Exhausted, Flora stumbled out of bed, the sun shining in her eyes through the bedroom window. Her husband had left several hours earlier to do some final Christmas shopping, leaving his wife sleeping peacefully. She had been out most of the night as her alter ego Voltage, single-handedly breaking up an attempted rape, comforting the victim, apprehending the suspect and then helping the police to build their case against the suspect. Though it was all in a night's work, the lack of sleep had left her completely depleted.
Grabbing her ratty robe and fuzzy slippers, Flora shuffled out of her bedroom and to the front door. With her eyes still half closed, she opened the door and grabbed the newspaper which lay on her doorstep, the frigid, winter air acting as a stimulant to her tired body. She walked back inside, tossed the paper on the table and made a pot of coffee. As the newspaper unfurled on the table however, the blaring headline eventually caught her attention.
"DIVA CHALLENGES VOLTAGE!"
Right there on the cover of the newspaper, was a full-length picture of her arch rival Diva, posing with her finger pointed straight ahead in a challenging stance. Flora was shocked, and instantly flipped open the paper to read the story. The main gist of it was that Diva was hosting a fashion show in the coming week, with all proceeds going to charity. Voltage shook her head as she read on, quickly concluding that Diva had to be up to something sinister, but was trying to camouflage her devious doings as an act of charity.
Reading on, the story detailed how Diva had held a press conference the day before to publicize the event. She discussed how the world famous designer, Jean Pierre Goatee would be designing all of the outfits worn at the show in his unusually sensual style. Diva then went on to list some of the famous celebrities who had generously volunteered to model the outfits in the show. But as the press conference went on, the inevitable question was raised, prompting the headline in the newspaper. Diva was asked, as usual, about her rivalry with the super heroine, Voltage. Pausing, the gorgeous, superstar then made her challenge.
"I have no problem with Voltage, but she seems to have a problem with me for some reason. She's tried to accuse me of being a criminal and a menace to society, but she's never been able to back up her claims with evidence. And I'll tell you what! I'm the one hosting this event to benefit the children of the city! I'm the one putting myself out there for the kids! So if Voltage were truly the super heroine she claims to be, if she really were the role model she wants us to believe she is, then she would volunteer to participate in this event. Let's see her get out here on the runway and strut herself for the children. Let's see if she is willing to stop talking and start strutting! I'll be here all afternoon tomorrow, so if Voltage really has the best interests of the city at heart, let her come here tomorrow and volunteer!"
Voltage was amazed and angered by the challenge. She despised her rival, but had also learned to respect Diva's ability to mislead the public. In fact, despite Diva's many criminal acts, she had never been charged with a crime. Despite the fact that Voltage had caught her red handed on more than one occasion, the super heroine had never been able to provide enough evidence to prove her case. Instead, Diva had not only been very effective at using her gorgeous looks and silky voice to avoid prosecution, but she had in fact parlayed those talents into becoming a superstar. She was revered as a musical icon with millions of fans across the country, all to Voltage's dismay.
To make matters worse, it now appeared that Diva had once again turned the tables on the super heroine, putting Voltage, as usual, on the defensive. As she sat at her kitchen table, sipping her coffee, she knew that she had little choice but to make an appearance at Diva's office and volunteer to participate in her fashion show.
Spending extra time to get ready, Flora readied herself for the expected spectacle she was about to enter. Making sure she looked her best, she then slipped on her Voltage costume, pulling the yellow g-string up her legs first, then fastening her top, tying her mask, pulling her boots on and finally typing on her cape. Looking in the mirror, she made sure she looked her best before pulling open her bedroom window and leaping out into the cold, afternoon air.
The frosty air chilled her bare body, and within seconds, goose bumps popped up all over her pale skin. It didn't take long for her to reach her destination, but as she approached the building in which Diva kept her office, Voltage could see the throng of reporters waiting. She circled the building one time before gliding in front of the window for Diva's office. The superstar was on the telephone, facing the other way, prompting Voltage to knock on the window. It was the only way Voltage could have a few minutes alone with her rival, without being under the scrutiny of the press.
Diva jumped at the sound of knocking on her 40th floor window, and was visibly shaken by Voltage's presence, hovering outside of her window. Voltage smirked, signaling for her rival to open the window. Diva complied, backing away and allowing Voltage to glide in. "Quite an entrance Voltage!
"Let's get right to the point Diva. What are you trying to pull here?"
"Pull? Whatever do you mean?"
Diva sneered back at her adversary, her dripping with sarcasm. Voltage was defiant however, standing with her legs spread, her fists on her hips as she peered back at the statuesque blonde from behind her mask.
"I know you're up to something Diva, and once I find out what it is, I'm going to put a stop to it!
"The only thing I'm UP TO Voltage.... is helping raise money for the kids of the city. Now do you want to help me.... or not?"
Voltage stared back, silent for a few moments as she assessed the offer. With a steadfast expression on her face, Voltage nodded her head.
