Chapter 7 - Proposition

Chapter 7 Proposition

Luther frowned. The superheroine’s screams were earsplitting. That was what bothered him. He was delivering level ten pain to her. She should not have been able to scream. The pain should have been paralyzing. When he had first subjected her to such torture she had been completely incapacitated. Could it be that she might actually be adjusting to the kryptonite? It was a possibility that had not occurred to him. It was an interesting idea. He would have to investigate further.

He studied his notes. They were quite detailed. Today he had studied the effects of pain on her from several new perspectives. It was most interesting. The kryptonite rays did not seem to have any permanent effect on her. When they were turned off her superpowers immediately returned. At a low level they weakened her without causing pain or any other noticeable effect. At higher levels they seemed to stimulate her pain centers and the effect was quite obviously excruciating. Her brainwave patterns revealed most of what he needed to know and it was as he suspected. Somehow her body was adjusting to the kryptonite. It took larger and larger doses of radiation to achieve the same affect. That was quite intriguing and definitely worth checking out later. In the meantime, he had other plans for her.

Kara’s relief as the pain ended was indescribable. Luthor had been torturing her for over six hours. It was the longest unbroken session she had been subjected to and it left her and the bed she was lying on drenched with sweat. Her throat was raw from screaming. Her chest heaving, she lay exhausted. Such brutality completely confused her. There seemed to be no motive for what Luthor was doing other than a fiendish delight in hearing her shriek in pain and beg for mercy. To her shame, she had given him plenty of both. It had been a most degrading experience. Still panting, she managed to raise her head. Luthor was standing only a few feet away from her, gazing with undisguised lust at her naked body. She felt the usual pang of fear. Luthor often followed up these sessions by raping her. It was something she was not looking forward to.

“Well,” said Luthor, “you are quite amazing. I don’t believe I have ever met anyone with such a capacity for pain. I will have to continue these interesting experiments until I completely understand you.”

“Do what you want with me,” Kara panted, raising herself to her elbows, “but please let the other two go. They do not deserve such brutal treatment.”

“Let them go? What a ridiculous notion. Why would I do such a thing? You superheroines are a never-ending source of interest and pleasure to me. I cannot conceive of a reason why I should free them.”

“Because you can have me,” Kara said. “I will give myself to you in exchange for their freedom.”

Luthor kept his composure only with some difficulty. It had taken her long enough to come to the point, but he knew that eventually she would come up with some such offer. Superheroines were so self-sacrificing; and so predictable.

He pretended to mull over her proposal. In fact he had already made his decision, but it wouldn’t do to appear too anxious to accept the offer. “Let me clarify your last statement. You would give yourself to me to use in any way I wish?” He looked intently into the superheroine’s incredible blue eyes. He realized that he did not even know her real name.

Kara swallowed and nodded. The consequences of what she was offering were almost overwhelming, but it was a proposal she had to make. It was really almost a fundamental tenet of the Superheroine Code. The degradation of Barbara and Diana had completely demoralized her. Blaming herself for the terrible predicament of her two friends, she was emotionally shattered. Somehow she had to atone for the pain and humiliation they had suffered and she could think of no other way except to offer herself.

“And you trust me to keep my part of the bargain?” Luthor asked.

Kara nodded, dumbly. She did not trust him as a matter of fact, but she could not think of any way that she could hold him to his word. She did, however, have an idea. There was one way that she could be sure her friends had been released. “When you release my companions they will give you something that will tell me they are safe. Then you may do what you want with me.”

“I am already doing what I want with you. Why should I consent to releasing two such interesting specimens in order to gain something I already have?”

“You do not have me,” Kara said vehemently. “All you have is my body. You will never have my soul until I choose to give it.”

Luthor was surprised at the intensity of the heroine's words. He had thought her broken, but she seemed as strong as ever. What incredible resilience she had! “And you will give me your soul if I release your friends?”

There was a long silence. “Yes,” the heroine said, finally.

“Then they will be released,” Luthor said, turning to leave. “I will give the command at once. There is just one thing. What shall I ask them to give me to prove to you that they are free?”

