Batwoman!," the Girl Wonder shouted. "Snap out of it!"
"A Slinky...a Slinky...what fun its a wonderful toy," sang Barbie in a merry tone as she stood a few feet down the aisle from the stuck superheroine. "A Slinky...a Slinky...what fun for a girl and a boy, even more fun for a Girl Wonder..."
Once Barbie finished her silly sinister song, the Toymaster produced a coiled spring, a Slinky toy, and lobbed it down the aisle at the glued feet of Flamebird. The Slinky hit the floor and exploded forth with a loud BOIINNGG!!!! Metal coils sprang forth and wrapped around the tight young body of the glued girl heroine, unable to move out of the way of the binding spinning Slinky that quickly trussed up the helpless Girl Wonder.
"Ugghhh!!," Flamebird grunted as the thin metal strands wrapped snuggly about her body, clinging tightly around her nylon hosed legs and pinning her arms to her sides. "Metal coils...binding me....can't...can't move..."
"Exactly, Flamebird," announced the triumphant Toymaster as he walked forward to the bound young heroine with Barbie following his every step. "My sinister Slinky trap was desgined to keep its victims from moving."
"Who are you?," cried a panicked captive Flamebird. "What have you done to Batwoman?"
"If by Batwoman, you mean Jessica Hansen," Toymaster responded in a mocking tone. "I placed her under hypnosis where she only follows my commands...like commanding her to lure her niece Christine into a trap at my toy store. As for me, I'm known simply as the Toymaster"
Flamebird stood in slack-jawed shock at hearing this villain before her reveal that her knew the true identities of Gotham's famed caped crusaders.
"How!?! How could you...know?," Flamebird muttered meekly as she looked with sadness at the mesmerized face of Batwoman. Looking at the hypnotized Batwoman told her all she needed to know...their identities had been revealed while Batwoman was under some form of hypnosis.
"Oh and I'm Barbie, by the way," piped up the beautiful mini-skirted amazon, completely ignoring Flamebird's questions. "I always thought that Slime stuff from the 70's was gross, but it makes a nice trap when mixed with that super glue stuff...and I always thought the Slinky spring trap was fab..."
"Let's not bore our guest with the details of her capture, Barbie," interrupted the Toymaster. "There are much more pressing matters at hand, like the brainwashing of the Girl Wonder."
Flamebird struggled and strained to free herself from the green goop that glued her boots to the floor and the binding metal Slinky coils that wrapped her up so neatly from ankles to shoulders. The green glue and the snug metal strands showed no signs of budging as the Girl Wonder wiggled with all her might.
"No, it can't...it just can't end like this," grunted the captive Flamebird.
"But sadly for you, it will," cooed the sinister Toymaster. "It ends with you and Batwoman's minds as my playthings...and the famed dynamic duo as my own action figures to control as I please...Batwoman, I believe a dose of your BatSleep is in order her."
The mind controlled Batwoman stepped forward as commanded and robotically reaching into her utility belt for a small spray cannister of BatSleep, Batwoman's specially created brand of fast acting sleeping gas. Staring blankly into the face of her niece and crimefighting sidekick, Batwoman registered no emotion as she held the nozzle of the aerosol can mere inches from Flamebird's face.
"Batwoman, no!," Flamebird shouted, "Snap out of it, please...don't..."
Batwoman depressed the nozzle of the cannister of BatSleep and sent a spray of sleep-enducing gas directly across the mask and nose of Flamebird. The Girl Wonder only managed a soft gasp before surrendering to slumber. Her eyes under her mask fluttered for a brief moment before slowly closing as her head fell forward from the forced nap. Flamebird's face and body grew limp and completely relaxed as the squirt of BatSleep worked it's wonderful magic all too well. The Girl Wonder didn't fall to the floor as she was still supported upright by the glue on her boots and the coils that kept her captive.
"Nicely done, Batwoman," Toymaster commended the mind controlled costumed crimefighter, "you'll make a terrific villainess under my command."
"Thank you, master," was Batwoman's wooden emotionless reposnse.
"Now ladies," directed Toymaster, "before we can proceed, I need Flamebird's feet freed from my Slime goop and my Capt. Space Commander helmet to place the Girl Wonder under my control. Barbie, be a sweetheart and fetch the helmet. Batwoman, get some of that universal solvent from that marvelous gadget belt of yours to dissolve the sticky Slime from Flamebird's fetching yellow boots..."
Barbie and the brainwashed Batwoman followed their orders as commanded and in mere minutes, Flamebird would join Batwoman as mind controlled captives in the evil Toymaster's employ.
A couple of hours later, late in this early December night, Batwoman and Flamebird stood at attention, sharing the same mesmerized gaze, before their master, the Toymaster.
"Jessica, Christine...are you ready for your first assignment together?," whispered the Toymaster. "Well, let me qualify that, your first assignment together as my mind controlled superheroine slaves?"
"Yes...master," Batwoman and Flamebird replied in unison, completely under the control of the sinister Toymaster.
Toymaster's plot to transform Gotham's famed dynamic duo into his own controllable action figures had been realized with an ease that exceeded his wildest dreams. With Batwoman and Flamebird committed to following his every command, Gotham City was his to plunder. And, of course, there were more heroines on the prowl in this fair metropolis to be lured into his hypnotic clutches...with a little help from Gotham's caped crusaders.
TO BE CONTINUED....
"Christine, are you in a place where we can talk?," Jessica asked, signaling that the topic to be discussed involved matters pertinent to fighting crime.
"Yes, I'm alone right out in front of our apartment," Christine responded. "What's going on?"
"Don't go into the apartment!," Jessica commanded. "Remember that bomb scare at school this morning? I did a little snooping and some guys followed me home. They tried to abduct me at the apartment, but I managed to escape. I'm afraid one of those guys might still be hanging around our place, waiting for me to return."
"O.K., I'll stay away from the apartment," Christine responded with a note of fear in her voice as she looked around at the complex for any suspicious looking characters. "But what do you want me do to?"
"Do you have your spare costume and utility belt in your backpack?," asked Jessica. "Do you have a key to the secret entrance for the Batcycle?"
"Yes, I stashed a spare costume and belt just like you told me to," answered the harried young heroine, "and I have that key on my key ring. Are you O.K.? Just what are we dealing with here?"
"I'm fine," Jessica replied, "and I'm not sure what or who were dealing with here. That phony bomb scare was just the first step in something much more sinsiter than I first imagined."
"Great, now what do you need me to do?"
"I need you to make sure the coast is clear and head over to that little shed next to the apartment pool," Jessica ordered. "Change into costume there once you're sure no one is around. Get to the Batcycle and meet me at 15980 East 24th St. in downtown Gotham. It's a little toy shop called Master Toys Inc. I'll be there...as Batwoman. The crew that tried to kidnap me is holed up in there."
"No problem," beamed a confident Christine, "I'll see you there in a few minutes."
Christine followed her aunt's advice and made her way cautiously over to the shed by the pool in their apartment complex. Emerging just moments later, the seemingly plain Christine had transformed into the sexy spandex-clad superfox, Flamebird. In her red leotard with matching yellow gloves, boots, and eyemask, Flamebird was a stunning vision in full costume.
"Damn, I'd look perfect if I didn't have a run in my spare pair of shiny tan pantyhose," Flamebird, the Girl Wonder, jokingly thought to herself as she adrimed her shapely bod in the mirror inside the shed as she tied the yellow cape she wore at the neck. Having to dress down at bit to downplay her natural good looks in her alter ego of Christine Hansen, Flamebird loved the way her form-flattering costume looked on her and the confidence it gave her casued her to glow with pride. But this was no time for jokes, serious business was at hand in downtown Gotham.
Flamebird crept to a hidden garage door obscured by a cluster of foliage and opened it to retrieve the Batcycle. Moving quickly, the sexy young superheroine climbed on and swiftly sped to the location where she would meet her crimefighting cohort, Batwoman.
The Batcycle arrived at the destination of 15980 East 24th St., the Master Toys Inc. toy store, and Flamebird scanned the block for any sign of the shapely form of Batwoman in her red cowl and yellow leotard. Batwoman emerged from an alley just a few feet from the toy shop as she silently signaled for Flamebird to park the Batcycle in this alley where it would attract little attention. Parking the motorcycle and practically bouncing off the seat, Flamebird dashed over to Batwoman and gave her a big hug.
"Batwoman, I'm so glad to see you're O.K.," gushed Flamebird, locked in the comforting embrace of her mentor.
"I'm fine," Batwoman responded somewhat coldly as she pulled back from the hug, "but we don't have much time. I was able to jimmy open the side door entrance to the toy store. If we sneak in through the back area, we should catch these villains by surprise."
"Right," Flamebird nodded, "but who are these villains? Just what might we be walking into?"
"I'm not sure, but it sounded like they were having some sort of a party in there," Batwoman explained. "They're probably too drunk to pose much of a threat, but a cannister of Batgas should subdue them before they can pull any sort of surprise."
"O.K., let's go," Flamebird agreed. It wasn't like Batwoman to walk into someplace without knowing the possible dangers of what might be waiting for her. Batwoman had warned her many times about looking before you leap. Flamebird dismissed such thoughts, however, confident that they would have little trouble rounding up this gang of crooks.
Batwoman and Flamebird entered the side entrance of the Master Toys Inc. store cautiously as they slowly pulled the door open to enter. The back room area was dimly lit and appeared to be unoccupied. There was no sound, almost complete silence, as they tiptoed through a narrow walkway between rows of cluttered shelves. It certainly didn't sound like any sort of party was going on.
"Batwoman...," Flamebird whispered, "it doesn't sound like anyone is here..."
"Shhh....," Batwoman insisted as she placed a stern gloved finger up to the lips of the Girl Wonder. "Be quiet...before you tip them off that we're here."
The chastised Flamebird recoiled back in shame after getting yet another lecture from Batwoman. Trying to stay quiet, she didn't notice that Batwoman had kicked over a small plastic green garbage can, which was no bigger than a dixie cup. Stepping forward and leading the way through the maze of shelving in the darkened storeroom, Batwoman manage to avoid stepping in the contents spilled from the tiny green garbage can. Flamebird, who was following behind her partner, wasn't so lucky.
A thin coating of green slime spilled onto the back room floor and Flamebird planted her feet right into the middle of this goopy green mess. She noticed nothing at first, until she tried to take another step forward. It was then that the Girl Wonder looked down to see that her yellow boots were covered with the sticky green blob of Slime and her feet were effectively glued to the floor.