"Okay Diva, I'll be a model at your fashion show.... but if you try anything......"
Before the heroine could finish the sentence, Diva pressed a button on her desk and summoned the press into her office. Instantly, dozens of reporters burst through the door and began snapping pictures and barking out questions to the two women.
"Have you agreed to appear at Diva's fashion show Voltage?"
"Does this signal a new era of cooperation between you two Voltage?"
"What will you be wearing Voltage?"
The questions came fast and furious and Voltage was ill prepared for the barrage. Diva however took the opportunity to slide next to the heroine, placing her arm around her shoulders as the photographers snapped pictures of the superstar and the overwhelmed, uncomfortable-looking super heroine. Diva took the opportunity to announce the agreement.
"Voltage has graciously agreed to model at my fashion show, so I hope that you will all take this opportunity to advertise our show in your papers and on your newscasts so that we can raise lots of money for the needy children of the city!"
Just then, Jean Pierre Goatee walked into the room, an entourage following closely behind him. Shooing away the photographers, he signaled for his assistants to begin measuring Voltage, which they did. Whipping out tape measures, three men began to measure each part of the startled super heroine's body. They ran the tape across her chest, between her legs, under her arms..... carefully measuring each inch of the diminutive Voltage as the quirky designer stood back, running his eyes up and down the heroine's body.
Finally the assistants stepped back, prompting the reporters to bark out more questions.
"Mr. Goatee... is it true you will personally be designing a new costume for Voltage?"
"Yes.... I will attempt to give New York City's favorite heroine a new, sexy look." he said, turning to Voltage and smiling.
"And is it also true that you will also personally design the outfit which Diva will wear?"
"Yes..... I will design only two outfits for this show... one for Voltage and one for Diva. My staff will be designing the other outfits worn for this show."
"Who do you think will look better?"
The question left a hush over the room, everyone stopping to stare at the young reporter who asked it. But Jean Pierre Goatee did not back down.
"Both women will look beautiful and sexy, I can assure you of that!"
"Mr. Goatee... you are famous for your racy... often lewd designs. Can we expect something similar?"
"I worship the female form, and will do my part to worship the forms of these two women in my designs."
At this point, the designer turned and looked back at the two women, now standing behind him. He winked at them both, Diva confidently smiling and winking back while Voltage flashed an uncomfortable, tense smile.
"But these two women are very different from each other. Do the obvious differences in their bodies create any unique challenges for you?"
The question was asked by the same, young reporter who had asked the earlier, confrontational question. He was obviously trying to create tension between the two women, causing Mr. Goatee to pause for a moment to reflect on his answer. He turned to glance at the two women, before answering the question.
"Diva is a classic beauty, tall, slender yet possessing succulent curves. It is very easy for a designer to work with such a canvas. Voltage is also a very attractive woman, though in a more abstract manner. She is more petite, her beauty more obscure. "
Though the answer was an attempt at diplomacy, the uncomfortable pause from the audience made a very clear statement. Realizing the affect of his answer, Jean Pierre Goatee abruptly nodded his head to the reporters, clapped his hands twice, summoning his assistants. He then walked over and kissed Diva on each of her cheeks before making his way over to Voltage. As he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek, he whispered into her ear. "Do not worry, I will make you look beautiful. But you must make sure to get a Brazilian bikini wax please, okay?". He then kissed one cheek, then the other before turning and marching out of the room, leaving Voltage nervous and bewildered.
Soon after, the reporters were asked to leave and Diva slipped away with them, leaving one of her assistants to provide Voltage with all of the information she needed. As quickly as it started, the spectacle was over. Voltage stood in amazement for a few moments, overcome by the pace and intensity of the past couple of minutes. Finally though she walked over to the window and leaped out, flying up into the orange and purple sky, the sun setting behind her silhouette.
The time leading up to the show went quickly, Voltage being vigilant in her preparation. She expected the worst and made sure to prepare for it. Arriving at the prescribed location at the prescribed time, Voltage was quickly swallowed up in the chaos of the event.
She was literally thrown into a chair facing a large mirror, chaos resounding all around her as two women began to feverishly work on her hair and make-up. One of them began to untie her mask, prompting the super heroine to jump up and scold her.
"The mask stays on!" she scolded, causing the cosmetologist to nervously back away.
Just then, two of Jean Pierre Goatee's designers rushed over, abruptly shooing away the two as they grabbed Voltage's hand and pointedly pulled her out of her seat and escorted her toward a private room in the back of the dressing area. By this time, the crowd had begun to filter into the building and several of the other models were in the final stages of their preparations. Voltage however had only had her face and hair done, but she was still wearing her old Voltage costume.
