Christmas Carol: Rocketgirl past

"Here's how I'll decide what to do with you," Ms Kyoto said, continuing to trace the heroine's trembling lips slowly with her fingertip. "I'll let your brain show me the way. I'll use the Mind Sifter to show me your past, present, and future. After all, whatever your fearful imagination can come up with is bound to be worse than anything I already have planned. And presented in the context of the rest of your crimefighting career, it's sure to be a fitting denouement."

Ms Kyoto placed a heavy set of goggles over Rocketgirl's eyes. The heroine could see nothing. She shook her head violently to loosen the goggles, to no avail. She tried scraping them off but thanks to her bonds, couldn't lift her arms or shoulders enough to wedge the goggles against anything.

"Do your worst," she said finally.

"Oh don't worry," Ms Kyoto said, donning her own pair of goggles as she sat at her computer again. "I intend to." She typed furiously at the keyboard. Rocketgirl felt a light buzzing in her head as the Mind Sifter went to work.

Visions passed through Rocketgirl's goggles unbidden by the heroine, visions of her history as the great heroine Rocketgirl. Though she was proud of her feats, she felt violated being **** to show all this to Ms Kyoto. It didn't help that Ms Kyoto provided a running commentary for every vision they saw.

"So that's where your powers came from," Ms Kyoto said. "I'll make a note of that for later." Melissa shuddered trying to imagine what use Ms Kyoto would make of the information.

"Elastic Man, Rubber Boy, Evil Eve, and Serpentina," Ms Kyoto remarked, and Melissa could hear her taking more notes. "I didn't realize they were your first conquests. I wonder if they're out of prison yet. I bet they'd love to have a little reunion with you." Melissa tugged impotently at her restraints as though this threat were imminent. Ms Kyoto chuckled at the heroine's obvious discomfort.

"That's enough for now about the history of Rocketgirl. Now show me some regret associated with the terrible burden of being Rocketgirl. I know you must have a few."

Melissa winced and squirmed, fighting uselessly against the command and the Mind Sifter. She couldn't stop herself from showing Ms Kyoto exactly what the woman wanted to see. First there was the prom date she stood up to free hostages. Then there was the sorority she quit whose **** empire she later busted as Rocketgirl, getting them banned from campus. There was the sweet roommate she had to push to leave so she wouldn't learn Melissa's secret alter ego. There was the string of men she'd dated but never gotten serious with because she couldn't tell them she was Rocketgirl. She'd even been afraid to have sex because she didn't know what danger her powers might present to a partner. Finally there was the ex-boyfriend who never spoke to her after she had to reject his marriage proposal because he could never learn her powerful secret.

A secret that was now an open book to a woman who had quickly become her greatest foe.

Revisiting all these regrets made Melissa sob uncontrollably. "It's been...it's been so hard already, Ms Kyoto. Please just let me go. Please just let me be."

"Yes," Ms Kyoto said, removing her goggles. "A head full of secrets and a heart full of regrets. Thank you for sharing all this with me. I feel so humbled to know you better than anyone else on the planet." Melissa could hear the smirk in Ms Kyoto's voice.

The professor studied her notes for a moment, then walked to Melissa and knelt in front of her again. Her hand delicately touched the weeping heroine's cheek.

"It certainly has been hard for you, poor little Melissa," she said. "And I'm afraid it's about to get even harder. Let's take a look at your present circumstances."