"Batwoman!," Flamebird whispered with great urgency, "I'm stuck...boots covered in glue...can't move my feet."
The shadowy figure of Batwoman came into better view as she spun around. The lights of the storeroom burst on, flooding the room with brilliant bright light. Flamebird heart raced in panic as she realized that their attempt to sneak inside the toy shop undetected had failed and she was virtually helpless with her feet covered in a green sticky goop, leaving her unable to move.
Flamebird panic grew as she saw an elderly man in a white smock joined by a large shapely supermodel standing at the end of the aisleway. Batwoman stood, almost frozen in place while facing the gooped Flamebird, wearing the emotionless, glazed over, hypnotized gaze of someone placed under mind control.
"Batwoman!," Flamebird cried out. "I'm stuck! Get me loose!"
Batwoman remained motionless and unresponsive now that her master, the Toymaster, had arrived. It became abundantly clear from Batwoman's vacant stare that these villains before her had brainwashed Batwoman in some way. The Toymaster and Barbie shared a good laugh as a look of panic crossed Flamebird's masked face.
"Batwoman!," the Girl Wonder shouted. "Snap out of it!"
"A Slinky...a Slinky...what fun its a wonderful toy," sang Barbie in a merry tone as she stood a few feet down the aisle from the stuck superheroine. "A Slinky...a Slinky...what fun for a girl and a boy, even more fun for a Girl Wonder..."
Once Barbie finished her silly sinister song, the Toymaster produced a coiled spring, a Slinky toy, and lobbed it down the aisle at the glued feet of Flamebird. The Slinky hit the floor and exploded forth with a loud BOIINNGG!!!! Metal coils sprang forth and wrapped around the tight young body of the glued girl heroine, unable to move out of the way of the binding spinning Slinky that quickly trussed up the helpless Girl Wonder.
"Ugghhh!!," Flamebird grunted as the thin metal strands wrapped snuggly about her body, clinging tightly around her nylon hosed legs and pinning her arms to her sides. "Metal coils...binding me....can't...can't move..."
"Exactly, Flamebird," announced the triumphant Toymaster as he walked forward to the bound young heroine with Barbie following his every step. "My sinister Slinky trap was desgined to keep its victims from moving."
"Who are you?," cried a panicked captive Flamebird. "What have you done to Batwoman?"
"If by Batwoman, you mean Jessica Hansen," Toymaster responded in a mocking tone. "I placed her under hypnosis where she only follows my commands...like commanding her to lure her niece Christine into a trap at my toy store. As for me, I'm known simply as the Toymaster"
Flamebird stood in slack-jawed shock at hearing this villain before her reveal that her knew the true identities of Gotham's famed caped crusaders.
"How!?! How could you...know?," Flamebird muttered meekly as she looked with sadness at the mesmerized face of Batwoman. Looking at the hypnotized Batwoman told her all she needed to know...their identities had been revealed while Batwoman was under some form of hypnosis.
"Oh and I'm Barbie, by the way," piped up the beautiful mini-skirted amazon, completely ignoring Flamebird's questions. "I always thought that Slime stuff from the 70's was gross, but it makes a nice trap when mixed with that super glue stuff...and I always thought the Slinky spring trap was fab..."
"Let's not bore our guest with the details of her capture, Barbie," interrupted the Toymaster. "There are much more pressing matters at hand, like the brainwashing of the Girl Wonder."
Flamebird struggled and strained to free herself from the green goop that glued her boots to the floor and the binding metal Slinky coils that wrapped her up so neatly from ankles to shoulders. The green glue and the snug metal strands showed no signs of budging as the Girl Wonder wiggled with all her might.
"No, it can't...it just can't end like this," grunted the captive Flamebird.
"But sadly for you, it will," cooed the sinister Toymaster. "It ends with you and Batwoman's minds as my playthings...and the famed dynamic duo as my own action figures to control as I please...Batwoman, I believe a dose of your BatSleep is in order her."
The mind controlled Batwoman stepped forward as commanded and robotically reaching into her utility belt for a small spray cannister of BatSleep, Batwoman's specially created brand of fast acting sleeping gas. Staring blankly into the face of her niece and crimefighting sidekick, Batwoman registered no emotion as she held the nozzle of the aerosol can mere inches from Flamebird's face.
"Batwoman, no!," Flamebird shouted, "Snap out of it, please...don't..."
Batwoman depressed the nozzle of the cannister of BatSleep and sent a spray of sleep-enducing gas directly across the mask and nose of Flamebird. The Girl Wonder only managed a soft gasp before surrendering to slumber. Her eyes under her mask fluttered for a brief moment before slowly closing as her head fell forward from the forced nap. Flamebird's face and body grew limp and completely relaxed as the squirt of BatSleep worked it's wonderful magic all too well. The Girl Wonder didn't fall to the floor as she was still supported upright by the glue on her boots and the coils that kept her captive.
"Nicely done, Batwoman," Toymaster commended the mind controlled costumed crimefighter, "you'll make a terrific villainess under my command."
"Thank you, master," was Batwoman's wooden emotionless reposnse.
"Now ladies," directed Toymaster, "before we can proceed, I need Flamebird's feet freed from my Slime goop and my Capt. Space Commander helmet to place the Girl Wonder under my control. Barbie, be a sweetheart and fetch the helmet. Batwoman, get some of that universal solvent from that marvelous gadget belt of yours to dissolve the sticky Slime from Flamebird's fetching yellow boots..."
Barbie and the brainwashed Batwoman followed their orders as commanded and in mere minutes, Flamebird would join Batwoman as mind controlled captives in the evil Toymaster's employ.
A couple of hours later, late in this early December night, Batwoman and Flamebird stood at attention, sharing the same mesmerized gaze, before their master, the Toymaster.
"Jessica, Christine...are you ready for your first assignment together?," whispered the Toymaster. "Well, let me qualify that, your first assignment together as my mind controlled superheroine slaves?"
"Yes...master," Batwoman and Flamebird replied in unison, completely under the control of the sinister Toymaster.
Toymaster's plot to transform Gotham's famed dynamic duo into his own controllable action figures had been realized with an ease that exceeded his wildest dreams. With Batwoman and Flamebird committed to following his every command, Gotham City was his to plunder. And, of course, there were more heroines on the prowl in this fair metropolis to be lured into his hypnotic clutches...with a little help from Gotham's caped crusaders.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-
superpics4les
- Elder Member
- Posts: 493
- Joined: 19 years ago
- Location: Indiana USA
Another great story indeed, my dear Franco, aka TrapMaster! I can't wait to read more! 8) *wink*wink*nudge*nudge* 
8)
8)"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer." - Paul Atredes
As Batwoman and Flamebird stood stupefied under the Toymaster's hypnotic mind control in the villain's terrible toy store, the diabolical plan of the sinister Toymaster and his shapely sidekick, Barbie, began to truly take shape.
"Gosh, Toymaster," marveled the beautiful blonde Barbie, "the dynamic duo are completed zonked and ready to do our bidding. What's our first target, baby, the Federal Reserve in Gotham? Control of the world's stock market on Hall St.? Reveal the true identities of Batwoman and the Girl Wonder to the highest bidder?"
"Something much bigger, my living doll," announced the gleeful elderly toy merchant, "take a look at this headline from the New Gotham Times."
Toymaster handed the business section of the newspaper from a week ago to his heinous henchwoman. Barbie took the paper and scanned the large type headline at the top.
"Swiss Toy Giant, MegaCo. Toys Inc., Plan A Multi-Million Dollar Charitable Venture To Give The Entire World A Merry X-Mas," Barbie read aloud.
"That's the story," Toymaster said excitely, "and that's phase two of the plan."
"What does that have to do with us?," Barbie asked with a complete lack of understanding. "A toy company in Switzerland? We're in Gotham City U.S.A., in case you forgot. Uncovering the identities of Batwoman and Flamebird has something to do with some Swiss toy giant?"
"If you read the article before commenting," Toymaster hissed with disdain, "you'd see that MegaCo. Toys is dividing 63 million U.S. dollars among the charitable organizations of the world to provide presents for the underprivileged people in all four corners of the globe. The cash will be dispatched from a Zurich bank in large sacks to representatives of these charities at a gala press conference."
"Yeah, so?," scoffed the dim Barbie, "We're sending Batwoman and Flamebird off to Switzerland to steal it for us?"
"Not exactly, my doubting dolt," Toymaster explained, "The cash will be under the guard of the most renown superheroines in the European Union, Swiss Miss and Action Girl, along with most of the Swiss national guard."
"Well, what do Batwoman and Flamebird have to do with them?," exhaled the still confused Barbie. "Why didn't we just kidnap and hypnotize this Miss Swiss and Action Gal?"
"Well, I don't have much information of these Swiss heroines, other than newspaper articles of their exploits," Toymaster further explained. "There is no pattern that I see in their appearances as they pop up in various European nations fighting supervillains. All I have is an exclusive interview with Swiss Miss, claiming that her main influence in donning a disguise and fighting crime was Gotham's own Batwoman. Swiss Miss and Action Girl modeled their costumes and crime-fighting techniques of Gotham's own dynamic duo. Batwoman, according to the interview, is her idol and role model."
"So...we use Batwoman and Flamebird to draw these Swiss chicks out and lure them into a trap," nodded a now understanding Barbie. "But how will be know where to meet this Swiss Miss and sidekick? Europe is a pretty big place...how can we be sure that they cross paths? And how can we capture them if our traps are set up in this toy shop?"
"Simple," reasoned the Toymaster, "we have Batwoman and the Girl Wonder bring them to Gotham City...perhaps an emergency meeting..."
"How do we get Swiss Miss and Action Girl to come to Gotham?"
"You have many questions, Barbie," gasped an exhausted Toymaster, "but Batwoman's voice on the phone should be enough to seal the deal. Placing a call to the Swiss consulate in Gotham regarding a European villain that plans to snatch the MegaCo. Toy money targeted for a Gotham based charity, like Feed & Shelter the World. An urgent plea from her idol should bring Swiss Miss and her junior partner across the Atlantic to offer their super assistance."
Toymaster turned to the frozen forms of the captive dynamic duo and placed his hand gently on the shoulder of the brainwashed Batwoman.