Leading Voltage into the room, the two men closed the door behind them. Voltage turned and faced a wall, staring at it amazement. Lined with mirrors, she quickly realized that each wall was the same. The mirrored room left nothing to hide, a full view of all parts of her body available just by simply looking straight ahead. The two designers then began to disrobe Voltage, one untying her top from behind while the other reached forward to grab her g-string. Voltage quickly jumped back as her top fell off, exposing her chest.
"What are you doing?!?!?" she scolded the designers, who looked at each in shock.
"Um..... you have to get undressed!", one of them replied saucily.
"I can do that myself! Now please leave me alone!" the super heroine demanded, causing the two designers huff and then saunter out of the room, whispering to each other.
Voltage stared straight ahead, her small, pert breasts on display, her top hanging off of her. Slowly she pulled the top off of her before untying her cape and tossing it aside. She then lifted her right leg, pulling her boot off and tossing it into the corner before doing the same with her left. With only her mask and g-string left, Voltage stood there for a moment, staring at herself. She couldn't believe what she was doing, but as she dwelled on the subject, the two designers again stormed into the room.
"We must insist that you disrobe completely right now. We only have twenty minutes before you're on and if we are to get you ready in time, you must be completely naked... NOW !!!"
Voltage stared back at them, and as if on command, began to slide her g-string down her legs before dropping it to the floor. Embarrassed to bend over, she left it there, on the floor, stuck beneath her feet.
"FINALLY!" one of them huffed as they rushed over in front of her, each staring down at her crotch.
"Okay... that's fine, not too much hair left!" one commented to the other, referring to Voltage's most private area. Just two days before she had gotten a Brazilian wax, just as Mr. Goatee has requested. The experience left her with little more than a stripe of hair remaining, and the memory of a very painful experience. But perhaps just as uncomfortable was the fact that these two men were now examining the job!
Voltage kept her legs clamped tightly together, her mask the only garment left on her body as the two designers once again walked out of the room, whispering to each other. She felt completely vulnerable as she bent down and picked up her g-string, tossing it into the corner with the rest of her costume. It didn't take long however before Jean Pierre Goatee himself walked into the room, leaning forward to kiss Voltage on both cheeks before slowly ambling around her body, staring her up and down with his hand on his chin. Stopping in front of her, his eyes became fixed on her crotch.
"Spread your legs please!" he requested sternly, no emotion in his voice.
Voltage hesitated, looking in his face. "Excuse me?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
He looked up at her, trying to calm her fears. "I need to ensure that the outfit will fit properly, and as such, that it will not reveal any of your pubic hair."
Voltage fidgeted nervously before gradually spreading her legs, prompting Mr. Goatee to study her crotch for a few seconds before clapping his hands twice, summoning his assistants. "That should be sufficient." he replied to her, no tenderness evident in his voice as his assistants entered the room, carrying her outfit.
The garment was one piece, consisting of two circular pieces of material, joined at the bottom. Basically it was a pair of lightning bolt suspenders, sewed together at the crotch. The material was a sparkly silver, actively reflecting the light with it's glitter. Voltage stared at it in amazement, concerned that it would not be able to cover all that it needed to.
Carrying it in front of her, Voltage was instructed to step into the two openings in the costume with each of her legs as it was then pulled up and slipped over each of her arms. As the material came to rest against her skin, Voltage cringed at the cold, wetness. There was some kind of squishy liquid inside of the costume, and it felt weird against her. As the outfit was adjusted to cover all of the right areas, Mr. Goatee stood directly in front of her, directing his assistants.
Once fitted properly, the tunic-like garment draped off of each of her shoulders, forming a large, silver "V" in front as it plunged toward her crotch. The two sides covered her nipples, which by this point were hard and pointed, eventually joining together several inches below her navel, leaving little else covered but the bare essentials. From the back the look was the same, covering the crack of her ass, but little else. The edges of the garment were cut into sharp points, simulating the look of a lightning bolt.
But the sexy, erotic outfit did not seem to fit properly, the vinyl-like material baggy and hanging off of her. After getting over the initial shock and discomfort of it, Voltage seemed puzzled by the poor fit. But another assistant then walked into the room with a large blow dryer-like device. As Voltage stood erect, he began to point the device at the material. Hot air was shooting from it, and as it heated up the garment, it began to shrink, slowly at first, but then pulling tighter and tighter. Voltage watched in amazement as the outfit began to cling to her body, hugging each dimple and crevice. The outfit was being shrink wrapped onto her body!
"I designed this outfit so that it would conform to the shape of your body Voltage. A special, liquid substance is applied to the inside of the material so that when it is heated up, the material shrinks and conforms to the shape of the surface on which it attaches, in this case, you! It should look very nice, very sexy once it is done."
Voltage gaped at the image of the material being melted onto her body. It took about 10 minutes, but once done, the outfit looked as if it been painted on her. Her small, pert breasts seemed larger, her erect nipples protruding from beneath the silvery substance. An assistant then brought in the next piece of the ensemble, the boots. But Voltage almost fell over once she got a look at them. The material on the boots was the same as on her outfit, though the heels were 5 inches high. She slipped them on, the material climbing to the middle of her thigh. The hot air was again applied, and the material molded to the shape of legs, large lightning bolt cut outs the outer thigh of her right leg, the word Voltage cut out of the outer thigh in her left leg.