“You have a phone, don’t you? Have them phone me when they are safe. I will know if they are telling the truth.”

Luthor nodded. “Agreed. You will be getting the call within a couple of hours. I’ll arrange their freedom immediately.” Turning he strode purposely from the room. Outside in the hall he waited a few seconds for the soundproof door to close. Then he laughed uproariously.

He could barely contain himself. Uncharacteristically he laughed until the tears streamed down his face. Rok, who happened to be standing nearby, gazed at his boss incredulously. Still shaking with laughter, Luthor pulled himself together. He realized that he hadn’t laughed like that since he was a boy. Superheroines! My god they had to be the most stupid and trusting people on earth! “Come on Rok,” he said, still grinning broadly. “We’ve got a couple of superheroines to talk to.”

“You’ll let her go?” said Barbara.

“I’ve finished with her,” said Luthor. “I know longer find her interesting. You and the Amazon on the other hand still have possibilities.”

“Then why would you release her? I understand that is not your way,” said Diana. She and Barbara were standing side by side, their necks confined by gleaming steel collars that were secured to the concrete wall of the cell they shared. Additionally, their wrists were shackled to a heavy belt that that been locked about each of their waists. The belts were cleverly designed to be fastened from behind so that the bat girl could not fiddle with them. Above all Luthor wanted to keep her busy hands away from the locking mechanism. Other than the shackles, both heroines were unclothed.

“It is very simple, Amazon, I have you and the bat girl in my power. What I need is your cooperation and the dumb blonde is my leverage. I let her go and you promise to do anything I want.”

“Why would we do that?” asked Barbara. “We are not fools. We may be at your mercy, but we have no reason to cooperate with you.”

“I can show you one.” Luthor motioned to Rok and Jag who were pushing a large trolley that held a giant wide screen television set. “I think you will find this interesting. It is part of a number of DVDs I made today.” He smiled and turned picture on.

Barbara felt sick. Sight and sound of Kara’s suffering had been most disturbing. The girl’s screams still rang in her ears. How could anyone subject another human to such terrible pain and torment? Beside her Diana’s stony faced expression showed that she had been similarly affected. “Alright,” she said, turning her face away. “We’ve seen enough. What do you want us to do?”

“In an hour or so I’m going to give you a cell phone. You are going to phone your friend ant tell her that you are safe. If your call is convincing she will agree to leave and not interfere with my work until you are released. She thinks that I have released you, so you better make it sound convincing. If you don’t then I give her a bit more of what you just saw, but this time I don’t stop just because she screams a little. This time I expose her to the kryptonite rays until she dies.”

It was all a bluff, of course. Luthor had no intention of killing his favourite captive, but the Amazon and the bat girl didn’t know that. And the vision of Kara writhing in hideous torment under the kryptonite rays was fresh in their minds. It had been a truly horrific scene. They just couldn’t leave their friend to die like that.

“And how do we know you will keep your word and release her?” said Diana. “You are a man without honour and not to be trusted.”

“That is true,” Luthor replied with a grin. “I cannot be trusted.” He paused for effect. “Except when I tell you that I most certainly will kill the Kryptonian bitch if you do not do as I say.”

The threat was delivered with such venom that both Diana and Barbara shuddered. They had no doubt that Luthor was capable of keeping his word – in one area at least. When he promised to do the despicable he was probably most dependable. Resignedly, both heroines nodded their assent. They would make the phone call, they had no choice.

Kara sat miserably in her high tech cell. She was all alone now. Somehow having someone to share the anguish and humiliation had made it all seem a little easier, but that was gone now. At least she hoped it was. Barbara and Diana had sounded most convincing, but with Luthor she could never be sure. It was always possible that he had managed to find a way to get her friends to cooperate against their will and they had deceived her for some motive she could only guess at. But she had no choice. She had given her word to Luthor, and the phone call had been credible enough that she had to accept it. Barbara had actually cried, and Diana had not been much more composed. She drew on her inner strength. Soon Luthor would come for her and she would have to be ready.