"Batwoman, Ms. Hansen....place a call to the Swiss consulate on your mobile Bat-phone," ordered the Toymaster. "You need to be patched through immediately to the government offices in Bern...tell them that one of Europe's most reviled villains is planning a theft of the MegaCo. Toy charitable cash donation to a Gotham based charity...Swiss Miss and Action Girl must be contacted and dispatched to Gotham City as soon as possible...their expertise is required as this fiendish plot is unfolding as we speak...request that you speak to these heroines personally and plan to meet them here...at my humble little toy store."
The vacant eyes of the hypontized Batwoman didn't indicate any understanding on the part of the caped crusader in body hugging yellow spandex. Batwoman simply nodded along as her captor relayed a vital message. The blank and receptive mind of Batwoman was absorbing the sinister details of Toymaster's task and was unable to do anything but comply.
"Yes...master," said Batwoman in a monotone voice common when in the presence of the Toymaster, "I will obey as you command."
After receiving her command, Batwoman reached for the mobile Bat-phone in her utility belt and placed the call to the Swiss consulate as ordered.
Vanessa and Nadja Martens were the Belgian born daughters of Thomas Martens, a world famous Swiss banker. As the CEO of Switzerland's largest bank, Mr. Martens had great control in how a large chunk of the world's gold supply was allocated. He also led wide sweeping reforms of the Swiss banking system to prevent outside investors from hiding money in Swiss banks. Vanessa and her younger sister, Nadja, led a life of privilege as children, attending Europe's most exclusive boarding schools. Both of Thomas Martens' daughters excelled in athletics, winning acclaim in tennis, track and field, and gymnastics. Their athletic prowess was owed in great part to good genes as their Swiss born mother, Laura, was a champion gymnast while in her late teens. Vanessa and Nadja's idealic lives were rocked when their parents were murdered while vacationing in the French Rivera. Their murders remained unsolved as Thomas and Laura were gunned down on an isolated beach by an unknown assailant. Vanessa, who was 18 at the time and preparing for her first semester at the Sorbonne, called her 16 year old sister, Nadja, home from school to deal with the devastating and shocking loss. After selling of the vast stock holdings her family held, Vanessa and Nadja vowed to use the great wealth fight injustice and hopefully bring their parents' killer to justice. Building an extensive training facility and crime-fighting lab in the bowels of their family mansion in Zurich, Vanessa and Nadja followed the example of America's famed crime fighters, Batwoman and Flamebird. Training their athletic bodies to well-toned perfection and refining their extensive martial arts skills, Vanessa and Nadja became skilled fighters. Using the best crime-fighting tools money could buy, the Martens daughters collected an impressive arsenal of compact accessories that fit neatly into the utility belts they crafted.
Vanessa and Nadja spent two years essentially underground as they trained to become skilled crimefighters in the mold of Batwoman and Flamebird. As a cover for their secret lives as superheroines, the Martens sisters posed as party-hopping international playgirls. Vanessa, a stunningly well-stacked trim blonde with long supple legs, fit the mold of a sexy globe-trotting heiress to a T. Her sister, Nadja, the sandy haired siren of the society pages, stood a couple of inches shorter than Vanessa, but packed a lovely curvacous frame that brought the world's richest men to their knees. As Nadja reached the tender age of 18, the Martens sisters decided they were ready to take on the most vile criminals Europe had to offer as costumed crimefighting superheroines. As the world knew them as ditzy, spoiled children of privilege, best known for partying with Europe's elite, no one would suspect that they were leading secret lives as spandex-clad superheroines.
Vanessa, in her heroic guise as Swiss Miss, wore a patriotic red and white costume. She wore a red sleeved leotard with a white cross at the center of her chest, the national symbol of Switzerland. Her elbow length gloves, nylon tights, domino-style eyemask, and utility belt were a shocking shade of white. Bright red boots zipped up to the knees completed this jaw dropping blonde superheroic package. Nadja adopted the name of Action Girl and wore a similiar costume on her well-proportioned shapely bod, with the only difference being that her sleeved leotard and boots were a shiny shade of aqua blue. This stunning team of superheroic sisters garnished a great deal of attention, as they were strikingly beautiful in their spandex costumes. This attention was well earned as they spent the better part of the last two years thwarting Europe's most notorious villains and villainesses, such as the British Banger, a rock and roll drummer with a sonic drum kit, the Belgian Waffler, with his sticky trapping waffle batter, and the French Tickler, a lady who could extract confidential information from the best trained government officials with an array of feathers and itching powders.
Vanessa and Nadja, now aged 22 and 20, were deeply involved in a session of martial arts training in the catacombs of the Martens mansion when an urgent call was placed to a secret phone line in their crimefighting lair. Vanessa answered and listened intently as the Swiss minister of defense relayed an urgent call for help from Batwoman in the U.S. of A. Changing the tone of her voice to a deeper, more heroic sound, Swiss Miss nodded before simply answering, "We'll be standing by," before placing the phone back on the receiver.
"Vanessa, what is it?," piped up an eager Nadja, a/k/a Action Girl.
"An urgent call from America," Vanessa stated calmly. "It seems that the Sandman as moved his operation to Gotham City. He's been placing high-ranking officials from the Feed & Shelter the World charity under his hypnotic sleeping sand mind control in an effort to steal the money donated by MegaCo. Toys to their organization."
"The Sandman!?!," exclaimed Nadja, "After we shut down his operation in Berlin, he must have thought he could lay low in the United States."
"Yeah, that might be what he's up to," reasoned a skeptical Vanessa, "but that's really not his style. I figured if he planned something this big, he'd be in Zurich to steal all the money."
"And why would he go to Gotham City?," Nadja thought aloud. "Sandman surely knows Batwoman and Flamebird patrol that city. Why tempt fate by challenging them?"
"Funny you mention, Batwoman and Flamebird," Vanessa continued, "it seems that they requested our help in capturing the Sandman. They knew we've dealt with him in the past and that we're part of the security team charged with protecting the 63 million dollar MegaCo. donation."
"Batwoman, she requested us?," Nadja shouted in excitement. "It would be an honor to work alongside the caped crusader and the Girl Wonder. I know all the stories and the legends, but..."
"But, Batwoman will be patched through to the secret line in a few minutes," Vanessa interrupted. "She has some instructions as to where she wants to meet Swiss Miss and her partner Action Girl once we arrive in Gotham."
"Batwoman calling us!," squeaked a giddy Nadja as she bounced like a silly schoolgirl. "We're going to actually take down the Sandman with the famous dynamic duo. Do you think I can answer the phone when she calls?"
"Calm down and try to act like you've done this before," cautioned Vanessa. "The last thing we want Batwoman to think is that she and Flamebird are dealing with a couple of Euro-amateurs. Let's be a little professional about this. Besides, we know full well how dangerous a villain the Sandman and his lingerie-clad henchwoman, Sleeping Beauty, are to tangle with."
"Right, a stethoscope spray of somnambulant sleeping sand in the face isn't an easy thing to forget," said Nadja, calming down a bit.
"Yeah and that sleeping gas cigar was no treat either," added Vanessa. "We were so close to ending up as part of his army of sleepwalking slaves."
"Close?," exclaimed Nadja, "I was under the influence of that sleepy sand stuff after looking through Sleeping Beauty's lingerie closet. Thank goodness you rescued me before..."
With that, the secured phone line in Swiss Miss and Action Girl's secret lair rang. It was none other than the world famous Batwoman with specific instructions to where and when to meet them in Gotham City. Vanessa handled the talk with her idol with all the poise she could muster. After exchanging well wishes and gathering the vital information Batwoman had to offer, Vanessa hung up the phone and signalled her sister to come closer.
"Get your things together and I'll make sure the private jet is ready," Vanessa ordered. "Batwoman thinks the Sandman is using some downtown toy store as a hideout. We'll meet her and Flamebird there once we arrive in Gotham tomorrow afternoon."
"You got it, sis," boomed Nadja, "and don't forget to pack your Swiss Miss costume."
"I was about to remind you to remember your Action Girl outfit," giggled Vanessa. "Gotham City, here we come."
"To the batpoles...," laughed Nadja as she retreated upstairs to prepare her belongings for a long trip across the Atlantic.
"Try going to your room first," added Vanessa as she too shared a laugh in giddy excitement for the adventure ahead.
A half hour later, the Martens' family jet was waiting at the Zurich International Airport. Vanessa and Nadja drove their red Ferrari to a private gate near the runway and emerged in the latest form-flattering fashions from Paris and Gotham. The partying playgirls, the famous Martens sisters, appeared to be off again to another movie premiere or the newest hot nightspot. Little did the gawking travelers know that Swiss Miss and her sidekick, Action Girl, were off the join Gotham's famed dynamic duo in bringing the infamous Sandman to justice. Unfortunately for the European Union's sexiest superheroines, they had no idea they were being lured into a long distance trap that the Toymaster was about to spring, with the help of the mind controlled Batwoman and Flamebird.
TO BE CONTINUED....
"Gosh, Toymaster," marveled the beautiful blonde Barbie, "the dynamic duo are completed zonked and ready to do our bidding. What's our first target, baby, the Federal Reserve in Gotham? Control of the world's stock market on Hall St.? Reveal the true identities of Batwoman and the Girl Wonder to the highest bidder?"
"Something much bigger, my living doll," announced the gleeful elderly toy merchant, "take a look at this headline from the New Gotham Times."
Toymaster handed the business section of the newspaper from a week ago to his heinous henchwoman. Barbie took the paper and scanned the large type headline at the top.
"Swiss Toy Giant, MegaCo. Toys Inc., Plan A Multi-Million Dollar Charitable Venture To Give The Entire World A Merry X-Mas," Barbie read aloud.
"That's the story," Toymaster said excitely, "and that's phase two of the plan."
"What does that have to do with us?," Barbie asked with a complete lack of understanding. "A toy company in Switzerland? We're in Gotham City U.S.A., in case you forgot. Uncovering the identities of Batwoman and Flamebird has something to do with some Swiss toy giant?"
"If you read the article before commenting," Toymaster hissed with disdain, "you'd see that MegaCo. Toys is dividing 63 million U.S. dollars among the charitable organizations of the world to provide presents for the underprivileged people in all four corners of the globe. The cash will be dispatched from a Zurich bank in large sacks to representatives of these charities at a gala press conference."