Next, a silver arm bracelet was brought in and slipped over her right wrist and pulled up to her bicep. The bracelet grabbed tightly at her skin, but once it was set in place, it displayed a silver lightning bolt on the outside edge of her upper arm. Next the cape was brought in and whisked in front of her before it was fastened to the material already clinging to her shoulders, using the same liquid substance. The cape's material matched that of the rest of her costume, but the cape itself was short, only draping down to her lower back, and leaving her bare ass clearly on display. Finally, with all of the pieces complete, the last remaining one was the mask. Jean Pierre Goatee stepped forward and reached for Voltage's old mask, but the heroine quickly reached up, grabbing old of his wrist.
"I'm sorry Mr. Goatee, but no one removes my mask!"
He took a step back, alarmed at the strength of the heroine's grip on his wrist. ""I'm sorry Voltage. Perhaps we can leave the new mask with you and once you place it on your face, my assistant can come in and finish up?"
Voltage nodded her head in agreement as everyone walked out of the room. Voltage removed her mask, pausing to stare at herself in the mirror. She couldn't decide whether she looked absolutely stiunning of like a cheap slut. Everything she wore was clung tightly to her body, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. But Voltage was comfortable enough with her figure to be proud of what she saw, and so as she looked herself over, a smile crossed her red lips.
Tossing her old mask aside, she reached down and grabbed the new mask, similar in cut to her old one, basically a lightning bolt slashing across her eyes, but again, matching the glittery material. She placed it on her face, feeling the squishiness of the liquid mash against her face. She then walked to the door and signaled for the assistant to come in. He finished off the application of heat, melting the mask onto the super heroine's face. Finally, he grabbed a spray bottle form the side of the room and began to walk around Voltage, spritzing her body and face with the substance. It was an oily, glittery mixture, designed to add even more sparkle and glitz to the already glitzy Voltage.
Voltage had been transformed into a shiny, sexy super heroine, complete with high heeled boots and a sexy, short cape. As she spun in front of the mirror, she became aware of the height of her heels however. She felt as if she were walking on stilts, and had difficulty with them at first. Before she could finish admiring herself however, another assistant charged in, grabbed Voltage by the wrist and pulled her toward the entrance to the runway.
"YOU'RE ON! YOU'RE ON!" he yelled, dragging Voltage behind him. The heroine hobbled along, trying to keep up in the high heels, her butt cheeks jiggling as she ran quickly. Finally the reached the edge of the runway, and suddenly a number of assistants began nimbly adjusting her costume, ensuring that all of her private parts were covered and in the process, taking liberties while grabbing parts of her body which would typically be off limits to anyone but her husband.
The turnout was incredible, with a vast array of the "beautiful people" in attendance, either modeling garments or in the audience watching. Jean Pierre Goatee was very excited about showing off his two new creations to this crowd, and Voltage could feel his pride at seeing her in one of them. He winked at her as she readied to go down the runway, a wink which provided comfort to Voltage and allowing her to pay little attention to the prodding and poking her body was receiving.
She was the next to last model to appear on the runway of the celebrity studded fashion show, a spot typically reserved for the most famous and respected stars. And since Voltage had won the city over with her heroics in recent months, she had earned the right to appear in the position of power. This concept of being a celebrity was all new to her, but as she stood before the slit in the curtain, taking one last deep breath, she heard the master of ceremonies begin his introduction.
"As we draw closer to a conclusion here this evening ladies and gentlemen, here is New York City's favorite..... and only..... super heroine, Voltage!
Voltage is wearing..... if you can call it that..... a creation by the world famous designer Jean Pierre Goatee. It is an original creation designed exclusively for New York City's favorite... and only... super heroine. "
The curtains spread apart and with the floodlights blinding her, Voltage walked forward, doing her best to shake her hips while at the same time, not falling off of the runway. There was a collective gasp from the crowd, who had already seen some risqué swimsuits earlier in the evening, but the costume Voltage was wearing was the most daring yet.
She strutted forward, the five-inch, silver stiletto heels on her boots making for a wobbly ride. It was obvious that Voltage was an amateur, the flashes of the cameras and glare of the lights causing her to look nervously around as she moved toward the end of the runway in her best attempt at a swagger. With her Voltage mask clinging tightly to the outline of her face, her brown eyes darted through the audience from beneath it, as she finally reached the end of the runway. Stopping for a moment, she dipped her right hip in her best attempt at a sexy pose, before spinning quickly to make her way back. But unable to master the high heels, she slipped, momentarily losing her balance as several audience members chuckled softly.
The lights danced off of the contours of her slick and slender frame, the glitter creating a "mirror ball effect" as Voltage made her way back towards the curtain, relieved that the worst was over. But as she got to the midway point of the runway, the spot where she was to stop and turn for the last time, the M.C. began to introduce the next, and final model.
"And now ladies and gentlemen...... our featured model and this evening's hostess..... the generous sponsor of tonight's charitable festivities and America's sweetheart..... the gorgeous...... DIVA!"
As Voltage drew closer toward the beginning of the catwalk, still somewhat shaky in her stride, the curtains again split and Diva sauntered easily forward. She was dressed in a very skimpy, though very sexy version of a Santa Claus bikini, from the red and white hat down to the red and white, thigh-high boots with stiletto heels.
Suddenly all eyes were on Diva and Voltage was just about invisible as she made her way closer to the curtain. Voltage stared Diva down as the two were about to cross paths, glaring into her eyes. The super heroine was unable to wipe the sneer from her face as Diva passed by her, but rather than snarl back, Diva smiled widely. In fact, Diva stopped right in front of Voltage, placing her hands on each of the heroine's shoulders. She leaned forward to give the heroine a kiss on her cheek, but Voltage would have nothing to do with it, turning her cheek away. Dive dug her long fingernails deeply into the milky shoulders of the super heroine, giving her a quick and angry shake at the same time, causing Voltage to clumsily lose her balance. The beauty could have easily forced the shaky heroine off of the stage, but instead held her up, winking slyly back at her before strutting past.
None of Diva's tactics were obvious, though Voltage's snub was, causing the super heroine to look like a bad sport. The crowd gasped at the shun, offended that Voltage would treat the organizer of the evenings' events in such a rude manner. But Diva ignored the snub, shimmying by Voltage as the crowd applauded her, while wondering why Voltage had been so rude.
Backstage, reporters circled around the two women, who ended up on opposite sides of the dressing room. Voltage was surprised at how much attention the incident had drawn, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself, not commenting to reporters and making a quick exit back to her dressing room. Diva, conversely, was happy to filed questions about the snub.
"I'm not sure why Voltage chose to behave that way, but perhaps she was a little jealous that all eyes were on me.... and not her..... once I made my way onto the runway. But regardless, the night is a success, we have raised lots of money so that children all over the city can have a merry Christmas this year. I also want to announce that tomorrow, under the tree in Rockefeller Center, I will be presenting the mayor with a gift from all of us in attendance tonight. So make sure you tune in!"
But even though Diva had graciously answered their questions, several reporters were still not happy, acting like vultures as they pecked away to further escalate the confrontation.
"Does Voltage's early exit tonight mean that she doesn't support your charity Ms. Diva?"
"No... I wouldn't say that. After all, I give her a great deal of credit for coming tonight and volunteering to appear as a model. After all..... she doesn't have the same advantages as all of the other modesl on the runway tonight. I'm sure it took a great deal for her to come out on stage in such a skimpy outfit. You have to admire her courage. And as for her support of my charity.... Well who knows. Maybe tomorrow she too will leave something under the tree for the children of this city."
With that, Diva excused herself and disappeared behind a dressing room door, preparing herself for the party which would soon follow. By now, Voltage had time to ponder her actions, and though she didn't regret snubbing Diva, she did regret doing it in such a public way. Diva had once again outsmarted her, and even though Voltage had volunteered to model as part of the fashion show, an act which should have been a positive for her image, Diva was still able to turn it around and make Voltage look bad.
Voltage sat in her dressing room, brooding over the events of the evening, trying to figure out how to deal with it. She did not lose the idea however, that Diva might still be up to something. So rather than go out and face the hostile press, Voltage decided to sit in her room and wait.... wait until everyone had left and Diva was safely out of the building, doing no damage. This would be the perfect time for Diva to commit a crime and get away with it, and it was exactly the kind of event where Diva would try something underhanded, so Voltage wanted to be ready in case her rival tried.
About an hour passed and most of the crowd had filed out of the building. Voltage decided the time was right, and so she wandered out of her dressing room, still clad in her new, sexy costume. She walked slowly, still trying to master the heels on her boots, until she came across the security room. In there were a number of television monitors, each showing a different section of the building. Voltage decided to take a seat and check things out before she called it a night.
Viewing the monitors, she looked for any unusual activity, and it didn't take long before she found some. Monitor number 4 showed a corridor in the bowels of the building, and surprisingly, there was a fair amount of activity going on. Voltage noticed several familiar looking men walking into one room and out of another, each carrying large, canvas sacks. Voltage then scanned the control panel and came across a monitor labeled "VAULT". That was the room which the men were scurrying in and out of. They would enter empty handed, and leave, carrying the sacks of money. Voltage then began to change the camera's view and eventually was able to turn on the camera in the other room where the men were emerging from. To her surprise, standing right in the center of the room was none other than..... DIVA!