"Yeah, so?," scoffed the dim Barbie, "We're sending Batwoman and Flamebird off to Switzerland to steal it for us?"
"Not exactly, my doubting dolt," Toymaster explained, "The cash will be under the guard of the most renown superheroines in the European Union, Swiss Miss and Action Girl, along with most of the Swiss national guard."
"Well, what do Batwoman and Flamebird have to do with them?," exhaled the still confused Barbie. "Why didn't we just kidnap and hypnotize this Miss Swiss and Action Gal?"
"Well, I don't have much information of these Swiss heroines, other than newspaper articles of their exploits," Toymaster further explained. "There is no pattern that I see in their appearances as they pop up in various European nations fighting supervillains. All I have is an exclusive interview with Swiss Miss, claiming that her main influence in donning a disguise and fighting crime was Gotham's own Batwoman. Swiss Miss and Action Girl modeled their costumes and crime-fighting techniques of Gotham's own dynamic duo. Batwoman, according to the interview, is her idol and role model."
"So...we use Batwoman and Flamebird to draw these Swiss chicks out and lure them into a trap," nodded a now understanding Barbie. "But how will be know where to meet this Swiss Miss and sidekick? Europe is a pretty big place...how can we be sure that they cross paths? And how can we capture them if our traps are set up in this toy shop?"
"Simple," reasoned the Toymaster, "we have Batwoman and the Girl Wonder bring them to Gotham City...perhaps an emergency meeting..."
"How do we get Swiss Miss and Action Girl to come to Gotham?"
"You have many questions, Barbie," gasped an exhausted Toymaster, "but Batwoman's voice on the phone should be enough to seal the deal. Placing a call to the Swiss consulate in Gotham regarding a European villain that plans to snatch the MegaCo. Toy money targeted for a Gotham based charity, like Feed & Shelter the World. An urgent plea from her idol should bring Swiss Miss and her junior partner across the Atlantic to offer their super assistance."
Toymaster turned to the frozen forms of the captive dynamic duo and placed his hand gently on the shoulder of the brainwashed Batwoman.
"Batwoman, Ms. Hansen....place a call to the Swiss consulate on your mobile Bat-phone," ordered the Toymaster. "You need to be patched through immediately to the government offices in Bern...tell them that one of Europe's most reviled villains is planning a theft of the MegaCo. Toy charitable cash donation to a Gotham based charity...Swiss Miss and Action Girl must be contacted and dispatched to Gotham City as soon as possible...their expertise is required as this fiendish plot is unfolding as we speak...request that you speak to these heroines personally and plan to meet them here...at my humble little toy store."
The vacant eyes of the hypontized Batwoman didn't indicate any understanding on the part of the caped crusader in body hugging yellow spandex. Batwoman simply nodded along as her captor relayed a vital message. The blank and receptive mind of Batwoman was absorbing the sinister details of Toymaster's task and was unable to do anything but comply.
"Yes...master," said Batwoman in a monotone voice common when in the presence of the Toymaster, "I will obey as you command."
After receiving her command, Batwoman reached for the mobile Bat-phone in her utility belt and placed the call to the Swiss consulate as ordered.
Vanessa and Nadja Martens were the Belgian born daughters of Thomas Martens, a world famous Swiss banker. As the CEO of Switzerland's largest bank, Mr. Martens had great control in how a large chunk of the world's gold supply was allocated. He also led wide sweeping reforms of the Swiss banking system to prevent outside investors from hiding money in Swiss banks. Vanessa and her younger sister, Nadja, led a life of privilege as children, attending Europe's most exclusive boarding schools. Both of Thomas Martens' daughters excelled in athletics, winning acclaim in tennis, track and field, and gymnastics. Their athletic prowess was owed in great part to good genes as their Swiss born mother, Laura, was a champion gymnast while in her late teens. Vanessa and Nadja's idealic lives were rocked when their parents were murdered while vacationing in the French Rivera. Their murders remained unsolved as Thomas and Laura were gunned down on an isolated beach by an unknown assailant. Vanessa, who was 18 at the time and preparing for her first semester at the Sorbonne, called her 16 year old sister, Nadja, home from school to deal with the devastating and shocking loss. After selling of the vast stock holdings her family held, Vanessa and Nadja vowed to use the great wealth fight injustice and hopefully bring their parents' killer to justice. Building an extensive training facility and crime-fighting lab in the bowels of their family mansion in Zurich, Vanessa and Nadja followed the example of America's famed crime fighters, Batwoman and Flamebird. Training their athletic bodies to well-toned perfection and refining their extensive martial arts skills, Vanessa and Nadja became skilled fighters. Using the best crime-fighting tools money could buy, the Martens daughters collected an impressive arsenal of compact accessories that fit neatly into the utility belts they crafted.
Vanessa and Nadja spent two years essentially underground as they trained to become skilled crimefighters in the mold of Batwoman and Flamebird. As a cover for their secret lives as superheroines, the Martens sisters posed as party-hopping international playgirls. Vanessa, a stunningly well-stacked trim blonde with long supple legs, fit the mold of a sexy globe-trotting heiress to a T. Her sister, Nadja, the sandy haired siren of the society pages, stood a couple of inches shorter than Vanessa, but packed a lovely curvacous frame that brought the world's richest men to their knees. As Nadja reached the tender age of 18, the Martens sisters decided they were ready to take on the most vile criminals Europe had to offer as costumed crimefighting superheroines. As the world knew them as ditzy, spoiled children of privilege, best known for partying with Europe's elite, no one would suspect that they were leading secret lives as spandex-clad superheroines.
Vanessa, in her heroic guise as Swiss Miss, wore a patriotic red and white costume. She wore a red sleeved leotard with a white cross at the center of her chest, the national symbol of Switzerland. Her elbow length gloves, nylon tights, domino-style eyemask, and utility belt were a shocking shade of white. Bright red boots zipped up to the knees completed this jaw dropping blonde superheroic package. Nadja adopted the name of Action Girl and wore a similiar costume on her well-proportioned shapely bod, with the only difference being that her sleeved leotard and boots were a shiny shade of aqua blue. This stunning team of superheroic sisters garnished a great deal of attention, as they were strikingly beautiful in their spandex costumes. This attention was well earned as they spent the better part of the last two years thwarting Europe's most notorious villains and villainesses, such as the British Banger, a rock and roll drummer with a sonic drum kit, the Belgian Waffler, with his sticky trapping waffle batter, and the French Tickler, a lady who could extract confidential information from the best trained government officials with an array of feathers and itching powders.
Vanessa and Nadja, now aged 22 and 20, were deeply involved in a session of martial arts training in the catacombs of the Martens mansion when an urgent call was placed to a secret phone line in their crimefighting lair. Vanessa answered and listened intently as the Swiss minister of defense relayed an urgent call for help from Batwoman in the U.S. of A. Changing the tone of her voice to a deeper, more heroic sound, Swiss Miss nodded before simply answering, "We'll be standing by," before placing the phone back on the receiver.
"Vanessa, what is it?," piped up an eager Nadja, a/k/a Action Girl.
"An urgent call from America," Vanessa stated calmly. "It seems that the Sandman as moved his operation to Gotham City. He's been placing high-ranking officials from the Feed & Shelter the World charity under his hypnotic sleeping sand mind control in an effort to steal the money donated by MegaCo. Toys to their organization."
"The Sandman!?!," exclaimed Nadja, "After we shut down his operation in Berlin, he must have thought he could lay low in the United States."
"Yeah, that might be what he's up to," reasoned a skeptical Vanessa, "but that's really not his style. I figured if he planned something this big, he'd be in Zurich to steal all the money."
"And why would he go to Gotham City?," Nadja thought aloud. "Sandman surely knows Batwoman and Flamebird patrol that city. Why tempt fate by challenging them?"
"Funny you mention, Batwoman and Flamebird," Vanessa continued, "it seems that they requested our help in capturing the Sandman. They knew we've dealt with him in the past and that we're part of the security team charged with protecting the 63 million dollar MegaCo. donation."
"Batwoman, she requested us?," Nadja shouted in excitement. "It would be an honor to work alongside the caped crusader and the Girl Wonder. I know all the stories and the legends, but..."
"But, Batwoman will be patched through to the secret line in a few minutes," Vanessa interrupted. "She has some instructions as to where she wants to meet Swiss Miss and her partner Action Girl once we arrive in Gotham."
"Batwoman calling us!," squeaked a giddy Nadja as she bounced like a silly schoolgirl. "We're going to actually take down the Sandman with the famous dynamic duo. Do you think I can answer the phone when she calls?"
"Calm down and try to act like you've done this before," cautioned Vanessa. "The last thing we want Batwoman to think is that she and Flamebird are dealing with a couple of Euro-amateurs. Let's be a little professional about this. Besides, we know full well how dangerous a villain the Sandman and his lingerie-clad henchwoman, Sleeping Beauty, are to tangle with."
"Right, a stethoscope spray of somnambulant sleeping sand in the face isn't an easy thing to forget," said Nadja, calming down a bit.
"Yeah and that sleeping gas cigar was no treat either," added Vanessa. "We were so close to ending up as part of his army of sleepwalking slaves."
"Close?," exclaimed Nadja, "I was under the influence of that sleepy sand stuff after looking through Sleeping Beauty's lingerie closet. Thank goodness you rescued me before..."
With that, the secured phone line in Swiss Miss and Action Girl's secret lair rang. It was none other than the world famous Batwoman with specific instructions to where and when to meet them in Gotham City. Vanessa handled the talk with her idol with all the poise she could muster. After exchanging well wishes and gathering the vital information Batwoman had to offer, Vanessa hung up the phone and signalled her sister to come closer.
"Get your things together and I'll make sure the private jet is ready," Vanessa ordered. "Batwoman thinks the Sandman is using some downtown toy store as a hideout. We'll meet her and Flamebird there once we arrive in Gotham tomorrow afternoon."
"You got it, sis," boomed Nadja, "and don't forget to pack your Swiss Miss costume."
"I was about to remind you to remember your Action Girl outfit," giggled Vanessa. "Gotham City, here we come."
"To the batpoles...," laughed Nadja as she retreated upstairs to prepare her belongings for a long trip across the Atlantic.
"Try going to your room first," added Vanessa as she too shared a laugh in giddy excitement for the adventure ahead.
A half hour later, the Martens' family jet was waiting at the Zurich International Airport. Vanessa and Nadja drove their red Ferrari to a private gate near the runway and emerged in the latest form-flattering fashions from Paris and Gotham. The partying playgirls, the famous Martens sisters, appeared to be off again to another movie premiere or the newest hot nightspot. Little did the gawking travelers know that Swiss Miss and her sidekick, Action Girl, were off the join Gotham's famed dynamic duo in bringing the infamous Sandman to justice. Unfortunately for the European Union's sexiest superheroines, they had no idea they were being lured into a long distance trap that the Toymaster was about to spring, with the help of the mind controlled Batwoman and Flamebird.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-
superpics4les
- Elder Member
- Posts: 493
- Joined: 19 years ago
- Location: Indiana USA
Another marvelous superheroine team creation, Franco! Keep this up, and you'll have as many heroes as the DC or Marvel universe! :-D Great update, my friend! Looking forward to more! 8)
"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer." - Paul Atredes
Roughly eleven hours after receiving a request for help in apprehending the nefarious European villain, the Sandman, Vanessa and Nadja Martens touched down at Gotham International Airport. The pilot, Kerr Smithson, the personal valet for the Martens family, was the only person to know that the Martens sisters were secretly the crime fighting duo of Swiss Miss and Action Girl. Upon landing, the luxurious lear jet was directed to an empty hangar located at the far west corner of the airport, far away from the main airport traffic. The jet coasted to a smooth stop inside the hangar when Mr. Smithson was dispatched to secure accomodations for the globetrotting heiresses for their stay in Gotham. As the pilot left, Vanessa and Nadja took the time to transform from spoiled children of privilege to costumed superheroines. Vanessa squeezed into her clinging red leotard with white gloves, belt, and eye mask comfortably out of sight inside the spacious plane. Nadja followed suit in her aqua blue leotard with the same white gloves, belt, and mask. As the Euroheroines slipped their nylon covered feet and ankles into their zip-up colorful go-go boots, their thoughts turned to the matters at hand.
"How are we to contact Batwoman and Flamebird?," asked Nadja, now in full Action Girl costume.
"I'm not sure...Batwoman contacted us through the Swiss consulate, maybe that's the best way to reach them," reasoned Swiss Miss.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to be working alongside the famous Batwoman and Flamebird, Gotham's dynamic duo," gushed Action Girl.
"Batwoman is the main reason there is a Swiss Miss and Action Girl, but you have to remember how dangerous and tricky the Sandman can be," cautioned Swiss Miss. "His sleep enducing gadgets and traps can spring up in just about any form, as we well know."
"I know, I know," sighed Action Girl, "but I just can't fathom Batwoman and the Girl Wonder calling us in for help. Pardon me for being just a little psyched."
"I'm as excited as you are," said Swiss Miss in a reassuring voice, "but I want to keep my mind clear. Getting too amped up for this will only lead to mistakes and the slightest mistake can mean a face full of Sandman's sleeping sand."
"Yuck," spat an animated Action Girl. "Falling under Sandman's hypnotic spell and becoming one of his mindless sleepwalkers...I'd rather go swimming in Sharkwoman's pool of man-eating Great Whites."
"You almost did, if I remember correctly," giggled Swiss Miss. "You were bound pretty well in that fishing net before I arrived."
"Thanks for reminding me," Action Girl replied sarcastically. "Being dangled above the tank, those sharks looked pretty hungry."
"Well, let me patch through to Kerr on the cell," said Swiss Miss, changing the subject. "We'll see if someone at the consulate can contact Batwoman..."
Just as Swiss Miss reached for her cell phone, the silence in the empty hangar was broken by the humming sound of an arriving motorcycle. The noise seized as the motorcycle parked outside the hangar. This was, however, no ordinary motorcycle. Batwoman and Flamebird had arrived via the souped-up Batcycle. Flamebird climbed out of the sidecar as Batwoman dismounted the Batcycle, attracting the attention of the European superheroines. Swiss Miss and Action Girl lowered the jet door and stepped out of the plane to be met by the statuesque raven-haired caper crusader looking stunning in curve caressing yellow leotard.
"Swiss Miss. Action Girl.," Batwoman said in a welcoming tone as she extended her hand. "Thank you both for coming on such short notice."
"Its a pleasure, Batwoman," boomed Swiss Miss, shaking Batwoman red gloved hand. "We've always wanted to meet you and the Girl Wonder."
"Yeah, where is Flamebird?," asked Action Girl.
"She's activating the security devices on the Batcycle," explained Batwoman. "She'll be here in a minute."
Flamebird entered the hangar and jogged over to the trio of heroines. The shapely Girl Wonder in red and yellow exchanged handshakes with the visitors from Switzerland and joined in the discussion of the matters at hand.
"Tell me, dynamic duo, just what is Sandman doing in Gotham City?," Swiss Miss inquired.
"I'm sure you're familiar with the Feed & Shelter the World charity organization, based here in Gotham City," explained Batwoman.
"Yes, they're to receive a large cash donation from MegaCo. Toy for the Christmas season," answered Action Girl. "We're supervising the security at the press conference in Zurich."
"That's why I called," Batwoman continued, "Sandman has been luring executives from the Feed & Shelter board of directors into his hideout, posing as a wealthy entreprenuer interested in making a large donation. We believe he's placing them under hypnosis so they'll turn that MegaCo. donation over to him."
"Hmmm...sounds like the Sandman," spat a disgusted Swiss Miss. "No threats, no violence...just an simple exchange with no evidence."
"Well, no superheroines know the tricks and tactics of the Sandman better than you two," Batwoman said confidently. "That's why we need your help in taking him and his crew down."
"Count us in," Swiss Miss announced heroically with her best hands-on-hips heroic pose. "But how are we going to follow you into the city? The Batcycle only has room for two."
"I've arranged for a couple of motorcycles to be brought here shortly," Batwoman explained. "In fact, it should be here any moment...Flamebird, take Action Girl out to the Batcycle and show her the location we suspect Sandman is using as a hideout...the mobile Batcomputer in the sidecar should already have it cued up..."
Flamebird smiled at her fellow spandex-clad sidekick and the two jogged out of the hangar and into the brisk December air outside. Once outside the hangar, Action Girl got a good look at the impressive piece of crime-fighting equipment known as the Batcycle. Stylish and super-powered, with all the crime-fighting paraphernalia a superheroine in the field would need, Action Girl found the motorcycle much more impressive than she ever could have believed.
"All I can say is WOW!," gushed Action Girl. "I've seen pictures of the Batcycle, but I never imagined it could do so much."
"Wait until I show you what isn't in the pictures," beamed an excited Flamebird, clearly enjoying the gleeful expression on Action Girl's lovely masked face.
Just then, an airport worker was walking toward the hangar. From a distance of 30 feet away, the figure, in drab olive colored coveralls with a baseball cap pulled over the face, looked like every other employee of Gotham International Airport. From the bright orange flashlight beckons in the figure's hands, it appeared that a runway worker that directed planes to the proper gate was taking a break. As the worker drew closer, it became clear that this figure in drab coveralls was female and she was heading directly toward the hangar housing the Martens' family jet.
"What do you think she's coming over here for?," asked a nervous Action Girl.
"Well, these crime-fighting outfits do seem to attract attention," joked the Girl Wonder. "Maybe she thinks there's trouble here and wants to find out what's going on."
"Yeah, I guess I'd think the same thing," reasoned Action Girl. "Superheroines usually only show up when there's trouble afoot."
Just as the woman approached the spandex-clad sidekicks standing beside the famed Batcycle, she pulled the baseball cap off her head to release a cascade of long blonde hair. Revealing her beautiful face to the stunned heroines, Barbie had arrived looking as stunning as a woman can in an airport issue jumpsuit.
"Action Girl, I presume," purred the villainous henchwoman, "we've prepared a surprise for you as a special welcome to Gotham City."
"Huh?," gasped a surprised Action Girl, stunned by the cryptic remark made by a woman who looked more like a supermodel than an airport employee. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about my boss luring you all the way to Gotham City to abduct you and your partner," Barbie grinned as she pointed the flashlight orange beckon light at the European superfox.
Before Action Girl could reply or react, Barbie released the trigger on the orange flashlight, sending a stream of a blue sticky paste at Action Girl. Action Girl drew her hands in front of her as the gummy clay-based paste struck the stunned superheroine. SPLORT! The sticky brightly colored modeling clay splashed upon contact, coating the arms and torso of Action Girl. Barbie continued to spray the goopy concoction until the upper body of the heroine in aqua blue spandex was completely covered, binding her arms and securing her neatly.
"Stuck...some kind...of glue," strained Action Girl, feverishly trying to pull her arms loose from the blue gummy blob that encased her. "Can't...move...my arms."
"Some of Toymaster's heroine ensnaring Play-Doh...makes for a sticky situation, eh, Action Girl," taunted Barbie with an evil smirk on glee on her face.
"Flamebird?!?," Action Girl cried. "Help!"
"Yes, Flamebird," Barbie said calmly, "we could use your help."
Action Girl turned to see the Girl Wonder standing motionlessly with a dazed, expressionless look on her face. Action Girl recognized the hypnotized, glazed over look on Flamebird face and could only gasp in fear. In Flamebird yellow gloved hand, she held a small aerosol can as she stepped robotically toward the helplesly gooped Action Girl. The Swiss heroine's loud cries were barely audible over the roar of the jet engines of the airplanes landing nearby.
"The best cure for jet lag, Ms. Action Girl," Barbie announced, "is a nice long nap...Flamebird, would you do the honors?"
Without a word, Flamebird drew the aerosol can forward, with the nozzle just under the nose of the bound Swiss super sidekick.
"Flamebird! Snap out of it!," Action Girl screamed. "Please...don't..."
The mind-controlled Girl Wonder squirted a light misting of Bat-Sleep across the face of Action Girl, strking across her white eye mask and nose. With a soft sigh, Action Girl's eyes rolled back briefly before softly shutting. The panicked look of betrayal gave way to peaceful slumber as Action Girl staggered for a stumbling step before crashing unceremoniously to the blacktop below. The first of the visiting European heroines had been subdued.
"I guess we can call you Out-of-Action Girl," laughed Barbie.
Meanwhile, deep inside the caravanous airplane hangar, Batwoman and Swiss Miss stood by the Martens' family jet when the muffled sounds outside attracted one of the heroine's attention.
"Batwoman, did you hear something?," interrupted Swiss Miss with a voice of concern. "I could have sworn I heard something like a scream."