The men continued to bring large sacks into the room, dropping them all around Diva's feet. Still clad in her Santa's helper outfit, Diva was untying each of the bags and pulling cash, jewelry and other forms of valuables from each of the sacks! Voltage charged from the room and headed toward the location of the camera. As she raced forward however, she came across several of the event's organizers, who looked distraught. Voltage confronted them, trying to find out what had happened.
"Someone accosted our VIP guests as they were escorted into the lounge after the show and stole all of their jewelry and valuables. To make matters worse, they also broke into the vault and stole every last dime we made tonight. That's over a million dollars! Diva will be so upset! She worked so hard to make this night a success!"
Voltage stared into the woman's eyes as she listened to the tale, but quickly her mind began to wander. She began to question the woman, asking where the vault was located. Once she was told, Voltage then questioned her about the location of the lounge where the VIP's were robbed. Quickly she ran up to the lounge area, searching for clues. She noticed a few deep scratches on the wall, just below the cover for the air vent. Walking over, Voltage also noticed that the vent was slightly askew, a sure sign it had been removed. It didn't take her awesome crime fighting skills to figure out how the criminals had escaped and accessed the vault.
Next, Voltage sprung into action. She flew up a few feet until her body was parallel with the air vent, and then ripped the cover from the wall. Without hesitation, she then flew straight ahead, squeezing her body into the tight opening, on her way toward surprising the criminals, and her arch rival, DIVA! She crawled forward slowly, the tight fit not allowing her to move very quickly. After a few minutes, she came to a fork in the venting system. Not sure which direction to go, she paused, listening intently for some clue to guide her. She heard the sound of a machine starting up, a sure sign that the crooks were trying to make their escape. Voltage decided to follow the noises and began to crawl down the left side vent. She crawled for several more minutes until finally seeing a light at the end of the vent. With her body squeezed tightly into the thin vent, Voltage was grateful that her journey through the metal vent was almost complete. But as she drew closer to the light, she could hear loud laughter coming from the other direction. Within seconds, Voltage felt a rush of extremely hot air overtake her body, blowing directly from the opening in front of her, just a few feet away. She had ended up crawling in the direction of the furnace, which had not been turned on, flooding the vent with hot air.
With her thin body filling most of the opening, the hot air had little room in which to travel and the heat quickly began to build. Voltage knew she had to move quickly, so unable to turn her body, she began to crawl backward, away from the furnace. The metal venting gradually began to heat up and Voltage could hear a strange, sizzling sound all around her. After a few more seconds, the odor of barbecued meat began to fill the vent as she felt the wide expanses of her bare skin beginning to burn. She was being cooked alive, her skin frying against the hot metal! She knew she had to get out of there fast, or run the risk of being burnt to a crisp!
Unable to move quickly due to the tight fit, Voltage gyrated her hips to crawl through the vents, her body now beginning to perspire heavily, her sweat thankfully acting as a lubricant to help her move more easily. Finally, after about ten minutes, she had gotten back to the fork she had come across earlier. Having obviously made the wrong decision the first time, she now chose the other direction, able now to crawl forward, rather than backward. But the heat had already begun to take it's toll, and Voltage was growing weaker by the second, dehydrating form the heat and loss of fluids. With her body soaked and beginning to feel faint, the heroine nevertheless pressed onward. Lifting her head to see how far she had to go, Voltage cringed as she looked ahead and saw Diva staring back at her. The devious beauty had trapped Voltage in the vent, and with the heroine now fading fast, Diva's laughter echoed through the building.
But Voltage did not give up, continuing to crawl forward, even as the intensity of the heat cooked her skin and drained her strength. With gritty determination, Voltage reached to within a few feet from the opening before she could move no further. Conscious but with no strength left, her arms fell flat out in front of her, a trail of her own sweat left behind her. She had slithered to within a few inches of her destination, but could go no further. Jus then, one of Diva's thugs climbed a ladder in front of the vent and reached forward, thrusting his arms into the tunnel and grabbing the super heroine by her wrists. His right hand grabbed hold of her metal bracelet, the one left embedded in her wrist by the accident and the source of her superpowers. But with heroine's blood almost boiling, her body temperature raised to dangerous levels, and an unusual amount of electrical activity being generated from the bracelet, it seared the thugs hands as soon as he touched it.
Screaming in pain, he fell backward off of the ladder, clutching his scorched skin. One of the other thugs took his place, but rather than grabbing Voltage by the wrists, he clutched onto her hair, using it to rip the heroine's body forward, plucking her from the vent. The squeal of her wet skin being dragged against the metal vent echoed throughout the building as she emerged from the wall like a corpse being pulled from a drawer in the morgue, however she did not have a drawer to hold her upright. As such, she plummeted to the ground, landing violently at the foot of the ladder, her saturated, burnt body cowering together.