"Over the jet engines?," questioned Batwoman with a quizzical look on her face. "I can barely hear you and you're standing right next to me."
Just then, a buzzing sound could be heard in the hangar. Sounding like a swarm of bees, the noise grew louder. The loud buzzing alerted both Swiss Miss and Batwoman as they looked toward the opening of the hangar. What could be buzzing so loud that it actually drowns out the blaring humm of the jet engines? The source of the buzzing sound grew apparant as the eyes of Batwoman and Swiss Miss grew bigger in surprise with what was entering the hangar...
TO BE CONTINUED....
"How are we to contact Batwoman and Flamebird?," asked Nadja, now in full Action Girl costume.
"I'm not sure...Batwoman contacted us through the Swiss consulate, maybe that's the best way to reach them," reasoned Swiss Miss.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to be working alongside the famous Batwoman and Flamebird, Gotham's dynamic duo," gushed Action Girl.
"Batwoman is the main reason there is a Swiss Miss and Action Girl, but you have to remember how dangerous and tricky the Sandman can be," cautioned Swiss Miss. "His sleep enducing gadgets and traps can spring up in just about any form, as we well know."
"I know, I know," sighed Action Girl, "but I just can't fathom Batwoman and the Girl Wonder calling us in for help. Pardon me for being just a little psyched."
"I'm as excited as you are," said Swiss Miss in a reassuring voice, "but I want to keep my mind clear. Getting too amped up for this will only lead to mistakes and the slightest mistake can mean a face full of Sandman's sleeping sand."
"Yuck," spat an animated Action Girl. "Falling under Sandman's hypnotic spell and becoming one of his mindless sleepwalkers...I'd rather go swimming in Sharkwoman's pool of man-eating Great Whites."
"You almost did, if I remember correctly," giggled Swiss Miss. "You were bound pretty well in that fishing net before I arrived."
"Thanks for reminding me," Action Girl replied sarcastically. "Being dangled above the tank, those sharks looked pretty hungry."
"Well, let me patch through to Kerr on the cell," said Swiss Miss, changing the subject. "We'll see if someone at the consulate can contact Batwoman..."
Just as Swiss Miss reached for her cell phone, the silence in the empty hangar was broken by the humming sound of an arriving motorcycle. The noise seized as the motorcycle parked outside the hangar. This was, however, no ordinary motorcycle. Batwoman and Flamebird had arrived via the souped-up Batcycle. Flamebird climbed out of the sidecar as Batwoman dismounted the Batcycle, attracting the attention of the European superheroines. Swiss Miss and Action Girl lowered the jet door and stepped out of the plane to be met by the statuesque raven-haired caper crusader looking stunning in curve caressing yellow leotard.
"Swiss Miss. Action Girl.," Batwoman said in a welcoming tone as she extended her hand. "Thank you both for coming on such short notice."
"Its a pleasure, Batwoman," boomed Swiss Miss, shaking Batwoman red gloved hand. "We've always wanted to meet you and the Girl Wonder."
"Yeah, where is Flamebird?," asked Action Girl.
"She's activating the security devices on the Batcycle," explained Batwoman. "She'll be here in a minute."
Flamebird entered the hangar and jogged over to the trio of heroines. The shapely Girl Wonder in red and yellow exchanged handshakes with the visitors from Switzerland and joined in the discussion of the matters at hand.
"Tell me, dynamic duo, just what is Sandman doing in Gotham City?," Swiss Miss inquired.
"I'm sure you're familiar with the Feed & Shelter the World charity organization, based here in Gotham City," explained Batwoman.
"Yes, they're to receive a large cash donation from MegaCo. Toy for the Christmas season," answered Action Girl. "We're supervising the security at the press conference in Zurich."
"That's why I called," Batwoman continued, "Sandman has been luring executives from the Feed & Shelter board of directors into his hideout, posing as a wealthy entreprenuer interested in making a large donation. We believe he's placing them under hypnosis so they'll turn that MegaCo. donation over to him."
"Hmmm...sounds like the Sandman," spat a disgusted Swiss Miss. "No threats, no violence...just an simple exchange with no evidence."
"Well, no superheroines know the tricks and tactics of the Sandman better than you two," Batwoman said confidently. "That's why we need your help in taking him and his crew down."
"Count us in," Swiss Miss announced heroically with her best hands-on-hips heroic pose. "But how are we going to follow you into the city? The Batcycle only has room for two."
"I've arranged for a couple of motorcycles to be brought here shortly," Batwoman explained. "In fact, it should be here any moment...Flamebird, take Action Girl out to the Batcycle and show her the location we suspect Sandman is using as a hideout...the mobile Batcomputer in the sidecar should already have it cued up..."
Flamebird smiled at her fellow spandex-clad sidekick and the two jogged out of the hangar and into the brisk December air outside. Once outside the hangar, Action Girl got a good look at the impressive piece of crime-fighting equipment known as the Batcycle. Stylish and super-powered, with all the crime-fighting paraphernalia a superheroine in the field would need, Action Girl found the motorcycle much more impressive than she ever could have believed.
"All I can say is WOW!," gushed Action Girl. "I've seen pictures of the Batcycle, but I never imagined it could do so much."
"Wait until I show you what isn't in the pictures," beamed an excited Flamebird, clearly enjoying the gleeful expression on Action Girl's lovely masked face.
Just then, an airport worker was walking toward the hangar. From a distance of 30 feet away, the figure, in drab olive colored coveralls with a baseball cap pulled over the face, looked like every other employee of Gotham International Airport. From the bright orange flashlight beckons in the figure's hands, it appeared that a runway worker that directed planes to the proper gate was taking a break. As the worker drew closer, it became clear that this figure in drab coveralls was female and she was heading directly toward the hangar housing the Martens' family jet.
"What do you think she's coming over here for?," asked a nervous Action Girl.
"Well, these crime-fighting outfits do seem to attract attention," joked the Girl Wonder. "Maybe she thinks there's trouble here and wants to find out what's going on."
"Yeah, I guess I'd think the same thing," reasoned Action Girl. "Superheroines usually only show up when there's trouble afoot."
Just as the woman approached the spandex-clad sidekicks standing beside the famed Batcycle, she pulled the baseball cap off her head to release a cascade of long blonde hair. Revealing her beautiful face to the stunned heroines, Barbie had arrived looking as stunning as a woman can in an airport issue jumpsuit.
"Action Girl, I presume," purred the villainous henchwoman, "we've prepared a surprise for you as a special welcome to Gotham City."
"Huh?," gasped a surprised Action Girl, stunned by the cryptic remark made by a woman who looked more like a supermodel than an airport employee. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about my boss luring you all the way to Gotham City to abduct you and your partner," Barbie grinned as she pointed the flashlight orange beckon light at the European superfox.
Before Action Girl could reply or react, Barbie released the trigger on the orange flashlight, sending a stream of a blue sticky paste at Action Girl. Action Girl drew her hands in front of her as the gummy clay-based paste struck the stunned superheroine. SPLORT! The sticky brightly colored modeling clay splashed upon contact, coating the arms and torso of Action Girl. Barbie continued to spray the goopy concoction until the upper body of the heroine in aqua blue spandex was completely covered, binding her arms and securing her neatly.
"Stuck...some kind...of glue," strained Action Girl, feverishly trying to pull her arms loose from the blue gummy blob that encased her. "Can't...move...my arms."
"Some of Toymaster's heroine ensnaring Play-Doh...makes for a sticky situation, eh, Action Girl," taunted Barbie with an evil smirk on glee on her face.
"Flamebird?!?," Action Girl cried. "Help!"
"Yes, Flamebird," Barbie said calmly, "we could use your help."
Action Girl turned to see the Girl Wonder standing motionlessly with a dazed, expressionless look on her face. Action Girl recognized the hypnotized, glazed over look on Flamebird face and could only gasp in fear. In Flamebird yellow gloved hand, she held a small aerosol can as she stepped robotically toward the helplesly gooped Action Girl. The Swiss heroine's loud cries were barely audible over the roar of the jet engines of the airplanes landing nearby.
"The best cure for jet lag, Ms. Action Girl," Barbie announced, "is a nice long nap...Flamebird, would you do the honors?"
Without a word, Flamebird drew the aerosol can forward, with the nozzle just under the nose of the bound Swiss super sidekick.
"Flamebird! Snap out of it!," Action Girl screamed. "Please...don't..."
The mind-controlled Girl Wonder squirted a light misting of Bat-Sleep across the face of Action Girl, strking across her white eye mask and nose. With a soft sigh, Action Girl's eyes rolled back briefly before softly shutting. The panicked look of betrayal gave way to peaceful slumber as Action Girl staggered for a stumbling step before crashing unceremoniously to the blacktop below. The first of the visiting European heroines had been subdued.
"I guess we can call you Out-of-Action Girl," laughed Barbie.
Meanwhile, deep inside the caravanous airplane hangar, Batwoman and Swiss Miss stood by the Martens' family jet when the muffled sounds outside attracted one of the heroine's attention.
"Batwoman, did you hear something?," interrupted Swiss Miss with a voice of concern. "I could have sworn I heard something like a scream."
"Over the jet engines?," questioned Batwoman with a quizzical look on her face. "I can barely hear you and you're standing right next to me."
Just then, a buzzing sound could be heard in the hangar. Sounding like a swarm of bees, the noise grew louder. The loud buzzing alerted both Swiss Miss and Batwoman as they looked toward the opening of the hangar. What could be buzzing so loud that it actually drowns out the blaring humm of the jet engines? The source of the buzzing sound grew apparant as the eyes of Batwoman and Swiss Miss grew bigger in surprise with what was entering the hangar...
TO BE CONTINUED....
"Batwoman!," Swiss Miss yelled, "Look out!"
The international summit of superchicks was interrupted by four remote-controlled airplanes that flew into the hangar. Arriving at a great rate of speed, Swiss Miss and Batwoman scrambled out of the way to avoid the toy airplanes heading directly toward them. The planes flew in a tight formation, diving at the stunned heroines who croutched down low to avoid the surprise attack. Both Batwoman and Swiss Miss brought their arms up to protect their faces, effectly blinding them and leaving them only their keen sense of hearing to locate the dive bombing toy planes.
"What the hell is going on?," shouted Swiss Miss as she remained low to the ground with her head covered in her hands.
"I don't know," Batwoman shouted back, "but crawl under the jet if you can."
"I'll try, but these dive bombers have me pinned down," Swiss Miss replied.
"Me too, can't get over..." grunted Batwoman, "but its our only chance."
The plastic remote-controlled planes continued their assault, buzzing close to our heroines before ascending momentarily only to resume their attack on our fair heroines. As the buzz grew louder in their ears, they covered their heads again in spasms of fear. With Batwoman and Swiss Miss effectively pinned down, unable to advance or retreat, another toy airplane flew in undetected. A small hook on the underbelly of this new arrival held a small metal box, measuring one foot by one foot. Hovering above the scene of the terrorized heroines, the hook was released to drop the metal box in front of Swiss Miss, who was sprawled out on the floor of the hangar. As the metal box struck the concrete floor with a tinny thud, the shocked Swiss Miss looked up as the attacking toy dive bombers seemingly retreated, swooping up in formation and exiting the hangar as suddenly as they had entered. The sound of the buzzing remote controlled toy planes growing fainter as they flew away was sweet music to the scared superheroines.
Before Swiss Miss could draw a deep relieved breath, the top of the metal box sitting directly in front of her sprung open with a loud POP! From the booby trapped jack-in-the-box, a compressed cargo net shot upward into the air and unraveled above the staggered Swiss Miss. Before she realized the danger, the net crashed rudely on her, covering the Euroheroine who was still croutched in a defensive position. As the net covered and ensnared her, the wiggling heroine in the form-fitting red leotard pulled at the nylon strands that blanketed her.
"Tangled...gotta...get this...off," grunted a struggling Swiss Miss. "Batwoman...help...pull this...thing...off of me."
Batwoman rose and stood at attention as if she was remote controlled, just like the toy airplanes. Under her cowl, her vibrant blue eyes grew vacant and a sleepy, mind-controlled look washed over her cover-girl face. She stood standing like a stunning statue and each lovely curve encased in yellow spandex and tan nylon tights was highlighted brilliantly under the bright lights of the hangar.
"BATWOMAN!," Swiss Miss screamed, squirming under the nylon strands of the net. "Don't just...stand there..."
A softer buzzing could be heard as one of the dive bombing toy planes returned to the hangar, this time flying a solo mission. Flying in at a slower pace, the remote-controlled toy rose to a point where it could hover in front of the net-bound Swiss Miss. Strapped to the underbelly of the dive bomber was something that looked like a toy missile. Steadying itself before the unaware Swiss superchick, a hissing Whoose sound cut through the air as the tiny missile was fired with its coordinates trained on the struggling form of the tangled Swiss Miss.
Still losing this wrestling match with the nylon fibers, her struggle continued until she felt the stinging pin prick of the dart in her exposed neck, just under her jaw.
"Ouch!," Swiss Miss screamed, "What the?...What the?...Wa... Da..?
A split second after feeling the stinging sensation in her neck, a warm woozy wave of disorienting dizziness overwhelmed her senses. A small tranquilizer dart had been shot from the Toymaster's tormenting toy planes and our villain was eager to tag and bag this prized catch.
Swiss Miss' vision grew cloudy as her movements under the net grew increasingly sluggish. Her head bobbed about and her mumbling speech was slurred as she was no longer able to support her weight on her hands and knees.
"Drrugggged....trannq....darrrttt....," muttered a fading Swiss Miss in a voice barely audible. As much as she wanted to fight off drug's effects, our netted heroine was losing her battle to stay awake. With a soft exhale, her clouded vision gave way to complete darkness as her body completely relaxed. Swiss Miss was now completely unconscious and helpless before the sinister Toymaster.
The elderly Toymaster entered the hangar to survey his dastardly deed. His remote controlled airplanes had worked better than he could have imagined. As he towered over the KO'ed Swiss Miss, Barbie and the brainwashed Flamebird entered with the gassed Action Girl in tow. With Barbie supporting the slumbering Action Girl in a grasp under her arms as Flamebird held her about the ankles, they softly set the young sidekick down next to her captured partner.
"Barbie, dynamic duo," Toymaster ordered, "load our lovely captives in the plane and I'll retrieve my silver Capt. Space Commander mind control helmet. Once I place them under my control, our slumbering Swiss superheroines will call the pilot to take us back to Zurich."
"Gosh, Toymaster," giggled the bubbly buxom Barbie, who shed her drab coveralls to reveal her customary tight turtleneck sweater and plaid mini-skirt, "we're going to Zurich today?"
"No time like the present, sweet Barbie," boomed the vile villain. "Once Swiss Miss and Action Girl get the full helmet treatment, we'll be off in luxury...and the MegaCo. Toys millions will be all ours."
TO BE CONTINUED...
The international summit of superchicks was interrupted by four remote-controlled airplanes that flew into the hangar. Arriving at a great rate of speed, Swiss Miss and Batwoman scrambled out of the way to avoid the toy airplanes heading directly toward them. The planes flew in a tight formation, diving at the stunned heroines who croutched down low to avoid the surprise attack. Both Batwoman and Swiss Miss brought their arms up to protect their faces, effectly blinding them and leaving them only their keen sense of hearing to locate the dive bombing toy planes.
"What the hell is going on?," shouted Swiss Miss as she remained low to the ground with her head covered in her hands.
"I don't know," Batwoman shouted back, "but crawl under the jet if you can."
"I'll try, but these dive bombers have me pinned down," Swiss Miss replied.
"Me too, can't get over..." grunted Batwoman, "but its our only chance."
The plastic remote-controlled planes continued their assault, buzzing close to our heroines before ascending momentarily only to resume their attack on our fair heroines. As the buzz grew louder in their ears, they covered their heads again in spasms of fear. With Batwoman and Swiss Miss effectively pinned down, unable to advance or retreat, another toy airplane flew in undetected. A small hook on the underbelly of this new arrival held a small metal box, measuring one foot by one foot. Hovering above the scene of the terrorized heroines, the hook was released to drop the metal box in front of Swiss Miss, who was sprawled out on the floor of the hangar. As the metal box struck the concrete floor with a tinny thud, the shocked Swiss Miss looked up as the attacking toy dive bombers seemingly retreated, swooping up in formation and exiting the hangar as suddenly as they had entered. The sound of the buzzing remote controlled toy planes growing fainter as they flew away was sweet music to the scared superheroines.
Before Swiss Miss could draw a deep relieved breath, the top of the metal box sitting directly in front of her sprung open with a loud POP! From the booby trapped jack-in-the-box, a compressed cargo net shot upward into the air and unraveled above the staggered Swiss Miss. Before she realized the danger, the net crashed rudely on her, covering the Euroheroine who was still croutched in a defensive position. As the net covered and ensnared her, the wiggling heroine in the form-fitting red leotard pulled at the nylon strands that blanketed her.
"Tangled...gotta...get this...off," grunted a struggling Swiss Miss. "Batwoman...help...pull this...thing...off of me."
Batwoman rose and stood at attention as if she was remote controlled, just like the toy airplanes. Under her cowl, her vibrant blue eyes grew vacant and a sleepy, mind-controlled look washed over her cover-girl face. She stood standing like a stunning statue and each lovely curve encased in yellow spandex and tan nylon tights was highlighted brilliantly under the bright lights of the hangar.
"BATWOMAN!," Swiss Miss screamed, squirming under the nylon strands of the net. "Don't just...stand there..."
A softer buzzing could be heard as one of the dive bombing toy planes returned to the hangar, this time flying a solo mission. Flying in at a slower pace, the remote-controlled toy rose to a point where it could hover in front of the net-bound Swiss Miss. Strapped to the underbelly of the dive bomber was something that looked like a toy missile. Steadying itself before the unaware Swiss superchick, a hissing Whoose sound cut through the air as the tiny missile was fired with its coordinates trained on the struggling form of the tangled Swiss Miss.
Still losing this wrestling match with the nylon fibers, her struggle continued until she felt the stinging pin prick of the dart in her exposed neck, just under her jaw.
"Ouch!," Swiss Miss screamed, "What the?...What the?...Wa... Da..?
A split second after feeling the stinging sensation in her neck, a warm woozy wave of disorienting dizziness overwhelmed her senses. A small tranquilizer dart had been shot from the Toymaster's tormenting toy planes and our villain was eager to tag and bag this prized catch.
Swiss Miss' vision grew cloudy as her movements under the net grew increasingly sluggish. Her head bobbed about and her mumbling speech was slurred as she was no longer able to support her weight on her hands and knees.
"Drrugggged....trannq....darrrttt....," muttered a fading Swiss Miss in a voice barely audible. As much as she wanted to fight off drug's effects, our netted heroine was losing her battle to stay awake. With a soft exhale, her clouded vision gave way to complete darkness as her body completely relaxed. Swiss Miss was now completely unconscious and helpless before the sinister Toymaster.
The elderly Toymaster entered the hangar to survey his dastardly deed. His remote controlled airplanes had worked better than he could have imagined. As he towered over the KO'ed Swiss Miss, Barbie and the brainwashed Flamebird entered with the gassed Action Girl in tow. With Barbie supporting the slumbering Action Girl in a grasp under her arms as Flamebird held her about the ankles, they softly set the young sidekick down next to her captured partner.
"Barbie, dynamic duo," Toymaster ordered, "load our lovely captives in the plane and I'll retrieve my silver Capt. Space Commander mind control helmet. Once I place them under my control, our slumbering Swiss superheroines will call the pilot to take us back to Zurich."
"Gosh, Toymaster," giggled the bubbly buxom Barbie, who shed her drab coveralls to reveal her customary tight turtleneck sweater and plaid mini-skirt, "we're going to Zurich today?"
"No time like the present, sweet Barbie," boomed the vile villain. "Once Swiss Miss and Action Girl get the full helmet treatment, we'll be off in luxury...and the MegaCo. Toys millions will be all ours."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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superpics4les
- Elder Member
- Posts: 493
- Joined: 19 years ago
- Location: Indiana USA
Very nice update indeed, TrapMaster! Slightly reminicent of the way The Puzzler captured Batman and Robin in the old series! You are the master at writing Batwoman and Flamebird, my friend! Looking forward to more of this one! 8)
"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer." - Paul Atredes
With Swiss Miss and Action Girl subdued and knocked out by the surprise assault inside the airplane hangar, the sinister Toymaster and his curvacous cohort Barbie readied the next step in their plan to rob the charitable donation from MegaCo. Toys Inc. The brainwashed dynamic duo were most helpful in capturing their European counterparts and they now helped load Swiss Miss and Action Girl into their private jet for the Toymaster's mind controlling silver helmet treatment. Inside the spacious jet, Swiss Miss was set down on a lush couch where the Toymaster removed her mask and placed the Capt. Space Commander silver plastic helmet upon her head, now bare without her identity concealing white eyemask.