Voltage looked up, weak and exhausted, her body singed and bruised. Diva stood over her, glaring down at her rival, once again having the upper hand. Voltage noticed a television screen in the far corner of the room, the lounge from which she had just come being displayed upon it. Below the screen was a thermostat on the wall, with the temperature set to 150 degrees. Voltage quickly realized that Diva had been tracking her movements, lured her into the vents, burned her and sapped her of all of her strength, leaving the super heroine at Diva's mercy. Voltage looked up again, Diva smiling down at her.
"You really need to think before you act Voltage. You make some really stupid mistakes!"
With that, Diva snapped her fingers and two of her thugs grabbed Voltage by her wrists, making sure not to touch her bracelet. They pulled her up by the arms, the heroine drooping as they held in front of Diva, who then summoned the thug who had burnt his hand on her bracelet. With the silver, "V" shaped outfit sill melted onto her body, Voltage was an easy target, and Diva smiled before motioning towards her. The thug smiled, taking the hint and stepping in front of the weakened, dangling heroine.
"THIS IS FOR BURNING ME.... BITCH!"
He then hauled off and unleashed a powerful uppercut into the heroine's gut.
"BBBBAAAAWWWWHHHH" wailed the heroine as she sank lower before once again being hoisted upright by the arms. Diva then signaled to each of her other thugs, and they all got a shot at Voltage, pummeling the heroine into a state semi-consciousness. Once they all got a shot, it was Diva's turn, and she savored the moment. Taking her hand, she placed it beneath Voltage's chin, lifting her face so that they were eye to eye.
"You will never beat me!", she whispered in a determined, menacing tone, before kicking Voltage's dangling legs apart. She then took a step back, and with a grunt, kicked her foot up, driving it into the heroine's crotch.
"OOOOOWWWHHHH!", cried the heroine, before Diva cocked her arm back and delivered a devastating punch into Voltage's face. The heroine collapsed to the floor, knocked out cold. The thugs all stood over her, content with their accomplishment. Diva then instructed them to gag her, hog tie her and toss her aside until they had finished loading up the loot, which they did. With all of the valuables loaded into the getaway car and removed from the scene, Voltage was tossed into the vault and locked away for safekeeping as Diva went to take care of her responsibilities as the event's host.
Night time had fallen over the city by this time, and the crew had already assembled the stage beneath the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center for the next days' festivities. Diva was scheduled to present her gift to the city's children on the next day, an event which would be broadcast live on national television. There was also a huge television screen set up alongside the tree to broadcast the festivities to the large crowd which was expected.
But even though everything had been set up, the festivities were in jeopardy due to the theft, or so everyone thought. Actually Diva, in her inimitably clever style, had carefully orchestrated the events. She agreed to donate the one million dollars out of her own pocket, making her a hero in the eyes of the citizens of the city. She had not only pulled off a very clever crime, but she was being praised as a hero for it!
Meanwhile, Voltage remained on the floor of the vault, her wrists and ankles tied tightly together behind her, a gag shoved in her mouth as she lay on her stomach. Gradually she regained consciousness and began struggling to get free, but was unable to break her bonds, still greatly weakened.
After having laid all of the groundwork for her master plan, Diva returned to the vault with her thugs, by now the time was well past midnight. They were carrying a very large, colorfully wrapped gift box, and placed it on the floor, next to Voltage. The heroine's eyes opened wide as she feared what was next for her. Not keeping her in suspense, Diva crouched down in front of her, whispering in her ear.
"You know Voltage, you can learn a lot from me. You see, I've not only stolen over a million dollars from those poor suckers, but I've made them think I'm a hero in the process. Tomorrow morning, when I appear on national television and hand the mayor a check for one million dollars, they will love me even more than they do right now. And to make it all even sweeter, I'll get to humiliate you in the process.
AHH.... LIFE IS GOOD!"
With that, Diva signaled to one of her thugs, who poured a large amount of chloroform into a rag and placed it over the super heroine's face. Voltage tried to resist at first, but eventually was overcome by the vapors and passed out. Diva then wedged a blown up copy of the one million check into the super heroine's gagged mouth before her unconscious body was lifted onto a small platform before the gift box was placed over it, wrapping her up like a Christmas present. The thugs then lifted the whole package, carrying it out and placing it on the stage, beneath the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center., before leaving for the night.
The temperature on the cold, December night, dipped down into the single digits, and with virtually no clothing on, nor any protection from the cold other than the thin, cardboard box, Voltage began to freeze. As she awoke in the middle of the night, unaware of where she was, she began shivering uncontrollably, her body temperature dipping to dangerously low levels. Voltage tried desperately to keep mentally alert for fear that if she were to lose focus or her will to survive, she would surely perish in the arctic air. But as the sun rose over the city, and along with it, the temperature, the valiant super heroine had successfully lasted the night, though she was in bad shape. Diva had very successfully entrapped the heroine, placing under extreme conditions ranging from scalding to freezing temperatures. As Voltage continued to tremble, she feared that her body might never recover from the abuse it had taken so far.