"Oh my god!," stammered the amazed Barbie. "Swiss Miss is socialite Vanessa Martens!. And I'll bet dollars to donuts that Action Girl is her sister, Najda."
The Toymaster wasn't familiar with their names as he wasn't a follower of the social elite of Europe, but he certainly knew of the fortune the Martens family held and what that name meant in European commerce.
"Hmmm...," thought the evil Toymaster aloud, "if these ladies control the funds of the Martens family fortune, then we may have stumbling into a score larger than the MegoCo. Toys caper."
Batwoman and Flamebird stood mesmerized off the side, oblivious to the sinister goings-on around them. Completely under the Toymaster's mind control, they stood at attention, ready for the villain's next command. After Vanessa was subjected to the mind control helmet, her white mask was placed carefully back onto her beautiful face and she joined Gotham's dynamic duo as the latest member of the Toymaster's brainwashed beauties. Action Girl was brought to the same couch where she too had her eyemask removed and had the Toymaster's hypnotizing helmet secured to her head. Barbie was absolutely right, Action Girl was none other than Vanessa Martens' sister, Nadja. The identities of Europe's most celebrated and sexiest superheroines had fallen into the hands of a most dangerous foe. Now under his influence, they would aid him and Barbie in stealing the millions MegaCo. Toys earmarked for the world's most deserving charities.
With the minds of Swiss Miss and Action Girl now the mere playthings for the Toymaster, he commanded Swiss Miss to call her pilot to return to Zurich post haste. The elderly owner of a toy store and his lovely daughter were brought her by Batwoman and Flamebird as they were the only witnesses to the Sandman's kidnapping of the Feed and Shelter the World board members and they could identify the associates he was using on this caper. As a result, they would be joining them on the return trip to Switzerland, along with Batwoman and Flamebird, to stop the Sandman before he made his move against MegaCo. Toys. Sources say that the Sandman had already returned to Europe where his plot to pilfer the Feed and Shelter the World portion of the MegaCo. donation would unfold. The Toymaster knew how to spin a believable fable and it was more than good enough to trick the Martens' family pilot into taking him and his mind-controlled crew back to Switzerland in grand style.
Before the pilot could arrive, the Toymaster dispatched the beautiful Barbie to retrieve his treacherous toy chest to make sure it would be in tow for their trip to Zurich. One couldn't be too careful after all, as there were a variety of snooping European heroines that may stick their noses in this curious case. Trapping and placing them under his control might be neccessary and his heroine ensnaring trick toys could come in handy. Less than an hour after having the brainwashed Swiss Miss relay the circumstances of their sudden return to Switzerland, the servant/pilot arrived and took the Toymaster, Barbie, and his hypnotized heroines to Zurich where the entire MegaCo. Toys' cash donation would finally be his.
Twelve hours after the Martens' luxurious private jet left Gotham City, an express train from London arrived at a train station on the outskirts of Zurich, Switzerland. Departing from the train was a lovely London native, who cloaked her lovely face and figure behind a pair of glasses and under a heavy winter overcoat. The British beauty was Astrid Michaels, better known as the silver spandex-clad super speedster, Bullet Girl. The 5'8 auburn haired Astrid was coming to Zurich at the request of Swiss Miss and Action Girl to help provide security for the MegaCo. Toys press conference and charity cash transfer. With an event as publicized and busy as this, the aid of a super-speedy ally would be a great help. Astrid did not know the secret identities of the Swiss heroines, nor did they know hers. With that in mind, Astrid tried to slip into town with as little fanfare as possible. Bullet Girl could have arrived in Zurich at a much faster rate than the train, but keeping a low profile was the order of the day as the press conference was still a few days away. Posing as a tourist, Astrid thought her overcoat would attract a lot less attention than her arrival in her customary silver spandex costume and gray tights. Taking a cab from the train station, Astrid was taken to her downtown hotel where she would make her first contact with Swiss Miss and Action Girl. A dress rehearsal to review all aspects of the security of the event was planned for tomorrow and Bullet Girl would arrive with plenty of time to spare. Little did she know there were much more nefarious plans set for tomorrow and the dress rehearsal would be the least of her concerns.
As Astird Michaels made her way to her hotel room, the Martens' family jet was landing in Zurich with the Toymaster and his crew aboard.
"Tomorrow will be the perfect time to strike, dear Barbie," Toymaster whispered to his lovely henchgirl. "Our security team will have access to the vault at the site of MegaCo. Toys' corporate headquarters. No need to wait for the press and prying eyes of others during that press conference...the Mega cash grab will occur unnoticed...."
The Toymaster and Barbie giggled at the thought of just how easy it would be to make off with their millions in cash, especially with the help of America's and Europe's most famed heroines. After getting his grubby hands on the cash he long desired, the Toymaster could use the Martens sisters to siphon their vast family funds into his yet to be set up secret Swiss bank accounts.
TO BE CONTINUED....
"Oh my god!," stammered the amazed Barbie. "Swiss Miss is socialite Vanessa Martens!. And I'll bet dollars to donuts that Action Girl is her sister, Najda."
The Toymaster wasn't familiar with their names as he wasn't a follower of the social elite of Europe, but he certainly knew of the fortune the Martens family held and what that name meant in European commerce.
"Hmmm...," thought the evil Toymaster aloud, "if these ladies control the funds of the Martens family fortune, then we may have stumbling into a score larger than the MegoCo. Toys caper."
Batwoman and Flamebird stood mesmerized off the side, oblivious to the sinister goings-on around them. Completely under the Toymaster's mind control, they stood at attention, ready for the villain's next command. After Vanessa was subjected to the mind control helmet, her white mask was placed carefully back onto her beautiful face and she joined Gotham's dynamic duo as the latest member of the Toymaster's brainwashed beauties. Action Girl was brought to the same couch where she too had her eyemask removed and had the Toymaster's hypnotizing helmet secured to her head. Barbie was absolutely right, Action Girl was none other than Vanessa Martens' sister, Nadja. The identities of Europe's most celebrated and sexiest superheroines had fallen into the hands of a most dangerous foe. Now under his influence, they would aid him and Barbie in stealing the millions MegaCo. Toys earmarked for the world's most deserving charities.
With the minds of Swiss Miss and Action Girl now the mere playthings for the Toymaster, he commanded Swiss Miss to call her pilot to return to Zurich post haste. The elderly owner of a toy store and his lovely daughter were brought her by Batwoman and Flamebird as they were the only witnesses to the Sandman's kidnapping of the Feed and Shelter the World board members and they could identify the associates he was using on this caper. As a result, they would be joining them on the return trip to Switzerland, along with Batwoman and Flamebird, to stop the Sandman before he made his move against MegaCo. Toys. Sources say that the Sandman had already returned to Europe where his plot to pilfer the Feed and Shelter the World portion of the MegaCo. donation would unfold. The Toymaster knew how to spin a believable fable and it was more than good enough to trick the Martens' family pilot into taking him and his mind-controlled crew back to Switzerland in grand style.
Before the pilot could arrive, the Toymaster dispatched the beautiful Barbie to retrieve his treacherous toy chest to make sure it would be in tow for their trip to Zurich. One couldn't be too careful after all, as there were a variety of snooping European heroines that may stick their noses in this curious case. Trapping and placing them under his control might be neccessary and his heroine ensnaring trick toys could come in handy. Less than an hour after having the brainwashed Swiss Miss relay the circumstances of their sudden return to Switzerland, the servant/pilot arrived and took the Toymaster, Barbie, and his hypnotized heroines to Zurich where the entire MegaCo. Toys' cash donation would finally be his.
Twelve hours after the Martens' luxurious private jet left Gotham City, an express train from London arrived at a train station on the outskirts of Zurich, Switzerland. Departing from the train was a lovely London native, who cloaked her lovely face and figure behind a pair of glasses and under a heavy winter overcoat. The British beauty was Astrid Michaels, better known as the silver spandex-clad super speedster, Bullet Girl. The 5'8 auburn haired Astrid was coming to Zurich at the request of Swiss Miss and Action Girl to help provide security for the MegaCo. Toys press conference and charity cash transfer. With an event as publicized and busy as this, the aid of a super-speedy ally would be a great help. Astrid did not know the secret identities of the Swiss heroines, nor did they know hers. With that in mind, Astrid tried to slip into town with as little fanfare as possible. Bullet Girl could have arrived in Zurich at a much faster rate than the train, but keeping a low profile was the order of the day as the press conference was still a few days away. Posing as a tourist, Astrid thought her overcoat would attract a lot less attention than her arrival in her customary silver spandex costume and gray tights. Taking a cab from the train station, Astrid was taken to her downtown hotel where she would make her first contact with Swiss Miss and Action Girl. A dress rehearsal to review all aspects of the security of the event was planned for tomorrow and Bullet Girl would arrive with plenty of time to spare. Little did she know there were much more nefarious plans set for tomorrow and the dress rehearsal would be the least of her concerns.
As Astird Michaels made her way to her hotel room, the Martens' family jet was landing in Zurich with the Toymaster and his crew aboard.
"Tomorrow will be the perfect time to strike, dear Barbie," Toymaster whispered to his lovely henchgirl. "Our security team will have access to the vault at the site of MegaCo. Toys' corporate headquarters. No need to wait for the press and prying eyes of others during that press conference...the Mega cash grab will occur unnoticed...."
The Toymaster and Barbie giggled at the thought of just how easy it would be to make off with their millions in cash, especially with the help of America's and Europe's most famed heroines. After getting his grubby hands on the cash he long desired, the Toymaster could use the Martens sisters to siphon their vast family funds into his yet to be set up secret Swiss bank accounts.
TO BE CONTINUED....
-
superpics4les
- Elder Member
- Posts: 493
- Joined: 19 years ago
- Location: Indiana USA
Another great update, Franco! This story is getting almost as long as one of mine, with more characters too! :-D Keep up the good work and give us more soon! 8)
"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer." - Paul Atredes