As the morning went on, Voltage could hear the activity outside building and tried to roll over or make some noise to bring attention to herself. But her binds were too tight, her gag too big, and so she remained trapped in her Christmas present prison. The noises outside continued grew louder as the crowd built, until finally, the show began. A host of dignitaries were present, from politicians to Hollywood stars, each of them singing the praises of the true star of the day... Diva, and deriding the dastardly thieves who would try to spoil the holiday. As Voltage remained bound in her box, her pain and torment were increased by the adulation being heaped on her tormentor.
With the cameras filming the speeches, the large screen television hung high on the building above, flashing the images from the stage to the huge crowd which had gathered, the mayor stepped up to the microphone. He first chastised the criminals who try to squelch Diva's generosity, and then went on to thank Diva for her unending dedication to the children of the City of New York before he introduced the star of the show. Diva strode forward, her statuesque figure engulfed in a thick, soft fur coat. Thanking the mayor and the crowd, she then stepped forward and stood next to the large Christmas package, which contained the bound super heroine.
"Mr. Mayor and the children on New York City, I present you with a very special present.... from Diva to you!...."
With that, two assistants lifted the top of the box to reveal the hog-tied Voltage, the check still sticking out of her mouth. The crowd gasped and the dignitaries on the dais looked on in horror, though Diva found it hard to conceal her smirk. Voltage squirmed back and forth, the cameras capturing her humiliating image on not only the large screen, but also on the television sets of millions of Americans.
Within seconds, dozens of cops stormed the stage, freeing Voltage of her binds and helping her to her feet. Diva tried to look concerned, but it was fairly obvious that she was enjoying the humiliation of her rival. Voltage looked helpless and weak as she was helped to a seat on the stage. The network camera crews did not back away however, several reporters jumping up on stage and shoving microphones in the haggard heroine's face.
"Can you tell us who did this to you Voltage"
The heroine paused, still trying to regain her composure as a coat was draped over her shoulders. Still shivering, the heroine whispered....... "DD..II..VV..AA..".
The words were loud enough to be heard all around the country as the attention now turned toward the hero of the day. Diva stood up defiantly, grabbing one of the microphones.
"Now, now everyone, we've all seen this before. Voltage has accused me of crimes in the past, but has never had the evidence to justify her claims. Do you have any proof Voltage?"
Summoning one of the police officers, Voltage whispered in his ear for about a minute or two, before he waved his arm, summoning about a dozen others to join him. He whispered into the mayor's ear before dashing off into the adjacent building, the same building in which the fashion show was held. The mayor stepped up to the microphone, trying to calm the anxious crowd.
"Okay, settle down folks. New York City's Finest are on the case and in just a few minutes we'll get to the bottom of this."
Diva stood boldly at center stage, trying not to show the nervousness she was feeling. Where could those cops be going? What could they be looking for? She was sure she had covered all of her tracks, as always, but still.....
Meanwhile, Voltage was looked after by a team of medical technicians who covered her in blankets. The crowds murmured uneasily as the minutes passed by, with still no resolution. Voltage gradually began to regain her strength, though Diva was steadfast in denying all of the accusations, standing still at center stage. The network reporters all spoke voraciously from the side of the stage, the drama unfolding in living rooms across America. They replayed the scene of Voltage's bound body being uncovered over and over again, Diva's eyes fixed on the screen each time it was replayed, while Voltage hung her head.
Finally, after about 20 minutes had passed, the large screen went blank, then turned to static. The loud noise was jarring, but only lasted a few seconds before a jarring image appeared on the screen. The image was of Voltage, still bound and gagged, but in a room within the building, surrounded by a band of thugs.... And DIVA! Suddenly, the audio portion came on, and Diva's words could be heard.....
"You know Voltage, you can learn a lot from me. You see, I've not only stolen over a million dollars from those poor suckers, but I've made them think I'm a hero in the process. Tomorrow morning, when I appear on national television and hand the mayor a check for one million dollars, they will love me even more than they do right now. And to make it all even sweeter, I'll get to humiliate you in the process.
AHH.... LIFE IS GOOD!"
The words stung the crowd, and as soon as they finished, Diva tried to run. But a circle of cops surrounded her, placing her under arrest and dragging her away as she yelled in protest. They carried her to within inches of Voltage, giving the villainess an opportunity to address the heroine. With a menacing glare, Diva looked at Voltage and growled, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"
Diva was hauled away as the reporters desperately tried to get a comment form her, but to no avail. As they followed Diva however, Voltage was helped quietly away and taken inside, where her wounds were tended to, both physically and emotionally. Later that day, the mayor appeared again on television, thanking Voltage for her perseverance and dedication to the city. He promised to plan a Voltage Day for the city, a day in which all of it's citizens could thank the super heroine for her efforts. But Voltage chose to avoid making any statements in public, choosing instead to quietly slip off into the sunset.